Black in Alabama: Local History and Historic Cemeteries

If you’re looking for a hotel in Black, learning about the town’s history can help you get a sense of the destination. Black combines an unusual municipal boundary shape with a story behind its name, historic cemetery inventories, and references to former local institutions. Depending on whether you’re interested in the town’s shape, individual biographies, or the area’s development, you’ll find different points of focus for planning your trip.

City Boundaries and Local History

Black has circular city boundaries and is one of only four cities in Alabama with this boundary shape. This distinctive municipal feature sets the town apart and makes it stand out when compared with other cities in the state.

Black is named after George W. Black. He arrived in the area in 1884 and bought 10,000 acres in Geneva County in the early 20th century. These two details describe separate milestones: his arrival in the area in 1884 and his later land purchase. George W. Black is also said to have built Alabama’s first sugarcane mill and produced a great deal of syrup.

Cemeteries and Historic Places of Remembrance

The cemetery histories offer further concrete points of reference for understanding the area’s past. Spring Creek Cemetery in Black, Alabama, is also known as Crutchfield Cemetery. Historic inventories list approximately 30 graves there; the earliest known burial was Freeman Lane Crutchfield (1860–1878). The Black City Cemetery inventory lists approximately 470 graves. The earliest known burial at this cemetery is recorded as P.A. Pate (1826–1876). The approximate figures show a clear difference in size between the two inventories, while the names of the earliest known burials each provide a distinct biographical connection. You can use both names to help identify the cemeteries. Based on the approximate figures, the inventories differ by about 440 graves.

Another biographical trace leads to Millville Church Cemetery in Black, Geneva County, Alabama, where Byron Forrest is buried. During World War II, he served as a Technical Sergeant in the 363rd Infantry of the 91st Infantry Division. The specific unit gives his name a concrete connection to military history. A survey dated May 20, 1998, places Millville Church 2¼ miles northeast of Black, on the unpaved Millville Road. If you include this site in your travel plans, check the current route and accessibility in advance.

Black in 1916

A 1916 publication lists a post office and a Louisville & Nashville Railroad station in Black. This reference adds two institutions of the time to the local history and offers a different perspective from the stories of the town’s name and cemeteries: the focus is on the post office and railroad in Black at that time.

For a broader travel overview: Geneva County.