Burnt Corn, Alabama
Encyclopedia
Burnt Corn is a small unincorporated community in Monroe County
, Alabama
, on the border of Conecuh County
. Burnt Corn is located at a historic crossroads near the source of Burnt Corn Creek and the intersection of two trading paths.
The town and the creek may have been named for an incident in which passersby found a pile of parched corn, a food often used by Creek Indians when traveling. In 1798 the area was included in the Mississippi Territory
but was controlled by the Creek Nation. Between 1805 and 1811 the area became a stop on the Federal Road
through the Creek Nation.
The Battle of Burnt Corn
, an episode of the Creek War
in July 1813, did not occur at Burnt Corn, but at a ford of Burnt Corn Creek to the south, in present-day Escambia County, Alabama
. When the Creek Nation was forced to cede land to the United States in 1815, Burnt Corn Spring was included in a 640 acres (2.6 km²) land grant to Jim Cornells, a Creek Indian who fought on the U.S. side in the war.
U.S. postal service to Burnt Corn began in 1817, when the village also became part of the Alabama Territory
. The post office was closed in 1997 and the 36431 ZIP code
retired. Burnt Corn is now served by the Evergreen
post office in ZIP 36401.
A school, the "Students' Retreat," was organized in 1820, followed by a Baptist church in 1821.
Burnt Corn was considered a thriving community in the early twentieth century, but it never became an incorporated town. The present-day community is centered on a combined post office and general store.
Monroe County, Alabama
Monroe County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of James Monroe, fifth President of the United States. As of 2010, the population was 23,068. Its county seat is Monroeville. It is a dry county, in which the sale of alcoholic beverages is restricted or...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, on the border of Conecuh County
Conecuh County, Alabama
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*51.3% White*46.5% Black*0.3% Native American*0.1% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.0% Two or more races*1.2% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. Burnt Corn is located at a historic crossroads near the source of Burnt Corn Creek and the intersection of two trading paths.
The town and the creek may have been named for an incident in which passersby found a pile of parched corn, a food often used by Creek Indians when traveling. In 1798 the area was included in the Mississippi Territory
Mississippi Territory
The Territory of Mississippi was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from April 7, 1798, until December 10, 1817, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Mississippi....
but was controlled by the Creek Nation. Between 1805 and 1811 the area became a stop on the Federal Road
Federal Road (Creek lands)
The Federal Road was a project that started in 1805 when the Creek Indians gave a permission for the development of a "horse path" through their nation for more efficient mail delivery between Washington City and New Orleans, Louisiana....
through the Creek Nation.
The Battle of Burnt Corn
Battle of Burnt Corn
The Battle of Burnt Corn, also known as the Battle of Burnt Corn Creek, was an encounter between United States armed forces and Creek Indians that took place July 27, 1813 in present-day southern Alabama...
, an episode of the Creek War
Creek War
The Creek War , also known as the Red Stick War and the Creek Civil War, began as a civil war within the Creek nation...
in July 1813, did not occur at Burnt Corn, but at a ford of Burnt Corn Creek to the south, in present-day Escambia County, Alabama
Escambia County, Alabama
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*62.1% White*31.9% Black*4.4% Native American*0.2% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.5% Two or more races*1.9% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. When the Creek Nation was forced to cede land to the United States in 1815, Burnt Corn Spring was included in a 640 acres (2.6 km²) land grant to Jim Cornells, a Creek Indian who fought on the U.S. side in the war.
U.S. postal service to Burnt Corn began in 1817, when the village also became part of the Alabama Territory
Alabama Territory
The Territory of Alabama was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 15, 1817, until December 14, 1819, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Alabama.-History:...
. The post office was closed in 1997 and the 36431 ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
retired. Burnt Corn is now served by the Evergreen
Evergreen, Alabama
Evergreen is a city in Conecuh County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 3,944. The city is the county seat of Conecuh County.-History:Early settlers to the area came from Georgia and South Carolina beginning in 1818...
post office in ZIP 36401.
A school, the "Students' Retreat," was organized in 1820, followed by a Baptist church in 1821.
Burnt Corn was considered a thriving community in the early twentieth century, but it never became an incorporated town. The present-day community is centered on a combined post office and general store.