SITE of the FIRST PRODUCING OIL WELL in Alabama
In January of 1944, the State of Alabama granted a permit to Hunt Oil Company to drill the A.R. Jackson Well No. 1, in Gilbertown. The company was owned by H.L. Hunt of Dallas, Texas. Drilling began on January 10 of that year and oil was struck about a month later at 2580 feet.
The discovery of the well led to the creation of the State Oil and Gas Board of Alabama in 1945 and was the beginning of the development and growth of the oil industry in the state.
An historic marker now stands just off Paragon Road in Gilbertown, at the site were the oil well stood. The foundation is all that now remains at the initial site.
The old Hunt rig is now located in front of Town Hall.
For more information, visit the American Oil & Gas Historical Society website at aoghs.org/petroleum-pioneers/first-alabama-oil-well/.
SIMS GRAVE MARKER
A well-known legend in the area is the story of the Sims War. The events revolved around Reverend Robert “Bob” sims and his followers during the early 1890’s.
The events that revolved around Robert “Bob” Sims and his devoted followers during the year of 1891 is known generally as The Sims War. A Confederate veteran of the Civil War, Sims was a controversial ‘minister’ whose beliefs put him at odds with local government and many others in the community. He was often involved in questionable antics that included violence against his adversaries, the operation of a rather large-scale whiskey still operation.
The ‘Sims War’ reportedly began after another local minister, Rev. R. B. Carroll – who had been very outspoken against Bob Sims and his teachings – was shot and killed on his own front porch, and Bob Sims’ followers were accused of the murder.
Federal marshalls tried multiple times to capture Sims and his followers, but were unsuccessful. Manhunts were held throughout the area, but they were also unsuccessful. Bob Sims and many of his followers had left the county.
Sims would later return to the county after a lawsuit was filed against him and his property was to be put up for auction to cover the settlement. Apparently Bob heard news of this and decided to return home and try to save his property. Sims had apparently also heard that John McMillan, a store owner in the Paragon community, had reported his still to the federal authorities and organized the citizens against him.
On December 22, Bob and one of his followers, Will Savage, hijacked one of McMillan’s wagons about a mile east of Gilbertown and made the driver unload his goods from the wagon. They instructed the driver to tell McMillan they were coming to set his house on fire and kill him.
A group of armed men waited up all night and the next day at the McMillan store for the arrival of Sims and his gang. Since Sims had not shown up, the men retired the next evening to the house to get some rest. But that night, on December 23, 1891, the Sims group surrounded the house and set fire to it. When the inhabitants of the house woke up and tried to get out, they were met with gunfire. One adult and three children were killed, and nine others were wounded, including a teacher who also later passed away.
The day after the fire, a posse was formed and surrounded the Sims home, leading to a siege that lasted until late in the afternoon on Christmas Day. Finally, late that evening, Bob Sims and the other defenders surrendered and came out of the house. The sheriff took them into custody and began the trip to the jail in Butler, but they were met by a mob of about 300 men at the crossroads at Old Samuel. The mob was unwilling to wait for justice, and eventually took the prisoners from their escort, and the four were hanged from a tree at the crossroads and were buried nearby in the Sims Cemetery.
The ’Sims War’ has been the subject of books and articles through the years and even made national headlines in that time period, including a book by Choctaw County historian Ann H. Gay The Perverse Prophet and Choctaw County’s Sims War.
An historic marker now stands along Barrytown Road at the site where the cemetery is located.
For more information on Bob Sims and the Sims War, visit
REMEMBERING THE DAYS OF RAIL
Established in 1910, the Town of Gilbertown grew up around the Alabama, Tennessee and Northern Railroad that was constructed through the area in 1912. The railroad led to growth in population and business, as well as an influx of visitors who traveled through the area via train. The town was the hub of activity around the railroad and even offered a hotel for guests, reportedly located in what became the home of former mayors Marvin and Betty Merritt, which once stood in the center of town. A recently refurbished caboose stands at Town Hall in remembrance of the heyday of the rail in Gilbertown.
GILBERTOWN SPORTS COMPLEX and AMPHITHEATRE
The Gilbertown Sports Complex and Amphitheatre is located just off Paragon Road and offers facilities for youth league baseball and softball. Local leagues hold tournaments and games at the complex, which draw players and their families from throughout the region. The area is also used for other events throughout the year.
The Amphitheatre is an outdoor stage nestled in the trees adjacent to the sports complex and areas for seating and vendor spaces. The facility is used for concerts and other events throughout the year and is the site of Gilbertown annual Praise Fest, which draws well-known gospel groups and musicians.
GILBERTOWN WALKING TRAIL PARK
Nestled in a wooded area near the Gilbertown branch of Coastal Alabama Community College, the park offers a shaded walking trail (approximately 0.33 miles in length), a playground area for kids and a pavilion that is often used for birthday parties, family reunions, and other events.