County of district: Etowah County
Location of district: Wall St., from Norris Ave. to Meighan Blvd. , Gadsden
Contributing buildings, #1 & #2 have been razed and were replaced with what is now Reagan Park.
"The Alabama City Wall Street Historic District includes all of the remaining contiguous contributing resources in the Alabama City Wall Street commercial district. Wall Street was the primary commercial core of the town of Alabama City, founded in 1890-91, until 1932 when it merged with the City of Gadsden. The Alabama City Wall Street Historic District documents Alabama City's commercial development from the 1910s to the 1930s when it became part of Gadsden, and its subsequent development to 1948, by then, a commercial area in the northwestern part of the City of Gadsden. The District comprises 44 mostly commercial resources, 33 (approx. 72 %) of which are contributing and 11 (approx. 28%) non-contributing. It includes all of the buildings that front Wall Street (a. k. a. 27th Street) between Meighan Boulevard and Norris Avenue as well as a few structures in the 2600 blocks of Meighan Boulevard and Sansom Streets and 300 block of Sansom Street. Residential neighborhoods surround the historic commercial district; no residential structures have been included in the District. The terrain is very flat and there are sidewalks throughout most of the district." ~ NRHP Nomination Form
Marker in front of fire house erected by the Alabama City Historical Association in 2012:
ALABAMA CITY, ALABAMA
During the year 1890, Capt. James H. Elliott, Jr., the famed riverboat captain and industrialist, began to draw up plans for a new town about ten miles west of Gadsden. Elliott's dream was to develop the town as an industrial center and eventually merge it with Gadsden and Attalia into one major city, named Alabama City.
The town became a reality in 1890 when Elliott, Col. R. B. Kyle and T. S. Kyle met to found the town of Alabama City. Elliott applied for a post office for the new village in 1891. It was granted, and Elliott directed the mail from the car works through the Alabama City Post Office in order to pay the first postmaster, J. K. Fleming. The large volume of mail gave the new post office a substantial amount of business during the early days.
The first elections were held for Alabama City in March 1891, with William Gardner being elected its first mayor.
Kyle worked tirelessly to bring a major industry to the Alabama City area. Kyle opened the first industry here known as the Alabama City Furniture Company which made hand carved tables. Kyle's efforts were rewarded when the Dwight Manufacturing Company of Chicopee, Mass., announced that a giant cotton mill would be located in Alabama City. The company sent officials to the 3,000-acre town to begin plans to bring the industry to Etowah County. Kyle offered to donate the land to build the textile plant. The mill opened in 1896.
With the effects of the "Great Depression" lingering and Alabama City unable to meet payroll, the only solution appeared to be a merger with Gadsden. The vote came about July 12, 1932. Mayor R. D. Morgan thought the merger with Gadsden would help, relieve the financial crunch. The citizens of Alabama City voted 520 ~ 133 in favor of merging with Gadsden. Alabama City officially became part of the city of Gadsden on July 13, 1932.