Bluffton, Alabama
{{Use American English|date=September 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name = Bluffton
|settlement_type = Unincorporated community
|pushpin_map =USA Alabama
|pushpin_map_caption = Location in Alabama.
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_type1 = State
|subdivision_type2 = County
|subdivision_name = United States
|subdivision_name1 = Alabama
|subdivision_name2 = Cherokee
|elevation_ft = 850
|population_as_of =
|population_total =
|timezone = Central (CST)
|utc_offset = -6
|coordinates = {{coord|34|00|25|N|85|26|24|W|type:city_region:US-AL_source:GNS-enwiki|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint =
| coordinates_footnotes =
|timezone_DST = CDT
|utc_offset_DST = -5
|postal_code_type =
|postal_code =
|area_codes = 256 & 938
|blank_name = GNIS feature ID
|blank_info = 156087{{cite gnis|156087|Bluffton}}
}}
Bluffton is an unincorporated community in Cherokee County, Alabama, United States.
History
Bluffton was founded as a mining community in 1888.{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IP4vAAAAIBAJ&pg=4095%2C335022 | title=Cherokee County, Ala. | work=Calhoun Times | date=September 1, 2004 | accessdate=24 April 2015 | pages=42}} In 1890, Bluffton was home to approximately 8,000 residents. The Bluffton Land, Ore and Furnace Company operated an iron mine in the area, and was also responsible for building the Signal Hotel, which at one point hosted Rudyard Kipling. The Signal Hotel was the first structure in Cherokee County with electric lights.{{cite news |last=Clayton |first=Amanda |date=2001-03-28 |title=Cherokee Communities |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=354&dat=20010328&id=rEExAAAAIBAJ&pg=4933,3635757 |newspaper=Cherokee County Herald |location=Centre |publisher=Terry Dean |accessdate=2014-07-18}} Bluffton had one newspaper, the Bluffton Mascot, and was home to a Methodist Episcopal church and Salem Baptist Church, which is still in use today. Bluffton was also the planned site of a college, The University of the Southland. A groundbreaking took place on April 24, 1889, but the college was never built.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6iXHOV2zSLcC&q=bluffton&pg=PA17 |title=Cherokee County - Bobby G. McElwee - Google Books |isbn=9780738505879 |accessdate=2014-07-18|last1=McElwee |first1=Bobby G. |year=2000 }} Besides the iron mines, Bluffton was home to a water works system, school, post office, and Cherokee County's first electrical generating plant. Even so, Bluffton's ore fields did not meet the expectations of their investors and higher grade iron was available closer to Birmingham. Commercial businesses began to fail, and Bluffton soon came to be considered a ghost town.{{cite news |last=McElwee |first=Bobby |date=2000-03-19 |title='Belltree' Smith: Finding the man in the legend |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=348&dat=20000319&id=t5tOAAAAIBAJ&pg=6720,6263570 |newspaper=Rome News-Tribune |location=Rome |publisher=Mike Colombo |accessdate=2014-07-18}}
A post office was operated in Bluffton from 1888 to 1934.{{cite web | url=http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?task=display&state=AL&county=Cherokee | title=Cherokee County | publisher=Jim Forte Postal History | accessdate=20 November 2014}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://alabamamaps.ua.edu/historicalmaps/counties/cherokee/cherokee.html Link to plat map of Bluffton, Alabama]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20140726222614/http://gen.intelec.us/blufhome.htm Images of the Mt. Signal Hotel]
{{Cherokee County, Alabama}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Unincorporated communities in Cherokee County, Alabama
Category:Unincorporated communities in Alabama
Category:Ghost towns in Alabama
{{CherokeeCountyAL-geo-stub}}
Category:1888 establishments in Alabama
Category:1934 establishments in Alabama