Butler County, Alabama - Chapter 19, 1885

This neighborhood is one among the oldest in the county. James F. Barganier came from Washington County, Georgia, to Alabama in 1821, and has lived in this neighborhood ever since that time. He reared a large family, consisting of seven sons and two daughters. His eldest son, Captain John F. Barganier, was captain of a company, and did good work in favor of the South, during the war of 1861-65. His fellow-citizens showed t-heir appreciation of him in 1876, by electing him to the position of sheriff of his native county.

A store and dramshop was started here in 1822. It was named Dead Fall by Aaron Butler and William Poterfield, who were then the important leaders in the neighborhood. This singular name was bestowed from the reputation it bore for bloody fights, there being several every day. Two persons were killed here the first year after the dram- shop was opened, and this fact gave the place such a bad reputation, that a considerable decrease in the trade was caused in consequence. There is no sign of a store at the place where it was first located. The original site is in front of where James F. Barganier's house now stands. The store was afterward moved down to the place now owned by William F. Hartley, and was finally suspended.

The Federal Road along here, is the dividing line between the prairie-lime land and the common sandy land ; all the water falling east of the road, flows into the Conecuh, and that on the west into the Alabama River. The larger portion of the land that is at all fit for cultivation, has been cleared and tilled for a number of years.

A post-office was once established at this place, but has long since been abolished. Dead Fall is an old voting precinct, the exact place of voting having been moved several times. The polls are now opened at the Indian Creek Baptist Church, which is about nine miles from Greenville. A considerable amount of iron ore occurs in this part of the county, from the fact that the drift here is underlaid with the lime rocks of the cretaceous formation, and the iron has been probably reduced by the lime. The best quality of this ore occurs on Richard H. Bush's place, about one mile east of the L. & N. R. R. It crops out from the sides of nearly every hill in this locality, and is about two feet in thickness in some places, and as much as four feet in others. The ore is classed Needle ore or Limonite, and is of a very good variety. A proximate analysis, made by Cadet Thomas D. Stallings, shows that it contains about fifty per cent, of metallic iron, which, of course, is a very workable ore where the materials are convenient. It has yet to be determined whether it would be profitable to have the ore shipped to some furnace for working it. A plan may yet be suggested for working this ore successfully, and if it is worked, the v/hole county may expect to benefit by the enterprise.

Land in Dead Fall neighborhood is worth from ;^4.oo to ;^7.oo per acre The schools are generally poor, and should be improved by the good people of this locality.

There are two or three churches in the neighborhood. Some of the people are Baptists, and others belong to the Christian churches, there being but few Methodists.

A large portion of the trade from this place goes to Fort Deposit, which is only a few miles distant, in Lowndes County. Every one seems to be well pleased with this enterprising market.