Archives: Member Governments

Located in Elmore County, Eclectic is referred to as “The Star of Elmore County”. It is a small family-oriented town, just south of Lake Martin, Alabama. We offer family owned shops, restaurants and business for your convenience and enjoyment. Just a short drive to Montgomery, Wetumpka, Alexander City and Auburn, you can enjoy our friendly little town and still be close to the big cities.

We are most proud of our school system which offers a highly ranked, quality education from people who really care. With several churches close by and many community activities, like the “Alabama Cotton Festival” for your family to participate in, you will soon realize why we continue to grow in popularity, as a place to live and enjoy life.

Named for W. S. Deats, who first settled there and built a sawmill in 1841, Deatsville was located along a stagecoach route and near a creek that supplied water power for the sawmill. Deatsville was in Autauga County until 1866, when Elmore County was formed. By the late 1850s, the town had a sash, door, and blind factory, as well as a grist mill and sawmill. When the Civil War broke out in 1861, all of the equipment in these businesses was confiscated by the Confederate Army to use in the war effort.

Billingsley initially was referred to as Cartersville after the W. W. Carter family (the first settlers in the area) established a grist mill, a lumber company, and a cotton gin in the area. By the time the settlement had grown enough to warrant an official name, however, the Carter family was no longer the largest family, having been surpassed by the Billingsley family. Therefore, the town was named in honor of Clement Billingsley, who had served in the Revolutionary War. Billingsley was one of several war veterans from Virginia who moved west to present-day Autauga County. Upon Billingsley’s death in 1844, his assets, which included land, money, and enslaved African Americans, were divided among his children, thereby increasing the family’s prominence in the county. Billingsley is buried in the Gaines Cemetery in the town.

The first settler in what is now Autaugaville arrived around 1820 and built a gristmill and sawmill on Swift Creek, about three miles upriver from the Alabama River. One source says that the town incorporated in 1839, but another cites 1907. A cotton mill opened in 1849 on the banks of Swift Creek, and following upon the model of industrialist Daniel Pratt, the owner constructed housing for its employees, thus expanding the town. It expanded further when many citizens from nearby Vernon relocated to Autaugaville to escape the floods and diseases to which that town was prone. By 1851, the town had a population of 351 and claimed four stores, two churches, and two schools.

The Town of Pike Road has taken advantage of the opportunity to grow in the areas that people have requested. People living in Pike Road have the opportunity to have a voice in the day-to-day operations of the town, yet they also have the assurance that Pike Road is growing in a manner that meets their needs.
The town offers a full array of administrative support in all of the activities of the Four Pillars. Likewise, the town through its communication program, has the chance to share its stories. Newsletters, social media, webpage and other tools are continuously reviewed to make sure that citizens are aware of the opportunities in Pike Road to “Maintain Our Character While Planning for Progress.”