Fairhope's Founders

Fairhope has a group of twenty-eight founders, nine of which were children. Fairhope was to be founded as a single-tax colony meaning that the people would own the land, lease it to someone else, and then that person would pay a single property tax on the land.  Many of the founders, as they were a mixture of single-taxers, populists, and social reformers, were not all for the single tax system. These people who were not for the system ended up abandoning the settlement but were soon replaced by more single-tax supporters. 

The Children

The nine children in the colony were as follows: Frances Gaston (5 yrs), James Gaston (4 yrs), Cornelius Gaston (3 yrs), Leah Gaston (1 yr), Girl Tuveson (4 yrs), Girl Tuveson (2 yrs), Boy Tuveson (3 months), George Smith (3 yrs), and Ethel Smith (1 yr). They were the children of the other founders. 

The Adults

Fairhope had a total of nineteen adult founders. They came from seven different states, all bringing different stories. From Iowa: Ernest B. Gaston, Clara M. Gaston, John Hunnell, Mary Hunnell, James Hunnell, Nathaniel L. Mershon, and J. T. Kearns. Gilbert Anderson was the only arrival from Missouri and George Boeck was the only one from Nebraska. From Minnesota: August Dellgren, Rachel Dellgren, Olaf Tuveson, and Anna Tuveson. From California came George and Jenny Pollay and from Pennsylvania, Mrs. and Mr. Calvin Power. Lastly, from Ohio, Eleazer and Sylvania Smith. 

Round-Up Day

The colonists from Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and California made the trip to the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay via train, boat, and covered wagon. They went to Battles Wharf because there was no landing in Fairhope and called it Camp Fairhope. Of all the people who planned to come, twenty-eight made it. From here, they began building houses and framing. This day, November 15, 1894, is now known as Round-Up day.

About The Founders . . .

Ernest Gaston

Ernest Gaston grew up and Iowa and moved to Fairhope from there. He was the founder of Fairhope and was the town leader for thirty years. He installed the single tax system into the government and kept it running. Along with these accomplishments, he was an effective public speaker, justice of the peace, fire chief, the inventor of the one-horse snow plow, a prohibitionist, real estate developer, and the Secretary of State of the Iowa Populist party in 1891. 

Frank Brown

Not listed as an original founder, Frank Brown arrived later and supported the single-tax system. He built the first sawmill (where Thomas Hospital is today), and a brick machine across the street. He later founded the Fairhope Clay Products in 1916. 

Frank Stewart 

Not an original founder, but attracted to the idea of single-tax, Frank Stewart joined in 1903 and bought land near Silverhill. He was known as "Stewart the Picture Man" as he spent 40 years photographing Fairhope and the rest of Baldwin County. 

Clarence Mershon

Clarence Mershon came to Fairhope in 1895 when he was 25 with his wife and children. He was a very important figure to the town as he was the first doctor and school teacher. He organized the first school, the first telephone company, and the first pharmacy. He died treating the Spanish flu epidemic in 1918. 

Adolph Berglin

Adolph Berglin arrived in Fairhope in 1896 and bought land where the Fairhope airport is today and started a timber business. He was an extremely successful businessman. Adolph was on the original board of directors of the 1st National Bank of Fairhope, the Executive Council of the single-tax colony, and he founded the Berglin Creamery which was the 1st creamery in Alabama.  

Arthur Mershon

Arrived from Des Moines, Iowa in 1895, Arthur Mershon built the first two-story house in Fairhope which is now the oldest building in Fairhope. Arthur and his brother started the first commercial store in Fairhope called "Mershon Brothers Store". He was also the first postmaster in Fairhope, which was an important job because he aided in the delivery of the Fairhope Courier. 

Dr. Harris Greeno

Harris Greeno was a Captain of Company E, 6th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry and a military doctor. He arrived in Fairhope in 1900 and was for anti-single tax. Greeno ran against E.B. Gaston and became the first town mayor. After his term as mayor, the second mayor, John Franklin Johnson, named a road after him: Greeno road. 

Olaf Tuveson 

Olaf Tuveson and his family originally emigrated from Sweden to Minnesota, moving next to Fairhope as some of the original founders. They were on the first boat that arrived in Fairhope and bought land to make a farm. They later opened a store and the first gas filling station in the town. They never moved away from the town and are buried in the town cemetery.

Clement Coleman

Clement Coleman arrived in Fairhope during its first few days and was a big single tax supporter. He became the Superintendent of Business and ran the Colony Cooperative Mercantile. Coleman built his house across from the pharmacy where the town clock is today. 

Shuah S. Mann

In 1894, Shuah Mann and his son Thomas Mann joined the Fairhope Industrial Association. Mann and James Bellangee were sent to choose a new location for the colony, eventually settling on the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay. Mann contributed land that doubled the size of the Fairhope colony.

"Aunt" Ellen Hill

Around the mid-1800s to the 1920s, a woman named Ellen Hill lived. She was a freed slave that became a beloved town character. She lived in a cabin atop a Sea Cliff and made a living charging pennies to cross the footbridge over Fly Creek. When she died, her daughter Sally took over her character and became known as "Aunt Sally".