The Old Claiborne Pilgrimage scheduled for Oct. 13-14, 2018, promises a rare glimpse into the settlement of the forgotten Alabama River town of Claiborne and of Monroe County, which was founded four years before the State of Alabama.

 “Claiborne’s ferries, steamboats, and bustling commercial center made it our nation’s gateway to the “old southwest” in the early 1800’s,” said pilgrimage chairman Gail Deas. “We are excited to share our rich pioneer history through this event, and to showcase a number of true antebellum treasures.”

The two-day event will include docent tours of several rarely-seen, private antebellum plantation homes, early churches, and sites of historic significance along the Alabama River in Monroe County and in neighboring Clarke County.

Other tour highlights will be the site of Fort Claiborne; the home of William Barrett Travis, who commanded at the Battle of the Alamo; the early Jewish Cemetery; and the oldest standing public building in the state – the Masonic Lodge where the Marquis de LaFayette was entertained in 1825.

A special Saturday night gathering at the Old Courthouse Museum will feature entertainment and a wine and cheese reception.

Ticket information and sales will be available starting in July through the Old Courthouse Museum in Monroeville at 251-575-7433 or via the museum’s website www.monroecountymuseum.org.

The pilgrimage is presented by the Monroe County Museums Endowment Board, to generate financial support for the maintenance of the historic Old Courthouse Museum in Monroeville, and by the Perdue Hill-Claiborne Foundation, Inc., which works to support and maintain sites of historic significance in Perdue Hill and the Claiborne area.