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History · Gurley

Gurley’s post office opened in 1883, and 15% of its homes were built before 1940

1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 68 buildings.

1883first post office
1on the National Register
15%homes built before 1940
3famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Gurley began

When was Gurley founded?

1883

The Gurley post office opened in 1883, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1891. Another post office, Gurleysville (1866), opened inside today’s town and later closed.

2020 census: 816143 years
Founding year: the first Gurley post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1891.The full story ↓

What stands out about Gurley’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Gurley are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.A historic districtThe Gurley Historic District takes in 68 historic buildings.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Gurley’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Gurley’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the National Register

1 listing protects 68 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
68
each building in a district counts
first listed
2004
Gurley Historic District
Gurley Historic District
Districts

Architectural styles listings

Late Victorian1
Queen Anne1
Gothic1
Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals1
Tudor Revival1
Late 19th and 20th Century American Movements1
Gurley Historic DistrictLate Victorian

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

The story

How Gurley came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Gurley.

Read it all →

The community takes its name from the Gurley family, who settled in the area in 1817. The town gradually formed around a water and coaling stop of the Memphis & Charleston Railroad and was originally known as "Gurley's Tank". In 1866, the post office opened, and the name was changed to "Gurleysville"; it was later shortened back to Gurley. Gurley was incorporated in 1891 with 250 residents. Soon after, the population peaked at 1,000. The business district was nearly completely destroyed by fire in 1923, when a bucket brigade was able to save only two businesses. Most of the town is now included in the Gurley Historic District, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Gurley, 1866 to 1995

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1866Post officeThe Gurleysville post office opens
  3. 1883Post officeThe Gurleysville post office closes
  4. 1883Post officeThe Gurley post office opens
  5. 1890Born hereHarry Esslinger is born here
  6. 1899Born hereLena Styles is born here
  7. 20th century
  8. 1995Born hereJordan Chunn is born here
By decade

Gurley, decade by decade

Today1 recent
Gurley Alabama Aerial - Aug20142014Gurley Alabama Aerial - Aug2014
Famous people

3 famous people were born in Gurley

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Harry EsslingerAmerican football player · b. 1890
L
Lena StylesAmerican baseball player · b. 1899
J
Jordan ChunnAmerican football player, running back · b. 1995
Places that used to be

Lost post offices and places now gone

Gurley’s post office has been open since 1883. Another post office, Gurleysville, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Gurleysville
1866–1883
Gurley
1883–today
18601940today
Gone or out of use
Gurley Airportairport

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Questions about Gurley’s history

What year was Gurley founded?

The Gurley post office opened in 1883, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1891.

What is on the National Register in Gurley?

One place: the Gurley Historic District (listed 2004).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (1), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.