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Gainesville, Alabama

Hope's Creek Valley Farm

Gainesville, Alabama

All Morgan horses can trace their pedigree to Figure through one of three stallions (his three most famous sons): Sherman, Bulrush and Woodbury. Alabama has a connection to the stallion Woodbury. At the intersection of State Street and McKee Street, in Gainesville, Alabama, is a historical marker that reads as follows: “Earliest known Morgan horse in Alabama and one of the three major stallion sons sired by Justin Morgan, foundation sire of the breed. Woodbury was foaled in 1816 in Vermont, where he remained until sold to Norman Bugbee of Gainesville, Alabama, in 1836. Bugbee, a native of Vermont, had opened a store a few months earlier in this thriving port city, home of the North Sumter Race Course. In late 1836, Woodbury was shipped by sailing vessel from Boston, but became ill en route and was injured during unloading. He never fully recovered and died.”