The town was named after Confederate Captain Gurley and was incorporated in 1890. One year after its incorporation, the town had grown from 250 to 1,000 people. It seemed the town was destined for greatness.

1900 to 1940 were the town's most successful years. There was a newspaper, a hotel, a collection of large victorian mansions on tree-lined streets and a vibrant commercial strip along Joplin Street. Gurley was chosen as the site for Madison County's first public high school.

Gurley was the vicitm of major fires at least three times, until the town finally covered the wood with brick, hoping to have a chance against the fires. But there was no way to fight time.

Today, Gurley is a town of remnants. The population never went much above its 1891 high of 1,200. It is a gas stop between Huntsville and Chattanooga. While the cotton and soy fields in surrounding areas sprout with new subdivisions, this is the Gurley of the new millenium.

Today, the growth fueled by Huntsville, the restless youth of the town, and even the trains just speed on by.

There hasn't been any sign of life, even in the plant boxes of good intentions, in many years. Nobody comes here anymore.

The sidewalks are crumbling. The roofs are caving in. The walls are falling down. There is no one who needs their shelter anymore. The goods once required at the general store can now be found at Piggly Wiggly or Dollar General on the highway or at the nearest Wal-Mart Supercenter.

The signs advertising products such as candy or Coke to draw people in now sit faded next to chains and bolts meant to keep people out. But there is nothing inside to protect. And no people to protect them from.