Municipal Government History
By Hunter C. Gentry
Oxford was established by an act of Alabama Legislation on February 7, 1852, the bill proposed by Representative Matthew Allen of Benton County. The limits of the town included one square mile from the center at the male academy on Second Street. Elisha S. Simmons, Edmund P. Gains, John A. Turnipseed, Stephen C. Williams, and Woodson Seay were authorized to run on a ballot for the election of three council members and an intendant (mayor). It was decided that on the first Saturday of each March annually that municipal elections would be held for offices of council and mayor.
On February 21, 1860, Oxford was chartered for the second time due to the earlier redrawing of boundary lines and the changing of the name of Benton County to Calhoun County. The limits of the town included a half-mile in each direction from the railroad culvert at Spring Street. Elections were to be held on the first Monday of each March annually. In this incorporation, the law called for the election of seven councilmembers and an intendant. The councilmembers and intendant were given the power to elect a marshal, clerk, and treasurer. Those who have served as mayor of Oxford, respectively, include Elisha S. Simmons, Dr. Stephen C. Williams, Samuel C. Kelly, James S. Kelly, Edgar H. Hanna, Charles T. Hilton, William J. Borden, John B. McCain, Dr. Thomas C. Hill, Robert P. Thomason, William H. Griffin, John N. Gunnels, Thomas A. Howle, Maj. William A. Orr, George W. Eichelberger, William C. Gray, Dreadzil P. Haynes, William R. Norton, Davis C. Cooper, Robert R. Pope, Dr. Thomas B. Howle, Carl D. Pace, Hemphill G. Whiteside, Alvis A. Hamric, Bester A. Adams, Earl R. Martin, Therman E. Whitmore, Leon Smith, and Alton Craft.
Mayor's of Oxford

Dr. Stephen Coleman Williams, M.D.
1850s - 1860s

Charles Taliaferro Hilton

William Joseph Borden

James Sims Kelly
1875 & 1876

Samuel Camp Kelly
1879 & 1880

Dr. John B. McCain
1881 - 1884

Edgar Hinds Hanna, Esq.
1885 - 1886

Robert Perry Thomason
1886 - 1887 & 1889 - 1893

Dr. Thomas C. Hill, M.D.
1887 - 1889

William H. Griffin
1893 - 1898 & 1902

John Nathan Gunnels
1898 - 1900

Thomas Alexander Howle
1900 - 1902

William Anderson Orr
1902 - 1903

George Wirt Eichelberger
1903

William Cheaves Gray
1903 - 1906

Dreadzil Pace Haynes
1906 - 1908

William Rutledge Norton
1908 - 1912

Davis Clay Cooper
1912 - 1930

Robert Russell Pope
1930 - 1933

Dr. Thomas Blake Howle, V.M.D.
1933 - 1934 & 1940 - 1944

Carl Dozier Pace
1934 - 1940

Hemphill Gay Whiteside
1944 - 1960

Alvis Aubrey Hamric
1960 - 1970

Bester Albert Adams, Jr.
1970 - 1980

Earl Reid Martin
1980 - 1982

Therman Edward Whitmore
1982 - 1984

Leon Smith
1984 - 2016

Alton Lawrence Craft
2016 - Present