Archaeological Survey of the Old Federal Road in Alabama

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the road, and surveyed the relevant literature found in traveler’s accounts, which offer many colorful,first-hand anecdotes of life on the Alabama frontier.Original land survey notes and plats (posted on the websites of the Alabama Secretary of State’sand the Bureau of Land Management’s General Land Office) comprise the earliest detailed maps of theOld Federal Road beginning in 1810. Printed and manuscript maps (such as Mississippi and AlabamaTerritorial maps of 1799 through 1820, as well as Alabama state maps of 1821 through the 1840s) containvaluable clues about changes in the route, which did not remain static throughout these decades. Alsoavailable is important research done by Peter Brannon in the 1920s and 1930s and by Fletcher Hale in the1930s and 1940s, preserved at the Alabama Department of Archives and History in Montgomery.Perhaps most important to our survey were the studies conducted in recent years by interested andtalented individuals who live near the Old Federal Road and have successfully traced segments of it onthe ground. These local historians proved invaluable and we will remain immensely in their debt for theirgenerosity. The time they spent showing us road remnants and sites along the way, and the informationthey so freely shared with us throughout the project, has been inspiring. We highlight them at the end ofthis chapter and throughout this report, and we hope they feel we have done justice to their particularsections of the Old Federal Road.Historical societies active in the ten counties along the route were contacted for information onthe road and associated sites and standing structures. These include the Baldwin County Archives, ButlerCounty Historical and Genealogical Society, Canebrake Genealogical and Historical Society, EscambiaCounty Historical Society, Lowndes County Historical Society and Museum, Mount Vernon HistoricalSociety, Monroe County Heritage Museum, Montgomery County Historical Society, Pintlala HistoricalAssociation, Russell County Historical Commission, and the Historic Chattahoochee Commission.Activity 2 was the archaeological field survey. The authors, both University of South Alabamaarchaeologists, conducted a field survey of the entire Old Federal Road route, a corridor approximately250 miles in length. The team was equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit to plotlocations deemed important from our historical and archaeological research or pointed out by our localguides. Because of the length of the survey route and the limited nature of grant resources, we endeavoredto enter the field well prepared and informed about the road route and associated structures and sites wewere searching for during the survey. However, our survey success depended as much upon theknowledge of our local guides as upon our ability to efficiently plan, schedule, and carry out fieldwork.5
Access to private lands along the route was requested when particularly important historical sitescould be pinpointed from historical records or other sources. When permission was granted, the surveyteam walked or drove the route indicated by historical research. This on-the-ground survey documentedthe presence of numerous intact sections of roadway still visible in forests, fields, and pastures. Historicstructures were recorded by photographs. For historic sites that no longer have standing structures,archaeological survey methods were employed when possible to find below-ground evidence of theirlocations, and sites were reported to the Alabama Archaeological Site File in Moundville. Our record ofobserved features of the Old Federal Road include field notes, sketch maps, digital photographs, andglobal positioning system (GPS) coordinates, as well as artifacts from tested sites. GPS informationenables precise relocation of features in the future, for preservation and interpretive purposes. It alsoprovides the basis for our retracing of the Old Federal Road for public use.As we researched and surveyed the road corridor, we also disseminated our research findings tothe public, Activity 3. This process continued throughout the project. Each public presentation led tomore information offered by audience members, which led to additional field survey and historicalresearch. The project team has prepared this report to document our research activities and findings, but itis very apparent to us that we have barely scratched the surface of this historic road’s research potential.Time and resource constraints have limited the number of historic sites we could test archaeologically,and many sections of the old road route still remain to be surveyed on the ground because access couldnot always be negotiated with private landowners. Nevertheless, much has been accomplished and isdocumented in this report.The full version of the report has been submitted to the Alabama Historical Commission for useby state, county, and municipal planners. Selected elements of this report, with sensitive archaeologicalsite locations and information on privately-owned features of the Old Federal Road deleted, is beingposted on a website hosted by Auburn University-Montgomery for the public. This web-based versioncompiles results from three different archaeological surveys of the Old Federal Road, including maps ofthe route showing modern public roads that coincide with or closely parallel the historic road. It will alsoincludes many photos of well-preserved segments of the road across the state, as well as publicallyaccessible standing structures and protected archaeological sites with important ties to the Old FederalRoad. The website (http://oldfederalroad.aum.edu/) encourages the citizens of Alabama, as well as othersbeyond the state’s borders with an interest in Alabama’s early history, to explore the Old Federal Road byvisiting the communities that today lay along its path.6
Page 2 and 3: Table of ContentsList of Figures ..
Page 4 and 5: Chapter 8: Montgomery County ......
Page 6 and 7: 4-1. Alabama county map highlightin
Page 8 and 9: 6-7. Butler County detail of John L
Page 10 and 11: 10-7. Detail of John LaTourette’s
Page 12 and 13: Chapter 1Project Goals and MethodsI
Page 14 and 15: Brief Historical BackgroundThe Old
Page 19 and 20: shown on historic maps, while many
Page 21 and 22: and other troop units to submit rep
Page 23 and 24: Figure 1-2. Robert Leslie Smith at
Page 25 and 26: Figure 1-5. Jeff Ross, Paul Merritt
Page 27 and 28: Figure 1-7. Annie Crenshaw, Raven C
Page 29 and 30: newly appointed Commissioner of the
Page 31 and 32: various historical sources. Phyllis
Page 33 and 34: Chapter 2Early History of the Old F
Page 35: quality stones, copper and mica fro
Page 38 and 39: would become the southern portion o
Page 40 and 41: Meigs (U.S. agent to the Cherokees)
Page 42 and 43: same instant, and the chance of dis
Page 44 and 45: In his latitude calculations Briggs
Page 46 and 47: force rapid mail service through an
Page 48 and 49: Traveling the Federal Road, 1811-18
Page 50 and 51: According to Hawkins, “Thomas Mer
Page 52 and 53: Moniac’s “Statement of property
Page 54 and 55: Federal Road west of Line Creek are
Page 56 and 57: Figure 2-7. Detail from John Melish
Page 58 and 59: and 1811 have not been found. In 18
Page 60 and 61: 14 Walter Lowrie and Walter S. Fran
Page 62 and 63: 56 Walter Lowrie and Walter S. Fran
Page 64 and 65: Piatt at Fort Stoddert. Piatt was i
Page 66 and 67:
Figure 3-4. Detail of Abraham Bradl
Page 68 and 69:
Figure 3-7. Detail of William Darby
Page 70 and 71:
Figure 3-9. Detail of Fletcher Hale
Page 72 and 73:
He also complained Fort Stoddert di
Page 74 and 75:
command of Capt Skyler. The discipl
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Brett McWilliams, a local artifact
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now in poor condition (Figures 3-14
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Historic Sites in Washington County
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19 Gregory A. Waselkov, A Conquerin
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The Old Federal Road traversed the
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Figure 4-4. Detail of James Weakley
Page 88 and 89:
The condition of the Old Federal Ro
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The Old Federal Road crosses the Ba
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Figure 4-12. A possible remnant of
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Historic Sites in Baldwin CountyFor
Page 96 and 97:
Figure 4-16. View of the old Mims
Page 98 and 99:
and were not accessible for revisit
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Figure 4-18. Military buttons from
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Figure 4-21. Military artifacts fro
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Figure 4-23. Tunstall house on High
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Figure 4-26. U.S. military buttons
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Historic Sites in Escambia CountyTh
Page 110 and 111:
Archives, National Archives and Rec
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earlier survey. Segments of the roa
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Figure 5-5. Detail of John Melish
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Figure 5-8. Detail of John LaTouret
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Figure 5-10. Fletcher Hale’s copy
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Figure 5-13. The Old Federal Road i
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Figure 5-16. Dirt section of Conecu
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Figure 5-19. The Old Federal Road i
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The portion of the Old Federal Road
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McMillan Stage Stop. Scotsman Dunca
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Figure 5-26. Map showing McMillan
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Figure 5-27. Lowrey’s Store, Post
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Dr. Watkins’s House. Dr. John Wat
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Longmire’s Inn/Fort Warren. Sever
Page 138 and 139:
not be investigated archaeologicall
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Figure 5-35. Anderson Stage Stop in
Page 142 and 143:
provisions depot. However, when the
Page 144 and 145:
When spring 1818 brought more murde
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Figure 5-41. William Weakley’s 18
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Figure 5-44. William Barrett Travis
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Henneberry, 1895), 241-242; Robert
Page 152 and 153:
Figure 6-3. James Weakley’s 1847
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Henry Tanner’s 1823 map of Alabam
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The Old Federal Road spans the nort
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Figure 6-13. Entrenched section of
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Figure 6-14. The Palings stage stop
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the county. The landowners granted
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1 John Buckner Little, History of B
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Figure 7-2. Federal Road on Thomas
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John Melish’s 1818 map of Alabama
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Figure 7-8. Fletcher Hale’s map d
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Figure 7-11. Old Federal Road and G
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Figure 7-14. Entrenched section of
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morning salute, then turning our ca
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Chapter 8Montgomery CountyTracing t
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Figure 8-4. Old Federal Road (not l
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Figure 8-7. Detail of John Melish
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Fletcher Hale’s maps depict the o
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A short distance beyond where the G
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Where the Old Federal Road crosses
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modern Alabama place names, Opelika
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stopped “near Macnac’s” to co
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prairies which you have frequently
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Figure 8-21. Topographic map with a
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Figure 8-22. Unit 2 chronologically
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Pickett says she settled on the eas
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contained 84 gravesites dating from
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16 Clarence Edwin Carter, The Terri
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Figure 9-2. Old Federal Road on Jam
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Figure 9-5. Detail of an anonymous
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east onto County Road 2 (Figure 9-9
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Figure 9-12. The Old Federal Road t
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Figure 9-15. Dirt segment of Boromv
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of Little Prince and Opothle Yoholo
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Redsticks, marched from the Chattah
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Figure 9-19. Fletcher Hale’s map
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Warrior’s sons-in-law Captain Wal
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Chapter 10Russell CountyTracing the
Page 226 and 227:
Figure 10-3. Detail of Abraham Brad
Page 228 and 229:
Figure 10-7. Detail of John LaToure
Page 230 and 231:
Figure 10-10. Old Federal Road on p
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Figure 10-13. Section of Old Federa
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Figure 10-16. The Old Federal Road
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Kendall Lewis, son-in-law of Big Wa
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Fort Mitchell, Creek Agency, and An
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A National Cemetery was created at
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6 Benton, The Very Worst Road, 65-6
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The Old Federal Road RouteOur archa
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We have devoted considerable effort
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Our 1723 Chickasaw map offers a gli
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of the old-growth forests and to pl
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Figure 11-6. Detail from David Tait
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As we have seen, most Americans saw
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towns and settled for a time at Pol
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home on the left, the 1902 Hinson h
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parks or educational centers. The m
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Appendix 1Extracts from Benjamin Ha
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E. Bearing east.32 + c. r. 15/ oak
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N.EBearing northeast.36. path to th
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Course and Admeasurement2 pole Chai
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S. 61 E. 17 “N. 83 E. 7 “N. 82
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E. 16 “S. 83 E. 9 “S. 87 E. 8
Page 274 and 275:
N. 34 E. 14 “N. 30 E. 16 “N. 24
Page 276 and 277:
N. 64 E. 9 “N. 40 E. 9 “N. 25 E
Page 278 and 279:
N. 19 E. 5 “N. 44 E. 7 “[page 5
Page 280 and 281:
N. 72 E. 16 “N. 71 E. 10 “N. 79
Page 282 and 283:
N. 77 E. 5 “N. 69 E. 4 “N. 64 E
Page 284 and 285:
N. 36 E. 7 “N. 54 E. 9 “N. 52 E
Page 286 and 287:
[page 97]N. 61˚ E. 7 Chains. The S
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N. 12 E. 7 “N. 32 E. 10 “N. 36
Page 290 and 291:
N. 66˚ E. 4 ChainsN. 28 E. 7 “N.
Page 292 and 293:
XIIIIIII. Prairies or Glades the qu
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N. 27 E. 1 “N. 1 W. 2 “[page 14
Page 296 and 297:
No 9: Joseph Wheaton to Gideon Gran
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Blue Spruce, Duane, and Tanya Thras
Page 300 and 301:
Ethridge, Robbie, Creek Country: Th
Page 302 and 303:
Potter, Stephen R., and Gregory A.
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Archaeological Survey of the Old Federal Road in Alabama

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