Archaeological Survey of the Old Federal Road in Alabama

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The Old Federal Road RouteOur archaeological survey of the Old Federal Route documented a long and complex route withseveral major alternative branches (Figure 11-1). One important conclusion of this project is simply thatthe route changed with time. Some original sections of road were abandoned shortly after the road wasfirst created. From the very beginning the original network of Indian paths offered many alternatives forthe road builders to choose from. Benjamin Hawkins, Isaac Briggs, and Lt. John Luckett traveled pathsthat generally coincided, but each diverged significantly at several points.Figure 11-1. The route of the Old Federal Road and its major branches in Alabama, as determined bythis project.232
Between 1815 and 1825, in the wake of the Creek War, some major changes in the Old FederalRoad included a branch west from Burnt Corn Springs to Fort Claiborne and St. Stephens and south toFort Stoddert, a branch south to Blakeley, a shift in the Baldwin County section to carry the road pastCantonment Montpelier (generally corresponding to State Road 59), a branch to the east of the originalroad through Lowndes County, and rerouting of the road to the northwest through Montgomery Countywith a branch to access the new town of Montgomery. More major changes were contemplated in 1825,although that proposal for a new National Road failed to materialize. Beginning about 1929-1931 and upto today, the route has been altered in hundreds of small ways by widening, grading, paving, andstraightening to meet modern highway standards, as well as rerouted for new bridge locations and otherreasons. Many sections of the old public road have long since converted to private ownership, and inmany instances have grown up in woods, no longer functioning even as private roadways.In other words, there is no single route of the Old Federal Road. It evolved through the nineteenthcentury and continues to change today even in its commemoration (Figure 11-2). However, it has beenpossible to trace the historical road in its multiple strands, sort out the changes in route chronologically,and identify major branches of the road that have since been called the Old Federal Road even thoughthey were not all part of the original route.Figure 11-2. The modern drivable route of the commemorative Old Federal Road in Alabama, preparedby the Alabama Department of Transportation (courtesy of Ronnie Pouncey, ALDOT).233
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Table of ContentsList of Figures ..
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Chapter 8: Montgomery County ......
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4-1. Alabama county map highlightin
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6-7. Butler County detail of John L
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10-7. Detail of John LaTourette’s
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Chapter 1Project Goals and MethodsI
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Brief Historical BackgroundThe Old
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the road, and surveyed the relevant
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shown on historic maps, while many
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and other troop units to submit rep
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Figure 1-2. Robert Leslie Smith at
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Figure 1-5. Jeff Ross, Paul Merritt
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Figure 1-7. Annie Crenshaw, Raven C
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newly appointed Commissioner of the
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various historical sources. Phyllis
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Chapter 2Early History of the Old F
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quality stones, copper and mica fro
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would become the southern portion o
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Meigs (U.S. agent to the Cherokees)
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same instant, and the chance of dis
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In his latitude calculations Briggs
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force rapid mail service through an
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Traveling the Federal Road, 1811-18
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According to Hawkins, “Thomas Mer
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Moniac’s “Statement of property
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Federal Road west of Line Creek are
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Figure 2-7. Detail from John Melish
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and 1811 have not been found. In 18
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14 Walter Lowrie and Walter S. Fran
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56 Walter Lowrie and Walter S. Fran
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Piatt at Fort Stoddert. Piatt was i
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Figure 3-4. Detail of Abraham Bradl
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Figure 3-7. Detail of William Darby
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Figure 3-9. Detail of Fletcher Hale
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He also complained Fort Stoddert di
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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
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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
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Figure 4-16. View of the old Mims
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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
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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
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not be investigated archaeologicall
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Figure 5-35. Anderson Stage Stop in
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provisions depot. However, when the
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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
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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
Page 194 and 195: prairies which you have frequently
Page 196 and 197: Figure 8-21. Topographic map with a
Page 198 and 199: Figure 8-22. Unit 2 chronologically
Page 200 and 201: Pickett says she settled on the eas
Page 202 and 203: contained 84 gravesites dating from
Page 204 and 205: 16 Clarence Edwin Carter, The Terri
Page 206 and 207: Figure 9-2. Old Federal Road on Jam
Page 208 and 209: Figure 9-5. Detail of an anonymous
Page 210 and 211: east onto County Road 2 (Figure 9-9
Page 212 and 213: Figure 9-12. The Old Federal Road t
Page 214 and 215: Figure 9-15. Dirt segment of Boromv
Page 216 and 217: of Little Prince and Opothle Yoholo
Page 218 and 219: Redsticks, marched from the Chattah
Page 220 and 221: Figure 9-19. Fletcher Hale’s map
Page 222 and 223: Warrior’s sons-in-law Captain Wal
Page 224 and 225: 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
Page 232 and 233: Figure 10-13. Section of Old Federa
Page 234 and 235: Figure 10-16. The Old Federal Road
Page 236 and 237: Kendall Lewis, son-in-law of Big Wa
Page 238 and 239: Fort Mitchell, Creek Agency, and An
Page 240 and 241: A National Cemetery was created at
Page 242 and 243: 6 Benton, The Very Worst Road, 65-6
Page 246 and 247: We have devoted considerable effort
Page 248 and 249: Our 1723 Chickasaw map offers a gli
Page 250 and 251: of the old-growth forests and to pl
Page 252 and 253: Figure 11-6. Detail from David Tait
Page 254 and 255: As we have seen, most Americans saw
Page 256 and 257: towns and settled for a time at Pol
Page 258 and 259: home on the left, the 1902 Hinson h
Page 260 and 261: parks or educational centers. The m
Page 262 and 263: Appendix 1Extracts from Benjamin Ha
Page 264 and 265: E. Bearing east.32 + c. r. 15/ oak
Page 266 and 267: N.EBearing northeast.36. path to th
Page 268 and 269: Course and Admeasurement2 pole Chai
Page 270 and 271: S. 61 E. 17 “N. 83 E. 7 “N. 82
Page 272 and 273: 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
Page 288 and 289: 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
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No 9: Joseph Wheaton to Gideon Gran
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Blue Spruce, Duane, and Tanya Thras
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Ethridge, Robbie, Creek Country: Th
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Potter, Stephen R., and Gregory A.
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Archaeological Survey of the Old Federal Road in Alabama

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