Bartram's Trail

Bartram's Trail. . , Front , William Bartram, America's first great naturalist, passed through northwest Butler County in July 1775. He described the "limestone rocks" and "banks of various kinds of sea shells" left by oceans that covered this area millions of years ago, and noted a "very remarkable grove of Dogwood trees...which continued nine or ten miles unalterable except here and there a towering Magnolia grandiflora.” , (Continued on other side) , , . Reverse , (Continued from other side) , . On his exploration trip to Mobile in 1775, William Bartram followed ancient Indian trading paths through Butler County for approximately 30 miles. His route through what was then British territory on the eve of the American Revolution became part of the "Federal Road" a few decades later, leading thousands of settlers into the newly created Butler County and state of Alabama.