The Byler Road
The turnpike was named for John Byler, its chief promoter. Byler and his associates were directed to build a road 12 feet wide, clear of all roots and stumps and to collect all tolls for 12 years.
Completed in 1822, the road ran from Tuscaloosa near Muscle Shoals, linking the markets of the Tennessee Valley with the head of navigation of the Black Warrior River. After 1826, when Tuscaloosa became the state capital, it was "The Main Street of Northwest Alabama." The Union General J. H. Wilson passed over the road in March, 1865 with 13,480 cavalrymen (one of the largest cavalry raids in world history) in route to the Battle of Selma.
Erected 1977 by the City of Haleyville.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Roads & Vehicles • War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1865.
Location. 34° 13.578′ N, 87° 37.401′ W. Marker is in Haleyville, Alabama, in Winston County. It is on 20th Street west of 10th Avenue, on the left when
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Regionally, this marker is in North Alabama. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Benjamin Wallace Roden, M.D. (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Honorable Frank Minis Johnson, Jr. (about 300 feet away); City of Haleyville, Alabama (about 300 feet away); Haleyville Formed Along the Byler Road (about 400 feet away); First 9-1-1 Call (about 600 feet away); Haleyville Ice Company (approx. half a mile away); Northwest Alabamian
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.
Also see . . . The Byler Road Project (.pdf). (Submitted on July 21, 2020, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 5, 2021. It was originally submitted on July 21, 2020, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 1,632 times since then and 73 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 21, 2020, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
