Leighton in Colbert County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

Alabama's Historic Byler Road

Alabama's First Road

Photographed By Joel S Mize, September 2, 2022

1. ALABAMA'S HISTORIC BYLER ROAD Marker

Inscription.

Alabama's Historic Byler Road. Alabama's First Road. Front Byler Road. Pioneer's settled path to new lands, agriculture, transport and commerce that began in Northwest Alabama. , 140 mile corridor/route designated on December 19th, 1819 by the State Legislature. This was Alabama's first legislative action. It started at the junction of Shoal Creek and Jackson Military Road (north end), 10 miles NE of Florence AL in Lauderdale County. It ended at the Warrior River Falls at the State Capitol crossing at Tuscaloosa (south end)., Byler Road in the Beginning. The Byler Road was not surveyed. It was built along an ancient Indian Road (during the Archaic Period, about 7,000 years ago), and later called the Cherokee Trail. Evidence indicates that woodland bison may have created the trail as a migration path between the grassland of the mid Alabama/Mississippi region to the natural salt licks in Tennessee and Kentucky. , Byler Road - A State of Alabama Priority . From the Creek Treaty of Ft. Jackson in 1814, a settlement came in the form of 22 million acres (federally owned). This area was widely settled in a land rush using rivers, roads, and trails to access the new lands. Settlers bought the land after 1818 for inexpensive prices set at the land offices in Huntsville, AL and Nashville, TN. Since the new state of Alabama (1819) had no treasury funds for road building, the first roads were built as toll roads using private capital and with state oversight using a license mechanism., Road Visionaries . Andrew Jackson's Army, returning from the Battle of New Orleans (1815), had a mission to locate a road that was a shortcut thru Northwest Alabama (the construction of Jackson Military Road was from 1816 to 1820)., Byler Road was intended to connect Jackson Military Road in Lauderdale County and to direct settler traffic from Nashville and points east into Alabama., They saw the fertile potential of what became West Alabama. Entrepreneurs of Byler Road: Jacob Pruitt - Captain John Welsh Pruitt John Byler - Captain, 3rd W. TN Mounted Infantry William Russell - Major, Chief of Staff, and Road Overseer, Land Cost. Highly Valued Cotton Land $50 to $150 per Acre Average Cotton Land $20 per Acre Marginal Land $2 per Acre, . Average and Highly Valued Cotton Lands were auctioned off to the highest bidder. . Marginal Lands were simply nominated by the buyer and usually purchased with 10% down and the remainder of the cost was paid in 4 annual payments. , Representations of Elements of the Road. . Travel Inns - Also known as "A Stand" . General Stores . Barber Shops . Taverns, Transport Conveyances for: . Wagons . Ox Carts . Stage Coaches>, Living Structures such as: . Plantations . "Dog Trot" Homes . One Room Log Cabins, Land Usage for: . Cotton Fields . Forest Lands . Topographic Watersheds, Traveler Destinations - Tuscaloosa/North Port. . State Capitol . Jemison's/Partlow/Bryce . Snow's Cotton Warehouses . J. Chism's Inn and Tavern . University of Alabama , Rear Byler Road, Revolutionary soldiers who settled and traded along road, [List of around 80 Revolutionary Soldiers who lived and traded along Byler Road during Pioneer Alabama]

Front
Byler Road Pioneer's settled path to new lands, agriculture, transport and commerce that began in Northwest Alabama.

140 mile corridor/route designated on December 19th, 1819 by the State Legislature. This was Alabama's first legislative action. It started at the junction of Shoal Creek and Jackson Military Road (north end), 10 miles NE of Florence AL in Lauderdale County. It ended at the Warrior River Falls at the State Capitol crossing at Tuscaloosa (south end).

Byler Road in the Beginning The Byler Road was not surveyed. It was built along an ancient Indian Road (during the Archaic Period, about 7,000 years ago), and later called the Cherokee Trail. Evidence indicates that woodland bison may have created the trail as a migration path between the grassland of the mid Alabama/Mississippi region to the natural salt licks in Tennessee

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and Kentucky.

Byler Road - A State of Alabama Priority From the Creek Treaty of Ft. Jackson in 1814, a settlement came in the form of 22 million acres (federally owned). This area was widely settled in a land rush using rivers, roads, and trails to access the new lands. Settlers bought the land after 1818 for inexpensive prices set at the land offices in Huntsville, AL and Nashville, TN. Since the new state of Alabama (1819) had no treasury funds for road building, the first roads were built as toll roads using private capital and with state oversight using a license mechanism.

Road Visionaries Andrew Jackson's Army, returning from the Battle of New Orleans (1815), had a mission to locate a road that was a shortcut thru Northwest Alabama (the construction of Jackson Military Road was from 1816 to 1820).

Byler Road was intended to connect Jackson Military Road in Lauderdale County

Alabama's Historic Byler Road Marker (rear) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton, July 19, 2020

2. Alabama's Historic Byler Road Marker (rear)

and to direct settler traffic from Nashville and points east into Alabama.

They saw the fertile potential of what became West Alabama.
Entrepreneurs of Byler Road:
Jacob Pruitt - Captain
John Welsh Pruitt
John Byler - Captain, 3rd W. TN Mounted Infantry
William Russell - Major, Chief of Staff, and Road Overseer

Land Cost Highly Valued Cotton Land $50 to $150 per Acre
Average Cotton Land $20 per Acre
Marginal Land $2 per Acre

• Average and Highly Valued Cotton Lands were auctioned off to the highest bidder.
• Marginal Lands were simply nominated by the buyer and usually purchased with 10% down and the remainder of the cost was paid in 4 annual payments.

Representations of Elements of the Road • Travel Inns - Also known as "A Stand"
• General Stores • Barber Shops • Taverns

Transport Conveyances for:
• Wagons
•

Photographed By Joel S Mize, September 12, 2022

3. Alabama's Historic Byler Road Marker

Ox Carts
• Stage Coaches>

Living Structures such as:
• Plantations
• "Dog Trot" Homes • One Room Log Cabins

Land Usage for:
• Cotton Fields
• Forest Lands
• Topographic Watersheds

Traveler Destinations - Tuscaloosa/North Port • State Capitol
• Jemison's/Partlow/Bryce
• Snow's Cotton Warehouses
• J. Chism's Inn and Tavern
• University of Alabama

Rear
Byler Road, Revolutionary soldiers who settled & traded along road

[List of around 80 Revolutionary Soldiers who lived & traded along Byler Road during Pioneer Alabama]

Erected 2019 by Sons of American Revolution, Shoals Area Chapter.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers • War of 1812 • War, US Revolutionary. A significant historical year for this entry is 1820.

Location.

Photographed By Joel S Mize

4. Alabama's Historic Byler Road Marker

34° 42.18′ N, 87° 31.73′ W. Marker is in Leighton, Alabama, in Colbert County. Marker is at the intersection of Main Street and King Street (Old Alabama Route 20), on the right when traveling north on Main Street. Located in front of Leighton City Hall. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 8900 Main St, Leighton AL 35646, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. History of Leighton (a few steps from this marker); Frank R. King (1859-1939) (approx. 0.2 miles away); History of Leighton United Methodist Church (approx. ¼ mile away); LaGrange College (approx. 3 miles away); a different marker also named LaGrange College (approx. 3.4 miles away); LaGrange Military Academy (approx. 3½ miles away); The Shaw Home (approx. 3.9 miles away); William Leigh (approx. 4.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Leighton.

More about this marker. For the Entrepreneurs of Byler

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Road, the local spelling of 'Pruitt' is 'Preuit'.

Regarding Alabama's Historic Byler Road. Priority Road for early Alabama government; authorized 2 days after Statehood on Dec 16, 1819 as a Toll Road. Captain John Byler (3rd West TN Mounted gunmen) was contract holder to build the road. Major William Russell (Chief-of-Staff to Andrew Jackson at Battle of New Orleans) was one of the initial Road Commissioners.

Additional commentary.
1. Revolutionary War Soldiers who settled along the Byler Road Corridor
In a list on backside of this marker is a list of ~ 80 Revolutionary Soldiers who settled and traded along this pioneer roadway corridor (+- 10 miles).

— Submitted September 12, 2022, by Joel S Mize of Muscle Shoals AL, Alabama.

Credits. This page was last revised on October 26, 2022. It was originally submitted on September 3, 2022, by Joel S Mize of Muscle Shoals AL, Alabama. This page has been viewed 467 times since then and 167 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on September 3, 2022, by Joel S Mize of Muscle Shoals AL, Alabama. 2. submitted on September 5, 2022. 3, 4. submitted on September 12, 2022, by Joel S Mize of Muscle Shoals AL, Alabama. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.