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
Front
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).
this page online
Photographed by Mark Hilton, July 19, 2020
2. Alabama's Historic Byler Road Marker (rear)
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
Average Cotton Land $20 per Acre
Marginal Land $2 per Acre
Average and Highly
Photographed by Joel S Mize, September 12, 2022
3. Alabama's Historic Byler Road Marker
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.
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
Jemison's/Partlow/Bryce
Snow's Cotton Warehouses
J. Chism's Inn and Tavern
University of
Photographed by Joel S Mize
4. Alabama's Historic Byler Road Marker
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. 34° 42.18′ N, 87° 31.73′ W. Marker is in Leighton, Alabama, in Colbert County. It 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.
Regionally, this marker is in North Alabama and in the Shoals. 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 4 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. Ό mile away); Leighton Training School (approx. half a mile away); William Leigh (approx. 0.9 miles away); LaGrange College (approx. 3 miles away); a different marker also named LaGrange College (approx. 3.4 miles away); LaGrange Military Academy (approx. 3.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Leighton.
More about this marker. For the Entrepreneurs of Byler 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 1,684 times since then and 144 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.
