Near Hillsboro in Lawrence County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Melton's Bluff
Photographed by Deborah Spencer, April 12, 2026
1. Melton's Bluff Marker
John Melton and his Cherokee wife were living near here about 1780. By the time of his death (1815), he owned a fine house, tavern, cotton gin, and many slaves. The gin was pisiced here under the terms of the Cotton Gin Treaty of 1806 which was signed by Doublehead. Ginned cotton was shipped south via the Tennessee River and the 1805 Gaines Trace. During the Creek War in 1813 and 1814. Davy Crockett used the Mitchell Trace that originated at Melton's Bluff. Sequoyah and Andrew Jackson signed the Turkey Town Treaty (Sept 1816) which took Indian lands in this area. On 22 Nov 1816, Jackson bought Melton's Bluff from David Melton, of mixed ancestry, and later renamed it the Muscle Shoads Plantation. Jackson and General John Coffey surveyed and sold lots here in the short-lived Town of Marathon. Jackson farmed the land until its sale in 1827. While serving as President (1828-1836), he signed the Indian Removal Act (1830) which led to the Cherokee removal that passed here by water and rail. Melton's Bluff was the first seat of Lawrence County and became part of Gen. Joe Wheeler's Plantation. On 10 Nov 1890, George W. Goethals, of later Panama Canal fame, completed the Muscle Shoals Canal along the river's south bank. portion of Melton's Bluff is now owned by TVA.
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical date for this entry is October 10, 1890.
Location. 34° 44.817′ N, 87° 12.891′ W. Marker is near Hillsboro, Alabama, in Lawrence County. It is on Mallard Creek Road (County Route 400) north of County Road 419, on the right when traveling north. Located near the northern most part of Mallard Creek Road about 8 miles north of Alabama Highway 20. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7348 Co Rd 400, Hillsboro AL 35643, United States of America. Touch for directions.
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 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Copena Mound (approx. 2.2 miles away); Lucy's Branch / Legacy of The Little Elk Community (approx. 2.3 miles away); Fort Hampton (approx. 4 miles away); Elk River Shoals (approx. 4½ miles away); East End High School (approx. 6½ miles away); Home of Gen. Joseph Wheeler (approx. 6.8 miles away); Home of Gen. Joe Wheeler (approx. 6.8 miles away); Home of Annie Wheeler (approx. 6.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hillsboro.
More about this marker. The south side of the marker is in good shape, the north side of the marker (same printing) is very worn.
Photographed by Deborah Spencer, April 12, 2026
2. Melton's Bluff Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on April 13, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 12, 2026, by Deborah Spencer of Huntsville, Alabama. This page has been viewed 20 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 12, 2026, by Deborah Spencer of Huntsville, Alabama. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.
