Alabama River Trail

Edmund Pettus Bridge,  Selma, AL, where HWY 80 crosses the Alabama River.

After sifting through all of the notebooks in the Chiriaco collection, I narrowed down the material to three  travel journal selections of Alabama highways that would be fairly easy for me to replicate. I recruited my father, who is the best partner in all things adventure, to help me with my first attempt at following Chiriaco's route through Alabama. The journal selection was entitled "Alabama River Trail" and is found in the notebook labeled  "Vol. A."  Chiriaco's subscript of this section is the following: "Perry County 1, Wilcox County 1, Monroe County 1, Escambia County 1." Dad and I attended an event at the Alabama Department of History and Archives in Montgomery on January 14, 2012, and decided to leave from there. We drove to Selma and stayed the night. It would be a perfect place to start from the next morning.

We got an early start the next morning on January 15, 2012 at 6:45 a.m. and left Selma headed towards Uniontown on HWY 80 west. It was a frosty morning and very clear, approximately 27°F.

HWY 80 west leaving Selma, AL

Chiriaco's first entry in this section:

" Part 1. Uniontown Alabama, to Atmore, Alabama, 139 miles. This part constitutes the entire journey of the Alabama River Trail. The route, except for a small portion at the beginning, travels through the Lower Coastal Plains, formed by marine deposits. These deposits weathered to form the soils that are now present of the soils are gray to red sandy loams or loamy sand. The relief of the agricultural portion of this area of the plains ranges from to as much as 10 percent. In the main, the the area is nearly level to gently rolling, with elevations ranging from sea level to 500 feet above. Elevations of from 250 to 400 feet above sea level are most common. Production of peanuts, corn, cotton, and [hogs?] constitute the major farming enterprises. Production of timber products and extensive grazing are also important.

Section 1. Uniontown, Perry County, to Catherine, Wilcox County, 23 miles. For most of this section, The Alabama River Trail twists across the rolling farmlands and pastures of the Black Belt. Nearing Catherine, it gradually ascends the Ripley Cuesta; the [...], it drops into another rolling lowland. The land is extensively cultivated, but there are also large areas of pasture. Gum trees are common, and thrive in frequent clumps. Generally, however, oak and pine trees cover land that is not farmed. The soils are mostly gray to brown in color; some are black. The clay soils are underlain with Selma chalk, a high-lime, white clay.

 The Choctaw Indians controlled this area of Alabama before the arrival of the European. They are one of the most important Muskhogean tribes, comprising the [Ahefatokla], Oklafalsya, and Sixtowns. The Indians sided with the confederates in the civil war, and suffered the rights of all  their rights. They were one of the five civilized tribe. The Choctaws practiced head deformation of infants, and are thereby known as 'flatheads.'"
 Chiriaco, Amerigo C., Vol A, "Alabama River Trail." The Wiregrass Archives., Dothan, AL.