The old plank road
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Porch Talk
Coosa County Stories
Porch Talk: Coosa County Stories
Coosa Co. Historical Society
Note: This is excerpted from a talk by Mrs. Carolyn Luttrell to the Coosa County Historical Society on January 16, 1973.
There has been much written and said about the Central Plank Road, and it was an unusual undertaking, but we are prone to lose sight of the very first road that came into this area from the South. It was “The Turnpike,” a toll road, and the project of three enterprising settlers of Coosa County; Joseph Lindsey and Joseph and Robert Cleveland.
Soon after the County of Coosa was ordered organized in December 1831, there was an authorization for roads, and the one approved on Jan. 9, 1833, was from the falls of Wetumpka on the Coosa River to Sylacauga. The act gave the proprietors two years to clear out a road 25 feet wide; only 12 feet had to be cleared of stumps and grubs. At difficult places another 12 feet was provided for passing.
The slopes were to be leveled, and when this was done they were to report to the judge of the county through which the major portion of the road ran and, in turn, the judge appointed three persons to inspect the road. If the report was favorable the judge would authorize the erection of toll gates. There was not to be a toll gate within 5 miles of Sylacauga and rights were reserved to put a railroad along side.
In August of 1834, Judge Robert Martin of Coosa County accepted the report of WILLIAM PATTERSON, JOHN A. CHAPMAN, AND ADAM HERRELL and authorized the collection of toll. From time to time the charter changed hands and regularly a committee was appointed to inspect the road, bridges, and ferry. In 1838, SOLOMON WOOD, ABRAHAM CHANCELLOR, AND JOHN C. BULGER reported examining the bridges across Corn Creek, the two Weokes, the Big Swamp, and the Ferry Boat at Hatchett Creek. The same year, Talladega County authorized a road to connect with “The Turnpike” at or near Sylacauga.
In 1841, JAMES R. POWELL and HARRISON RIPPETOE described themselves as sole owners of “The Turnpike” from Wetumpka to Sylacauga and, in compliance with an Act of the General Assembly, relinquished and quit-claimed all of the road from the Town of Wetumpka to the Town of Rockford. Therefore, this road was received as a public road to be known as the “Old Turnpike” and made into a first class road. The section to Sylacauga from Rockford was made public in 1848. Thus you see, this area was served by a toll road and then a public road before the introduction of the Plank Road.
The newspapers of 1840-50 reveal much agitation concerning the value of plank roads versus the railroads. The legislature voted for plank roads as a safer means of travel; less liable for accidents; therefore, the application for charters for plank roads met with approval of the majority. There were some meetings held in opposition; one in Talladega largely sponsored by those who were interested in the railroad. One of the critics wrote, “God may have given you coal and iron sufficient to work the spindles and Navies of the world but they will sleep in your everlasting hills until the trumpet of Gabriel shall sound unless you do something better than build turnpikes”. In spite of the opposition, 24 plank roads were chartered by the legislature in 1850 – The Montgomery—Wetumpka Road on Jan. 3rd and the Central Plank Road on Jan. 30th to connect the navigable parts of the Alabama, Coosa, and Tennessee Rivers. These two were combined and capitalized at $50,000 each. The Montgomery-Wetumpka Road was primarily a WINTERS project; COL. JOHN G. WINTER and his son, JOSEPH, for whom WINTERBORO was named.
They had other associates with them in building the Central Plank road. Citizens of Wetumpka and the up-country took $30,000 worth of stock at $10 per share. Those named in the corporation were AARON READY, ALBERT J. HORTON, JAMES and BENJAMIN TRIMBLE, JOHN W. BROOMS, WILLIAM C. COOPER, and WILLIAM T. HATCHETT, but the guiding spirit of this project remained JOHN G. WINTER and son JOSEPH. Other names on the corporation were JOHN GRAHAM, SETH STORRS, DAVID NEAL, LEVI LAWDER, and RICHARD S. PERRSE.
The survey of the Central Plank Road was made by COL. A.A. DEWTER (?) at a cost of $1.00 per mile. He reported the route would naturally suggest the construction of a plank road. The ground was first broken on March 12, 1850. This was a simple wagon road surfaced with planks. It was made of 5 stringers each 4×6 covered by 2×6 planks. The road was about 10 feet wide with a dirt road on the side for public traffic.
The Central Plank Road owned 7,880 acres of timber and they imported 10 steam engines. The saw produced 20,000 feet or more per day; enough lumber daily to lay 1/3 to 1/2 mile of road. The estimated cost was $1200-1500 daily; the actual cost was $2000-4000. The cost of the road was in excess of $160,000.
The route was projected from Montgomery to Guntersville via Wetumpka but only 60 miles north of Winterboro was ever put into use. The route was from Montgomery to Wetumpka, to Leonards (3 miles to Nixburg), to Socopatoy (Bradford’s Mill), Mt. Olive, Sylacauga, Winterboro, Mardisville, and Talladega. The stage was drawn by 4 trained horses and they were changed every 8 miles. The change took one minute. The stage made scheduled time and generally carried 12 passengers and the US Mail.
The Alabama Journal, Feb. 1851, gives this account: COL. JOHN G. WINTER has forwarded for use on the Plank Road a beautiful 4 horse omnibus. There is a portrait on each side of a lady called “Autauga Beauty”. An elegant clock up front keeps good time and records hours, minutes, and seconds. The driver sat on top using a long bugle to call attention to passings and to signal stops. There was a double stage daily from Montgomery to Talladega—90 miles in 14 hours; to Rome—180 miles in 36 hours.
Public conveyances were available along the way for other principle towns. For example passengers could find conveyances in Sylacauga, at Lannings for Talladega Springs. The rate of toll was [two 1/2—three 1/4 cents per mile and bridge fees ranged from as high as 50 cents for a luxury carriage to as little as two cents per goat]. There were a number of exemptions. Persons or processions going to and from funerals, all persons attending religious service, all going to vote, all going to mill to have corn ground, all going to the blacksmith shop, all going or returning with a doctor in case of sickness, or all persons going to military muster. Also persons walking on the road and farmers who lived on the road could travel 3 miles free. The fare was: from Montgomery to Wetumpka ($2.00), to Bradford ($6.00), to Talladega ($10.00), to Rome, GA ($12.50)
The road was completed to Sylacauga by July 3, 1852 and the newspapers heralded the quickest trip ever made: “The distance from Montgomery to Talladega is 70 miles and has hitherto required two hard days drive. On Saturday, the 3rd, the Honorable WILLIAM L. YANCEY breakfasted in the City of Montgomery at 4 a.m., came to Sylacauga, delivered a 4th of July oration, attended a barbecue, remained nearly 3 hours, and returned to Montgomery at 15 minutes to 7 p.m. The stage traveled at the rate of 11 and 1/2 miles per hour making the 140 mile trip in daylight.” This was considered phenomenal speed.
The Central Plank Road was short lived. The cost was greater than anticipated, the return was less, there were too many persons exempt from the tolls, and the upkeep was prohibitive. The passengers complained about the stage coaches and about the rowdiness and drinking at places where they changed horses or spent the night. Some of the drivers kept the tolls, the planks rotted, the horses fell and broke their legs and had to be shot…. The Plank road was a failure.
Thus we see turnpike roads were abandoned, the plank roads were financial failures, the railroads then had their day, and now we have come full circle. These early roads were highways of civilization and the idea of a network of arteries had been implanted in the minds of the people, so the drama and the vision lived on until we have the highways of today.
