LIFE LIST UPDATE – No. 723: Visit Ellicott’s Stone

Ellicott's Stone in Mobile County, Ala.

I’d never heard of Ellicott’s Stone until Ronnie Fowler Short of Monroeville posted a photo of it on Facebook about two years ago. I was immediately intrigued by stone’s unusual history and promised myself that I would take a field trip there someday. As things go, that day came to pass yesterday when my brother-in-law, Kenny Day of Athens, Ala., and I drove down there to see the stone for ourselves.

For those of you unfamiliar with Ellicott’s Stone, it’s a stone boundary marker that was erected in what is now Mobile County, Ala. on April 4, 1799 by Major Andrew Ellicott. The stone marks the 31st parallel, which at that time was the boundary between the United States and Spanish Florida. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, this marker is the starting point for all public land surveys in southern Alabama and Mississippi.

In the old days, everything north of the marker was in the United States and everything south of the marker was in West Florida. That’s why on the north side of the stone, you’ll see in English, the words "U.S., Lat.31., 1799.” On the south side of the stone, in Spanish, you’ll see “"Dominio De S. M. Carlos IV, Lat.31., 1799." On top of the marker, you’ll see a more modern survey benchmark that was placed there by the U.S. Coast & Geodetic Survey and State Survey Station.

If you want to see Ellicott’s Stone for yourself, take Interstate Highway 65 to Exit 19. Once off the interstate, take U.S. Highway 43 north to the 18-mile marker. Just past this mile marker, on the east side of Highway 43, you’ll see a small area where you can pull off the side of the road. If you see a short set of wood steps and an Alabama Historical Association marker, you’re in the right place. If you find yourself driving past the Barry Steam Plant, you’ve gone to far.

Take a few minutes to read the roadside historical marker, which describes Ellicott’s Stone, then mount the steps to get to the trail, which will take you through the woods to the actual stone itself. Ellicott’s Stone is about 900 feet from the highway, so just stick to the path. You’ll eventually cross some railroad tracks, but the trail resumes on the other side. Ellicott’s Stone is about 200 feet on the other side of the tracks. If you have trouble finding it, just look for the small gazebo that’s been constructed over the marker to protect it from the elements.

After getting a good look at Ellicott’s Stone, be sure to also check out the short marker that’s been placed just outside of the gazebo by the American Society of Engineers. In 1969, that society named Ellicott’s Stone a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, and they erected a plaque there to memorialize the historically significant survey marker.

In the end, how many of you have ever been to Ellicott’s Stone? What did you think about it? Do you know of any other markers similar to Ellicott’s Stone? Let us know in the comments section below.