Midway historical marker describes one of Conecuh's first settlements

Historical marker at Midway, Alabama.

This week’s featured historical marker is the “MIDWAY” marker in Conecuh County, Ala. The marker is located at the intersection of Conecuh County Road 106 and State Highway 83 in the Midway community.

This historical marker was erected by the Alabama Historical Association in 2012. There’s text on both sides of this marker, but both sides are identical. What follows is the complete text from the marker.

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“MIDWAY: Midway was one of the first settlements established in Conecuh County along the Post Road which later became the Old Federal Road. Long serving as a hub for Indian trails branching out to the north, northeast and northwest, the Midway town site once included a sawmill and cotton gin. Conecuh, Butler and Monroe counties meet at this spot where Alabama Highway 83 intersects U.S. Highway 47, and Conecuh’s part of Highway 106 is nearby.”

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When I think about the Midway community, I can’t help but think about the large cave that’s supposed to be located not far from the intersection mentioned above. A friend of mine from Camden told me about it a year or so ago, and supposedly you can still see where the ceiling of the cave was charred black by prehistoric campfires. The walls of the cave are also riddled with ancient shells and fossils. I’ve never been there and would love to see the cave for myself some day.

Also not far from this intersection is the Midway Baptist Church, which is well known for its large, historic cemetery. This cemetery contains dozens and dozens of graves dating back to the 1880s with surnames that include Brooks, Cobb, Davis, Ellis, Hines, Mason and Stacey. The cemetery also contains the graves of Civil War, World War II and Korean War veterans.

According to the “Archaeological Survey of the Old Federal Road in Alabama” by Raven M. Christopher and Gregory A. Waselkov, the Old Federal Road entered Midway from the south on what is now Highway 83. From there, the Old Federal Road went east on what is now Conecuh County Road 106 toward the Activity community. About a mile east of Midway, the Old Federal Road departed from the modern highway, about 2,000 feet west of the West Sepulga River.

Interestingly, the Midway community only gets a very brief mention in “History of Conecuh County, Alabama” by Benjamin Franklin Riley. That passing reference comes on Page 59 in a chapter titled “Fork Sepulga,” and only mentions that a group of captured Seminole Indians were brought through the Midway community in 1818.

The community of Midway described above is not to be confused with the incorporated town of Midway that’s located in Bullock County, Ala. That town is located in East Alabama, not far from Union Springs and Eufaula. It has a population of around 500 residents.

In the end, visit this site next Wednesday to learn about another historical marker. I’m also taking suggestions from the reading audience, so if you know of an interesting historical marker that you’d like me to feature, let me know in the comments section below.