Historical marker describes isolated Monroe County stage stop building

'Anderson Stage Stop' Historical Marker in Conecuh Co.

This week’s featured historical marker is the “ANDERSON STAGE STOP” marker in Conecuh County. This marker is located on the Conecuh side of the Middleton Road, north of the Mixonville community, on the Conecuh-Monroe county line and not far from the Butler County line. The former Anderson Stage Stop building, a large wooden, tin-topped structure still stands today on the Monroe County side of Middleton Road.

This marker was erected during the past year by the Alabama Historical Commission. 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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“The Old Federal Road connected Washington D.C. to New Orleans, allowing mail, munitions and settlers to come into and through this part of the country.  The one remaining stage stop building of the many once along the Old Federal Road is in Monroe County. Its livery stables were on this side of the road, in Conecuh County. Mathew Anderson settled on this property in 1852, farming and running an inn across the road. Carriage, or stagecoach, travelers were allowed to stay in the inn while horsemen were delegated to the livery stables. The well that supplied water still remains.”

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According to the “Archaeological Survey of the Old Federal Road in Alabama” by Raven M. Christopher and Gregory A. Waselkov, which was published in April 2012, the Anderson Stage Stop is “one of the very few such structures still standing along the Old Federal Road. In 1852 Samuel Jonathan Anderson and his family of 10 or 11 children moved from the Montgomery-Lowndes county line and resettled along the Old Federal Road on the Monroe-Conecuh county line. The Anderson’s home is situated in Monroe County and the barn in Conecuh County.

Monroe County's 'Anderson Stage Stop' building.

“The dogtrot-style homestead served as a resting place for travelers and their horses. Charles Anderson, grandchild of Samuel Anderson, remembered his father, Charlie, would not allow the horsemen to spend the night in the house on the Monroe County side; instead, they slept in the barn. However, the carriage men were permitted to rest in the home. The house was a popular stop for travelers. Charles remembers his father saying that barely two nights passed without a traveler staying an evening at the house.”

If you decide to check out this historical marker for yourself, be forewarned. It’s in a very isolated place and most of the road signs in the area are missing. Only after I returned to my office and consulted a map did I determine exactly what road the marker was located on. It’s also miles away from the nearest gas station, so don’t head that way without plenty of gas or you’ll be sorry.

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.