Historical marker tells of 'Creek Indian Removal' from frontier Alabama

'Creek Indian Removal' historical marker near Uriah, Ala. 

This week’s featured historical marker is the “CREEK INDIAN REMOVAL” marker south of Uriah, Ala. This marker is located on State Highway 21, near the 19-mile marker, just south of the entrance to Little River State Park. The marker is in Monroe County, just north of the Escambia County line.

This marker was erected by the Alabama Indian Affairs Commission and the Alabama Forestry Commission in 1998. There’s text on both sides of the marker, but both sides are the same. What follows in the complete text from the marker:

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“CREEK INDIAN REMOVAL: Little River was the home of Creek Chief William Weatherford, also known as War Chief Red Eagle. This was the area of much discussion and debate, bringing the Creeks into the War of 1812 and the Creek Civil War of 1813-1814. These events weighed heavily in the land forfeiture in the Treaty of Fort Jackson (Toulouse) in 1814. Weatherford surrendered to Andrew Jackson, ceding away the largest single tract of land in Alabama. This treaty set the stage for the forced Creek removal (Trail of Tears) of the 1830s. Alabama remains the home of many Creek Indians today, including the Poarch Band of Creek Indian reservation in Escambia County.”

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A number of names, locations and events jump out at me when I read this marker, especially the name of William Weatherford. Born around 1780 near present-day Wetumpka, Ala., he was the son of an Indian mother, Sehoy III, and a red-headed Scotsman named Charles Weatherford. He passed away around age 44 at his plantation in South Monroe County on March 24, 1824.

Further down on the marker is mentioned “The Treaty of Fort Jackson,” which is also known as the “1814 Treaty with the Creeks.” This treaty was signed near Wetumpka on Aug. 9, in 1814 after the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. In addition to Andrew Jackson and William Weatherford, other men who signed the treaty included William McIntosh Jr., Folappo Haujo of the Eufaulau Indians, John O'Kelly of the Coosa Indians, Eneah Thlucco Hopoiee of the Talesee Indians and Tuskegee Emautla of the Tuskegee Indians.

As many of you know, Andrew Jackson, who was born in the Carolinas on March 15, 1767, would go on to bigger and better things. Fifteen years after the signing of the Treaty of Fort Jackson, he would take office as the seventh President of the United States. He would pass away at the age of 78 on June 8, 1845 in Nashville, Tenn.

“The Trail of Tears” came about mostly due to the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which was passed into law on May 28, 1830 during Andrew Jackson’s presidency. Not all Indians were removed from Alabama, however, as evidenced by the presence of the Poarch Creek Indians and their reservation near Atmore, Ala.

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.