Bridge at Millers Ferry named after prominent Butler County politician

Countless travelers along State Highway 28 over the years have passed over the J. Lee Long Bridge. This scenic bridge crosses the Alabama River at Millers Ferry and is 3,201 feet long. Originally built in 1930, sources say it also went through extensive upgrades in the 1960s.

A few days ago, my son and I were riding over this bridge, headed west, when he spotted a green highway sign that read “J. LEE LONG BRIDGE.” My son is always full of questions, and a few seconds after we passed the sign, he asked about J. Lee Long. Who was he? Why was the bridge named after him?

Like many of you, I’ve been over this bridge many times before, but I’d never thought much about J. Lee Long or why the bridge was named after him. I admitted as much to my son, and told him that we’d find out when we got home. As it turns out, there was much to learn about J. Lee Long.

The J. Lee Long Bridge was named after prominent businessman and politician John Lee Long, who was born in Greenville on Jan. 12, 1868. Sources say that Long was a highly successful businessman who got his start in the cotton-buying business, but he eventually launched into a long career as a public servant. In Greenville, he cut his political teeth by serving on the city council, as city treasurer and also on the local school board.

A staunch Democrat, Long eventually got involved in state politics and served on the staff of Gov. Joseph F. Johnston before first getting elected to the State House of Representatives in 1906. Long went on to get reelected to the state house in 1910 and 1919. From 1911 to 1913, Long also served as the State Tax Commissioner under Gov. Emmet O’Neal.

Heavily involved in the Democratic politics of his time, Long served as chairman of the Butler County Democratic Executive Committee, as a member of the State Democratic Executive Committee and as chairman of the Congressional Democratic Executive Committee. Long also served as a member of the state’s 1901 constitutional convention and as the chairman of the committee that successfully fought the passage of a state constitutional prohibition amendment.

Curiously, I was unable to determine when Long died and where he was buried. Even though he was one of Butler County’s most prominent citizens, his obituary information was not to be found in Marilyn Davis Barefield’s outstanding 1985 book, “Butler County, Alabama Obituaries.” Searches of cemetery databases also yielded no results for Long or his wife, Sallie Dickerson Long, in Butler County, Wilcox County or elsewhere.

It’s also unclear exactly how Long’s name became attached to the bridge at Millers Ferry. I presume that state officials agreed to name the bridge in honor of Long for his many years of public service. Whether or not this was done before he died, I could not determine in time for this week’s paper.

In the end, if anyone in the reading audience has more information about Long or the bridge that bears his name, please let me hear from you. This information is an important part of Wilcox County history and deserves to be fully documented. Plus, if you ever find yourself traveling over the bridge with an inquisitive youngster, you’ll have an answer to their questions about John Lee Long.