Bermuda community on Old Federal Road is rich in hidden history

Jeremiah Austill

The lunch hour last Thursday found me in the Bermuda community, so I decided to ease into the parking lot at The Pitts Stop at the intersection of County Road 5 and Drewry Road, about 10 road miles from Monroeville’s downtown square. I went inside and came out a few minutes later with a club sandwich and a Coke. As I sat eating outside in the bright sunshine, I noticed a squat, stone historical marker just a few feet away.

After washing down the last bite of my sandwich with a swallow of Coke, I stepped over for a closer look at the historical marker. Here’s what it had to say – “OLD FEDERAL ROAD: Near Bermuda was the home of Jeremiah Austill, who won fame in the Canoe Fight on the Alabama River during the Creek Indian War. His first wife, Sarah, died of injuries from falling off a fence during an Indian raid. Erected in 1998 by Monroe County Heritage Museums and the J.L. Bedsole Foundation.”

Those of you who remember your Alabama history will know that Jeremiah Austill was much of a man. Sources say that he was one of 11 militiamen with Army Captain Samuel Dale at the Canoe Fight, which took place north of where Randons Creek flows into the Alabama River, just a few miles as the mockingbird flies from where I grew up down below Frisco City. After the Creek War ended, Austill went on to become a prominent merchant, farmer, county court clerk and state legislator.

Historical marker at Bermuda.

As I walked back to my truck, I was reminded of just how much history was in the Bermuda area. Sources say that a post office was first established at Bermuda in 1877, but people had lived in this community for many years prior to that. With its location along the Old Federal Road, travelers such as Francis Scott Key, William Bartram and others passed through this area many years before people started calling it Bermuda.

According to “Place Names in Alabama” by Virginia O. Foscue, Bermuda was named after a kind of grass that was tested in this area. I have often wondered who was responsible for this experiment in grass growing and exactly where they first planted Bermuda grass in this area. Perhaps someone in the reading audience might know.

I eventually got in my truck and rode the short distance over to the Bermuda Methodist Church. On the property adjacent to this stately old church, you’ll find the Bermuda Community Cemetery. Sources say that the church and cemetery were both established around 1903.

Just eyeballing it, I’d say that this large cemetery contains about 400 graves. During my brief stroll around the grounds, the oldest headstone I could find was that of Mary W. Brantley. She passed away at the age of either 68 or 69 in August of 1899.

In the end, those familiar with Bermuda will know that it is steeped in history, going way back before Alabama even became a state. Many fine folks are proud to call this area home and for good reason. If you ever get a chance to spend a little time with the good folks there, I think you’ll find yourself in full agreement.