Modern-day town of Tallassee was once ancient Indian town of ‘Talisi’

'Great Council Tree' marker.

My son James and Monroeville’s 15U Babe Ruth All-Stars traveled to Tallassee last Thursday and Friday for the State Babe Ruth Baseball Tournament. Crystal and I went along to support the team, and this was my first trip to the historic town of Tallassee. For anyone interested in Alabama history, Tallassee is hard to beat.

For those of you (like me) who have never been to Tallassee before, it’s a city of about the same size population as Monroeville that’s located on the Tallapoosa River in both Elmore and Tallapoosa counties. Most people will tell you that it’s located about halfway between Montgomery and Auburn, but it’s also close to Wetumpka and Tuskegee.

While making a food run from the ball field to a McDonald’s in Tallassee on Friday, I passed by a historical marker near the Tallassee library. According to that marker, the land around Tallassee belonged to the Muskogee Creek Indians for hundreds of years before their removal in 1836. As early as 1798, federal Indian agents predicted that a sizeable city would eventually be located at this site on the Tallapoosa River due to the abundance of natural resources in the area.

Sources say that the city of Tallassee was named by a man named Thomas Barnett, who built a small cotton mill there in 1838 and who named the settlement for an ancient Indian town named “Talisi.” Talisi, sometimes spelled “Talase,” is probably derived from the Creek words for “town” and “taken.” Other sources say that “Talisi” means “Old Town.”

Not far from here, in front of Tallassee City Hall, you’ll find a large stone monument and plaque that was put in place in 1929 by the Alabama Anthropological Society. This stone was place on the site of what was known as the “Great Council Tree.” It was here in 1811 that well known Indian leader Tecumseh made a famous speech that kicked off a series of events that eventually led to the Creek Indian Wars of 1813-1814.

Also while out riding around on State Highway 229, between Tallassee and I-85, we saw another historical marker that described the ancient Indian town of Tukabatchee. Tukabatchee is said to have been one of the original four “mother towns” of the Creek Confederacy. One interesting thing about this marker is that the north side of it is written in English while the other side is written in Creek.

Tallassee also has some interesting Civil War history in that it was the home of the Tallassee Armory. Workers in this armory manufactured carbine rifles for Confederate forces, and it’s said that this was the only Confederate armory not destroyed by federal forces during the War Between the States. Local reenactors hold a “Battle for the Armory” event each November in Tallassee, and it’s said to be one of the biggest annual events in the state for historical reenactors.

In the end, if you ever get the chance to visit Tallassee, I recommend that you do so. It’s easy to get to off of I-85, and there is much to see there, especially if you enjoy Alabama history. Plus, the people there were very nice and welcoming to us, and we enjoyed our two-day visit to their friendly town.