Stouts Road

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Stouts Road was a north-south toll road from Gandy's Cove, North of Cullman in Morgan County to the Warrior River near Kimberly, from whence it joined with the Huntsville Road to Elyton and Montgomery.

The Alabama Legislature commissioned Abraham Stouts to construct a public road from Morgan County to the Black Warrior River in 1822. The commission was extended to Elyton in 1827. As the region's mineral resources were developed, Stouts Road became the "Main Street" for the new mining communities of Morris, Kimberly and Warrior, as well as the farming communities of Gardendale and Fultondale.

A few sections along the road's rout are still named Stouts Road. Other sections have been renamed or obscured. The Gardendale Historical Society has identified the historic road's route through that city and asked the Gardendale City Council to approve special signs marking its location.

Route

From Gandy's Cove the route is believed to have run through Cullman, around Stout Mountain, which is east of I-65 near Hanceville, and then across the Mulberry Fork at Baltimore, a frontier settlement at a ford in the river near I-65.

Kimberly

Stouts Road begins at U. S. Highway 31 in Kimberly about a half mile south of the Locust Fork bridge and continues through town to the South, connecting Kimberly to Morris.

Morris

As the route enters Morris it becomes 1st Avenue through the center of town before breaking off to the west south of Francis Street and paralleling Old Highway 31 to Reno Drive just short of Turkey Creek.

Gardendale

According to the Gardendale Historical Society, the historic route of Stouts Road paralleled the west side of what is now Highway 31 from Horse Branch Hill to Snow Rodgers Road (where a small section called Stouts Road connects Snow Rodgers to Edwards Cemetery Road. From there it bent back southwest and followed the current North Road, which becomes Moncrief Road as it crosses Mount Olive Road. A stagecoach stop was located where Moncrief meets Pinehurst Drive.

As it entered Gardendale proper the route followed the present Main Street and split off on a loop following the currently-discontinuous King Road and Jamestown Manor Drive. There is documentation that a toll booth was located at the Price Plantation in the vicinity of the present Rogers Building of Gardendale High School.

Fultondale

As Gardendale's Main Street enters into Fultondale the name of Stouts Road reappears, continuing south and making a jog to the east at Walker Chapel Road shortly before it rejoins Highway 31 just north of Whaley Road.

Birmingham

Another section of Stouts Road appears in Norwood south of Village Creek and running southeast toward F. L. Shuttlesworth Drive (formerly Huntsville Road). Alfred Roebuck's farmhouse was once located at that intersection.

References

External links

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