24 Oct 2019
Our last
stop before heading home was the Fort Toulouse/Jackson campground. The campground is located on a historical
site that first had European occupation in 1717 when soldiers from French
Louisiana contacted the Alibamu native tribe. These natives were part of the
Creek Confederacy and invited them to build a fort along the river. The French
would later build two replacement forts. A more detailed history can be read here.
The
campground has 39 sites along the Coosa River with power and water. We spent a quiet evening along the river.
In the
morning, we walked over to the partial reconstruction of fortifications built
by General Andrew Jackson in 1814. It included a moat and seven-foot-high walls
that created a 15-foot barrier to attackers.
It is worth noting that the fort was built less than a year before he
defeated the British in January of 1815.
Today, there
are several replica buildings on the site including one of fort Toulouse III
(1751 to 1763) and several native American structures. Nearby
is a Native American Mississippian mound which dates to 1100AD. We did not visit the mound, so we will have
to go back in the future.
3 comments:
UM..., I'll have to check out how far this is from our home here in Cullman, AL. Having only lived here 3 years we are still getting familiar with the state.
It's amazing how much history is around the United States. I enjoy all these hidden gems you find and post about. :c)
It might not be surprising, but this is one we missed in our Alabama travels. I agree with Paul and Marti.
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