Historical markers at Mt. Vernon tell of Federal Road, famous early Mason

'Mt. Vernon Federal Highway' historical marker. 

This week’s featured historical marker is the “MT. VERNON FEDERAL HIGHWAY” marker in Mount Vernon, Alabama. This marker is located just south of the intersection of Old U.S. 43 and Old Military Road in Mount Vernon.

This marker was erected by the Alabama Tourism Department and the Town of Mt. Vernon in September 2010. There’s text on both sides of this marker, but both sides are identical. What follows is the complete text from the marker.

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“MT. VERNON FEDERAL HIGHWAY: In 1811, the Mount Vernon Cantonment, located on a hill about three miles west of the Mobile River, was laid out by Col. Thomas H. Cushing. The cantonment was on the site of a spring called Mount Vernon Springs. In 1814, the garrison at Mt. Vernon was visited by Andrew Jackson. Construction of the Old Federal Road from Milledgeville, Georgia to Fort Stoddert, Alabama began in 1818. 1828, President Jackson authorized for Mt. Vernon to become a military arsenal. By 1830, the construction of a wall 10 feet high and two feet thick began to encompass the arsenal. In 1861, Captain Jesse Reno surrendered Mt. Vernon arsenal to four Confederate companies from Mobile. In 1866, the arsenal was returned to the Federal Government. In 1870, Mt. Vernon post ceased to be an arsenal. In 1873, Secretary of War William Belknap recommended that the arsenal property become Mt. Vernon Barracks. In 1887, 450 Apaches came to Mt. Vernon from Fort Pickens, Florida. Among them were Indian chiefs Geronimo, Chihuahua and Natchez (Son of Cochise). In 1895, Mt. Vernon Barracks was given to the State of Alabama.”

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The marker described above is just a few feet south of another interesting historical marker, a four-sided obelisk that memorializes the life of earlier Alabama settler, Col. Ephraim Kirby.

The west side of that marker reads, “In Memory of Col. Ephraim Kirby, First General Grand High Priest of the General Grand Chapter, Royal Arch Masons of the U.S., 1798-1804, Born Woodbury, Conn., Feb. 23, 1757, Died Ft. Stoddert, Oct. 20, 1804. Erected by the Masons of Alabama 1963.”

Col. Ephraim Kirby Memorial at Mt. Vernon.

The south side of the marker reads, “Col. Ephraim Kirby, Beginning at Bunker Hill, fought in 17 battles and was wounded 13 times during the Revolutionary War, Entered the Army as an enlisted man and was discharged as a Lt. Col. of Connecticut Militia.”

The north side of the marker reads, “Col. Ephraim Kirby was appointed additional Judge of the Superior Court of Miss. Territory April 6, 1804 by President Jefferson. He took station at Ft. Stoddert and presided over the first Superior Court held in what is now Alabama until his death.”

The east side of the marker reads, “Col. Kirby’s grave is in Ft. Stoddert Cemetery 2-1/2 miles east of this monument.”

In the end, visit this site next Wednesday to learn about another historical marker. I’m also taking suggestions from the reading audience, so if you know of an interesting historical marker that you’d like me to feature, let me know in the comments section below.