Gaines Trace
Encyclopedia
The Gaines Trace was a road in the Mississippi Territory
. It was constructed in 1811 and 1812 from the Tennessee River
(near Muscle Shoals
) to Cotton Gin Port
on the upper Tombigbee River
and on to Fort Stoddert
on the lower Tombigbee. The portion from the Tennessee River to Cotton Gin Port was surveyed in 1807 and 1808 by Edmund P. Gaines
, the road's namesake.
The trace intersected Jackson's Military Road
in Russellville, Alabama
.
Mississippi Territory
The Territory of Mississippi was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from April 7, 1798, until December 10, 1817, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Mississippi....
. It was constructed in 1811 and 1812 from the Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
(near Muscle Shoals
Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Muscle Shoals is a city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. As of 2007, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of the city to be 12,846. The city is included in The Shoals MSA. It is famous for its contributions to American popular music.-Geography:Muscle Shoals is located...
) to Cotton Gin Port
Cotton Gin Port, Mississippi
Cotton Gin Port is a ghost town in Monroe County, Mississippi, United States.-Geography:Cotton Gin Port was located at on the east bank of the Tombigbee river.-History:...
on the upper Tombigbee River
Tombigbee River
The Tombigbee River is a tributary of the Mobile River, approximately 200 mi long, in the U.S. states of Mississippi and Alabama. It is one of two major rivers, along with the Alabama River, that unite to form the short Mobile River before it empties into Mobile Bay on the Gulf of Mexico...
and on to Fort Stoddert
Fort Stoddert
Fort Stoddert was a stockade fort in the Mississippi Territory, in what is today Alabama. It was located on a bluff of the Mobile River, near modern Mount Vernon, close to the confluence of the Tombigbee and Alabama Rivers. It served as the western terminus of the Federal Road which ran through...
on the lower Tombigbee. The portion from the Tennessee River to Cotton Gin Port was surveyed in 1807 and 1808 by Edmund P. Gaines
Edmund P. Gaines
Edmund Pendleton Gaines was a United States army officer who served with distinction during the War of 1812, the Seminole Wars and the Black Hawk War.-Early life:...
, the road's namesake.
The trace intersected Jackson's Military Road
Jackson's Military Road
Jackson's Military Road was a route from Nashville, Tennessee to New Orleans, Louisiana. After the War of 1812, it was improved with federal funds, and it was named after Andrew Jackson.-Construction:...
in Russellville, Alabama
Russellville, Alabama
Russellville is a city in Franklin County in the U.S. state of Alabama. At the 2000 census, the population of the city was 8,971. The city is the county seat of Franklin County.-History:...
.