Jefferson Davis Highway Marker - Montgomery, Alabama - U.S. Historic Survey Stones and Monuments on Waymarking.com

There is no indication as to when this stone monument was placed. In the early part of the 20th century, before the United States began its system of numbering highways, several groups were designating and naming routes. Starting in 1913, the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) were instrumental in attempting to designate a coast to coast highway system honoring Jefferson Davis, who was President of the Confederate States of America, but who had graduated from West Point and served as a U.S. Congressman and Secretary of War during his career. Their routes are not always clear today, but they ran from Virginia to California and up to the Canadian border. There were auxiliary routes in several southern states. In Alabama, the route along U.S. Highway 80 was a part of the system.

A particular reference to Highway 80 in Alabama can be seen in this paragraph from the U.S. Department of Transportation site at (visit link)

"Although the named trails have mostly faded from today's road maps, some parts of the Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway still carry that name. For example, much of U.S. 1 in Virginia is still called the Jefferson Davis Highway, as is U.S. 80 in Alabama. In Alabama, the segment from Selma to Montgomery is the most famous part of the Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway today. On this road, the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., led the 1965 Voting Rights March that helped prompt Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act. In 1996, the U.S. Department of Transportation designated the Selma-to-Montgomery Scenic Byway an All-American Road under the National Scenic Byways Program. In addition, under the National Park Omnibus Act of 1996, this stretch of the Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway was designated the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail. The segment is still called the Jefferson Davis Highway and U.S. 80, but it is as a National Historic Trail that the Selma-to-Montgomery stretch of U.S. 80 has become an international symbol of freedom."

This particular marker is located near the intersection with Bradley Drive, and is in front of the parking lot for the Montgomery Unitarian-Universalist Church. Someone has planted a bush around the monument, but the words "Jefferson Davis Highway" are still clearly visible on the west side of the stone. If one clears away the bushes from the monument, there are no other markings or designations.

Monumentation Type: Dressed stone Monument Category: other (not included below) Monument Category (if other): Highway Marker Accessible to general public: yes Historical significance: These highway markers are located on highways from the Atlantic to Pacific Oceans and even to the border with Canada. They represent a time in the early 20th century when private groups created highway designations honoring people or places. This particular monument was placed by the UDC to honor Jefferson Davis, who was President of the Confederate States of America, but who had graduated from West Point and served as a U.S. Congressman and Secretary of War during his career. Monument Website: [Web Link] County: Montgomery USGS Quad: Montgomery North Monumentation Type (if other): Not listed Explain Non-Public access: Not listed NGS PID: Not listed Other Coordinates: Not Listed Other Coordinates details: Not listed Approximate date of monument: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
1. A closeup photo of the monument is required.
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2. A 'distant' photo including the monument in the view is highly recommended. Include the compass direction you faced when you took the picture.

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