Naturalist William Bartram Arrives
William Bartram traveled extensively in Alabama in 1775, observing and documenting the state’s unique flora and fauna. Photo Courtesy Wikimedia Commons
In the summer of 1775, amidst the American Revolution, naturalist William Bartram’s years-long trek through the Southeast brought him to present-day Alabama.
Long regarded as a gifted artist, in 1772 the Philadelphia-born Bartram received a commission from an English patron to traverse the southeastern lands and sketch the region’s unique flora and fauna. He departed Philadelphia in March 1773, making his way first through the Carolinas and Georgia.
In July 1775, Bartram crossed the Chattahoochee River just south of what is today Phenix City. He traveled toward Mobile along a well-trod Native American trade route, parts of which would later become the Federal Road. East of Montgomery, he noted the appearance of Spanish moss in the trees. He commented on the “expansive and illumined grassy plains” of the Black Belt. He marveled at the distinctive animal inhabitants of Alabama’s vast (and now mostly vanished) longleaf pine forest, including the gopher tortoise and indigo snake.
Nearing Stockton by the end of the month, Bartram met Major Robert Farmar, the top-ranking official of British-controlled Mobile, a place he found less interesting than the expansive river delta which flowed into it. He borrowed a canoe from Farmar’s plantation and paddled deep into what we today call “Alabama’s Amazon,” where he discovered a stunning new species of primrose.
Bartram sent his English sponsor more than 200 plant specimens, 59 drawings and a lengthy written report. His observations and sketches on the Native Americans he encountered were some of the most important and accurate of the era. Bartram published an account of his travels in a 1791 book, widely regarded as the first great work of American environmental literature. His illustrations and romantic prose inspired generations of budding naturalists.
— Scotty Kirkland
Editor’s note: More information on Bartram’s journeys through Alabama may be found at bartramandalabama.org.
Whereville, AL – July 2026
Identify and place this Alabama landmark and you could win $25! Winner is chosen at random from all correct entries. Multiple entries from the same person will be disqualified. Send your answer with your name, address and the name of your rural electric cooperative, if applicable. The winner and answer will be announced in the August issue.
Submit by email: [email protected], or by mail: Whereville, 340 Technacenter Drive, Montgomery, AL 36117.
Contribute a photo you took for an upcoming issue! Send a photo of an interesting or unusual landmark in Alabama, which must be accessible to the public. A reader whose photo is chosen will also win $25.
June’s answer: This sign has hung in front of Stoddard’s Bait & Tackle in Wetumpka, 314 Company St., for more than 75 years. (Photo by Therese Carter) The randomly drawn correct guess winner is Derald Shepherd of Central Alabama EC.
