Image courtesy of Nuestro Stories.
Off the banks of the Chattahoochee River, there’s a simple marker that stands along the shore, acting as a reminder of a fort that barely lasted two years. However, its ruins lay hidden for nearly 250 years.
On the plaque, a simple inscription that reads: “East of here, on the Chattahoochee River, was the ‘fort among the Apalachicolas,’ most northern of the Spanish settlements in eastern North America.”
Chosen for its proximity to the Lower Creek town of Apalachicola, Captain Enrique Primo de Rivera and his soldiers built the fort Apalachicola in 1689 in order to assist in the defense of Spanish settlements against British colonizers and the Lower Creek indigenous tribe (related to the Muscogee) who lived nearby.
Between 1689 and 1691, the Catholic priests who lived within the bounds of Apalachicola Fort attempted to convert the Lower Creek tribe in order to open a system of trades between them, but the tribes resisted.
In 1691, not two years after the fort was built, the Spanish soldiers destroyed the fort, believing it would not withstand heavy attacks, and abandoned the land.
Left untouched by those who remained in the area, the remnants of the fort and all that was left behind began to recede into the landscape of the lush foliage typical of the area. It was never seen again until hundreds of years later.
Fun facts:
- The Apalachicola National Forest is home to some of the most unique animal and plant species in the world.
- Fort Apalachicola was completed in 1689. Twenty soldiers from Florida were stationed there.
- The fort was hastily built of sawn logs as a square palisaded structure with bastions at each corner and armed with canons for defense.
Things to Know Before You Go
- The marker for the fort is located in Holy Trinity, Alabama. While there is no street address for the site, the marker can be located at the intersection of Terminal Road on Route 54 and Alabama Route 165.
- There are 8 other National Historic Landmarks within a 10-mile radius of Fort Apalachicola, including a marker for The Battle of Shepherd’s Plantation where a battle between Creek Indians and colonists occurred.
Location: Holy Trinity, Alabama
Google View 360: Visit this enigmatic fort here.
