02-Jul-2006 -- Ellicott's Stone erected April 9th, 1799 marks the 1st Southern boundary of the US and the Mississippi Territory created in 1798. The stone marked 31 degrees North Lattitude separatind the US & Spanish Florida. This line of demarcation ran from the Mississippi east along 31st parallel to the Chattahoochi River, thence down that river to the mouth of the Flint River, thence on a line to the headwaters of the St. Mary's River, thence down that river to the Atlantic Ocean.

Major Andrew Ellicott, appointed by Geo. Washington as US Commissioner to survey the boundary as defined in the Treaty of San Lorenzo (1795), was engaged in this expedition from 1796-1800. Esteban Minor was appointed commissioner on the Spanish side.

In 1803, the Ellicott Stone was selected as the initial Point to begin the US Public Land Surveys which control land boundaries in southern Alabama & Mississippi (St. Stephens Meridian). (thanks to Alabama Society of Professional Land Surveyors and Alabama Historical Association 1999)

Although my GPS shows that I was about 1.5miles west of where the confluence is, this stone was placed at what was to become a section corner. This is a significant confluence as it has been used as a surveying reference since 1799. I don't think they had the benefits of satelite nav in those days!