Pathkiller - Childers - Garrett Ferry

In the early 1820's, Cherokee Chief Pathkiller owned a ferry across the Coosa River at this location, and his home stood a short distance away on the east side of the river. After Pathkiller's death in 1827, John Ride, a prominent Cherokee, gained majority ownership of the ferry, and it was operated by William Childers, a white man, during a period when it was often called Childers Ferry. By February 23, 1835, the Garrett family, white settlers, had taken up residence on the east side of the Coosa and built a house at the site of Pathkiller's former home. The Garrett family obtained ownership of the ferry before 1837, and from then on it was known as Garrett's Ferry. The ferry operated until around 1960, when Weiss Lake was constructed and a bridge crossed the river.

Centre, Alabama · United States