National Register of Historic Places

Tuscumbia Landing Site

Sheffield, Colbert County, Alabama
Listed
June 9, 1982
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
82002002

About this property

The Tuscumbia Landing Site is a historic port site in Sheffield, Alabama, United States. The landing was established in 1824 at the mouth of Spring Creek on the Tennessee River. As large craft could not navigate Spring Creek to reach Tuscumbia, the landing was built to transfer goods to and from the town. The New Orleans and Tuscumbia Steamboat Company was created in 1825, and connected The Shoals with towns on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. Wagons were used to haul goods between the landing and the town until a horse-drawn railroad, the first railroad west of the Appalachian Mountains, was built from 1831 to 1832. The line was later extended to Decatur in 1834, bypassing the treacherous shoals on the Tennessee River, and was renamed the Tuscumbia, Courtland and Decatur Railroad. The landing was also a stop for many Muscogee and Cherokee along the Trail of Tears. During the Civil War, the landing was heavily damaged in April 1862 by Colonel John Basil Turchin's troops; it was completely destroyed by General Grenville M. Dodge in April 1863, in the lead-up to Streight's Raid. Following the war, Florence became the port of choice in the Shoals, as the warehouses at Tuscumbia were never rebuilt. The site contains six limestone foundations of the main depot along the river, as well as foundation walls of a terminal at the top of a bluff and the remnants of a wagon road. The depot was built in 1832, and was three stories tall. A floating wharf was connected to the uppermost floor of the building, while the two lower floors were used for storage. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Location

Sheffield, Colbert County, Alabama
34.74910, -87.72548

Categories

TRANSPORTATIONEXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Tuscumbia Landing Site

This page lists Tuscumbia Landing Site. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Tuscumbia Landing Site report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Nitrate Village No. 1 Historic District
Listed
0.5 mi
Ivy Green
Industrial
1.2 mi
Norman, Felix Grundy, House
Industrial
1.5 mi
Winston, William, House
Industrial
1.6 mi
Colbert County Courthouse Square Historic District
Industrial
1.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Tuscumbia Landing Site listed on the National Register?

Tuscumbia Landing Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 9, 1982.

What type of historic resource is Tuscumbia Landing Site?

Tuscumbia Landing Site is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Tuscumbia Landing Site?

The period of significance for Tuscumbia Landing Site is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Tuscumbia Landing Site?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Tuscumbia Landing Site will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Colbert County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Colbert County.

Explore ColbertCounty ›

More historic places in Alabama

Browse all historic places in Alabama.

View Alabamahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Alabama history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Alabamahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Tuscumbia Landing Site will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report