Conecuh County, Alabama
Along this quiet stretch of the Old Federal Road once stood Holley’s Store, an early mercantile establishment that opened around 1816. The marker states that it may have been the first store of its kind in what later became Conecuh County.
Holley’s Store served travelers and settlers moving through Alabama’s frontier, but the place is also tied to one of the road’s more tragic stories. In 1818, wounded survivors of the Ogly Massacre stopped here while being carried toward Claiborne for medical treatment. One of those survivors, Elizabeth Stroud, died at Holley’s Store and was buried in nearby Middleton Cemetery.
Historical Marker
HOLLEY’S STORE
Holley’s store, opened on the Old Federal Road about 1816, may have been the first mercantile establishment in what became Conecuh County. In 1818, the William Ogly and Eli Stroud families, who had sought refuge in the Ogly cabin north of here, were attacked by a band of Indians led by Savannah Jack. Several members of both families were killed and several others were wounded in this “Ogly Massacre.” Elizabeth Stroud, wife of Eli, and the Oglys’ daughters Mary Ann and Elizabeth were badly wounded. As the injured were being transported to Claiborne to see Dr. Watkins for medical treatment, the party stopped at Holley’s store to care for the failing Mrs. Stroud. Here she died; she was buried in the Middleton Cemetery nearby.
Alabama Historical Association — 2012
The Old Federal Road
The Old Federal Road was one of the principal routes through early Alabama. It carried mail, military traffic, settlers, merchants, and ordinary travelers across a countryside that was still very much a frontier.
A business such as Holley’s Store would have been an important stopping place. Travelers could purchase supplies, exchange news, and rest before continuing along the road. In a time before modern towns and dependable transportation, these scattered stores often became landmarks in their own right.
The story recorded here also shows another side of travel along the Old Federal Road. After the Ogly Massacre, the wounded were being taken to Claiborne in hopes that Dr. Watkins could treat their injuries. Their journey brought them to Holley’s Store, but Elizabeth Stroud was unable to travel any farther.
The store itself has disappeared, but the marker keeps its location and story from being lost. What looks like an ordinary roadside today was once a place of business, refuge, sorrow, and frontier travel along the Old Federal Road.
Video
Watch the Old Federal Road Project video about Holley’s Store:
Location
Conecuh County, Alabama
GPS Coordinates: 31.73927, -86.94738