Piedmont, AL – On Friday, July 11, 2025, the Piedmont community will gather for a special walking tour to reflect on a dark chapter in the city’s history—the 155th anniversary of the lynching of William Luke, Toney Cliff, Caesar Fredrick, William Hail, and Berry Harris. The event, led by local historian Quinton Kirk, aims to honor the memory of the five men and educate the public about the injustice they suffered.
The tour will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Southern Railroad Depot Museum, located at 130 North Center Avenue in Piedmont. It was here—then known as Cross Plains—that the series of events unfolded, beginning with a runaway mule and escalating into a confrontation involving firearms and an ultimately unfair legal hearing. These events ended in the tragic lynching of the five men.
The walking tour will follow an approximately 1.5-mile loop through downtown Piedmont, concluding back at the Depot Museum. The tour is expected to last between 1.5 to 2 hours, and participants are encouraged to bring water. The cost to join is $5 per person, with proceeds benefiting the Piedmont Historical Society in its efforts to preserve and share the city’s complex history.
Organizers hope the event will encourage reflection, dialogue, and a deeper understanding of how far the community has come—and how history continues to shape its present and future.
