In 1860, the railroad was completed, and Alleyton became the largest town in its county. That same year, it received a post office, which is still in use today on Alleyton Road. In 1861, the Civil War started, and Alleyton became an important supply stop for the confederacy. Union forces blockaded the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and with the limited production power of the South, there was a general lack of firepower and military supplies. With the blockades, trade was difficult, so a "cotton road" was established from Alleyton to Mexico, which allowed Rebel armies to export cotton in return for weapons, uniforms, and other supplies. Wagon trains carried the supplies up and down this road, and from the newly established railway in Alleyton, they were further distributed to the South.