National Register of Historic Places; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL; Industry
The 1889 Florence Wagon Works was the largest wooden wagon manufacturer in the United States producing 15,000 wagons a year. The most popular, the Florence Light Running Wagon helped settle the West, especially Texas, and was important in France during World War I. The company manufactured and sold other models as well as parts. The company directly employed 175 employees, both white and African American. The Works was said to pay its employees over $100,000 a year and indirectly affected the local economy by as much as $300, 000 a year. Demand for wagons dropped dramatically with the mass production of cars and trucks and the business closed in 1941 leaving the building to slowly deteriorate. Currently only ruins exist where once a thriving industry prospered. Only stonewalls, foundations, and a railroad trestle remain but due to a progression of Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps the original configuration of factories, mills and warehouses is known. The site is significant for what the archeological remains may tell us about Florence’s industrial past. The site was placed on the National Register in 1996 and the nomination includes relevant area Sanborn maps. The site is currently owned by TVA.
Missy Brown, University of North Alabama
Ford, Gene A. National Register Nomination “Florence Wagon Works Site” (#96000596) (6/13/96).
The Kiddy Hotel/House was the primary hotel for the Sweetwater area of east Florence at the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth century. The proprietors of the Kiddy Hotel were the husband and wife couple of James and Harriet Adair Kiddy. The Kiddy Hotel sat atop the East Hill in Sweetwater when the area became the center of the industrial boom in Florence. Before the hotel was on East Hill, it was on Aetna Street within a short distance of the Central Baptist Church in east Florence. After moving the Kiddy Hotel to East Hill, the hostelry was near Blair, Connor, and Cole Streets in east Florence. Shortly after moving the Kiddy Hotel to East Hill, the Kiddy’s sold the property to the Beckman family of the Florence area. During the years of operation for the Kiddy Hotel, Harriet Kiddy was well known for her cooking ability. Colloquially deemed “Aunt Harriet’s” cooking, she made from scratch beaten biscuits for breakfast and buttermilk custard for supper for the guests of the hotel. Her hotel cooking gained her local acclaim as a wonderful cook, to the point where traveling businessman through Florence would stay at her hotel just for her cooking. An interesting fact for the hotel is that the kitchen was in the cellar of the multi-story hotel, so Aunt Harriet would use a hand-operated dumb waiter to deliver the food to the guests in the dining room on the first floor.
Text Sources: McDonald, William Lindsey. "Remembering Sweetwater: The Mansions, The Mills, The People." photos by L.D. Staggs, Jr. Killen, Ala., Bluewater Publications, 2002. McDonald, William Lindsey. "Sweetwater: The Story of East Florence." Florence: Florence Historical Board, 1989. McDonald, William Lindsey. "A Walk Through the Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama." Killen, Ala., Bluewater Publications, 2003. Picture Source: UNA Archives & Special Collection. William L. McDonald Collection. “Kiddy Hotel/House.” Florence, Alabama, Box 12: Florence Industry, 12-03.
The R.M. Patton School became one of the first elementary schools in Florence when it was built in 1891. The school was named for Governor Robert Miller Patton after his instrumental work in the passing of the Public School act of 1954.
Claire Eagle, University of North Alabama
William Lindsey McDonald, A Walk Through The Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. (Bluewater Publications, 2003), 83-84.
One of the most talented wood craftsman in northwest Alabama is Robin Wade. His furniture studio in Lexington, Alabama, produces organic “American” wood furniture. Wade attended the University of North Alabama as a young man, and started his wood furniture business during the mid-2000s at the age of forty-nine. His approach to furniture making is not based on money, but instead “is a celebration of nature.” Wade’s process is unique. All of the wood that Wade uses is local Alabama wood that has fallen because of either natural causes or human intervention. His crew is on standby to pick up trees and logs and once the wood has been brought back to the shop it goes through a slow studio process, which can take up to three years. Wade allows for the wood to keep its natural beauty. He frequently donates pieces of wood to local businesses and organizations in the Florence area. For example, the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area, Frank Lloyd Wright Rosenbaum House, Florence Lauderdale Public Library, and the Florence-Lauderdale Tourism Office building all have a donated piece of wood furniture.
Jesse Brock, University of North Alabama
Text: Bobby Bozeman, “Local Craftsman Turn Discarded Wood into Works of Art, Functional Furniture,” Times Daily, August 11, 2013. Robin Wade Furnture, “Welcome,” http://robinwadefurniture.com/#welcome-to-rwf (accessed May 1, 2015). Robin Wade Furniture, “About Us,” http://robinwadefurniture.com/about-us/#about-rw (accessed May 1, 2015). Robin Wade Furniture, “Our Store,” http://robinwadefurniture.com/ourstore/ (accessed May 1, 2015).
The Florence Hotel was constructed by The Florence Land, Mining, and Manufacturing Company, the company owned by Judge William Basil Wood, the father of the Sweetwater and Florence Industrial Boom. W.B. Wood had quite an impact in Florence since he was the president of W.B. Wood Furnace Company, the Charcoal & Chemical Company, the Florence, Tuscaloosa & Montgomery Railroad Company, the Florence & Chicago Railroad Company, and Secretary of the Alabama Improvement Company, so he was a true mover and shaker for Florence. The Florence Land, Mining, and Manufacturing Company had the Florence Hotel built in 1887-1888. The hotel was the first in the area to introduce both electricity and the telephone in 1888. On March 3, 1888, the Florence Hotel was successfully lighted and the next night at the Leap Year Ball, the Florence Hotel became the center of the social world for Florence. In November of 1888, Charles M. Brandon, founding member of the Cherry Cotton Mill, bought the lease for the Florence Hotel from the Florence Land, Mining, and Manufacturing Company until 1891. However, his lease was prematurely terminated in 1890 for reasons unknown. By 1904, the Florence Hotel had changed hands a few different times until A.D. Bellamy of the Florence Wagon Works bought the hotel and used it for the Florence Vehicle Company. Reports of the number of rooms the Florence Hotel vary, but the largest number seems to be 29 guest rooms for the Hotel. In 1909 or 1910, the Florence Hotel served as the temporary home of Rogers Surprise Store after Rogers experienced a devastating fire to their retail building on Court Street. In addition to serving Rogers, it also served the new owner of the Florence Wagon Works, John T. Ashcraft as an office building and suites for the Wagon Works executives. After the 1910s, the Florence Hotel building became strictly used for business, thus ending the life of the Florence Hotel.
M.C. Fesmire, University of North Alabama
Text Sources: Maness, Maurine. “A History of Lamar Furniture Building, Florence, Alabama.” Journal of Muscle Shoals History, vol. 6 (1978): 121-126. Picture Sources: UNA Archives & Special Collection. William L. McDonald Collection. “Florence Hotel.” Florence, Alabama, Box 12: Florence Industry, 12-23.
Late Nineteenth Century-Early Twentieth Century
The Lamar Furniture building in downtown Florence has a unique past considering it once held the old Florence Hotel and was the meeting place of the civic group the Knights of Pythias. The Lamar Furniture building’s location was on Court Street in downtown Florence. In 1944, Henry and Edna Lamar bought the building where Lamar Furniture was established from the Knights of Pythias. What led to the discovery for the Lamar’s that the building was a former hotel was the unearthing of sixteen fireplace hearths hidden under layers of walls in 1944. The sixteen fire hearths were indicative of a building that once housed tenants or guests. The Lamar family had a dream to open a furniture company and did so by 1945 once World War II ended and building materials were freely available again. The wife of Henry Lamar, Mrs. Edna Lamar, was the registrar at Florence State Teachers College in the 1930s. Henry Lamar was originally from New Orleans, but the couple liked Florence and did not want to leave the area. Thus, they decided to open Lamar Furniture in downtown Florence. The Lamar Furniture store was an example of modern design in downtown Florence. The store was the first to be fully air-conditioned and electrically heated in downtown Florence. The Lamar Furniture store is believed to be the first store to have an electric-eye door within Alabama. The building had experimental materials from the R.J. Reynolds Metals Company in the interior to coincide with the modern amenities of the store. And the front of the building was covered in black vitrolite, which matched the Art Deco sign. By 1976, Lamar Furniture was no more.
Text Sources: Maness, Maurine. “A History of Lamar Furniture Building, Florence, Alabama.” Journal of Muscle Shoals History, vol. 6 (1978): 121-126. Picture Source: UNA Archives & Special Collection. William L. McDonald Collection. “Lamar Furniture.” Florence, Alabama, Box 12: Florence Industry, 12-23.
The First National Bank in downtown Florence had connections to one of the more powerful Northern transplants to the Florence area in founder, Nial C. Elting. Elting, one of the founding partners of the Cherry Cotton Mill in Sweetwater, was a financial power broker in the industrial boom in Florence. Elting spent many years in Florence, eventually becoming the president of twenty-four businesses. Elting was an ambitious entrepreneur investing in a multitude of businesses in Florence while accumulating a massive amount of wealth. He and his wife, Annie Van Sickler, did not have any children, thus they left almost all of their estate to the First Presbyterian Church of Florence where the two were devout members of the congregation. When the First National Bank was founded in 1889, Elting partnered with Colonel Robert L. Bliss, who already owned a dry goods business, to form the First National Bank. Colonel Bliss was the first President of the bank; whereas, Nial C. Elting was the first cashier of the bank in 1889. When founded by Elting and Bliss, they had a capital stock of one hundred thousand dollars. Elting was an intelligent banker and did not make poor investments with the money he loaned out from the bank, because of his ability to judge proper character in loaning money from the bank, he was able to survive the economic depression of the 1890s in Florence. The original home of the First National Bank was in the Bliss Building in downtown Florence on the corner of Court and Tennessee Street. Then, in 1919, First National Bank moved from the Bliss Building to the corner of Mobile and Court street after building a new bank site. The First National Bank remained at the 1919 location before branching out into the community with new satellite branches in the 1950s. By 1983, The First National Bank was renamed The First National Bank of Florence. In 1985, The First National Bank of Florence moved to the multi-story building located at 201 South Court Street. In 1995, The First National Bank of Florence was renamed SunTrust Bank, Alabama, and became an independent bank associated with the SunTrust Bank organization out of Atlanta, Georgia. By 2000, SunTrust bought the independent branch of SunTrust Bank, Alabama, and merged it into its national organization of banks, therefore ending the First National Bank as an independent entity in downtown Florence.
Text Sources: McDonald, William Lindsey. "Remembering Sweetwater: The Mansions, The Mills, The People." photos by L.D. Staggs, Jr. Killen, Ala., Bluewater Publications, 2002. “First National Bank Was Organized 1889.” The Florence Herald, 1968, 20, sesquicentennial edition. “Florence As She Is.” The Florence Times, 1903. “Florence Main Branch.” last updated January, 2000. National Information Center. http://www.ffiec.gov/nicpubweb/nicweb/InstitutionHistory.aspx?parID_RSSD=623137&parDT_END=99991231. Picture Source: UNA Archives & Special Collection. William L. McDonald Collection. “First National Bank.” Florence, Alabama, Box 12: Downtown Business, 12-53.
Late Nineteenth Century-Early Twenty-First Century
The Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts serves as an art gallery and hosts workshops and classes. The Center for the Arts is also the headquarters for the Florence museums. April 1, 1976 marked the opening of the Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts in Florence. Three houses were donated to the city of Florence for this purpose by Reverend Hiram Kennedy-Douglass, whose will stipulated the arrangement. The Kennedy-Douglass Center for the arts takes an active part in the community by promoting the arts and educating the public. The Center sponsors a festival called Arts Alive that is held in Wilson Park at Florence, Alabama and at the Center each year.
Kayla Scott, University of North Alabama
www.florencal.org Images courtesy of Kayla Scott
Milner’s Drug Store was an important part of the downtown Florence area stretching back before the Civil War. The founder of Milner’s Drug Store, Joseph Milner, was an adventurous man who made his home in Florence in 1852 after returning from the California gold rush. Joseph Milner was a descendant of immigrants from Yorkshire, England who moved to Florence in the early nineteenth century. With the money he made from his gold prospecting, Milner bought out Barton’s Grocery Store at 104 North Court Street and established Milner’s Drug Store in 1853. The store was well received in Florence and became highly successful. Milner’s Drugs Store was especially popular with the rural farming community of Florence because Milner was trusted to provide them with a medicinal remedies for their aches and pains as doctors were hard to come by in 1850s Florence. During the pre-war years of the 1850s, Milner’s thrived. Milner had a reputation as an excellent bookkeeper and store clerk and was trusted to keep the people of Florence’s accounts up to date. In his store, he sold turpentine, paints, window glass, whiskey and ale barrels, and other dry goods in addition to the elixirs and medicines he sold as an apothecary. Milner’s was like most stores of the nineteenth century because he sold a bit of everything. Milner’s Drug Store had a reputation as a social center as well, news, politics, and gossip could be exchanged amongst the towns folk of the area in the store. Saturday was the special day for Milner’s and the people of Florence. Saturday was generally the day that all the rural farmers would travel to Florence to buy and sell goods, so the men and women of Lauderdale County would catch up on all of the week’s news. Former governors and mayors would come to Milner’s to sit, chat, and smoke a cigar, and others would arrive to just talk politics, amongst other topics, at the popular Milner’s Drug Store. Since Milner’s was a drug store of course it had plenty of snake oil remedies, elixirs, and medicines ready for the buying customer. In an era when medicine was not advanced, Milner’s carried a multitude of patented medicines for the patients of Lauderdale County. He carried opiates, herbs, tonics, and bitters for use by customers. But as nineteenth century medicine goes, Milner’s Drug Store was like many others of the same era, filled with ineffective remedies for customers whose illnesses could not be cured with the cure-all solutions provided in a nineteenth century drug store. Milner’s Drug Store was family owned and operated through the early part of the twentieth century, but was sold by the family in the 1960s. Today, Milner’s Drug Store exists as Milner-Rushing Discount Drugs in locations throughout Florence. Milner’s moved from Court Street during the 1960s to Sweetwater, leaving the home it had on Court Street for over one hundred years.
Text Sources: Mims, Jobyna. “An Ante-Bellum Drug Store.” The Journal of Muscle Shoals History, vol. 2 (1974):. Picture Source: UNA Archives & Special Collection. William L. McDonald Collection. “Milner's Drug Store.” Florence, Alabama, Box 12: Florence Industry, 12-20.
The Edith Newman Culver Museum features Native American items, Civil War artifacts, and items used by previous owners of the house. The museum also discusses history associated with the town of Waterloo. The house museum is located near the Trail of Tears, and was in the middle of Civil War related events such as the burning of the town. The Edith Newman Culver Museum was dedicated on October 14, 1995.
http://www.visitflorenceal.com/things_to_do/edith-newman-culver-memorial-museum/ http://waterloo.alabama.com/attraction_details.html?detailsListingId=ATTRACTIONS_3c4f68f11454ce067fcf44a2a2da0ef2 Image courtesy of UNA Collier Library Archives
The Rogers Bros. Surprise Store, eventually Department Store, was a retail fixture in downtown Florence from the late 1890s to the early 2000s. Opened in 1894 as the Surprise Store in downtown Florence by Major B.A. Rogers and his sons, the Surprise Store was famous for its reasonable prices for high quality goods. From the corner of Court and Mobile Street, the Rogers Surprise Store sold almost anything a person needed from hardware to clothing and toys to textiles. The Surprise Store was a full-line merchandising store able to import high quality goods to downtown Florence. Rogers Surprise Store was the first retail store in the area to do something novel and simple to ease the buying experience: they introduced price tags with set prices on their goods. Instead of having customers coming in to haggle and barter prices and goods with the clerks, the owner, Major Rogers, created the price point system for their store. The pricing system was an advancement in retailing in the Florence area. The original Rogers Building for the Surprise Store burned to the ground in 1910, and the original wooden building replaced with a multi-story brick structure. The brick structure stood until 1946 when it was remodeled in the Art Deco fashion and modernized into the Rogers Building that stands today at the corner of Court and Mobile Street.
Text Sources: UNA Archives & Special Collection. McDonald Collection. Vertical History File, “Rogers’ 100th.” Downtown Florence Unlimited, Edition 93, May/June 1994, Florence, Alabama. McDonald Collection: Box 35 Factories and Mills, Factories and Mills Vol.2, Factories and Mills File 2.1, 2. Picture Source: UNA Archives & Special Collection, William L. McDonald Collection, “Hotel Negley,” Florence, Alabama, Box 12: Florence Industry, 12-46.
Late Nineteenth-Early Twenty-First Century
A place of business in the Sweetwater area that still exists and serves the community today is Staggs Groceries. Originally, Staggs Grocery was founded as Taylor Wylie’s Meat Market at the turn of the twentieth century. Taylor Wylie moved to east Florence to Sweetwater when Mountain Mills moved from Barton, Alabama to Florence to become the Cherry Cotton Mill. The original Wylie’s Meat Market burned to the ground and Wylie's son-in-law, L.D. Staggs, Sr., continued the business down the street on Huntsville Road. Staggs Grocery’s present location is where it has been since 1937. When L.D. Staggs, Sr. became proprietor of the grocery, he had his brother, Web Staggs, and his sons, L.D. Jr., Jack, and Billy Staggs become working members of the grocery. Staggs, Sr.’s family descendants run the operation today and have made the transition from grocer to restaurant. Staggs Grocery has a reputation for having one of the best hamburgers in all of Florence.
Text Sources: McDonald, William Lindsey. "Sweetwater: The Story of East Florence." Florence, Ala.: Florence Historical Board, 1989. Barske, Carolyn. "Images of America: Florence." Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2014. Picture Source: UNA Archives & Special Collection. William L. McDonald Collection. “Staggs Grocery.” Florence, Alabama, Box 12: Florence Industry, 12-11.
Pope’s Tavern Museum has been the site of a stagecoach stop, an inn, and a tavern, besides serving as a private residence. The city of Florence acquired the building in 1965, and it has been used as a museum since that time. The museum’s site has had numerous owners, and more than one structure. The first of these buildings is thought to have been erected by Christopher Cheatham, who built an inn and stagecoach stop at the request of Huntsville founder LeRoy Pope. There is no evidence that this building was ever called Pope’s Tavern before the city gave the museum its name. Today the museum holds artifacts associated with the history of Florence. Pope’s Tavern served as a hospital for both Confederate and Union troops during the Civil War. The museum has a collection of Civil War artifacts on the second floor, including weapons, ammunition, flags and uniforms. The museum also includes antique furniture, dishes, arrowheads, and paintings. A section is devoted to telling the story of Forks of Cypress, the home of Florence co-founder James Jackson. Forks of Cypress burned in 1966, only leaving the columns standing as a reminder of the stately mansion. An antique wagon made by the Florence Wagon Works is displayed behind the museum. Pope’s Tavern is owned and operated by the city of Florence. The museum is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday. Florence’s Frontier Days Celebration is held at Pope’s Tavern during the first full week in June each year.
www.florenceal.org Carolyn M. Barske, “Pope’s Tavern Museum,” Encyclopedia of Alabama. http://www.encylopediaofalabama.org/article/h-3669#sthash.N7bRWPGD.dpuf Black and white image of Pope's Tavern courtesy of UNA Collier Library Archvies All other images courtesy of Kayla Scott
Florence, Alabama, established on March 12, 1818, is nicknamed the “Renaissance City.” It is named after Florence, Italy, the birthplace of the Renaissance (a time period in which a cultural movement in the arts, religion, science, and politics emerged, began during the fourteenth century). The connection between Florence, Alabama, and the Renaissance time period is through Ferdinand Sannoner. In 1818, Sannoner, an Italian surveyor from Florence, Italy, first surveyed the newly established Alabama land. Therefore, in recognition of Sannoner’s early work with the town, when time came to decide on the city’s name, Florence was chosen. The citizens of Florence, Alabama, acknowledge their city’s ties to the Renaissance and celebrate its heritage in an annual festival—the Alabama Renaissance Faire. Beginning in 1987, the city of Florence, Alabama, has hosted the Alabama Renaissance Faire in October. The event takes place at Wilson Park, located in downtown Florence, and host between thirty and forty thousand attendees. The Southeast Tourist Society in Atlanta, Georgia, listed the event as one of the top twenty fall events in the Southeast region of the United States and it is one the largest non-profit Renaissance Faires in the country. The Faire is an all-volunteer event. Those in the Florence, Alabama community that want to help plan the Faire are put on a committee called the Roundtable. There are no requirements to be placed on the Roundtable and meetings are once a month from January to September. Out of the Roundtable, eighteen individuals are voted onto the Faire’s Board of Directors. The Renaissance event begins on the third weekend in October. During this weekend, a meal is set to a themed Renaissance time period and is attended by two hundred guests who purchase a twenty-five dollar ticket. This meal is known as the Renaissance Feast. Exactly a week after the Feast, the Renaissance Faire begins. During the faire, many of the volunteer workers and public attendees are dressed up in Renaissance attire. Throughout the entire two-day festival, Renaissance themed arts and events take place such as dances, sword fighting, costume workshops, sonnet writing contests, theatrical plays, and musical concerts.
Text: Billy Warren, “Alabama Renaissance Faire,” Encyclopedia of Alabama, www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-2486 (accessed May 1, 2015). Bobby Bozeman, “Feast Marks Start of Renaissance Celebration,” Times Daily, September 30, 2014. Bobby Bozeman, “Something Old is New Again: Alabama Renaissance Faire to Celebrate History this Weekend,” Times Daily, October 24, 2014.
Lauderdale County, AL; Florence, AL; Handy, W.C.
The W. C. Handy Home and Museum located in Florence is dedicated to telling the story of “Father of the Blues” William Christopher Handy’s life and musical career. The museum’s main building is the cabin Handy was born in. The home was in a state of disrepair in 1954 when Handy donated the funds for its purchase to the city of Florence. Because the original site was in the way of a housing development, the cabin was painstakingly dismantled and each piece was labeled and put into storage. In 1970, the W.C. Handy Home was reassembled and restored at its present location at 620 West College Street. A separate building for the museum houses furniture, pictures, and musical instruments that Handy owned. The cabin is furnished with items donated by Florence citizens that are representative of the era during which Handy lived in the cabin. The W.C. Handy Museum is the location of an annual W.C. Handy Birthday Celebration each year on November 16. The W. C. Handy Music Festival is held each year during the last week of July.
www.florenceal.org Barbara Broach, “W.C. Handy Birthplace, Museum, and Library,” Encyclopedia of Alabama. http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-3147#sthash.XJAPN575.dpuf Images courtesy of UNA Collier Library Archives
University of North Alabama Archives and Special Collections
The University of North Alabama’s Archives and Special Collections is located on the second floor of Collier Library on UNA’s campus. The archives’ primary goal is the collection and preservation of records regarding the University of North Alabama. The secondary goal of the archives is the preservation of materials concerning Florence, Sheffield, Muscle Shoals, and Tuscumbia. Lauderdale and Colbert County historical materials are also housed at the archives, as well as the university’s collection of rare books. The UNA Archives also houses “special collections” of documents and memorabilia. The William Lindsey McDonald Collection is an invaluable tool for researchers interested in local history. McDonald was the official Florence historian for many years, and wrote several books, newspaper articles, and journal articles during his lifetime. His collection features books, research materials, pictures, and copies of newspaper articles and documents on Muscle Shoals history. The Sallie Independence Foster Collection features photographs of the Foster family as well as letters and two Civil War era diaries. The George Lindsey Collection includes movie scripts, pictures, and memorabilia associated with the UNA alumni’s acting career. Other collections housed by the archives include the T.S. Stribling Collection, W.C. Handy Collection, and TVA Collection.
http://libguides.una.edu/unaarchives http://libguides.una.edu/unaarchives/archivescollections Images courtesy of Kayla Scott
The Florence-Lauderdale County Veterans Memorial was dedicated during a Veterans Day ceremony on May 30, 1977. The memorial serves to honor all Lauderdale County veterans of all wars. The memorial’s location was originally named Point Park, but the name was changed to Veterans Memorial Park in 1983. The Veterans Memorial Fund Raising Campaign began in May of 1971. Anson Cooper, a disabled veteran of World War II was the driving force behind the establishment of the memorial. His idea was taken by Reverend Rowe Wren, a World War II veteran who came up with architectural drawings for the memorial. Wren’s drawings were used by Ebbe Kindahl to design construction layouts that were used by the building contractor. The memorial features a Cobra helicopter and a plane. War-era guns, ammunition, and memorabilia are displayed inside the memorial, which is open to the public from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. on weekends.
Sources: Robert S. Steen. Florence State Teachers College: Heroes of World War II (1941-1945). University of North Alabama, no date. Destination Shoals Magazine, 2011 Images courtesy of UNA Collier Library Archives
Collier Library was built by the Works Project Administration and opened to students in 1930. It was built in the Gothic Revival architectural style, like many of the WPA buildings on the University of North Alabama campus. In 1963, an expansion doubled the size of the original library and in 1982, another expansion again doubled the square footage of the library.
Ashley Pentecost, University of North Alabama
"Collier Memorial Library." Department of History & Political Science. Accessed April 15, 2015.
Forks of Cypress Plantation Site; James Jackson; Greek Revival Style; Tourism; Alabama Historical Commission
Originally owned by James Jackson, one of Florence’s founding fathers, the Forks of Cypress was one of the earliest Greek Revival homes built in Alabama. The home featured a temple-type veranda supported by massive columns that surrounded the exterior of the house. The Forks of Cypress plantation house burned on June 6, 1966. A severe thunderstorm produced cloud-to-ground lightening that struck the mansion, setting it on fire. The fire destroyed everything except the twenty-four Ionic columns that had surrounded the foundation. Forks of Cypress had been a part of Florence and Lauderdale County for 145 years. The Forks of Cypress was owned by Mr. Rufus B. Dowdy at the time of the fire in 1966. The Forks served as a museum that housed around a million dollars worth of antiques. Imported china, silver and glassware, pioneer artifacts, and other museum pieces were lost in the fire. The Forks of Cypress had been the number one tourist attraction in Florence. While the historic ruins are owned by the state and presided over by the Alabama Historical Commission, the access road is privately owned. The ruins are viewable from a distance via a public road.
Bob Martin, “Mid-Morning Today: Historic Forks Burns.” Tri Cities Daily, June 6, 1966. Florence Herald “Historic Forks of Cypress Burns to Ground Monday.” June 9, 1966, p. 2. Personal Interview with Lee Freeman, November 24, 2014. Images courtesy of UNA Collier Library Archives
The Children’s Museum of the Shoals is located on Darby Drive in Florence and is part of Deibert Park. The museum offers hands-on exhibits, which allow children of different ages to explore the arts, science, and the history and culture of the Tennessee Valley. The purpose of the Children’s Museum of the Shoals is to promote education and learning. School and group tours are offered by the museum.
http://shoalschildrensmuseum.org Destination Shoals Magazine, 2011. Images courtesy of Kayla Scott
The Florence-Lauderdale Public Library is located across from Wilson Park, one block north of its old location. The library features many educational programs and classes including genealogy classes and computer technology classes. The library has a local history room and a digital archive, making it a center for local history work in the county. The library also has a café and a book store sponsored by the Friends of the Library.
The Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area (MSNHA) encompasses the six counties of North Alabama’s Tennessee River water basin, which includes Lauderdale County. An act of Congress established the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area in 2009. Since that time, MSNHA has worked hard to help preserve and promote the history of the Muscle Shoals Region. It is the only Heritage Area in the state of Alabama. MSNHA is sponsored by the University of North Alabama and operates under the National Park Service. MSNHA partnered with UNA to sponsor a successful Civil War conference in 2014. Other partnerships include living history events that were co-sponsored by the Florence-Lauderdale County Public Library. University of North Alabama graduate students help to create educational resource packets, driving tours, walking tours, brochures, and other educational materials for the Heritage Area. MSNHA and UNA Public History Center share offices near UNA’s campus in Florence, Alabama.
The Tennessee Valley Historical Society (TVHS) was established in 1923. Since that time, TVHS has served to educate the public and promote the region’s local history. The Journal of Muscle Shoals History is published by TVHS, and includes articles about historic places, people, and events that are important to the Muscle Shoals Area. TVHS participates in various forms of community outreach, including the Helen Keller Festival and the North Alabama State Fair. Quarterly meetings are held each year. TVHS and the University of North Alabama’s Public History Center recently began work on an oral history interview project. The UNA Public History Center is also assisting with the digitization of out-of-print volumes of the Journal of Muscle Shoals History. TVHS sponsors yearly scholarship competitions in conjunction with UNA’s history department.
The Killen Public Library is located off Highway 72 on JC Maudlin Highway. The library has a genealogy room, DVD rentals, as well as a summer reading program. The library is open Monday-Friday.
"Killen Public Library." Killen Public Library. Accessed April 25, 2015.
The Rogersville Public Library is located just off Highway 72. It offers genealogy services, test proctoring, and Wi-Fi access. The library is open 9am-7pm Tuesday-Thursday, 9-5 on Fridays, and 9-3 on Saturdays.
"Rogersville, AL Public Library." Rogersville, AL Public Library. Accessed April 25, 2015.
Music; Festival; Culture; African American History; Lauderdale County, AL; Handy, W.C.
William Christopher Handy, born in Florence, Alabama, on November 16, 1873 and is considered to be the “Father of the Blues.” His musical legacy is a prime part of the music culture in the Shoals region, especially in his home town of Florence. To celebrate Handy’s role in America’s blues music, the W. C. Handy Music Festival was organized by the non-profit organization called Music Preservation Society, Inc. The Music Preservation Society, Inc. established in 1982 in order to “preserve, present, and promote the musical heritage of Northwest Alabama.” While the organization puts on numerous events throughout the year, the W. C. Handy Music Festival each July is the most prominent. The music festival has been recognized as a top twenty summer event by the Southeast Tourism Society. The first Handy Music festival, organized in 1982 by the Music Preservation Society, lasted for a summer weekend and musician Dizzy Gillespie headlined. Over the past decades, the annual festival has evolved into a ten day event that consists of over two hundred musical shows and concerts. The music showcases music in Florence and the surrounding cities in various parks, restaurants, libraries, museums, sidewalks, and lawns. Some of the musicians and bands that have headlined the festival throughout the years are The Blind Boys of Alabama, The Drive By Truckers, Clarence Carter, Percy Sledge, Donnie Fritts, Bonnie Bramlett, and Roy Ayers. The funding for the festival comes from grants, sponsorships, donations, and sales from festival memorabilia. Numerous corporations and businesses that team up with the Music Preservation Society and help sponsor the annual music festival are: Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa, Florence/Lauderdale Tourism, Lauderdale County Commission, University of North Alabama, Alabama Bureau of Tourism & Travel, and the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Text: Music Preservation Society, Inc., “About US,” http://www.wchandymusicfestival.org/about.htm (accessed May 1, 2015). Music Preservation Society, Inc., “History of the Festival,” http://www.wchandymusicfestival.org/history.htm (accessed May 1, 2015). Music Preservation Society, Inc., “Our 2014 Sponsors,” http://www.wchandymusicfestival.org/sponsors.htm (accessed May 1, 2015).
WC Handy was born in Florence in 1873. Handy became internationally known as the "Father of the Blues" and his songs include "Memphis Blues", "Beale Street Blues", and "St. Louis Blues". The log cabin in which Handy was born has been moved to 620 West College St., restored, and turned into a museum.
McDonald, Elizabeth. "History of Florence City Schools." Florence, AL: self-published.
Oak Grove African Methodist Episcopal church
Oak Grove African Methodist Episcopal Church was founded in 1870 by Charles Weems, Joe Person, and Jim Simpson. At the time of its founding, the church only had 12 members. The church was originally built in Oakland, a community just west of Florence. It then moved to Jones Place, and its last move was to its current location. The church has had a total of 45 pastors and has a current body of 110 members.
"Oak Grove AME Church." Oak Grove AME Church. Accessed April 25, 2015.
African-American History; Education; Lauderdale County, AL
When founded, Burrell Normal School was a high school for African-American students and included a year of teacher training for those who wanted to become teachers. In 1937, the school moved into the building that housed Slater Elementary School, and the school was renamed Burrell-Slater School. In 1960, this building was destroyed by fire and a 1962 a new building was built on W. College St. and cost $515,000 to construct.
McDonald, Elizabeth. "History of Florence City Schools." Florence, AL: Self-published.
Wendell Wilkie Gunn was the first African-American student to enroll at the University of North Alabama. He was also the first African-American student to earn a degree from UNA. Gunn went on to work in banking and became the vice president for Chase Manhattan Bank in New York City. Gunn completed an oral history interview with UNA Public History students in the fall of 2013. The interview transcript can be viewed here.
"First Black Graduate of Florence State Is Now Vice-President of New York Bank." The Flor-Ala. University of North Alabama Archives.
African-American History; Lauderdale County, AL; Cemeteries; Florence, AL
John Coffee was born in 1772 and served under Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812. John Coffee was one of the founding fathers of Florence and had a plantation northeast of Florence. Two acres were deeded separately to contain the family cemetery, as well as the slave cemetery. The slave cemetery has no original markers, but it has been determined that over 100 graves are present. The Florence Historical Board has marked the graves that could be located with stone markers.
African-American History; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County; AL; Historic Houses
Sweetwater plantation was built between 1828 and 1835 and it was inherited by Patton family. As working plantation, Sweetwater had many slaves; however, Sweetwater hold a place in African-American history, not just for its leave history, but also for the endearment many former slaves held for the patent family. There are numerous legends surrounding slaves of Sweetwater plantation.
The site of St. Mark's missionary Baptist Church has been in continuous use by the African-American community of Florence since 1859. Originally, the church body met under a brush arbor. The current church building was built in 1901.
University of North Alabama archives; Dr. Carolyn Barske, Images of America: Florence.
Percy Casey was born in Florence in 1872 to Willis and Mary Casey. Percy worked two jobs--one as a boss repairman for the Florence Cycle Company and second as a pressman for the Florence Herald until his death in 1902. Percy was also a member of the Colored Knights of Pythias.
University of North Alabama archives; Florence Herald obituary
Theatre; Arts; Culture; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
The Shoals Theatre, located in historic downtown Florence, Alabama at 123 North Seminary Street, first opened in 1948. At the time of its grand opening, the art deco style theatre was one of the finest in the Southeast. It originally sat 1,350 people and was one of four theatres in the world to have slide back chairs. On October 21, 1948, the first movie shown in the Shoals Theatre was That Lady in Ermine. Tickets for children cost ten cents and an adult ticket was forty-five cents. However, due to economic hardships the theatre closed on March 13, 1980. The last Hollywood film shown in the theatre was American Gigolo. Twelve years later in 1992 a California man by the name of Jackson Canup purchased the Alabama theatre. He spent nearly $200,000 on renovations, but was forced to sell the theatre after financial difficulties two years later. In 1996 the Shoals Association of Ministers took over the operations and was awarded two grants from the Alabama Historical Commission for restoration projects. In the 2000s, the Shoals Community Theatre Association purchased the theatre and currently puts on plays, movies, operas, comedies, ballets, and symphonies in the historic venue.
Text: Charles Van Bibber, “Shoals Theatre,” Cinema Treasure, in folder “Buildings—Shoals Theater,” Florence Collection, Archives/Special Collections, Collier Library, University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama. Bernie Delinski, “Historic Shoals Theatre under New Ownership,” in folder “Buildings—Shoals Theater,” Florence Collection, Archives/Special Collections, Collier Library, University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama.
Dred Scott was born as a slave in Virginia. In 1820, he came to Florence with the Peter Blow family. Seven years later, the Blow's Inn was established and Scott served as a stable hand. In 1830, the Blow family relocated to St. Louis, Missouri and Dred was sold to Dr. John Emerson. After Emerson's death, Dred Scott sued for his freedom. The case made it all the way to the Supreme Court, where it was heard in 1857. Supreme Justice Roger Taney and the majority of the Supreme Court decided that persons of African descent had no legal standing and thus, were not citizens of the United States. The decision was a major catalyst for the abolition movement.
University of North Alabama archives; florenceal.gov
A former slave, Ruben Patterson was taken to war by Colonel Josiah Patterson as part of the fifth Alabama Calvary. After the war Ruben owned a shoe shine stand and was known to the community as "Uncle" Reuben. He and his wife are buried In the Florence Cemetery and his tombstone has Confederate regalia.
Hopewell African Methodist Episcopal Church
African American History; St. Florian, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
The Hopewell Church near St. Florian was the site of tragedy when, in 1865, the grandfather of WC Handy, Christopher Brewer, was shot and left for dead by Elias Thrasher, "Mountain" Tom Clark, and their gang. They also tortured and killed Brewer's former master John Wilson when he refused to reveal the location of his hidden money.
Lee Freeman, "African-American Heritage of Lauderdale County. University of North Alabama archives.
African American History; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
Locust Dell Academy was established by Nicholas Hentz and his wife Caroline in the 1840s. The school for girls was built by two slaves, Charles Gray and Washington Farris, who had been "rented out" by their masters. The school was absorbed by Florence Female College in 1855. Willingham Hall now sits on its site.
Elizabeth McDonald, "History of Florence City Schools." University of North Alabama archives
African American History; Rogersville, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
Harrison Ingram was well known in the Rogersville community. He was a stonemason and a carpenter and according to his family he was one of the first in his community to have electricity. Ingram and his father established an African American cemetery named Ingram-Thornton Cemetery in 1881. It has since been renamed Thorntontown Cemetery. Physical evidence suggests the orientation of the cemetery has changed. In the older portion of the cemetery, the tombstones face opposite from the entrance.
African American History; Desegregation; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL; University of North Alabama
University of North Alabama was established in 1830 and for much of its history was an all-white institution. However, the University, then Florence State College, officially desegregated when Wendell Wilkie Gunn attended classes in 1963. The transition to an integrated system at the University of North Alabama was quiet and nonviolent. Some sources attribute this to the cosmopolitan population of Florence, Alabama due to the presence of the Tennessee Valley Authority and other international corporations.
University of North Alabama Archives; Times Daily
The Dred Scott Historic District was proposed as a national historic district. The historic district consisted of one square block between Court St., Tennessee Street, Seminary Street, and College Street. It was nominated on the basis of historical, commercial, and architectural significance. The nomination, however, was not approved and the proposed district is now contained within the Downtown Historic District.
In 1951, Florence city schools named an elementary school after its native son WC Handy. The school was considered very modern, was built during the administration of JW Powell, and had a faculty of twenty-six.
The congregation of Eastside Church of Christ was formed in Florence Alabama in the 1920's and was the first African-American Church of Christ congregation in the area. The church purchased its current building in 2004.
Dr. Carolyn Barske, Images of America: Florence
Richard Alphine was born a slave on the Alphine plantation in Mississippi in 1853. Richard was 12 years old at the end of the Civil War and often told stories about his memories of the war. In 1918, Richard moved to Florence for work and lived with the Web Staggs family on Sweetwater Avenue. Richard dug wells in East Florence for the rest of his life and was known in the community as "Uncle Mainline."
Born in 1837, Sam grew up with William "Billy" Patton, his young master. Because Sam's mother was the cook for the Patton family, he lived in the kitchen behind the big house. When Alabama seceded from the Union, Billy took Sam with him to war. In 1862, Billy and Sam fought with Company C of the 16th Alabama Infantry at Shiloh. On April 6, Billy fell, mortally wounded in a charge south of Shiloh Church. As the Confederates retreated, Sam refused to leave Billy's body on the battlefield. When darkness fell, Sam recovered Billy's body and returned him to his family at Sweetwater.
William McDonald, Civil War Tales of the Tennessee Valley. University of North Alabama archives
During the Civil War, Sherman's men raided the Sweetwater Plantation. One slave, named Edmund managed to warn the family of the raid. When the soldiers attempted to make their way upstairs to the rooms of the Patton's daughters, Edmund blocked their path. After the Civil War, the Patton's gave Edmund--nicknamed "Uncle Champ"--acreage and a farm house. He was also buried in the family cemetery.
William McDonald, Civil War Tales from the Tennessee Valley. University of North Alabama archives.
Chief George Colbert owned a ferry across the Tennessee River, connecting Colbert and Lauderdale Counties. Colbert owned many African-American slaves. One such slave was named Lem Colbert, who operated Colbert's ferry at Waterloo, Alabama.
William McDonald, A Walk Through the Past. University of North Alabama archives.
Late eighteenth-early nineteenth century
John H. Rapier was a freed African-American in Florence, Alabama. Born as a slave in 1808, Rapier was emancipated in 1829 by the last will and testament of Richard Rapier. Upon receiving his freedom, John became a barber and earned an income of about $1000 per year. Rapier became influential in the community and upon his death in 1869, was considered a wealthy man. Rapier's son, John Thomas Rapier, became a US senator from the state of Alabama during the Reconstruction.
The first African-Americans who lived in the Shoals were slaves of the Chickasaw tribe. When the Chickasaws from Alabama and Mississippi were removed from their homes in the 1830s, the census included 1156 slaves. Tom Melton, an Irishman who lived among the Chickasaws, most definitely had African-American slaves at his home site near present-day Rogersville.
William McDonald, A Walk Through the Past. University of North Alabama archives