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William Lowndes Yancey
Before the outbreak of the Civil War, Yancey was a fiery orator and politician who ardently defended slavery and secession. Representing Chambers County during the Alabama secession convention, he voted for the state to leave the Union and during the…
Rousseau and Wilson's Raids
On July 10, 1864, Major General William T. Sherman ordered Major General Lovell Harrison Rousseau to depart from Decatur, Alabama with approximately 2,500 men. Their goal was to sever the Montgomery and West Point railroads - a vital link for…
Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church
After the end of the Civil War, newly freed African-American men and women constructed Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church on what is today known as Baptist Hill, skirting East Thach Avenue. Lonnie Payne, a white land owner, deeded the property to a…
Sunny Slope
This historic home that sits on what is now South College Street was the site where the 14th and 18th Alabama regiments were mustered in 1861. William F. Samford, known as the “Penman for Secession” for his nationally published diatribes on…
Auburn Train Station
In February 1861, president-elect Jefferson Davis rode a train from his plantation in Mississippi to Atlanta and then to Montgomery, Alabama for his inauguration as president of the Confederacy. On February 16, at the Auburn train depot,…
Pebble Hill
Pebble Hill was the home of Nathaniel J. Scott and his family from 1847 to 1871. When Rousseau’s men swept through Auburn in July 1864, William Lowndes Yancey’s widow resided at Pebble Hill and Union soldiers looted the building because of her…
The Chapel
Founded as the Auburn Presbyterian Church in 1851, “the Chapel” was built by local slaves belonging to one of Auburn’s first residents, Edwin Reese. Like Langdon Hall and Old Main Hall, it served as a makeshift hospital from July 1864 through…
The Lathe
In the early years of the Civil War, the Lathe was constructed in Selma, Alabama to bore out 7-inch Brooke rifles that were the mainstay of Confederate ironclads and coastal fortifications stretched across the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. As Major…
Langdon Hall
Originally built as the Auburn Masonic Female College chapel in 1846, the building that became known as Langdon Hall stood on the corner of Gay and Magnolia Street near the current site of Auburn Bank. As the oldest building in Auburn, it served as…
2005.36.165: Josephine Young to Caroline Young, 1857 March 10
Apologies made for delay in responding due to child's illness. Description of how much grandchildren miss grandparents and Aunt Lou and Uncle Pierce. Mention of wealthy, elegant Savannah city folk. Promise made to visit during the summer. …
2005.36.304: Josephine to Mrs. P.M. Young, 1865 April 18
In this seven-page handwritten letter, in addition to an envelope, to P.M. Young, Josephine describes the Texas landscape in great detail, even explaining how much corn and flour cost. She is grateful for the equitable society available to her in…
Seung Chang Airtek
This Korean-owned company that produces injection molded parts for automotive heaters and blowers and employs around 400 people. The business opened in 2004, and still operates today. It is located at 764 W Veterans Blvd., Auburn, AL.
Arkal Automotive USA
This manufacturing company produces automotive components. It is the first US based manufacturing operation for the Israeli owned Arkal company. This business opened in 2012 and still operates today. The Auburn branch of Akral is located at 2490…
CV Holdings
CV Holdings owns a manufacturing facility operating under the name Capitol Cups. Capital Cups produces high-qulaity plastic cups commonly found at reatil stores or sporting events. CV Holdings was recently linked to the misappropriations scandal…
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher produces high-quality plastic vials used primarily by reference laboratories for drug and diagnostic and industrial testing. Originally Capitol Vial, the plant was purchased by Thermo Fisher Scientific in 2006. The business opened in…
Donaldson Company
Donaldson Company produces air filtration systems (mufflers) for truck manufacturers and is located at 2268 Pumphrey Ave, Auburn, AL, 36832. The business opened in 1999 and still operates today.
Pyongsan America
This Korean-owned company that produces air-conditioning and heater pipe assemblies for automobiles and employs around 100 people. The business opened in 2004, and still operates today. Pyongsan America is located at 760 W Veterans Blvd., Auburn, AL.
Gambro Renal
Sweden-based Gambro Renal owns this plant, which produces dialyzers for patients with kidney failure. A large expansion has been planned for 2016. The business opened in 2008, and still operates today. The factory currently employs around 150 people…
Seohan Auto USA
This Korean-owned company that manufactures front axles and rear carrier assemblies for automobiles and currently employs around 300 people. The business opened in 2007, and still operates today. It is located at 246 Teague Ct., Auburn, AL.
Masterbrand Cabinets
This business produces cabinets and employs roughly 600 people, making it one of the largest employers in Lee County. The business opened in 1999, and still operates today. Masterbrand Cabinets is located at 300 Webster Rd., Auburn, AL.
Rexnord Industries
Rexnord Industries ,anufactures lubricated and non-lubricated flexible steel couplings and Thomas Brand Couplings for automotive transmissions. This plant was formerly known as Falk and employs around 175 people. The business opened in 1995, and…
Borbet
This plant produces light metal alloy wheels for the automotive industry. Formerly ATS Light Alloy Wheels Alabama, it was acquired by the German firm Borbet in 2008 and employs around 150. The business opened in 2001, and still operates today. Borbet…
Briggs & Stratton
Briggs and Stratton produces V-twin engines for riding mowers sold under Ariens, Craftsman, Cub Cadet, Husqvarna, John Deere, Simplicity, and Snapper brands. The business opened in 1995, and still operates today. The plant is located at 150…
Daewon America
South-Korean-based Daewon America produces suspension bars and coils to supply the automotive industry including Hyundai, Kia, GM and Chrysler. The business opened in 2007, and still operates today. Daewon America's Alabama branch is located at 4600…
Mando
South-Korean-based Mando produces brake corner modules, brake calipers, suspension modules and steering systems. The business opened in 1996, and still operates today. The facility employs around 700 people, and is located at 4201 Northpark Dr.,…
Pharmavite
Pharmavite manufactures soft-gel vitamin tablets under the Nature Made name. The business opened in 2013 and still operates today. The plant employs around 250 people, and is located at 4701 Northpark Dr., Opelika, AL.
General Electric Aviation
General Electric Aviation produces machined parts for jet engines. The business opened in 2013, and is still operating today. In 2014, a $50 million expansion was announced that will allow the factory to mass produce, via 3D printing, fuel nozzles…
Flowers Bakery
First opened by W.H. "Bud" Ingram in the Clement Hotel in Opelika in 1910, it moved to the Montgomery Brothers' Building in 1911 and to its own building on S 8th St. in 1914. Ingram sold the business to Jim Tom Hamilton in 1923 who moved the…
Meadows' Mill on Little Uchee Creek
Built by Rev. Michael Thomas sometime between 1830 and 1835, it was the first mill erected on Little Uchee Creek. Ownership of the mill is unknown until 1909 when G.W. McKinnon deeded the propert known as McKinnon Mill to his wife and children. The…
Bean's Mill
This grist mill was originally built in 1834 by Sam Carter and Henry Byrd as a sawmill. In 1848 John "Jack" Floyd purchased the property and in 1852 Floyd's Mill Rd (now US 29) was established. During the Civil War, the mill provided supplies to the…
Orradio
Orradio produced magnetic tape. Major John Herbert Orr founded Orradio in 1949 using information given to him by German scientists during World War II. This business became the first producer of commercially available audio, video, and computer tape.…
Diversified Products
Diversified Products opened in 1963. The company specialized in fitness equipment and is credited with revolutionizing the fitness industry. This business was an important component of America's emerging fitness movement for four decades. Corporate…
Uniroyal
After opening in 1963, this plant produced automobile tires for the BF Goodrich company. The business was forced to close in 2009 after shifting workforce to non-unionized labor. It was located at 1800 Crawford Rd., Opelika, AL.
Pepperell Manufacturing Company
Constructed in 1925, allegedly after Opelika city officials paid the company a significant sum in bribes, the Pepperell Mill would become one of Opelika's most iconic industrial sites. The mill produced cotton textiles under a number of names until…
Opelika Cotton Mill
The first major industry in Lee County and the first textile mill in Opelika. It opened in 1900. Today, it is most well known as the backdrop for the 1979 film "Norma Rae" about a woman who become involved in the Labor Union Activities at the North…
2005.36.316: John M. Jones to Thomas F. Jones Jr., 1860
John M. Jones wrote to his cousin to Thomas to express his regret for having to decline an invitation to Thomas and Louisa's wedding, as well as an invitation to be a groomsman. 3 handwritten pages.
1902: Two men riding a three-wheeled hand-operated velocipede (also called a Handcar or draisine) on a railroad track.
Two men riding a three-wheeled hand-operated velocipede (also called a Handcar or draisine) on a railroad track. They are conducting a level survey in Oklahoma's Indian Territory. Early mechanized level party with hand-velocipede. Observer riding…
Colbert County Courthouse
Colbert County was established in 1867, fourteen years before the courthouse was built. Commissioners met at a local hotel called The Horn House while the probate judge’s office was located on the second floor of a brick building on Main Street in…
Fess Whatley
J.T. "Fess" Whatley (c. 1895 - January 12, 1972)
If Alabama's musical heritage were to have a conductor, a teacher, that person would have to be J.T. “Fess” Whatley. In his tutelage of musicians, first at The Tuggle Institute in Birmingham, of…
If Alabama's musical heritage were to have a conductor, a teacher, that person would have to be J.T. “Fess” Whatley. In his tutelage of musicians, first at The Tuggle Institute in Birmingham, of…
Candi Staton
Candi Staton (March 13, 1940 - )
For many within the African-American community, the line between gospel and soul music is a thin one. A rhythm that pushes the music along, soaring vocals that inspire and lift the crowds out of their seats,…
For many within the African-American community, the line between gospel and soul music is a thin one. A rhythm that pushes the music along, soaring vocals that inspire and lift the crowds out of their seats,…