Browse Items (963 total)

  • Collection: Alabama Places and Spaces

The main goal of the TVA was to produce fertilizer to help the Tennessee Valley residents improve their soil. The fertilizer was made in Nitrate Plant No. 2 in Colbert County. By having a steady source of fertilizer the TVA was able to start…

The Negro Community Recreation Center was built in the 1950s strictly for African American use in Sheffield, Alabama. The cost of the Negro Recreation Center was reported to be S80,000. Alongside the new community center a pool was built. The…

Metal’s Terrace was a project initiated to provide housing for African American workers in the Shoals. This was also known as the War Housing Project Ala 1213. This housing was to be used strictly for African Americans. It became ready to house…

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The Bettie Ann Highway was once the home to a thriving farming community that included Toonersville and Whitehead.

The text from the historical marker offers description of how the road came to be named:

The home-place of Bettie Anne…

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The building that currently houses the North Alabama Abstract is known as the Clark Building. It is a part of the Colbert County Courthouse Square Historic District. The district is part of the National Register of Historic Places. This brick…

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Southland, located at 1309 S. Jackson Highway in Sheffield was founded in 1950 primarily as a BBQ place and evolved over the years to offer a more diversified menu. In 2012, the building that housed Southland was bought by Steve Gaskins who now owns…

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The building that now houses Audie Mescal Womens Clothing is one of the oldest commercial buildings in Colbert County, belonging to the original seven buildings that made Commercial Row in the 1830s. It was in this building that Helen Keller's…

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Sheffield Hardware is located directly across from the Sheffield Library at 309 North Montgomery Avenue. The building was built in 1896 and became the original Sheffield Hardware in 1898. In the 1930's, the building became McClellan's Five and Dime…

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According to the current owner of Coldwater Seed and Supply, it is one of the oldest, continually-operating seed stores in Alabama. It was founded in 1930.

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The Bijou Theater was the first silent theater in Colbert County. It was a short-lived Mexican restaurant named Loco Lupe's in the early 2000's. The building is currently vacant.

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Wilson Park was designated as a public walk by Ferdinand Sannoner in his original plan for Florence in 1818. It is a one square block with an area of 2.5 acres. On February 20, 1924, the Board of City Commissioners officially changed its name from…

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O’Neal Hall was the “The Dormitory for Women” at the Florence State College, known now as the University of North Alabama. Completed and occupied by September 1st, 1913, the total cost of the building was $91,000. At its time, it was one of the…

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The President’s Home is located on the University of North Alabama campus. Ground was broken for this building in August 1939 when the university was under the name Florence State Teachers College. The Works Progress Administration completed the…

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Flowers Hall first opened in 1972 and still continues to be used today. It is the home court for the volleyball team and the men’s and women’s basketball teams. It was named after Hubert A. “Eddie” Flowers, who was a long time head of the…

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In 1815, Michael Dickson and a group of white settlers sailed in a keel-boat down the Tennessee River and up Spring creek, settling where Spring Park is now. Dickson purchased this land from the Indian chief Tashka-Ambi for two pole axes and five…

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The Standard & Times was founded in 1829. The building still stands at 106 W 5th Street as part of the original seven buildings that comprised the historic Commercial Row where it continues to serve as a newspaper office for the Colbert County…

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Cypress Moon Studio is located at 1000 Alabama Avenue in Sheffield. The studio overlooks the Tennessee River. There is parking with picnic tables right across from the studio by the river. The Muscle Shoals Sound Studio moved from its original…

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Once the TVA was formed during the New Deal, men were needed to work on building Wilson Dam and to work in the Nitrate Factory No. 2. Many of these men were a part of the Civilian Conservation Corps, or CCC. Many of the original workers were being…

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Big Spring was once a popular baptizing place for people in the area. It often flooded and was home to many grazing animals. Many pictures exist of the spring before it was controlled. The site is now used for hosting festivals for the city of…

The Robert Trent Golf trail is a collection of golf courses across Northern Alabama.The head of the Retirement Systems of Alabama, Dr. David Bronner wanted to help the state of Alabama develop resources to support retired state workers. He decided to…

Rose Trail is a RV and campground located on Pickwick lake and reservoir. Pickwick Reservoir is a lake created by the Pickwick Dam in Tennessee. Construction began in 1934. The lake is under the jurisdiction of the TVA. It extends for 53 miles from…

Rock Spring Nature Trail goes from Colbert Creek to Rock Springs. It is about a 20 minute walk. The trail is off of the Natchez Trace Parkway. The trail is a popular birding destination in the area. Birders mainly look for hummingbirds who are…

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Dub's Burgers was opened in 1961 by Dub Greenhaw and has been in the family for three generations. The current owner, Lanier Greenhaw, is the great-nephew of the founder.

Located at 204 South Jefferson Street, the restaurant is low-keyed and…

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(Michael) Jason Isbell, who was born on February 1st, 1979, in Greenhill, Alabama (two miles from the Alabama-Tennessee state line) is an Alabama musician and songwriter whose work very much embodies a distinctive sense of place.

He grew up in…

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The Rural Arts Studio, based in Newbern, Alabama, is a design-build architecture studio run by Auburn University. The studio was founded in 1993 by architects Samuel Mockbee and D. K. Ruth, and Andrew Freear is the current director.

The Rural…

This campground and park is located on the site of where George Colbert once operated a ferry for crossing the Tennessee River. He also operated a small inn for the travelers on the Natchez Trace. George Colbert supposedly took Andrew Jackson's…

Pickwick Reservoir is a lake created by the Pickwick Dam in Tennessee. Construction of the dam began in 1934. The dam, and resulting lake, were completed in 1938. The reservoir falls under the jurisdiction of the TVA. It extends for 53 miles from…

Horseback trail riding, auction and headliner concerts mark this two-day event. Event is held annually on the 3rd Friday and Saturday in July. This event is a fundraiser for St. Jude. Donations are welcome. $35 donation to ride. $15 donation, if you…

One of Alabama’s most distinguished mansions is opulently decorated for Christmas when “the Old South” is recreated with period music, dancing and refreshments. This is an opportunity to see festivities and decorations of the historical past.…

The Coon Dog Labor Day Celebration is held at the world’s only Coon Dog Cemetery.  Enjoy “old time” bluegrass music, buck dancing, barbecue, and a liar’s contest. Held annually on Labor Day. Admission is free. The Coon Dog Cemetery is on…

The town of Cherokee celebrates with an Independence Day Festival that includes children’s games, bingo, food, street dance, music and fireworks. This festival is held annually on the 4th of July.

The Big Muscle Shoals is a section of the Tennessee River in North Alabama. This is the main shoals that gives the surrounding area its name, there is also the Little Muscle Shoals. The section on the river totals 37 miles in length. This was once an…

Gattman Park is maintained by the Muscle Shoals Parks and Recreation Department. The park has access to both indoor and outdoor activities. There are two gym facilities, one with a rubber floor walking track. The other gym also has meeting rooms…

Freedom Hills is a 34,500 acre wildlife area. It borders the Natchez Trace and Cherokee, Alabama. The main attraction to the area is the abundant hunting available in the area and the outside shooting range. The shooting range is open to the public…

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P.B. Swoopes Dry Cleaners was a business run by P.B. Swoopes in Sheffield Alabama. Swoopes was a graduate of Sheffield school. He would go on to open his dry cleaning business in downtown Sheffield. Swoopes started his dry cleaning business in 1927.…

As far back as 1912 there is a record of a fair for African Americans taking place in Colbert County. The fair took place at a location called the Fair Grounds. The fair was popular, with a large turnout for the event. The event officially began on a…

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The Tennessee Valley is filled with minerals, including the materials needed to produce nitrates. Nitrates can be used for many things, most importantly for TVA to help add nutrients to fertilizer. This helped  to increase crop production. Another…

George Colbert’s House was built on the Natchez Trace along the Tennessee River near the ferry he owned and operated. This house was one of the first buildings in the area to have a clear record of its completion. Historians have placed the…

Colbert’s Ferry was a ferry service and an inn run by George Colbert. In 1801, the United States government managed to secure the right to build roads on the Natchez Trace. However, Colbert managed to secure all ferry routes over the rivers for the…

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The Nathchez Trace was once a path used by Native Americans in the region, including the Choctaw and Chickasaw Indians. It was a popular path for pioneers and settlers to take as well. Once there was better navigation on the river, with the invention…

First Baptist Missionary Church was originally founded in 1886. The first church consisted of two wooden buildings. These buildings would later be destroyed in a fire. The congregation was then forced to use the Masonic Hall as their new meeting…

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The Railroad Bridge is a part of the TVA Nature Loop. The TVA Nature Loop is a 2.5 mile loop trail on TVA protected land. Overall, there are roughly 11 miles of footpaths in the area. The loop is around a section of the TVA reservation. The path is…

Spring Park is in downtown Tuscumbia. The main feature of the park is the spring and waterfall. The waterfall is made of natural limestone rocks. An fountain show is put on during certain times of the year. The area is often used for festivals and…

The First Baptist Church of Tuscumbia was originally formed by a small group of African American worshipers. The church was established in 1866 shortly after the Civil War under the guidance of Elder W.E. Northcross. The church members did not have…

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During Indian Removal, Tuscumbia’s Landing served as the point of disembarkation for the water route used to move Native Americans west of the Mississippi. The train to Tuscumbia brought the Cherokee Nation to Spring Park, where they were held…

The Tuscumbia-Courtland & Decatur railroad was established by a group of investors led by Benjamin Sherrod in 1841. Originally a two-train car, the railroad was established to allow ships to bypass the shoals of the Tennessee River. In 1843, the…

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The Muscle Shoals is a section of the Tennessee River in North Alabama. This is the shoals that gives the surrounding area its name. The section on the river totals 37 miles in length. This was once an impassable barrier along the river. It made…

The LaGrange Rock shelter is considered to be where the first natives lived in the southeastern United States. Archaeologists have put the earliest human activity in this area between 11,000 and 9,000 years ago. Researchers have found evidence of…

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The Ricks family cemetery is an African American cemetery located near the Church of Christ established by George Parson Ricks and the Oaks Plantation. The grave of George Parson Ricks, a former slave on the Oaks, can be found in this cemetery along…

The North Alabama Birding Trail consists of fifty birding sites across the northern part of the state. There are currently 397 species known to have been seen along the trail. The fifty sites were carefully selected by a group of biologists, bird…
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