First United Methodist Church
subject: Church; Religion
description: First United Methodist Church is one of Florence’s oldest congregations. The congregation’s first meeting took place in a log home on September 8, 1822, and consisted of eight people. The log home was the property of the congregation’s first minister, Reverend John Cox, and was located on West Tuscaloosa Street. Also, worship services were conducted in Florence resident Thomas Farmer’s home. Some of the early charter members of the church were Reverend Cox, his wife Frances, their three children (Thomas, James, and Mary), John Kerr, newspaper editor Dr. Shadrack Nye, and Joseph Paddleford. In 1823 a Methodist circuit rider named Nathaniel R. Jarret was appointed the minister of the congregation. However, it was not until 1826 when the congregation had the funds to build a church building. The first church building, a 24 x 30 foot structure, was built on the intersecting corner of West Tombigbee and Locust Streets. After the congregation required land located on the corner of East Tuscaloosa and North Seminary Streets from the Cypress Land Company in 1827, the congregation placed the church building on logs and rolled it to the new site, where the current church stands today. The first addition to the building came in 1834, when a sanctuary that could hold five hundred people was added. This made the church the largest meeting place in Florence. According to records, there were forty-six total congregation members in 1834. Out of those forty-six, three were colored. The next major renovation to the church took place in the early 1900s. Around 1905, a new brick structure was built on the site, however this burned in a fire in 1920. Two years later the members of the church had erected a new building on top of the ashes. The sanctuary was not completed until 1924, and during those four years the congregation conducted worship services at the old Coffee High School. During the Great Depression the church experienced hardships due to its mortgage. The congregation could …
creator: Jesse Brock, University of North Alabama
source: Text: “The First United Methodist Church, Florence, Alabama-A Brief History,” in Bill McDonald Collection, Box 36, Archives/Special Collections, Collier Library, University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama. Jill Knight Garrett, A History of Lauderdale County, Alabama, 142. Carolyn Barske, Images of America: Florence (Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2014), 100.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
format: file

First United Methodist Church
subject: Walker County, Jasper, Religion, Methodist, Church, American Civil War, Rev. L. J. Morris, Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage
description: The present building of the First United Methodist Church was built in 1914 although the congregation dates back almost a hundred years prior. The Methodist church is the oldest church in Jasper, Alabama with the first formal organization occurring in 1833. Around 1858, a frame building was built on the site of the present building. This frame building was burnt during the American Civil War by Union soldiers. In 1888 the congregants began to build a new church; however, plans changed and in 1912, Reverend J. L. Morris petitioned to build a new church. This church was finished and dedicated in 1921. The First United Methodist Church was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in 1983.
creator: Makayla Melvin
source: http://preserveala.org/ARdigital/Walker/AL.WalkerCounty.FirstUnitedMethodistChurch.AR.pdf
publisher: Makayla Melvin; MSM0041@auburn.edu

First United Methodist Church - (1822) Marker
subject: Historic Markers; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
description: This historic marker is located at the church on the corner of East Tuscaloosa and North Seminary Streets, Florence, Alabama. The text on the marker reads: "Established September 8, 1822 in a log house on the west side of town by Revs. John Cox and John Kerr. Cox and wife, Frances Langley had been affiliated with the Wesleys in England. Second meeting place was in Farmer's Cobbler Shop on West Mobile Street. The third house of worship was built at the present site in 1827. It was replaced in 1835, and again in 1904 with a brick structure that burned in 1920. Present church was built in 1924 and renovated in 1968. "
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: “First United Methodist Church Marker”. Accessed 11/02/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Late 1900s
type: Text

Flanagan Lumber Company
subject: Industry; Lumber; Pleasant Hill, AL; Limestone County, AL
description: Samuel Gideon Flanagan opened a sawmill in the community of Pleasant Hill in 1904. The sawmill operated as S.G. Flanagan Lumber until 1940, when it became more of a retail lumberyard. In 1960, the company was eventually incorporated as Flanagan Lumber Company, Inc. The company was operated by S. G. and his two sons, Delwood and Ozro. Delwood and Ozro continued operating the company after their father's death in 1966. Delwood's son, Gideon, joined his uncle Ozro in managing the company. The lumber company still owns the original lumberyard in Pleasant Valley and also operates another lumberyard located in Athens on Shaw Street.
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: County, Ala. The Heritage of Limestone County, Alabama. Limited 1st ed. Clanton, AL: Heritage Pub. Consultants, 1998.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 1904
type: Text

Flat Creek Missionary Baptist Church Cemtery
subject: Cemeteries; Hillsboro, AL; Lawrence County, AL
description: The Flat Creek Cemetery is a church cemetery maintained by the Flat Creek Missionary Baptist Church. The cemetery is accessible by car. From Decatur, travel 2.4 miles on Highway 24. Turn right on to County Road 354. The cemetery is behind the church. A fence encloses the graves around the site. The first marked burial in the cemetery belongs to Nola Kirby. She died February 12, 1922.
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: Waldrep, Phil. "Cemeteries of Lawrence County, Alabama Volume I." 1993.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 1910s
type: Text

Flint Hill Cemetery
subject: Cemeteries; Lee County, AL
description: Located in Smiths Station along Lee Road 254. Coordinates: 32.648746, -85.174384
creator: Heather Scheurer
source: alabama.hometownlocator.com
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 2014-12-6
contributor: Heather Scheurer
format: Text
language: English
type: Text

Florence Bethel Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America Marker
subject: Historic Markers; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
description: This historic marker is located on E, Alabama Street, Florence, Alabama. The text on the marker reads: "The "Mother Church" of the Presbytery, Florence Cumberland Colored Presbyterian Church originated in 1898 on property deeded by the city. Led, in 1918, by Rev. Holt Smith, it bought property on Alabama Street and build a frame structure. In 1948 Rev. Earl McDonald led in the construction of the annex named for him and the Jerome Robinson Education building. In 1997, the name became Florence Bethel Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America. The church continually proclaims the compassion of Christ throughout the world."
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: “Florence Bethel Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America”. Accessed 11/02/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 2008
type: Text

Florence Bridge Burned
subject: Florence Bridge Company; Memphis and Charleston Railroad; Civil War; Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston; Colonel Benjamin Hardin Helms; Double Decker Bridge; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
description: The oldest river bridge in Alabama connected Florence to Sheffield for more than one hundred and fifty years. The Florence Bridge Company was authorized by the Alabama legislature in 1832. It was founded for the purpose of realizing a dream for the citizen of Florence, to construct a bridge connecting the city with the south side of the river and eventually the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. The site for the bridge was chosen as the ferry crossing on Jackson’s Military Road. The company raised the money for a bridge spanning the Tennessee River just below the shoals. The construction was completed in 1840, with eight stone spans atop six stone piers and was constructed of wood. It opened as a toll bridge. In 1854, the southern spans were destroyed by a series of tornados and the bridge would not be rebuilt for four years. In 1857, the Charleston Railroad Company purchased the spans and rebuilt the bridge. Completed in 1858, the new bridge had two levels: the top for trains and a lower level for wagons or foot traffic supported by additional piers. The bridge escaped destruction by Union gunboats in February of 1862 only to be burned by Confederate troops on March 18 of that same year. Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston order Colonel Benjamin Hardin Helms to have his troops burn the bridge to prevent its use by Grant’s Union forces. The bridge was not rebuilt until 1870 and was upgraded to a draw bridge in 1892, after train crashed through both decks and plummeted into the river. The bridge remained in service until 1988 and was donated to the Old Railroad Bridge Company in 1993. It has now been converted to a walking trail since the lift from the draw bridge was sold to Hannibal Missouri in 1993.
creator: Michael Williams, University of North Alabama
source: McDonald, William Lindsey. 2003. Civil War tales of the Tennessee Valley. n.p.: Killen, Ala. : Heart of Dixie Pub. (1812 CR 111, Killen, Ala., 35645), [2003], 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). Hubbs, G. Ward. 2008. "Civil War in Alabama." Encyclopedia of Alabama. January 10. Accessed April 15, 2015. http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1429. Wallace, Harry E. n.d. "Lauderdale County, Alabama History." algw.org. Accessed April 14, 2015. http://www.algw.org/lauderdale/historyshoals4.htm.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: March 18, 1862
rights: Photo from following websites: http://www.washingtonky.com/civilwar.html Photo from following websites: http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/Moments08RS/46_web_leg_moments.htm Photo from following websites: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/333336809893643376/ Photo from following websites: http://oldrailroadbridge.com/old-railroad-bridge-landmark/

Florence Cemetery
subject: Cemeteries; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
description: Established in 1818, Florence Cemetery was the first city cemetery. The marker reads, "When the city was surveyed, this land described as 'outside city limits' was designated as the burying grounds for the new town. It contains the graves of early settlers, including a son and brother of Ferdinand Sannoner, surveyor of Florence, and served as the principal cemetery for over 130 years. Two former governors of Alabama from the O'Neal family, as well as many prominent community leaders, are interred here. "Soldier's Rest", a Confederate Cemetery is located near the south property line. This cemetery is massive and contains over 9,000 records. It is divided into 26 sections.
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama.
source: McCord, Timothy. "Florence City Cemetery." Rootsweb. August 2001. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-florence1.htm. Accessed April 2, 2015. "Florence Cemetery -1818." Latitude 34 North. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/MarkerDetail.cfm?KeyID=39-057&MarkerTitle=Florence%20Cemetery%20%3F%20-1818-. Accessed April 11, 2015.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 1818
format: Text.

Florence Cemetery - 1818 Marker
subject: Historic Markers: Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
description: This historic marker is located on East College Street, Florence, Alabama. The text on this marker reads: "When the city was surveyed this land described as "outside the city limits" was designated as the burying grounds for the new town. It contains the graves of early settlers, including a son and brother of Ferdinand Sannoner, Surveyor of Florence, and served as the principal cemetery for over 130 years. Two former Governors in the O'Neal family, as well as many prominent community leaders and families are interred here. "Soldiers Rest", a Confederate Cemetery, is located near the south property line."
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: “Florence Cemetery - 1818”. Accessed 11/02/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Late 1900s
type: Text

Florence Cotton Oil Company/Ashcraft Cotton Mill/Florence Cotton Mill
subject: Industry
description: The Ashcraft Cotton Mill began not as a cotton mill for the weaving of textiles, but as a refinery for cotton oil. In the spring of 1898, C.W. and Erister Ashcraft founded and incorporated the Florence Cotton Oil Company. The distance of other similar facilities in Nashville, Memphis, and Birmingham, made for a lengthy treks for local farmers, hence the formation of the company and the refinery. In 1898, cottonseed had a going rate of five dollars per ton. So the elimination of distance created a rise of about 500 percent in the amount paid for local cottonseed to process into cotton oil. In the single year of operation for Florence Cotton Oil, they employed in between 50 to 75 workers. About a year later, the Ashcraft clan decided to stop producing cotton oil and start producing cotton textiles. John T., C.W., Lee, Erister, and Fletcher Ashcraft, all brothers, in addition to Andrew J. Ashcraft, their father, formed a partnership in creating the Ashcraft Cotton Mill. The mill was located at the intersection of South Cherry and Terrace Streets in the Sweetwater area of Florence. At the time of incorporation in 1899, Ashcraft had an organized capital stock of one hundred thousand dollars, then in 1900 one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, giving the company a well-capitalized beginning. One of the largest cotton mills operating in Lauderdale County, the mill had over 3,600 spindles and 100 looms ready for operation in 1899. Upon the opening of the mill in 1900, the city of Florence celebrated in grand fashion, having a large celebration for the local citizens and dignitaries with a big brass band to boot. By 1903, the Ashcraft mill was valued at two hundred thousand dollars. By 1903, Ashcraft Cotton Mill employed at least 250 men and women and provided housing for the employees. The production of the workers helped the mill use 4,000 bales of locally grown cotton annually, which the finished product was sent across North America. In 1927, the Ashcraft Cotton Mill wa…
creator: Matthew C. Fesmire, University of North Alabama
source: 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. "A Walk Through the Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama." Killen, Ala., Bluewater Publications, 2003. “Florence As She Is.” "The Florence Times." 1903. Image Source: UNA Archives & Special Collection. William L. McDonald Collection. “Ashcraft Cotton Mill." Florence, Alabama. Box 12: Florence Industry, 12-36.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Late Nineteenth-Early Twentieth Century
format: Image

Florence Downtown Mural
subject: Art; Culture; Florence, AL
description: The Florence Main Street Program, a non-profit organization, strives to renovate the downtown sector of Florence, Alabama. One of the organization’s recent projects is the beautiful mural located on the exterior wall of Fred’s Super Dollar store located at 321 North Court St. The project required a two-step process during the years 2013 and 2014 and cost a total of $14,000. Beginning in 2013 Shoals artists Tim Stevenson, Robin Campbell, and Ronnie Riner designed and painted the mural’s panels, which according to Stevenson “captures the quality of life enjoyed in the Shoals.” The mural’s seven panels offers a glimpse into life in the Shoals and represents the rich culture in the region. The first phase of the project consisted of five panels. The first panel depicts the Forks of Cypress, the house of James Jackson. The second panel is of The University of North Alabama. The flowing waters of the Tennessee River are painted on the third panel, while the fourth panel shows a front porch scene. Stevenson designed the first phase’s final panel, which shows a Renaissance woman playing the fiddle, in order to express how “music is the heart beat of the area.” In the following year Stevenson, Campbell, and Riner completed the second phase of the mural, which consisted of two panels. The sixth panel’s design consisted of arrowheads, pottery, and feathers, and acted as an homage to the region’s Native American culture. The last panel shows a man and his dog walking along the water banks. Overall, the mural’s artwork represents five components of Florence—local history, education, music, the Tennessee River, and Native American culture.
creator: Jesse Brock, University of North Alabama
source: Text: Jennifer Edwards, “Muralis Interruptus in Florence,” Times Daily,July 7, 2013.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 2013-present
format: file

Florence Gas Light and Fuel Company/Florence Gas Works
subject: Industry
description: This company was the leader in fuel production for the people of Florence. The old Florence Gas Light and Fuel Company/Florence Gas Works operated on Old Huntsville Road, west of the Florence Steam Laundry in Sweetwater. The main office of the company that ran the Florence Gas Works had its headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. Production at the facility began in 1903, a year after the company was established in east Florence in 1902. The gas plant produced about 75,000 cubic feet of gas that was used for lighting of street lamps and homes, heating within homes, and cooking as well. The people of Florence had to pay two dollars a thousand cubic feet for lighting in their homes and four dollars and fifty cents per thousand cubic feet for heating and cooking in 1903. The company also sold Welsbach incandescent light appliances and gas stoves for heating and cooking.
creator: Matthew C. Fesmire, University of North Alabama
source: Text Sources: McDonald, William Lindsey. "A Walk Through the Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama." Killen, Ala., Bluewater Publications, 2003. McDonald, William Lindsey. "Remembering Sweetwater: The Mansions, The Mills, The People." Killen, Ala., Bluewater Publications, 2002. Picture Source: UNA Archives & Special Collection. William L. McDonald Collection. “Florence Gas Light and Fuel Company/Florence Gas Works.” Florence, Alabama. Box 12: Florence Industry, 12-02.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Early Twentieth Century
format: Image

Florence Hotel
subject: Downtown Businesses
description: 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.
creator: M.C. Fesmire, University of North Alabama
source: 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.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Late Nineteenth Century-Early Twentieth Century
format: Image

Florence Ice and Coal Company/Central Ice Company
subject: Industry
description: Two separate ice and coal companies merged to create the Florence Ice and Coal Company. The first company was Chapin Ice and Coal Company. The second company was H.J. Moore Coal Company. Chapin, before the merger, boasted that the company could produce up to 25 tons of ice per day. In 1902, the two companies merged to create the largest manufacturer of ice and provider of coal in Florence. The water used for the manufacturing of the ice at Florence Ice and Coal was pumped from a pure spring in the Sweetwater area, fortunately, multiple springs existed in Sweetwater. The company owned its own purification plant to help clean the water from the mineral free spring. In addition to the purification plant, the company owned over a dozen horses to transport the heavy loads of ice to the people of Florence daily. How the workers of Florence Ice and Coal knew to replenish their customers with a fresh block of ice was a placard system instituted by the company and a set of four cards given to customers. The customers would have the option of 25, 50, 75, and 100 pound blocks of ice to be delivered to their ice boxes daily by the route runners of Florence Ice and Coal. The placards had to be upright to have any ice delivered to their home on a daily basis. After twenty-six years, Florence Ice and Coal Company became Central Ice Company, eliminating coal from their services.
creator: Matthew C. Fesmire, University of North Alabama
source: Text Sources: McDonald, William Lindsey. "A Walk Through the Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama." Killen, Ala., Bluewater Publications, 2003. McDonald, William Lindsey. "Remembering Sweetwater: The Mansions, The Mills, The People." Killen, Ala., Bluewater Publications, 2002. McDonald, William Lindsey. "Sweetwater: The Story of East Florence." Florence: Florence Historical Board, 1989. Picture Source: UNA Archives & Special Collection. William L. McDonald Collection. “Florence Ice and Coal Company/Central Ice Company.” Florence, Alabama. Box 12: Florence Industry, 12-31.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Early Twentieth-Mid Twentieth Century
format: Image

Florence Indian Mound Museum
subject: Native American Museum
description: The Florence Indian Mound Museum is located at the foot of the Florence Indian Mound. The Florence Mound was built by early Native Americans and dates back to the Woodland period. The museum has display cases that house arrowheads, spearheads, Native American pottery, and implements made from bones, shells, and rocks. The museum does not focus on the Florence Indian Mound, but features displays from different eras, tribes, and locations that are not related to the Florence site. There are enough labels and interpretive exhibits to allow a visitor to understand the meaning of the objects on display, even without a detailed tour. A video that is less than 10 minutes long is available for visitors to watch. It briefly covers Native American History, but really does not mention the Florence Indian Mound with any significance. The first exhibit in the museum is entitled “The New Americans Migrated from the Old World” and explains how this is thought to have been done. The second is entitled “Paleo Indian Nomadic Hunters: More than 10,000 Years Ago.” Continuing down the line you find the “Transition of Paleo-Archaic Hunters to Gatherers: 7,000 to 10,000 years ago,” “Woodland People The First Farmers: 1,100 to 4,000 years ago,” “Mississippian People: Temple Mound Builders 500-1,000 years ago,” “Historic Indians,” and “Trail of Tears.” After walking back to the other side of the room, a visitor is able to learn about the “Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter: One of the World’s Archaeology Greats.” This side of the room offers a look at Native American tools, Spanish trade goods, pottery, and the use of effigies in Native American culture. Industrialization has encroached on the mound site a great deal. Almost touching the drive that circles around the mound is a Co-Op store and related buildings. The railroad runs near the opposite side of the mound, where the Port of Florence is in close proximity. The above article was written in 2015, and tells the story of the first museum t…
creator: Kayla Scott, University of North Alabama
source: A Visit to the Florence Indian Mound Museum
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey

Florence Little League Baseball (1951) Marker
subject: Historic Markers; Florence AL; Lauderdale County, AL
description: This historic marker is located on Clayborn Liles Drive, Florence, Alabama. The text on the marker reads: "Plans for the Florence Little League Baseball program for youth in ages ranging from eight to twelve years were completed in April 1951. These plans and the layout of this playing field were in accord with those developed by American's first Little League Program of 1939 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The four local teams to participate in the Florence 1952 opening season were Indian, Red Socks, Tigers and Yankees. In 1973 this field was re~named Coach Presley Robbins Field in appreciation of Robbins' years of labor that was instrumental to the development of this program for the youth of Florence."
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: “Florence Little League Baseball Marker”. Accessed 11/02/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Late 1900s
type: Text

Florence Lumber Company
subject: Industry
description: The Florence Lumber Company was established in the early 1910s. Today, Florence Lumber Company is located on East Tennessee Street in downtown Florence. The company has been a mainstay in Florence for around a century and is one of the earliest lumber businesses in Florence to be in operation. The lumber company is operated by Uhland O. Redd III, a descendant of one of the original founders of the Florence Lumber Company. In the early twentieth century, Florence Lumber Company was at the center of a local controversy involving the construction of the Bungalow style home in downtown Florence. The controversy centered around the bungalow home being an uncommon home in contrast to the traditional homes in northwestern Alabama area since the style was a transplant from California. Many in the downtown Florence community complained about the bungalow controversy, but, in the end, the bungalow style homes were built. Florence Lumber Company built a number of bungalows, as well as houses of other styles, around Florence.
creator: Matthew C. Fesmire, University of North Alabama
source: Text Sources: 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. “Florence Lumber Company.” Florence, Alabama. Box 12: Florence Industry, 12-06.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Early Twentieth Century-Present
format: Image

Florence Machine Works/Company
subject: Industry
description: This company was founded in the East Florence area of Sweetwater. The initial founders of the company were R.M. Martin, President, Colonel Noel F. Cherry, Vice-President (and founder of the Mountain Mills and Cherry Cotton Mill), and S.S. Broadus, Secretary and Treasurer (founder of the short lived Broadus [Cotton] Mill in the Sweetwater area located close to present day Veterans Drive and Wilson Dam Road, also treasurer of the Merchant’s Bank in Florence as well ). Located along the railroad tracks in Sweetwater, the Florence Machine Company served as a manufacturing spur along the railroad line through east Florence. When it was founded, the capital investment within the company was ten thousand dollars.
creator: Matthew C. Fesmire, University of North Alabama
source: Text Sources: 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. “Florence Machine Works.” Florence, Alabama. Box 12: Florence Industry, 12-33.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Early Twentieth Century
format: Image

Florence Opera House
subject: Theatre; Arts; Culture; Music; Florence, AL
description: According to Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, an opera house operated in Florence during the late 1880s and permanently closed its doors during the early twentieth century. Between 1894 and 1905 the venue was known as Turner Opera House. During the years of operation, the opera house had numerous managers, such as John B. McClure. Many national recognized actors and artists, such as the Conklings, Mr. John Thompson, Mr. Rowland D. Williams, and General John B. Gordon, put on dramas, comedies, and musical concerts. In addition, local talent from the Shoals put on shows and events. For example, actors from Florence and Sheffield put on the opera “H. M. S. Pinafore” on January 24, 1896. On regular occasions the proceeds of events went towards local charities, such as the construction of Confederate Monument and City Infirmary.
creator: Jesse Brock, University of North Alabama
source: Text: “Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps,” Florence Lauderdale Public Library, Local History Room Collection, folder “Opera House,” Florence, Alabama. “Opera House. Two Good Attractions for February 22nd, and March 15th,” Florence Herald, February 1, 1984, Florence Lauderdale Public Library, Florence, Alabama, Local History Room Collection, folder “Opera House,” Florence, Alabama. “H. M. S. Pinafore. In the Opera House Friday, January 24th,” Florence Times, January 11, 1896, Florence Lauderdale Public Library, Local History Room Collection, folder “Opera House,” Florence, Alabama. “Gen. Gordon’s Lectures,” Florence Standard-Journal, May 6, 1898, Florence Lauderdale Public Library, Local History Room Collection, folder “Opera House,” Florence, Alabama. Images: Flyer for a 1895 play at the Florence Opera House, Nolen Collection, “Florence area 1880s-1920s: Photos,” Archives/Special Collections, Collier Library, University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: late 1800s early 1900s
format: file

Florence State Teachers College Marker
subject: Historic Markers; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
description: This historic marker was located on Alabama Highway 17. It is now located on the University of North Alabama's campus. The text on the marker reads: "Oldest state-supported teachers college south of Ohio R. 1830-opened as LaGrange College (Methodist) at nearby Leighton. First chartered college in state. 1855-moved here and re-named Florence Wesleyan University. Flourished until closed by war in 1865. 1872-deeded to State by church; became Florence State Normal School. 1926-present name adopted."
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: “Florence State Teachers College Marker”. Accessed 11/02/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Late 1900s
type: Text

Florence Synodical College
subject: Education
description: In 1855 by the Presbyterian Synod of Nashville opened the Florence Female Synodical College. Zebulon Pike Morrison, who constructed Wesleyan Hall, also built the two buildings that housed the college. Young women of any religious denomination could attend the school. The college trained women art, languages, drawing, painting, English, geography, arithmetic, and music. The college closed in 1893. The college stood where the Florence Post Office now is.
creator: Claire Eagle, University of North Alabama
source: William Lindsey McDonald, A Walk Through The Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. (Bluewater Publications, 2003), 89.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 1855-1893
format: Text

Florence Synodical Female College Marker
subject: Historic Markers; Florence AL; Lauderdale County, AL
description: This historic marker is located at the intersection of North Wood Avenue and Tombigbee Street, Florence, Alabama. The text on side one reads: "The Cypress Land Company reserved this block for education purposes. In 1847 the Florence Female Academy, consisting of two buildings, was established. The Academy was soon in financial trouble Despite a $20,000 contribution from the City of Florence. the Academy ceased operation in the early 1850's. At the request of the City, the Academy Board of Trustees turned the land and building over to the Presbyterian Synod of Nashville on November 25, 1854. The Florence Synodical Female College was chartered by the Alabama Legislature in December, 1855 and received its first students that same year. White female applicants were accepted without regard to class or religious denomination, although daughters of Presbyterian clergy received preference. The stated aim of the College was to train young ladies for proper sphere in the home and drawing room. Dr. William H. Mitchell, Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Florence, served as president of the academy until 1871. Five other presidents followed him. The Board of Trustees consisted of fifteen prominent business men. Robert M. Patton, later governor of Alabama, was Chairman of the Board. The education building, facing Wilson Park (then called the Public Walk), consisted of classrooms, offices, and a library. The dormitory faced Seminary Street where the post office is currently located." The text on side two reads: "Students often used the Public Walk for recreation. The city assisted this activity by planting 100 trees and fencing the area to keep the cows out. FSFC faculty and staff usually included six or seven teaching faculty members plus a cook and janitor. The faculty taught in departments of language, literature, natural science, mathematics, music and a preparatory department. Enrollment averaged about 100 and never exceeded 140 students. Students came from all parts…
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: “Florence Synodical Female College”. Accessed 11/02/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 2011
type: Text

Florence Times/Times-Daily
subject: Downtown Businesses
description: The Florence Times was the predecessor of the current newspaper for Lauderdale County, The Times-Daily. The Florence Times began in the nineteenth century by the O’Neal family. The O’Neal family of Florence produced multiple governors of Alabama and were pillars of the Florence community in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The Florence Times did not become the predominant newspaper in Lauderdale County until the twentieth century. In 1927, a man from Gadsden, Alabama named J.L. Meeks, Sr., after he sold his newspaper in Gadsden purchased The Florence Times from the O’Neal family. A story exists about J.L. Meeks that he had the same kind of open top car as a famous madam in Florence. Little did Meeks know that when he drove down the street that the reason why people would wave and grin at him was not to welcome him to Florence, but to make fun of his lack of knowledge about the preeminent madam in Florence and her car. In addition to owning The Florence Times, Meeks also owned the Tri-Cities Daily based out of Colbert County. In the 1940s, Meeks passed away and the ownership of the papers went to his son, J.L. Meeks, Jr. In the early 1960s, Meeks, Jr., sold The Florence Times to Worrell Newspapers, Inc. About twenty years later in 1982, The New York Times purchased The Florence Times from Worrell Newspapers, Inc. And the publisher at the time, Guy Hankins, changed the name of the paper to the Times-Daily, the newspaper Lauderdale County knows today. The Florence Times was on Court Street for many years during the early to mid-twentieth century before moving to West Tennessee Street where it stands today.
creator: M.C. Fesmire, University of North Alabama
source: Text Sources: Wade, Gerald compiler. "Facts, Folks, Residents and Rascals: A Tourist Guide & Visitors’ Handbook to the Shoals Area." Florence, Ala.: Cypress Creek Publishing, 1990. Picture Source: UNA Archives & Special Collection. William L. McDonald Collection. “Florence Times.” Florence, Alabama. Box 12: Florence Industry, 12-51.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Mid to Late Nineteenth Century-Present
format: Image

Florence University for Women
subject: Education
description: Florence University for Women was also known as Baptist University and Hawthorne's College. Work began on the college in 1890 by the Florence Educational, Land, and Development Company headed by J.B. Hawthorne. The building had three floors, 88 bedrooms, a chapel that could seat 750, a dining hall, sixteen classrooms, and a gym.The school was going to be a Baptist university if a $100,000 endowment could be paid within the first year. After the endowment was not paid the school was given to Rev. L.D. Bass to establish a secular school named Southern Female University. It opened in 1891 with 20 teachers and about 100 students. Although Bass advertised the school as a secular institution, the student body consisted of mostly Baptist girls. After only two years the college moved to Birmingham and the building sat vacant. In 1908 the president of Southern Female College in Lagrange, Ga, M.W. Hatto purchased the building. Hatto had the building renovated and reopened the school as Florence University for Women. Less than 3 years later the building burned, along with all of the students belongings, because of faulty electrical wiring. Only the seniors were able to finish their degrees after being sent to a school in Kentucky. The building was insured, but only for $16,000.
creator: Claire Eagle, University of North Alabama
source: Text: William Lindsey McDonald, A Walk Through The Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. (Bluewater Publications, 2003), 92-93. “Florence University is Burned to the Ground,” The Tri-Cities Daily, March 2, 1911. Image: University of North Alabama Archives and Special Collections
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 1890-1911
format: Text
type: Text

Florence Wagon Company Marker
subject: Historic Markers; Florence AL; Lauderdale County, AL
description: This historic marker is located at the intersection of Richards Street and Veterans Drive, Florence, AL. The text on the marker reads: "Moved here from Atlanta in 1889, this industry made Florence a household word throughout the South. It was the largest wagon factory in the South, reportedly second largest in the U.S., with 250 employees and annual production of 12,000 wagons. World War I army wagons were made here and sent all over U.S. and to France. Increasing use of motorized vehicles caused gradual reduction in activity of factory. The firm was liquidated in 1930's."
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: “Florence Wagon Company Marker”. Accessed 11/02/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Late 1900s
type: Text

Florence Wagon Works
subject: Industry
description: Before the city of Florence, Alabama gained renown for its world famous Florence Wagon Works, the wagon company operated in the area of Atlanta, Georgia. One reason why the company moved to Florence was the infrastructure of industry within the Muscle Shoals region, with about sixty different plants and businesses located in the city of Florence. Dr. Alfred David Bellamy, a New York native and owner of the Atlanta Wagon Company, moved the company to Florence in 1889 when the new buildings for the new Florence Wagon Company were completed in 1888/1889. At the height of the Florence Wagon Works’ production the company manufactured enough wagons to be second in North America behind the Canadian wagon company Studebaker. In February of 1890, the Florence Wagon Works employed about seventy-five laborers. By October of 1890, the number of employees expanded to 125, then to 160 by 1897. There is a discrepancy in different sources as to how many people Florence Wagon Works employed at its apex, one source says 175 , whereas another says 250. Regardless of the exact numbers, Florence Wagon Works had a serious impact on employment in the Florence area. Production of the “Light Running” Florence Wagons increased yearly from 1889 into the early twentieth century, to the point where the factory would turn out twenty to twenty-five wagons per day, a very high number for a custom wagon in the pre-assembly line era. At their peak, Florence Wagon Works used an average of two million feet of hardwood per year to produce between ten to fifteen thousand “Light Running” Florence Wagons per year. The “Light Running” Florence Wagon was a casualty to its era. With the invention of the automobile, including the utilitarian pick-up truck, and the advancement in tractor machinery, the “Light Running” Florence Wagon began to meet its demise in the early twentieth century. The diminished necessity of horse-drawn transportation sent the wagon into decline. The greatest decline in business for th…
creator: Matthew C. Fesmire, University of North Alabama
source: Text Sources: Florence/Lauderdale Public Library. Vertical History File. Local History & Genealogy. Freeman, Lee. “A Brief History of the Florence Wagon Factory.” Florence, Lauderdale County, AL. Florence Wagon Works 2-2. Florence/Lauderdale Public Library. Vertical History File. Local History & Genealogy. Freeman, Lee. “A Tribute to the Men and Women of the Florence Wagon Works.” Florence, Lauderdale County, AL. Florence Wagon Works 2-2. McDonald, William L. "Remembering Sweetwater: The Mansions, The Mills, The People." Killen, Ala., Bluewater Publications, 2001. Picture Source: UNA Archives & Special Collections. William B. McDonald Collection. “Florence Wagons.” c. 1938, Florence, AL.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Late Nineteenth Century-Early Twentieth Century
format: Image

Florence Wagon Works Site
subject: National Register of Historic Places; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL; Industry
description: 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.
creator: Missy Brown, University of North Alabama
source: Ford, Gene A. National Register Nomination “Florence Wagon Works Site” (#96000596) (6/13/96).
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 1889 - 1941
format: image

Florence Wesleyan University
subject: Education
description: Florence Wesleyan University began when LaGrange College's students and teachers sought a new location in Florence. The majority of the faculty and students left the original site of LaGrange College - across the river from Florence (4 miles south of Leighton, Alabama) in 1855. The college began holding classes at the Florence Masonic hall because construction on their building, Wesleyan Hall, had not been completed yet. The tuition was listed as $25 for a ten month semester. The college closed from 1861-1869 due to the fact that over 100 students and faculty left to fight in the Civil War. After the Civil War had ended the school reopened but closed three years later due to lack of funding. In 1872 the school was deeded to the state of Alabama and reopened as State Normal School.
creator: Claire Eagle, University of North Alabama
source: William Lindsey McDonald, A Walk Through The Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. (Bluewater Publications, 2003), 90-91. University of North Alabama, "Brief Look at University of North Alabama History." Florence, Alabama, 2005.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey

Florence-Lauderdale Public Library
subject: Libraries; Philanthropy; Civil Rights Movement; Louis Rosenbaum; Stanley Rosenbaum; Jewish Community of Lauderdale County; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
description: Louis and Stanley Rosenbaum were instrumental in building and integrating the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library. In August of 1945, Louis Rosenbaum gave $25,000 toward the building of a new library. They also pledged, at the onset of the public fundraising campaign, an additional $15,000 if the campaign goal of $56,000 was not met. The library building was completed in 1948. While Stanley Rosenbaum was treasurer for the public library, a position he held for over thirty plus years, he worked toward consolidating the African-American and white libraries into one library for all Lauderdale County residents. A bronze plaque, which was moved from the old library location at 218 North Wood Avenue to the library's new location at 350 North Wood Avenue in 2004, commemorates the Rosenbaum's generosity.
creator: Pam Kingsbury, University of North Alabama
source: Coleman, Erwin M., A History of Temple B'nai Israel, Florence, Alabama, Centennial Celebration, 1906-2006, Private Printing, Florence, Alabama 2006.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 1945
contributor: Pam Kingsbury, University of North Alabama
rights: Archives, Collier Library, University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama.
format: Illustration; text
type: Still Image and Text

Florence-Lauderdale Public Library -- Local History Room
subject: Libraries; local history; Jewish History
description: The Florence-Lauderdale Public Library's local history room has several large files devoted to the study of local places, organizations, and individuals. The Jewish History Collection offers a good cross-section of Jewish owned businesses, the history of the Temple, copies of society pages, copies of unpublished manuscripts, and copies of prominent Jewish families who settled in the area. Many of the papers were donated by Doryce Levi and Dallas and Mary Lancaster. An original history of the Jewish settlers, written by Lee Freeman, can also be found in the files.
creator: Pam Kingsbury
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 2004 - to the present
type: Test and photograph.

Florence-Lauderdale Veterans Memorial
subject: Florence-Lauderdale Veterans Memorial
description: 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.
creator: Kayla Scott, University of North Alabama
source: 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
date: 1977 to present
format: Image

Florence's Early Water Tower 1890 Marker
subject: Historic Markers; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
description: This historic marker is located on Seymore Avenue, Florence, Alabama. The text on the marker reads: "Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this tower of native stone was completed in 1890 as the foundation for a wrought- iron tank with a capacity of 280,000 gallons of water. It is 70 feet high and is located on the highest elevation in the city. Water was pumped here from Cypress Creek. It was constructed during the Industrial Boom at which time the population of Florence increased from approximately 2,000 in 1887 to over 6,000 in 1889. It was replaced by the adjoining standpipe in 1935."
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: “Florence Early Water Tower 1890 Marker”. Accessed 11/02/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Late 1900s
type: Text

Flossie Menifee (#82)
subject: 12th grader at R.B. Hudson High School
description: "Selma, Alabama Flossie Menifee, 67, who marched on "Bloody Sunday" in 1965, stands in front of the A.M.E. Church where the march started as she commented on a billboard within sight of the Edmund Pettus bridge in Selma, Alabama that is sponsored by a group dedicated to honoring Ku Klux Klan founder Nathan Bedford Forrest on Friday, March 6, 2015.(Photo By: Jefferson Siegel/NY Daily News via Getty Images)"
creator: Maddy Bridges - Auburn University

Flowers Bakery
subject: Opelika, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Baked Goods
description: 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 operation to three combined building on 231 8th. The bakery was purchased by Hamilton's son in 1936 and the name was changed from Ingram's to Hamilton's Bakery. In 1962, Hamilton built a new building at 101 Simmons St. and in 1964 the business was purchased by Flowers Baking Company of Thomasville, GA. The business is still in operation as of 2014.
creator: Jonathan Sedlaczek
source: Image and Text: "The Heritage of Lee County, Alabama"
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 1910-Present
contributor: Jonathan Sedlaczek
format: JPEG and Text
language: English
type: Still Image and Text

Flowers Hall Gymnasium
subject: Lauderdale County; Florence AL; Education; Recreation; University of North Alabama
description: 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 physical education and athletic programs. He was also the basketball program’s first coach. Flowers Hall was a great addition to the university because it gave them a great athletic facility costing approximately three million dollars. It has a seating capacity of 4,000 with both floor and upper level seating. The Flowers Hall Annex renovation added 17,800 square feet and cost one and a half million dollars. Flowers hall is a four level structure with the gym being on the third floor. It includes more than just a site for athletic events. It contains offices, class rooms, locker rooms, and special facilities for athletic training. It is also used for educational and recreational purposes. Flowers Hall is located on 615 North Pine Street in Florence, Alabama.
creator: Jackson Newton, University of North Alabama
source: Greer, Tyler. “Gymnasium not just used for basketball”, University of North Alabama Archives. (Newspaper Clipping) Florence State University Yearbook 1972, University of North Alabama Archives. Thomas, Ronald. “Flowers fought long and hard for athletics”, University of North Alabama Archives. (Newspaper Clipping) University of North Alabama Basketball Guide 1974-75, University of North Alabama Archives . Images: University of North Alabama Archives and Special Collections
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: December 4, 2015

Ford's Mill Cemetery
subject: Cemeteries; Lauderdale County, AL
description: To reach the Ford Mill’s Cemetery from Florence, Alabama, travel west on Alabama Highway 20. Turn left onto County Road 14 and travel approximately 22 miles. Turn right onto County Road 1 just before crossing the bridge into Waterloo. Travel north on Co. Rd. 1 for 3.4 miles. Turn left onto County Road 90 and go .4 mile. The cemetery is on the right side of the road at the intersection of County Road 90 & Man Bone Rd. It lies diagonally across from the Ford’s Mill Free Will Baptist Church. There is a small child’s grave that is unknown. Ford Mill’s cemetery was established in 1932. The cemetery is well maintained and contains 18 records. List of graves are located in sources.
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: Montgomery, David L. "Ford's Mill Cemetery." Rootsweb. January 5, 2005. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-fordsmill.htm. Accessed April 3, 2015.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 1932

Forks of Cypress
subject: National Register of Historic Places Social History Architecture
description: National Register property – Forks of Cypress Forks of Cypress plantation house is now a ruin. A fire resulting from lightning destroyed the home in 1966. However, the 23 remaining standing brick columns are still significant for what they can tell us about architecture and more importantly about the social history of the affluent planter lifestyle, in particular that of the owner, planter, and politician James Jackson. The basic core of the house was a two story frame double pile plan much like others of its time period except for the central hall. The central hall at Forks of Cypress was divided into an entrance hall and a rear stair hall. The porch, however, is a different story and is now is all that remains to tell that story. The peristyle porch with 24 two story columns stretched completely around the house. This is the first documented house in Alabama to be so constructed before the war and one of the earliest nationwide outside the lower Mississippi valley. In the lower Mississippi valley peristyle porches were designed as living spaces with the columns supporting second story galleries that ringed the house and provided access to the rooms that opened on to the galleries. The peristyle porch at Forks of Cypress was designed to impress. Though the porch did provide sheltered gathering space and shade from the Alabama sun, the monumental nature of the brick columns with Ionic capitals that matched those on the new State Capitol building were a statement to the wealth and status of the inhabitants of the house. The architect of the house is reported to be William Nichols, State Architect of Alabama and designer of the new Capitol. James Jackson, native of Ireland, was an early investor in the Cypress Creek Land Company that founded Florence. He along with others including John Coffee made up a local elite in the Lauderdale County area. Jackson was a member of the Alabama House of Representatives and the Senate during the 1820s and 30s. He was also a successf…
creator: Missy Brown, University of North Alabama
source: National Register nomination (#97001166)
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: c.1825-30
format: image

Forks of Cypress Cemetery (aka Jackson Cemetery)
subject: Cemeteries, Lauderdale County
description: Jackson Cemetery is located about four miles northwest of Florence. The cemetery is due east of the ruins of the Forks of Cypress, located on the Old Jackson Road, which stretches from North Florence to the Savannah Highway. Separating the ruins from the Cemetery is Dowdy Road. There is a 90’x 90’ cut stonewall that is four feet in height surrounding it. Jackson History: At the age of 17, James Jackson came to America from Ballibay County in Monaghan, Ireland, in 1799. His sister Elenaora, and her husband Thomas Kirkman came along with Jackson. Jackson, along with his sister and her husband, settled in Nashville. While living in Nashville, Jackson met Sarah Moore McCullouch who was a widow from South Carolina. On December 28, 1810, James and Sally were married. James Jackson, along with General John Coffee, future Supreme Court Justice John McKinley and other partners, established the Cypress Land Company in 1818. They realized that land companies were great investments. The first land sale for land in Florence was held in 1818. Lauderdale County was soon formed with Florence serving as county seat. Jackson realized Florence had a great potential, so he decided to construct his plantation in the surrounding area. Four miles from Florence, at the junction of the Big and Little Cypress Creeks, Jackson constructed his mansion with 3,000 acres. In 1820, Jackson died and was laid to rest among relatives in Jackson Cemetery. History of the Cemetery: Unfortunately, there is no exact evidence of the age of Jackson Cemetery. The oldest marked grave in the cemetery is that of Jane Hannah Anderson, infant daughter of Henry and Ellen Anderson, buried September 19, 1829. It is believed that during the early years of the cemetery there was no wall. Only when Master James Jackson decided to make it a family resting place was the wall constructed.
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: McDonald, William L. "A Walk Through the Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama." Bluewater Publishing, 2003. 408. "Jackson Cemetery." Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=23651. Accessed April 11, 2015.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Early 1800s.

Forks of Cypress Plantation Marker
subject: Historic Markers; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
description: This historic marker is located on Jackson Road, Florence, Alabama. The text on side one of the marker reads: "Side 1: The Forks of Cypress plantation was established in 1818 by James and Sarah Jackson. Its home, believed the design of William Nichols, was one of Alabama's great houses, featuring perhaps the earliest peristyle colonnade in America. Built by skilled African-American artisans in slavery. The Forks stood until June 6, 1966, when it was struck by lighting and burned to the ground. Its surrounding brick porch with twenty-three brick columns-once plastered with a mix of lime, horsehair and molasses and topped by cypress Ionic capitals-remains on limestone foundations. Irish-born James Jackson, engineer, turfman, merchant, financier, planter, statesman, member of the Cypress Land Company, was a founding father of Florence. He was the major figure in establishing the local textile industry. As President of the Alabama Senate, he was its key advocate of the 1832 Treaty of Cusetta." The text on side two reads: "James Jackson's most enduring contribution was his legacy on the thoroughbred horse industry. With the purpose of improving American bloodstock. Jackson imported some of England's finest horses, most notably Leviathan, Gallopade, and Glencoe. Peytona, bred at the Forks, in 1843 won the Peyton Stakes, the flushest purse ever, and the Race between the North and South, for which she walked 1,200 miles to Long Island. Reel, the leading American broodmare of the 19th century, was another Forks-bred horse. Both were daughters of Glencoe, as was Pocahontas, England's all-time pre-eminent broodmare. Jackson's greatest horse was the immortal stallion Glencoe who led the Stud Brook eight years, "a truly epochal animal such as appears only at rare intervals and with whom only a scattering few others of all time deserve to be ranked." -- James Hervey, Racing in American His successful progeny insured such prevalence of the line that by mid-20th century virtually n…
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: “Forks of Cypress Plantation Marker”. Accessed 11/02/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Late 1900s
type: Text

Forks of Cypress Plantation Site
subject: Forks of Cypress Plantation Site; James Jackson; Greek Revival Style; Tourism; Alabama Historical Commission
description: 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.
creator: Kayla Scott, University of North Alabama
source: 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

Former Promoter Stops for Visit
subject: Sam Siegel Knoxville, Tennessee Professional Wrestling
date: 1937

Fort Harker
subject: Jackson County, Stevenson, Military Fortification, Civil War, National Register of Historic Places, Alabama Historical Commission Markers
description: Constructed by the Union Army in the summer of 1862 and expanded in 1864, using soldiers and freed slaves, Ft. Harker was built on a broad hill a quarter-mile east of town. It overlooked Crow Creek and was well within firing range of Stevenson’s strategic railroad lines, supply depots and warehouses. Ft. Harker was an earthen redoubt, 150 feet square, with walls 14 feet high, surrounded by an 8 foot deep dry moat. It contained 7 cannon platforms, a bomb-proof powder magazine, a draw-bridge entrance and an 8-sided wooden blockhouse at its center. Soldiers building the fort reported that “the soil is very hard, requiring the continual use of a pick.” Despite that, Ft. Harker was critical to Union plans. The officer in charge was ordered by his commanding general “to work night and day” to complete the fort “as rapidly as possible.” One other large fort, two smaller redoubts and at least seven blockhouses were constructed along the railroad lines at Stevenson during the Civil War. No major fighting occurred here, but skirmishes and sniper attacks were common as territory traded hands between Union and Confederate forces. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places 5/2/77 (From the historical marker erected at the site by the Alabama Historical Commission)
creator: Blake Wilhelm
source: Historical marker erected at the site by the Alabama Historical Commission http://focus.nps.gov/nrhp/AssetDetail?assetID=95bdb8b3-ef52-477c-851f-ae8cb34f821d http://focus.nps.gov/pdfhost/docs/nrhp/text/78000491.pdf http://loc.gov/pictures/resource/ppmsca.23042/
publisher: Northeast Alabama Community College Archives and Special Collections
date: 1862-1865

Fort Willingham Marker
subject: Historic Markers; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
description: This historic marker is located at the intersection of Florence Boulevard and North Oak St., Florence, AL. The text on side one reads: "The United States flag that flies at the base of this hill stands as a sentry over the site that was the home of Fort Willingham Armory from 1937-1979. The Armory was named after Dr. Henry J. Willingham, president of Florence State Normal School, and later, Florence State Teachers College for 25 years. In addition to its military functions, the Armory also served as the focal point for community sporting events and social gatherings. In 1935, an extensive building program was inaugurated by the State of Alabama, the Adjutant General's Office, and the Works Progress Administration for the construction of an armory for each National Guard unit in the State. For Governor Bibb Graves, Adjutant General John C. Coleman, and many National Guardsmen, the building program was a dream come true. The cost of construction for 32 armories exceeded two million dollars. Fort Willingham Armory cost $31,110. The Armory was razed in January 1981. All that remains of Fort Willingham are the rock walls surrounding the site, history of the units stationed here, and memories of those who trained here." The text on side two reads: "The lineage of the units of the Alabama National Guard that trained at Fort Willingham Armory changed over the years as they were reorganized. The units that trained here included: Service Company, 106th Med BN 1937 101st Light Pantoon Co. 1939 Co. F., 151st Combat Eng BN 1940 Co. F., 1343rd Eng BN 1944 104th Air Defense BN HQS, & A Co. 1947 278th Air Defense Arty BN HQS, & A Co. 1953 161st Medical Co. 1953 115th SIG BN, HQS CO. & A Co & D Co. 1960 Co. B., 1st Special Forces BN, 20th Group 1961 Members of these units were patriotic citizens of the NW Alabama Region who served their State and Nation with distinction during wars, natural disasters, and humanitarian missions. Sponsored by the Retirees of the 115th Signal Battalion…
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: “Fort Willingham Marker". Accessed 11/02/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 2013
type: Text

Four Mile Branch Skirmish
subject: Civil War; General Philip Roddey; Union General Granville Dodge; Confederate Colonel William A. Johnson; 9th Illinois Cavalry; 4th Alabama Cavalry; Lamb’s Ferry; Rogersville, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
description: The first skirmish at four mile branch in Lauderdale County during 1864. January 25, Confederate Colonel William A. Johnson’s 4th Alabama Cavalry was dispatched to forage in Lauderdale County by General Philip Roddey from his headquarters at Bainbridge. A Union spy in Florence sent word of Colonel Johnson’s mission to Union General Granville Dodge’s headquarters at Pulaski Tennessee. General Dodge sent Colonel A. O. Miller’s 2nd Cavalry from Pulaski and Lieutenant Colonel Jesse J. Phillips with the 9th Illinois Cavalry from Athens to join the 18th Missouri. The combined Union forces were tasked with intercepting Johnson’s expedition. Johnson’s Confederates avoided Phillips’ Union cavalry but encountered Miller’s forces at the crossroads of Huntsville and Byler Roads. The ensuing skirmish lasted for a couple of hours until dark. Miller withdrew to the east bank of Shoal Creek and Johnson’s forces held the field for the night. The following day Johnson went on the offensive and caught Miller’s forces at Lamb’s Ferry in Rogersville. Miller’s 2nd Cavalry suffered two casualties in that engagement. Meanwhile, General Roddey took advantage of Phillips’ forces leaving Athens and attacked the garrison there. In the raid, Roddey’s forces captured prisoners and supplies. Miller’s forces suffered fifteen killed and twenty-five wounded in the two days of skirmishing. The Confederate forces under Johnson suffered seven deaths.
creator: Michael Williams, University of North Alabama
source: McDonald, William Lindsey. 2003. Civil War tales of the Tennessee Valley. n.p.: Killen, Ala. : Heart of Dixie Pub. (1812 CR 111, Killen, Ala., 35645), [2003], 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015).
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: January 1864
rights: Photo from following websites: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7217181 Photo from following websites: http://www.oocities.org/bourbonstreet/Delta/3843/johnson.htm

Fourth of July Celebration (Cherokee, Alabama)
subject: Independence Day Festival; Fourth of July; Cherokee, Alabama; Colbert County, Alabama; Festival
description: 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.
creator: Thomas Hale, University of North Alabama
source: “Fourth of July Celebrations”, Accessed on November 29, 2015, http://www.colbertcountytourism.org/index.php/2012-11-08-15-07-00/annual-events
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: December 1, 2015

Frank Lloyd Wright Rosenbaum House
subject: Frank Lloyd Wright Rosenbaum House ; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL; Museums
description: The Rosenbaum House was built in 1939-1940 with a price tag of approximately $14,000. The Rosenbaum House is located in Florence and serves as the only example of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in Alabama. Stanley and Mildred Rosenbaum were the owners of the house until 1999. Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Rosenbaum House using the Usonian architectural style. The house was designed to blend with and rise from the landscape, and features carports, flat roofs, overhanging eaves and a concrete floor. The home is constructed from cypress, glass, and brick. Wright designed a 1,540 square feet floor plan. Storage space was a key component, and every inch of the house was meant to be used to the fullest extent. The kitchen is a tiny workspace that allows for standing room only. There were numerous problems with the home’s construction. The chimneys were not ventilated properly. The flat roofs did not drain, so water leaked in. Despite these problems, an addition was added in 1946-1948, with Wright designing the plans. The addition added an additional 1,084 square feet, adding two wings to the house and enlarging the kitchen. A second carport was also added at this time. The Rosenbaum House was purchased by the city of Florence in 1999 for the sum of $75,000. Termite and water damage had caused extensive structural problems over the years, requiring between $600,000 and $700,000 of renovations. The house now serves as a museum and is open for tours each week Tuesday through Sunday.
creator: Kayla Scott, University of North Alabama
source: www.florenceal.org Ben Berntson, “Rosenbaum House Museum,” Encyclopedia of Alabama. http://www.encyclopdiaofalabama.org/article/h-2397#sthash.Ja3m6yMb.dpuf Image courtesy of UNA Collier Library Archives
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 1939 to present
format: Image

Frank McGuire Memorial Cemetery
subject: Cemeteries; Lee County, AL
description: Located in Loachapoka along County Road 652. Coordinates: 32.6243002, -85.6110637
creator: Heather Scheurer
source: alabama.hometownlocator.com
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 2014-12-6
contributor: Heather Scheurer
format: Text
language: English
type: Text

Frank Moffett
subject: Professional Wrestling Knoxville, Tennessee Promoter
date: 1921

Franklin Yarborough, Jr. Store
subject: Lee County, AL; Beulah, AL; National Register of Historic Places; Commerce
description: Franklin Yarborough, Jr. Store was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 29, 1989.
creator: Keith S. Hebert
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 2015-4-28
contributor: Keith S. Hebert
format: JPEG and Text
language: English
type: Image and Text