Florence Cotton Oil Company/Ashcraft Cotton Mill/Florence Cotton Mill
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 was renamed the Florence Cotton Mill. The Florence Cotton Mill survived the Great Depression and paid a decent wage during the economic depression at about fifteen dollars per week. Even though the mill survived the Great Depression, it could not survive the foreign textile industry and closed its doors at the end of World War II.
Matthew C. Fesmire, University of North Alabama
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.
The Cherry Cotton Mill was one of the largest cotton mills in Lauderdale County at the turn of the twentieth century. Cherry Cotton Mill has an industrial genealogy in Lauderdale County that is traceable to before the Civil War. Cypress Mills Company and the Mountain Mills were both precursors to the Cherry Cotton Mill. Cherry Cotton Mill came to Florence in the Sweetwater area by way of Barton, Alabama and Colbert County and the movement of Mountain Mills to east Florence. Located in Sweetwater at the sight of where an old cotton mill used to be in 1832, Colonel Noel F. Cherry (and primary stock holder), Nial C. Elting (founder of First National Bank of Florence), and Charles M. Brandon (who the Brandon School was named after) founded Cherry Cotton Mill in 1893. The Cherry Cotton Mill produced high quality yarns, amongst other textiles, until the doors of the mill closed during the Great Depression. During the boom years of the early twentieth century, the Cherry Cotton Mill employed over 400 people and had a running capacity of 12,000 spoolers. Just before the turn of the twentieth century, the average wage for the common worker at Cherry was fifteen to seventy-five cents a day. Specialized mechanics and skilled craftsman would earn anywhere from a dollar to a dollar fifty a day. A master mechanic would make a dollar fifty a day and a supervisor two dollars a day. Even children were employed at the mill at as young as six years old. The majority of the employees at the mill were women, but both the children and women tended to be paid the lowest, which is indicative of factory work at the beginning of the 1900s. The mill did provide housing to its employees on close by Cherry Hill in Sweetwater. From 1893 to 1929, Cherry Cotton Mill is said to have consumed 150,000 bales of local cotton in production. Prosperous until the Great Depression, the number of people employed in 1936 by Cherry Cotton Mill was 300 workers, a strong number for an economic downturn. The payroll by 1936 averaged two hundred twenty-five thousand dollars annually. Unfortunately, Cherry Cotton Mill did not last much past 1936 and the Great Depression claimed the largest cotton mill in Florence.
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. "Sweetwater: The Story of East Florence." Florence, Ala.: Florence Historical Board, 1989. McDonald, William Lindsey. "Remembering Sweetwater: The Mansions, The Mills, The People." photos by L.D. Staggs, Jr. Killen, Ala., Bluewater Publications, 2002. Picture Source: UNA Archives & Special Collection. William L. McDonald Collection. “Cherry Cotton Mill.” Florence, Alabama. Box 12: Florence Industry, 12-29.
Coca-Cola Bottling Plant/Pratt Bottling Company
In 1907, two men named Russell and Arthur Pratt of Huntsville, Alabama moved a Coca-Cola bottling facility from Sheffield to downtown Florence. The Pratt Bottling Company bottled Coca-Cola in addition to creating and manufacturing their own soft drinks and ice cream flavors. Two years later in 1909, Russell Pratt became the main distributor for Coca-Cola on the West Coast; meanwhile, Arthur Pratt left Florence to pursue Coca-Cola distribution in Newark, New Jersey and New York City, New York. Julia Pratt and manager Burt Snyder took over the operations at the Pratt Bottling Company until 1940 when the Pratt Bottling Company was sold to Walter Matthews Sr. in 1940. Eventually, the Coca-Cola bottling operations moved from downtown Florence to the Florence Industrial Park. Comcast Cable owns the old Pratt Bottling Company building located off of Court Street today.
Text Source: Barske, Carolyn. "Images of America: Florence." Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2014. Picture Source: UNA Archives & Special Collection. William L. McDonald Collection. “Coca-Cola Bottling Plant/Pratt Bottling Company.” Florence, Alabama. Box 12: Florence Industry, 12-56.
Early Twentieth-Mid to Late Twentieth Century
The Cypress Mill was located on Cypress Creek in Florence. The Cypress Mill was rebuilt from the old skeletal remains of the pre-Civil War cotton mill known as the Globe Factory. After Union Colonel Florence M. Cornyn of the 10th Missouri Calvary set the mill ablaze in 1863, it took several years for James Martin to get Cypress Mill back up and running. He advertised for at least forty able-bodied men to help in the rebuild of one of the old Globe Factory factories in 1866. But it was not until 1873 that operations were commenced at Cypress Mills, after the heirs of James Martin conveyed all their interest to the Cypress Mills Corporation in 1873. At the commencement of operation, Cypress Mill had a capital stock of seventy-five thousand dollars, 3,000 spindles, 60 looms. 50 employees, and consumed about 600 bales of cotton annually. The mill used hydropower from a thirty-five foot dam on Cypress Creek and that dam powered the three-story facility that sat at the edge of the Cypress. Cypress Mills Company purchased about 1,500 acres for their workers and built a mill village for them on the tract of land. Just over fifteen years later, when Cypress Mill was sold to the Cherry brothers in 1889, Cypress Mills production was drastically cut, and many of the employees followed the Cherry brothers when they relocated the mill in Barton, Alabama. In 1892, Cypress Mill had 2,500 spindles, 60 looms, and 9 cards. By 1893, Cypress Mill had ceased production and closed its doors.
Text Sources: McDonald, William Lindsey. "A Walk Through the Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama." Killen, Ala., Bluewater Publications, 2003. Wilhelm, Dwight M. "A History of the Cotton Textile Industry of Alabama 1809 to 1950." Montgomery: Privately Published, 1950. 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. “Cypress Mill.” Florence, Alabama. Box 12: Florence Industry, 12-03.
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.
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.
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.
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.
F.H. Foster Manufacturing served a multitude of roles in manufacturing in the Florence area. The F.H. Foster complex was built in between Sweetwater Creek and the Tennessee River along the Louisville and Nashville railroad tracks that ran through the heart of Sweetwater. The various structures located at the F.H. Foster Manufacturing Company included a building for the iron foundry, a building for a brass foundry, a building for wood tumbling, a Japan room, a working area, and an area for packing and machine works.
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. “F.H. Foster Manufacturing Company.” Florence, Alabama. Box 12: Florence Industry, 12-31.
Florence Gas Light and Fuel Company/Florence Gas Works
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.
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.
Florence Ice and Coal Company/Central Ice Company
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.
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.
Guntersville; Marshall County Alabama; Commercial Business
A small one-story building that resides in downtown Guntersville, Alabama at 2310 Taylor Street. The original construction of the building dates back to the 1920s. It is a small, simple building with a stucco façade. The addition of the stucco dates to the early 2000s and an aluminum frame accompanies the stucco façade. The underneath construction of the stucco is brick. The pitch of the roof is flat too. Today, the building is utilized as a local bakery. When constructed in the 1920s the building was used for commercial purposes. According to a 1930 Sanborn map, two retail establishments used the building. By the late 1940s, it was converted into a restaurant.
Text: Alabama Historical Commission, David B. Schneider Photo: Alabama Historical Commission, David B. Schneider
O'Neal Hall, University of North Alabama
Lauderdale County, Alabama; Florence, Alabama; Education; Florence State College; University of North Alabama; Edward A. O'Neal
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 best equipped dormitories in the South. A beautiful brick structure with stone trimmings, O’Neal Hall was located on Wesleyan Avenue, overlooking the campus, facing Wesleyan Hall and the Annex. O’Neal Hall received its name after Edward A. O’Neal, president of the Alabama Farm Bureau in 1930. The 4-story building was constructed to board 125 students. In addition to bedrooms, baths, and other usual dormitory facilities, O’Neal Hall consisted of a cafeteria on the first floor, a reception hall, a lounge, and offices. O’Neal Hall was unfortunately torn down to accommodate room for the expansion of a Student Union Building, but the steps that once lead to O’Neal Hall are still visible from Wesleyan Avenue. The dormitory was located where the University of North Alabama’s Guillot University Center stands today.
Megan Statom, University of North Alabama
"Buildings." In Bulletin of the State Normal School, 10. 2nd ed. Vol. 3. Florence, AL: State Normal School, Florence, Ala., 1914. Images: UNA Archives, University Photo Collection, File: University. Architecture. ONeal, Photo# O.1. “O’Neal Hall.” UNA.edu. www.una.edu/historicUNA/oneal-hall.html (accessed November 11, 2015)
Mary Wallace Kirk; Historic Homes; Colbert County, Alabama; Tuscumbia, Alabama
Locust Hill, a historic home located in Tuscumbia, Alabama on the corner of Seventh and Cave streets, was built in 1823 by Col. William Winters. The large 14 room mansion stretches across nearly three-fourths of a city block and features striking architecture that gives it a distinct look. Its deep set windows and one of a kind woodworking designed and made by a local wood worker named Braden, make Locust Hill a house like no other. The 13-inch thick, white, hand-crafted bricks, were created on site. In fact, it is believed to be the oldest surviving brick home in the State of Alabama. The two story home is surrounded by trees and plants of various species, the most notable being the Locust trees from which Locust Hill derives its name. During the Civil War, the home was occupied by a dentist named Dr. Chisholm. As war times continued, the home experienced its fair share of wear and tear. It was used as headquarters for the commander of the federal forces, Colonel Florence N. Cornyn, in 1863, as well as a hospital for Confederate troops. The home was destroyed, trashed from the inside out. Blood stained the floors, the insides were washed white, and the landscape was left desolate. In December of 1865, Captain John Taylor Rather and his family of ten, his son and daughter-in-law as well as their 6 children, later to be seven, purchased the property. After having his home, located in Decatur Alabama, burned by federal troops, Rather used what money he had left, both that which he had buried as well as that which he had snuck in stockings tied inside the hoop skirts of his daughter-in-law and her maid, to purchase the property. The total was $3000 in gold. Rather’s wife’s first purchase for the new home was thick red curtains. Being that there was a price on Rather’s head, the family thought it best to keep the curtains drawn to prevent anyone who sought to harm Rather from being able to get a clear shot. The tradition of drawing the curtains is a practice that lasted at Locust Hill for generations to come. Rather’s son General John D. Rather and his wife Letitia Pearsall worked towards fixing the landscape of the home, planting the beautiful trees and plants that gave Locust Hill its iconic look. The name “Locust Hill” comes from the stunning Locust trees on the property. Rather and his wife had seven children: Hal, Anne, Courtenay, Pearsall, John D. Jr., Mary Wallace, and Ella. The latter, Ella, married James T. Kirk, and their daughter Mary Wallace Kirk would later become the last of their family to have possession of the home. Mary Wallace Kirk was the fourth generation of her family to live at Locust Hill. Mary Wallace Kirk, lovingly known as “Miss May Wallace”, was born in the only other home located on the same block as Locust hill. It was a colonial style cottage that featured a beautiful garden with paths lined with flowers. Her family occupied this home during the first few years of their marriage. At age four, Kirk’s grandparents passed and the possession of Locust Hill fell to the Kirk family. Following the death of her parents, the property then fell into the hands of Kirk herself. Kirk fondly recalls her time spent in Locust Hill in her book, Locust Hill, published by the University of Alabama press in 1975. In her memoir, Kirk discusses many aspects of Locust Hill including not only the history of the home itself, but her own family history as well. The book also includes many of Kirk’s happiest childhood memories of the home. Today, the home is owned by Eli Harper and Laura Gayle Smith who purchased the home with intent to “put it back on the map”. Through continuation of the renovations that began with the previous owner, Harper and Smith have given the home new life. Now, the home is open to the public as a venue for various activities including weddings.
Melanie Hodges, University of North Alabama
University of North Alabama Archives and Special Collections Delinski, Bernie. "Locust Hill." Times Daily, December 28, 2014. Kirk, Mary Wallace. Locust Hill. University: University of Alabama Press, 1975. McDaniel, Mary Jane. "Locust Hill." In Historic Muscle Shoals: Buildings and Sites, 38-39. Tennessee Valley Hist. Society, 1983. Metcalf, Doris. "They Call Him Mr. Tip." In Tuscumbia: The Journal of Muscle Shoals History, 108-109. Vol. 16. Tennessee Valley Historical Society, 2001. Pitman, Mary Ann. "Locust Hill- a Visit into the Past." The Florence times, June 19, 1977.
Colonel Florence M. Cornyn; General Sterling A.M. Wood; Civil War; Captain Risden Deford; Globe Cotton Mills; Lauderdale County, AL
A Union force of 1380 men under the command of Colonel Florence M. Cornyn left Corinth, Mississippi on May 26, 1863. Colonel Cornyn’s mission was to destroy the industrial capacity of Lauderdale County. The county was a leading producer of cotton and wool cloth, leather, and food for the Confederate Army of the Tennessee. Among Colonel Cornyn’s officers was Captain Risden Deford, who knew the area from his youth. Captain Deford’s father had been a Methodist circuit riding preacher in the area, often staying in the homes of the local citizens. Captain Deford knowing the locations of the mills, tanneries, and foundries; guided the Union forces to them. The Union forces met the small number of confederate units commanded by General Sterling A.M. Wood on Coffee Road near Cox Creek. After a brief engagement Wood’s troops were driven back into the city. Cornyn’s forces then accomplished their major objective and burned the Globe Cotton Mills on Cypress Creek. The destruction of the mills was valued around one million dollars.
Michael Williams, University of North Alabama
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). Wallace, Harry E. n.d. "Lauderdale County, Alabama Hisory." algw.org. Accessed April 14, 2015. http://www.algw.org/lauderdale/historyshoals4.htm.
Photo from following websites: http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMHGR1_Ante_Bellum_Cotton_Mills_1840_Florence_AL Photo from following websites: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/49815934 Photo from following websites: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=11114 Photo from following websites: http://civilwartalk.com/threads/corinth-ms-court-martial-and-murder-of-colonel-francis-cornyn-10th-missouri-cavalry.108468/
Civil War; Andrew Jackson; Military Road; Lauderdale County, AL
Jackson’s Military Road was constructed from 1816 to 1820 under the direction of Andrew Jackson. The original purpose of the road was to serve as a conduit for military supplies in the southeast. The mail route from New Orleans to Nashville was transferred to the Military Road from the Natchez Trace in 1819. This shortened the mail route by 200 miles. During the Civil War, the Military Road was used by Confederate and Union forces on many occasions. The largest troop movement on the road in Lauderdale County occurred in the fall of 1864. After a three inch snow fall on November 20, the Confederate Army of the Tennessee under General Hood moved out of Florence to Franklin and Nashville in Tennessee. General Benjamin Cheatham’s corps moved down Coffee Road. General Stephen Lee’s corps took Chisholm road. General Alexander Stewart’s corps left via the Military Road.
McDonald, William Lindsey. A walk through the past : people and places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. n.p.: [Killen, Ala.] : Bluewater Pub., 2003., 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). 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). Groundspeak, Incorporated. 2015. "Jackson’s Military Road - Alabama Historical Markers on Waymarking.com." Waymarking.com. Accessed April 16, 2015. http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM1PNX. n.d. "Jackson's Military Road." rootsweb. Accessed April 16, 2015. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tqpeiffer/Documents/Ancestral%20Migration%20Archives/Migration%20Webpage%20Folder/%285%29%20SOUTHEASTERN%20GULF%20PLAINS/Jackson%27s%20Military%20Road.htm.
Photo from following websites: http://gardenofpraise.com/ibdjack.htm Photo from following websites: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tqpeiffer/Documents/Ancestral%20Migration%20Archives/Migration%20Photo%20Galleries/(5)%20SOUTHEASTERN%20GULF%20PLAINS/JACKSONS%20MILITARY%20ROAD/JacksonsMilitaryRoadmap.jpg
Civil War, Rogersville, Lambs Ferry, skirmish
Lamb’s Ferry was one of the oldest ferries crossing the Tennessee River in Lauderdale County. The ferry was built by John Lamb from Giles County Tennessee in 1809 four miles south of where the town of Rogersville is now located. The traffic involved in cross river trade on the road to Lamb’s Ferry was instrumental in the founding of Rogersville in 1827. The Ferry was the site of a skirmish between Union and Confederate forces on May 10 and 14 1862. On May 9 1862, the brigade of Confederate Colonel John Adams crossed the Tennessee River at Lamb’s Ferry to harass the Union forces. On May 11, Colonel Adams took a force of 850 men on an attempted raid of wagon trains traveling the road from Pulaski to Elkton in Tennessee. Meanwhile, Union forces under Colonel Lytle crossed Elk River from Athens and met with forces under the command of General Negley, moving down form Pulaski. The two forces converged on Rogersville with Colonel Lytle moving on Lamb’s Ferry south of the town. The main body of Confederate forces retreated across the river. Colonel Lytle’s cavalry opened fire on a ferry load of Confederates, killing several men and horses. Confederate forces on the opposite bank returned fire, wounding one man and killing 2 horses. The Confederate forces were driven off the opposite bank by the arrival of artillery under the command of Lieutenant Sypher. One ferryboat was destroyed by artillery, one was burned by Union forces and the third was commandeered and turned into a gunboat for the Union.
McDonald, William Lindsey. A walk through the past : people and places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. n.p.: [Killen, Ala.] : Bluewater Pub., 2003., 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). 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). Crane, Gregory R. n.d. "Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Chapter XXII: Operations in Kentucky, Tennessee, North Mississippi, North Alabama, and Southwest Virginia. March 4-June 10, 1862. ." Perseus Digital Library. Accessed April 14, 2015. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2001.05.0057%3Achapter%3D45. Government, Lauderdale County Alabama. 2011. "The History of Lauderdale County." Lauderdale County Online. Accessed April 19, 2015. http://lauderdalecountyonline.com/New_Website/About_LauderdaleCounty/index.html. Wallace, Harry E. n.d. "Lauderdale County, Alabama History." algw.org. Accessed April 14, 2015. http://www.algw.org/lauderdale/historyshoals4.htm.
Photo from following websites: http://www.civilwararchive.com/RESEARCH1/1863/Chickamaugausa4.htm Photo from following websites: http://www.rdonmcleod.org/brigadeer-general-john-adams.html
Hood's Narrow Escape Across the Tennessee
General Hood's Confederate Army of the Tennessee retreats across the Tennessee River
The Bainbridge Ferry was the sight that Confederate General Hood’s Army of the Tennessee used to escape from the Union forces of General George Thomas who was pursuing them from Nashville. General Hood’s forces left Pulaski for Bainbridge to cross the Tennessee River on December 22, 1864. The army arrived on December 25. Lieutenant Colonel Presstman began what was accounted to be his crowning achievement as a military engineer. Presstman quickly reconstructed a pontoon bridge across the Tennessee River in half the time it had taken for the same project nearly two months earlier. The bridge was finished in the early morning hours of December 26. The Army began crossing the bridge that morning and finished on December 28 removing the pontoons to complete the escape. General Forrest’s cavalry harassed the Union forces following from Pulaski to allow Hood the time to finish the bridge. The two corps under General Benjamin Cheatham and Stephen D. Lee crossed the bridge after the wagon trains had crossed. General Alexander P. Stewart’s forces crossed the next day to be followed by General Edward C. Walthall and General Forrest’s cavalry. Union Admiral SP Lee’s “Brown Water Navy” attempted to steam up the river with a flotilla of gunboats. The larger boats were unable to pass the shoals at Florence and only two lighter boats continued toward Bainbridge. Admiral Lee’s boats exchanged fire with Confederate artillery on the two miles upriver from Florence. The boats were unable to navigate the shoals before Bainbridge and were forced to retreat down river.
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). Eric. 2014. "HOOD’S BATTERED ARMY RECROSSES THE TENNESSEE." Civil War Daily Gazette. December 26. Accessed April 11, 2015. http://civilwardailygazette.com/2014/12/26/hoods-battered-army-recrosses-the-tennessee/. n.d. "Civilwarhome.com." Journal of the Army of Tennessee. Accessed April 13, 2015. http://www.civilwarhome.com/journalaotnashville.html.
Photo from following websites: http://civilwardailygazette.com/2014/12/26/hoods-battered-army-recrosses-the-tennessee/ Photo from following websites: http://bshc-granbury.org/wp/the-stories/the-civil-war-era/john-bell-hood
Wilson's 1865 Raid stages at Gravely Springs.
Union General James H. Wilson, Civil War, Raid
Gravely Springs near Oakland in Lauderdale County was the site of Union General James H. Wilson’s headquarters and camp in the winter of 1865. The final Union raid into Alabama was staged in this camp in the early spring of 1865. In January of 1865, General Wilson began assembling his 22,000 man cavalry. Advanced forces began preparatory raids at the end of February. On March 22, 1865, General Wilson’s main forces set out on the largest cavalry raid of the Civil War. The raid destroyed the remaining productive industrial capacity of Alabama at Birmingham and Selma. The raid also burned the University of Alabama and captured Montgomery.
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.
Photo from following websites: http://www.sonstoglory.com/newsletters/pictures/GravellySpringsHistoricMarker.jpg Photo from following websites: http://cartweb.geography.ua.edu/lizardtech/iserv/calcrgn?cat=Special%20Topics&item=Civil%20War/CivilWarWilson.sid&wid=500&hei=400&props=item(Name,Description),cat(Name,Description)&style=simple/view-dhtml.xsl Photo from following websites: https://battleoffranklin.wordpress.com/category/james-h-wilson/
Josiah Higgins; Civil War; USS Cottage; Waterloo, AL; Lauderdale County, AL; Gunboats
The city of Waterloo was shelled by Union gunboats in July 1862. Near the end of July 1862, older men from the town of Waterloo fired on the USS Cottage a transport vessel. The escorting gunboats returned fire, shelling the town. Union soldiers disembarked and arrested several men from the town led by resident Josiah Higgins. The men were sent to federal prison in Alton, Illinois. A member of the group, riverboat captain John Thomas Humphrey died in a makeshift prison camp at McDowell College in St. Louis, Missouri. Higgins was subsequently released and returned to Waterloo.
McDonald, William Lindsey. A walk through the past : people and places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. n.p.: [Killen, Ala.] : Bluewater Pub., 2003., 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015).
Photo from following websites: http://www.altonweb.com/history/civilwar/confed/prison.jpg Photo from following websites: http://records.ancestry.com/josiah_higgins_records.ashx?pid=36523890
Confederate Fort; General Daniel Ruggles; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL; Civil War; General Philip Dale Roddey; Dunbar; General Grenville M. Dodge; Colonel George Gibbs Dribrell
The Old Confederate fort in Florence was constructed by Confederate forces under General Daniel Ruggles in 1862. General Ruggles was born in Massachusetts and graduated from West Point married into a wealthy Virginia family. After the fall of Fort Henry which guarded the Tennessee River from Union forces on the Mississippi River, General Ruggles was placed in charge of the defense of Florence. Control of the fort was vital for either side to cross the river at the shoals. Confederate General Philip Dale Roddey, “Defender of North Alabama,” used the fort as his base in early 1863. During this period, General Roddey used the Port of Florence to repair boats for the Confederate river boats, including the raising of the Dunbar. General Nathan B. Forrest ordered an artillery battery at the fort in the spring of 1863. The battery was commanded by Colonel George Gibbs Dribrell. In last April of 1863, Union General Grenville M. Dodge took Tuscumbia and moved toward the river. Colonel Dribrell’s artillery fire from the fort persuaded the union general to withdraw back to Tuscumbia. The last action at the fort occurred in 1864 as General Hood’s forces were retreating from the battle of Nashville. Union gunboats shelled the fort on their way to try and stop Hood’s army from crossing the Tennessee at Bainbridge. Presently, the Florence Coliseum occupies the former location of the fort.
McDonald, William Lindsey. A walk through the past : people and places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. n.p.: [Killen, Ala.] : Bluewater Pub., 2003., 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). McDonald, William Lindsey, and L. D. Staggs. 2002. Remembering Sweetwater : the mansions, the mills, the people. n.p.: [Killen, Ala.] : Bluewater Publications, [2002], 2002. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). City of Florence, Alabama. n.d. "Historical Markers." Florenceal.org. Accessed April 17, 2015. http://florenceal.org/At_a_Glance/Historical_Markers/index.html.
Photo from following websites: http://florenceal.org/At_a_Glance/Historical_Markers/index.html Photo from following websites: http://www.ranger95.com/civil_war/generals_confederacy/daniel_ruggles.htm Photo from following websites: http://www.civilwarsignals.org/pages/spy/pages/dodge.html
10th Alabama Infantry; Civil War; Colonel Richard Oric Pickett; Tidewater Architecture; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
Colonel Pickett Place, Home of Richard Oric Pickett a Colonel of the 10th Alabama Infantry under the “Defender of North Alabama” Confederate General Philip Roddey. The house is a “double-pile cottage” and rare example of Tidewater architecture in Alabama. The style originated on the southern coast during the colonial period. The house was built in 1833 by Thomas Crowe for his new bride, Elizabeth Hooks, as a wedding present. Richard Oric Pickett’s father, from a Virginia planter family, had moved to Limestone County Alabama in 1829 when Richard was six years old. Richard moved to Florence to begin his study of law in the office of James Irvine. He married Fannie Boggs a sister of Irvine and cousin to Union General Ulysses Grant. The couple moved into what is now known as Pickett Place. Pickett began his own law practice in Moulton. After the outbreak of the Civil War, Pickett organized a group of volunteers for the Confederate army as Company H of the 35th Alabama Infantry. He led the company in the Battles of Baton Rouge and Champion Hill. Pickett was given command of the 10th Alabama Infantry and promoted to Colonel in November 1863.
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). City of Florence, Alabama. n.d. "Historical Markers." Florenceal.org. Accessed April 17, 2015. http://florenceal.org/At_a_Glance/Historical_Markers/index.html.
Photo from following websites: http://florenceal.org/At_a_Glance/Historical_Markers/index.html Photo from following websites: http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/MarkerDetail.cfm?KeyID=39-040&MarkerTitle=Colonel%20Pickett%20Place%201833%20
Civil War; Commander Andrew H. Foote; USS Contestoga; USS Tyler; USS Lexington; CSS Robb; CSS Dunbar; Cypress Creek; General Roddy; Gunboats; Gunwaleford Road; Lauderdale County, AL
Gunwaleford Road earned its name because of a Confederate gunboat becoming lodged in between sand bars on Cypress Creek. After the fall of Fort Henry at the mouth of the Tennessee River, Union gunboats under the command of Commander Andrew H. Foote were sent on a probing mission up the Tennessee River. The USS Contestoga, Tyler, and Lexington steamed up the river toward Florence on February 6, 1862. The major objective of Foote’s sortie upriver was to destroy the Confederate gunboats Robb and Dunbar. The CSS Robb and Dunbar were hiding in Cypress Creek. On April 21, 1862, the CSS Robb was captured by Foote’s forces, and the Dunbar had become stuck on sand bars in Cypress Creek. The Union presuming the Dunbar destroyed and unsalvageable left the wreck in Cypress Creek. While the vessel remained lodged in the creek, local residents used it as a make shift bridge. The road leading to and from the vessel became known as Gunwaleford road. Later in 1862, General Roddy ordered the Dunbar raised and floated upriver past the shoals. The vessel was later captured by Union forces near the end of their campaign in Chattanooga.
Tucker, Spencer C. 2009. "Myron J. Smith, Jr. The Timberclads in the Civil War: The Lexington, Conestoga and Tyler on the Western Waters. Jefferson, NC: McFarland." North & South: The Official Magazine Of The Civil War Society 11, no. 4: 79. America: History and Life with Full Text, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). Hannings, Bud. 2013. Every day of the Civil War : a chronological encyclopedia. n.p.: Boston, Massachusetts : Credo Reference, 2013., 2013. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). 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). Government, Lauderdale County Alabama. 2011. "The History of Lauderdale County." Lauderdale County Online. Accessed April 19, 2015. http://lauderdalecountyonline.com/New_Website/About_LauderdaleCounty/index.html. Hubbs, G. Ward. 2008. "Civil War in Alabama." Encyclopedia of Alabama. January 10. Accessed April 15, 2015. http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1429.
Photo from following websites: http://alabamascenicrivertrail.com/events/?eventID=37&date=09/10/2011 Photo from following websites: http://www.civilwarphotos.net/files/naval_officers.htm Photo from following websites: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USS_Conestoga_h55321.jpg#/media/File:USS_Conestoga_h55321.jpg
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
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.
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.
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/
Jack Peters; Plantations; Civil War; 9th Ohio Cavalry; Colonel James Jackson, Jr.; Captain Joseph N. Hetzler; Colonel Samuel Ives; Confederate Army of the Tennessee; 27th Alabama; 35th Alabama; Lauderdale County, AL
The battle at the Peters’ Plantation took place just before daylight on April 12, 1864. The 9th Ohio Cavalry known to the local in North Alabama as “The White Horse Company” had been foraging the local area from their base camp at the plantation of Jack Peters. The 27th and 35th Alabama regiments of the Confederate Army of the Tennessee were in nearby Lawrence County recruiting. There, they received news from family members in Lauderdale County of the Union cavalry unit. The two commanders of the regiments on hand decided to lead a raid on the Union camp. Colonel James Jackson Jr. of the 27th Alabama was a neighbor of Jack Peters, and Colonel Samuel Ives of the 35th Alabama was a native of Center Star. The commanders chose to lead the attack jointly and picked 150 of the best soldiers from the two regiments. The small Confederate force crossed the Tennessee at Seven Mile Island during the night of the 11th. The Confederate commanders achieved a tactical surprise in the early morning hours of the 12th. According to the 9th Ohio’s records, two privates were killed and thirty-five others were captured including the company’s commanding officer Captain Joseph N. Hetzler. The remainder of 147 members of the 9th Ohio escaped to Florence under the leadership of three lieutenants raising the alarm that “General Forrest” was attacking. In response to the late night attack the Union forces evacuated Florence. Meanwhile, Jackson and Ives returned to Franklin County with the prisoners in tow. The Confederate force also captured food and livestock which had been taken from the local population by the 9th Ohio. All those captured except for Captain Hetzler were sent to the prison camp in Andersonville, Georgia. Twenty-one of the thirty-five died as a result of their imprisonment.
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). Wallace, Harry E. n.d. "Lauderdale County, Alabama History." algw.org. Accessed April 14, 2015. http://www.algw.org/lauderdale/historyshoals4.htm.
Photo from following websites: http://www.algw.org/lauderdale/historyshoals4.htm
General Forrest Hides on Seven Mile Island
Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest; Civil War; Colonel W.H. Morgan; Lauderdale County, AL
Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest hid his men on Seven Mile Island in Florence October 5-6, 1864. General Forrest’s cavalry crossed into Lauderdale County at Colbert Shoal and rode down the Huntsville Road toward Athens. After raiding Athens and then disrupting the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, Forrest’s cavalry were chased back into Alabama by Union cavalry under Colonel W.H. Morgan. With the river flooded, Forrest’s hopes to use the Bainbridge Ferry were dashed, and he had to improvise. Forrest’s troops located and used a barge to ferry the men across while the horses swam. Lieutenant Colonel Windes regiment of the 4th Alabama Cavalry was left to provide cover as Colonel Morgan’s forces bore down on the Confederates. Forrest then camped on Seven Mile Island with no fires in the chill of the fall nights until the covering regiment was able to reunite with his command.
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). Pitts, Alan. 2005. "The Alabama in the Civil War Message Board - Archive." History-sites.com. August 8. Accessed April 17, 2015. http://www.history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs62x/alcwmb/arch_config.pl?md=read;id=19361. Wallace, Harry E. n.d. "Lauderdale County, Alabama History." algw.org. Accessed April 14, 2015. http://www.algw.org/lauderdale/historyshoals4.htm.
Photo from following websites: http://battleofselma.com/?page_id=1208
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
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.
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).
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
Confederate General John Bell Hood; Civil War; General Hatch; Lieutenant Colonel Stephen W. Presstman; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL; Tennessee River
After Union General Williams T. Sherman captured Atlanta in September of 1864, Confederate General John Bell Hood devised a plan to aide General Lee in Virginia by going through Ohio. The plan necessitated a crossing of the Tennessee River. Hood’s forces were blocked by strong union positions at Guntersville and Decatur. This left Florence as the only viable option for a large force to cross the river. Florence was occupied at the time by a force of Union cavalry numbering about four thousand under the command of General Hatch. The Confederate army arrived at Bainbridge, Tuscumbia, Leighton, and South Port on October 27th. The Union forces placed a strong picket at the destroyed railroad bridge. Hood ordered a nighttime boat crossing of the flooded river at two points, South Port and two and half miles upriver for October 29. The crossing at South Port under General Clayton went smoothly with covering fire from artillery batteries stationed on the south bank. Colonel Gibson’s brigade landed and drove the Union forces from banks of the Tennessee. Meanwhile, the landing force upriver under General Johnson found the shoals to be treacherous. After some delay, Johnson took one brigade and moved inland to attempt to cut off the union retreat. Johnson’s forces engaged part of the retreating Union cavalry. Although the Union cavalry lost forty men they were able to slip by Johnson’s brigade and make it across Shoal Creek. With the north bank secured, Hood’s chief engineer, Lieutenant Colonel Stephen W. Presstman, was placed in charge of the crossing. Because the river was flooded, Presstman decided to make use of the piers from the destroyed railroad bridge across the Tennessee. The pontoons were anchored to the piers for superior stability. The pontoon bridge was completed early the next evening. Johnson and Clayton’s divisions were the first across the pontoon bridge in order to reunite their respective commands. As Hood’s crossing continued General Hatch reformed his men and retreated north to Waynesborough Tennessee. After several delays caused by weather, Hood’s force of 32,000 were finally reconstituted in Lauderdale County on November 20.
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). Edgar D. Byler, III. n.d. "GENERAL JOHN BELL HOOD'S INVASION OF TENNESSEE." tngenweb.org. Accessed April 11, 2015. http://www.tngenweb.org/wayne/Hood.htm. Eric. 2014. "HOOD’S BATTERED ARMY RECROSSES THE TENNESSEE." Civil War Daily Gazette. December 26. Accessed April 11, 2015. http://civilwardailygazette.com/2014/12/26/hoods-battered-army-recrosses-the-tennessee/. Wallace, Harry E. n.d. "Lauderdale County, Alabama History." algw.org. Accessed April 14, 2015. http://www.algw.org/lauderdale/historyshoals4.htm.
Photo from following websites: http://civilwardailygazette.com/2014/10/30/hoods-confederates-finally-cross-the-tennessee/ Photo from following websites: http://bshc-granbury.org/wp/the-stories/the-civil-war-era/john-bell-hood
Confederate Brigadier General Sterling Wood from Florence
Brigadier General Sterling Wood; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL; Civil War; Confederacy
Sterling Wood was a Brigadier General for the Confederate Army from Lauderdale County. Wood passed the bar to become a practicing lawyer in 1845 and joined his brother’s practice in Florence, Alabama. Wood was elected to represent Lauderdale County in the Alabama House of Representatives in 1857. He was chosen to serve as district solicitor in that session. After Alabama succeeded in 1861, Wood joined the Confederate Army as a captain in the 7th Alabama and was elected its Colonel. Wood was promoted to Brigadier General on January 7, 1862. General Wood was engaged in many of the pivotal battles in the Western Theater of the Civil War. His brigade fought under General Johnston at Shiloh as part of Hardee’s corps. His command participated in the Kentucky campaign of General Bragg. In that campaign he was recognized for valor at Perryville, where he was severely wounded. His command was again active in the Murfreesboro campaign. The last battle for Wood was Chickamauga after which he resigned his commission. After the war he resumed practice as a lawyer in Tuscaloosa.
Derry, Joseph Tyrone. 1895. Story of the Confederate States; or, History of the war for southern independence embracing a brief but comprehensive sketch of the early settlement of the country, trouble with the Indians, the French, revolutionary and Mexican wars. n.p.: Richmond, Va. : B.F. Johnson publishing company, 1895., 1895. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed May 1, 2015). Evans, Clement A. 1962. Confederate military history; a library of Confederate States history, in twelve volumes. n.p.: New York : Thomas Yoseloff, [1962], 1962. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015).
Photo from following websites: http://www.google.com/search?q=Brigadier+General+Sterling+Wood+from+Florence&safe=active&rlz=1C1EODB_enUS572US572&es_sm=93&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=u5hHVYHvB4SXgwTKoYGYCw&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAg&biw=1150&bih=666&dpr=0.9&surl=1#safe=active&tbm=isch&q=Florence+alabama+wesleyan+hall&imgrc=GK5UMAdfhCjO6M%253A%3BmnyYYoTTC2SMqM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fcdn.stateuniversity.com%252Fassets%252Flogos%252Fimages%252F581%252Flarge_Wesleyan_hall.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.stateuniversity.com%252Funiversities%252FAL%252FUniversity_of_North_Alabama.html%3B500%3B375 Photo from following websites: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=11114
Center Star; Civil War; Confederate Colonel Williams Johnson; 9th Ohio Cavalry; Lauderdale County, AL
Confederate Colonel William Johnson’s 4th Alabama Cavalry crossed the Tennessee River and attacked the 7th Illinois infantry encamped near Center Star on May 7, 1864. A six hour battle ensued. The Confederate raid caused 35 casualties and drove the Union into retreat back toward Rogersville. There the 7th Illinois joined up with the 9th Ohio Cavalry under the command of Colonel Rowett. On May13, the combined Union force attacked Johnson’s camp at Center Star. As a result of the second engagement, the confederate forces were driven back across the river.
Hannings, Bud. 2013. Every day of the Civil War : a chronological encyclopedia. n.p.: Boston, Massachusetts : Credo Reference, 2013., 2013. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). 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). n.d. "Illinois Adjutant General's Report." old-new-orleans.co. Accessed April 18, 2015. http://www.old-new-orleans.com/ILLINOIS_CW_reghist.pdf.
Photo from following websites: http://www.oocities.org/bourbonstreet/Delta/3843/johnson.htm Photo from following websites: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=40292381
Cow Pen Factory; Civil War; Green Hill; Colonel Florence M. Cornyn; Lauderdale County, AL
The Cow Pen Factory was a water powered mill on Cow Pen Creek near Green Hill, Alabama. The factory had been founded in 1850. In 1860, the factory employed sixty-eight men and sixteen women and produced 117,600 yards of cloth. In the early years of the civil war, it produced uniforms for the Confederate Army. During Colonel Florence M. Cornyn’s raid on Lauderdale County in the spring of 1863, Union troops burned the factory along with several other industrial sites in the county. The factory was rebuilt after the war and operated until 1880.
McDonald, William Lindsey. A walk through the past : people and places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. n.p.: [Killen, Ala.] : Bluewater Pub., 2003., 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). 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). McDonald, William Lindsey. 2003. "Alabama Trails Business & Manfacturies." genealogytrails.com. Accessed April 10, 2015. http://genealogytrails.com/ala/lauderdale/businesspast.html.
Photo from following websites: http://civilwartalk.com/threads/corinth-ms-court-martial-and-murder-of-colonel-francis-cornyn-10th-missouri-cavalry.108468/
Courtview Headquarters of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest
Courtview; Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest; Greek Revival Architecture; Sarah Independence McDonald; University of North Alabama; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
The Greek revival mansion built in 1855 by George Washington Foster required an act of the Alabama legislature to close Court Street. Foster’s daughter Sarah Independence McDonald and her family lived there until 1900, when it was purchased by Emmet O’Neal. Therefore, it had a commanding view of the town and river below. Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest chose this vantage for his headquarters while the Army of the Tennessee prepared for its ill-fated invasion of Tennessee. In 1922, Thomas M. Rogers bought the house and in 1948 the University of North Alabama acquired it.
Hannings, Bud. 2013. Every day of the Civil War : a chronological encyclopedia. n.p.: Boston, Massachusetts : Credo Reference, 2013., 2013. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015).
Photo from following websites: http://battleofselma.com/?page_id=1208 Photo from following websites: https://www.una.edu/history/Historic%20UNA/rogers-hall.html
Mapleton; Civil War; Levi Todd; Robert McFarland; Colonel John Harlan; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
The residence of Mapleton was built in the Federalist style under the direction of a South American architect. During the Civil War it was known as Todd’s Hill because it was the home of local physician Levi Todd. When the Union occupied Florence in 1862, Colonel John Harlan of the 10th Kentucky headquarter there. Colonel Harlan, who was famous in the area for arresting a local Presbyterian minister for praying for the Confederacy, would later become an associate justice of the US Supreme Court. After the war, Confederate Major Robert McFarland purchased the house. Robert McFarland was born in Londonderry County, Ireland, on August 6, 1836. He had been educated and prepared for a life in the British army. When he failed to get in the Crimean War, he left Britain for the United States in 1854. After graduating from Washington College, he studied law under John W. Brokenborough in Lexington, Virginia. He attained a Bachelor of Law in 1860 and moved to Florence in April of that year. In Florence he partnered with James B. Irvine. When the Civil War broke out McFarland volunteered in the Confederate Army and was made a captain in the 4th Alabama Infantry. He fought in the first battle of Manassas. After his first twelve month enlistment was up, he was tasked with recruiting a cavalry regiment. His new regiment joined General John H. Morgan and participated in the Ohio raid. When General Morgan was captured, McFarland’s regiment was transferred to General Cleburne’s command. He led a charge at Dug Gap for which his gallantry was cited by General Cleburne. At Villa Rica, Georgia, he was wounded severely when his horse was shot out from under him. McFarland was on station in Huntsville from December 1864 until Union forces drove him out of the city in January 1865. After the war, he returned to Florence and practicing law.
Hannings, Bud. 2013. Every day of the Civil War : a chronological encyclopedia. n.p.: Boston, Massachusetts : Credo Reference, 2013., 2013. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). T. A. DeLand, A. Davis Smith. n.d. "genealogytrails.com." Alabama Trails Biographies. Accessed April 17, 2015. http://genealogytrails.com/ala/lauderdale/biomcfarland.html. Scott, Jaqueline E. 1990. "Major McFarland makes Florence his home." Times Daily, July 9: 4d.
Photo from following websites: http://genealogytrails.com/ala/lauderdale/biomcfarland.html Photo from following websites: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/116389971590120539/ Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, ALA,39-FLO,6-3
Wilson Dam; Tennessee River; TVA; National Defense Act of 1916; Henry Ford; Franklin Roosevelt; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL; Colbert County, AL
Wilson Dam is a gravity dam spanning the Tennessee River between Lauderdale and Colbert counties in the quad cities area. The dam was originally constructed by the US Army Corps of Engineers between 1918 and 1924. The project was envisioned as a part of the National Defense Act of 1916 during the run up to World War I to provide power for two nitrate plants intended to produce explosives for the war effort. The massive federal program cost $130 million dollars, however the first electrical generation from the plant was not until 1925 long after the end of the war. Although the properties attracted the attention of notable industrialist Henry Ford, who offered $5 million for them and promised to make the shoals the “Detroit of the South,” they languished in governmental limbo until the New Deal programs of Franklin Roosevelt. Impressed by the potential of the properties, Roosevelt’s team made the dam’s operational model the theme for the TVA’s economic invigoration of the entire Tennessee River region. The model was to incorporate a threefold purpose for each dam; flood control, navigational locks, and hydroelectric power generation. The dam has underwent few significant change in structure since its completion. An expansion of the locking system was completed in 1959 making it the largest single-chamber system in the world at that time. There has also been an additional nine spillways have been added. However, the neoclassical style incorporating elements of ancient Greece and Rome has remained a distinguishing feature for Wilson Dam as the only dam in the TVA system with that architectural style.
Ezzell, Patricia Bernard. 2012. Wilson Dam and Reservoir. June 14. http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-3268. History, Alabama. Dept. of Archives and. 2007. Lienhard, John H. 2014. No. 2261: Muscle Shoals. January 23. http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi2261.htm. TVA. n.d. Wilson Resivor. http://www.tva.gov/sites/wilson.htm.
Photo from following websites: http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/m-3314 Photo from following websites: http://www.tva.gov/sites/wilson.htm.
President Elect Franklin Roosevelt Visits Florence
Franklin Roosevelt; Florence, AL; Tennessee Valley Authority; Wilson Dam; Lauderdale County, AL
President elect Franklin Roosevelt visited Florence on January 21 and 22, 1933. The President was in the area touring Wilson Dam as a model for his proposal of a Tennessee Valley Authority. The design of the program, drafted by Senator George Norris of Nebraska, was to bring power and economic development to the region. The visiting dignitaries included three senators, George Norris, Kenneth McKellar, Clarence Dill; Tennessee governor Hill McAlister; Alabama Governor Benjamin Miller; and President Roosevelt’s daughter Mrs. Curtis Dell. The city was packed for the President’s arrival with Court and Tennessee Streets packed as the presidential limousine passed that way. The president attended Sunday services at the First United Methodist Church at the suggestion of Dr. Henry Willingham, President of the State Normal College in Florence.
McDonald, William Lindsey. A walk through the past : people and places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. n.p.: [Killen, Ala.] : Bluewater Pub., 2003., 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). 1933. "Encyclopedia of Alabama." Roosevelt Visits Wilson Dam. January. Accessed April 20, 2015. http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/m-3314.
Photo from following websites: http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/m-3314
Robin Lightfoot; Lynching; Bushwhackers; Civil War; African American History; Lauderdale County, AL
Robin Lightfoot, a mixed blood slave, help to organize the first church of African Americans at Florence, Church Spring, in 1837. Reverend Lightfoot preached on the hope for eventual emancipation for his people. While Union General Don Carlos Buell occupied Florence in 1862, Reverend Lightfoot’s sermons were relayed to local Bushwhackers, pro-confederate guerillas. The Bushwhackers captured Reverend Lightfoot at the current location of Wood Avenue Church of Christ. They hauled him to Stewart Spring and lynched him in an oak tree.
Debra Glass, Maed and Military Historian, Heath Mathews. n.d. "Civil War's Western Theater." armyoftennessee.wordpress.com. Accessed April 19, 2015. https://armyoftennessee.wordpress.com/two-martyrs-robin-lightfoot-and-w-h-mitchell/.
Bridget Blessing Morrison Hiding Friends and Enemies
Bridget Blessing Morrison; Zebulon Pike Morrison; Civil War; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
Bridget Blessing Morrison lived on the southeast corner of Wood Avenue and Mobile Street. She was born in Montreal, Canada. Her father brought his family to Florence during the early 1830s to work as an engineer on the first Muscle Shoals Canal. She married Zebulon Pike Morrison, an undertaker and contractor. During the Civil War, Zebulon Morrison built a secret compartment for hiding valuables and eventually food from plundering troops. During the first Union occupation of Florence, Union troops were quartered with the Morrisons. When the Confederate forces moved back into the area, one of the officers who had been wounded in a nearby skirmish could not be evacuated with the retreating Union forces. Mrs. Morrison hid the wounded soldier in the secret compartment and nursed him back to health. Later when the Union forces had again taken Florence, Mrs. Morrison’s nephew who was a Confederate courier was on the run from Union forces. She hid him in the same secret compartment. When the Union forces arrived she recognized their commander as the same man she had hid earlier. The commander made a show of searching the house and left the hiding place alone. Reportedly he departed saying half of a bible verse, “My lady, cast thy bread upon the waters.” The second half from Ecclesiastes finishes “… for thou shalt find it after many days.”
Photo from following websites: http://www.trva-tcwc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Muscle-Shoals-Canal-Map2.jpg
Union Gunboat Raid on the Florence Docks
Civil War; Union Gunboat Raid; Florence Docks; USS Conestoga; USS Tyler; USS Lexington; Captain Fowler; Commander Andrew H. Foote; CSS Sam Kirkman; CSS Julius Smith; CSS Time; CSS Dunbar; Lieutenant Phelps; Lauderdale County, AL
The Union Gunboat raid on Florence, by vessels under the command of Commander Andrew H. Foote began on February 7, 1862. The USS Conestoga, Tyler, and Lexington had steamed up the river on February 6, in pursuit of Confederate steamers. The CSS Dunbar arrived at the Florence docks around 8:00 the night of February 7. Captain Fowler of the Dunbar warned the local commander of the approaching Union gunboats and organized the offloading of his vessels cargo for transport by rail to Tuscumbia. Later that night the CSS Sam Kirkman, Julius Smith, and Time arrived in Florence. At 8:30 on the morning of February 8, a message arrived in Florence from Confederate General Albert Sydney Johnston. General Johnston ordered that the rail bridge across the Tennessee River at Florence be taken down in order to allow the fleeing steamers to pass the shoals. The citizens of Florence protested the orders to local commanders and would not allow the bridge to be destroyed. Having finished unloading, the Dunbar steamed out of the Florence port and into Cypress Creek to hide until the Union boats withdrew. About 2:00 on the afternoon of February 8, the crews of the confederate steamers set their vessels ablaze after the Union gunboats had been spotted on the river. When Lexington and Conestoga under command of Lieutenant Phelps came into view of the docks, riflemen on the bank opened fire on them. Meanwhile, the crew of the Smith set her adrift full throttle toward the Union gunboats. The Conestoga opened fire on the riflemen on the bank, forcing them to abandon the field, but the Lexington had to maneuver out of the way of the drifting Smith. The Conestoga docked, and Lieutenant Phelps ordered a boarding party to save the burning boats. Although the boats were already unsalvageable, the boarding parties were able to confiscate Confederate government items valued at $100,000. Lieutenant Phelps then sent men to inspect the local warehouses where they discovered iron bars and plating that was on its way to outfit the nearly complete Confederate gunboat Eastport, which Commander Foote’s forces had captured early that week. While exploiting the warehouses, a contingent of citizens from the town met with Phelps to express concerns for the safety of the citizenry, bridge, and property. The lieutenant assured the group that the people, bridge, and property of the town would not be damaged. Phelps was good as his word and left the town and bridge untouched, only taking or destroying the Confederate supplies at the docks. The bridge would survive for another month, when Confederate forces would burn it to cover their retreat.
Tucker, Spencer C. 2009. "Myron J. Smith, Jr. The Timberclads in the Civil War: The Lexington, Conestoga and Tyler on the Western Waters. Jefferson, NC: McFarland." North & South: The Official Magazine Of The Civil War Society 11, no. 4: 79. America: History and Life with Full Text, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015).
Photo from following websites: http://www.civilwarphotos.net/files/naval_officers.htm Photo from following websites: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USS_Conestoga_h55321.jpg#/media/File:USS_Conestoga_h55321.jpg
Confederate Steam Boats Captured in Waterloo
Confederate Steamboats; Waterloo, AL; Civil War; Lauderdale County, AL; Tennessee River; Commander Andrew H. Foote; Fort Henry
After the fall of Fort Henry at the mouth of the Tennessee River, the USS Contestoga, Tyler, and Lexington steamed up the river on February 6, in pursuit of Confederate steamers. The Union forces under the command of Commander Andrew H. Foote captured to confederate supply steamers at Waterloo Landing. The cargo steamers Sallie Wood and Muscle were taken as prize vessels. The Muscle was carrying a load of iron in route to the Tredgar Iron Works in Richmond.
Photo from following websites: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USS_Conestoga_h55321.jpg#/media/File:USS_Conestoga_h55321.jpg
Mountain Tom Clark; Tories; Outlaws; Civil War; Bugger; Lauderdale County, AL
One of the most notorious outlaws in the Tennessee Valley moved to Lauderdale County in late 1862 or early 1863. He was known as Mountain Tom Clark because he was known to have been from the “mountain counties.” This moniker helped to distinguish him from another man also named Tom Clark living in the same Blackburn area that he moved into. Reportedly, Mountain Tom had left his home with his wife and small child to avoid the being conscripted into the Confederate army. This evasion was to no avail as the conscript officers found him in his new home and took him into the Confederate army. He soon deserted the Confederate army and enlisted in the Union army. Later, after running afoul of army discipline, he deserted that army as well. It was then that he took whole heartedly to his life of crime. He joined in with a group of men who had likewise deserted both armies and were then engaged in robbing, raping, and murdering in and around Lauderdale County. Mountain Tom was credited with many crimes in the surrounding area, some of which he may have committed. Some of the crimes which formed the legal case against Clark were the Wilson plantation murder, the torture and robbing of several Florence citizens, and the murder of Mr. Howell. Clark was eventually arrested in Jackson County and extradited to Florence. In October of 1872, a mob of outraged citizens in Florence stormed the jail and drug Clark along with to others out to be lynched. One person among the mob remembered that he had once boasted that “nobody will ever run over Tom Clark.” According to legend, the mob decided it would be fitting to bury Mountain Tom Clark under the street so that he would forever be run over by the town he had terrorized during and after the Civil War.
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). Fedore, T. S. 1893. "Outlaw Tom Clark." Florence Times, March 4: 1.
Photo from following websites: http://thecemeterydetective.com/florence-cemetery-florence-alabama/mountain_tom_clark/
Civil War; Happy Hollow; Brigadier General Edward Hatch; Baugh’s Ford; General Hood; Shoal Creek; Jackson’s Military Road; Lauderdale County, AL
The most contested ground in the Lauderdale County during the Civil War was most probably the area known as Happy Hollow. This engagement occurred in and around the area that Jackson’s Military Road crossed Shoal Creek in the area then known as Baugh’s Ford. Union General Croxton’s brigade on the west side of the creek was reinforced on November 6, by Brigadier General Edward Hatch and his 5th Division. From November 6 until just before General Hood’s Confederate army moved out of Florence on November 21, there were skirmishes on an almost daily basis at the ford. Both armies sent out probing and scouting missions over the creek. The Union forces made three attempts to capture the flour and gristmills on Shoal Creek before finally capturing them on November 9. The skirmishing continued until November 19th, when the 9th Illinois ran into a Confederate wagon train on Cloverdale Road. Despite losing thirty men, the Union forces captured several wagons and prisoners. The raid also turned up documents that detailed Hood’s plans for his campaign into Tennessee. The Union forces withdrew ceding the ford to Hood’s army. The Army of the Tennessee moved out of Florence on November 21.
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). McDonald, William Lindsey. A walk through the past : people and places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. n.p.: [Killen, Ala.] : Bluewater Pub., 2003., 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). Edgar D. Byler, III. n.d. "GENERAL JOHN BELL HOOD'S INVASION OF TENNESSEE." tngenweb.org. Accessed April 11, 2015. http://www.tngenweb.org/wayne/Hood.htm. Eric. 2014. "HOOD’S BATTERED ARMY RECROSSES THE TENNESSEE." Civil War Daily Gazette. December 26. Accessed April 11, 2015. http://civilwardailygazette.com/2014/12/26/hoods-battered-army-recrosses-the-tennessee/. Wallace, Harry E. n.d. "Lauderdale County, Alabama History." algw.org. Accessed April 14, 2015. http://www.algw.org/lauderdale/historyshoals4.htm.
Photo from following websites: http://bridgehunter.com/al/lauderdale/528/
Wright and Rice Foundry; Civil War; Colonel Florence M. Cornyn; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
The Wright and Rice Foundry was located where the Mars Hill Church of Christ is located on Cox Creek. The foundry was built in 1835 by Williams Johnson but was sold to James Wright and William Rice. The foundry produced steam engines, mill saws, cotton gins, farming implements, and industrial machinery. At the outbreak of the Civil War, the foundry was converted for the manufacture of shells and munitions for weapons, ranging from large cannons to musket balls. This made the foundry a primary target for the Union force commanded by Colonel Florence M. Cornyn. The force of 1,380 men left Corinth, Mississippi, on May 26, 1863, on a mission to destroy the industrial capacity of Lauderdale County. Cornyn’s forces destroyed the foundry, along with many other industrial sites in the County, and then withdrew back to Mississippi.
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). McDonald, William Lindsey. 2003. "Alabama Trails Business & Manfacturies." genealogytrails.com. Accessed April 10, 2015. http://genealogytrails.com/ala/lauderdale/businesspast.html. Wallace, Harry E. n.d. "Lauderdale County, Alabama History." algw.org. Accessed April 14, 2015. http://www.algw.org/lauderdale/historyshoals4.htm.
Photo from following website: https://flplarchive.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/picture5.jpg
Preacher Arrested in Florence for Praying
Union Occupation; Florence, AL; Civil War; Dr. W.H. Mitchell; Union Colonel John Marshall Harlan
After the Union forces captured Florence in 1862, the Union military officials issued an edict that forbade praying for the Confederacy. The pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Florence was arrested for violating this decree on Sunday, July 27, 1862. The pastor’s name was Dr. W.H. Mitchell, who had received a doctorate in divinity from Princeton. He came to Florence in 1847 after serving as pastor in Prattville, Wetumpka, and Montgomery. On the morning of July 27, Dr. Mitchell surveyed his congregation from the pulpit. He noticed that several Union soldiers were seated in the pews. Knowing that the edict had been issued and incensed at the affront to religious liberty, he prayed for President Jefferson Davis and the success of the Confederate Armies. As soon as the amen was called, Union Colonel John Marshall Harlan, Provost Marshal of the 10th Kentucky and future Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court, marched up the aisle and arrested Dr. Mitchell, informing the congregation that the service was over. Mitchell was placed under guard, marched across the Tennessee River, and placed on a train bound for Federal prison in Alton, Illinois. Mitchell remained in prison for three months. A group of relatives and friends were able to secure his release in early October. He returned to the pulpit on October 12, 1862. He remained the pastor of First Presbyterian until he retired in 1871. The congregation jokingly called him the “prison pastor” and placed a memorial window in the sanctuary after his death in 1872.
McDonald, William Lindsey. A walk through the past : people and places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. n.p.: [Killen, Ala.] : Bluewater Pub., 2003., 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). 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). Debra Glass, MAed and Military Historian, Heath Mathews. n.d. "Civil War's Western Theater." armyoftennessee.wordpress.com. Accessed April 19, 2015. https://armyoftennessee.wordpress.com/two-martyrs-robin-lightfoot-and-w-h-mitchell/.
Photo from following websites: http://kynghistory.ky.gov/history/2qtr/addinfo/john+marshall+harlan+bio.htm
National Register of Historic Places; Florence, AL
The water tower has served as a landmark for the city of Florence since its construction in 1889 by the Jeter and Boardman Gas and Water Association. The stone buttressed masonry tower is seventy feet high and topped by a 282,000 gallon cast iron tank that is 30 feet high and 40 feet in diameter. The tower is located on a plateau two miles north of the center of town roughly sixty feet above the average elevation of the town. The water quality of the tank was reportedly exceptionally fine with the water drawn from clear Cypress Creek as opposed to the often muddy Tennessee River. The tower replaced an earlier waster system provided by the Cypress Water Company and continued to serve the Florence area until it was phased out in 1935. The water tower was built during an industrial and population boom in the late 1880s and early 1890s resulting from the completion of the redesigned Muscle Shoals Canal System. In anticipation of further growth, the current population was 12,000 to 15,000, the tower’s capacity was designed to serve a city of 35,000 -50,000 people. However, by 1891 the boom was over and the population dwindled to 6,000. The tower is significant to the history of Florence, Lauderdale County, and the region as a surviving example of 1870-1880s city water works technology. Around the turn of the 20th century elevated tanks on exposed metal trestles gained popularity due to the superior engineering and lower costs of construction. The tower also serves as a vivid reminder of the 1889-1891 economic boom and the plans and dreams to prolong the industrial and population growth. The water tower was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Additional information can be found on the National Park Service’s National Register data base, or on the Florence Historical Board Historic Marker on site.
Missy Brown, University of North Alabama
National Register of Historic Places Downtown Florence
National Register of Historic Places - Rogers Department Store 117 Court Street Florence, Alabama Rogers Department Store began on the site in 1894 as the Surprise Store founded by B.A. Rogers and his sons T.M. and B.A. Jr. The early business was known for its use of clearly marked price tags which was unusual in the area during the time period. The current building dates from 1910 and incorporates an extensive remodel in 1944-48. The building is significant to the downtown Florence commercial district as the most prominent commercial building in North Alabama for numerous years and its continuing prominence in the downtown historic district to date. It is also unique because it has been continuously owned by the same family since its conception in 1894. The current building is also significant as a rare example of the Art Deco architectural style in the Florence area. Another good example is the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library built in 1948 and located on Wood Avenue. The 1944-48 (Art Deco) remodel of the 1910 two story brick building was designed by the Memphis based architectural firm of Hulsey and Hall and represents the building trend of simple streamlined facades with minimal detailing and flexible configuration of interior spaces. Rogers Department Store was one of the first stores in northern Alabama to install elevators and central air conditioning. The building was listed on the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places in 1998, more information can be found in the National Register nomination on the Park Service’s data base. Stancell, Pat and Trina Binkley. National Register Nomination "Rogers Department Store" (#98001025) (8/14/98).
National Register of Historic Places (#98001025)
National Register of Historic Places; Education; Florence, AL
National Register of Historic Places - F.T. Appleby Junior High School – originally Coffee High School – 319 Hermitage Drive Florence, AL Nomination still listed with the state and on the NPS data base –building destroyed in the 1980s. Now part of UNA.
National Register of Historic Places (#82002045)
Southall Drug is significant to the history of Florence for its architectural style and as a leading business in the downtown area owned and operated by the same family for over 50 years. The 1900 building is a prime example of a late 19th century Italianate commercial structure as constructed in small Alabama towns. Italianate styled buildings were introduced in the northeastern United States as early as the 1840s and quickly spread to other cities across the country becoming one of the most popular styles by 1860. The trend continued more slowly into the less populated areas of the country and remained popular through the early 20th century. The Southall Drug building is sited on a dominant commercial corner in downtown Florence and exemplifies the Italianate architectural style with heavy reddish-brown brick walls laid in running bond with matching mortar and arched windows separated on the second floor by brick pilasters. Though the two original heavy metal cornices, located above and below the pilasters, are missing the building still retains the feel of an Italianate structure in part because the parapet located around the front corner of the building is reminiscent of the typical Italianate tower. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic places in 1980 and more information on the property can be obtained in the National Register nomination. All information and photos for this Omeka entry were found in the nomination.
Mertins, Ellen and Harvie Jones. National Register Nomination. "Southall Drugs" (#80000699) (8/21/80).
National Register of Historic Places "Tidewater Cottages in the Tennessee Valley" Thematic nomination Architecture
National Register of Historic Places property - William Kroger House - south side of Smithsonia – Rhodesville Road about 4 miles northeast of Smithsonia The actual construction date of the William Kroger House is unknown but stylistic details place construction around 1830. The property is significant as an example of an early housing style in northern Alabama and for its association with early settlement patterns in the same area. The story and a half brick gable end house was built for William and Martha Kroger, both native of Virginia, with simple lines in a style that became known as a “tidewater cottage”. Martha’s family’s migration is known and entails time in Tennessee before the settlement in Alabama. This was a common settlement pattern during the early 19th century and often included Alabama as only a temporary residence before moving on to Mississippi or Texas in search of better land. The section of Lauderdale County where William and Martha Kroger settled is known as the “Colbert Reserve” or “the Bend” west of Florence in a fertile area north of the Tennessee River. The property also contains a historic board and batten outbuilding and a small overgrown plantation cemetery southwest of the house. Tidewater cottages in the Tennessee Valley of this configuration also followed migratory patterns to earlier settlement areas in Virginia and Maryland. Robert Gamble in Historic Architecture of Alabama states that the 19th century versions of the style, like those in the Tennessee Valley of North Alabama, tend to have smaller chimneys and a shallower roof pitch than the colonial examples in Virginia and Maryland. Tidewater cottages are identified by their simplicity and their height to length ratio (double cube) with the house being twice as long as it is high. The Kroger House is a brick double pile form with the depth ratio mimicking that of the front elevation. Another example of the Tidewater cottage form in Lauderdale County can be found in the Peter F. Armistead house on Waterloo Road 3 miles west of Florence. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 as part of a “Tidewater Cottages in the Tennessee Valley” thematic nomination. More information about the house can be found on the website of the Alabama Historical Commission or the National Register data base of the National Park Service.
National Register nomination (#86001542)
National Register of Historic Places; Tidewater Cottage: Multi-Property Nomination; Architecture; Florence, AL
The Peter Fontaine Armistead Sr. House is significant to Lauderdale County and northern Alabama as an excellent example of migration and settlement patterns in the area in terms of population, plantation economy, and architectural styles. Peter and his wife Martha Henry Winston Armistead were natives of Culpepper County, Virginia and moved to the area in the early 1820s. It was common during this period for settlers to migrate from the older states along the middle/Southern Atlantic seaboard many making their homes temporarily in middle Tennessee before settling and establishing plantations or farms in northern Alabama. Some, like Peter, continuing on to Mississippi or Texas in search of better or additional land in a progressive western migration pattern. The Armisteads developed a large slave-based cotton plantation in the fertile lands five miles northwest of Florence. Mrs. Armistead remained in the area until her death in 1870 but Peter Armistead Sr. moved to Mississippi in the late 1840s. The architectural style of the Armistead house also reflects those western migration patterns being very similar to homes of Virginia and Maryland dating back to the colonial area. There are numerous houses in the Tennessee Valley that reflect the style and configuration and are known as “tidewater cottages”. The remaining, largely intact examples of the style were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 as part of a thematic nomination entitled “Tidewater Cottages in the Tennessee Valley”. The house has remarkable similarities to Mrs. Martha Armistead’s ancestral home in Virginia, Glen Ella, built in 1799. The Armistead House is unusual as the only wood frame double pile (two rooms deep and two rooms wide) example in the nomination. The house is also different from the others in that a central room is located behind the front stair hall. Tidewater Cottages are recognized by their simplicity of design, side gables with exterior end chimneys and the proportion ratio of their front elevation. The houses are twice as long as they are tall. The Armistead example has three gabled dormers. The house has lost some original material, chimney and siding, and one story wings and porches were added but the overall integrity of the house remains. Interior features are largely intact including doors, chair rail, and baseboards. Another Lauderdale County example of the Tidewater Cottage can be found in the William Kroger House on the Smithsonia - Rhodesville Road about 4 miles northeast of Smithsonia. The information above was found in the National Register nomination and additional information can be found on the National Park Service’s NR data base.
Alabama Historical Commission. National Register Nomination."Armistead, Peter F., Sr. House (Tidewater Cottages in the Tennessee Valley TR)" (#86001540) (7/9/86)
National Register of Historic Places; Lustron House; Architecture; Florence, AL
The William Bowen House at 1145 Wildwood Park Road was built in 1949 and nominated to the National Register for its significance to architecture. The one story two bedroom Lustron House is a metal prefabricated house clad in enameled steel in two foot by two foot panels. The side gable roof is also covered in enameled steel panels designed to look like tile. The interior wall and ceiling also covered in the enameled panels are original as are the built in bookshelves, vanity, and closets. At the time of the National Register nomination in 2000 most of the interior was unchanged. The Lustron Corporation manufactured prefabricated steel and enameled paneled homes to meet the housing demands created by returning soldiers from World War II. The Columbus, Ohio based company operated between 1946 and 1950 and built 2,495 houses in a retooled Curtis-Wright airplane parts factory. The closed system factory constructed all 3,000 components of the house from steel and packaged the parts directly on specialized truck beds designed to hold and deliver one Lustron House. Lustron Houses, like the automobile they so closely resembled, were sold by local franchised dealers. The company had no problem recruiting dealers and provided the nationwide network with a training and education center. Building crews were offered training at the Lustron Service School in Columbus. Dealers did suffer from territory disrupts, funding sources, local building code inconsistencies, and slow order delivery. In 1950 with accolades and praise from homeowners and the architectural and building community, financial problems and slow production rates forced the Lustron Corporation to close. In Alabama Lustron Houses are closely associated with the local North Alabama South Tennessee dealer, the Southern Sash Company. The Southern Sash Company’s parent company Union Aluminum of Sheffield produced the aluminum frame windows for the Lustron Corporation. Company records as of December 31, 1949 displayed shipments for 15 houses in Alabama. The 2000 multi-property nomination for Lustron Houses in Alabama lists 9 surviving houses – 5 of which are in the Muscle Shoals area; 2 in Sheffield and 3 in Florence. All the houses in Florence are the most common plan, the two bedroom deluxe Westchester plan. This property was listed individually on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000 for its significance in terms of architecture and engineering. The same year Nomiit was also listed as part of a multiple property nomination “Lustron Houses in Alabama”. Information for this Omeka entry was found in the individual and multi-property nomination.
Ford, Gene A., Susan Enzweiler and Trina Binkley. “Bowen, William House – Lustron House”. National Register of Historic Places. Montgomery: Alabama Historic Commission, 2000. Ford, Gene A., Trina Binkley. “Lustron Houses in Alabama.” National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Nomination. Montgomery: Alabama Historical Commission, 2000.
National Register of Historic Places; Lustron Houses of Alabama Multi-Property Nomination; Architecture; Florence, AL
The E.H. Darby Lustron House at 321 Beverly Avenue was built in 1949. The one story 2 bedroom house is a Westchester model and features 2 bedrooms, one bathroom, a galley kitchen with large utility space, a dining alcove and front living room with a built in bookcase. The house still has its original oval metal Lustron identification plaque with the serial number #1396. The Lustron Corporation manufactured prefabricated steel and enameled paneled homes to meet the housing demands created by returning soldiers from World War II. The Columbus, Ohio based company operated between 1946 and 1950 and built 2,495 houses in a retooled Curtis-Wright airplane parts factory. The closed system factory constructed all 3,000 components of the house from steel and packaged the parts directly on specialized truck beds designed to hold and deliver one Lustron House. Lustron Houses, like the automobile they so closely resembled, were sold by local franchised dealers. The company had no problem recruiting dealers and provided the nationwide network with a training and education center. Building crews were offered training at the Lustron Service School in Columbus. Dealers did suffer from territory disrupts, uncertain funding sources, local building code inconsistencies, and slow order delivery. In 1950 with accolades and praise from homeowners and the architectural and building community, financial problems and slow production rates forced the Lustron Corporation to close. In Alabama Lustron Houses are closely associated with the local North Alabama South Tennessee dealer, the Southern Sash Company. The Southern Sash Company’s parent company Union Aluminum of Sheffield produced the aluminum frame windows for the Lustron Corporation. Company records as of December 31, 1949 displayed shipments for 15 houses in Alabama. The 2000 multi-property nomination “Lustron Houses in Alabama” lists 9 surviving houses – 5 of which are in the Muscle Shoals area; 2 in Sheffield and 3 in Florence. All the houses in Florence are the most common plan, the two bedroom deluxe Westchester plan. This property was listed individually on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000 for its significance in terms of architecture and engineering. The same year it was also listed as part of a multiple property nomination “Lustron Houses in Alabama”. Information for this Omeka entry was found in the individual and multi-property nomination.
National Register of Historic Places; Architecture; Florence, AL
Also known as Mapleton, the two and a half story frame house was placed on the National Register in 1981 for its significance in terms of architecture. The Federal style house sits on one of the highest lots in Florence overlooking both the central business district to the east and the Tennessee River to the south. Though the property’s address is 420 South Pine Street the house faces Limestone Street and the Tennessee River. According to the 1981 nomination the house is an outstanding northern Alabama interpretation of the Federal style with notable examples of delicate Adamesque mantles, finely carved woodwork in the double drawing rooms, and identical semi elliptical fanlights over double doorways leading to the central hall. Inspiration for much of the detailing appears to be popular standard builder’s handbooks. The 1825-1830 house was home to many prominent Florentines. The first, George Coulter, a native of Kentucky, was a lawyer, farmer, and military officer. The house passed to Dr. Levi Todd in the 1850s at which time it was known as Todd’s Hill. During the Civil War the house was used by both Federal and Confederate commands. After the was the house was owned by Major Robert McFarland, a local attorney, and later by Dr. W.W. Slaton during which time the house was renamed Mapleton in honor of Mrs. Slaton’s childhood home. During the Slatons ownership a doctor’s office was added to the east elevation and the matching front and rear porches were changed. The 1981 nomination states that no other major changes were made. The current (2015) façade of the house is almost totally obscured by massive Magnolia trees but the house appears to have no major exterior changes since the nomination. However the nomination was written 34 years ago and updates are needed to the nomination.
Gamble, Robert. “George Coulter House National Register of Historic Places.” Montgomery: Alabama Historical Commission, 1981.