The Kiddy Hotel/House was the primary hotel for the Sweetwater area of east Florence at the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth century. The proprietors of the Kiddy Hotel were the husband and wife couple of James and Harriet Adair Kiddy. The Kiddy Hotel sat atop the East Hill in Sweetwater when the area became the center of the industrial boom in Florence. Before the hotel was on East Hill, it was on Aetna Street within a short distance of the Central Baptist Church in east Florence. After moving the Kiddy Hotel to East Hill, the hostelry was near Blair, Connor, and Cole Streets in east Florence. Shortly after moving the Kiddy Hotel to East Hill, the Kiddy’s sold the property to the Beckman family of the Florence area. During the years of operation for the Kiddy Hotel, Harriet Kiddy was well known for her cooking ability. Colloquially deemed “Aunt Harriet’s” cooking, she made from scratch beaten biscuits for breakfast and buttermilk custard for supper for the guests of the hotel. Her hotel cooking gained her local acclaim as a wonderful cook, to the point where traveling businessman through Florence would stay at her hotel just for her cooking. An interesting fact for the hotel is that the kitchen was in the cellar of the multi-story hotel, so Aunt Harriet would use a hand-operated dumb waiter to deliver the food to the guests in the dining room on the first floor.
Text Sources: McDonald, William Lindsey. "Remembering Sweetwater: The Mansions, The Mills, The People." photos by L.D. Staggs, Jr. Killen, Ala., Bluewater Publications, 2002. McDonald, William Lindsey. "Sweetwater: The Story of East Florence." Florence: Florence Historical Board, 1989. McDonald, William Lindsey. "A Walk Through the Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama." Killen, Ala., Bluewater Publications, 2003. Picture Source: UNA Archives & Special Collection. William L. McDonald Collection. “Kiddy Hotel/House.” Florence, Alabama, Box 12: Florence Industry, 12-03.
Kilby Laboratory School was founded in 1922 as a part of Florence State Normal School. The school originally occupied what is now the University Of North Alabama Mathematics Building. Classes were conducted in this location until the fall of 1964 when they moved to a newly finished building on North Pine Street. The school currently includes students in kindergarten to sixth grade. Kilby is a public school, but UNA owns and operates it. Through this arrangement education majors are able to use the school for real world training during their UNA career. Children of UNA faculty and staff also have priority for admittance to Kilby over other students in the district.
Claire Eagle, University of North Alabama
Text: University of North Alabama, "About Our School," Kilby Laboratory School, https://www.una.edu/kilby/about.html (Accessed April 28, 2015). Wendy Reeves, "Kilby School only one of kind in state of Alabama," The Flor-Ala, September 14, 1989. Images: University of North Alabama Archives and Special Collections, Collier Library
The Killen Public Library is located off Highway 72 on JC Maudlin Highway. The library has a genealogy room, DVD rentals, as well as a summer reading program. The library is open Monday-Friday.
Ashley Pentecost, University of North Alabama
"Killen Public Library." Killen Public Library. Accessed April 25, 2015.
Killian Cemetery Records at Findagrave.com Killian Cemetery Records USgenweb Archives
Historic Businesses; Historic Shops; Tuscumbia; Colbert County; Alabama
The building originally known as G & J Sutherland's Store is the only remaining building of Mechanic's Row in Tuscumbia and is the oldest known commercial building in the State of Alabama. Thomas Keenan, David Deshler, J.M. Moore, Dr. Wharton, James Conner, and Gurnee & James Trimble were early store operators in Mechanics Row.
Jacob Grandstaff, University of North Alabama
The Heritage of Colbert County. Clanton, AL: Heritage Publishing Consultants, Inc., 1999, 6, 7.
Historic Markers; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
This historic marker is located behind the Florence/Lauderdale Veterans Memorial on veterans Park Dr, Florence, AL. The text on the marker reads: "The Korean War June 1950~ July 1953 Erected by the citizens of Florence in honor of the men and women from Lauderdale County who served this nation during the Korean War. In memory of the following patriots from Lauderdale County whom made the supreme sacrifice for this nation during The Korean War; James F. Barrier • Ralph T. Bruce • Robert H. Guthrie • Morris E. Hughes • William R. McGee • Grady H. Miller • James Oakley • Oscar B. Parker • Carl T. Sloan • Grover C. Spencer, Jr. • Marvin R. Springer • Gerald D. Steen • James O. Trent."
Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
“Korean War Memorial Marker”. Accessed 11/04/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
Downtown Florence; Jewish Owned Businesses; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
Kreisman's Women's Apparel, which was located at 103 N. Court Street, promoted itself as having "Nationally advertised Women's Clothing and Accessories." Kreisman's Menswear, located at 101 North Court Street, was owned by Mrs. H.K. Levin and Mrs. F. K. Brostoff. Their wares included "men's furnishings."
Pam Kingsbury, University of North Alabama
Diorama, 1965, (Florence State University, now the University of North Alabama yearbook), Archives, Collier Library, University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama.
Pam Kingsbury . University of North Alabama
Colbert County, Alabama; Leighton, Alabama; LaGrange Cemetery; LaGrange College; University of North Alabama; Cemeteries
LaGrange Cemetery in Colbert County is located on the site of Alabama's first college, which was established by charter in 1830, and served as a military academy in the years leading up to the Civil War. In 1854, most of the LaGrange College faculty and student body followed president R.H. Rivers to nearby Florence in Lauderdale County, and formed a new institution which later developed into the University of North Alabama. During the war, in 1863, the original college site on LaGrange Mountain was burned by Union troops under the command of Colonel Florence M. Cornyn. Today, visitors to the cemetery are greeted by a marble statue, the Abraham Ricks Monument, sculpted on the site by an Italian artist who was brought to the United States by the Ricks family. A complete list of those buried in LaGrange Cemetery can be found at the USGenWeb source linked below. The college cemetery are listed on the Alabama Historical Register of Landmarks, and the cemetery has recently been restored by the LaGrange Living Historical Association. To reach the college site and cemetery from Muscle Shoals, head southeast on Highway 172 for 8 miles, turn right onto LaGrange College Lane, veering right almost immediately onto LaGrange College Road. The college site and cemetery are on the right.
Brian Corrigan, University of North Alabama
"LaGrange College Site Park," LaGrange Living Historical Association, http://www.lagrange-collegesitepark.org/index_1.html (accessed November 21, 2015). "LaGrange Cemetery, Colbert County, Alabama," USGenWeb Archives, http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/colbert/lagrangecem/lagrange.htm (accessed November 21, 2015). "LaGrange Cemetery," RootsWeb, http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~maury/AlabamaCemeteriesWeb/ColbertCounty/LaGrangeCem/LagrangeCollegeCemList.htm (accessed December 5, 2015).
LaGrange College; LaGrange, Alabama; Leighton, Alabama; Colbert County, Alabama; School; Education; Historical
LaGrange College was located on LaGrange Mountain. In 1830 it became the first State chartered college in Alabama. Within two months of its opening, there were seventy students enrolled at LaGrange College. The school year lasted for ten months. Tuition was $20 and board was $80, which covered students’ food, lodging, washing, and firewood for the ten months. At the peak of enrollment, LaGrange College had 230 students. Dr. Richard H. Rivers became president of the college in 1854, when the college was facing financial problems. Dr. River’s solution, in response to an offer of better support, moved the college to Florence, Alabama in 1855. The Florence institution was denied permission to use the name of LaGrange College, thus being chartered as Florence Wesleyan University on February 14, 1856; today the college is the University of North Alabama.
Thomas Hale, University of North Alabama Autumn Owens, University of North Alabama
“LaGrange College 1830-1855”, Accessed on November 18, 2015, colbertcountytourism.org/index.php/lagrange-college Bishop, Allison. “War doomed first state college, LaGrange.” University of North Alabama Archives. University History: LaGrange College (UH:LG2). Potter, Nancy. “Remembering the Mountain.” University of North Alabama Archives. University History: LaGrange College (UH:LG2). “LaGrange College.” The Florence Informer: Volume 1 Number 23 March 27 – April 2, 1989. University of North Alabama Archives. University History: LaGrange College (UH:LG2). http://www.lagrangehistoricsite.com/
LaGrange Military Academy; LaGrange, Alabama; Leighton, Alabama; Colbert County, Alabama; School; Education; Historical
After LaGrange College moved to Florence in January 1856, a group of LaGrange citizens organized a college in the vacant buildings under the old name, LaGrange. To increase patronage, a military feature was introduced in 1857. The college reopened in February 1858. as LaGrange College and Military Academy. The Academy soon flourished and became known as the “West Point of the South”. In 1860, the name was changed to LaGrange Military Academy. During its existence, 259 cadets from 9 states attended the Academy. The Academy was forced to suspend classes on March 1, 1862, due to cadets leaving to join the Confederate Army. Major J.W. Robertson was authorized to organize the 35th Alabama Infantry Regiment, C.S.A.. Robertson was elected Colonel of the regiment and the remaining cadets of the Academy formed part of one company. On April 28, 1863, the 10th Missouri Calvary of the Union Army burned the Military Academy. The village of LaGrange dwindled away after this.
Thomas Hale, University of North Alabama
“LaGrange Military Academy 1857-1862”, Accessed on November 18, 2015, colbertcountytourism.org/index.php/lagrange-college http://www.lagrangehistoricsite.com/
Colbert County, Alabama; Cherokee, Alabama; LaGrange Rock Shelter; Paleo-Indian site; Native American History
The LaGrange Rock shelter is considered to be where the first natives lived in the southeastern United States. Archaeologists have put the earliest human activity in this area between 11,000 and 9,000 years ago. Researchers have found evidence of human activity such as flint chips and cutting tools. By carbon dating these materials researches were able to establish a time frame of when human activity first began. Because of the early period of use, the site is referred to as a Paleo-Indian site. Because of the significance of this site it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
Colbert County Heritage Book Committee (Colbert County, Ala.). 1999. The Heritage of Colbert County, Alabama. Clanton, AL: Heritage Pub. Consultants. 55
The Lamar Furniture building in downtown Florence has a unique past considering it once held the old Florence Hotel and was the meeting place of the civic group the Knights of Pythias. The Lamar Furniture building’s location was on Court Street in downtown Florence. In 1944, Henry and Edna Lamar bought the building where Lamar Furniture was established from the Knights of Pythias. What led to the discovery for the Lamar’s that the building was a former hotel was the unearthing of sixteen fireplace hearths hidden under layers of walls in 1944. The sixteen fire hearths were indicative of a building that once housed tenants or guests. The Lamar family had a dream to open a furniture company and did so by 1945 once World War II ended and building materials were freely available again. The wife of Henry Lamar, Mrs. Edna Lamar, was the registrar at Florence State Teachers College in the 1930s. Henry Lamar was originally from New Orleans, but the couple liked Florence and did not want to leave the area. Thus, they decided to open Lamar Furniture in downtown Florence. The Lamar Furniture store was an example of modern design in downtown Florence. The store was the first to be fully air-conditioned and electrically heated in downtown Florence. The Lamar Furniture store is believed to be the first store to have an electric-eye door within Alabama. The building had experimental materials from the R.J. Reynolds Metals Company in the interior to coincide with the modern amenities of the store. And the front of the building was covered in black vitrolite, which matched the Art Deco sign. By 1976, Lamar Furniture was no more.
M.C. Fesmire, University of North Alabama
Text Sources: Maness, Maurine. “A History of Lamar Furniture Building, Florence, Alabama.” Journal of Muscle Shoals History, vol. 6 (1978): 121-126. Picture Source: UNA Archives & Special Collection. William L. McDonald Collection. “Lamar Furniture.” Florence, Alabama, Box 12: Florence Industry, 12-23.
Located in Beulah along Lee Road 373. Coordinates: 32.7092995, -85.1929962
Florence Owned Businesses; Wilson Dam; Advertising; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
Douglas and Virginia Lambert, owners of Lambert Transfer (which was founded in 1953), chose Wilson Dam as the backdrop for their advertising
Postcard courtesy of Duel and Imogene James
Lee County, AL; Civil War; Auburn Masonic Female College; Langdon Hall; Auburn, AL; Civil War; Secession; Yancey, William Lowndes; Stephens, Alexander; Toombs, Robert; Brownlow, William G. "Parson"; Union Army; Langdon Hall; The Chapel; Old Main Hall; Pine Hill Cemetery; Auburn University; Langdon, Charles
Originally built as the Auburn Masonic Female College chapel in 1846, the building that became known as Langdon Hall stood on the corner of Gay and Magnolia Street near the current site of Auburn Bank. As the oldest building in Auburn, it served as the political nerve center of eastern Alabama for most of the 19th century. Boasting the largest auditorium in eastern Alabama, it was the scene of countless lectures and political debates leading up to the American Civil War. In 1860, it was the site of a major debate on secession between future Confederate Vice-President Alexander Stephens, future Confederate Secretary of State Robert Toombs, anti-secessionist William G. "Parson" Brownlow, and fiery orator and politician William Lowndes Yancey. In July 1864, as Major General William T. Sherman's army bore down upon Atlanta, soldiers wounded in its defense were evacuated to surrounding communities. A contingent of soldiers from Texas were moved to the city of Auburn and housed in Langdon Hall, the Chapel, and Old Main Hall, which were converted into makeshift hospitals. After the war, Auburn's annual Confederate Memorial Day celebration typically began at Langdon Hall before eventually terminating at Pine Hill Cemetery. In 1883, it was moved from its original location to its present spot on Auburn University's campus where it has been used as classroom space ever since. Just six years later, it was renamed Langdon Hall after prominent Alabama politician, war veteran, and Auburn trustee Charles Langdon.
Auburn University Libraries: Langdon Hall
This historic marker is located at 698 Mars Hill Road, Florence, Alabama. The text on the marker reads: "Built by Theophilus Brown Larimore and his wife, Esther Gresham Larimore, as a home and educational center. Near site of foundry and arsenal of War Between The States, it served as a school, 1871-1887, to train ministers and Christian workers of the Church of Christ. Used, 1947-1968, for classes by Mars Hill Bible School. Restored in 1971 by Associated Women's Organization. Listed in National Register of Historic Places, 1974."
“Larimore Home 1870 Marker”. Accessed 11/04/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
National Register of Historic Places; Education; Church of Christ
Theophilus Brown Larimore constructed the two story frame house in 1870 to serve as a home and school. The house is significant for its association with religion, education, and social history. Larimore served as headmaster and Church of Christ minister until 1887. Larimore then closed the school and focused on his ministry in the area. The house passed to his son Virgil Larimore until it was acquired in 1946 and returned to its use as a religious school. Originally called Lauderdale County Bible School the name was changed to Mars Hill Bible School under which name the school has continued to flourish. The house/school is a simple frame two story hipped roof structure sited on a full brick raised basement. A one story porch extends the full width of the house and serves as a veranda from the second floor accessed by a central door leading from the upstairs hall. Of note are the simple wooden sash interpretation of Gothic Revival styling on the first floor windows. The current porch configuration differs from the description and photos taken for the 1974 National Register nomination. Due to the exterior changes and age of the National Register nomination it is suggested that the nomination be updated. All information for this Omeka entry was obtained from the nomination and an exterior survey of the property.
Missy Brown, University of North Alabama
Floyd, W. Warner. National Register Nomination. “Larimore House (Mars Hill Bible School)”. ((#74000416) (11/21/74).
Lauderdale County High School 1912 Marker
This historic marker is located on College St, Rogersville, AL. The text on side one of the marker reads: "Prior to 1912, a private school, Rogersville High School, was housed in a two-story wooden frame building located in this vicinity. On August 7, 1907, an act was passed by the Alabama Legislature to establish a state high school in each county. Communities desiring a high school were required to submit plans for a building, equipment and five acres of land, with a total value of at least $5,000. The property was to be deeded to the state. Governor Emmet O’Neal visited Rogersville in October 1911and gave his assurance that the high school for Lauderdale County would be located at Rogersville. On October 16, 1911, the trustees of the Rogersville High School Association conveyed to the state five acres of land and the existing building. That school closed on May 17, 1912, with Mr. W. R. Hale as principal. In early May 1912, the County School Board selected Mr. W. L. Davis as principal, and Mrs. W. L. Davis and Mr. C. W. Williams as teachers for the state high school. It opened on September 10, 1912, with 112 students. On May 20, 1913 Rogersville High School, later named Lauderdale County High School, held its first commencement with three graduates. Between 1919 and 1925 two buildings, agricultural and home economics, plus three acres of land were added." The text on side two reads: "On April 1, 1927, the original building burned and was replaced by a modern one-story brick structure at a cost of $30,000. By 1931, the campus had several athletic facilities and in 1948, a gym was completed. An elementary school, built prior to 1927, burned on January 20, 1960, and was rebuilt, along with a cafeteria, in front of the high school. A new high school was built in 1958 and the old building became the junior high. A new library was built in 1966 along with an office complex, In 1967, the stadium was moved to the pervious elementary school site. In 1977, a new junior high school was built and the old one was removed in 1982. From 1985 to 1997, a new gym, weight room, band room, and cafeteria were built. A new office/library complex was completed in 2001, and an additional elementary building in 2010. By 2013, the school had modern-day academic, athletic and support facilities and equipment on a campus of about 43 acres. It had 65 teachers under the leadership of the 18th principal. During the first 100 years, LCHS maintained a high level of academic standards. It developed a rich athletic tradition which received recognition in local, regional, and state competition. Also, LCHS had resented diplomas to approximately 6500 graduates."
“Lauderdale County High School 1912 Marker”. Accessed 11/04/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
Lee County, AL; Loachapoka, AL; Festival; Lee County Historical Society
Annual festival organized by Lee County Historical Society celebrating old-time music, storytelling, dance, food, and crafts. http://www.leecountyhistoricalsociety.org/leecountygathering/main.html
Education; Lee County, AL; Auburn, AL; Lee County High School; Hudson, Belas; Quinn, I.T.; Parrish, J.A.; Northside Grammar School
In 1914, the city of Auburn successfully petitioned the Lee County Board of Education to strip Opelika’s high school of the title “Lee County High School” and bequeath that distinction to a new high school in Auburn. Auburn provided seven acres for the new two-story brick edifice school, which was built by contractor Belas Hudson for $10,400. Lee County High School opened its doors in August 1914 with an enrollment of seventy eighth- through eleventh-grade students. Lee County High School’s first principal, I.T. Quinn, was quickly succeeded by the legendary J.A. “Fessor” Parrish, one of Auburn historian George Petrie’s students. He served as principal of the institution from 1915 until 1946. In 1931, a schoolhouse accommodating all twelve primary and secondary grades opened on Samford Avenue, and the old Lee County High School was used as a recreation center. In 1948, the city began using the old building as a grammar school. Northside Grammar School closed in the early 1950s in the wake of the founding of several other public elementary schools in Auburn. The building functioned as a recreational center until 1973, when the city finally demolished it.
Image Source: http://www.auburnschools.org/ahs_band/photos/biga.html Text Source: Ralph Draughon, Jr., Delos Hughes, and Ann Pearson, Lost Auburn: A Village Remembered in Period Photographs (Montgomery: NewSouth Books, 2012), 53-54.
Education; Lee County, AL; Lee County Training School; Auburn, AL; Rosenwald Schools; Rosenwald, Julius; African American Schools; J.F. Drake High School; Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, Auburn, Alabama; Great Depression; Player, Lamar; Jackson, Clarence
One of the largest Rosenwald schools erected in Alabama, the ten-room Lee County Training School served first- through twelfth-grade African-American students in the Auburn area starting in 1928. Lee County Training School became the first black public high school in Lee County’s segregated school system. When the school opened, it only serviced ten grades, but it quickly became a twelve-grade school. Clarence Jackson became Lee County Training School’s first principal. Erecting this facility proved quite expensive, as the entire endeavor cost $21,900. Philanthropist Julius Rosenwald contributed $2,350, Auburn’s white community donated $5,000, Auburn’s African-American community raised $5,000, and the state government allocated $9,500 to found the school. The ten-room facility consisted of four classrooms and a boiler room downstairs and four classrooms and an auditorium upstairs. Half of the boiler room functioned as the school cafeteria. The school closed during the Great Depression (for the 1932-3 school year), but reopened the following year under the leadership of new principal Lamar Player. Although many of Lee County Training School’s students lived well below the poverty line, they conducted food drives every Thanksgiving to distribute food to the county’s truly impoverished. The school habitually struggled to secure proper funding for its daily operations and faculty salaries. Although the state made no budgetary provision for education in the arts at Lee County Training School, a devoted core of faculty used mandatory weekly meetings to facilitate the students’ comprehension of drama, music, and elocution. In 1949, Lee County Training School organized its first band. The school bought a bass drum, two snare drums, a tuba, and two French horns, and parents purchased the rest of the instruments. Teaching resources often consisted of a blackboard, chalk, and an eraser. Because the history textbooks selected (but not purchased) by the State of Alabama mentioned no African American achievements, many of the teachers used outside resource materials to teach history. In 1957, Lee County Training School, long since overburdened with too many students for its building to accommodate, closed to make way for the opening of J.F. Drake High School. The city demolished the building in 1963, and a historic marker resides on the former site of the school in Martin Luther King, Jr. Park at 190 Byrd Street, Auburn.
Image Source: http://rosenwald.fisk.edu/?module=search.details&set_v=aWQ9MzEy&school_county=lee&school_state=AL&button=Search&o=0 Text Sources: “County Training School,” Fisk University Rosenwald Fund Card Database, http://rosenwald.fisk.edu/?module=search.details&set_v=aWQ9MzEy&school_county=Lee&school_state=AL&button=Search&o=0 Committee for the Preservation of Auburn’s African American History, Lest We Forget: A History of African Americans of Auburn, Alabama (Auburn, AL: Committee for the Preservation of Auburn’s African American History, 2011, 109-116, 140. Ralph Draughon, Jr., Delos Hughes, and Ann Pearson, Lost Auburn: A Village Remembered in Period Photographs (Montgomery: NewSouth Books, 2012), 56-58.
Education; Lee County, AL; Lee-Scott Academy; Lee Academy; Scott Preparatory; Auburn, AL; Private School; Civil Rights Era; Desegregation; White Flight; Presbyterian Day School; Scott, I.J.; Opelika-Auburn News; Nixon, Richard; Reconstruction
Presbyterian Day School, a private academy, was founded in Auburn in 1965 and was renamed Lee Academy several years later. In 1970, a contingent of white Opelikans, displeased with pending implementation of the court-mandated integration of the city school system, founded the private school Scott Preparatory. In a September 3, 1970 Opelika-Auburn News article, Scott Preparatory co-founder I. J. Scott referred to federal desegregation as a “conspiracy” between federal agencies and President Richard Nixon (to whom he referred in the article as “Tricky Dick”) aimed at completing the objectives of the nineteenth-century Reconstruction regimes. The enrollment at both private schools increased as the unconstitutionality of “Freedom of Choice” schools left little doubt that Lee County’s public schools would soon be integrated. From 1967 to 1971 (the period when court orders forced Lee County schools to fully integrate), Lee Academy’s enrollment climbed from 47 to 208. Scott Preparatory’s opening-day enrollment in August 1971 totaled 350 students. The two county private schools merged in 1981 to form Lee-Scott Academy on the site of the old Lee Academy. For many years, neither Lee Academy, Scott Preparatory, nor the combined Lee-Scott Academy enrolled or received applications from black students. However, Lee-Scott Academy is now desegregated; during the 2006-2007 school year, 5 of the 549 students enrolled were African American. Growing enrollment allowed the Board of Trustees to build a new facility, and in 1996 the assimilated private school relocated to its current home at 1601 Academy Drive in Auburn. The academy’s resource base grew during the 1980s and 1990s. In 1984, donations allowed the school to open its first computer lab. Other endowments allowed for the foundation of two others during the 1990s.
Image Source: http://www.aais-schools.org/page.cfm?p=373 Text Sources: Joseph M. Bagley, A Meaningful Reality: The Integration of the Opelika, Alabama City School System, 1965-1972 (MA Thesis, Auburn University, 2007), 67-74, 83. The Heritage of Lee County Book Committee, The Heritage of Lee County, Alabama (Clanton, AL: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 2000), 78. Lee-Scott Academy: http://www.lee-scott.org/page.cfm?p=505.
John Bell - Auburn Univeristy Maddy Bridges - Auburn University
Public Library; Leighton; Colbert County; Alabama
The Leighton Public Library is located at 8740 Main Street in Leighton, Colbert County, just off Old Hwy 20. If heading east from Muscle Shoals on Hwy 72, turn left on County Line Road which turns into Leighton's Main Street. Besides 6,300 books, the library lends DVD's and has available fax and copy machines as well as free wifi. It is open Tuesday – Friday from 1:45 pm – 5 pm and Saturday from 11 am – 2 pm. It is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
“Leighton Public Library,” leightonpubliclibrary.com, Accessed November 16, 2015, http://leightonpubliclibrary.com/index.html. “Leighton Public Library,” libraries.org: A directory of libraries throughout the world, March 6, 2015, Accessed November 16, 2015, http://librarytechnology.org/libraries/library.pl?id=6642.
Colbert County Alabama; Leighton Alabama; African American school; African American History; Leighton Training School
Leighton Training School was a trade school established with the help of a grant provided by Julius Rosenwald. Like other Rosenwald schools, the African American community was required to raise additional funds for the school to be built. The African American community was also required to provide the land for the school. The African American community in Leighton raised sufficient funds in 1928 to secure five acres of land for a school building. Julius Rosenwald also provided $400 in additional funds that also went towards securing the five acres of land. The building, which was made from brick, cost around $8000 and was finished a year in 1929. Like other Rosenwald schools the building was very simple and did not include a dining room or cafeteria. Instead, the women in the local community prepared the food. The school operated until 1970 when integration became the law of the land. The school still holds reunions to for its graduating classes every two years. The school has also been placed on the Alabama Register of Historical Landmarks in 1977. The school can still be found on N. Washington Ave in Leighton, Alabama.
Colbert County Heritage Book Committee (Colbert County, Ala.). 1999. The Heritage of Colbert County, Alabama. Clanton, AL: Heritage Pub. Consultants. 59
Montgomery; Alabama; Trenholm Court; African American; black; education; Alabama State University; Booker T. Washington High School; church; segregation; food; marching band; oral history
Oral interview of Leon Vandiver recorded by Keith S. Hebert in December 2016 for the Montgomery County Historical Society as part of their Alabama Bicentennial commemorations. The interview was conducted at Vandiver's home in Montgomery, Alabama. To listen to the full interview, click here to access the Soundcloud file.
To listen to the full interview, click here to access the Soundcloud file.
Joanne Bland says that he was a local leader in the movement. He is toward the front of the march. Need to verify number because she identified him as #4 but #4 is Albert Turner.
Born in 1946 On February 18, 1965, Leroy Moton, a high school student, was arrested in Marion, Alabama for while walking down a city block and thrown in jail. He joined the march in Selma, Alabama, serving as a member of the leadership team, during what became known as Bloody Sunday. Moton was also in the car with Viola Liuzzo the night of her murder.
Colbert County, Alabama; Tuscumbia, Alabama; African American Church; Lesley Temple CME Church; African American History
Lesley Temple CME church is a Methodist church first formed in 1880 under Pastor Lesley. The church was first located at a site called Gin Hill on what used to be Highway 43. The church was rebuilt in 1927. Because building paper which was placed on the outside of the building the church garnered the nickname “Black Paper Church.” The church is now located on High Street in Tuscumbia, Alabama. As of 2015, the church will be celebrating its 135th anniversary.
McWilliams, John L. Tuscumbia. Charleston, S.C., South Carolina: Arcadia Pub. 2012. 39
Letter to the Editor, Florence Newspaper, Undated
Jewish Settlement: Florence, Alabama; Northwest Alabama
A letter to the editor found in the files of the history of Temple B'Nai Israel at the Florence- Lauderdale Public Library suggests that Jewish immigrants to the area were encouraged and welcomed.
Special Collections, Local History Room, Florence-Lauderdale Public Library, Temple of B'nai Israel, 2-3.
On May 22, 1852, the Liberty Baptist Church congregation organized the oldest existing Baptist congregation in Lauderdale County. In fact, it was the only Baptist church erected in the county until the First Baptist Church of Florence was built over thirty years later in 1888. According to church records, during its first few years the church’s membership was approximately fifty people. These members constructed a white wooden sanctuary in which the congregation held service until the 1890s. The original wooden building had two doors—one for the men and one for the women. Also, the seating in the sanctuary was segregated by sexes. In the same year as its charter (1852), the congregation became a part of the Indian Creek Association and started Baptist missions in the surrounding area. During the beginning of the Civil War the church had a total of one hundred and twenty-eight members. However, due to the war, services were discontinued from 1863 to 1865. Shortly following the war, the first Sunday School was organized in 1877. The present day church building was constructed in 1892 when the congregation built a brick structure to take the place of the original wooden building.
Jesse Brock, University of North Alabama
Text: Lorene Frederick, “Church History Actually History of Community: Liberty Baptist Pastor Compiles Interesting Record of Both Church and The District,” Florence Times, April 22, 1960, located in in folder “McDonald Collection: Church Information Collection-Vol. 7: Other Denominations-Baptist, Churches 7.1” Bill McDonald Collection, Archives/Special Collections, Collier Library, University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama
Located in Opelika along West Point Parkway. Coordinates: 32.6759664, -85.3241113
Cemetery; Rogersville, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
To reach Liberty Cemetery from Florence, head east on US 72 towards Rogersville. Then turn north on Al 207. At a four-way stop (Lee Street) turn left. Liberty Cemetery is on the left side of the road. The cemetery has a walled in area with 18 graves in it. The eastern side of the cemetery is recorded as the African-American section. A full list of records can be viewed within the source.
"Liberty Cemetery."http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder. Accessed September 9, 2015.
Professional Boxing Jim Crockett Charlotte, North Carolina
This article appeared in The Charlotte News (North Carolina) on March 27, 1941. The article reports on a recent exhibition boxing match promoted by Jim Crockett. Fans complained about the quality of the bout and threw coins into the ring to express their displeasure.
Archives; Athens, AL; Limestone County, AL
The Limestone County Archives was created in 1980 as a depository for the official records of Limestone County. Records preserved at the archives include those of the Circuit Court, Probate Court, Board of Registrars, Tax Assessor, County Commission, and Board of Education. The Archives also contains historical and genealogical material that deals with Northern Alabama and the Southern Tennessee Region. It also contains personal family histories, family photographs, and microfilmed newspapers. Limestone County purchased the 1905 L&N Depot in 2004 and remolded it to house the Archives today. The Limestone County Archives are open 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday
County, Ala. The Heritage of Limestone County, Alabama. Limited 1st ed. Clanton, AL: Heritage Pub. Consultants, 1998.
Drove the health mobile to Selma and aided marchers on Bloody Sunday according to 1965 MCHR newsletter.
Lindsay Historical Site: David Lindsay, A Revolutionary War Soldier
Shelby; American Revolution; Cemetery; DAR
David Lindsay was born 1750 in Washington County, Pennsylvania and died 1835 in Shelby County, Alabama. He was a private in the American Revolutionary War and a pioneer settler of Shelby County. He married Mary Casey and they had twelve children. On April 2, 1784, in reward for his service to the Commonwealth of Virginia, Lindsay was granted 100 acres of land in Green County, North Carolina. They settled in Shelby County before the 1820 census. He died about 1835 and Mary died about 1847. Both are buried with other family members on a son's former homestead in the Maylene community. The family graveyard has been preserved as the Lindsay Historical Site near Shelby County Highway 17. The David Lindsay Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) was first chartered in Montevallo in 1927 with some members having descended from Lindsay through his daughters. In 2006 the group erected a memorial plaque on a native rock at American Village. In April 2008 they won official recognition of Lindsay's service and genealogy from the National Society of the DAR. David Lindsay Chapter, Alabama Society, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Lindsay Historical Site David Lindsay by Bobbie Joe Seales David Lindsay B'ham Wiki Clan Lindsay Site David Lindsay on Findagrave.com
Liz Clayton, Shelby County Historical Society
Cemeteries; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
The Lindsey Chapel Cemetery is located just north of Florence on Highway 57 and one mile south of Cypress Inn, Tennessee on the west side of the road. David L Montgomery has this info on the cemetery and church, "The church was built approximately 55 years ago with donations from residents of the community. Mr. Albert Lindsey, buried here, spearheaded the move to build the church. The church was built as a community church with no particular denominational ties. The cemetery is well taken care of. There are Confederate, World War II, and Korean War veterans buried here. The oldest known grave dates from 1867. The oldest person buried here was born in 1836. There are 20 graves with no headstones or information. All names and dates were recorded from headstones and markers. They have been diligently checked for accuracy. This survey was completed Aug 02, 2003." There are 147 recorded burials within this cemetery. A full list of names and records can be viewed in the source below.
Macon County, Tuskegee, Music, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Lionel Richie (June 20, 1949- ) Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. was born on June 20, 1949 in Tuskegee, Alabama. He grew up on the campus of the Tuskegee Institute where many members of his family had worked for two generations. While in college at Tuskegee, Richie joined the Commodores, the most successful group on the Motown label during the late 1970s. Richie was the group’s saxophonist, sometime vocalist, and wrote songs like “Easy,” “Three Times a Lady,” and “Still”; the last two became number one pop hits. In 1980, Richie wrote and produced “Lady” for country-pop singer Kenny Rogers, which became a number one hit across the board. The next year, his duet “Endless Love” with Diana Ross topped the charts for nine weeks, becoming the most successful single in Motown history. By the end of 1981, Richie decided to pursue a solo career. His first solo album "Lionel Richie" was released in 1982 and was an immediate success. His first solo, “Truly,” became a number one hit. His next album, "Can’t Slow Down", produced five top ten singles including “All Night Long” and “Hello.” The album sold over ten million copies and won the 1984 Grammy for Album of the Year. Richie was doing so well he was invited to perform at the closing ceremonies of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. In 1985, he worked with Michael Jackson to co-write “We Are the World” to help raise money for famine relief in Africa. By the end of the year, he released another hit single, “Say You, Say Me,” preceding his next album "Dancing on the Ceiling," which sold four million copies. Exhausted from two decades of recording and performing, Richie stepped back from making music in 1987. He also took time to care for his father. In 1992, he returned to music to release a compilation album including solo hits, Commodore tracks, and three new songs including the number one hit “Do It to Me.” Richie did not record again until 1996 following the loss of his father and the breakup of his marriage. The album, "Louder Than Words", was Richie’s attempt to update his sound; it reached the top 30 and went gold but did not produce any major singles. His 1998 album returned to his signature sound but did not do well. "Renaissance," released in the U.S. in 2001, did much better and went platinum in the U.K. Three years later, following a second divorce, he released "Just for You" which was also successful in the U.K. His 2006 album "Coming Home" included collaborations with an all-star cast and reached the Top 10 in pop and R&B. His album "Just Go", in 2009, featured collaborations with Stargate, Akon, and others. The album "Tuskegee", released in 2012, featured country versions of his past hits including “Easy,” “Hello,” and “Dancing on the Ceiling” and reached the top of the U. S. and country charts. Richie has won three Grammys, six American Music Awards, and a 1986 Oscar for Best Original Song. He has also been awarded two American Black Achievement Awards from Ebony magazine. He was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1997. Click the link to listen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDZcqBgCS74 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqAvFx3NxUM
Joy Caitlin Monroe, University of North Alabama
Huey, Steve. “Lionel Richie Biography.” All Music. (2016) http://www.allmusic.com/artist/lionel-richie-mn0000243474/biography “Lionel Richie.” Alabama Music Hall of Fame. (2016) http://alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/1997/lionel-richie/
List of Local Selma Physicians, March 1965
Cemeteries; Rogersville, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
To reach Little Zion Cemetery from Rogersville, head south on County Road 91 and take a right on County Road 605. The cemetery is 1/2 mile on the left side of the roads. A list of records can be viewed in the source.
"Little Zion Cemetery." http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder. Accessed September 9, 2015.
Education; Lee County, AL; Little Zion School; Opelika, AL; African American Schools; Tuskegee, AL; Owens, Gladys
Formerly located 4.5 miles south of Opelika on Highway 51, Little Zion School serviced Lee County African-American students starting around the turn of the century. Gladys Owens, a teacher from Tuskegee, commuted to Little Zion School to teach classes from the 1930s to the 1960s.
Text Source: The Heritage of Lee County Book Committee, The Heritage of Lee County, Alabama (Clanton, AL: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 2000), 67.
Education; Lee County, AL; Loachapoka Academy; Loachapoka, AL; Antebellum Era; Yarborough, John Fletcher; Leftwitch, America Walton; Loachapoka High School
John Fletcher Yarborough established this one-room educational facility in 1854. He became the school’s first principal, while his wife, America Walton Leftwich, taught music. Contemporary Loachapoka High School resides on the site of the old academy, located roughly five miles west of Auburn on Lee County Road 61.
Text Source: The Heritage of Lee County Book Committee, The Heritage of Lee County, Alabama (Clanton, AL: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 2000), 39.
Located in Loachapoka along Arrowhead Road. Coordinates: 32.6109672, -85.6049524