Salem, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Grist Mill
Built by Rev. Michael Thomas sometime between 1830 and 1835, it was the first mill erected on Little Uchee Creek. Ownership of the mill is unknown until 1909 when G.W. McKinnon deeded the propert known as McKinnon Mill to his wife and children. The mill was sold to Daniel Porter Meadows in 1911 for $2,250 who later deeded it to his son in 1912. The grist mill was in continuous operation until 1971 when it was shut down.
Image and Text: "The Heritage of Lee County, Alabama"
Located in Smiths Station along Old West Dirt Road. Coordinates: 32.6681901, -85.1393829
Medical Committee for Human Rights, Arrested, State Troopers, March 10, 1965
Located in Auburn on Memorial Park Drive. Coordinates: 32.5965238, -85.4607818
Located in Opelika along Columbus Parkway. Coordinates: 32.6376344, -85.3110551
Colbert County Alabama; Listerhill Alabama; Metal's Terrace; War Housing Project Ala 1213; African American Housing; African American History
Metal’s Terrace was a project initiated to provide housing for African American workers in the Shoals. This was also known as the War Housing Project Ala 1213. This housing was to be used strictly for African Americans. It became ready to house African American workers in 1944 during the Second World War. As such, the workers were also referred to as war workers. The project was given 32 acres of land to build housing for the African American war workers. The project managed to complete 48 buildings with around 36 of the serving as actual housing units. The project very much resembles a village as goods and services were also provided for the workers in the form of barbershops, stores, and a community center. The project was completed in year with the original construction date as August 24, 1943. Construction was finished a year later in 1944. The buildings were located across the street from Reynolds Metals in Listerhill, Alabama.
"Negro Housing Project Ready For Occupancy," unidentified newspaper, in Sheffield Public Library. Feb 4, 1944.
Colbert County Alabama; Sheffield Alabama; Negro Recreation Center; Michael Center; African American Recreation; African American History
The Negro Community Recreation Center was built in the 1950s strictly for African American use in Sheffield, Alabama. The cost of the Negro Recreation Center was reported to be S80,000. Alongside the new community center a pool was built. The building was later officially known as the Michael Center. The center was used to host parties and sports and general community activities and needs.
David McCarthy, "New $80,000 Negro Community Center Nearing Completion In Sheffield," unidentified newspaper in Sheffield Public Library, October 2, 1955
Historic Markers; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
This historic marker is locate on the Walk of Honor located at River Heritage Park. The text on the marker reads: "Representing the Secretary of Defense at the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks in the 1980's, Michael Mobbs was a leader in negotiations between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R., resulting in the most complex arms control treaty in history. Inducted 2010 City of Florence Walk of Honor."
Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
“Michael Hall Mobbs Marker”. Accessed 11/04/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
Black and white photograph of Michigan Central Station, Detroit, Michigan. Date and creator unknown. From the Historic Detroit description: "MCS and the sheds / Photo from the Detroit Free Press Archives"
http://www.historicdetroit.org/galleries/michigan-central-station-old-photos/
Historic Detroit
Historic Detroit - Buildings
Mildred Rosenbaum; Rosenbaum House and Museum; Historic Preservation; Frank Lloyd Wright; Architecture; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
Mildred (“Mimi”) Bookholz Rosenbaum was born in New York City on June 30, 1917, the daughter of Isador and Gussie Bookholz. She attended the New York public schools, Hunter College, and Columbia Teachers College where she pursued degrees in music and art. She worked as a fashion model for the John Powers Agency where she was featured in Vogue magazine. Mildred married Stanley Rosenbaum, a Harvard graduate, who had returned to his hometown of Florence, Alabama to work in the family’s movie theatre business. Louis and Anna Rosenbaum gave the couple funds and upon which to build a house as a wedding gift. The couple “who didn’t want anything with a colonial connotation” because “neither of us could identify with it,” consulted their friend Aaron Green who suggested that they consider contacting Frank Lloyd Wright to design a home for them. The couple moved into the house in September 1940. The couple had four son– David Hillel (born 1941; died 1981), Jonathan Daniel (1943), Alvin Robert (born 1945), and Michael Joseph (1947). Mr. and Mrs. Rosenbaum enjoyed entertaining and the arts. They were also committed to the ideals of civil rights for everyone. Their home became a gathering place for artists who were visiting the South. Their visitors included: Beverly Sills, Mercedes McCambridge, Norman Cousins, Issac Stern, and John Mason Brown. After the death of Mrs. Rosenbaum’s husband in 1982, she became a “live in curator/tour guide” for the future stewardship of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture and the preservation of the Rosenbaum house as a public space. The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy recognized her work in pioneering strategies for protecting historic residential properties with the first Wright Spirit Award. In 1990, Mildred Rosenbaum hosted an open house for the general public – which was organized by Heritage Preservation, Incorporated of Florence , to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the completion of her home. Over 1,000 guest visited in a single day. From 1993 – 1998, Mildred Rosenbaum conducted tours of the house. Over 5000 people signed the guest registries helping to contribute to the maintenance of the house and its preparation as a public historic site. The National Trust for Historic Preservation published a book on the house and a documentary for public television. In 1999, Mrs. Rosenbaum and her family worked with Mayor Eddie Frost to reach a long-term stewardship agreement between the City of Florence, the Rosenbaum House in cooperation with the Rosenbaum Family, and the Frank Lloyd Wright Rosenbaum House Foundation. Mildred Rosenbaum died on October 12, 2006 and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Sheffield, Alabama.
Pam Kingsbury, University of North Alabama
From the Mary Lancaster Collection at the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library, Florence, Alabama. Fuqua. C.S. "Alabama's Only Frank Lloyd Wright House," Alabama Magazine, June 1990, p. 28. Gorham, Melinda. "Rosenbaum House," The Flor-Ala. Volume 47, Number 13, p 1. Times Daily Archives; "Mildred Rosenbaum," http://www.timesdaily.com/archives/mildred-rosenbaum/article
Photo courtesy of the Archives, Collier Library, University of North Alabama.
Cemeteries; Rogersville, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
To reach Miller Cemetery from Rogersville, travel east on US 72 and turn south onto County Road 70. Take a left and continue for 1/2 mile. The cemetery will be on the right side of the road. A full list of records can be viewed in the source.
"Miller Cemetery." http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder. Accessed September 9, 2015.
Milner’s Drug Store was an important part of the downtown Florence area stretching back before the Civil War. The founder of Milner’s Drug Store, Joseph Milner, was an adventurous man who made his home in Florence in 1852 after returning from the California gold rush. Joseph Milner was a descendant of immigrants from Yorkshire, England who moved to Florence in the early nineteenth century. With the money he made from his gold prospecting, Milner bought out Barton’s Grocery Store at 104 North Court Street and established Milner’s Drug Store in 1853. The store was well received in Florence and became highly successful. Milner’s Drugs Store was especially popular with the rural farming community of Florence because Milner was trusted to provide them with a medicinal remedies for their aches and pains as doctors were hard to come by in 1850s Florence. During the pre-war years of the 1850s, Milner’s thrived. Milner had a reputation as an excellent bookkeeper and store clerk and was trusted to keep the people of Florence’s accounts up to date. In his store, he sold turpentine, paints, window glass, whiskey and ale barrels, and other dry goods in addition to the elixirs and medicines he sold as an apothecary. Milner’s was like most stores of the nineteenth century because he sold a bit of everything. Milner’s Drug Store had a reputation as a social center as well, news, politics, and gossip could be exchanged amongst the towns folk of the area in the store. Saturday was the special day for Milner’s and the people of Florence. Saturday was generally the day that all the rural farmers would travel to Florence to buy and sell goods, so the men and women of Lauderdale County would catch up on all of the week’s news. Former governors and mayors would come to Milner’s to sit, chat, and smoke a cigar, and others would arrive to just talk politics, amongst other topics, at the popular Milner’s Drug Store. Since Milner’s was a drug store of course it had plenty of snake oil remedies, elixirs, and medicines ready for the buying customer. In an era when medicine was not advanced, Milner’s carried a multitude of patented medicines for the patients of Lauderdale County. He carried opiates, herbs, tonics, and bitters for use by customers. But as nineteenth century medicine goes, Milner’s Drug Store was like many others of the same era, filled with ineffective remedies for customers whose illnesses could not be cured with the cure-all solutions provided in a nineteenth century drug store. Milner’s Drug Store was family owned and operated through the early part of the twentieth century, but was sold by the family in the 1960s. Today, Milner’s Drug Store exists as Milner-Rushing Discount Drugs in locations throughout Florence. Milner’s moved from Court Street during the 1960s to Sweetwater, leaving the home it had on Court Street for over one hundred years.
M.C. Fesmire, University of North Alabama
Text Sources: Mims, Jobyna. “An Ante-Bellum Drug Store.” The Journal of Muscle Shoals History, vol. 2 (1974):. Picture Source: UNA Archives & Special Collection. William L. McDonald Collection. “Milner's Drug Store.” Florence, Alabama, Box 12: Florence Industry, 12-20.
To reach Mitchell Cemetery from Rogersville, head north on AL 207 towards mile marker 10. The cemetery is on the left side of the road with a driveway attached to it. The cemetery is divided into four sections. Section A is to the south and Section C to the north, and Section B is in the middle. There is a Section D for graves outside of the area. A full list of records can be viewed within the source.
"Mitchell Cemetery." http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder. Accessed September 9, 2015.
Auburn, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Grist Mill
James Mitchell purchased 400 acres along Chewacla Creek and built a dam and sawmill in 1837. Mr. Collins bought the mill in 1880, but it was washed away during a flood in 1889 and would not be rebuilt until 1905. J. Milton Whatley bought the property in 1935 and completely restored and renovated the gristmill. In 1964, following a three-day freezing rain, the dam split and ice water sent the mill's iron water wheel down Chewacla Creek, where it rested until the early 1990s. The site of the mill is located at 7687 Lee Rd., Auburn, AL.
Description: "The Heritage of Lee County, Alabama"
Professional Wrestling Knoxville, Tennessee
Montgomery Avenue; Sheffield, Alabama; Colbert County; Jewish Owned Businesses
Most of the earliest merchants in Sheffield, Alabama were of Jewish descent and came to the area in the mid 1880's. The earliest Jewish families were the Spielbergers who owned a dry goods and clothing store, Speilbergers and Sons at 217-219 Montgomery Avenue. Other Jewish owned businesses included: Philip Olin who sold boots, shoes, and clothing, H. Goodman and A. E. Goodman who sold furniture and general merchandise, and Cohen Mercantile, which was located at the intersection of Montgomery and Cohen.
Special Collection, Sadie Schrader Collection, Collier Library, University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama.
Sheffield; Colbert County; Jewish Owned Businesses
Alfred Huger Moses was responsible for the layout of the residential, business, and industrial areas of Sheffield, Alabama, which was incorporated in 1895. He named Montgomery Avenue after Montgomery, Alabama where he and his family had lived (and where he and his wife are buried) before moving to Sheffield. The family home, which burned n the late 1880s, was located on North Montgomery Avenue near where the bluff overlooks the Tennessee River.
Special Collections, 55.3, from Said Schrader Collection. Collier Library, University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama.
Photograph courtesy of Special Collections, UNA.
Building; Priceville, AL; Morgan County, AL
The Morgan County Celebration Arena is located in Priceville, Alabama at 67 Horse Center Road. The arena has 32 barns with a total of 672 stalls. There are 50 indoor vendor areas and a parking area that can hold 2,500 cars. The arena is 150 feet by 300 feet with a seating capacity of 4,000 with 1,000 VIP.
“Morgan County Celebration Arena.” Accessed July 27, 2015. http://www.northalabama.org/
Located in Opelika along South Uniroyal Road. Coordinates: 32.6104129, -85.3374447
Churches; Hillsboro, AL; Lawrence County, AL
Currently, the Morris Chapel Methodist Church is located on Lawrence County Road 217 near Hillsboro, Alabama. Named after the Reverend Moses S. Morris, the church dates to 1852 making it one of oldest churches located in Lawrence County. Originally the church sat near Shoal Creek three miles east of the current site. After the church flooded several times, in 1902 the congregation made the decision to move it to the current site. Additionally, the creek divided the congregation in half. Between 1902 and 1907, builders dismantled the original church, moved the lumber and materials to the new site, and reconstructed the church. In 1937, the congregation built a new church building, which was remodeled in 1960. Each year the church holds an Annual Homecoming celebration on the 3rd Sunday in May.
"The Heritage of Lawrence County, Alabama." Heritage Publishing Consultants, Inc. 1998. http://www.morrischapel.org/
Morris Nathan; Founder of Sheffield, Alabama; Colbert County; Jewish Settlers
Alfred Huger Moses and Morris Nathan were the first two alderman of Sheffield, Alabama. Nathan was buried in the Jewish section of Oakwood Cemetery in Sheffield, Alabama before the Jewish community incorporated or built a temple.
Education; Lee County, AL; Mount Moriah School; Rosenwald Schools; Rosenwald, Julius; African American Schools; Auburn, AL; Chewacla State Park; Lee County Board of Education; Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church
Located on Wrights Mill Road in close proximity to the entrance of Chewacla State Park, the Mount Moriah Rosenwald School was founded in or around 1932. The one-room school functioned for around thirty years, until the Lee County Board of Education scheduled the closing of the ramshackle building. In 1961, the school’s twenty-six students attended classes in a facility with a leaking roof, shattered windows, rotten floorboards, and no sanitation. A corrugated iron outhouse awaited young ladies in need of a freshen-up; boys were expected to utilize Mother Nature’s facilities. A lack of indoor plumbing forced teachers and students to fetch clean drinking water from almost a mile away. Sears C.E.O. Julius Rosenwald donated $275 to help establish the school, but the local African-American community raised $403 and the county government subsidized $100 of the construction. After the razing of the school, African-American Baptists in Auburn founded the Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church on the site of the old Rosenwald School.
Text Sources: “Mount Moriah School,” Fisk University Rosenwald Fund Card Database, http://rosenwald.fisk.edu/?module=search.details&set_v=aWQ9MzIw&school_county=Lee&school_state=AL&button=Search&o=0 Ralph Draughon, Jr., Delos Hughes, and Ann Pearson, Lost Auburn: A Village Remembered in Period Photographs (Montgomery: NewSouth Books, 2012), 58-59.
Located in Auburn along Society Hill Road. Coordinates: 32.5895798, -85.4052245
Located in Waverly along West Farmville Road. Coordinates: 32.6604105, -85.5082835
Education; Lee County, AL; Mount Sinai School; African American Schools; Lee County Training School; Jones, Janie; Farmville, AL
Adjacent to Mount Sinai Church, Mount Sinai School catered to Farmville’s African-American schoolchildren. Housed in a two-story building, the school operated from 1913 until some undisclosed date during the 1940s. Janie Jones of Opelika taught at the facility for many years. When the Rosenwald-funded Lee County Training School opened in Auburn in 1931, many of Mount Sinai’s students opted to matriculate. Those who graduated from Mount Sinai before the foundation of Lee County Training School progressed no farther than the eighth grade.
Text Source: The Heritage of Lee County Book Committee, The Heritage of Lee County, Alabama (Clanton, AL: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 2000), 68.
Located in Auburn along South College Street. Coordinates: 32.5293033, -85.5213388
Located in Smiths Station along Lee Road 294. Coordinates: 32.5440279, -85.1141035
Lauderdale County, Alabama; Florence, Alabama; Rosenwald School; Mount Zion; African American History; Anita Cobb
Mount Zion was a Rosenwald school located in Florence, Alabama. The local community was provided a grant from Julius Rosenwald to build a school for the African American community. Like other Rosenwald schools the local community had to provide additional funds to buy the land for and funds for the school building. The school was a small one-room structure that served grades one through six. The classes were divided into two rooms separated by sliding doors. Each classroom had its own entrance. The building also had a cloakroom where the school children could hang their clothes and leave their lunches. There was also a small kitchen that provided heating for the school through the use of stoves. Two of the stoves were used to heat the building while the other one was used for cooking. The chimney also came down into the kitchen. The older girls at the school would cook all the food for the other children. They would arrive at school and begin cooking the food. Before lunch began, they would be dismissed from class early in order to finish cooking the food. The school was located off of Highway 189.
Cobb, Anita interview by Sam Keiser. Florence Alabama, November 18, 2015.
Schools; Education; Moulton, AL; Lawrence County, AL
Col. Richard Jones and his wife moved to the Moulton area for Mrs. Jones’ health. When they arrived, Col. Jones saw that there were few opportunities for children to get an education. In 1841, he constructed the first schoolhouse. The school became known as Mountain Home Female Institute. The school grew to include a large boarding house for the students. The students ate in a dining room in the basement of the home though the kitchen, like many kitchens in the south, was located in a separate building behind the dormitory. The school remained in operation until the death of Principal J.M. Pickens, who died after being shot in broad daylight on February 2, 1881.
"The Heritage of Lawrence County, Alabama." Heritage Publishing Consultants, Inc. 1998.
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.
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). 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/
This historic marker is located at entrance to Florence Cemetery near US 72, Florence, Alabama. The text on the marker reads: "The notorious outlaw gang leader who boasted that no one would ever run over Tom Clark lies buried near the center of Tennessee Street where now all who pass by do run over him. In 1872, Clark, who terrorized helpless citizens during the Civil War, confessed to at least nineteen murders, including a child, and was hanged with two companions. Although graves were already dug in a nearby field, outraged townspeople interred Clark beneath Tennessee Street thus bring his boast to nought."
“Mountain Tom Clark Marker”. Accessed 11/05/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
People; Russellville, AL; Franklin County, AL
Mr. Leavitt came to Franklin County in the early 1900s and lived on Spruce Pine mountain. After life as a sea captain, Mr. Leavitt desired a new life of peace and quiet. He always boasted that he brought "enough money to last the rest of his life". He lived on the mountain for five years, telling his stories and teaching music and art to the citizens in the area. Rumors spread through Franklin County about the mysterious gold that Mr. Leavitt supposedly had hidden within his mountain retreat. On a morning in 1904, Mr. Leavitt was found murdered with a fractured skull in a location known as Bent Hickory. His body gave indication that the attack came from behind. Police never found Mr. Leavitt's killer.
Franklin County Data, Franklin County Archives
Colbert County, Alabama; Tuscumbia, Alabama; Mt Carmel Baptist Church; African American Church; African American History
Mount Carmel Baptist Church was conceived of and organized in 1929. The original incarnation of the church consisted of a group of men meeting in the home of Mingo White, Sr. The group eventually planned to rent a store for use as a church. The group would continue to use the store as a meeting place for worship services and made several additions over the years. Over time the church would be known as the Mount Carmel Baptist Church. In 1960, the walls of the church were restored and official services could begin again. The Church can still be found at its original location today on 606 S Mulberry St, Tuscumbia, Alabama 35674
McWilliams, John L. Tuscumbia. Charleston, S.C., South Carolina: Arcadia Pub. 2012. 38-39
This cemetery is located off County Road 21 north of Waterloo, Alabama. From Waterloo, travel north on County Road 14 for 1.07 miles and turn right onto County Road 90. Go 2.2 miles to County Road 21. Turn left and keep right, following County Rd. 21 2.23 miles. The cemetery is across the road. There once was a church near Mt. Hebron, the stone footings are located near the cemetery. There are at least 12 unknown graves in the cemetery.
Bob, Torbert. "Mt Hebron Cemetery." Rootsweb. June 1, 2002. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-mthebron.htm. Accessed April 11, 2015.
Cemeteries; Waterloo, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
The Mt. Olive Cemetery is located in the far western area of Lauderdale Co., Alabama. To reach the cemetery, from Waterloo, AL, travel County Road #45 for 4.1 miles. Turn left onto Union Hollow Rd. Keep continuing left as Union Hollow Rd. begins to curve. The largest part of the cemetery is on the left and a smaller portion on the right side. Mt. Olive Church was established around 1881. The graves in the cemetery predate the establishment of the church. List of graves are located in sources.
Montgomery, David L. "Mt. Olive Cemetery." Cemeteries Only. April 24, 2015. http://cemeteriesonly.com/MtOliveCem.html. Accessed April 29, 2015.
Mt. Pleasant Cumberland Presbyterian Church Cemetery
Colbert County, Alabama; Mount Pleasant Cumberland Presbyterian Church Cemetery; Mount Pleasant Cumberland Presbyterian Church; Old Brick Presbyterian Church; Cemeteries
Mt. Cumberland Presbyterian Church was established by a faction which split from nearby Old Brick Presbyterian Church. The earliest burial in the cemetery is Josephine "Josie" Davidson Kerby (1870-1916). The RootsWeb source linked below contains a complete list of burials. To reach the Mt. Cumberland Presbyterian Church and cemetery from AL-157 in Muscle Shoals, head east on River Road and turn right onto County Line Road. After one mile, the church and cemetery are on the right.
Brian Corrigan, University of North Alabama
"Mt. Pleasant Cumberland Prebyterian Church Cemetery," RootsWeb, http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~maury/AlabamaCemeteriesWeb/ColbertCounty/MtPleasantCPChurchCem/MtPleasantCumb.PresbyterianChurchyardCemListingFAG.htm (accessed December 5, 2015).
Mt. Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery
Colbert County, Alabama; Leighton, Alabama; Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery; Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church; Cemeteries
To reach the Mt. Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery from AL-157 in Muscle Shoals, head east on 2nd Street/AL-184 and after 6 miles, turn right onto County Line Road. The church and cemetery are on the left.
Murphy's Chapel Cemetery is located ½ mile east of Alabama Highway 20, on Lauderdale County Road 8 at Murphy's Chapel Free Will Baptist Church northwest of Florence, Alabama. The oldest known grave is that of a Confederate soldier buried in 1861. A woman by the name of Katie K. Jones is the oldest known person buried here, having been born in 1792. Some graves are probably much older than those listed. There are war veterans from the Civil War to the Korean War. The cemetery has a record of 738 graves. A full list of graves is located in the source.
Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama.
Montgomery, David L. "Murphy's Chapel." Rootsweb. January 5, 2005. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-murphychapel-2005.htm. Accessed April 7, 2015.
Muscle Shoals, Alabama; Colbert County; Tennessee River
The Muscle Shoals is a section of the Tennessee River in North Alabama. This is the shoals that gives the surrounding area its name. The section on the river totals 37 miles in length. This was once an impassable barrier along the river. It made navigation extremely difficult for people. The Shoals was named after either the mussels found along the banks or the muscles needed to canoe across the river there. Both are disputed explanations for the naming of the shoals. Along this stretch the river had shoals, reefs, gravel, sand bars, swift currents, and uncertain depths. Until the canal was built in the early 1800s the area could only be navigated by small man-propelled crafts, such as canoes and rafts. The increasing problem of navigation through the area eventually gained the notice of Congress and they provided land for sale to generate funds to build a canal. This original canal was little help and was never intended to be used as a high traffic waterway. Coal barges could barely, if at all, fit down the canal. It was also a very slow option to naviagte along the river, as it could take up to 11 hours to fully travel down the river.
Carrie Keener, University of North Alabama
Young, Ronald. 1976. 'History Of US Facilities At Muscle Shoals, Alabama, And Origins Of The TVA'. Paper. Florence. William Lindsey McDonald Collection. UNA Special Archives. Peyton, John Howe. 1916. 'America's Gibraltar Muscle Shoals'. Paper. Florence. William Lindsey McDonald Collection. UNA Special Archives. 'FDR, TVA, And CCC Federal Influence In The Shoals: The Journal Of Muscle Shoals History Volume XIX'. 2015. Florence. William Lindsey McDonald Collection. UNA Special Archives.
Historic Markers; Killen, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
This historic marker is located at the intersection of U.S. 72, Killen, Alabama. The text on the marker reads: "Lock Six, headquarters of Muscle Shoals Canal, was located 1.3 miles south of here. An 1836 attempt to build a bypass canal around the shoals proved unsuccessful. On November 10, 1890 the canal from Rogersville to Florence was successfully completed. The river fell 85 feet in 14 1/2 miles requiring nine locks. Canal was closed in 1918 and later covered by backwaters from Wilson and Wheeler Dams. Jesse James robbed the U.S. Payroll near Lock Six in 1881."
“Muscle Shoals Canal Marker”. Accessed 11/04/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
Muscle Shoals Career Academy/ Muscle Shoals Center for Technology
Muscle Shoals Career Academy; Muscle Shoals Center for Technology; Vocational School; Muscle Shoals, Alabama; Colbert County, Alabama; School; Education
In 1975, The Muscle Shoals Board of Education conducted a needs assessment in conjunction with the Alabama State Department of Education to determine the business and industry employment needs in the Shoals area. As a result of the needs assessment survey the following occupational programs were initially implemented at the vocational school: Auto Body, Auto Mechanics, Business and Office Education, Carpentry, Distributive Education, Health Occupations, Horticulture, Industrial Electricity, Radio and TV repair, Trowel Trades, and Welding. Since the original opening of the school in 1977, Cosmetology, Engineering Graphics, Electronics/Robotics, Principles of Technology, Technology Education, Family and Consumer Science, and Cisco Academy programs were approved by the Alabama Department of Education and implemented at the Muscle Shoals Area Vocational School. Due to economic shifts in the local economy Trowel Trades and Horticulture were eliminated from the vocational curriculum. The Industrial Electricity program was eliminated due to low student enrollment. In 2000, the faculty and staff requested a school name change to reflect the curriculum changes that represented the technology and computer skills required for today's labor force. In October 2000, the name of the Muscle Shoals Area Vocational School changed to the Muscle Shoals Center for Technology.
Thomas Hale, University of North Alabama
“About the School: School History”, Accessed on November 26, 2015, http://muscleshoals.al.mst.schoolinsites.com/?PageName=‘AboutTheSchool’
Muscle Shoals Middle School; Muscle Shoals School System; Muscle Shoals, Alabama; Colbert County, Alabama; Middle School; School; Education
At its opening in 1970, the current MSMS building housed grades nine through twelve. These grades remained in this building until 1999 when the new high school was built. Middle school students previously attended McBride Middle School (now McBride Elementary School). Muscle Shoals Middle School was created fall 1999 for grades six through eight. In 2008, a new ten room addition was added to house the sixth grade students.
“About the School: Facility”, Accessed on November 26, 2015, http://muscleshoals.al.msm.schoolinsites.com/?PageName=‘AboutTheSchool’
The Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area (MSNHA) encompasses the six counties of North Alabama’s Tennessee River water basin, which includes Lauderdale County. An act of Congress established the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area in 2009. Since that time, MSNHA has worked hard to help preserve and promote the history of the Muscle Shoals Region. It is the only Heritage Area in the state of Alabama. MSNHA is sponsored by the University of North Alabama and operates under the National Park Service. MSNHA partnered with UNA to sponsor a successful Civil War conference in 2014. Other partnerships include living history events that were co-sponsored by the Florence-Lauderdale County Public Library. University of North Alabama graduate students help to create educational resource packets, driving tours, walking tours, brochures, and other educational materials for the Heritage Area. MSNHA and UNA Public History Center share offices near UNA’s campus in Florence, Alabama.
Kayla Scott, University of North Alabama
Public Libraries; Muscle Shoals; Colbert County; Alabama
The Muscle Shoals Public Library is located at 1918 East Avalon Avenue in Muscle Shoals, Colbert County, next to Muscle Shoals High School. It contains approximately 52,000 volumes and offers DVD's, audiobooks, computers, and free wifi to the public. It also offers a homebound delivery service free of charge. It is open Mondays 1 p.m. – 5 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., and is closed on Sundays.
Jacob Grandstaff, University of North Alabama
“Muscle Shoals 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=4642. Image provided by: http://helenkellerhealth.com/the-shoals/muscle-shoals/ “Muscle Shoals Public Library,” http://www1.youseemore.com/muscleshoals/contentpages.asp?loc=35, Accessed November 16, 2015
Colbert County, Alabama; Sheffield, Alabama; Muscle Shoals Sound Studio; Performing Arts; Music; National Register of Historic Places
The modest exterior of the one-story concrete structure at 3614 North Jackson Highway stands in deceptively stark contrast to the majesty of the music produced therein. The building once housed the legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, where some of the most influential popular music of the 20th century was recorded and produced. Between 1969 and 1978, the studio and its versatile Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, affectionately known as "the Swampers," turned out "over 50 gold and platinum hits and hundreds of albums for pop, rock, blues, funk, soul, reggae, and even country music superstars," and in the process made the Shoals area famous the world over. Having played on some of the biggest pop, rock and soul hits of the 1960s as the house band for Rick Hall's FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, the four-man MSRS struck out on their own in 1969 and, with the financial backing of Atlantic Records president Jerry Wexler, opened their own studio in the neighboring town of Sheffield. After an inauspicious start, a number-one single recorded with R.B. Greaves ("Take a Letter Maria") and a visit from the Rolling Stones (immortalized in the documentary film Gimme Shelter) inaugurated the studio's decade-long gold and platinum winning streak. The Muscle Shoals Sound Studio was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.
National Register of Historic Places, Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, Sheffield, Colbert County, Alabama, National Register #06000437.
Muscle Shoals Street Rod Festival; Street Rod Festival; Tuscumbia, Alabama; Colbert County, Alabama; Cars; Car Festival; Festival
The Muscle Shoals Street Rod Festival is held every year in Spring Park, Tuscumbia, Alabama. It is a show of over 200 gleaming street rods and classics dating from 1972 and older. The festival is held on the 1st Sat. in June. Admission is free.
“Muscle Shoals Street Rod Festival”, Accessed on November 29, 2015, http://www.colbertcountytourism.org/index.php/2012-11-08-15-07-00/annual-events
Movies; Florence Downtown Businesses; Louis Rosenbaum; Stanley Rosenbaum; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
Louis Rosenbaum, who moved to Florence from Douglas, Wyoming (in 1918) during the building of Wilson Dam and the TVA government plants, opened the Princess Theatre on September 1, 1919. He lived and worked in Florence for over forty three years. At one time, he and his son Stanley owned and operated nine movie houses in North Alabama: the Princess, Majestic, and Shoals in Florence; the Colbert and Ritz in Sheffield; the Strand and the Tuscumbian in Tuscumbia; and the Ritz and the Plaza in Athens. Jonathan Rosenbaum, who was a movie critic for the Chicago Reader, wrote about growing up in and around movie houses owned by his grandfather in Moving Places (1980). The Shoals Theatre, 123 N. Seminary Street, continues to be used for community events.
Coleman, Edwin M., A History of Temple B'nai Israel, Florence, Alabama, Centennial Celebration, 1996-2006. Privately Printed. 2006.
Photographs courtesy of the Archives, Collier Library, University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama.
Listed as a nurse from New York in 1965 MCHR newsletter.
Montgomery, Montgomery County, Jazz, Blues, Swing Music, Radio, WWII, Television Shows, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Nat "King" Cole (March 17. 1919 - February 15, 1965) Born Nathaniel Adams Coles, on March 17, 1919, in Montgomery, Alabama, crooner Nat Cole was known for his smooth, soft baritone and easygoing nature. When Nat was four years old, his father, Edward Coles, a Baptist minister, moved the family north to Chicago, Illinois. His mother, Perlina, who played the organ in her husband’s church, was one of his musical influences. As Chicago was a magnet for jazz musicians, Nat was also influenced by such artists as Louis Armstrong, and Earl “Fatha” Hines, who he would sneak out of his house to go listen to at the various clubs around the city. Dropping out of high school before graduation, Nat first played piano for his brother’s group, Eddie Cole’s Solid Swingers. Settling in Los Angeles after a national tour that he was part off failed, Nat joined with guitarist Oscar Moore and bassist Wesley Price in the late 1930s to form the King Cole trio, as Nat had acquired the moniker “King,” due in part to the Mother Goose nursery rhyme, ‘Old King Cole,” as well as a nod to his musical prowess. Originally, the group focused on instrumental tunes, with Nat offering vocals on occasion. Legend has it that Nat’s singing career took off when a drunken patron insisted that he sing “Sweet Lorraine.” While this story has been discounted, mainly by Cole himself, he nevertheless didn’t discourage it. Nat’s explanation of his transformation in simpler terms, stating, “I started out to become a jazz pianist; in the meantime I started singing and I sang the way I felt and that's just the way it came out.” By 1943, with the help of appearances on such radio shows as Swing Soiree, the Chesterfield Supper Club, and Kraft Music Hall, The King Cole Trio had scored their first major hit with Nat’s own composition, Straighten Up and Fly Right.” Later hits like “The Christmas Song” (1946), “Route 66” (1946), “Nature Boy” (1948, and “Mona Lisa” (1950), solidified Nat’s place as a solo act and moved him away from his jazz roots with The King Cole Trio. In 1956, Nat made history by becoming the first African American to host a show on American television, The Nat “King” Cole Show on NBC. The show lasted for just over a year, ending when the show’s producers were unable to find a national sponsor, due in part to reluctance to advance a show hosted by, and featuring, African American entertainers. Although not overtly vocal regarding the civil rights battle going on in America in the 1950s and 1960s, Nat was an advocate for equality, contributing money to the Montgomery Bus Boycott and bringing lawsuits against hotels that hired him to entertain, but refused to serve him. Nat’s career kept moving forward, as he combined his singing with a fledgling acting career, the highlight being the role of W.C. Handy in 1958’s “St. Louis Blues”, based on the life of Handy. It was around this time that Nat ventured into another new genre, Latin music, recording three albums exclusively in Spanish and Portuguese from 1958 to 1962. In December of 1964, after having experienced back pain and weight loss over the previous few months, Nat was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. A heavy smoker for most of his life, Nat continued to work in spite of the diagnosis and pain, releasing his final album L-O-V-E, as well as filming his last movie, “Cat Ballou,” starring Jane Fonda and Lee Marvin. Nat succumbed to lung cancer on February 15, 1965. Nat’s popularity has remained strong long after his death, aided in part by his daughter Natalie’s recording of her father’s 1951 hit, “Unforgettable,” which combined new vocal from Natalie with those of her father’s. Posthumously, Nat has been enshrined in the Alabama Music Hall of Fame (1985), the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame (1993), the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame (1997), the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2000), and the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame (2013), as well as being featured on a United States postage stamp in 1994. Long after his passing, Nat’s sound is still influencing new generations of singers and finding new listeners. Watch & Listen: "Nat King Cole - Unforgettable" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy_JRGjc1To "Nat King Cole - When I Fall In Love (From Movie - Istanbul 1957)" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8lNgdpVakY "Memphis Blues Scene from 'St. Louis Blues' (1958)" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kvd76QiRs-4 "Nat Cole and early family interview" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_oXfIwSXIc "Nat 'King' Cole Interview" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3F5N3PSKik
John Griffin, University of North Alabama
Epstein, Daniel Mark. Nat King Cole. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1999 Santelli, Robert. The Big Book of Blues: A Biographical Encyclopedia. New York: Penguin Books, 1993 “Nat ‘King’ Cole.” http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1552. Accessed November 29, 2016. Gilliland, John. Show 22 - Smack Dab in the Middle on Route 66: A skinny dip in the easy listening mainstream. [Part 1]. UNT Digital Library. http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19775/. Accessed November 29, 2016. All images courtesy of Mr. George Lair and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, unless otherwise noted.