Churches; Decatur, AL; Morgan County, AL
The Christian Science Society of Alabany-Decatur organized the Church of Christ Scientist in 1926 and constructed a church at 6th Avenue and Johnston Street. In July 1936, the original society became an authorized branch church under the name: First Church of Christ, Scientist, Decatur, Alabama. A Christian Science Reading Room is maintained at 112 2nd Avenue NE.
Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
Historic Neighborhood National Register Inventory http://decaturchurch.com/
The Civilian Conservation Corps Company 4499
Colbert County, Alabama; Muscle Shoals, Alabama; Civilian Conservation Corps; New Deal; Company 4499
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public works relief program set up as a part of the New Deal Program. The last Company of men sent to the Muscle Shoals area in 1936 was the 4499 company. These men originally worked under the United States Forest Service. The men were used to maintain the park created on the TVA property and to help with improving the landscape of the area. Before the TVA was created, there was a problem of erosion of farmable lands in the Tennessee Valley. Many of the problems came from a lack of proper nutrients in the soil, from over farming. By employing men to work solely on improving the lands people could start to farm again. One noticeable impact to the land by this company of men was the introduction of the plant kudzu. This plant is now found all across the state of Alabama and has greatly lessened the impact of erosion on the land.
Carrie Keener, University of North Alabama
'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.
University of North Alabama; Education; Lauderdale County, Alabama; Florence, Alabama
The Communications building has been a part of the University of North Alabama since 1939. It is located on Pine Street. The building, designed by the Birmingham architecture firm Warren Knight and Davis, started off as a gymnasium that included a swimming pool in the basement. In 1972 the building was transformed into a media center that gradually became a Communications and Theater building. Today it is known only as the Communications Building. It cost $100,000 to construct the building.
Traci Adams, University of North Alabama
UNA School Journal (date unknown) and The Florence Times (November 22, 1938), University of North Alabama Archives
Located at 115 Johnston Street in historic downtown Decatur, the Cotaco Opera House was the first opera house in the state of Alabama. In 1889 there was no facility in the city for a theater or public meeting hall. On September 16, 1889, the Cotaco Opera House Company was incorporated. Completed in 1890, the opera house was the social center of the community. Films and musicals could be seen at the opera house. The Rising Sun Masonic Lodge purchased the building in the 1920s and converted it into a meeting hall. The Cotaco Opera House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
"National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. Accessed June 1, 2015.
Education; Lee County, AL; Auburn University; World War II; G.I. Bill of Rights; Alabama Polytechnic Institute; Federal Public Housing Administration; Life Magazine; Auburn Housing; Auburn, AL
As World War II neared culmination, Congress passed the G.I. Bill of Rights, ensuring a paid college education for American military personnel. America’s universities saw a massive influx of veteran students, and Alabama Polytechnic Institute’s experience was no different. The university lacked the housing facilities required to keep up with the enrollment increase. A special committee of faculty and administrators proposed to use deck houses as a temporary housing solution. These deck houses were actually portions of tugboats that the college acquired from the Federal Public Housing Administration in 1946 as U.S. Maritime surplus property. These ninety-three structures caused quite a stir, and were the subject of an article in Life Magazine. These tiny, light blue-gray structures contained two downstairs rooms with two bunks each and an upstairs study area. The college closed and sold the deck houses in 1949.
Image Source: http://www.ag.auburn.edu/heritagepark/history.php Text Source: Ralph Draughon, Jr., Delos Hughes, and Ann Pearson, Lost Auburn: A Village Remembered in Period Photographs (Montgomery: NewSouth Books, 2012), 33.
Chief Doublehead; John Chisholm; Lauderdale County, AL; Bluewater Creek
The Doublehead Company was a development agency that leased thousands of acres of land in the area between Elk River and Cypress Creek to more than fifty white settlers. The Company was founded by Chief Doublehead, his fellow Cherokee named Checkout, and John D. Chisholm who served as the company’s agent, legal counselor, and had Doublehead’s power of attorney. The area was not officially open for settlement and the sale or transfer of the land was not sanctioned by the Cherokee Nation. The lease holders started having problems with their claims after Doublehead’s death in 1807, and, by 1809, a petition to drive out the white settlers was circulating. The Cherokee Agent Meigs started evicting the intruders in 1811. According to documents in the W. S. Hooie Special Collections at the University of Alabama Library, the families were still attempting to recover their land or their investment as late at 1827.
Pam Kingsbury, University of North Alabama
McDonald, William Lindsey, "The Lore of Chief Doublehead and His Home at Muscle Shoals." William Lindsey McDonald papers. Archives, Collier Library, University of North Alabama. Florence, Alabama.
The Father of Rock 'N' Roll / Sam Phillips in Florence Marker
Historic Markers; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
This historic marker is located at Hightower Pl., Florence, Alabama. The text on side one of the marker reads: "Sam Phillips fell in love with the miracle of sound and the unifying power of music. Moving to Memphis, Tennessee, he embraced the beauty of the blues with his early recordings of Howlin Wolf, B.B. King and other delta artists. In 1951 the maverick producer cut the first “Rock ’N’ Roll” record, “Rocket 88.” Three years later he revolutionized American music with his discovery of the dynamic Elvis Presley. His credo was passionate conviction, originality, and individuality in the extreme. His Sun Record label unleashed the earth shaking rule-breaking sounds of Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbinson and Charlie Rich. “Rock ’N’ Roll is the freedom of the rhythm of the soul.” He once said, “And I was looking for that little piece of soul magic.” The text on side two reads: "Sam Phillips had a vision. It sprang from the land. It sprang from the river. Long after he had achieved fame and worldwide recognition he always spoke of Florence as the birthplace of his inspiration. He pointed towards the people he had grown up with, the family upbringing he had enjoyed, the freedom he had learned to cherish in Alabama. His great heroes were from the place of his birth and often of the humblest origins. He loved, as he always said, “the soil, the water, the trees, and the beautiful Tennessee River.” He learned from his father how to plow behind a mule, but he told the world to always seek that unplowed row."
“The Father of Rock 'N' Roll / Sam Phillips in Florence Marker”. Accessed 11/10/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
The first canal built in the Muscle Shoals was built by the state of Alabama, assisted by the United States government, between 1831-1836. To fund the canal the US Congress gave the state 400,000 acres of public land to sell. The proceeds were used to fund the building of the canal. At the time, there was a need for four canals along the Tenneessee River in North Alabama, at Big Muscle Shoals, Elk River Shoals, Nancy Reef, and Little Muscle Shoals. Only at Big Muscle Shoals was a dam built. The need for the canals was due to the turbulent waters and widely varying depth of the river along the Shoals. Even with the addition of the canal to the river it barely made an impact on naviagtion. The canal was 14.5 miles long. Large barrages could not fit through the narrow canal and it took nearly eleven hours to travel fully making it impossible for much traffic to travel along the canal. The canal contained 17 locks, each 120 feet long by 32 feet, with a lift of five feet each. The way the canal was made also limited traffic to only come from up the river, not both ways. Today, the lower locks, 3-9, are submerged underwater due to the construction of the Wilson Dam.
'Muscle Shoals: Souvenir Of Inspection Trip By Officials And Citizens Of The Tri Cities'. 1919. Florence. Willism 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.
Methodist Churches; Louis Rosenbaum; Jewish Community; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
The First United Methodist Church, located at 415 N. Seminary Street in Florence, Alabama, almost fell victim to the Great Depression. A devastating fire in 1920 caused the congregation to have to design, reconstruct, and refinance the church. The doors of the church were reopened on Easter Sunday, April 20, 1924. Economic changes in the community – construction of Wilson Dam was completed, the iron furnaces over east Florence were closed, and the cottons mills were closing – caused economic uncertainty. By 1937, the United Methodist Church – in arrears for five years due to the construction of the building – was in serious financial trouble. The holder of the mortgage had instigated court action and the Methodist congregation was faced with losing its place of worship. The congregation tried various campaigns and programs to raise money but to little avail. While the money did help, it was not enough to pay off the debts. The First United Methodist Church was faced with foreclosure and a public auction of the building. Louis B. Rosenbaum, an influential businessman and member of Temple B’nai Israel, contacted the church leaders offering to help negotiate with the mortgage holder. Mr. Rosenbaum called the National Bank of New York asking the bank officials to give the congregation another opportunity to raise the money to catch up on their mortgage. The congregation worked very hard during the grace period to raise the remaining funds to pay down their burdensome debt. When the First United Methodist Church was unable to raise the money, Mr. Rosenbaum stepped in, writing a check on a private loan to the congregation to save the building. William Lindsey McDonald, a local historian, described the occasion “as one of the most beautiful accounts in the annals of Christian and Jewish relationships.”
Coleman, Erwin M. A History of Temple B'Nai Israel, Florence, Alabama, Centennial Celebration:1906-2006. Privately Printed. Florence, Alabama, 2006.
Photograph Courtesy of University of North Alabama Archives, Collier Library, Florence, Alabama.
Downtown Florence Businesses; Florence, AL; Jewish Owned Businesses; Lauderdale County, AL
The Florence Shoe Company, located at 122 North Court Street in Florence, was owned by Milburn Zeff (November 10, 1913 to April 2, 1989) and Morris Klibanoff (January 29, 1917 - December 13, 1996). Milburn was married to Bertha ("Betty") Klibanoff Zeff (1913 - 1965). He was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana; lived in Cincinnati, Ohio; and moved to the Forence area after World War II. He was a former partner in the Bootery and Kaye's. The Zeffs and the Klibanoffs were active in Temple B'nai Israel and involved in community organizations.
Coleman, Edwin M., A History of Temple B'nai Israel, Florence, Alabama, Centennial Celebration, 1906 - 2006. Private Printing. Florence, Alabama. 2006
Photograph courtesy of the Archives, Collier Library, University of North Alabama.
The Foundry/Florence Stove and Manufacturing Company
The Foundry/Florence Stove and Manufacturing Company played an important role in the history of the Sweetwater area of Florence, and as of today, the remnants of their factory still operates under a partnership of former employees as the Martin Stove and Range Company/Martin Industries, Inc. As of today, the factory is located on East Tennessee Street. When first established, the Foundry was located on Commerce Street in Sweetwater. The Foundry became the Florence Stove and Manufacturing Company when Henry H. Theole moved his company to Commerce Street in 1888 from Evansville, Indiana. An important businessman in Florence, Thomas Jefferson Phillips partnered with Theole. Phillips owned many entrepreneurial ventures in the Sweetwater area of Florence. When the Florence Stove Company commenced manufacturing, the factory produced stoves, heaters, wash pots, skillets, “sad” irons for ironing, and “dog” irons for fireplaces in a 150,000 square foot warehouse facility. Theole specialized in machine and jobbing work for repairing brass and iron molding and pattern work. Theole would hire local former slaves who became well-known locally for casting. The artisan former slave Pompeii worked at the company and cast sets of dog irons which can be seen at the W.C. Handy Museum in Florence. Workers who worked at the Florence Stove Company lived in a group of red frame houses owned by the company due south of the foundry on “Theole Row”. Theole also employed convicts at the Florence Stove Company as operators and common workers in the foundry. In 1918, the Florence Stove and Manufacturing Company was failing financially and two brothers, Charles and William Martin, Sr., partnered and purchased the company. The two brothers renamed the failing company Martin Stove and Range Company and within two financial quarters, the enterprise turned profits. During the 1970s, the Martin Stove and Range Company was reorganized into Martin Industries, Inc. And by 1987, Martin Industries, Inc., sold the families interest to a partnership of employees at the Florence facility who currently run the company on East Tennessee Street today. As of the late 1980s, the payroll was 1.5 million dollars with annual sells being five million dollars for more than 10,000 tons of gray iron casting.
M.C. Fesmire, University of North Alabama
Text Sources: “Martin Industries, Inc. - Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on Martin Industries, Inc.” last modified 2015. Martin Industries, Inc. Forum. http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/45/Martin-Industries-Inc.html. 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. Picture Source: UNA Archives & Special Collection. William L. McDonald Collection. “The Foundry/Florence Stove and Manufacturing Company.” Florence, Alabama, Box 12: Florence Industry, 12-31.
Historic Businesses; Historic Hotels; Tuscumbia; Colbert County; Alabama
The Franklin House was one of Tuscumbia's early great landmarks. Colonel Robert Ransom moved to Tuscumbia from Tennessee and began construction of a hotel on the southeast corner of 5th and Water Streets. The Franklin House's grand opening of this hotel was June 1, 1837. It was advertised as the “house on Railroad Street.” It was 3 stories high with sixty rooms designed to accommodate two hundred guests. Board and lodging per year was $150, per month was $15, and per week was $5. A tornado destroyed the roof and top floor of the Franklin House in 1874. The hotel was remodeled during repairs and became the main offices of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad in 1875. The telegraph was also moved here. In 1878, the hotel was renamed the Parshall House by Mr. Schuyler who bought the building. Electric lights were added in 1905. The hotel burned on October 11, 1915 from a fire started on the top floor. The building pictured sits on the site of the Franklin House today.
Jacob Grandstaff, University of North Alabama
The Heritage of Colbert County. Clanton, AL: Heritage Publishing Consultants, Inc., 1999, 8.
Cemeteries; Trinity, AL; Lawrence County, AL
The Fuller Cemetery can be accessed by car. Travel west from Decatur on Lawrence County Road 460. After crossing the Lawrence County line, the cemetery lies .3 miles on the left. The Fuller Cemetery is a community cemetery that began as a family cemetery. The cemetery contains modern granite stones and false crypts.
Waldrep, Phil. "Cemeteries of Lawrence County, Alabama Volume I." 1993.
Theatre; Arts; University of North Alabama; Florence, AL
On March 2, 2012, the University of North Alabama (UNA) in Florence, Alabama, conducted a grand ceremony for the George Lindsey Theatre. The university broke ground for the theatre exactly a year earlier in March of 2011. One individual in the crowd during the grand ceremony was George Smith Lindsey, the individual who the theatre was named after. Lindsey attended Florence State Teachers College (now present day University of North Alabama) during the late 1940s. At Florence State Lindsey excelled both on the football field and in the theatre. After graduating in 1952 with a Bachelor Degree in second education and physical education and serving in the Air Force, Lindsey attended the prestigious New York theatre school—the American Theatre Wing—in the late 1950s. Shortly thereafter, he earned the infamous role as Goober Pyle on “The Andy Griffith Show” during the 1960s and later caused many Americans to laugh with his comedy sketches on the show “Hee Haw.” Therefore, the University of North Alabama decided to name the newly constructed theatre after one of its most acclaimed alumnus. The theatre is located on the southwest corner of UNA’s campus on the Irvine Street. In all the theatre consists of over eight thousand square feet and is the “Shoal’s are premier theatre space.” Offices, conference rooms, classrooms, and the Borgnine Performance Hall are in the George Lindsey theatre. The Borgnine Performance Hall is a black box theatre (black walls and flat floor), that provides UNA students with versatile performance space. In addition, the theatre is equipped with state-of-the-art theatrical equipment. The total cost for the construction of the George Lindsey Theatre was two million dollars.
Jesse Brock, University of North Alabama
Text: University of North Alabama, “UNA to Host Grand Ceremony for Black Box Theatre March 2,” in folder “University Architecture: Fine Arts Center—George Lindsey/Ernest Borgnine Performance Hall,” University Collection, Archives/Special Collections, Collier Library, University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama. University of North Alabama, “George Lindsey-Biography, University of North Alabama, https://www.una.edu/library/collections/george-lindsey---biography.html (accessed May 1, 2015). Michelle Rupe Eubanks, “Theater to be Named for George Lindsey,” in folder “University Architecture: Fine Arts Center—George Lindsey/Ernest Borgnine Performance Hall,” University Collection, Archives/Special Collections, Collier Library, University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama.
Festival; Theatre; Film; University of North Alabama; Arts; Florence, AL
George Smith Lindsey attended Florence State Teachers College (now present day University of North Alabama) during the late 1940s. At Florence State Lindsey excelled both on the football field and in the theatre. One of the theatrical plays in which Lindsey performed was Oklahoma!. After graduating in 1952, Lindsey attended the prestigious New York theatre school—the American Theatre Wing—in the late 1950s. Shortly thereafter, in 1962 he signed a contract with the William Morris Agency and got roles on numerous television shows such as “Twilight Zone” and “The Alfred Hitchock Hour.” Following these minor roles, he earned the infamous role as Goober Pyle on “The Andy Griffith Show” for five years during the 1960s. After the cancellation of “The Andy Griffith Show,” Lindsey caused many Americans to laugh with his comedy sketches on the show “Hee Haw” for nearly twenty-years. In order to promote the art of theatre and to highlight talented individuals, George Smith Lindsey along with deceased UNA Communications and Theatre established the competitive George Lindsey Film Festival in 1998. For the past eighteen years, the University of North Alabama has hosted the film festival in the Spring. In March of 2015, the University of North Alabama (UNA) hosted the eighteenth Annual George Lindsey UNA Film Festival. Over three thousand local, national, and international entries were submitted at the 2015 festival, at which only one hundred were chosen to be screened. Awards are given to the first place winner in each category, and a special award is given to the best film made in the state of Alabama. Overall, according to Lindsey the festival strives to “take the energy that is in Hollywood and bring it to north Alabama.”
Text: University of North Alabama, “George Lindsey-Biography, University of North Alabama, https://www.una.edu/library/collections/george-lindsey---biography.html (accessed May 1, 2015). “George Lindsey TV & Film Festival set for April 1998,” in The 1st George Lindsey Television & Film Festival Memorabilia Book, compiled by Lisa Darnell, The George Lindsey Collection, Archives/Special Collections, Collier Library, University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama. George Lindsey UNA Film Festival, “About the Festival,” Lindsey Film Fest, www.lindseyfilmfest.com (accessed May 1, 2015). “UNA Hosts First Lindsey TV, Film Fest,” in The 1st George Lindsey Television & Film Festival Memorabilia Book, compiled by Lisa Darnell, The George Lindsey Collection, Archives/Special Collections, Collier Library, University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama. Images: Folder “Alumni: Lindsey, George,” University Collections,Archives/Special Collections, Collier Library, University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama.
Ralph the stress tigers being hidden around the library
Auburn University Libraries Instagram page
The Hallejuah Trail; St. John's Episcopal Church of Tuscumbia, Alabama
Colbert County, Alabama; Tuscumbia, Alabama; St. John's Episcopal Church; The Hallejuah Trail; Historic Churches
The North Alabama Hallelujah Trail features thirty one churches that are at least 100 years old, still stand on their original sites, still hold services, and are accessible to the public. The churches represent various architectural designs, use both imported and local building materials, and are located in a combination of urban and rural settings. The Trail is in sixteen counties and the churches were selected during an intensive two-year research process. The churches include: Blountsville United Methodist Church Brilliant Methodist Church Cambridge United Methodist Church Church of the Forest Corinth Church Courtland Presbyterian Church Episcopal Church of the Nativity First Methodist Church of Guntersville First Presbyterian Church of Athens First Presbyterian Church of Fort Payne First Presbyterian Church of Guntersville First Presbyterian Church of Tuscumbia First United Methodist Church of Attala First United Methodist Church of Red Bay Helton Memorial Chapel Keener United Methodist Church Lebanon Campground Methodist Church Mentone United Methodist Church Mount Pleasant Methodist Church Oneonta Bible Church Pine Torch Church Round Mountain Baptist Church Shady Grove Methodist Church St. John's Episcopal Church St. John's Episcopal Church of Tuscumbia St. John's Evangelical Protestant Church St. Joseph Catholic Church Temple B'Nai Shalom The Tabernacle of Hartselle Trinity Episcopal Church White House Church of Christ Woodville Methodist Church The sixteen counties included in the tour are: Blount Cherokee Colbert Cullman Dekalb Etowah Franklin Jackson Lauderdale Lawrence Limestone Madison Marion Marshall Morgan Winston Stop #11 (shown in the photograph) is St. John's Episcopal Church in Tuscumbia.
110 W. College St. Florence, Alabama 35630
Indian Mounds; Indigenous Cultures; Archaeology; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
The Indian Mound is the largest platform mound in the Tennessee Valley. The size and the shape of the earthwork are designated as Mississippian. However, artifacts and radio carbon evidence suggest that the mound is from the Middle Woodland period, A.D. 100 – 500, and is non-mortuary in purpose. The mound is located on the north side of the Tennessee River in Southern Lauderdale County. In 1914, Charles B. Moore drilled thirty-four trial holes in the mound hoping to discover what the purpose of the mound might have been. The Alabama Museum of Natural History explored the mound in 1932. The Mound, which had been part of the farm owned by Dutch Kachelman, was donated to the City of Florence in 1945 by the Dabney Family. Research undertaken in 1996 and 1997 suggests that the mound was used for tool production and use; and the preparation and consumption of food; and possible regional interaction and exchange.
Futato, Eugene, editor. Journal of Alabama Archaelogy. The Alabama Archaeological Soceity, Volume 46, number 2, December 2000, p. 90.
Photographs courtesy of the Archives at Collier Library, University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama.
The John McKinley Federal Building and the United States Post Office
Federal Buildings; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
The John McKinley Federal Building, which was built on the former site of the Florence Synodical Female College (which closed in 1893), occupies a city block. The main entrance to the building is on 210 North Seminary Street, a second, smaller, public entrance is on East Tombigbee Street, and entrances for employees and deliveries are the sides facing East Mobile Street and North Wood Avenue. The main post office for the city of Florence is located on the first floor and the United States District Court uses the remainder of the building (court rooms are on the second floor and offices are on the third floor). At one time, the building’s basement was designated as a civil defense fallout shelter with a capacity for approximately 1235 people. The United States Post Office and Courthouse was built and completed in 1913. The Times Daily, the local afternoon newspaper (at that time), praised the supervising architect James K. Taylor, for his use of Neo-Classical architecture, Georgia marble tiles, the oak that was used for the trim (inside and out), and the massive doors. The building was described as “the finest in the South.” In 1999, the 105th Congress of the United States renamed the post office to honor andcommemorate John McKinley’s contributions to the city of Florence. McKinley, who was born in Virginia and lived in Florence from 1821 – 1842, was Alabama’s first United States Supreme Court Justice. As befits a Supreme Court Justice, the sign in front of the post office was erected by the Alabama State Bar Association. Judge McKinley was part of the Cypress Land Company and one of the seven founding fathers of Florence, Alabama. His contributions to the area include; building one of the first schools in the state (Athens State University), building the First Presbyterian Church in Florence, and he is credited with being “the spiritual father of the Tennessee Valley Authority” for his work on behalf of the first Florence Canal. He became the 23rd Associate Justice of the Supreme Court while he was living in Florence. The building remains in service as a post office and federal district court and it has seen several renovations since 1913. The building is a still vital part of downtown life in that it is within walking distance of several of the first churches in the city (First Presbyterian, First Baptist, First Methodist, Wood Avenue Church of Christ {no longer in an original building}, and Trinity Episcopal Church), the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library, the University of North Alabama, Wilson Park, Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts, the Shoals Theatre, and Wilson Park.
Historic Marker, 210 North Seminary Street, Florence, Alabama.
Lee County, AL; Civil War; The Lathe; Selma, AL; Sherman, General William Tecumseh; Union Army; Columbus, GA; Irondale, AL; Ironclads; Atlanta, GA; Alabama Polytechnic Institute; Auburn University; Samford Hall; Auburn, AL
In the early years of the Civil War, the Lathe was constructed in Selma, Alabama to bore out 7-inch Brooke rifles that were the mainstay of Confederate ironclads and coastal fortifications stretched across the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. As Major General William T. Sherman's Union army marched towards Atlanta in the summer of 1864, Confederate officials decided to move the Lathe to the other major Confederate industrial center of Columbus, Georgia to avert its capture. On the way, it was buried in Irondale, Alabama as Sherman's forces bore down on Atlanta and eventually unearthed as Union forces moved further east. It spent the rest of its usable life in Columbus where it continued to bore cannon until the Confederacy's collapse in the spring of 1865. After the war, it was purchased and used by the Birmingham Rolling Mills - later part of the Tennessee Coal, Iron, and Railroad Company - before it was presented to the Alabama Polytechnic Institute (later Auburn University) in 1936 where it has stood next to Samford Hall ever since.
Auburn Plainsman: The Legend of the Lathe Historic Markers Across America: the Lathe
Business; Athens, AL; Limestone County, AL
After Solomon Ostromolgilsky decided to leave Russia and live in America, he shortened his name to Sol Mogil. He opened a general merchandise store in 1919 called The Leader. It was located on the east side of the square where Kennemer & McCully previously had a business. In 1921 Mogil outfitted the Athens baseball team with uniforms. That same year, he advertised the sale of the bankrupt stock of the English Brothers at Harris Station. He closed his business in 1932.
Taylor, Betty L. Treasures of Athens and Limestone County. Athens, Ala.: Friends of the Limestone County Archives, 2009.
Newspaper; Moulton, AL; Lawrence County, AL
In 1841 Levi Gallaway established the Moulton Advertiser. Still published today, the Moulton Advertiser is the oldest, continually operated paper in the state of Alabama. Originally, Gallaway printed the paper on a Ramage wooden press. The bed of the press was made of stone. Only one sheet of the paper could be printed at a time. Gallaway initially printed the paper on Saturday evenings.
"The Heritage of Lawrence County, Alabama." Heritage Publishing Consultants, Inc. 1998.
Colbert County, Alabama; Tuscumbia, Alabama; The Oaks; Abraham Ricks House; Architecture; National Register of Historic Places; Historic American Buildings Survey
The Oaks, also known as the Abraham Ricks Plantation, is actually two houses in one: a one-and-a-half story log building connected to a two-story late-Georgian plantation home by a one-story dining room. The log structure, which predates its Georgian counterpart by about ten years, is described as being among "the finest and best preserved... weatherboarded, story-and-a-half log structures" in North Alabama. Planter Abraham Ricks moved to Tuscumbia with his family and slaves during the early 1820s, purchasing the log cabin and property which would become The Oaks in 1826. Over the course of the two decades which followed the completion of the house in 1832, Ricks became one of the wealthiest planters in the region, and The Oaks became a major center of social activity. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Brian Corrigan, University of North Alabama
National Register of Historic Places, The Oaks, Tuscumbia, Colbert County, Alabama, National Register #76000319. Historic American Buildings Survey, HABS AL-362, http://loc.gov/pictures/item/al0077 (accessed November 9, 2015).
Education; Lee County, AL; The Old Rotation; Auburn University; Duggar, J.F.; National Register of Historic Places; Cotton; Legumes; Scientific Experimentation; Auburn, AL
Located on Lem Morrison Drive directly across the street from the Auburn University Parking Services Building, The Old Rotation exemplifies Auburn’s tradition as a bastion of agricultural education. Professor J.F. Duggar established the acre in 1896 as an experiment to determine the benefits of planting winter legumes such as beans or peas as a winter crop cover when cultivating cotton or corn. Duggar successfully demonstrated that winter legumes could offset some of the nitrate depletion inflicted on soil when planting cotton or corn in the same field yearly. The plots planted with winter legumes in the acre consistently yielded more cotton lint than those that lay fallow during those months. The Old Rotation is the third-longest running agricultural experiment and the oldest continuous cotton experiment in the world. In 1988, the National Register of Historic Places added The Old Rotation to its list.
Image Sources: http://www.aaes.auburn.edu/comm/pubs/old%20rotation/plotsoneandtwo.html http://www.kennysmith.org/wordpress/markers/2014/11/13/the-old-rotation/ Text Sources: Auburn University, http://www.ag.auburn.edu/agrn/cotton.htm. Auburn University, Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, http://www.aaes.auburn.edu/comm/pubs/old%20rotation/photos.php.
The original seal of Auburn University back when the University was still Alabama Polytechnic Institute
Colbert, County; Muscle Shoals, Alabama; Wilson Dam; Wilson Lake; TVA
The powerhouse controls Wilson Dam. The building is connected parallel to the dam on the south side. It houses the generating machinery for producing electricity from the dammed water. It also controls the overflow water flowing out of Wilson lake. The powerhouse contains the penstocks to conduct water towards the turbines. The top level is the main generator room. The building is built of reinforced concrete columns and girders supporting a slab roof by steel trusses.
'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. Peyton, John Howe. 1916. 'America's Gibraltar Muscle Shoals'. Paper. Florence. William Lindsey McDonald Collection. UNA Special Archives.
Historic Homes, Florence, Alabama; Lauderdale County; Jewish Settlers in North Alabama
The Reisman-Coffee-Looft House, located at 618 N. Wood Avenue, was the home to Mark Reisman and his family. Mr. Reisman was one of the first Jewish merchants in the Florence area. His business was located the corner of Tennessee and Court Streets. He was a well-respected businessman in the area and news of his death (from a gun accident in his home) shocked the community. The house, which is Queen Anne style, was built between 1888 and 1900.
History of Temple B'nai Israel, file 2-3, Local History Room, Florence- Lauderdale Public Library.
Rosenbaum House and Museum; Frank Lloyd Wright; Usonian Architecture; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
601 Riverview, Florence, Alabama The Rosenbaum House is the only Frank Lloyd Wright designed house in Alabama. Louis and Anna Rosenbaum's wedding gift to their son, Stanley, and his wife, Mildred (known as "Mimi") was a two acre lot with a view of the Tennessee River and $7,500 to build a house. The Rosenbaums, who did not see themselves living in a "Colonial style" house, had read about Frank Lloyd Wright. After discussing their vision for a home with Aaron Green, they commissioned a Usonian style house (one of twenty-six pre World War II Usonian style houses designed by Wright). The house was built in an L-shape, using natural materials, cypress wood, brick and glass. It features low-rising steel cantilevered roofs on the house and carport. The original plan called for the house to be 1540 square feet. By the time the house was completed, with overruns, the house cost approximately $14,000. After the births of four sons in six years, the Rosenbaums approached Wright about adding an extension to the house. He agreed, designing a dorm space for the children. a larger kitchen for the family, a guest room, and a second carport, adding 1048 (a second L shape) to the house. The costs for the additions exceeded $40,000. The house was added to the National Historic Register of Houses in 1978. After Stanley's death in 1978, Mildred devoted her energies to giving tours of the house and preserving Frank Lloyd Wright buildings. Mildred lived in the house until 1999 (longer than any other Wright clients) when she sold the house to the city of Florence with the intention that it would be turned into a museum. After extensive restoration and renovation, the house was opened to the public as a museum in 2003. John Sargeant describes the house as "the purest example of Usonian style."
Broach, Barbara Kimberlin, Frank Lloyd Wright's Rosenbaum House: The Birth and Rebirth of an American Treasure. San Francisco; Pomegranate, 2006. Rosenbaum, Alvin, Usonia: Frank Lloyd Wright's Design for America. Washington, D.C.: Preservation Press, National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1993.
Photograph Courtesy of Archives at Collier Library, University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama
Theatre; Arts; Culture; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
The Shoals Theatre, located in historic downtown Florence, Alabama at 123 North Seminary Street, first opened in 1948. At the time of its grand opening, the art deco style theatre was one of the finest in the Southeast. It originally sat 1,350 people and was one of four theatres in the world to have slide back chairs. On October 21, 1948, the first movie shown in the Shoals Theatre was That Lady in Ermine. Tickets for children cost ten cents and an adult ticket was forty-five cents. However, due to economic hardships the theatre closed on March 13, 1980. The last Hollywood film shown in the theatre was American Gigolo. Twelve years later in 1992 a California man by the name of Jackson Canup purchased the Alabama theatre. He spent nearly $200,000 on renovations, but was forced to sell the theatre after financial difficulties two years later. In 1996 the Shoals Association of Ministers took over the operations and was awarded two grants from the Alabama Historical Commission for restoration projects. In the 2000s, the Shoals Community Theatre Association purchased the theatre and currently puts on plays, movies, operas, comedies, ballets, and symphonies in the historic venue.
Text: Charles Van Bibber, “Shoals Theatre,” Cinema Treasure, in folder “Buildings—Shoals Theater,” Florence Collection, Archives/Special Collections, Collier Library, University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama. Bernie Delinski, “Historic Shoals Theatre under New Ownership,” in folder “Buildings—Shoals Theater,” Florence Collection, Archives/Special Collections, Collier Library, University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama.
This article appeared in The Charlotte News (North Carolina) on July 27, 1967. The article provides includes selections from an interview with wrestling promoter Jim Crockett.
Professional Wrestling African American Jim Crockett
This article appeared in the Charlotte News (North Carolina) on August 10, 1934. The editorial suggests that local wrestling promoters should employ African American performers to elevate tensions with White wrestlers to draw larger crowds and publicity.
Lauderdale County, Alabama; Florence, Alabama; Education; National Youth Administration; Great Depression
In 1939 students working for the National Youth Administration, a New Deal program started by FDR to help keep high school and college students by giving them paid work, constructed the Stone Lodge. The Stone Lodge sits in the middle of UNA's campus today. Originally, the building was constructed as a student union of sorts for student leisure and recreational activities. Over the years it has been used by the band, several clubs, and the SGA for various meetings. In 1996, It was again used as a student recreation center. Today, the lodge is used by clubs and organizations as a meeting place.
Devin McMeans, University of North Alabama
“New Student Lodge Complete Constructed by NYA Boys.” FlorAla, October 11 1939, 9th ed. Skipworth, Jay. "Leo's Provides Students with a Place to Go." FlorAla, July 11, 1996. Image: University of North Alabama Archives and Special Collections
Historical Towns; Mooresville, AL; Limestone County, AL
Mooresville was the first town to be incorporated by the Alabama Territorial Legislature on November 16, 1818. The entire village is on the National Register of Historic Places. For more information, visit the town's website: http://www.mooresvilleal.com/
“Town of Mooresville.” Accessed July 9, 2015. http://msnha.una.edu/plan-a-visit
Colbert County, Alabama; Muscle Shoals, Alabama; Rockpile; Hiking; Fishing
The Rockpile TVA trail is a 2.7 mile in and out hiking trail that follows the Tennessee River. It is possible for the hike to reach 6 miles by exploring the area. This is an easily followed trail and is well marked along the paths. There is a large diversity of fowl along the trail. such as, song birds, migatory species, pelicans, and even eagles. The main highlight of the trail is at the turn-around point at the top of the dam. This point has a small cave system to explore and a waterfall cascading into the river. The trail is pet friendly. It allows camping, fishing, and hiking.
"TVA Reservation Rock Pile." AllTrails.com. 2015. Accessed December 1, 2015. http://alltrails.com/trail/us/alabama/tva-reservation-rock-pile.
The University of North Alabama traces its roots all the way back to LaGrange College and its charter in 1830. The college moved to Florence in 1855 and renamed Florence Wesleyan University. The college closed during 1861-1869 due to the Civil War. When it reopened, it failed due to lack of funds. The school and land was then deeded to the state of Alabama to be used as a normal college. The State Normal School opened in 1872. This college was the first normal school south of the Ohio River and the first co-educational institution in the state. In 1887 the name of the school was changed to State Normal College. In 1913 the school name was changed back to State Normal School. In 1957 the name was changed to Florence State College and in 1968 it became know at Florence State University. Finally, in 1974 the college became known as the University of North Alabama. The school now offers more than 90 majors and consists of more than 20 buildings. Currently there are over 7,000 students attending the university.
Claire Eagle, University of North Alabama
University of North Alabama, "Brief Look at University of North Alabama History." Florence, Alabama, 2005. University of North Alabama, "About," https://www.una.edu/about/ (accessed May 3, 2015).
This historic marker is located near the UNA Football Practice Field on Pine Street, Florence, Alabama. The text on the marker reads: "The University of North Alabama became the first school in the history of NCAA scholarship football to win three consecutive national championships (1993,1994,1995). Under Coach Bobby Wallace, UNA posted a 41~1 record over the same three ~ year period to become the first collegiate football team at any level to win as many as 40 games over a three ~ year period. UNA also became the first Division II school to win a football national championship on its home field in three consecutive games at Florence's Braly Municipal Stadium."
“The University of North Alabama Marker”. Accessed 11/10/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
The Unsolved Murder of the Carnival Musician
Italian musician Vincent Farmica was killed on March 11, 1912 walking back to Decatur after one of his shows. A woman discovered Farmica's lifeless body while walking home. The scene contained a vast amount of evidence, but no clues as to who could be the culprit. After the woman notified the Decatur police, they immediately went to examine the crime scene. Farmica's body was still warm to the touch when they arrived. After the police examined the body officers revealed that Farmica expired after being struck in the head by a heavy blunt object. Officers believed that the murderer had to be a friend of Farmica, knowing that he had a large sum of money on his person after he played his show. A major suspect, Arthur Boyd. Boyd, was a resident of Cullman County. Police apprehended Boyd and brought him to Decatur to face prosecution for manslaughter and theft.. After the police discovered that the large sum of cash that Boyd had was from his crop sales further south, they released him. Farmica's murderer was never found.
Knox, John. "Story of Decatur, Alabama."
A War Eagle Special taking Auburn fans to Atlanta for the 1939 Georgia Tech football game.
Auburn, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Manufacturing; Scientific Tools
Thermo Fisher produces high-quality plastic vials used primarily by reference laboratories for drug and diagnostic and industrial testing. Originally Capitol Vial, the plant was purchased by Thermo Fisher Scientific in 2006. The business opened in 1999 and still operates today. It is currently one of the largest employers in Lee County, and is located at 2039 McMillan St., Auburn, AL.
Historic Homes; Lauderdale County, Alabama; Florence, Alabama
The Thimbelton home is located on 221 West Tuscaloosa Street in Florence, Alabama. Originally built as a two-story frame home in 1830, Thimbleton was modified to a Second Empire style home in the late 1800s. The home now has a false mansard roof (viewed from behind the home the false front is visible) and exceptional iron roof cresting. It is also L shaped. Ferdinand Sannoner drew up the plans. The original owners are unknown but in 1839 Thomas Kirkman inherited it, then in 1881 Mr. William P. Campell got it and through his widow Mary Coffee O’Neal, the home was passed into the hands of Edward A. O’Neal, III. Mr. O’Neal was president of the American Farm Bureau Federation during the administration of FDR. The home still stands today in downtown Florence, Alabama.
Anna Hughes, University of North Alabama
Alabama’s Tapestry of Historic Places: an inventory: page 92 Historic Muscle Shoals: a guide to places of historical interest in Colbert and Lauderdale Counties, Alabama: Tennessee Valley Historical Society: page 40 Journal of Muscle Shoals History: Historic Muscle Shoals Buildings and Sites: page 125 Florence Times: House and Gardening Pilgrimage April 25, 1954: UNA Archives, Florence Collection. Buildings. Miscellaneous Picture Source: UNA Archives, Photo Collection, File: Architecture. Domestic. Florence, Photo# AD: 25-11.
This historic marker is located in Florence's Walk of Honor located in River Heritage Park. The text on the marker reads: "In 1934, T.S. Stribling won the Pulitzer Prize for The Store, part of a trilogy set in Florence. His story "Birthright" was produced in Hollywood as a silent movie and, later, with sound. Inducted 2007."
“Thomas Sigismund Stribling Marker. Accessed 11/10/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
Colbert County, Alabama; Tuscumbia, Alabama; Funeral home; African American History; African American Funeral Home
The Thompson and Son Funeral home was originally built in 1912 for a doctor and his family. The Thompson family along with Tim Ricks converted the house into a funeral home. Ricks left the business in 1922. The house was then renamed Thompson’s funeral home until the 1930s. During the 1930’s Thompson’s son would join the business, which would then be known as the Thompson and Son funeral home. Colonel Arthur D. Graves bought the business in 1968. The funeral home still retains the original interior from when it was constructed. The business is also still in operation to this very day.
Arthur Graves interview by Sam Keiser. November 11, 2015.
The Thrasher Cemetery primarily served as a family cemetery. Most of the records in the cemetery are members of the Thrasher family that lived close to the cemetery. The cemetery is accessible by car. From Decatur, travel west on Lawrence County road 460. Travel two miles from the Lawrence County line, head north onto County Road 327. After the road dead ends 1/2 mile later on, turn right onto County Road 214. The cemetery sits on the left side of the road past the Caddo Congregational Christian Church. The cemetery sits on a hillside. There are some unusual features in the cemetery such as tiers that mark each level of graves. There is one major tombstone that stands in the center with no inscription.
2015 Soccer Championship Ticker Tape Parade
Bob Tiffin founded Tiffin Motorhomes in 1972, and the company has produced over 65,000 motorhomes since then. The mission for Tiffin Motorhomes is "building lifetime relationships by doing our best to exceed the sales, service and overall ownership expectations of Tiffin Motorhomes' owners and dealers." The Tiffin Motorhomes Company invites any current owners, customers, and anyone interested in the RV lifestyle to tour their factory in Red Bay, Alabama. Visitors will get the chance to meet the craftsman and see the construction of a motorhome. Tours for the factory are held Monday-Friday at 9:30 a,m. There is no need to schedule a visit, and tours usually last around one hour. Tours are not held through the week of July 4th and on the following holidays: Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
“Tiffin Motorhomes.” Accessed July 27, 2015. http://www.northalabama.org/
Limestone County, Alabama; Athens, Alabama; Tom Arlin Dean House; Architecture
Tom Arlin Dean, an engineer who admired the Rosenbaum House in Florence very much, followed many of Frank Lloyd Wright's ideals in creating the house located at 509 Clinton Street in Athens, Alabama. The house, which is a neighbor to two of the registered historic places -- the Robert Donnell House at 601 Houston Street and the Walker-Kuykendal House at 309 Clinton Street -- was showcased in the Limestone Journal on May 23, 1989. The house features steel beams, solid brick masonry, and California heart of redwood construction. The total finished space is 2,555 square feet and the house features two levels.
Volin, Cynthia (interview), September 18th, 2015.
The Auburn Plainsman show how traditions like “War Eagle” are still actively used today and continue to shape student identity.