Muscle Shoals; TVA; Tennessee River; Colbert County
The Big Muscle Shoals is a section of the Tennessee River in North Alabama. This is the main shoals that gives the surrounding area its name, there is also the Little Muscle Shoals. 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 mussles found along the banks or the muscles needed to canoe across the river there. Both are disputed explanations for the naming of the shoals. The area had shoals, reefs, gravel, sand bars, swift currents, and uncertain depths along the expansive of river. 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 th 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 navigate along the river, as it could take up to 11 hours to fully travel down over the shoals.
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. Peyton, John Howe. 1916. 'America's Gibraltar Muscle Shoals'. Paper. Florence. William Lindsey McDonald Collection. UNA Special Archives. 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.
Big Spring; Colbert County; Tuscumbia, Alabama; Park
Big Spring was once a popular baptizing place for people in the area. It often flooded and was home to many grazing animals. Many pictures exist of the spring before it was controlled. The site is now used for hosting festivals for the city of Tuscumbia. There are picnic tables and pavilions for use around the park. The spring travels the whole length of the park, as well. There are resturants and small rides for children. Fishing, with a small fee, is also allowed in the spring.
Alabama's Official Travel Guide,. 2015. 'Spring Park - Tuscumbia - Alabama.Travel'. http://alabama.travel/places-to-go/spring-park.
Historic Theathers; Silent Movies; Silent Theaters; Tuscumbia; Colbert County; Alabama; Historic Businesses; Main Street; Tuscumbia Historic District
The Bijou Theater was the first silent theater in Colbert County. It was a short-lived Mexican restaurant named Loco Lupe's in the early 2000's. The building is currently vacant.
Colbert County Tourism, December 4, 2015. Kevin, Carter, "Give your Taste Buds a Treat at Loco Lupe's," Times Daily, June 19, 2004.
Festival; Music; Arts; Culture; Florence, AL
During the early 2000s, award winning American fashion designer Billy Reid established his flagship store in downtown Florence. In addition to his good taste in fashion, Reid also loves music. He has recognized that the town of Florence and the surrounding area has a rich music culture, both in the past and in the present with up and coming artists. Therefore, in 2008 he organized a weeklong event during the Fall of each year in downtown Florence that celebrated and exposed this unique culture. Local bands play concerts at Wilson Park and vendor booths line the streets selling art, food, and clothing. In all the event is full of “good music, good fashion, good food and good times.”
Jesse Brock, University of North Alabama
Text: Bobby Bozeman, “Billy Reid Shindig Introduces Shoals to Out-of-Towners and Vice Versa,” Times Daily, August 14, 2014. Lauren Ferguson and Ashley Williams, “Shindig Features Music, New Billy Reid T-Shirt Line,” The Daily South, August 15, 2014.
Phil Campbell, Franklin County, Country music, R&B music, Tammy Wynette, George Jones, Charlie Rich, Grand Ole Opry, Musicians Hall of fame, Country Music Hall of Fame, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Billy Sherrill (November 5, 1936 - August 4, 2015) If at any point during the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s you listened to a song by George Jones, Tammy Wynette, or Charlie Rich, chances are very good that song was either written, produced, or both, by Billy Sherrill. As just a songwriter alone, his influence is considerable. But when combined with his production prowess and his ability to find new talent and guide them towards music that fit their style of singing, Billy reaches legendary status in not just the country music world, but music in general and internationally. Billy Norris Sherrill was born on November 5, 1936, in the small rural town of Phil Campbell, Alabama. His father was an evangelist who Billy would often accompany on his revival tours, playing piano for the services. After playing with various jazz and blues bands in the South in his late teens to early twenties, Billy moved to Nashville in 1962, where he took on the job of managing the Nashville studios of Sam Phillips’ Sun Records. When Phillips sold those studios in 1963, Billy moved over as a producer to Epic Records, a division of Columbia Records, which, at the time, was recording mainly country artists out of its Nashville studios. Since Billy, despite having grown up in the south, had little exposure professionally to the country sound (his main areas of expertise being blues, jazz, and rock and roll), the sound that he did produce was a hybrid of country and pop, a forerunner of the “countrypolitan” sound that would soon move country music from a regional to a national and worldwide audience. It was also here at Epic that Billy became a major player in the country music scene. His first success was with David Houston, who recorded “Livin’ in a House Full of Love,” written by Billy and Glenn Sutton, in 1965. The song reached #3 on Billboard’s country chart in that same year. Houston’s next single, “Almost Persuaded,” also penned by Sherrill and Sutton, spent 9 weeks at #1 on the country charts in 1966, winning the Grammy for Best Country & Western song in 1967, the first of two that Billy would win as songwriter. It was at around this time that Billy met the singer with whom he would be most closely associated with, Tammy Wynette. Billy signed the former hairdresser to Epic after she auditioned for him, and changed her stage name from Wynette Byrd to Tammy Wynette, thinking it would be a better move for her career. From that time, she became Billy’s student and a recording artist for whom he would write some of her biggest songs, including “You’re Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad,” “I Don’t Wanna Play House,” and her signature song, “Stand By Your Man.” In 1969, Wynette married George Jones, which led to a partnership between not only she and Jones, but also Billy and George. Producing such songs as “The Ceremony” (1972, written by Sherrill), “We’re Gonna Hold On” (1973), and “Golden Ring” (1976), Jones and Sherrill continued their collaboration long after George and Tammy divorced in 1975. In fact, while much of his commercial success came with Wynette, Billy’s relationship with Jones was the one that lasted the longest. Billy produced what would become Jones' signature song, “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” It was Jones’ first number one hit in over six years, and is the one credited with reviving a career that had begun to flounder due to issues related to his behavior and performances. During this same time period, Billy also worked with the third member of what could be called his “Blessed Triumvirate,” Charlie Rich. With songs such as “Behind Closed Doors” and “The Most Beautiful Girl,” (1973), co-written by Sherrill, a lifelong collaboration was born. While not always commercially successful, the music that Charlie Rich produced under Billy is considered to be The Silver Fox's best. The pinnacle of the partnership was when Sherrill won the 1975 Grammy for Best Country Song with Charlie Rich’s recording of “A Very Special Love Song.” The list of additional artists for whom Billy produced or wrote is a veritable Who’s Who of Music. At one time or another, Billy worked with Barbara Mandrell, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Andy Williams, Ray Conniff, and Elvis Costello. In 1980, Billy was named vice-president and executive producer of CBS/Nashville, retiring a few years later. Among the many awards and accolades afforded are countless CMA and AMA awards, and enshrinement in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (1984), the Alabama Music Hall of Fame (1995), the Musicians Hall of Fame (2008), and the Country Music Hall of Fame (2010). Billy Sherrill died on August 4, 2015. Watch & Listen: "Stand By Your Man - Tammy Wynette" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwBirf4BWew "He Stopped Loving Her Today - George Jones" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubKUP8c0FHE "The Most Beautiful Girl - Charlie Rich" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhqbESuc2v8 "Rules of the Game - Billy Sherrill" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF5fofS_6Rk "Like Makin' Love - Billy Sherrill" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AWFYLnIzIU
John Griffin, University of North Alabama
AMHOF http://www.alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/1995/billy-sherrill/ Accessed December 2, 2016 Billy Sherrill http://www.allmusic.com/artist/billy-sherrill-mn0000079180/biography/ Accessed December 2, 2016 Songs http://www.musicvf.com/songs.php?page=artist&artist=Billy+Sherrill&tab=songaswriterchartstab/ Accessed December 2, 2016 Billy Sherrill Dies http://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/2015/08/04/breaking-legendary-producer-billy-sherrill-dies/31110363/ Accessed December 2, 2016 Country Music HOF http://countrymusichalloffame.org/Inductees/InducteeDetail/billy-sherrill/ Accessed December 2, 2016 All images courtesy of Mr. George Lair and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, unless otherwise noted.
Senior citizens enjoying bingo outdoors in Kiesel Park
Historic Houses; Athens, AL; Limestone County, AL
The Blackburn House is a perfect example of a story-and-a-half "Saltbox" style home with a proportioned Italianate portico. The home was constructed around 1873 by Edward Alexander Blackburn (1840-1899). The house served as the center for the community of Blackburn, which expanded around it. The Blackburn house is located five miles west of Athens, Alabama at the corner of the intersection of U.S. Highway 72 and Limestone County Road 43.
Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
"Blackburn House", http://www.nps.gov/Nr/research/. Accessed May 26, 2015.
SNCC Lowndes County, Alabama native Princeton Freedom Center Princeton, New Jersey
Auburn, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Manufacturing; Automotive
This plant produces light metal alloy wheels for the automotive industry. Formerly ATS Light Alloy Wheels Alabama, it was acquired by the German firm Borbet in 2008 and employs around 150. The business opened in 2001, and still operates today. Borbet is located at 979 W Veterans Blvd., Auburn, AL.
Image: http://www.bailey-harris.com/project/borbet-alabama-inc/
Education; Lee County, AL; Botsford School; Farmville, AL; Earnest, Margaret; Reeder, Elizabeth; Lee County Board of Education
Founded in 1923 near the intersection of Highway 280 and Lee County Road 147, pot-bellied stoves heated this three-room school. This facility, located near the Farmville community, served students from the first to the seventh grades. Former student Margaret Earnest reminiscences revealed that Elizabeth Reeder, one of Botsford’s teachers, boarded with her family. In the 1950s, the County Board of Education closed the school. Today the facility is still used as a polling place and the site of community events like pot-luck suppers.
Text Source: The Heritage of Lee County Book Committee, The Heritage of Lee County, Alabama (Clanton, AL: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 2000), 68.
Professional Wrestling Professional Boxing Jim Crockett Bristol, Virginia Garage Building African American
This advertisement appeared in the Bristol News Bulletin on August 22, 1932. The wrestling and boxing event was promoted by Jim Crockett.
The Bristol News Bulletin, 22 August 1932
Education; Lee County, AL; Auburn, AL; Boykin Street Elementary School; African American Schools; Civil Rights Era; Desegregation
Auburn's first public elementary school that serviced only African-American students was founded in 1951, when it also briefly functioned as a junior high school. Boykin Street Elementary remained the institution for Auburn’s African-American grammar schoolchildren until integration in 1970. Boykin Street functioned as a middle school until the facility closed in 1983. The City of Auburn now uses the building, located at 400 Boykin Street, as a community center.
Image Source: http://www.alabamaasla.com/2011/05/boykin-community-center-auburn-al/ Text Sources: City of Auburn: Parks and Recreation, http://www.auburnalabama.org/parks/Default.aspx?PageID=659 The Heritage of Lee County Book Committee, The Heritage of Lee County, Alabama (Clanton, AL: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 2000), 71.
Listed as nurse from New York in 1965 MCHR newsletter.
Morgan County, Wheeler, Plantation, Bride's Hill
Bride's Hill is a plantation located in Wheeler, Alabama. It is one of the earliest examples of a Tidewater-type cottage. Constructed in 1830 by the Dandridge family, the house was developed with a double-square formula that was used by colonial Virginia house builders. There was a separate brick kitchen that stood close to the rear of the house. In 1907, the house and surrounding farm became known as Sunnybrook. Bride's Hill was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 9, 1986.
Gamble, Robert (1990). Historic architecture in Alabama: a guide to styles and types, 1810-1930. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: The University of Alabama Press. pp. 33–35. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. Accessed June 1, 2015.
Jackson County, Bridgeport, Military Fortification, Civil War, Alabama Historical Commission Markers
Vital Memphis-Charleston railroad, "backbone of Confederacy," spanned Tennessee River here. Bridge burned several times, 1862-63. General Mitchell (U.S. Flag), occupying Huntsville after Battle of Shiloh, seized Bridgeport in April 1862 and held it until August. Federals recaptured town in July 1863 as Rosecrans (U.S. Flag) took Chattanooga (upriver). As end of usable railway from Nashville, town became key base of operations in U.S. victory at Chickamauga and lifting siege of Chattanooga. (From the historical marker erected by the Alabama Historical Commission)
Northeast Alabama Community College Archives and Special Collections
Jackson County, Bridgeport, Transportation, Railroad, National Register of Historic Places
Constructed in 1918, the Bridgeport Train Depot operated through the late 1960s and today is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It houses the Bridgeport Area Historical Association Museum. (Encyclopedia of Alabama)
http://focus.nps.gov/pdfhost/docs/nrhp/text/02000479.pdf http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-3072 Carmichael, Flossie, and Ronald Lee. In and Around Bridgeport. Collegedale, TN: The College Press, 1969.
Bridget Blessing Morrison Hiding Friends and Enemies
Bridget Blessing Morrison; Zebulon Pike Morrison; Civil War; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
Bridget Blessing Morrison lived on the southeast corner of Wood Avenue and Mobile Street. She was born in Montreal, Canada. Her father brought his family to Florence during the early 1830s to work as an engineer on the first Muscle Shoals Canal. She married Zebulon Pike Morrison, an undertaker and contractor. During the Civil War, Zebulon Morrison built a secret compartment for hiding valuables and eventually food from plundering troops. During the first Union occupation of Florence, Union troops were quartered with the Morrisons. When the Confederate forces moved back into the area, one of the officers who had been wounded in a nearby skirmish could not be evacuated with the retreating Union forces. Mrs. Morrison hid the wounded soldier in the secret compartment and nursed him back to health. Later when the Union forces had again taken Florence, Mrs. Morrison’s nephew who was a Confederate courier was on the run from Union forces. She hid him in the same secret compartment. When the Union forces arrived she recognized their commander as the same man she had hid earlier. The commander made a show of searching the house and left the hiding place alone. Reportedly he departed saying half of a bible verse, “My lady, cast thy bread upon the waters.” The second half from Ecclesiastes finishes “… for thou shalt find it after many days.”
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).
Photo from following websites: http://www.trva-tcwc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Muscle-Shoals-Canal-Map2.jpg
Auburn, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Manufacturing; Lawn Care; Motors
Briggs and Stratton produces V-twin engines for riding mowers sold under Ariens, Craftsman, Cub Cadet, Husqvarna, John Deere, Simplicity, and Snapper brands. The business opened in 1995, and still operates today. The plant is located at 150 Technology Pkwy., Auburn, AL.
Image: http://auburnal.blogspot.com/2011/02/briggs-stratton-auburn-alabama-brigg.html
Located in Parkers Crossroads, Alabama on Moores Mill Road. Coordinates: 32.5576368, -85.3352222
Scottsboro, Jackson County, Politics, Government, National Register of Historic Places
The Brown-Proctor House is primarily significant for its associations with John F. Proctor, a local politician who purchased the house in 1907 and gave it its current appearance. Proctor was a prominent attorney who served in the Alabama House of Representatives from 1892-1895 and in the Alabama Senate from 1896-1899, holding the office of Secretary of the Senate. He was a member of the Alabama Constitutional Convention and later served as a court-appointed attorney in the first trial of the Scottsboro Boys in 1931. After his death in 1939, the house continued to be occupied by his family until the early 1980s. Completed in 1881 for John A. Brown at a cost of $3200, the house was advertised for sale in the following year and with one interim owner was purchased in 1884 by General John R. Coffey for his daughter and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Brown. The couple occupied the house sporadically until its sale to John Franklin Proctor in 1907. Between 1907 and 1911, Proctor extensively remodeled the house, giving it its present appearance. The house remained in the Proctor family until 1981, when it was acquired by the Scottsboro Museum Commission. (from Mertins, Ellen; Judith Proctor (July 23, 1982). "Brown-Proctor House". National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form. National Park Service.) Since 1985, the Brown-Proctor house has served as the home of the Scottsboro Jackson Heritage Center, a historical and cultural museum focusing on Scottsboro and Jackson County.
Mertins, Ellen; Judith Proctor (July 23, 1982). "Brown-Proctor House". National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form. National Park Service. http://focus.nps.gov/nrhp/AssetDetail?assetID=f2e6df1f-91c2-47ee-ace9-89c3fd544f6f
Trains; Railroads; Depots; Transportation; Browns, AL; Dallas County, AL
This photograph depicts Browns, Alabama's train station. Browns, Alabama is an unincorporated town in Dallas County, Alabama.
Marvyn, AL; Lee County, AL; Greek Revival Style; New Deal; Agriculture
Built in the 1840s by Richard Buchanan, this Greek Revival home and property provides a history of agriculture in Lee County. It served as a plantation in the antebellum period and as a tenant farm in the early 20th century. In 1937 J.W. Clegg applied for a farm loan under the New Deal Bankhead-Jones Act of 1937 to purchase the property. He was the first farmer from the local area to apply, and second to receive funds from this legislation. The house, located at 23385 U.S. Highway 80, was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in 1996.
Text: Lee County Heritage Book Committee, The Heritage of Lee County (Clanton, AL: Heritage Publishing Consultants: 2000), 16.
Dothan, Houston County, Eufaula, Barbour County, Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Rock music, Southern rock music, Classics IV, Atlanta Rhythm Section,
Buddy Buie (January 23, 1941 - July 18, 2015) Buddy Buie may not be a name that most folks recognize, but his impact on the music scene of the 1960s to the 1990s is one that transcends name recognition. As a songwriter, producer, and concert promoter, Buddy had a hand in showcasing the talents of such artists as Roy Orbison, Wynonna Judd, B.J. Thomas, The Classics IV, and, most of all, The Atlanta Rhythm Section. Born January 23, 1941, in the small town of Marianna, Florida, Perry Carlton Buie (pronounced Boo-ee) moved with his family to the town of Dothan, Alabama when he was still a child. After dropping out of Auburn University, Buddy moved north to New York City to focus on a career in music, but soon settled back in the south in Atlanta, Georgia, where he resided for much of his music career. In the early 1960s, Buddy became the road manager for Roy Orbison. A few years later, he became the producer for the Classics IV, whose guitarist, J.R. Cobb, became a frequent songwriting partner with Buddy. While based in Atlanta, Buddy spent his songwriting time in a small fishing trailer that he had in Eufaula, Alabama. It was during this period that Buddy and Cobb wrote such hits as “Stormy,” “Spooky,” and “Traces.” While the success that he had with the Classics IV set him on steady ground, it was his founding of the group Atlanta Rhythm Section that best-defined Buddy’s influence and success on the music scene. In 1970, Buddy had opened a recording studio in Atlanta. Combining members of the Classics IV and the Candymen, Atlanta Rhythm section established themselves as a Southern Rock band in the realm of the Allman Brothers Band and Lynryd Skynryd. Buddy managed and produced many of their albums, and co-wrote their hit “So Into You,” along with keyboardist Dean Daughtry and Robert Nix. The 1980s and 1990s, while not as productive as the years with Atlanta Rhythm Section, Buddy, along with Cobb, was still actively writing, his most significant hit being Wynonna Judd’s “Rock Bottom”, which hit #2 on the country charts in 1992. In 2003, Buddy retired to Eufaula, his inspiration for so many of his hits. Buddy was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1984, and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2010. Buddy Buie passed away after suffering a heart attack on July 18, 2015, leaving behind a lasting influence on pop and southern rock music that still resonates to this day. Watch and Listen: "Stormy" Classics IV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18Sua_QTDs0 "Spooky" Classics IV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpo9KZYJ4sA "Traces" Classics IV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyxpQO0YYQo "So Into You" Atlanta Rhythm Section https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmJWRLwQq7w "Rock Bottom" Wynonna Judd https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrFfRQsBqd0
Buddy Buie: Alabama Music Hall of Fame http://alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/2011/buddy-buie/ Accessed October 31, 2016 Buddy Buie obituary, al.com http://www.al.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2015/07/hall_of_fame_songwriter_buddy.html Accessed October 31, 2016 Buddy Buie obituary, Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/perry-buddy-buie-songwriter-and-producer-dies-at-74/2015/07/23/b3f62650-30c7-11e5-8353-1215475949f4_story.html?utm_term=.0609191a1b97 Accessed October 31, 2016 All images courtesy of Mr. George Lair and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, unless otherwise noted.
Florence, Lauderdale County, Hank Williams, Tree International, Dolly Parton, Curley Putnam, Country music, Pop music, R&B music, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Buddy Killen (November 13, 1932 - November 1, 2006) There are countless musicians, singers and entertainers in the world that, for lack of that big break, never reach the pinnacle, in spite of the fact that they may have just as much, if not more, talent than others who become household names. Chances are that someone with the talent of Elvis Presley would have somehow reached some level of notoriety, but what remains unknown is if this would have been possible without the big break he received from Buddy Killen, who pitched him his first million-selling single, “Heartbreak Hotel." William Doyce Killen was born on November 13, 1932, in the hometown of W.C. Handy, Florence, Alabama. Growing up poor in the American South during this time was a way of life for many families and Buddy’s was no exception. As a child and into his teen years, music was his escape. His first band, the Hillbilly Pals, was formed during his childhood. The Dixie Ramblers, his second, performed on local radio. The day after graduating from high school, Buddy was offered the chance to play bass for a pair of comedians on the Grand Ole Opry, in Nashville, Tennessee. Buddy never hesitated, moving to Nashville, where he soon found himself playing and traveling with such Opry stars as Hank Williams, George Morgan, Ray Price and Jim Reeves, becoming acquainted with many of the people who ran country music scene behind the stage curtain. One of those people proved to be Buddy’s big break in 1953. Jack Stapp was running his publishing company, Tree International, on his own. As Buddy tells it, “I was doing demos for Tree at $10 a session, and Jack would come into the studio and ask me to get together with this singer or that writer. It went well and Jack asked me if I would come to work for him. The job would pay $35 a week and I said yes. I began picking up songs and getting them recorded. We didn’t have an office. I would carry a tape recorder around begging for songs. It was a sheer case of determination.” That determination paid off for Buddy, as he would be made a partner in Tree, eventually rising to president, and eventually, when Stapp passed away in 1980, sole owner. Along the way, he helped several artists reap the reward of their own sheer determination, starting with Elvis Presley in 1956. Another who benefited from Killen’s confidence was 14-year-old Dolly Parton, who Killen signed to a recording contract in 1960. Roger Miller, too, was a beneficiary of Buddy’s ability to spot talent, both writing and performing. Miller would go on to write hit songs for Ray Price, Jim Reeves, and Bill Anderson. Buddy also continued to write songs himself, including the #1 hit “I May Never Get to Heaven” (Conway Twitty – 1979), as well as Ronnie McDowell's #4 hit "Watchin' Girls Go By," released in 1981. In all, Buddy had 19 Top-40 hits that appeared on Billboards Country, Pop, R&B and A/C charts between 1961 and 1986. In 1989, after almost ten years at the helm of Tree International Publishing, Buddy sold the company to CBS/Sony for a reported $30-40 million. In 1993, his autobiography, “By the Seat of My Pants: My Life in Country Music,” was published by Simon & Schuster. Along the way, Buddy picked up many accolades and awards, including being a member of the first class of inductees to the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1985, along with Nat “King” Cole, Hank Williams, and W.C. Handy. Buddy Killen passed away on November 1, 2006. Watch and Listen: "Heartbreak Hotel - Elvis Presley" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4euyTDhFnk "I May Never Get to Heaven - Conway Twitty" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47D2omht1BI "Watchin' Girls Go By - Ronnie McDowell" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ychMkvLV87w "Ain't Gonna Bump No More - Joe Tex" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56tBm7nJ1QM
Buddy Killen; Alabama Music Hall of Fame http://www.alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/1985/buddy-killen/ Accessed December 5, 2016 Buddy Killen http://www.allmusic.com/artist/buddy-killen-mn0000640267/ Accessed December 5, 2016 Buddy Killen obituary http://www.cmt.com/news/1544585/nashville-music-pioneer-buddy-killen-dies/ Accessed December 5, 2016 Buddy Killen obituary http://www.nashvillepost.com/home/article/20400528/buddy-killen-passes-away-at-73/ Accessed December 5, 2016 Killen, Buddy, and Carter, Tom. “By the Seat of My Pants: My Life in Country Music.” New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993. All images courtesy of Mr. George Lair and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, unless otherwise noted.
Cemeteries; Waterloo, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
To reach Bumpus Creek Cemetery from Florence, Alabama, travel Alabama Hwy 20 west and turn left onto Waterloo Rd. and travel to Waterloo, Alabama. County Road # 14 turns north in Waterloo. Turn right and follow Bumpus Creek Road 4.5 miles to the Bumpus Creek Free Will Baptist Church. There are 84 graves in Bumpus Creek Cemetery. (The list of people buried in this cemetery is located in the source.)
Montgomery, David L. "Bumpass Creek Cemetery." Rootsweb. January 4, 2005. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-bumpusck2005.htm. Accesed April 12, 2015.
Colonel Florence M. Cornyn; General Sterling A.M. Wood; Civil War; Captain Risden Deford; Globe Cotton Mills; Lauderdale County, AL
A Union force of 1380 men under the command of Colonel Florence M. Cornyn left Corinth, Mississippi on May 26, 1863. Colonel Cornyn’s mission was to destroy the industrial capacity of Lauderdale County. The county was a leading producer of cotton and wool cloth, leather, and food for the Confederate Army of the Tennessee. Among Colonel Cornyn’s officers was Captain Risden Deford, who knew the area from his youth. Captain Deford’s father had been a Methodist circuit riding preacher in the area, often staying in the homes of the local citizens. Captain Deford knowing the locations of the mills, tanneries, and foundries; guided the Union forces to them. The Union forces met the small number of confederate units commanded by General Sterling A.M. Wood on Coffee Road near Cox Creek. After a brief engagement Wood’s troops were driven back into the city. Cornyn’s forces then accomplished their major objective and burned the Globe Cotton Mills on Cypress Creek. The destruction of the mills was valued around one million dollars.
McDonald, William Lindsey. 2003. Civil War tales of the Tennessee Valley. n.p.: Killen, Ala. : Heart of Dixie Pub. (1812 CR 111, Killen, Ala., 35645), [2003], 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). Wallace, Harry E. n.d. "Lauderdale County, Alabama Hisory." algw.org. Accessed April 14, 2015. http://www.algw.org/lauderdale/historyshoals4.htm.
Photo from following websites: http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMHGR1_Ante_Bellum_Cotton_Mills_1840_Florence_AL Photo from following websites: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/49815934 Photo from following websites: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=11114 Photo from following websites: http://civilwartalk.com/threads/corinth-ms-court-martial-and-murder-of-colonel-francis-cornyn-10th-missouri-cavalry.108468/
Burrell Normal School stemmed from Carpenters High School. In 1904 an extra year of training was added to the school for those who wanted to be teachers. This was the first higher education institution for African American students in Lauderdale County. The first president was G.N. White. After a year of study students would take an exam, if the exam was passed a state teacher's certificate was granted.
Claire Eagle, University of North Alabama
Elizabeth Womack McDonald. History of the Florence City schools, 1820-1967, 1900. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 29, 2015).
Burrell Normal School / Burrell High School Marker
Historic Markers; Florence, AL: Lauderdale County, AL
This historic marker is located at the intersection of W College St. and Burrell St. on W College St., Florence, Alabama. The text on the marker reads: "This school named Burrell Academy, formerly in Selma, Alabama, was given to Florence by the American Missionary Association. In 1903, Burrell Normal School opened and served African American students in grades 1-12. In 1937, the Florence City Board of Education assumed its operation and changed the name to Burrell High School. In 1951, it was moved to the Slater Elementary School Building on South Court Street and its name was changed to Burrell Slater High School. That building burned in 1958. In 1960, the present building opened on this site and served students until it closed because of integration 1969." The marker was erected by the Florence Historical Board
“Burrell Normal School/Burrell High School”. Accessed 09/21/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
African-American History; Education; Lauderdale County, AL
When founded, Burrell Normal School was a high school for African-American students and included a year of teacher training for those who wanted to become teachers. In 1937, the school moved into the building that housed Slater Elementary School, and the school was renamed Burrell-Slater School. In 1960, this building was destroyed by fire and a 1962 a new building was built on W. College St. and cost $515,000 to construct.
Ashley Pentecost, University of North Alabama
McDonald, Elizabeth. "History of Florence City Schools." Florence, AL: Self-published.
Colbert County, Alabama; Cherokee, Alabama; Buzzard Roost; Natchez Trace Parkway; Levi Colbert; Native American History; National Register of Historic Places
Buzzard Roost is a site along the Natchez Trace Parkway near Cherokee, where farmer, trader, and Chickasaw tribal spokesman Levi Colbert is thought to have lived and operated a "stand," or inn, for travelers during the early years of the 19th century. The site shares its name with Buzzard Roost Creek, which originates from a spring below the spot where Colbert's home is thought to have stood. The picturesque Buzzard Roost interpretive site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Brian Corrigan, University of North Alabama
National Register of Historic Places, Buzzard Roost, Cherokee, Colbert County, Alabama, National Register #76000157.
Lee County, AL; Civil War; Camp Beauregard; Camp Johnson; Confederate Army; Auburn Guards; Beauregard, AL; Auburn, AL
These two camps trained six groups of Confederate soldiers that included the local Auburn Guards as well as the 14th, 18th, 37th, and 45th Alabama infantry regiments.
Established during the 1830s, the Canaan United Methodist Church is the oldest Methodist congregation in Lauderdale County. Land for the church’s building and cemetery were given by an early settler in the county named Edmond Noel. Established for the rural planters on the bend of the Tennessee River, a tall framed building was constructed. Prior to the Civil War, slaves attended serves with their masters and sat in a designated gallery. The church itself played a role during the Civil War. During the war, soldiers under Union general James Wilson camped nearby and in 1865 Union troops bunked in the church. There was a skirmish between Union and Confederate troops at nearby Gravelly Springs Cemetery, and also a small skirmish took place on the grounds of the church. As a result, bullet holes once peppered the congregation’s pews. However, renovations in the 1970s remodeled the slave gallery and replaced the pews.
Text: William Lindsey McDonald, “Methodist Building in the Area,” in folder “McDonald Collection: The Church Register (Canaan)(Methodist Episcopal), Churches 10.1,” Bill McDonald Collection, Archives/Special Collections, Collier Library, University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama. “Canaan Methodist Church,”Tennessee Valley Historical Society, Journal of Muscle Shoals Vol. X, 1983: 91-92. Image: “Canaan Methodist Church,”Tennessee Valley Historical Society, Journal of Muscle Shoals Vol. X, 1983: 91-92.
From Florence, Alabama, travel Alabama Hwy. 20 west for 3.3 miles. Turn left onto Waterloo Rd. and go 10.2 miles. Turn left onto County Rd. 189 and go 2.8 miles. The church and cemetery are at the corner of County Rd. 189 and County Rd. 62. The cemetery is located behind the church. The full list of graves is located in the source.
Montgomery, David L. "Canaan Methodist Church Cemetery." Cemeteries Only. February 20, 2015. http://cemeteriesonly.com/CanaanMethChCem.html. Accessed on April 4, 2015.
Hanceville, Cullman County, FAME Studios, Rick Hall, Clarence Carter, R&B music, Soul music, Gospel music, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Candi Staton (March 13, 1940 - ) For many within the African-American community, the line between gospel and soul music is a thin one. A rhythm that pushes the music along, soaring vocals that inspire and lift the crowds out of their seats, freedom within the soul and within the music, all serve to drive both genres forward. No singer better represents this simultaneous confluence and divergence than soul and gospel artist Candi Staton. Born on March 13, 1940, in Hanceville, Alabama, Canzetta Maria Staton initially was involved in the gospel music scene from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s. Before she was a teenager, Candi began attending the Jewell Christian Academy in Nashville, Tennessee. It was there that she and her sister, who also attended Jewell, were part of a group called the Jewell Gospel Trio. Recording several records that did little commercially, the trio toured the gospel circuit, singing along with such gospels greats as Mahalia Jackson and C.L. Franklin. By the end of the 1950s, Candy had left the group and returned home to Alabama, where she married, had four children, and then divorced her husband. It was in 1968 that, while working at a club in Birmingham, Alabama, she met Clarence Carter, who was recording for Atlantic Records at Rick Hall’s FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Carter asked her to go on tour with him, but Candi was still married at the time. A year later, Clarence asked once again. Now divorced, she agreed. Over the course of the year, she and Clarence fell in love and were married in 1970. Her new husband also brought her to the attention of Rick Hall. With FAME Records, Candi recorded three albums. While the albums themselves were not huge sellers, they did produce four songs that reached Billboard’s R&B Top Ten charts, including a cover of Tammy Wynette’s hit, “Stand BY Your Man,” which reached #4 in 1971. In 1974, Candi, who had divorced Carter the year before, started recording for Warner Brothers, still working under the production skills of Rick Hall. Of working with Hall, Candi says that, “Rick would come to me and ask my opinion ‘Hey, do you think you can do this’. We didn’t have an arranger to come in and say ‘I’m gonna take this song and arrange it for Candi’. All of us had our opinions how the music should go, so we tried different things. If it didn’t work, we tried something else. Some day we worked on a song all day, and all night.” Her first album for Warner, “Candi,” produced the #6 R&B hit, “As Long As He Takes Care of Home.” It was her next album, "Young Hearts Run Free," that produced her sole #1 hit when the title track was released in 1976. Working with a new producer, David Crawford, and in a marriage that had turned abusive, Candi opened up to Crawford over the course of several conversations about her life. In response, he wrote the song as a way to help her give voice to her situation. Subsequent albums and singles proved to be less successful, and by 1981, disillusioned with the secular music industry, Candi had returned to her gospel roots. Married to her fourth husband, former Ashford & Simpson drummer John Sussewell, together they founded their own label, Beracah Ministries. Her return to gospel found her renewed and experiencing success once again. When the idea of returning to the world of soul music, Candi was initially reluctant. It was a conversation with her pastor sometime in the 1990s that changed her mind, in which he said, “Candi, those songs that you did in the 70s and in the 80s, they’re not bad songs. They’re good songs. Some of them you couldn’t sing because of the way you live now. Young Hearts Run Free wasn’t bad; Stand by Your Man – those songs are classics. Those songs were blessed. They raised your children, they bought you a home. Rethink it. You could go out and bless people again with those songs." Since then Candi has continued to release new material, while still revisiting her old hits that fans have come to know and love. Candi Staton was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2014, by her old friend, producer and mentor Rick Hall. Watch and Listen: "Young Hearts Run Free" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5x2PvC_PybY "He Called Me Baby" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txOo9T1jn5Y "Stand By Your Man" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbyStJWvajo "When There's Nothing Left But God" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kWVd5EMRyw "Interview - Candi Staton On Celebrating 40 Years Of Young Hearts Run Free" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPG_25-YctA
Candi Staton official website http://www.candi-staton.com/ Accessed December 6, 2016 Interview 2006 http://www.soulexpress.net/candistaton.htm/ Accessed December 6, 2016 Interview, 2011 http://www.soulexpress.net/deep2_2011.htm#candistaton/ Accessed December 6, 2016 Candi Staton discography http://www.allmusic.com/artist/candi-staton-mn0000542976/biography/ Accessed December 6, 2016 All images courtesy of Mr. George Lair and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, unless otherwise noted..
Colbert, County; Tuscumbia, Alabama; Hiking; Camping; Pet Friendly
Cane Creek is a privately owned nature preserve cooperating with the Nature Conservancy of Alabama. This is a 9.1 mile out and back hiking trail near Tuscumbia. The main feature of the trail is the waterfall. The trail has a moderate hiking rating and can be used for camping, hiking, and trail running. The area is also pet friendly. The park is free to the public year round.
"Cane Creek Canyon Nature Preserve." AllTrails.com. Accessed November 30, 2015. http://alltrails.com/trail/us/alabama/cane-creek-canyon-nature-preserve. 'Colbert County Northwestern Alabama Gateway'. Florence. Florence City. UNA Special Archives.
To reach the cemetery, turn north off Cox Creek Parkway in Florence and travel 8.3 miles. Turn left onto County Road #73 and keep right. Travel .8 mile to the cemetery on the right. The are a few graves marked with stones. Full list of graves is located in sources.
Montgomery, David L. "Canerday Cemetery." Canerday Cemetery. February 7, 2015. http://cemeteriesonly.com/CanerdayCem.html. Accessed April 22, 2015.
Colbert County Alabama; Cherokee Alabama; Native American History; Native American School; Caney Creek Chickasaw School
Caney Creek Chickasaw School was a Native American school that was originally founded by Presbyterian ministers. The school officially opened January 15, 1827 and was located on Red Rock Rd five miles away from Cherokee on the McWilliams' property. This allowed ministers and missionaries to become a part of movement to civilize the Native American tribes. Missionaries that participated would be given a federal grant to aid their efforts. When the school first opened it had thirty-five students. The school curriculum was heavily focused on religion and language in order to conform the students to the standards and beliefs of white settlers. Children were taught skills based on the traditional values of the settlers. The school lasted until 1836 when the school had to be closed down due to lack of funding after Andrew Jackson was elected president.
Curott, David. Colbert & Lauderdale County History Written on Signs of the Past. Bluewater Publishing, 2011. 11 Colbert County Heritage Book Committee (Colbert County, Ala.). 1999. The Heritage of Colbert County, Alabama. Clanton, AL: Heritage Pub. Consultants 42-43
Historic Markers; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
This marker is located on Waterloo Road 0.1 miles east of Cypress Bend Dr., Florence, Alabama. The text on the marker reads: "John A. Murrell, known as the "Great Western Land Pirate," was captured near this site in the winter of 1834. He was said to have killed over 400 people, including many kidnapped slaves. His arrest was brought about thought the clever maneuvering of Tom Brannon, a local African-American slave. An attempt had been made by the outlaw to recruit Brannon as a contact man for his far-reaching empire of crime. Brannon was awarded $100 for his bravery and his name was publicized across the country." The marker was erected by the Florence Historical Board.
“Capture of John A. Murrell”. Accessed 09/21/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
Architectural drawings; Watercolors; Houses; Dwellings; Brickwork; Doors & doorways; Windows; Shutters; Porches; Columns; Balconies; Hand railings; Woodwork; Roofs; Chimneys; Moldings; Women; Trees; Landscapes (Representations)
This image is a watercolor painting of the Cargill House in Columbus, Georgia done by Grady Hicks in 1932. The house was built sometime in the 19th century. The painting shows the front exterior of the house with its doors, windows, shutters, two story columned porch, steps, balcony, wooden hand railing, brick walls, sloped roof, and two chimneys surrounded by trees and landscaping. There is a woman in period dress in front of the house. The house is placed within framing art showing its architectural features including the molding under the roof and around the doors, the columns, the wooden railing from the balcony, various scales, and floor plans of the porch. The painting is signed: "Drawn by Grady Hicks, Ala. Poly. Inst." The painting is in good condition, some minor discoloration in the lower left corner, and is encapsulated.
Hicks, Grady Lee (rendering) ; Hoxey, Thomas (house)
Auburn University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives Dept. Architecture, School of -- Architectural Renderings Student Projects
This image is the property of the Auburn University Libraries and is intended for non-commercial use. Users of the image are asked to acknowledge the Auburn University Libraries. For information about obtaining high-resolution copies of this and other images in this collection, please contact the Auburn University Libraries Special Collections & Archives Department at archive@auburn.edu or (334) 844-1732.
Library of Congress (Historic American Buildings Survey): http://www.loc.gov/item/ga0268/ ; Digital Library of Georgia: http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/meta/html/dlg/larc/meta_dlg_larc_jlc0682.html
Columbus -- Muscogee County -- Georgia ; 1316 Third Avenue, Columbus, Muscogee County, GA
Walk of Honor Historic Markers; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
This marker is located on South Cox Creek Parkway (Alabama Route 133), Florence, Alabama. The text on the marker reads: "Educator and author Caroline Hentz was among the first female novelists in America. Her 13 volumes were some of the most popular in the U.S. during the mid-1800s, and her three dramas were produced in major cities." Hentz was inducted to the Florence Walk of Honor in 2007.
“Caroline Lee Hentz”. Accessed 09/21/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
11th grader at Hudson High School The Selma Campaign 1963-1965 Wally G. Vaughn
Auburn, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Grist Mill
Carter's Mill was an early non-permitted mill. Sam Carter received his land from the U.S. government and built his mill on that property. In 1840, the property was sold to Mark Golden Jr. who later died 1845. Golden's will listed only grist mill gear, suggesting that the mill was no longer functional.