Colbert County, Alabama; Cherokee, Alabama; Chickasaw Indian Agency; Native American history
The Chickasaw Indian Agency oversaw the removal of Native Americans during the forced relocation known as the Trail of Tears. The agency specifically dealt with the removal of the Chickasaw Nation in both Alabama and Mississippi. This agency was originally located in Mississippi. In 1825, a man named Benjamin Smith moved the agency from Mississippi to Cherokee, Alabama. Benjamin Reynolds would later take over for Benjamin Smith and run the agency. Reynolds was responsible for negotiating the removal of the Native American tribes from their lands during the Trail of Tears.
Curott, David. Colbert & Lauderdale County History Written on Signs of the Past. Bluewater Publishing, 2011. 20
Chief George Colbert owned a ferry across the Tennessee River, connecting Colbert and Lauderdale Counties. Colbert owned many African-American slaves. One such slave was named Lem Colbert, who operated Colbert's ferry at Waterloo, Alabama.
Ashley Pentecost, University of North Alabama
William McDonald, A Walk Through the Past. University of North Alabama archives.
Late eighteenth-early nineteenth century
Chief Doublehead; Cherokee Tribe; Lauderdale County, AL; Bluewater Creek
1774 – 1807 Doublehead, who was also known as “Talo Tiske” (meaning two heads) and sometimes “Autowee,” was a member of a prominent Cherokee family. “Tassel” or “Old Tassel” was a beloved statesman and principal chief of the Cherokee Nation whose name became synonymous with integrity and truth. One of his sisters, Wurteh, married Nathan Gist, who was white and who married into the tribe, choosing to live with the Cherokees. Gist acted as an intermediary on behalf of the Cherokees in their dealings with the white. Wurteh and Nathan Gist were the parents of Sequoya. John Watts, who at one time was counted as the Chief of Chiefs among all Cherokees, was Doublehead’s nephew. Doublehead was without any noted influence in his family until around 1790, the year he established a town near Muscle Shoals. He later moved his town to the north bank of the Tennessee River near the mouth of Blue Water Creek in Lauderdale County. There are legends, and some evidence, that Doublehead lived in other places in Lauderdale County before settling at Blue Water Creek, which is located near Center Star. (Tahleitoiskee, his brother-in-law, had lived there). Tahleitoiskee’s people had made the land inhabitable for farmers. Approximately forty “mostly cast-offs from other Cherokee and Creek villages,” moved to Blue Water with Doublehead. Though the original settlers were “infamous in Tennessee history as “the ravagers of the Cumberlands,” in time, they were joined by other Cherokees. For over two hundred years, the area Doublehead claimed kept as a hunting reserve for both Chickasaws and Cherokees. Doublehead’s settlement was thought to be a test to see if he could regain title to the lands. With the death of Old Tassel in 1788, Doublehead’s position in the tribe started to rise within the Cherokee tribe. He attended important conferences and exerted “considerable influence in the treaties between the United States government and the Indian Nations.” Doublehead, taking twenty-eight members of a “hunting party” with him, set out to avenge Old Tassel’s – his brother’s death – seeking revenge upon the whites who had ambushed Old Tassel and two others. Doublehead and his band would spend six years leading excursions designed to carry out retaliation against the whites. In June of 1794, Doublehead became a delegate to a party of chiefs visiting Philadelphia; there, he met President George Washington and Secretary of War Henry Knox. It is believed that Doublehead and the other chiefs negotiated between $1,500 and $5,000 each in annuities from the newly formed government. It is believed that John D. Chisholm, a half-breed Cherokee trader and Doublehead’s newly acquired wealth, made Doublehead determined to live more like the whites. Doublehead built a story and a half log house on the hill overlooking Blue Water Creek. He emerged as a spokesman for the Cherokee nation, living a quieter life after the wars that raged between 1791 through 1796. Doublehead and other Cherokee leaders met with Secretary of War Henry Dearborn on January 7, 1806; a large tract of land was reserved for Chief Doublehead. The end of Doublehead’s life was marked by violence. There were conspiracies to assassinate him as a traitor to his people and there were personal animosities against Doublehead for his underhanded business dealings. Doublehead died as he had lived. Several of his enemies ambushed and killed him but not without a fight. There has been speculation by historians and legends handed down from generation to generation that the Doublehead’s death was evidence of a growing sense of unity among the Cherokee. After Doublehead’s death, it came to light that he and Colonel Meigs had colluded to include much more land than had been ceded by the Cherokee.
Pam Kingsbury, University of North Alabama
McDonald, William Lindsey. "The Lore of Chief Doublehead and His Home at Muscle Shoals." The WIlliam McDonald Lindsey Collection. Archives, Collier Library. University of North Alabama.
Archives. Collier Library. The University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama.
Photograph. Courtesy of Collier Library.
The Children’s Museum of the Shoals is located on Darby Drive in Florence and is part of Deibert Park. The museum offers hands-on exhibits, which allow children of different ages to explore the arts, science, and the history and culture of the Tennessee Valley. The purpose of the Children’s Museum of the Shoals is to promote education and learning. School and group tours are offered by the museum.
Kayla Scott, University of North Alabama
http://shoalschildrensmuseum.org Destination Shoals Magazine, 2011. Images courtesy of Kayla Scott
Architectural Drawings; Watercolors; Churches; Wooden Buildings; Steeples; Doors & Doorways; Porches; Columns; Roofs; Fences; Ironwork; Men; Women; Trees; Landscapes (Representations); Mobile, AL; Mobile County, AL
This image is a watercolor painting of Christ Church (also known as Christ Episcopal Church) in Mobile, Alabama done by William T. Warren, Jr. in 1939. The painting shows the front exterior of the church with its steeple, doors, columned porch, steps, sloping roof. There is an iron fence in front of the church, landscaped grounds with trees, and a man on the street and a woman in the church door in period dress. The church is placed within framing art showing its architectural features including a close-up of a roof corner and the steeple, a floor plan and a side view of the church. In the lower right corner, there is an Alabama Polytechnic Institute School of Architecture stamp with a handwritten inscription "2nd Medal." The painting is in good condition and is encapsulated.
Warren, William T., Jr. (rendering); Unknown (building)
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/al0423/ ; Documenting the American South: http://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/king/ill231.html ; Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_Church_Cathedral_%28Mobile,_Alabama%29
Mobile -- Mobile County -- Alabama ; Northeast corner of Church & Saint Emanuel Streets, Mobile, Mobile County, AL
Colbert County, Alabama; Tuscumbia, Alabama; African American history; African American Church; African American History
The church is located near Lagrange College and the home of Abraham Ricks. The church no longer holds regular services. A former slave, Parson George Ricks, established the church. After gaining his freedom, Parson Ricks took work as a cotton picker. He worked this job until he could afford land. After reaching this goal he built his church on 300 acres of land. The building only has one room and served as a school as well.
McWilliams, John L. Tuscumbia. Charleston, S.C., South Carolina: Arcadia Pub. 2012. 66-67
Historical Markers; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
This historic marker is located at the intersection of W. Spring Street and S. Pine Street on W. Spring Street, Florence, Alabama. The text on the marker reads: "About 1849, African-Americans began holding religious services in a brick cow shed overlooking the town spring near the site. It was purchased in 1857 by the local Methodists for this congregation, with Robin Lightfoot, a slave as its pastor. In 1879, it was organized as St. Paul's African-American Methodist Episcopal Church. Children of slaves and freemen were taught here in early years. In 1866, the Freedmen's Bureau established a school for the children of African-Americans, probably at this location."
Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
“Church Springs and School Marker”. Accessed 09/28/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
This historic marker is located at the intersection of East Mobile Street and North Court Street, Florence, Alabama. The text on the marker reads: "Florence was surveyed for the Cypress Land Company in 1818 by Ferdinand Sannoner and named for the famous capital of Tuscany. The county seat of Lauderdale County, it was first incorporated in 1826. Located at the foot of Muscle Shoals, it became a thriving agricultural and commercial center with light industry and significant religious, educational, and medical institutions. During the Civil War, Florence was occupied by both armies at various times. The Tennessee Valley Authority with Wilson and Wheeler Dams contributed to further economic development."
“City of Florence Marker”. Accessed 09/28/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
Statues/Monuments; Lauderdale County, AL
The City of Florence Walk of Honor is located next to the Marriott hotel in River Heritage Park. The city of Florence designed the Walk of Honor to recognize residents of Lauderdale County who had/have found success at the national or international level. Those fields include agriculture, art, athletics, business, education, government, literature, military, medicine, music, religion, science and technology, and public service. In 2007 16 people were inducted as the first honorees, but their monuments were not placed until 2008. Inductees include Gen. John Coffee, Caroline Lee Hentz, Thomas Stribbling, Dred Scott, and Billy Reid.
Claire Eagle, University of North Alabama
City of Florence, Alabama, "Walk of Honor,"http://www.florenceal.org/Administration/Walk_of_Honor/index.html (Accessed April 28, 2015)
Civil War; Andrew Jackson; Military Road; Lauderdale County, AL
Jackson’s Military Road was constructed from 1816 to 1820 under the direction of Andrew Jackson. The original purpose of the road was to serve as a conduit for military supplies in the southeast. The mail route from New Orleans to Nashville was transferred to the Military Road from the Natchez Trace in 1819. This shortened the mail route by 200 miles. During the Civil War, the Military Road was used by Confederate and Union forces on many occasions. The largest troop movement on the road in Lauderdale County occurred in the fall of 1864. After a three inch snow fall on November 20, the Confederate Army of the Tennessee under General Hood moved out of Florence to Franklin and Nashville in Tennessee. General Benjamin Cheatham’s corps moved down Coffee Road. General Stephen Lee’s corps took Chisholm road. General Alexander Stewart’s corps left via the Military Road.
Michael Williams, University of North Alabama
McDonald, William Lindsey. A walk through the past : people and places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. n.p.: [Killen, Ala.] : Bluewater Pub., 2003., 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). McDonald, William Lindsey. 2003. Civil War tales of the Tennessee Valley. n.p.: Killen, Ala. : Heart of Dixie Pub. (1812 CR 111, Killen, Ala., 35645), [2003], 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). Groundspeak, Incorporated. 2015. "Jackson’s Military Road - Alabama Historical Markers on Waymarking.com." Waymarking.com. Accessed April 16, 2015. http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM1PNX. n.d. "Jackson's Military Road." rootsweb. Accessed April 16, 2015. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tqpeiffer/Documents/Ancestral%20Migration%20Archives/Migration%20Webpage%20Folder/%285%29%20SOUTHEASTERN%20GULF%20PLAINS/Jackson%27s%20Military%20Road.htm.
Photo from following websites: http://gardenofpraise.com/ibdjack.htm Photo from following websites: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tqpeiffer/Documents/Ancestral%20Migration%20Archives/Migration%20Photo%20Galleries/(5)%20SOUTHEASTERN%20GULF%20PLAINS/JACKSONS%20MILITARY%20ROAD/JacksonsMilitaryRoadmap.jpg
Events; Civil War; Decatur, AL; Morgan County, AL
After LeRoy Pope Walker became the first Secretary of War of the Confederacy, he immediately issued the order to confederate forces to attack Fort Sumter. As the war escalated enlistments grew. A growing number of men of the Tennessee Valley signed up to defend their homes. The following is a letter for supplies and support issued to A. B. Moore from John Rather. "Hon. A. B. Moore, Dear Sir, We had a meeting here today for the purpose of raising a volunteer company. We have 53 men, and Monday next, the 22nd inst., will complete the company at Somerville and immediately thereafter will organize by the election of officers. We lend our services to you and through you to the Confederate Government and desire to be received into immediate services in the Volunteer Corps. Write full needs as to requirements about uniforms and whether we are expected to prepare our own tents or will the government furnish them, or rather can do it now. Please respond promptly and oblige. Yours respectufully, John D, Rather"
Knox, John. "Story of Decatur, Alabama."
Civilian Conservation Corps Camps at the TVA
Colbert, County; Muscle Shoals, Alabama; the New Deal; TVA; Wilson Dam; National Park Service
The Civilian Conservation Corps, or CCC, was created by President Roosevelt as part of the New Deal. The main goals of the CCC was to reduce fire hazards, control disease, repair railroads, and prevent erosion. A CCC company located in the Muscle Shoals area cleared a 240-acre area of land for the Muscle Shoals City Airport. After this task they were used to maintain tree saplings to help with reforestation of many of the country's forests. In cooperation with the Naitonal Park Service, the CCC created footpaths, trails, bridges, parking areas, picnic areas, shelters, a field museum, boy scout meeting houses and an observation point overlooking a river; this all encompassed the new TVA park opened on July 4, 1935. The CCC in the Muscle Shoals area also produced a radio program broadcast over the area every week. The last company sent to the area was company 4499. This company originally worked for the United States Forest Services. Their main goal was to help prevent erosion.
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.
Civilian Conservation Corps in Lee County
Lee County, AL; Great Depression; Public Works; Education; New Deal; Alabama State Parks
During the 1930s two Civilian Conservation Corps groups were organized in Lee County. Post Number 4448 was located near Chewacla State Park and Post Number 4447 was located on South College Street in Auburn. Members of the Corps came from states throughout the South. From 1935-1941 Post 4448 built Chewacla State Park, including construction of a dam and lake, cabins, roads, trails, office, and bath houses. Education was a major benefit of joining the CCC. In Lee County classes were offered by Alabama Polytechnic Institute, in both the camps and on campus. One report from Post 4448 claimed that 92 percent of the men were enrolled in educational courses. The advent of World War II resulted in the closing of both CCC camps in 1941. Only a water tower and foundations remain from the camp of Post 4448.
Images: User hikenit, waymarking.com, http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMH65V_Chewacla_State_Park_CCC_Auburn_AL Text: Robert Pasquill Jr., Company 4448, SP-12, Auburn Alabama, in Trails in History: Official Newsletter of the Lee County Historical Society, Vol. 42, No. 2, April 2009, 8-11. http://www.leecountyhistoricalsociety.org/trails/trailsv42n2april09.pdf
Montgomery, Montgomery County, FAME Studios, Candi Staton, Rick Hall, Alabama School for the Blind, Alabama State College, Rock music, R&B music, Blues music, Soul music, Grammy Awards
Clarence Carter (January 14, 1936 - ) The best way to describe Clarence Carter’s style is that he is a soul and blues preacher of love, most specifically, the cheating kind. Carter’s vocals, at times soaring and at times down in the gutter, combined with a mischievous chuckle that threatens to reveal more that it should, makes him a truly unique individual in the blues and soul world. Clarence Carter was born on January 14, 1936, in Montgomery, Alabama. Blind at birth, Clarence was a student at Alabama School for the Blind in Talladega, Alabama, and later matriculated at Alabama State College (now University) in Montgomery, earning a degree in music. Teaming with a fellow ASC student, Calvin Scott, who was also blind, they formed the singing duo of Clarence & Calvin, later renamed the C & C Boys. Recording first for Fairlane Records, then Duke Records, their recordings failed to have much success. In 1965, they traveled to Muscle Shoals, Alabama to record at FAME Studios with owner/producer Rick Hall. The song “Step By Step” caught the ear of executives with Atlantic Records, who signed the duo and released the song as a single. While it, too, generated little buzz, “Step By Step” saw the beginning of a collaboration between Carter and Hall which would prove to be most successful. Shortly after the release of “Step By Step,” Scott was seriously injured in an auto accident, effectively ending the duo of Carter and Scott. Clarence continued as a solo act, recording albums for Hall’s Fame label at FAME Studios. 1967 saw Clarence release, “Tell Daddy,” his first hit, reaching #35 on the R&B chart. The song was recorded a year later, as “Tell Mama,” by Etta James, and was her biggest pop hit. The success of the song led to Clarence signing with Atlantic Records, and resulted in a string of hits, starting with “Slip Away” (#2-R&B, 1968), “Too Weak to Fight” (#3-R&B, 1968), and “Patches” (#2-R&B, 1970). By the mid-1970s, with disco coming on the scene, Clarence’s career began to take a downward turn. It wasn’t until the 1985 that he began what can be considered a comeback, signing with Ichiban Records based in Atlanta, Georgia, and releasing the album “Dr. C.C.,” which features the risqué single, “Strokin’.” Leaving Ichiban Records for his own label, Cee Gee Entertainment, Clarence has continued to record and release albums well into the 2010’s. Presented with the Governor’s Achievement Award for Popular Music in 1989 by the governor of Alabama and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Clarence was inducted into the Hall in 2003. Watch and Listen: "Strokin'" WARNING: NSFW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7gMkiOPSeA&list=PLstq9cm8cocC0tV5XzenPYX_AWupLMVsK "Back Door Santa" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0NoalRsk5w&list=PLstq9cm8cocC0tV5XzenPYX_AWupLMVsK&index=2 "Slip Away" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWYORXq_-f0&list=PLstq9cm8cocC0tV5XzenPYX_AWupLMVsK&index=3 "Patches" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-84fn58GTV0
John Griffin, University of North Alabama
“Clarence Carter” http://alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/2003/clarence-carter/ Accessed December 1, 2016 “Soul Blue Music – Clarence Carter” http://www.soulbluesmusic.com/clarencecarter.htm Accessed December 1, 2016 “FAME Studios history” http://www.fame2.com/our-history/ Accessed December 1, 2016 All images courtesy of Mr. George Lair and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, unless otherwise noted.
Fairfield, Jefferson County, Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, Jazz music, Bass (instrument), Big Band music, Ike Cole Trio, Ramsey Lewis Trio, Count Basie
Cleveland "Cleve" Eaton (August 31, 1939 - ) In his long career in music, it is difficult to find a genre or an entertainer or act that Cleve Eaton has either not recorded or toured with. The man dubbed “the Count’s Bassist” because of his long association with Count Basie and his orchestra, Eaton has also worked with such artists as jazz pianist Ike Cole (Nat’s brother), pop artist Minnie Riperton, R&B group The Dells, as well as Julie London, Sammie David, Jr., Herbie Hancock, and The Temptations…and that just touches the surface. Born in Fairfield, Alabama on August 31, 1939, Cleveland Eaton grew up in a house full of musical influence. Between the ages of five to fifteen, Cleve mastered the piano, saxophone, trumpet, and tuba. But it was the string bass with captured Cleve’s interest and, as they say, the rest is history. After earning a degree in music at Tennessee A & I State University, Cleve first connected with Ike Cole in Chicago, become a part of his trio. In 1965, Cleve began a decade-long stint with the Ramsey Lewis Trio, playing bass on such albums as “Wade In The Water” (1966), “Goin’ Latin” (1967), and the number one jazz album “Sun Goddess” (1975). While the Ramsey Lewis Trio was where Cleve made his mark on the national scene, it was his 17-year association with The Count Basie Orchestra that cemented his spot as the preeminent bassist of his time. Eaton’s work with Basie began just two weeks after he left Lewis in a salary dispute. Cleve can be heard on such albums as “Kansas City Shout” (1980), “88 Basie Street” (1983), which won the 1984 Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band, and on Basie’s last album, “Fancy Pants” (1983). Eaton continued his association with The Count Basie Orchestra after Basie’s death in 1984, including on “Big Boss Band” (1990), by George Benson, which featured the Basie orchestra. During this time, Cleve was also heading his own project, Cleve Eaton and Co., which evolved, in 2004, into Cleve Eaton and the Alabama All-Stars. Cleveland Eaton was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1979, and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2008. Watch and Listen: "Count Basie, Cleve Eaton" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YHEWFdhEMc "Cleveland Eaton in Concert" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtVJtxxChaw "Count Basie - Booty's Blues" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct_tBKgQAxw "Cleve Eaton - Slippin' Into Darkenss" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMb1b7A2O6s
“Cleveland Eaton – Alabama Music Hall of Fame” http://alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/2008/cleveland-eaton/ Accessed December 1, 2016 “Cleveland Eaton Official Website” http://clevelandeatonmusic.com/home/ Accessed December 1, 2016 “Cleve Eaton Interview – The Birmingham Times 2/5/15” http://www.birminghamtimes.com/2015/02/the-cleve-eaton-story-god-is-in-control/ Accessed December 1, 2016 All images courtesy of Mr. George Lair and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, unless otherwise noted.
Cloverdale Cemetery is located off of Cloverdale Rd. To reach this cemetery turn north off Cox Creek Parkway onto Ala 157 (Cloverdale Road); Go 10.9 miles to the cemetery. The cemetery is on the right side of the road, in back of the Cloverdale Church of Christ. A full description of graves can be viewed here: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-cloverdale.htm
Irons, Olan. "Cloverdale Cemetery." Rootsweb. October 4, 1989. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-cloverdale.htm. Accessed April 28, 2015.
Colbert County, Alabama; Ford City, Alabama; Clyde Carter House; Clyde Carter; Henry Ford; Wilson Dam; Rural Electrification Act; Agriculture; Architecture; National Register of Historic Places
Built between 1924 and 1930, the Clyde Carter House is a Spanish-Eclectic-style cottage located in what was (briefly) the Bernard Subdivision of Ford City. With its "fanciful," European-influenced design and stuccoed walls, the house stands out amongst the Bungalow-style dwellings which otherwise dominate its rural setting. The Carter residence was the first, and only, home built for the proposed Bernard Subdivision, envisioned as a planned community for nitrate-plant workers and their families after Henry Ford announced his intention to buy Wilson Dam from the federal government and remake the agricultural Shoals into "a modern industrial landscape." When Ford's plans fell through, development of a planned community at Ford City was scrapped, and construction of the Spanish Eclectic cottage was abandoned until Clyde Carter purchased the property in 1930. For a decade and a half, beginning in 1930, Carter and his family grew cotton and corn on the surrounding farmland, and the same two crops were still being farmed on the property as recently as 2004, when the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Brian Corrigan, University of North Alabama
National Register of Historic Places, Clyde Carter House, Ford City, Colbert County, Alabama, National Register #04000559.
Coach Lawrence Huggins from R. B. Hudson High School (Volunteer #1)
Huggins was 29 years old at the time of Bloody Sunday.
Architectural Drawings; Watercolors; Houses; Dwellings; Brickwork; Doors & Doorways; Windows; Shutters; Porches; Columns; Balconies; Hand Railings; Ironwork; Roofs; Chimneys; Moldings; Women; Trees; Landscapes (Representations); Tuskegee, AL; Macon County, AL
This image is a watercolor painting of the Cobb House in Tuskegee, Alabama done by Tom Brown Kirkland sometime between 1917 and 1942. The year the house was built in is unknown. The painting shows the front exterior of the house with its doors, windows, shutters, two story columned porch, steps, balcony, iron hand railing, brick walls, sloped roof, and two chimneys surrounded by trees and landscaping. There is a woman in period dress at the foot of the steps. The house is placed within framing art showing its architectural features including the molding under the roof and around the doors, the columns, the bricks, the iron railing from the balcony, various scales, and a floor plan of the porch. In the lower right corner, there is an Alabama Polytechnic Institute School of Architecture stamp. Above the stamp there is a stamped red star with a handwritten inscription "2nd Medal." At the top of the painting is the phrase: "Measured and drawn by Tom Brown Kirkland." The painting is in good condition, with four small spots of discoloration in the lower left corner, and is encapsulated.
Kirkland, Tom Brown (rendering) ; Daniels, James (house)
Library of Congress (Historic American Buildings Survey): http://www.loc.gov/item/al0329/
Tuskegee -- Macon County -- Alabama ; 504 East Main Street, Tuskegee, Macon County, AL (Southwest corner of Main and Yancy Streets)
Coca-Cola Bottling Plant/Pratt Bottling Company
In 1907, two men named Russell and Arthur Pratt of Huntsville, Alabama moved a Coca-Cola bottling facility from Sheffield to downtown Florence. The Pratt Bottling Company bottled Coca-Cola in addition to creating and manufacturing their own soft drinks and ice cream flavors. Two years later in 1909, Russell Pratt became the main distributor for Coca-Cola on the West Coast; meanwhile, Arthur Pratt left Florence to pursue Coca-Cola distribution in Newark, New Jersey and New York City, New York. Julia Pratt and manager Burt Snyder took over the operations at the Pratt Bottling Company until 1940 when the Pratt Bottling Company was sold to Walter Matthews Sr. in 1940. Eventually, the Coca-Cola bottling operations moved from downtown Florence to the Florence Industrial Park. Comcast Cable owns the old Pratt Bottling Company building located off of Court Street today.
Matthew C. Fesmire, University of North Alabama
Text Source: Barske, Carolyn. "Images of America: Florence." Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2014. Picture Source: UNA Archives & Special Collection. William L. McDonald Collection. “Coca-Cola Bottling Plant/Pratt Bottling Company.” Florence, Alabama. Box 12: Florence Industry, 12-56.
Early Twentieth-Mid to Late Twentieth Century
Cemeteries; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
To reach Cody Cemetery from Florence take to Highway 20 County Road 8, take a right. The cemetery is located on the left side of the road a mile after the turn. The cemetery is located in a wooded area 50 feet off the road and is fenced. The cemetery has a total of seven recorded burials.
"Cody Cemetery." http://www.interment.net/data/us/al/lauderdale/cody/index.htm. Accessed August 24, 2015.
From downtown Florence take Cloverdale Road (State Highway 157), go for about 2 miles, turn left about 50 yards after crossing Cox Creek. A historical marker can be seen here (about General John Coffee and the War of 1812) at the entrance to the property. Continue on Cloverdale Rd. until you pass a CVS Pharmacy. Take a left at the first red light and the cemetery will be on the left. The cemetery is enclosed by a brick wall about 4 feet high and is about 100 feet by 100 feet in area. As far as can be determined, there are 64 graves inside of the wall, 20 of these are of the marble vault type tombs, 4 are of marble slab type, 8 are marble vertical or perpendicular type, and 6 are stones with no engravings at all. Maintenance of the cemetery has increased (Florence Historical Board) and the trees have been cleared so it is now easily accessible. The cemetery is located next to recently constructed Walmart. General John Coffee lies among his family and close friends in this cemetery. The high brick wall that encloses the cemetery was constructed in 1924 to protect the site. On the marble stone above Coffee's grace are these words prepared by his friend, President Andrew Jackson: “Sacred to the Memory of General John Coffee who departed this life on the 7th day of July, 1833, age sixty-one years. As a husband, parent, and friend, he was affectionate, tender, and sincere. He was a brave, prompt, and skillful general, a disinterested and sagacious patriot, an unpretending and honest man. To complete his character, religion mingled with these virtues her serene and holy influence gave him that solid distinction among his fellow men which detraction cannot sully nor the grave conceal. Death could do no more than removed so excellent a being from the theatre he so much adorned in this world, to the bosom of the God who created him and who alone has the power to reward the immortal spirit with exhaustless bliss.” There are also over 130 slave burials outside of the walled cemetery. The Florence Historical Board has identified these with simple stone markers. A full description of the graves can be seen here: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-coffee-John.htm
Hill, William Q. "Coffee Cemetery." Rootsweb. March 22, 1969. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-coffee-John.htm. Accessed April 12, 2015. McDonald, William L. "A Walk Through the Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama." Bluewater Publishing, 2003. 408.
Coffee High School opened in 1916, becoming the first public high school in Florence. The building cost $96,000, a very large amount for the early 1900's. The school was named Coffee High School after Mrs. A.D. Coffee, the daughter-in-law of General Coffee, donated the land the school was built on. The first graduating class consisted of 11 students. Coffee High School was moved from its original building in 1951 to new buildings on Hermitage. The school then was merged with Bradshaw high school in 2004 to form Florence High School.
Elizabeth Womack McDonald. History of the Florence City schools, 1820-1967, 1900. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 29, 2015).
Colbert County, Alabama; African American History; Fairs; Colbert County Colored Fair
As far back as 1912 there is a record of a fair for African Americans taking place in Colbert County. The fair took place at a location called the Fair Grounds. The fair was popular, with a large turnout for the event. The event officially began on a Wednesday in October of 1912. The festival opened with a street parade that included a band and was followed by kids from the local schools. There were also several exhibits, talks, and displays during the course of the fair. The fair closed on Saturday night ending four days of fair activities. The fair, according to the newspaper the Alabama Dispatch was the only fair for African Americans to take place in the state. The paper also notes that by the end of the fair thousands of African Americans had attended this event. All signs point to this fair generating a large amount of interest in the African-American community.
"Colored Fair in Progress Large Crowds In Attendance And Great Interest Being Manifested." Alabama Dispatch, October 17, 1912.
Courthouses; Tuscumbia, Alabama, Colbert County, Alabama
Colbert County was established in 1867, fourteen years before the courthouse was built. Commissioners met at a local hotel called The Horn House while the probate judge’s office was located on the second floor of a brick building on Main Street in Tuscumbia. On March 7, 1870, an election took place to decide if Cherokee or Tuscumbia would be the permanent county seat. Tuscumbia would go on to win by a vote of 1367 to 794. On December 13, 1880, the county spent $2,000 and bought four lots in downtown Tuscumbia from Colonel J.F. Deshler. These lots would soon provide the location of the Colbert County Courthouse. Construction of the courthouse began on August 22, 1881. The architect chosen was a man named Mr. Edward Laurent of Nashville. Mr. William Dowling of Chattanooga was awarded the contract for the construction of the courthouse. Mr. Hornung was chosen to be the contractor for the laying the stone foundation. In the northern part of town, workers were expected to produce about 500,000 bricks for building material. This two-storied Italianate styled structure was finished by May of 1882 for a cost of $14,750. The building served the county well until a fire gutted the structure on May 14, 1908. With most of the brick walling undamaged, the county created a “special courthouse tax” to fund the reconstruction. This new Neo-Classical Revival styled courthouse was completed in 1909. Since then, a north wing has been added in 1948. Also, a $2,000,000 architecturally compatible west wing was built in 1975.
John Grissom, University of North Alabama
Gamble, Robert. "Colbert County Courthouse Square Historic District." In Historic Muscle Shoals: Buildings and Sites., 43-44. Vol. 10. Florence, Ala.: Tennessee Valley Historical Society, 1983. Graves, Arthur D. Tuscumbia: America's First Frontier Railroad Town. Tuscumbia, Ala.: Tuscumbia Main Street Project [and] Preservation Incentive Project, 1989. 23-24.
Colbert County Courthouse Square Historic District
Colbert County, Alabama; Tuscumbia, Alabama; Colbert County Courthouse Square Historic District; Architecture; National Register of Historic Places
The 22 buildings which comprise Tuscumbia's Colbert County Courthouse Square Historic District reflect a broad range of architectural styles, including Victorian, Gothic, and Greek Revival. The most distinctive architectural example is the courthouse itself, a Greek Revival structure designed by Nashville architect Edward Laurent, and built by William Dowling of Chattanooga in 1881. The seven buildings known collectively as Commercial Row date from the 1840s, and have been utilized by a wide variety of businesses over the years. One notable example was the North Alabamian newspaper, published by Captain A.H. Keller, father of Helen Keller, from an office on the corner of Main and Fifth Streets. In addition to the courthouse and seven commercial buildings, the Courthouse Square district encompasses four churches, eight historic homes, Spring Park and the Tuscumbia Railroad Depot. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
National Register of Historic Places, Colbert County Courthouse Square Historic District, Tuscumbia, Colbert County, Alabama, National Register #73000338. "Colbert County Courthouse Square Historic District," Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Colbert_County_Courthouse_Square_Historic_District (accessed November 9, 2015).
Colbert County High School; Colbert County School System; Leighton, Alabama; Colbert County, Alabama; High School; School; Education
The history of Colbert County High School dates back to the year 1910. The school is located in the historic town of Leighton, Alabama, which is located in eastern Colbert County at the intersection of U.S. Highway 72 and Colbert County Highway 48. In 1907 the State Legislature provided for one high school in each county of the state. Various communities competed with each other in a lively fashion, but the Leighton community was selected in preference to both Cherokee and Tuscumbia when an offer was made to put up a $12,000 building. The High School was opened in 1910.
Thomas Hale, University of North Alabama
“About the School: The History of Colbert County High School”, Accessed on November 29, 2015, http://www.colbertindians.org/?PageName=‘AboutTheSchool’ ; Article from “1976—The Bi-Centennial Year in Pictures Taken at CCHS”.
Colbert County Reporter / Standard & Times
Historic Newspapers; Historic Businesses; Commercial Row,;Tuscumbia; Colbert County, Alabama; Standard and Times; Colbert County Reporter; Tuscumbia Historic District
The Standard & Times was founded in 1829. The building still stands at 106 W 5th Street as part of the original seven buildings that comprised the historic Commercial Row where it continues to serve as a newspaper office for the Colbert County Reporter. The original printing press of the Standard and Times still sits in the back of the Colbert County Reporter, along with other vintage printing equipment (see photos).
Jacob Grandstaff, University of North Alabama
Rose Trail is a RV and campground located on Pickwick lake and reservoir. Pickwick Reservoir is a lake created by the Pickwick Dam in Tennessee. Construction began in 1934. The lake is under the jurisdiction of the TVA. It extends for 53 miles from Tennessee to the Alabama- Mississippi border. The dam, and resulting lake were completed in 1938. The dam is 113 feet high. It still produces hydroelectricity with six large generators within the dam. The mean elevation of the lake water is 408 feet. The dam also has two locks. The area's lake is a popular spot for many different activities. Fishing is a popular sport in the lake, particularly for bass and catfish. Boating and water skiing are allowed on the lake. There are piers and boat ramps in the park for campers, as well as bathrooms and showers. The park is only open from March-September.
Langley, John. 2015. 'RV Parks And Campgrounds'. Colbertcountytourism.Org. http://www.colbertcountytourism.org/index.php/2012-11-08-15-09-04/rv-parks-campgrounds.
Colbert County, Colbert Ferry; National Park Service; Bicycle; Campground
This campground and park is located on the site of where George Colbert once operated a ferry for crossing the Tennessee River. He also operated a small inn for the travelers on the Natchez Trace. George Colbert supposedly took Andrew Jackson's Tennessee Army across the river for $75,000 during the War of 1812. George Colbert helped the US negotiate with the areas Indians, as he was half Choctaw. This is a bicycle only campground. It provides picnic tables, grills, and fire rings for campers. There is only a small white building in the space of the campground. Bluffs are nearby for viewing the river. The campground can be difficult to find and is located at milepost 327.3.
"Colbert Ferry - Natchez Trace | NatchezTraceTravel.com." Colbert Ferry - Natchez Trace | NatchezTraceTravel.com. Accessed December 1, 2015. http://www.natcheztracetravel.com/natchez-trace-alabama/florence-tennessee-river/124-colbert-ferry.html. Nps.gov,. 2015. 'Colbert Ferry Bicycle-Only Campground - Natchez Trace Parkway (U.S. National Park Service)'. http://www.nps.gov/natr/colbert-ferry-bicycle-only-campground.htm.
Colbert Heights Elementary School; Colbert County School System; Tuscumbia, Alabama; Colbert County, Alabama; Elementary School; School; Education
In December of 1938 the small school of Melrose, at the foot of Colbert Mountain, burned. Interim classes were held at Colbert Heights Baptist Church while the new school located at the present site of Colbert Heights High School was built. The name was changed to Colbert Heights upon completion of the new facility. Beginning in 1964 a grade was added yearly until the school contained grades one through twelve. In 1980 a kindergarten was added. The Colbert County Board of Education began building a separate elementary school at the present location on Sunset Drive in 1983. The school began serving grades K-6 in the fall of 1984. A gymnasium was build in 1987. Eight new classrooms were added in 1994 to accommodate students and faculty from the closing of Littleville School.
“About the School: School History”, Accessed on November 26, 2015, http://ches.colbert.k12.al.us/?PageName=‘AboutTheSchool’
Colbert Heights High School; Colbert County School System; Tuscumbia, Alabama; Colbert County, Alabama; High School; School; Education
In December of 1938 the small school of Melrose at the foot of Colbert Mountain burned. Interim classes were held at Colbert Heights Baptist Church until construction was complete at the present site of Colbert Heights High School. The name was changed from Melrose to Colbert Heights upon completion of the new facility. Beginning in 1964, a grade was added yearly until the school contained grades one through twelve with the first class of seniors graduating in 1967. Through the years, Colbert Heights High School has had a number of changes and additions. In 1974, a new gym was constructed. To accommodate continued growth, more classrooms were added to the existing school in 1978. Colbert Heights High School served as a kindergarten through twelfth grade school until 1984. A separate elementary school was built during this time allowing for the growth of the junior high and high school grades. In 1995, the school went through a transformation with the addition of a junior high annex and the demolition of the old sandstone building which was replaced with the construction of new offices and classrooms.
“About the School: School History”, Accessed on November 26, 2015, chhs.colbert.k12.al.us/?PageName=‘AboutTheSchool’
Colbert County, Alabama; Native American History; Ferry; George Colbert
Colbert’s Ferry was a ferry service and an inn run by George Colbert. In 1801, the United States government managed to secure the right to build roads on the Natchez Trace. However, Colbert managed to secure all ferry routes over the rivers for the Chickasaw nation. This meant that only the Chickasaw nation was allowed to operate any ferries on the Trace. The cost of using Colbert’s Ferry was only a dollar for both a man and his horse. However, Colbert was noted to have complained that many of his customers were too poor to afford the service.
Colbert County Heritage Book Committee (Colbert County, Ala.). 1999. The Heritage of Colbert County, Alabama. Clanton, AL: Heritage Pub. Consultants. 43
Colbert County, Alabama; Native American History; Native American house
George Colbert’s House was built on the Natchez Trace along the Tennessee River near the ferry he owned and operated. This house was one of the first buildings in the area to have a clear record of its completion. Historians have placed the completion of the home between 1801 and 1806. The home was a different from many of the settler’s homes during this time period. Most homes that were constructed by settlers were built from log in a dogtrot style. Colbert’s home was instead a frame building. The house also had several chimneys along with two rooms. The house itself could be compared to the home of a wealthy, white southerner at the time.
Historic Businesses; Seed Store; Tuscumbia; Colbert County, Alabama
According to the current owner of Coldwater Seed and Supply, it is one of the oldest, continually-operating seed stores in Alabama. It was founded in 1930.
Tuscumbia; Colbert County; Alabama; Andrew Jackson; Old Jackson Highway; Stagecoach Stop
The Coldwater Stagecoach Stop is located 302 South Dickson St. in Tuscumbia. It was built as early as 1815 as a small log cabin. It served as a stagecoach stop on the Jackson Military Road and is believed to be one of several cabins operated as a hotel by Michael Dickson, the first white settler to Tuscumbia.
“Natchez Trace Parkway,” Accessed November 17, 2015, http://www.scenictrace.com/coldwater-stagecoach-stop/
Architectural drawings; Watercolors; Houses; Dwellings; 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 Cole Home in Macon, Georgia (probably the Jerry Cowles House) done by Harry A. MacEwan sometime between 1917 and 1942. The year the house was built in is unknown. The painting shows the front exterior of the house with its doors, windows, shutters, columned porch, steps, balcony, wooden hand railing, sloped roof, and two chimneys surrounded by trees and landscaping. There is a woman in period dress at the base of the steps. The house is placed within framing art showing its architectural features including the molding under the roof, the columns, the wooden railing from the balcony, a side view of the house, and a floor plan. In the lower right corner, there is an Alabama Polytechnic Institute School of Architecture stamp with the handwritten inscription "2nd Medal", a red star, and an artist block which reads: "Measured drawing, Harry A. MacEwan, Alabama Poly. Inst., Auburn, Ala." The painting is in good condition with a minor piece missing from the upper right corner and is encapsulated.
MacEwan, Harry A. (rendering) ; Alexander, Elam (house)
Library of Congress (Historic American Buildings Survey): http://www.loc.gov/item/ga0035/
Macon -- Bibb County -- Georgia ; 4596 Rivoli Drive (moved from 519 Walnut Street (corner of Walnut Street and Vine Street) after WWII), Macon, Bibb County, GA
College Men Are Putting More Spirit In Wrestling Game
Historic Markers: Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
This historic marker is located at the intersection of Lelia Avenue and Willingham Road, Florence, Alabama. The text on the marker reads: "The land on which this district rests was part of the 1818 sale by the Cypress Land Company which established the City of Florence. During The Civil War Confederate soldiers constructed breastworks here for the defense of Florence. House construction began in 1907 and thirty~three were built before 1929. This lovely neighborhood contains fine examples of Prairie Mission, and English Tudor architecture but the Bungalow style dominates. A tour of the district reveals the excellent condition of the homes, the tree-lined streets and the comfortable life available here. The neighborhood was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995."
“College Place Historic District Marker”. Accessed 09/28/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
Collier Library was built by the Works Project Administration and opened to students in 1930. It was built in the Gothic Revival architectural style, like many of the WPA buildings on the University of North Alabama campus. In 1963, an expansion doubled the size of the original library and in 1982, another expansion again doubled the square footage of the library.
"Collier Memorial Library." Department of History & Political Science. Accessed April 15, 2015.
Collier Special Collections -- University of North Alabama
Libraries; resources: Florence, Alabama; Lauderdale County; Collier Library; University of North Alabama; Rosenbaum Family Papers
The Special Collections and Archives at Collier Library at the University of North Alabama include many locally published manuscripts about the establishment of the cities of Florence, Tuscumbia, Sheffield, and Muscle Shoals. The Rosenbaum Family papers are housed in the archives and offer insights into the ways in which local Jewish business leaders guided the area toward calmer race relations. The archives also house the William Lindsey McDonald Collection of papers which offer additional context for local history. The Sadie Schrader collection of photographs is housed at the archives. She was a member of Temple B'Nai Israel.
10th Alabama Infantry; Civil War; Colonel Richard Oric Pickett; Tidewater Architecture; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
Colonel Pickett Place, Home of Richard Oric Pickett a Colonel of the 10th Alabama Infantry under the “Defender of North Alabama” Confederate General Philip Roddey. The house is a “double-pile cottage” and rare example of Tidewater architecture in Alabama. The style originated on the southern coast during the colonial period. The house was built in 1833 by Thomas Crowe for his new bride, Elizabeth Hooks, as a wedding present. Richard Oric Pickett’s father, from a Virginia planter family, had moved to Limestone County Alabama in 1829 when Richard was six years old. Richard moved to Florence to begin his study of law in the office of James Irvine. He married Fannie Boggs a sister of Irvine and cousin to Union General Ulysses Grant. The couple moved into what is now known as Pickett Place. Pickett began his own law practice in Moulton. After the outbreak of the Civil War, Pickett organized a group of volunteers for the Confederate army as Company H of the 35th Alabama Infantry. He led the company in the Battles of Baton Rouge and Champion Hill. Pickett was given command of the 10th Alabama Infantry and promoted to Colonel in November 1863.
McDonald, William Lindsey. 2003. Civil War tales of the Tennessee Valley. n.p.: Killen, Ala. : Heart of Dixie Pub. (1812 CR 111, Killen, Ala., 35645), [2003], 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). City of Florence, Alabama. n.d. "Historical Markers." Florenceal.org. Accessed April 17, 2015. http://florenceal.org/At_a_Glance/Historical_Markers/index.html.
Photo from following websites: http://florenceal.org/At_a_Glance/Historical_Markers/index.html Photo from following websites: http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/MarkerDetail.cfm?KeyID=39-040&MarkerTitle=Colonel%20Pickett%20Place%201833%20
Historic Markers; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
This historic marker is located at the intersection of Hermitage Drive and North Court Street, Florence, Alabama. The text on the marker reads: "This "double-pile cottage" is a rare Alabama example of Tidewater architecture that originated along the Southern seaboard during the colonial period. This house was built in 1833 by Thomas J. Crowe, proprietor of the early National hotel in Florence, as a wedding gift for his bride, Elizabeth Hooks of Tennessee. It later became the home or Richard Oric Pickett, who arrived in 1843 to become one of the town's leading attorneys. Pickett was Colonel of the 10th Alabama Infantry under General Philip Roddey, called "Defender of North Alabama" during the Civil War."
“Colonel Pickett Place 1833 Marker”. Accessed 09/28/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
The Columbiana City Cemetery represents over 200 years of history in the Shelby County area. Many recognized names are interred in this old cemetery and deserve to be remembered. In 2006 Eagle Scout Robert Justice took on the major task of logging all of the names in the cemetery and then publishing that list on the Shelby County Historical Society website. In 2011 The Columbiana Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints undertook an extensive refurbishment of the cemetery. Thereafter, using Robert Justice’s compilation of names, they created a grid system map to locate all names interred here. They also went completely through the grounds looking for and finding additional graves that had either been lost in the landscaping or added since Robert’s work. Located in Columbiana, Alabama on both sides of Shelby County Highway 47 South. Rootsweb Census of Columbiana Cemetery Columbiana Cemetery listings on Findagrave.com
Liz Clayton, Shelby County Historical Society
Shelby County Tax Records 2015 Parcel #21 7 26 4 001 001.000
Commercial Building (Fant’s Department Store Extension)
Department Store; Marshall County; Commerce; Guntersville, Alabama
The original building was constructed circa 1935. It was altered in 1970 by the addition of four aluminum windows to the second story. It has two stories and is in the Early 20th Century Commercial style. It sits on a brick foundation and has walls made of brick. It has a flat roof. It became an extension to Fant’s Department Store circa 1942, along with the building next to it. It is located at 355 Center Gunter Avenue, Guntersville, Alabama.
Sanborn Insurance Maps, 1930, 1948; aerial photos 1957 and 1962
Commercial Building (Fant’s Department Store)
This commercial building was built circa 1915. It is a one-story Folk Victorian style building with a flat roof. The building is constructed with brick and masonry. The building has a recessed entrance with the storefront covered in corrugated metal, added when updated in 1965. Has a metal awning across the entire front. Has a brick foundation. It is located at 355 center Gunter Avenue Guntersville, Alabama.