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.
Opelika, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Baked Goods
First opened by W.H. "Bud" Ingram in the Clement Hotel in Opelika in 1910, it moved to the Montgomery Brothers' Building in 1911 and to its own building on S 8th St. in 1914. Ingram sold the business to Jim Tom Hamilton in 1923 who moved the operation to three combined building on 231 8th. The bakery was purchased by Hamilton's son in 1936 and the name was changed from Ingram's to Hamilton's Bakery. In 1962, Hamilton built a new building at 101 Simmons St. and in 1964 the business was purchased by Flowers Baking Company of Thomasville, GA. The business is still in operation as of 2014.
Image and Text: "The Heritage of Lee County, Alabama"
Auburn, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Aerospace; Manufacturing
General Electric Aviation produces machined parts for jet engines. The business opened in 2013, and is still operating today. In 2014, a $50 million expansion was announced that will allow the factory to mass produce, via 3D printing, fuel nozzles for jet engines. The business is located at 2400 Innovation Dr., Auburn, AL.
Image: http://www.wltz.com/story/22115779/ge-aviation-plant-creates-auburn-jobs
Opelika, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Health; Vitamins
Pharmavite manufactures soft-gel vitamin tablets under the Nature Made name. The business opened in 2013 and still operates today. The plant employs around 250 people, and is located at 4701 Northpark Dr., Opelika, AL.
Image: https://www.otsuka.co.jp/en/company/globalnews/2013/0607_01.html
Opelika, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Manufacturing; Automotive
South-Korean-based Mando produces brake corner modules, brake calipers, suspension modules and steering systems. The business opened in 1996, and still operates today. The facility employs around 700 people, and is located at 4201 Northpark Dr., Opelika, AL.
Image: http://ltc4940.blogspot.com/2009/04/opelika-al.html
South-Korean-based Daewon America produces suspension bars and coils to supply the automotive industry including Hyundai, Kia, GM and Chrysler. The business opened in 2007, and still operates today. Daewon America's Alabama branch is located at 4600 Northpark Dr., Opelika, AL.
Image: http://www.opelikaeconomicdevelopment.org/Default.asp?ID=660&pg=News&action=view&aid=903&title=Daewon+America+Continuing+to+Grow+in+Opelika!
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
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/
Rexnord Industries ,anufactures lubricated and non-lubricated flexible steel couplings and Thomas Brand Couplings for automotive transmissions. This plant was formerly known as Falk and employs around 175 people. The business opened in 1995, and still operates today. It is located at 1600 Pumphrey Ave., Auburn, AL.
Image: http://harbert.auburn.edu/news/atacs-industrial-leadership-series-teaches-sustainability-innovation.php
Auburn, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Cabinets
This business produces cabinets and employs roughly 600 people, making it one of the largest employers in Lee County. The business opened in 1999, and still operates today. Masterbrand Cabinets is located at 300 Webster Rd., Auburn, AL.
Image: http://www.city-data.com/businesses/206166423-master-brand-cabinets-inc-auburn-wa.html
This Korean-owned company that manufactures front axles and rear carrier assemblies for automobiles and currently employs around 300 people. The business opened in 2007, and still operates today. It is located at 246 Teague Ct., Auburn, AL.
Image: http://www.aecci.com/completedprojects/industrial/seohan/seohan.htm
Opelika, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Medical Equipment; Dialyzers
Sweden-based Gambro Renal owns this plant, which produces dialyzers for patients with kidney failure. A large expansion has been planned for 2016. The business opened in 2008, and still operates today. The factory currently employs around 150 people and is located at 1101 Jeter Ave., Opelika, AL.
Image: http://www.aecci.com/completedprojects/industrial/gambro/gambro.htm
This Korean-owned company that produces air-conditioning and heater pipe assemblies for automobiles and employs around 100 people. The business opened in 2004, and still operates today. Pyongsan America is located at 760 W Veterans Blvd., Auburn, AL.
Image: http://www.aecci.com/completedprojects/industrial/pyongsan/pyongsan.htm
Donaldson Company produces air filtration systems (mufflers) for truck manufacturers and is located at 2268 Pumphrey Ave, Auburn, AL, 36832. The business opened in 1999 and still operates today.
Image: http://www.aecci.com/completedprojects/industrial/donaldson/donaldson.htm
Auburn, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Manufacturing; Scientific Tools
Thermo Fisher produces high-quality plastic vials used primarily by reference laboratories for drug and diagnostic and industrial testing. Originally Capitol Vial, the plant was purchased by Thermo Fisher Scientific in 2006. The business opened in 1999 and still operates today. It is currently one of the largest employers in Lee County, and is located at 2039 McMillan St., Auburn, AL.
Auburn, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Manufacturing; Consumer Goods
CV Holdings owns a manufacturing facility operating under the name Capitol Cups. Capital Cups produces high-qulaity plastic cups commonly found at reatil stores or sporting events. CV Holdings was recently linked to the misappropriations scandal involving Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard of Lee County. The business opened in 2004 and still operates today. It is located at 960 W Veterans Blvd., Auburn, AL.
Image: http://www.capitolcups.com/cv-holdings-llc/
This manufacturing company produces automotive components. It is the first US based manufacturing operation for the Israeli owned Arkal company. This business opened in 2012 and still operates today. The Auburn branch of Akral is located at 2490 Innovation Dr., Auburn, AL.
Image: http://www.auburnalabama.org/ed/BuildingsSitesView.aspx?id=53
This Korean-owned company that produces injection molded parts for automotive heaters and blowers and employs around 400 people. The business opened in 2004, and still operates today. It is located at 764 W Veterans Blvd., Auburn, AL.
Image: http://www.theplainsman.com/view/full_story/15522721/article-Expansion-increases-job-options
House, Guntersville, Alabama Marshall County; 1947 single dwelling-non-farm.
The house with the address of 318 Hill Avenue Guntersville Alabama of Marshall County was built in 1947; it is a one story brick veneer single dwelling-non-farm residence with a cross gable composition shingle roof. The building faces east, has a 5x2 rectangular core with side gable front and rear projections at its outer bays. It has a less than full façade shed porch with wood posts; off centered entrance at the façade flanked by single 6/8 and 8/8 replacement windows. The house also has similar single and double windows at the side elevations with a painted brick veneer exterior walls, continuous brick foundations, and has a noncontributing frame garage to the rear. The house appears to be eligible for both Alabama and National Register marked as would contribute to a district. The house was last refurbished in 2000 and is in very good condition.
Joseph Marinello, University of North Alabama
Alabama Historical Commission, Historic Building form #48
House; Guntersville, Alabama, Marshall County; 1957 single dwelling-non farm.
The house with the address of 322 Hill Avenue Guntersville Alabama in Marshall County was built in 1957 and is a 1 story single dwelling-non-farm residence that is in very good condition. The house is a brick veneer ranch style dwelling with a side gable composition shingle roof; faces east with a 3x2 bay rectangular core with a projecting gable bay at the rear of the bay of the south elevation; entrance bay gable porch with decorative metal supports; slightly recessed central entrance at the façade flanked by double horizontal 2/2 windows, similar single and double windows at the side elevations; exposed brick veneer exterior walls; continuous brick foundations. The house not eligible for either the Alabama or National Register.
Alabama Historical Commission; Historical Building Form, Survey#49
2005.36.304: Josephine to Mrs. P.M. Young, 1865 April 18
1865; Waco, Texas; Josephine; Mrs. P.M. Young; Texas Prairie; Family Affairs; Society; Scenery; Horses; Cows; Sheep; Goats; Corn; Flour; Prices; Religion; Indians; Raids
In this seven-page handwritten letter, in addition to an envelope, to P.M. Young, Josephine describes the Texas landscape in great detail, even explaining how much corn and flour cost. She is grateful for the equitable society available to her in such foreign territory, but expresses concern about Indian raids and hope that they will be put down militarily.
P.M.B. Young Collection, Bartow History Museum
2005.36.165: Josephine Young to Caroline Young, 1857 March 10
1857; Savannah; Georgia; Josephine Young; Caroline Young; Madie; Ida; Robert (Bob); Father (Robert M. Young Sr.); Health, Grandchildren; City Elegance; Family Visitation
Apologies made for delay in responding due to child's illness. Description of how much grandchildren miss grandparents and Aunt Lou and Uncle Pierce. Mention of wealthy, elegant Savannah city folk. Promise made to visit during the summer. Original document contains one hand-addressed envelop and two handwritten pages.
Lee County, AL; Civil War; Auburn Masonic Female College; Langdon Hall; Auburn, AL; Civil War; Secession; Yancey, William Lowndes; Stephens, Alexander; Toombs, Robert; Brownlow, William G. "Parson"; Union Army; Langdon Hall; The Chapel; Old Main Hall; Pine Hill Cemetery; Auburn University; Langdon, Charles
Originally built as the Auburn Masonic Female College chapel in 1846, the building that became known as Langdon Hall stood on the corner of Gay and Magnolia Street near the current site of Auburn Bank. As the oldest building in Auburn, it served as the political nerve center of eastern Alabama for most of the 19th century. Boasting the largest auditorium in eastern Alabama, it was the scene of countless lectures and political debates leading up to the American Civil War. In 1860, it was the site of a major debate on secession between future Confederate Vice-President Alexander Stephens, future Confederate Secretary of State Robert Toombs, anti-secessionist William G. "Parson" Brownlow, and fiery orator and politician William Lowndes Yancey. In July 1864, as Major General William T. Sherman's army bore down upon Atlanta, soldiers wounded in its defense were evacuated to surrounding communities. A contingent of soldiers from Texas were moved to the city of Auburn and housed in Langdon Hall, the Chapel, and Old Main Hall, which were converted into makeshift hospitals. After the war, Auburn's annual Confederate Memorial Day celebration typically began at Langdon Hall before eventually terminating at Pine Hill Cemetery. In 1883, it was moved from its original location to its present spot on Auburn University's campus where it has been used as classroom space ever since. Just six years later, it was renamed Langdon Hall after prominent Alabama politician, war veteran, and Auburn trustee Charles Langdon.
Auburn University Libraries: Langdon Hall
Lee County, AL; Civil War; The Lathe; Selma, AL; Sherman, General William Tecumseh; Union Army; Columbus, GA; Irondale, AL; Ironclads; Atlanta, GA; Alabama Polytechnic Institute; Auburn University; Samford Hall; Auburn, AL
In the early years of the Civil War, the Lathe was constructed in Selma, Alabama to bore out 7-inch Brooke rifles that were the mainstay of Confederate ironclads and coastal fortifications stretched across the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. As Major General William T. Sherman's Union army marched towards Atlanta in the summer of 1864, Confederate officials decided to move the Lathe to the other major Confederate industrial center of Columbus, Georgia to avert its capture. On the way, it was buried in Irondale, Alabama as Sherman's forces bore down on Atlanta and eventually unearthed as Union forces moved further east. It spent the rest of its usable life in Columbus where it continued to bore cannon until the Confederacy's collapse in the spring of 1865. After the war, it was purchased and used by the Birmingham Rolling Mills - later part of the Tennessee Coal, Iron, and Railroad Company - before it was presented to the Alabama Polytechnic Institute (later Auburn University) in 1936 where it has stood next to Samford Hall ever since.
Auburn Plainsman: The Legend of the Lathe Historic Markers Across America: the Lathe
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.
Lee County, AL; Civil War; Auburn, AL; Religion; Langdon Hall; Auburn Presbyterian Church; Slavery; Reese, Edwin; Old Main Hall
Founded as the Auburn Presbyterian Church in 1851, “the Chapel” was built by local slaves belonging to one of Auburn’s first residents, Edwin Reese. Like Langdon Hall and Old Main Hall, it served as a makeshift hospital from July 1864 through the end of the Civil War. It is currently the oldest building in Auburn still standing on its original site and the second oldest building overall. It is still in use today as a multi-faith chapel.
Floyd D. Warner, Auburn Players Theater: National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form
Lee County, AL; Civil War; Pebble Hill; Historic Home; Scott, Nathaniel J.; Rousseau, General Lovell Harrison; Yancey, William Lowndes; Union Army; Auburn, AL
Pebble Hill was the home of Nathaniel J. Scott and his family from 1847 to 1871. When Rousseau’s men swept through Auburn in July 1864, William Lowndes Yancey’s widow resided at Pebble Hill and Union soldiers looted the building because of her presence. It was reported that Nathaniel Scott’s family had silver near a spring on the property and though Union soldiers watered their horses at this spring, the silver was never found.
History of Pebble Hill Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities
Lee County, AL; Civil War; Davis, Jefferson; Montgomery, AL; Confederacy; Confederate Army; East Alabama Male College; Columbus, GA; Rousseau, General Lovell Harrison; New Orleans, LA; Richmond; United Daughters of the Confederacy; Auburn, AL; Wilson, General James Harrison
In February 1861, president-elect Jefferson Davis rode a train from his plantation in Mississippi to Atlanta and then to Montgomery, Alabama for his inauguration as president of the Confederacy. On February 16, at the Auburn train depot, president-elect Davis reviewed the Auburn Guards, a company of cadets from the East Alabama Male College who were reportedly the first of the Confederate Army to be reviewed by Davis. Because the Montgomery and West Point Railroad connected Auburn with the state capital at Montgomery and the vital industrial city of Columbus, GA, the Auburn train depot and tracks were later destroyed under Rousseau and Wilson's raids, in 1864 and 1865 respectively. It was replaced by a second station after the end of the war which was located to the west of the current (and final) depot. In 1893, the Auburn cadets formed an honor guard when former Confederate president Jefferson Davis's body was sent by train from New Orleans to Richmond. In commemoration of the former president's visit to Auburn, on March 30, 1914, the United Daughters of the Confederacy unveiled a marker near the depot that stands today.
Lee County, AL; Civil War; Dowdell, Betty; Auburn Bank; Lincoln, Abraham; United Daughters of the Confederacy; Auburn, AL
Near the modern-day Auburn Bank, a boulder imprinted with a plaque commemorates the raising of the first Confederate flag in Auburn by student Betty Dowdell on March 4, 1861 — the same day that Abraham Lincoln was sworn in as the 16th President of the United States. The plaque was dedicated by the United Daughters of the Confederacy during the postwar period.
Lee County, AL; Civil War; Auburn, AL; Samford, William F.; Historic Home; Secession
This historic home that sits on what is now South College Street was the site where the 14th and 18th Alabama regiments were mustered in 1861. William F. Samford, known as the “Penman for Secession” for his nationally published diatribes on secession, owned the home and the connecting plantation.
Auburn Villager: Remembering the "Penman for Secession"
Lee County, AL; Civil War; Religion; African American History; Payne, Lonnie; Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church
After the end of the Civil War, newly freed African-American men and women constructed Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church on what is today known as Baptist Hill, skirting East Thach Avenue. Lonnie Payne, a white land owner, deeded the property to a member of the congregation in 1865 and it was constructed by logs from the Frazer plantation northeast of Auburn. It was the first African-American church built in the area.
Lee County, AL; Civil War; Opelika, AL; Rousseau, General Lovell Harrison; Auburn, AL
The city of Opelika, Alabama was incorporated on February 9, 1854. Because of the many rail lines that snaked through the city, warehouses were built during the war to store cotton and other goods. When General Lovell Harrison Rousseau’s men stormed through Auburn and Opelika in July 1864, they destroyed railroads and other property including Opelika’s warehouses.
Lee County, AL; Civil War; Phenix City, AL; Columbus, GA; Wilson, Major General James Harrison; Union Army; Russell County, AL
Formerly known as the city of Girard, Phenix City, Alabama (along with Columbus, Georgia) was the location of one of the last land battles of the Civil War. On April 16, 1865, Bvt. Major General James Harrison Wilson swept through Auburn and Opelika and then into Phenix City with three divisions of Union soldiers. After crossing over the 14th Street Bridge from into Columbus, the once mighty industrial city would fall within mere hours.
Lee County, AL; Civil War; Union Army; Rousseau, Major General Lovell Harrison; Sherman, General William T.; Decatur; Johnston, Major General Joseph; Atlanta; Confederate Army; Texas Hospital; Wilson, General James H.; Phenix City; Columbus, GA
On July 10, 1864, Major General William T. Sherman ordered Major General Lovell Harrison Rousseau to depart from Decatur, Alabama with approximately 2,500 men. Their goal was to sever the Montgomery and West Point railroads - a vital link for funneling supplies from central Alabama to Confederate Major General Joe Johnston's overwhelmed and outnumbered forces in Atlanta. Along the way, Rousseau's men were to destroy every scrap of government supplies or materials that could be used to aid the Confederate defense of Atlanta. Local slaves in the Auburn/Opelika area funneled information to Rousseau and his men about the area's weak defenses. In Auburn, only a handful of patients at the Texas Hospital were able to offer even token resistance. As Rousseau and his cavalry rumbled through the streets of Auburn and then Opelika, they burned warehouses, burned train depots, the post office, and disabled the local rolling stocks. Union soldiers returned once again on April 15, 1865, this time under the command of Major General James H. Wilson. They swept through Auburn, Opelika, and Phenix City, before finally making their way across the 14th Street Bridge into their intended target, the massive industrial city of Columbus, Georgia.
Encyclopedia of Alabama: Rousseau's Raid Encyclopedia of Alabama: Wilson's Raid New York Times July 27, 1864: Gen. Rousseau's Raid Routes of Union Activity in Alabama (Maps)
Auburn and Opelika at the End of the Civil War
Lee County, AL; Civil War; Auburn, AL; Opelika, AL; East Alabama Male College
The emancipation of slaves, a widespread labor shortage, and the collapse of the Confederate financial system all coalesced to bring the cities of Auburn and Opelika to ruin at the end of the Civil War. It would be ten years before a new home would be constructed in Auburn and the area’s educational system was completely wrecked. What was once a bustling and growing village would soon fall into stagnation. Though the East Alabama Male College reopened in 1866, it did so with fewer students and many unpaid professors.
Auburn University Sesquicentennial Series: Auburn in the Civil War Era by Ralph Draughon Jr. Book: Civil War and Reconstruction in Alabama by Walter L. Fleming Storey, Margaret M., Loyalty and Loss: Alabama's Unionists in the Civil War and Reconstruction. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2004.
Lee County, AL; Civil War; Yancey, William Lowndes; Chambers County, AL; Secession; Pebble Hill
Before the outbreak of the Civil War, Yancey was a fiery orator and politician who ardently defended slavery and secession. Representing Chambers County during the Alabama secession convention, he voted for the state to leave the Union and during the war spearheaded a failed diplomatic attempt to coerce Europe into recognizing Confederate independence. The Yancey family spent many summers with the Scott family at Pebble Hill.
Encyclopedia of Alabama: William Lowndes Yancey
Lee County, AL; Civil War; Armstrong, Henry Clay; East Alabama Male College; Confederate Army; Reconstruction; Alabama House of Representatives; Brazil; Auburn, AL
Henry Clay Armstrong was a student at the East Alabama Male College prior to the outbreak of the Civil War. After becoming a lawyer, he enlisted and became a captain in the Confederate Army where he served until the end of the war. During Reconstruction, he served as a state legislator, speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives, state superintendent of education, and eventually the Consulate General to Brazil. He returned to the EAMC where he served on the board of trustees and the executive council.
Lee County, AL; Civil War; Dowdell, James Ferguson; East Alabama Male College; Auburn, AL
James Ferguson Dowdell served during the Civil War as the organizer and commander of the 37th Alabama infantry regiment. After the war, he assumed the presidency of the East Alabama Male College from 1866 to 1870.
Lee County, AL; Civil War; East Alabama Male College; Darby, John; Auburn, AL
A professor of natural science and one of the original trustees of the East Alabama Male College, he also taught chemistry and developed a “Prophylactic Fluid” which was widely used as a disinfectant and antiseptic by Civil War surgeons and hospitals. A potassium permanganate solution, it was probably made in a building close to where the president’s home stands today.
Auburn, AL; Lee County, AL; Civil War; East Alabama Male College; Samford, William James; Confederate Army; Baker's Creek, Mississippi; Slaton, William F.; Johnson's Island; Lake Erie; Old Main Hall; Samford Hall
When the East Alabama Male College opened its doors in 1859, William James Samford was one of the first eighty students to enroll. When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Samford enlisted as a private in the Confederate Army where he was soon promoted to Lieutenant. Serving primarily in the western theater of operations, he campaigned in Tennessee and Kentucky before he was captured at Baker's Creek, Mississippi in 1863. He then spent eighteen months in prison at the prisoner-of-war camp on Johnson's Island in Lake Erie where he met his former professor William F. Slaton. After the war, he returned to Auburn for a year to farm and study law under his father, after which he served in both houses of the Alabama legislature and eventually in Congress where he appropriated money for the reconstruction of Old Main Hall which had burned to the ground in 1887. He became the 31st Governor of Alabama in 1900. The newly reconstructed building was named Samford Hall in his honor in 1929.
Encyclopedia of Alabama: William J Samford
Florence, Lauderdale County, Music, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Sam Phillips (1923-2003) Samuel Cornelius Phillips was born January 5, 1923 in Florence, Alabama. He was the youngest of eight children born to Charles Tucker Phillips and Madge Ella Phillips. He was born into a middle-class farming family, but the family lost the farm during the Great Depression. His love of music was evident early on; he was active in his high school band, playing several different instruments, and eventually becoming the conductor. Sam dropped out of school just before graduation to support his mother and deaf aunt after his father died. He married Rebecca Burns in 1942; the couple had two sons, Knox and Jerry. He took an extension course in audio engineering from Alabama Polytechnic Institute (present-day Auburn University), but his passion for music remained his focus. From 1942 to 1949, Sam worked as radio engineer and host for several different stations including the following: WMSG in Decatur, Alabama; WLAY in Nashville, Tennessee where he became known as host of “Afternoon Tea Dance;” and WREC in Memphis, Tennessee. This work allowed Sam to acquire up many skills including transferring recordings from vinyl to acetate tapes and prerecording shows for radio hosts. In 1950 Phillips opened the Memphis Recording Service on Union Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee in order to meet the need of local musicians who had to travel to either Nashville, New Orleans, or Chicago to record. Early on, Phillips raised most of his business by offering anyone who walked in the chance to “cut” a record for a few dollars. He also recorded private events such as weddings. Eventually, Phillips started his own record label, Phillips Records. His first record, “Boogie in the Park,” by Joe Hill Louis, attracted the attention of B.B. King, Chester Arthur Burnett (Howlin’ Wolf), and Ike Turner, each of which went on to record his first record with Phillips Records. Phillips’s first hit record, “Rocket 88,” by Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats reached the top of the rhythm and blues charts in 1951. In 1952, Philips renamed the label Sun Records. Sun Record’s first single was Johnny London’s “Drivin’ Show” released in March 1952. A year later, Elvis Presley recorded two songs at Sun Records as a gift to his mother. In 1954, Elvis returned and made a record of ten songs, including “That’s Alright (Mama).” Phillips signed Presley to a contract and booked him to play shows across the country. In need of money, Phillips sold the contract to RCA for $35,000, a decision he later regretted. However, the money allowed him to expand Sun Records and offer recording deals to Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Roy Orbison. Around this time, Phillips separated from his wife and began a relationship with Sally Wilbourn which lasted until his death. The studio did well, expanded, and included more diverse material. Phillips bought radio stations and real estate and invested in the Holiday Inn chain of hotels. He sold Sun Records in 1969 but stayed active in the radio business. He died of respiratory failure August 1, 2003. Phillips has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1986), the Alabama Music Hall of Fame (1987), the Country Music Hall of Fame (2001), and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. The original site of Sun Records is a National Historic Landmark, and each January a Sam Phillips Music Celebration is hosted in Florence, Alabama.
Joy Caitlin Monroe, University of North Alabama
Bolton, Jonathan W. “Sam Phillips.” Encyclopedia of Alabama (August 2013). http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-2989
Calhoun County, Anniston, Music, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
William L. Dawson (September 26, 1899-May 4, 1990) William Levi Dawson was an African American composer, performer, and music educator from Anniston, Alabama. Dawson graduated from the Tuskegee Institute with highest honors in 1921. He earned a bachelor of music degree from Horner Institute of Fine Arts in Kansas City, Missouri in 1925. He studied under Felix Borowski at the Chicago Musical College and studied under Adolph Weidig at the American Conservatory, where he earned a master’s degree in music in 1927. Dawson served as first trombonist with the Chicago Civic Orchestra from 1926 to 1930. He won a Chicago Daily News contest for band directors in 1929. Shortly after, he was awarded the Wanamaker Contest prize for the song “Jump Back Honey, Jump Back” and the orchestral composition “Scherzo.” In 1931, Dawson became director of the School of Music at the Tuskegee Institute. As director, he conducted the 100-voice a cappella choir during its engagement at the opening of the Radio City Music Hall in New York; the choir also performed at Carnegie Hall, the White House and Constitution Hall and completed a series of national and international radio broadcasts. In 1934, the choir made a tour of international and interracial good will to the British Isles, Europe, and the Soviet Union. Years later, the United States State Department sent Dawson to Spain to conduct various choral groups. In 1956, he was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Music by the Tuskegee Institute. Perhaps his greatest achievement was as composer of the Negro Folk Symphony which combined melody and rhythm from Negro spirituals with his own original material. The Negro Folk Symphony was presented by the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra in 1934. In 1952, Dawson visited seven West African countries, after which he revised the symphony to include rhythm inspired by African influences. He recorded Negro Folk Symphony for Decca Records in 1961. Dawson was a guest conductor for the Kansas City Philharmonic Orchestra in 1966, Wayne State University Glee Club in 1970, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in 1975. Dawson was inducted into the Alabama Arts Hall of Fame in 1975 and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1989 and received the Alabama Arts Award in 1980. He received honorary doctorates from Lincoln University in 1978 and Ithaca College in 1982. In 1983, Dawson received the Alumni Merit Award from Tuskegee Institute, at age 90.
“William Levi Dawson.” Alabama Music Hall of Fame. (2016) <http://alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/1989/william-levi-dawson/>
DeKalb County, Ft. Payne, Music, Country, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Alabama Members: Randy Owen (Dec. 13, 1949- ) (lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and songwriter), Teddy Gentry (Jan. 22, 1952- ) (bass player, songwriter, and harmony vocalist) Jeff Cook (Aug. 27, 1949- ) (multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter) Mark Herndon (May 11, 1955- ) (drummer). Cousins Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry, and Jeff Cook, of Ft. Payne, Alabama, formed the band Young Country in 1969 while Owen and Cook were still in high school. After graduation, the group moved to Anniston and changed their name to Wildcountry in 1972. In 1973, they moved to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina where they were hired to play in a honky-tonk, The Bowery. The group signed a contract with GRT in 1977 and changed its name to Alabama. That same year they released a minor hit, “I Wanna be with You Tonight.” Two years later, after using many different drummers, Mark Herndon joined the band. In 1980, the Top 20 hit, “My Home’s in Alabama,” was released by MDJ. The hit led to the group signing with RCA Records. Alabama paved the way for groups in country music, being the first country group to top the charts with “Tennessee River” in 1980. Thus began an incredible streak of 27 No. 1 hits. Alabama dominated the charts throughout the 1980s and entered the 1990s with the hit “I’m in a Hurry.” The group has supported many worthy causes over the years. In 1989, Owen worked with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis to create Country Cares, a network of 160 radio stations whose radio-thons raised $130 million for the hospital. In 1997, Alabama participated in the holiday benefit album, Country Cares for Kids. According to the Alabama Department of Archives and History, Alabama also hosted an annual June Jam in Fort Payne from 1982 to 1997 to benefit charities and schools. Alabama was named the Academy of Country Music Artist of the Decade (1980s). They were inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1993. The band received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1998 and accepted the Minnie Pearl Humanitarian Award two years later. Alabama began a farewell tour in 2003, which extended into 2004. In 2005, they were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In the years since the farewell tour, the band has recorded several albums and completed many reunion tours. Click the link to listen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8Rs4bQDZgM
Alabama Department of Archives and History (2016) http://www.digital.archives.alabama.gov/cdm/ref/collection/photo/id/19861 “Alabama.” Alabama Music Hall of Fame. (2016) http://alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/1993/alabama/
Jackson County, Princeton, Music, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Curly Putman (Nov. 20, 1930-Oct. 30, 2016) Claude “Curly” Putman Jr., born in Princeton, Alabama, is best known as a songwriter. He was born on Putman Mountain, northeast of Huntsville, Alabama. His father was a sawmill worker and his mother Myrtle Roden Putman was a homemaker. He attended Paint Rock Valley High School and Southern Union State Community College briefly before enlisting in the navy. He served two tours in Korea during the Korean war on the carrier Valley Forge. Afterwards, he coached basketball and taught physical education at Paint Rock Valley High while playing steel guitar on the side. He eventually got a job at a record store in Huntsville owned by a local country singer, Slim Lay. In 1956, Putman married Bernice Soon, with whom he had a son. In 1960, his song, “I Think I Know You,” performed by Marion Worth, reached the Top 10. Shortly after, Alabama native Buddy Killen, signed Patman to Nashville’s Tree Publishing Company. In 1965, Putman’s “The Green, Green Grass of Home” was recorded by Johnny Darrell. The song was later recorded by Porter Wagoner, Tom Jones, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, Gram Parsons, Joe Tex, the Grateful Dead, and any more. Putman continued to write hits for the next two decades for artists such as Charlie Rich, Tammy Wynette, the Statler Brothers, Tanya Tucker, and George Jones. Putman earned thirty-six BMI awards and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1976. He was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1993. Putman died October 30, 2016 at his home in Lebanon, Tennessee. Click the link to listen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYir_CAi-e0
Grimes, William. “Curly Putman, Writer of ‘The Green, Green Grass of Home,’ Dies at 85.” The New York Times. (2016) http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/01/arts/music/curly-putnam-died.html “Curly Putman.” Alabama Music Hall of Fame. (2016) http://alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/1993/curly-putman/
Colbert County, Leighton, Music, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Percy Sledge (November 25, 1940-April 14, 2015) Percy Tyrone Sledge was born November 25, 1940 in the poor farming town of Leighton, Alabama. Sledge worked on many local farms then was hired as an orderly at the hospital in Sheffield where he delighted patients and staff by singing on the job. On weekends, he sang in an R&B combo called the Esquires. Sledge was discovered when a patient at the hospital where he was working introduced him to record producer Quin Ivy in 1965. His first recording for Atlantic Records, “When a Man Loves a Woman,” reached No. 1 on the pop charts in 1966 and became the label’s first gold record. After his first album was released, Sledge released three more in the 1960s: “Warm and Tender Soul”, “The Percy Sledge Way”, and “Take Time to Know Her”. Sledge never again reached the success of “When a Man Loves a Woman” which became an early highlight of the Muscle Shoals music scene and was used in several movie soundtracks in the 1980s. Although he said he had hummed the melody of the song all his life, he was not listed as a co-writer, so he never received any royalties for his most successful song. He may not have reached the success of “When a Man Loves a Woman” again, but he did spend the next fifty years recording and performing. Songs like “I’ll Be Your Everything” hit the charts well into the 1970s. He released his final album, “The Gospel of Percy Sledge”, in 2013. Sledge was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. He died April 14, 2015 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at age 74. Click the link to listen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMgFK_GPaw0
Coscarelli, Joe. “Percy Sledge, Smooth Wailer in ‘When a Man Loves a Woman,’ is Dead at 74.” The New York Times (2015). http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/15/arts/music/percy-sledge-who-sang-when-a-man-loves-a-woman-dies-at-74.html?_r=0 “Percy Sledge.” Alabama Music Hall of Fame (2016). http://alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/1993/percy-sledge/
Franklin County, Red Bay, Music, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Tammy Wynette (May 5, 1942-April 6, 1998) Virginia Wynette Pugh was born May 5, 1942 in Tremont, Mississippi, but she spent much or her childhood just across the state line in Red Bay, Alabama. After her father died when she was nine months old, she lived mostly with her grandparents on a farm that spanned the state line. As she grew up, she worked on the farm, taught herself to play guitar, served as pianist at the Providence Baptist Church, and sang in school programs. Just before graduating high school, Virginia married Euple Byrd, with whom she had three children. Byrd was often unemployed and moved the family around, so Virginia worked as a waitress. When the couple split, she moved to Birmingham to live with relatives while she worked as a beautician and sang in WBRC’s popular Country Boy Eddy television show. In 1965, she made several trips to Nashville and moved there a year later. She auditioned for Alabama native, Billy Sherrill, with Epic Records who quickly signed her and changed her stage name to Tammy Wynette. Wynette’s first hit, “Apartment #9,” was the first of twenty-one No. 1 hits. Her hits included: “I Don’t Wanna Play House,” “D-I-V-O-R-C-E,” “Stand By Your Man,” “Singing My Song,” “He Loves Me All the Way,” and “Woman to Woman.” Her marriage to George Jones from 1969 to 1975 produced many hit duets including “The Ceremony,” “We’re Gonna Hold On,” “Two Story House,” “We’re Not the Jet Set,” and “Golden Ring.” She married songwriter-producer George Richey in 1978 and released an autobiography Stand By Your Man in 1979. Wynette continued to record hits through the 1990s. She teamed up with Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn in 1993 for their landmark "Honky Tonk Angels" album. In 1995, she and her ex-husband Jones, released a reunion album. Wynette died in her sleep April 6, 1998, of a pulmonary blood clot; she was 55. She was known as the “First Lady of Country Music.” Wynette was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Country Music Hall of Fame shortly after her death. Click the link to listen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwBirf4BWew
“Tammy Wynette.” Alabama Music Hall of Fame. (2016) http://alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/1993/tammy-wynette/
Escambia County, Brewton, Music, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
William Lee Golden Golden was raised in a farming family in Brewton, Alabama. At age seven he began singing and performing regularly on his grandfather’s weekly radio show, along with his sister. From this experience, Golden grew to love harmony, and by the time he was a teenager, he had an appreciation for Country, Gospel, Doo-Wop, and Pop Quartets. In 1965, Golden joined with the Oak Ridge Boys, a gospel group that went on to win 10 Dove awards and 5 Grammys. In 1975, the group switched to country and was awarded Country Music Association Vocal and Instrumental Group of the Year and Best Country Crossover Group of the year. Golden sang baritone for the Oak Ridge Boys for 22 years, releasing hits such as “Trying to Love Two Women,” “Ozark Mountain Jubilee,” and “Thank God for Kids.” In 1986 he released a solo album, “American Vagabond,” and in 1987, he left the group. He toured solo and with his sons Rusty and Chris as The Goldens. In 1996, Golden rejoined the Oak Ridge Boys. In 1997, Golden was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame and received its Life Work Award for Performing Achievement. In 2011, the Oak Ridge Boys were inducted into The Grand Ole Opry and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. They were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015. Click the link to listen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdFghZmdwXk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=474Q4oRJPUI
“William Lee Golden Biography.” (2016) https://www.williamleegolden.com/william-lee-golden-biography “William Lee Golden.” Alabama Music Hall of Fame. (2016) http://alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/1997/william-l-golden/
Macon County, Tuskegee, Music, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Lionel Richie (June 20, 1949- ) Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. was born on June 20, 1949 in Tuskegee, Alabama. He grew up on the campus of the Tuskegee Institute where many members of his family had worked for two generations. While in college at Tuskegee, Richie joined the Commodores, the most successful group on the Motown label during the late 1970s. Richie was the group’s saxophonist, sometime vocalist, and wrote songs like “Easy,” “Three Times a Lady,” and “Still”; the last two became number one pop hits. In 1980, Richie wrote and produced “Lady” for country-pop singer Kenny Rogers, which became a number one hit across the board. The next year, his duet “Endless Love” with Diana Ross topped the charts for nine weeks, becoming the most successful single in Motown history. By the end of 1981, Richie decided to pursue a solo career. His first solo album "Lionel Richie" was released in 1982 and was an immediate success. His first solo, “Truly,” became a number one hit. His next album, "Can’t Slow Down", produced five top ten singles including “All Night Long” and “Hello.” The album sold over ten million copies and won the 1984 Grammy for Album of the Year. Richie was doing so well he was invited to perform at the closing ceremonies of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. In 1985, he worked with Michael Jackson to co-write “We Are the World” to help raise money for famine relief in Africa. By the end of the year, he released another hit single, “Say You, Say Me,” preceding his next album "Dancing on the Ceiling," which sold four million copies. Exhausted from two decades of recording and performing, Richie stepped back from making music in 1987. He also took time to care for his father. In 1992, he returned to music to release a compilation album including solo hits, Commodore tracks, and three new songs including the number one hit “Do It to Me.” Richie did not record again until 1996 following the loss of his father and the breakup of his marriage. The album, "Louder Than Words", was Richie’s attempt to update his sound; it reached the top 30 and went gold but did not produce any major singles. His 1998 album returned to his signature sound but did not do well. "Renaissance," released in the U.S. in 2001, did much better and went platinum in the U.K. Three years later, following a second divorce, he released "Just for You" which was also successful in the U.K. His 2006 album "Coming Home" included collaborations with an all-star cast and reached the Top 10 in pop and R&B. His album "Just Go", in 2009, featured collaborations with Stargate, Akon, and others. The album "Tuskegee", released in 2012, featured country versions of his past hits including “Easy,” “Hello,” and “Dancing on the Ceiling” and reached the top of the U. S. and country charts. Richie has won three Grammys, six American Music Awards, and a 1986 Oscar for Best Original Song. He has also been awarded two American Black Achievement Awards from Ebony magazine. He was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1997. Click the link to listen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDZcqBgCS74 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqAvFx3NxUM
Huey, Steve. “Lionel Richie Biography.” All Music. (2016) http://www.allmusic.com/artist/lionel-richie-mn0000243474/biography “Lionel Richie.” Alabama Music Hall of Fame. (2016) http://alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/1997/lionel-richie/
Lee County, Lochapoka, Music, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Freddie Hart (December 21, 1926- ) Born Fred Segrest on December 21, 1926, Hart was one of fifteen children. His parents were sharecroppers. He began playing guitar at age 5, and by age 12 he dropped out of school to work for his parents. When World War II broke out, Hart was 15. He lied about his age, joined the Marine Corps, and saw action at Guam and Iwo Jima. While in the service, he became interested in the martial arts, and after the war, he taught self-defense at the L.A. Police Academy. In 1948, Hart met Hank Williams who taught Hart about songwriting. In 1951, he joined Lefty Frizzell’s band. During his year with the band, Hart got his first recording contract with Capitol Records. In 1959, he recorded his first hit, “The Wall,” with Columbia Records. In 1971, his hit “Easy Lovin’” went to number one on the country charts and number seventeen on the pop charts. The song won two Grammy awards and was recognized as The Country Music Association as “The Song of the Year” for both 1971 and 1972. His songwriting has produced hits for many artists including Porter Wagoner and Charlie Rich. He was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2001. Click the link to listen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaU8txxC04I
“Freddie Hart.” Alabama Music Hall of Fame. (2016) http://alamhof.org/inductees/inductees/inductees-2/
Jefferson County, Birmingham, Music, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Hugh Martin (August 11, 1914-March 11, 2011) Hugh Martin was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1914. He received musical training at the Birmingham Conservatory of Music. Over the course of his career, he wrote some of our most memorable songs and worked with some of the brightest stars of the stage and screen. Martin worked with Ralph Blane to write songs for the MGM film “Meet Me in St. Louis” including “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “The Trolley Song.” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is among the American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers Top 10 performed songs of all time. Martin produced arrangements for films such as “Girl Crazy,” “Broadway Rhythm,” “Presenting Lily Mars,” and Broadway musicals like “The Boys from Syracuse,” “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” and “Top Banana.” He also wrote the scores for the Broadway musicals “Look, Ma, I’m Dancin’,” “Make a Wish,” “High Spirits,” and for the London production of “Love From Judy.” Martin worked with many stars including Judy Garland, Lucille Ball, June Allyson, Lena Horne, Ethel Merman, Carmen Miranda, Ed Wynn, Phil Silvers, Carol Channing, Eddie Fisher, Mickey Rooney, and Ann Miller. He was nominated twice for Academy Awards. He was inducted into the Song Writers Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2001. He died March 11, 2011 in Encinitas, California at 96. Click the link to listen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjD8tpv4z1I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVag-t3aesI
“Hugh Martin.” Alabama Music Hall of Fame. (2016) http://alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/2001/hugh-martin/ Holden, Stephen. “Hugh Martin, Composer of Judy Garland Hits, Dies at 96.” The New York Times. (March 14, 2011) http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/arts/music/hugh-martin-composer-of-judy-garland-hits-dies-at-96.html