William Bowen House
subject: National Register of Historic Places; Lustron House; Architecture; Florence, AL
description: The William Bowen House at 1145 Wildwood Park Road was built in 1949 and nominated to the National Register for its significance to architecture. The one story two bedroom Lustron House is a metal prefabricated house clad in enameled steel in two foot by two foot panels. The side gable roof is also covered in enameled steel panels designed to look like tile. The interior wall and ceiling also covered in the enameled panels are original as are the built in bookshelves, vanity, and closets. At the time of the National Register nomination in 2000 most of the interior was unchanged. The Lustron Corporation manufactured prefabricated steel and enameled paneled homes to meet the housing demands created by returning soldiers from World War II. The Columbus, Ohio based company operated between 1946 and 1950 and built 2,495 houses in a retooled Curtis-Wright airplane parts factory. The closed system factory constructed all 3,000 components of the house from steel and packaged the parts directly on specialized truck beds designed to hold and deliver one Lustron House. Lustron Houses, like the automobile they so closely resembled, were sold by local franchised dealers. The company had no problem recruiting dealers and provided the nationwide network with a training and education center. Building crews were offered training at the Lustron Service School in Columbus. Dealers did suffer from territory disrupts, funding sources, local building code inconsistencies, and slow order delivery. In 1950 with accolades and praise from homeowners and the architectural and building community, financial problems and slow production rates forced the Lustron Corporation to close. In Alabama Lustron Houses are closely associated with the local North Alabama South Tennessee dealer, the Southern Sash Company. The Southern Sash Company’s parent company Union Aluminum of Sheffield produced the aluminum frame windows for the Lustron Corporation. Company records as of December 31, 1949 displayed shi…
creator: Missy Brown, University of North Alabama
source: Ford, Gene A., Susan Enzweiler and Trina Binkley. “Bowen, William House – Lustron House”. National Register of Historic Places. Montgomery: Alabama Historic Commission, 2000. Ford, Gene A., Trina Binkley. “Lustron Houses in Alabama.” National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Nomination. Montgomery: Alabama Historical Commission, 2000.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 1949
format: image

Peter F. Armistead Sr. Home
subject: National Register of Historic Places; Tidewater Cottage: Multi-Property Nomination; Architecture; Florence, AL
description: The Peter Fontaine Armistead Sr. House is significant to Lauderdale County and northern Alabama as an excellent example of migration and settlement patterns in the area in terms of population, plantation economy, and architectural styles. Peter and his wife Martha Henry Winston Armistead were natives of Culpepper County, Virginia and moved to the area in the early 1820s. It was common during this period for settlers to migrate from the older states along the middle/Southern Atlantic seaboard many making their homes temporarily in middle Tennessee before settling and establishing plantations or farms in northern Alabama. Some, like Peter, continuing on to Mississippi or Texas in search of better or additional land in a progressive western migration pattern. The Armisteads developed a large slave-based cotton plantation in the fertile lands five miles northwest of Florence. Mrs. Armistead remained in the area until her death in 1870 but Peter Armistead Sr. moved to Mississippi in the late 1840s. The architectural style of the Armistead house also reflects those western migration patterns being very similar to homes of Virginia and Maryland dating back to the colonial area. There are numerous houses in the Tennessee Valley that reflect the style and configuration and are known as “tidewater cottages”. The remaining, largely intact examples of the style were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 as part of a thematic nomination entitled “Tidewater Cottages in the Tennessee Valley”. The house has remarkable similarities to Mrs. Martha Armistead’s ancestral home in Virginia, Glen Ella, built in 1799. The Armistead House is unusual as the only wood frame double pile (two rooms deep and two rooms wide) example in the nomination. The house is also different from the others in that a central room is located behind the front stair hall. Tidewater Cottages are recognized by their simplicity of design, side gables with exterior end chimneys and the proportio…
creator: Missy Brown, University of North Alabama
source: Alabama Historical Commission. National Register Nomination."Armistead, Peter F., Sr. House (Tidewater Cottages in the Tennessee Valley TR)" (#86001540) (7/9/86)
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resources Survey
date: c.1820-1830
format: file

WWI Memorial Amphitheater
subject: Statues/Monuments
description: The WWI Memorial Amphitheater on the University of North Alabama's campus is a common gathering place of students. In 1919, Mrs. Susan J, Price, a professor in the department of geography, recognized the need for a formal stage and a memorial to the six students of State Normal School that did not return home from WWI. Her original design consisted of a half enclosed dome supported by six pillars to represent the six students. Although the finished amphitheater did not follow Mrs. Price's original plan, the structure still stood as a memorial to those six students lost in WWI. The amphitheater was completed in 1934.
creator: Claire Eagle, University of North Alabama
source: Text: Doris Kelso, "A History of the UNA Memorial Amphitheater," Journal of Muscle Shoals History VI, (1978); 135-38. Images: University of North Alabama Archives and Special Collections
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 1934
format: Text

William Kroger House
subject: National Register of Historic Places "Tidewater Cottages in the Tennessee Valley" Thematic nomination Architecture
description: National Register of Historic Places property - William Kroger House - south side of Smithsonia – Rhodesville Road about 4 miles northeast of Smithsonia The actual construction date of the William Kroger House is unknown but stylistic details place construction around 1830. The property is significant as an example of an early housing style in northern Alabama and for its association with early settlement patterns in the same area. The story and a half brick gable end house was built for William and Martha Kroger, both native of Virginia, with simple lines in a style that became known as a “tidewater cottage”. Martha’s family’s migration is known and entails time in Tennessee before the settlement in Alabama. This was a common settlement pattern during the early 19th century and often included Alabama as only a temporary residence before moving on to Mississippi or Texas in search of better land. The section of Lauderdale County where William and Martha Kroger settled is known as the “Colbert Reserve” or “the Bend” west of Florence in a fertile area north of the Tennessee River. The property also contains a historic board and batten outbuilding and a small overgrown plantation cemetery southwest of the house. Tidewater cottages in the Tennessee Valley of this configuration also followed migratory patterns to earlier settlement areas in Virginia and Maryland. Robert Gamble in Historic Architecture of Alabama states that the 19th century versions of the style, like those in the Tennessee Valley of North Alabama, tend to have smaller chimneys and a shallower roof pitch than the colonial examples in Virginia and Maryland. Tidewater cottages are identified by their simplicity and their height to length ratio (double cube) with the house being twice as long as it is high. The Kroger House is a brick double pile form with the depth ratio mimicking that of the front elevation. Another example of the Tidewater cottage form in Lauderdale County can be found in the Peter F. Ar…
creator: Missy Brown, University of North Alabama
source: National Register nomination (#86001542)
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resources Survey
date: c.1820-1830
format: image

Southall Drug
subject: National Register of Historic Places; Florence, AL
description: Southall Drug is significant to the history of Florence for its architectural style and as a leading business in the downtown area owned and operated by the same family for over 50 years. The 1900 building is a prime example of a late 19th century Italianate commercial structure as constructed in small Alabama towns. Italianate styled buildings were introduced in the northeastern United States as early as the 1840s and quickly spread to other cities across the country becoming one of the most popular styles by 1860. The trend continued more slowly into the less populated areas of the country and remained popular through the early 20th century. The Southall Drug building is sited on a dominant commercial corner in downtown Florence and exemplifies the Italianate architectural style with heavy reddish-brown brick walls laid in running bond with matching mortar and arched windows separated on the second floor by brick pilasters. Though the two original heavy metal cornices, located above and below the pilasters, are missing the building still retains the feel of an Italianate structure in part because the parapet located around the front corner of the building is reminiscent of the typical Italianate tower. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic places in 1980 and more information on the property can be obtained in the National Register nomination. All information and photos for this Omeka entry were found in the nomination.
creator: Missy Brown, University of North Alabama
source: Mertins, Ellen and Harvie Jones. National Register Nomination. "Southall Drugs" (#80000699) (8/21/80).
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 1900
format: image

Appleby Jr. High School
subject: National Register of Historic Places; Education; Florence, AL
description: National Register of Historic Places - F.T. Appleby Junior High School – originally Coffee High School – 319 Hermitage Drive Florence, AL Nomination still listed with the state and on the NPS data base –building destroyed in the 1980s. Now part of UNA.
creator: Missy Brown, University of North Alabama
source: National Register of Historic Places (#82002045)
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resources Survey
date: 1916-1917 now demolished
format: image

Rogers Department Store
subject: National Register of Historic Places Downtown Florence
description: National Register of Historic Places - Rogers Department Store 117 Court Street Florence, Alabama Rogers Department Store began on the site in 1894 as the Surprise Store founded by B.A. Rogers and his sons T.M. and B.A. Jr. The early business was known for its use of clearly marked price tags which was unusual in the area during the time period. The current building dates from 1910 and incorporates an extensive remodel in 1944-48. The building is significant to the downtown Florence commercial district as the most prominent commercial building in North Alabama for numerous years and its continuing prominence in the downtown historic district to date. It is also unique because it has been continuously owned by the same family since its conception in 1894. The current building is also significant as a rare example of the Art Deco architectural style in the Florence area. Another good example is the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library built in 1948 and located on Wood Avenue. The 1944-48 (Art Deco) remodel of the 1910 two story brick building was designed by the Memphis based architectural firm of Hulsey and Hall and represents the building trend of simple streamlined facades with minimal detailing and flexible configuration of interior spaces. Rogers Department Store was one of the first stores in northern Alabama to install elevators and central air conditioning. The building was listed on the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places in 1998, more information can be found in the National Register nomination on the Park Service’s data base. Stancell, Pat and Trina Binkley. National Register Nomination "Rogers Department Store" (#98001025) (8/14/98).
creator: Missy Brown, University of North Alabama
source: National Register of Historic Places (#98001025)
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resources Survey
date: 1910, 1940, 1948
format: image

Old Water Tower
subject: National Register of Historic Places; Florence, AL
description: The water tower has served as a landmark for the city of Florence since its construction in 1889 by the Jeter and Boardman Gas and Water Association. The stone buttressed masonry tower is seventy feet high and topped by a 282,000 gallon cast iron tank that is 30 feet high and 40 feet in diameter. The tower is located on a plateau two miles north of the center of town roughly sixty feet above the average elevation of the town. The water quality of the tank was reportedly exceptionally fine with the water drawn from clear Cypress Creek as opposed to the often muddy Tennessee River. The tower replaced an earlier waster system provided by the Cypress Water Company and continued to serve the Florence area until it was phased out in 1935. The water tower was built during an industrial and population boom in the late 1880s and early 1890s resulting from the completion of the redesigned Muscle Shoals Canal System. In anticipation of further growth, the current population was 12,000 to 15,000, the tower’s capacity was designed to serve a city of 35,000 -50,000 people. However, by 1891 the boom was over and the population dwindled to 6,000. The tower is significant to the history of Florence, Lauderdale County, and the region as a surviving example of 1870-1880s city water works technology. Around the turn of the 20th century elevated tanks on exposed metal trestles gained popularity due to the superior engineering and lower costs of construction. The tower also serves as a vivid reminder of the 1889-1891 economic boom and the plans and dreams to prolong the industrial and population growth. The water tower was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Additional information can be found on the National Park Service’s National Register data base, or on the Florence Historical Board Historic Marker on site.
creator: Missy Brown, University of North Alabama
source: National Register Of Historic Places
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: c.1880s -1890s
format: file

George Washington Foster
subject: George Washington Foster
description: George Washington Foster was born on November 28, 1806, in Nashville, Tennessee. On January 10, 1829, he married Sarah Independence Watkins. They had seven children: Mary Ann, Virginia (Jennie), Watkins (Wat), Louisa (Lou), George Washington Jr. (Wash), Andrew J. (Jack) and Sallie. Foster was a wealthy industrialist and planter, a fact illustrated by his large and extravagant home, Courtview. Courtview, now known as the University of North Alabama’s Rogers Hall, was built for Foster in 1854. Foster had decided he wanted to build a house in the middle of Court Street, turning Florence’s main street into a dead end. An act of the state legislature and $300 granted Foster his building site. Foster also owned Woodland Plantation in the Colbert Reserve in Lauderdale County, and a plantation named Oak Grove. Foster donated $10,000 to La Grange College toward construction of Wesleyan Hall. This was a third of the total cost. He also contributed heavily to the Methodist church in Florence, of which he was member. Foster later served as President of the Board of Trustees for Wesleyan college. He made a sizable endowment to the college for mathematics. Foster did not serve in the Confederate Army during the war, but he assisted with recruiting soldiers and raising money for the cause. When William T. Sherman visited the area, he encountered bushwhackers and cited Foster as being one of them. Foster was even arrested by Union forces once, but was released within a few days. He spent most of the war on his plantations, while his wife and family stayed at Courtview. Foster died on December 4, 1878, and is buried in the Florence Cemetery.
creator: Kayla Scott, University of North Alabama
source: Robert S. Steen, History of Foster House- Courtview- Rogers Hall and Early City of Florence . Florence: University of North Alabama, No Date, 18, 26-32, 31. William Lindsey McDonald, A Walk Through The Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. (Bluewater Publications, 2003), 45-46. Image of George Washington Foster Courtesy of UNA Collier Library Archives Image of Courtview/Rogers Hall Courtesy Kayla Scott
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 1806-1878

Maud Lindsay Free Kindergarten
subject: Education
description: After leaving her job as a music teacher at a private kindergarten in Tuscumbia, Maud McKnight Lindsay started the first free kindergarten in the state of Alabama in 1898. She taught children from the cotton mill district in East Florence. The original location was a Florence store front but the school was moved to a small cottage building across from Brandon School. The Maud Lindsay Free Kindergarten is still in operation today. Lindsay was active in the settlement house movement, traveling to Boston and New York to work. She was also a prolific children's book author and poet. The building it slated to be moved when the new hospital is built. The location is still undetermined.
creator: Claire Eagle, University of North Alabama
source: Text: Elizabeth Womack McDonald. History of the Florence City schools, 1820-1967, 1900. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 29, 2015). Anita Miller Garner, "Maud McKinght Lindsay," Encyclopedia of Alabama. http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-2376 Image: University of North Alabama Archives and Special Collections
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 1898
format: Text

Richard Rapier
subject: Richard Rapier
description: Richard Rapier was one of the first settlers as well as one of the first merchants in Florence. A pioneer in the barge industry, legend names him as the first to bring a keelboat, or barge, through the river to Florence. Rapier began his business in Nashville, but resided in Florence by 1818. His business, Rapier and Company, was situated on the northeast corner of Court and Tennessee Streets in downtown Florence. Rapier later joined John Simpson, another Florence businessman in the cotton trade. Their partnership formed the company called Rapier and Simpson. Rapier eventually owned a fleet of keelboats as well as several warehouses in Florence. Besides engaging in commerce with settlers on both sides of the river, Rapier traded with the Native Americans in the area. Rapier passed away in 1826.
creator: Kayla Scott, University of North Alabama
source: William Lindsey McDonald, A Walk Through The Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama.( Bluewater Publications, 2003), 21, 22, 28, 74. Jill K. Garret, History of Lauderdale County, Alabama, 1964, 220. William Lindsey McDonald, “Captain Richard Rapier: The Merchant Prince,” The Journal of Muscle Shoals History Volume I, 1973.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 1818-1826

Zebulon Pike Morrison
subject: Zebulon Pike Morrison
description: Zebulon Pike Morrison was born in Lexington, Virginia in 1818. He and his wife Bridget had nine children. He was the sixteenth Mayor of Florence, and served in that capacity from 1880-1890. Morrison was also an alderman for the city of Florence for thirty years. In addition, Morrison was an undertaker, and owned a distillery in Florence. He is probably most well-known for his building efforts. Wesleyan Hall, the Florence Synodical College, the Elks Building, and Patton Grammar School in Florence were all built by him. Morrison passed away in 1895 and is buried in Florence Cemetery. Morrison Avenue in Florence is named for him.
creator: Kayla Scott, University of North Alabama
source: William Lindsey McDonald, A Walk Through The Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. Bluewater Publications, 2003, p. 34, 89, 91, 274. Image Courtesy of UNA Collier Library Archives Jill K. Garret, History of Lauderdale County, Alabama, 1964, 213.
date: Mid to Late 1800s

Wichahpi Commemorative Stone Wall
subject: Statues/Monuments; Florence, AL; Native American History
description: This wall is known by two names: Tom Hendrix's Wall and the Wichahpi Commemorative Wall. Tom Hendrix started this wall in the 1980's after learning of his great-great grandmother's journey during the Trail of Tears. Te-lah-nay was forced to walk to Oklahoma. She never felt safe at her new home and ran away spending 5 years making her way back to the Singing River. The more than a mile long wall is made up of stones from more than 120 countries. Most of the stones come from Lauderdale County. Each stone represents one of her steps on her journey, The shape, height, and width of the wall all change to represent the trials she faced. The Wichahpi Commemorative Stone Wall is the largest monument to a Native American woman.
creator: Claire Eagle, University of North Alabama
source: Visit Florence, "Tom's Wall,"http://www.visitflorenceal.com/things_to_do/toms-wall/ (Accessed April 28, 2015)
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 1980's-Present
format: Text

Ferdinand Sannoner
subject: Ferdinand Sannoner
description: Ferdinand Sannoner was born in Leghorn, Italy, in 1793. He graduated from the French Polytechnic Institute at Paris. Sannoner worked as a surveyor for Napoleon in France. He came to America around 1816. In 1818, John Coffee appointed him to survey the area that was to become Florence. Sannoner completed the survey, and drew the town plan. He gave it the name “Florence” after the Florence, Italy of his homeland. His payment for surveying Florence was partially made in land. He received two lots on Tuscaloosa Street between Wood Avenue and Walnut Street. Sannoner worked for the Cypress Land Company for a number of years, as well as being a clerk for Lauderdale County. He and his brother operated a bakery and delicatessen on Tennessee Street as well. Sannoner and his wife moved to Memphis in 1857, and he died there in 1859. He is buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis. His grave was unmarked until 1973, when a marker was donated by James Jackson, great-grandson of the James Jackson who owned Forks of Cypress and assisted in founding Florence. The Sannoner Historic District in Downtown Florence is named in his honor.
creator: Kayla Scott, University of North Alabama
source: William Lindsey McDonald, A Walk Through The Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. Bluewater Publications, 2003, p. 3, 11-12. Robert S. Steen, History of Foster House- Courtview- Rogers Hall and Early City of Florence . Florence: University of North Alabama, No Date, p. 10. Image Courtesy of UNA Collier Library Archives
date: 1818-1856

John McKinley
subject: John McKinley
description: John McKinley was one of seven trustees that made up the Cypress Land Company and is considered a founder of Florence, Alabama. McKinley was born on May 1, 1780, in Culpepper County, Virginia, and later moved to Kentucky. He came to Alabama around 1819 and was a resident of Florence by 1821. McKinley served in the Alabama legislature and the U.S. Senate as a representative of first Madison, and later Lauderdale County. McKinley was a founding member of the Presbyterian Church in Florence. McKinley was very influential in early education in Alabama. He was a founder of one of the first public schools in the region, and donated the land for the school that is now called Athens State University. In addition, McKinley was a member of the first board of trustees for the University of Alabama. McKinley’s most famous accomplishment came when he was appointed to be an Associate Justice on the United States Supreme Court. He took the job in January of 1838, and was the first Alabamian to have the honor. He spent 14 years as a Supreme Court Justice, penning 22 opinions concerning the cases that went before the court. He was a strong advocate of states’ rights, a fact that is illustrated by his court decisions. McKinley passed away on July 19, 1852. His remains were interred in Louisville, Kentucky. Family members interred in the McKinley Cemetery in Florence were moved to Louisville, Kentucky several years later. McKinley’s seat on the Supreme Court was given to John Archibald Campbell, who was also from Alabama.
creator: Kayla Scott, University of North Alabama
source: William Lindsey McDonald, A Walk Through The Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. (Bluewater Publications, 2003), 2, 9. Robert Saunders, “John McKinley,” Encyclopedia of Alabama. http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-2052#sthash.iHyCkfy1.dpuf
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 1821

Coffee Cemetery
subject: Cemeteries, Lauderdale County
description: 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 cem…
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: 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.
date: Mid 1800s.
type: Text.

Deibert Monument
subject: Statues/Monuments; Florence, AL
description: This is the burial place of Lillian Cook Deibert. Lillian and her husband Kirk owned Rolling Acres Stock Farm. In 1991 their barn burned down, killing 27 of Lillian's beloved horses. She is buried at this spot located in Deibert Park right next to where her horses were buried after the fire.
creator: Claire Eagle, University of North Alabama
source: Joy Favors, "Lillian Cook Deibert," http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=65540771 (Accessed April 29, 2015)
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 2011
format: Text

City of Florence Walk of Honor
subject: Statues/Monuments; Lauderdale County, AL
description: 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.
creator: Claire Eagle, University of North Alabama
source: City of Florence, Alabama, "Walk of Honor,"http://www.florenceal.org/Administration/Walk_of_Honor/index.html (Accessed April 28, 2015)
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
format: Text

James Jackson
subject: James Jackson
description: James Jackson was born on October 25, 1782, in Ballybay County, Monaghan, Ireland. Jackson came to America in 1799 and moved to Nashville in 1801. Upon his arrival in Nashville, James Jackson quickly became acquainted with Andrew Jackson and John Coffee, who were members of the Tennessee Land Company. The Tennessee Company and the Alabama Company joined to form The Cypress Land Company. James Jackson was a member of the Tennessee group, and was one of the seven trustees of the Cypress Land Company. The company and its members were instrumental in founding Lauderdale County and Florence, Alabama. Jackson had the Forks of Cypress mansion built five miles outside of Florence, Alabama, and he and his wife Sally Moore McCulloch Jackson made the plantation their home. James Jackson became a member of the Alabama General Assembly in 1822. Jackson held office in both state legislative branches, and became the president of the Senate in 1830. While Jackson was president of the company, The Cypress Land Company donated the land for the Florence Female Synodical College, the Methodist, Episcopal, and Presbyterian churches, and the Lauderdale County Courthouse. Jackson is probably most famous for importing, breeding, and racing horses. Even today, winning race horses can often trace their roots back to Jackson’s stables.
creator: Kayla Scott, University of North Alabama
source: William Lindsey McDonald, A Walk Through The Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. (Bluewater Publications, 2003), p. 11-13. Elizabeth Kirkman O’Neal, The Forks of Cypress: Home of James and Sally Moore Jackson. Waring Sherwood, 1966.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 1782-1840

Wilson Dam Replica
subject: Statues/Monuments; Lauderdale County, AL
description: The Wilson Dam Replica is located on the corner of Mobile and Seminary Streets in front of Legends Steakhouse in downtown Florence, Alabama. The replica dam is engraved with each name of the quad cities: Tuscumbia, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Florence, and the year each city became incorporated.
creator: Claire Eagle, University of North Alabama
source: Personal visit to statue/monument
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
format: Image

Kilby Laboratory School
subject: Education; Lauderdale County, AL
description: Kilby Laboratory School was founded in 1922 as a part of Florence State Normal School. The school originally occupied what is now the University Of North Alabama Mathematics Building. Classes were conducted in this location until the fall of 1964 when they moved to a newly finished building on North Pine Street. The school currently includes students in kindergarten to sixth grade. Kilby is a public school, but UNA owns and operates it. Through this arrangement education majors are able to use the school for real world training during their UNA career. Children of UNA faculty and staff also have priority for admittance to Kilby over other students in the district.
creator: Claire Eagle, University of North Alabama
source: Text: University of North Alabama, "About Our School," Kilby Laboratory School, https://www.una.edu/kilby/about.html (Accessed April 28, 2015). Wendy Reeves, "Kilby School only one of kind in state of Alabama," The Flor-Ala, September 14, 1989. Images: University of North Alabama Archives and Special Collections, Collier Library
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 1922-Present
format: Text

Alexander Donelson Coffee
subject: Alexander Donelson Coffee
description: Alexander Donelson Coffee was a Confederate veteran of the Civil War and a planter and manufacturer in Florence. He was born on June 3, 1821, to General John Coffee and Mary Donelson Coffee. He attended the Lorance school in Florence, and the University of Nashville. Alexander Coffee served in the Confederate Army as a captain of Company C, 16th Alabama infantry regiment. Coffee fought in the Battle of Shiloh, but left the army soon after due to bad health. Coffee spent the rest of his life in Florence, working as a planter. He passed away on May 12, 1901. Coffee was first married to Letitia Van Dyke (Campbell) Sloss, and later to Camilla (Madding) Jones after his first wife’s death. He is buried in the Coffee Family Cemetery in Florence.
creator: Kayla Scott, University of North Alabama
source: William Lindsey McDonald, A Walk Through The Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. Bluewater Publications, 2003. William Lindsey McDonald, Civil War Tales of the Tennessee Valley. (Heart of Dixie Publishing: Killen, Alabama, 2003), 200-202. Thomas McAdory Owen, History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography, Volume III, 1921, Page 368. Accessed January 16, 2014, at http://www.archives.alabama.gov.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 1821-1901

John Coffee
subject: John Coffee
description: General John Coffee was a Federal surveyor who did work in Tennessee and Alabama and is known as one of the founders of Florence, Alabama. Born on June 2, 1772, in Prince Edward County, Virginia, Coffee moved to Tennessee as a young man. As a resident of Davidson County, Tennessee, Coffee became friends with Andrew Jackson. Coffee married Mary Donelson, who was the niece of Andrew Jackson’s wife Rachel. Friendship and family ties closely linked Coffee with Jackson for the remainder of his life. Coffee served with distinction under Jackson in the War of 1812, and was instrumental in the U.S. victory of the Creek War. After the War of 1812 and the Indian campaigns, Coffee continued working as a surveyor and land speculator. In 1817 he was appointed Surveyor-General of Alabama, and moved to Huntsville. In 1819 he moved to Lauderdale County, and the district land office was moved to Florence. Coffee served as the Surveyor-General for the rest of his life. His home, Hickory Hill Plantation, was located off of present day Cloverdale Road, which was called Coffee Road at the time. John Coffee died July 7, 1833, and is buried in the Coffee Family Cemetery at Florence, Alabama along with his wife and several children. A Wal-Mart store is located in close proximity to the graveyard.
creator: Kayla Scott, University of North Alabama
source: Northern Alabama: Historical and Biographical Illustrated. Smith and De Land, Birmingham. 1888. William Lindsey McDonald, A Walk Through The Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama. Bluewater Publications, 2003. Gordon Thomas Chappell, The Life and Activities of John Coffee, A Thesis, Vanderbilt University, 1941.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 1772-1833

Rhodesville Cemetery
subject: Cemeteries: Lauderdale County, AL
description: To reach the Rhodesville Methodist Church Cemetery, turn right in Rhodesville onto County Road #189. Go about .5 miles to the cemetery. It is located behind the church. The cemetery has a record of 136 records. A list of graves is located in the source.
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: Montgomery, David L. "Rhodesvillle Cemetery." Rootsweb. November 19, 2004. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-rhdsvl-2004.htm. Accessed April 22, 2015.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Late 1800s.
format: Document.

Oak Grove Cemetery
subject: Cemeteries; Lauderdale County, AL
description: Oak Grove Cemetery is located in Lauderdale County, Alabama. From Florence, Alabama, take Savannah Hwy west to Waterloo Rd. Turn west onto County Road 14, go approx. 17 miles. Turn right onto Bitter Branch Rd. Turn left onto County Road 121. The cemetery is 1.5 miles on right at top of hill. The cemetery is still in good condition today. It has a record of 31 graves. List of graves is located in the source.
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: Wood, Sharon L. "Oak Grove Cemetery." Rootsweb. January 13, 2001. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-oakgrove.htm. Accessed April 12, 2015.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Late 1800s.
format: document.

Jessie's Garden Cemetery
subject: Cemeteries; Lauderdale County, AL
description: The Jessie’s Garden cemetery is adjacent to the Wilson Cemetery on state highway 17, north of Florence, Alabama. Turn right onto County Rd. 142 just north of the Rogers Chapel United Methodist Church. Go 200 yards and the entrance is on the right. The cemetery was founded by Roy Patterson Jr. and is named after his mother. Mr. Patterson was the first person buried in the cemetery. Full list of graves is located in the source.
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: Montgomery, David L. "Jessie's Garden Cemetery." Cemeteries Only. May 3, 2014. http://cemeteriesonly.com/JessiesGardenCem.htm. Accessed April 13, 2015.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Early 1900s
format: Document

Canerday Cemetery
subject: Cemeteries; Lauderdale County, AL
description: To reach the cemetery, turn north off Cox Creek Parkway in Florence and travel 8.3 miles. Turn left onto County Road #73 and keep right. Travel .8 mile to the cemetery on the right. The are a few graves marked with stones. Full list of graves is located in sources.
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: Montgomery, David L. "Canerday Cemetery." Canerday Cemetery. February 7, 2015. http://cemeteriesonly.com/CanerdayCem.html. Accessed April 22, 2015.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Late 1800s.
format: Document.

Canaan Methodist Church Cemetery
subject: Cemeteries; Lauderdale County, AL
description: From Florence, Alabama, travel Alabama Hwy. 20 west for 3.3 miles. Turn left onto Waterloo Rd. and go 10.2 miles. Turn left onto County Rd. 189 and go 2.8 miles. The church and cemetery are at the corner of County Rd. 189 and County Rd. 62. The cemetery is located behind the church. The full list of graves is located in the source.
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: Montgomery, David L. "Canaan Methodist Church Cemetery." Cemeteries Only. February 20, 2015. http://cemeteriesonly.com/CanaanMethChCem.html. Accessed on April 4, 2015.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Late 1800s.
format: Document

River Bend Church of Christ Cemetery
subject: Cemeteries; Lauderdale County, AL
description: To reach this cemetery, travel Alabama Hwy. 20 west from Florence, Alabama for 2.1 miles. Turn left (west) off Hwy 20 onto county Road 2 (Gunwaleford Road) and go about 6.2 miles. The cemetery is on the right side of the road. The River Bend Cemetery is in western Lauderdale County, Alabama, and is owned and maintained by the River Bend Church of Christ. The grounds are in very good condition with plenty of room for expansion. The oldest person buried here was born in 1863. The first burial here was in 1949. There are a total of 59 records in this cemetery. Full list of graves is located in the sources.
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: Montgomery, David L. "River Bend Cemetery 2005." Rootsweb. January 5, 2005. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-riverbendcoc2005.htm. Accessed April 11, 2015.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
format: Document

Macedonia Church of Christ Cemetery
subject: Cemeteries; Lauderdale County, AL
description: The Macedonia Church of Christ cemetery is located in the western part of Lauderdale County. To reach the cemetery, travel Alabama Highway 20 west from Florence, AL. Immediately after crossing over the Natchez Trace Parkway, turn left onto County Rd. #5 and travel 1.4 miles, turning right onto County Rd. 158 and travel 0.4 mile. The cemetery is just past the church on the right. The marker at the cemetery reads, "The church dates its roots to the early 1800’s, the congregation met in homes with Joseph Fanning, visiting evangelist. The church was first organized as Macedonia Baptist Church. In 1834, J.W. Smith supervised a building on this site. In 1880, T.B. Larimore, a well known evangelist among Church of Christ churches in the area, was asked to preach. The congregation then changed to the present name. The church has made a powerful impact. The adjoining cemetery is the resting place for many of the county’s beloved sons & daughters." Full list of graves is located in the source.
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: Montgomery, David L. "Macedonia Church of Christ." Cemeteries Only. April 12, 2015. http://cemeteriesonly.com/MacedoniaCem.html. Accessed April 29, 2015.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 1800s
format: Website.

Murphy's Chapel Cemetery
subject: Cemeteries; Lauderdale County, AL
description: Murphy's Chapel Cemetery is located ½ mile east of Alabama Highway 20, on Lauderdale County Road 8 at Murphy's Chapel Free Will Baptist Church northwest of Florence, Alabama. The oldest known grave is that of a Confederate soldier buried in 1861. A woman by the name of Katie K. Jones is the oldest known person buried here, having been born in 1792. Some graves are probably much older than those listed. There are war veterans from the Civil War to the Korean War. The cemetery has a record of 738 graves. A full list of graves is located in the source.
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama.
source: Montgomery, David L. "Murphy's Chapel." Rootsweb. January 5, 2005. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-murphychapel-2005.htm. Accessed April 7, 2015.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Early 1800s.
format: Website.

Union Soldier's Grave
subject: Cemeteries; Civil War; Lauderdale County, AL
description: David L. Montgomery visited this grave an stated: "An individual who lives in the immediate area of this grave informed me about this Union soldier’s final resting place. He has hunted the surrounding woods almost all of his life and has known of its location for many years. According to this person, there was an attempt to excavate the grave by a person/persons probably looking for Civil War relics. The person/persons digging in the earth, dug down about four or five feet deep. By most grave standards, the headstone is always placed to the west of the gravesite. It appears that they didn’t know on which side of the headstone to dig. There has been no evidence or rumors of anything being found since it is believed they dug on the wrong side." The gravesite is located approximately 2 miles north northeast of Cloverdale, Alabama. It is located on private property and deep in the woods. The headstone was removed from the gravesite in the 1980’s and was gone for about two years. It was returned and placed in the exact spot with the lettering to facing the west. According to the inscription on the stone, Meadows was attached to Company “G” of the 2nd Tennessee Infantry. But he is listed in the Company “D” roster, of the 2nd Tennessee Infantry, also a Union Army unit. He enlisted at Savannah, Tennessee on January 15, 1864. He was drafted in February 1, 1864 at Nashville, Tennessee.
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: Montgomery, David L. "Union Soldier's Grave." Cemeteries Only. http://cemeteriesonly.com/UnionSoldiersGrave.htm. Accessed April 3, 2015.
date: Late 1800s.
format: Website.

Mt. Hebron Cemetery
subject: Cemeteries; Lauderdale County, AL
description: This cemetery is located off County Road 21 north of Waterloo, Alabama. From Waterloo, travel north on County Road 14 for 1.07 miles and turn right onto County Road 90. Go 2.2 miles to County Road 21. Turn left and keep right, following County Rd. 21 2.23 miles. The cemetery is across the road. There once was a church near Mt. Hebron, the stone footings are located near the cemetery. There are at least 12 unknown graves in the cemetery.
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: Bob, Torbert. "Mt Hebron Cemetery." Rootsweb. June 1, 2002. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-mthebron.htm. Accessed April 11, 2015.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Late 1900s.
format: website.

Whitten Cemetery
subject: Cemeteries; Lauderdale County, AL
description: Whitten Cemetery is located in western Lauderdale County, Alabama area north of Waterloo. To reach the Whitten Cemetery, travel on Lauderdale County Road 14 to Waterloo. Continue to follow County Rd. 14 turning right. Continue on 1.07 miles and turn right onto County Road 90. Go 1.37 miles and the cemetery is on the hill on the left. This is a very old cemetery with many graves and few markers. It sits upon a hill accessible only by a steep path. There are few large cedar trees located in the cemetery. The earliest date on a marker is 1790 marking the grave of Alexander Higgins.
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: Montgomery, David L. "Whitten Cemetery." Rootsweb. November 28, 2006. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-whitten.htm. Accessed April 11, 2015.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Early 1800s
format: Website

Pine Hill Cemetery
subject: Cemeteries; Lauderdale County, AL
description: To reach Pine Hill Cemetery, from Florence, Alabama, travel Alabama Highway 20 west approximately 19½ miles. Turn right onto County Road 8 and travel approximately .9 mile and turn left onto County Road 10. Travel approximately 1.2 miles and the cemetery is on the right of the road behind the Pine Hill Church of Christ. Pine Hill Cemetery is owned and maintained by the church. It has a record of 257 graves. Twenty of the graves are unknown. The church was established in or before 1900, but the actual date is unknown. The source contains full list of grave in the cemetery.
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: Montgomery, David L. "Pine Hill Cemetery." Rootsweb. January 4, 2005. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-pinehill-2005.htm. Accessed April 12, 2015.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Late 1800s.
format: website

Williams Chapel Cemetery
subject: Cemeteries; Lauderdale County, AL
description: To reach the William’s Chapel Cemetery, from Waterloo, Alabama, travel east on County Rd. # 14 for about ½ mile. Turn left (north) onto County Road. 1. Go about 7 miles and the cemetery is on the left behind the church. Williams Chapel Cemetery is well maintained and contains 199 records. Source contains a list of graves located in the cemetery.
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: Montgomery, David L. "Williams Chapel Cemetery 2005." Rootsweb. January 4, 2005. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-williamschpl-2005.htm. Accessed April 12, 2015.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Late 1800s
type: Document

Rowell Cemetery
subject: Cemeteries, Lauderdale County, AL
description: To reach this cemetery, turn off AL 20 (Savannah Highway), onto Lauderdale 6 (Gunwaleford Road), go 9.8 miles. The cemetery is on the right side of the road. You must go through a small section of woods, and then across an open field to reach it. It is about 75 yards from the main road, and can be seen. The Smithsonia Church of Christ is on the left side of the road, about 100 yards on down the road. The cemetery has a hand cut stonewall around it, four feet in height. It is covered in vines and poorly maintained. It is located on the F. M. Perry Estate. Neal Rowell practiced medicine in early Florence for a few years before he retired to West Lauderdale County. He and his wife inherited a plantation called Alba Wood. Rowell is a native of Wood County, Virginia. Rowell married Martha Ann Cheatham, daughter of Christopher Cheatham, one of the earliest settler’s of Lauderdale County.
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: Irons, Olan. "Rowell Cemetery." Rootsweb. December 7, 1988. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-rowell.htm. Accessed April 20, 2015.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Mid-1800s
format: Document

Florence Indian Mound Museum
subject: Native American Museum
description: The Florence Indian Mound Museum is located at the foot of the Florence Indian Mound. The Florence Mound was built by early Native Americans and dates back to the Woodland period. The museum has display cases that house arrowheads, spearheads, Native American pottery, and implements made from bones, shells, and rocks. The museum does not focus on the Florence Indian Mound, but features displays from different eras, tribes, and locations that are not related to the Florence site. There are enough labels and interpretive exhibits to allow a visitor to understand the meaning of the objects on display, even without a detailed tour. A video that is less than 10 minutes long is available for visitors to watch. It briefly covers Native American History, but really does not mention the Florence Indian Mound with any significance. The first exhibit in the museum is entitled “The New Americans Migrated from the Old World” and explains how this is thought to have been done. The second is entitled “Paleo Indian Nomadic Hunters: More than 10,000 Years Ago.” Continuing down the line you find the “Transition of Paleo-Archaic Hunters to Gatherers: 7,000 to 10,000 years ago,” “Woodland People The First Farmers: 1,100 to 4,000 years ago,” “Mississippian People: Temple Mound Builders 500-1,000 years ago,” “Historic Indians,” and “Trail of Tears.” After walking back to the other side of the room, a visitor is able to learn about the “Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter: One of the World’s Archaeology Greats.” This side of the room offers a look at Native American tools, Spanish trade goods, pottery, and the use of effigies in Native American culture. Industrialization has encroached on the mound site a great deal. Almost touching the drive that circles around the mound is a Co-Op store and related buildings. The railroad runs near the opposite side of the mound, where the Port of Florence is in close proximity. The above article was written in 2015, and tells the story of the first museum t…
creator: Kayla Scott, University of North Alabama
source: A Visit to the Florence Indian Mound Museum
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey

Walston Cemetery
subject: Cemeteries; Lauderdale County, AL
description: To reach the Walston Cemetery from Florence, Alabama, travel west on Alabama Highway 20 for 3.3 miles. Turn left (west) onto County Rd. 14 (Waterloo Rd.) and travel 5.4 miles to the community of Oakland, Alabama. Turn left onto County Rd. 15 and go about 1.1 mile to the cemetery on the right about 100 yards off the road. Walston cemetery is an old cemetery with the oldest known burial being Elizabeth Walston in 1830. The name of the cemetery is taken from the Walston family. Thirty to thirty-five unidentified graves surround the white section. The black section has multiple sunken areas that are graves with no markers. Some slaves might have been buried in this area. The cemetery combined has a record of 435 records.
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: Montgomery, David L. "Walston Cemetery." Cemeteries Only. November 1, 2014. http://cemeteriesonly.com/WalstonCem.htm. Accessed April 12, 2015.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 1830s.
format: Document

Mt. Olive Cemetery
subject: Cemeteries; Waterloo, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
description: The Mt. Olive Cemetery is located in the far western area of Lauderdale Co., Alabama. To reach the cemetery, from Waterloo, AL, travel County Road #45 for 4.1 miles. Turn left onto Union Hollow Rd. Keep continuing left as Union Hollow Rd. begins to curve. The largest part of the cemetery is on the left and a smaller portion on the right side. Mt. Olive Church was established around 1881. The graves in the cemetery predate the establishment of the church. List of graves are located in sources.
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: Montgomery, David L. "Mt. Olive Cemetery." Cemeteries Only. April 24, 2015. http://cemeteriesonly.com/MtOliveCem.html. Accessed April 29, 2015.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Early 1800s.
format: Website.

Richardson Cemetery
subject: Cemeteries; Waterloo, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
description: To reach the Richardson Cemetery, from Florence, Alabama travel Alabama Highway 20 west for 3.3 miles. Turn left onto County Road 14 and travel to Waterloo, Alabama. Turn left at the 4-way stop and go through the town of Waterloo to the turn-around at the river. Turn up the hill to the right and the cemetery is on the left of the road. A smaller section is also on the right side of the paved road after topping the hill. There are a total of 604 records in this cemetery as of 2004. List of graves are located in sources.
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: Montgomery, David L. "Richardson Cemetery - Waterloo." Rootsweb. June 4, 2004. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-richardson-waterloo-a.htm. Accessed April 12, 2015.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Late 1800s.
type: Document

Wates-Shaw Cemetery
subject: Cemeteries; Waterloo, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
description: From Florence, take the Waterloo road and go to Waterloo. Then take the Pea Ridge Road for about seven miles, turn left at the first paved cross roads. Go for about three miles until the road comes to a "T", turn left and go almost to the edge of the water. There are a few small creeks that cross the dirt road. An off-road vehicle may be recommended to travel to this cemetery. The cemetery is on the left side of the road. There may be more unmarked graves than there are marked graves in this cemetery.
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama.
source: Curtis, Janet. "Wates-Shaw Cemetery." Rootsweb. January 1, 1970. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-wateshaw.htm. Accessed April 14, 2015.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Early 1800s
type: Document

Ford's Mill Cemetery
subject: Cemeteries; Lauderdale County, AL
description: To reach the Ford Mill’s Cemetery from Florence, Alabama, travel west on Alabama Highway 20. Turn left onto County Road 14 and travel approximately 22 miles. Turn right onto County Road 1 just before crossing the bridge into Waterloo. Travel north on Co. Rd. 1 for 3.4 miles. Turn left onto County Road 90 and go .4 mile. The cemetery is on the right side of the road at the intersection of County Road 90 & Man Bone Rd. It lies diagonally across from the Ford’s Mill Free Will Baptist Church. There is a small child’s grave that is unknown. Ford Mill’s cemetery was established in 1932. The cemetery is well maintained and contains 18 records. List of graves are located in sources.
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: Montgomery, David L. "Ford's Mill Cemetery." Rootsweb. January 5, 2005. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-fordsmill.htm. Accessed April 3, 2015.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 1932

Bumpus Creek Cemtery
subject: Cemeteries; Waterloo, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
description: To reach Bumpus Creek Cemetery from Florence, Alabama, travel Alabama Hwy 20 west and turn left onto Waterloo Rd. and travel to Waterloo, Alabama. County Road # 14 turns north in Waterloo. Turn right and follow Bumpus Creek Road 4.5 miles to the Bumpus Creek Free Will Baptist Church. There are 84 graves in Bumpus Creek Cemetery. (The list of people buried in this cemetery is located in the source.)
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: Montgomery, David L. "Bumpass Creek Cemetery." Rootsweb. January 4, 2005. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-bumpusck2005.htm. Accesed April 12, 2015.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Early 1900s
format: Document

Gravelly Springs Cemetery
subject: Cemeteries; Lauderdale County, AL
description: From Florence, turn off AL 20 (Savannah Highway) onto Waterloo Road. Go 12.5 miles and bear right on a gravel road. Go 0.1 mile to the cemetery. The cemetery is located behind Gravelly springs Missionary Baptist Church. Gravelly Springs Cemetery is very old and contains the grave of a veteran of the War of 1812. Located in the cemetery are 25 unknown graves marked with field stones. Source contains full list of people buried in this cemetery.
creator: Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
source: Montgomery, David L. "Gravelly Springs Cemetery." Cemeteries Only. April 15, 2015. http://cemeteriesonly.com/GravSprsCem.html. Accessed April 22, 2015.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: Early 1800s.
format: Document

Preacher Arrested in Florence for Praying
subject: Union Occupation; Florence, AL; Civil War; Dr. W.H. Mitchell; Union Colonel John Marshall Harlan
description: After the Union forces captured Florence in 1862, the Union military officials issued an edict that forbade praying for the Confederacy. The pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Florence was arrested for violating this decree on Sunday, July 27, 1862. The pastor’s name was Dr. W.H. Mitchell, who had received a doctorate in divinity from Princeton. He came to Florence in 1847 after serving as pastor in Prattville, Wetumpka, and Montgomery. On the morning of July 27, Dr. Mitchell surveyed his congregation from the pulpit. He noticed that several Union soldiers were seated in the pews. Knowing that the edict had been issued and incensed at the affront to religious liberty, he prayed for President Jefferson Davis and the success of the Confederate Armies. As soon as the amen was called, Union Colonel John Marshall Harlan, Provost Marshal of the 10th Kentucky and future Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court, marched up the aisle and arrested Dr. Mitchell, informing the congregation that the service was over. Mitchell was placed under guard, marched across the Tennessee River, and placed on a train bound for Federal prison in Alton, Illinois. Mitchell remained in prison for three months. A group of relatives and friends were able to secure his release in early October. He returned to the pulpit on October 12, 1862. He remained the pastor of First Presbyterian until he retired in 1871. The congregation jokingly called him the “prison pastor” and placed a memorial window in the sanctuary after his death in 1872.
creator: Michael Williams, University of North Alabama
source: 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). Debra Glass, MAed and Military Historian, Heath Mathews. n.d. "Civil War's Western Theater." armyoftennessee.wordpress.com. Accessed April 19, 2015. https://armyoftennessee.wordpress.com/two-martyrs-robin-lightfoot-and-w-h-mitchell/.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: July 27, 1862
rights: Photo from following websites: http://kynghistory.ky.gov/history/2qtr/addinfo/john+marshall+harlan+bio.htm

Wright and Rice Foundry Destroyed
subject: Wright and Rice Foundry; Civil War; Colonel Florence M. Cornyn; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
description: The Wright and Rice Foundry was located where the Mars Hill Church of Christ is located on Cox Creek. The foundry was built in 1835 by Williams Johnson but was sold to James Wright and William Rice. The foundry produced steam engines, mill saws, cotton gins, farming implements, and industrial machinery. At the outbreak of the Civil War, the foundry was converted for the manufacture of shells and munitions for weapons, ranging from large cannons to musket balls. This made the foundry a primary target for the Union force commanded by Colonel Florence M. Cornyn. The force of 1,380 men left Corinth, Mississippi, on May 26, 1863, on a mission to destroy the industrial capacity of Lauderdale County. Cornyn’s forces destroyed the foundry, along with many other industrial sites in the County, and then withdrew back to Mississippi.
creator: Michael Williams, University of North Alabama
source: 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). McDonald, William Lindsey. 2003. "Alabama Trails Business & Manfacturies." genealogytrails.com. Accessed April 10, 2015. http://genealogytrails.com/ala/lauderdale/businesspast.html. Wallace, Harry E. n.d. "Lauderdale County, Alabama History." algw.org. Accessed April 14, 2015. http://www.algw.org/lauderdale/historyshoals4.htm.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: May 1863
rights: Photo from following website: https://flplarchive.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/picture5.jpg

Happy Hollow Engagements
subject: Civil War; Happy Hollow; Brigadier General Edward Hatch; Baugh’s Ford; General Hood; Shoal Creek; Jackson’s Military Road; Lauderdale County, AL
description: The most contested ground in the Lauderdale County during the Civil War was most probably the area known as Happy Hollow. This engagement occurred in and around the area that Jackson’s Military Road crossed Shoal Creek in the area then known as Baugh’s Ford. Union General Croxton’s brigade on the west side of the creek was reinforced on November 6, by Brigadier General Edward Hatch and his 5th Division. From November 6 until just before General Hood’s Confederate army moved out of Florence on November 21, there were skirmishes on an almost daily basis at the ford. Both armies sent out probing and scouting missions over the creek. The Union forces made three attempts to capture the flour and gristmills on Shoal Creek before finally capturing them on November 9. The skirmishing continued until November 19th, when the 9th Illinois ran into a Confederate wagon train on Cloverdale Road. Despite losing thirty men, the Union forces captured several wagons and prisoners. The raid also turned up documents that detailed Hood’s plans for his campaign into Tennessee. The Union forces withdrew ceding the ford to Hood’s army. The Army of the Tennessee moved out of Florence on November 21.
creator: Michael Williams, University of North Alabama
source: 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). 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). Edgar D. Byler, III. n.d. "GENERAL JOHN BELL HOOD'S INVASION OF TENNESSEE." tngenweb.org. Accessed April 11, 2015. http://www.tngenweb.org/wayne/Hood.htm. Eric. 2014. "HOOD’S BATTERED ARMY RECROSSES THE TENNESSEE." Civil War Daily Gazette. December 26. Accessed April 11, 2015. http://civilwardailygazette.com/2014/12/26/hoods-battered-army-recrosses-the-tennessee/. Wallace, Harry E. n.d. "Lauderdale County, Alabama History." algw.org. Accessed April 14, 2015. http://www.algw.org/lauderdale/historyshoals4.htm.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: November 6-21, 1864
rights: Photo from following websites: http://bridgehunter.com/al/lauderdale/528/

Mountain Tom Clark
subject: Mountain Tom Clark; Tories; Outlaws; Civil War; Bugger; Lauderdale County, AL
description: One of the most notorious outlaws in the Tennessee Valley moved to Lauderdale County in late 1862 or early 1863. He was known as Mountain Tom Clark because he was known to have been from the “mountain counties.” This moniker helped to distinguish him from another man also named Tom Clark living in the same Blackburn area that he moved into. Reportedly, Mountain Tom had left his home with his wife and small child to avoid the being conscripted into the Confederate army. This evasion was to no avail as the conscript officers found him in his new home and took him into the Confederate army. He soon deserted the Confederate army and enlisted in the Union army. Later, after running afoul of army discipline, he deserted that army as well. It was then that he took whole heartedly to his life of crime. He joined in with a group of men who had likewise deserted both armies and were then engaged in robbing, raping, and murdering in and around Lauderdale County. Mountain Tom was credited with many crimes in the surrounding area, some of which he may have committed. Some of the crimes which formed the legal case against Clark were the Wilson plantation murder, the torture and robbing of several Florence citizens, and the murder of Mr. Howell. Clark was eventually arrested in Jackson County and extradited to Florence. In October of 1872, a mob of outraged citizens in Florence stormed the jail and drug Clark along with to others out to be lynched. One person among the mob remembered that he had once boasted that “nobody will ever run over Tom Clark.” According to legend, the mob decided it would be fitting to bury Mountain Tom Clark under the street so that he would forever be run over by the town he had terrorized during and after the Civil War.
creator: Michael Williams, University of North Alabama
source: McDonald, William Lindsey. 2003. Civil War tales of the Tennessee Valley. n.p.: Killen, Ala. : Heart of Dixie Pub. (1812 CR 111, Killen, Ala., 35645), [2003], 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). Fedore, T. S. 1893. "Outlaw Tom Clark." Florence Times, March 4: 1.
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: 1862-1872
rights: Photo from following websites: http://thecemeterydetective.com/florence-cemetery-florence-alabama/mountain_tom_clark/

Confederate Steam Boats Captured in Waterloo
subject: Confederate Steamboats; Waterloo, AL; Civil War; Lauderdale County, AL; Tennessee River; Commander Andrew H. Foote; Fort Henry
description: After the fall of Fort Henry at the mouth of the Tennessee River, the USS Contestoga, Tyler, and Lexington steamed up the river on February 6, in pursuit of Confederate steamers. The Union forces under the command of Commander Andrew H. Foote captured to confederate supply steamers at Waterloo Landing. The cargo steamers Sallie Wood and Muscle were taken as prize vessels. The Muscle was carrying a load of iron in route to the Tredgar Iron Works in Richmond.
creator: Michael Williams, University of North Alabama
source: Tucker, Spencer C. 2009. "Myron J. Smith, Jr. The Timberclads in the Civil War: The Lexington, Conestoga and Tyler on the Western Waters. Jefferson, NC: McFarland." North & South: The Official Magazine Of The Civil War Society 11, no. 4: 79. America: History and Life with Full Text, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015).
publisher: Alabama Cultural Resource Survey
date: February 6, 1862
rights: Photo from following websites: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USS_Conestoga_h55321.jpg#/media/File:USS_Conestoga_h55321.jpg