Colbert County, Alabama; Tuscumbia, Alabama; African American Church; Lesley Temple CME Church; African American History
Lesley Temple CME church is a Methodist church first formed in 1880 under Pastor Lesley. The church was first located at a site called Gin Hill on what used to be Highway 43. The church was rebuilt in 1927. Because building paper which was placed on the outside of the building the church garnered the nickname “Black Paper Church.” The church is now located on High Street in Tuscumbia, Alabama. As of 2015, the church will be celebrating its 135th anniversary.
McWilliams, John L. Tuscumbia. Charleston, S.C., South Carolina: Arcadia Pub. 2012. 39
Colbert County, Alabama; Tuscumbia, Alabama; Festival; Native American History; Oka Kapassa; Spring Park Tuscumbia
Oka Kapassa festival is a festival held every year to remember the Native American presence in Tuscumbia. The festival is allows visitors to learn about Native American culture both past and present during. The festival is free to the public on both days. However, the first day is primarily geared towards schoolchildren. The festival has a myriad of booths that explore both the story of the Native Americans in Tuscumbia as well as their culture. Examples of Native American culture that is on display at this festival includes: music, artistry, craftsmanship, food, language, and many other cultural aspects of their heritage. The festival is located in Spring Park in the city of Tuscumbia.
Oka Kapassa. Accessed December 1, 2015. http://okakapassa.org/.
Colbert County Alabama; Tuscumbia Alabama; Native American History
Ococoposa, also known as Cold Water, was the site of a French trading post and was the home of Chickasaws and the Cherokees. The Chickasaw’s lived at the top of a hill near the Ocacapoosa spring. The Cherokees lived in the western portion of the area. The area would later be known for a battle that took place between the Native Americans and the United States military.
Colbert County Heritage Book Committee (Colbert County, Ala.). 1999. The Heritage of Colbert County, Alabama. Clanton, AL: Heritage Pub. Consultants.
Colbert County, Alabama; Tuscumbia, Alabama; African American history; African American Church; African American History
The church is located near Lagrange College and the home of Abraham Ricks. The church no longer holds regular services. A former slave, Parson George Ricks, established the church. After gaining his freedom, Parson Ricks took work as a cotton picker. He worked this job until he could afford land. After reaching this goal he built his church on 300 acres of land. The building only has one room and served as a school as well.
McWilliams, John L. Tuscumbia. Charleston, S.C., South Carolina: Arcadia Pub. 2012. 66-67
Colbert County, Alabama; Cherokee, Alabama; Chickasaw Indian Agency; Native American history
The Chickasaw Indian Agency oversaw the removal of Native Americans during the forced relocation known as the Trail of Tears. The agency specifically dealt with the removal of the Chickasaw Nation in both Alabama and Mississippi. This agency was originally located in Mississippi. In 1825, a man named Benjamin Smith moved the agency from Mississippi to Cherokee, Alabama. Benjamin Reynolds would later take over for Benjamin Smith and run the agency. Reynolds was responsible for negotiating the removal of the Native American tribes from their lands during the Trail of Tears.
Curott, David. Colbert & Lauderdale County History Written on Signs of the Past. Bluewater Publishing, 2011. 20
Colbert County, Alabama; Tuscumbia, Alabama; St. Paul African Methodist Church; African American History; African American church
St. Paul African Methodist Church was established in the early 1840s. A group of African Americans from a congregation called First Methodist left to form what is now known as the St. Paul African American Methodist Church. The original name of the group was Church Springs. The first iteration of the church was located in an old cowshed located near South Street. A pastor named Robin Lightfoot, who would later die during the Civil War, led this church. The church was later established as the St. Paul African Church in 1879. The congregation would later be relocated to in 1895 before relocating again in 1968 to Court and Alabama Streets.
Curott, David. Colbert & Lauderdale County History Written on Signs of the Past. Bluewater Publishing, 2011. 158
Colbert County, Alabama; Tuscumbia, Alabama; Funeral home; African American History; African American Funeral Home
The Thompson and Son Funeral home was originally built in 1912 for a doctor and his family. The Thompson family along with Tim Ricks converted the house into a funeral home. Ricks left the business in 1922. The house was then renamed Thompson’s funeral home until the 1930s. During the 1930’s Thompson’s son would join the business, which would then be known as the Thompson and Son funeral home. Colonel Arthur D. Graves bought the business in 1968. The funeral home still retains the original interior from when it was constructed. The business is also still in operation to this very day.
Arthur Graves interview by Sam Keiser. November 11, 2015.
Colbert County Alabama; Tuscumbia Alabama; African American history; African American home
Dr. A.W. Davis and his wife had a home built called Shady Dell in 1920. The home is located across from where his former office stood. Dr. Davis was the first black physician in northwest Alabama. He arrived in Tuscumbia in 1903. He practiced medicine from 1914 until 1942. While his office is gone there is a sign where it once stood. The house is located on 606 East 8th Street in Tuscumbia. The house is a two story building in the style of a Dutch Colonial Revivalist Craftsman home.
Application for the historic rehabilitation tax credit program
Colbert County, Alabama; Tuscumbia, Alabama; Mt Carmel Baptist Church; African American Church; African American History
Mount Carmel Baptist Church was conceived of and organized in 1929. The original incarnation of the church consisted of a group of men meeting in the home of Mingo White, Sr. The group eventually planned to rent a store for use as a church. The group would continue to use the store as a meeting place for worship services and made several additions over the years. Over time the church would be known as the Mount Carmel Baptist Church. In 1960, the walls of the church were restored and official services could begin again. The Church can still be found at its original location today on 606 S Mulberry St, Tuscumbia, Alabama 35674
McWilliams, John L. Tuscumbia. Charleston, S.C., South Carolina: Arcadia Pub. 2012. 38-39
Colbert County, Alabama; Tuscumbia, Alabama; Battle of Ococoposa; Native American History,
The battle of Ococoposa was fought between the United States and Native American tribes in the Shoals. The battle took place in June of 1787. Local Native American tribes had been conducting raids on settlements for a period of seven years. In response to this, Colonel James Robertson led an expedition of a hundred and thirty men from Nashville, Tennessee to Ococoposa. The actual battle took place at the mouth of Spring Creek, which was an area that local Native American tribes called home. The battle ended in a victory for Colonel Robertson. His men then took over and raided an unnamed village near Spring Creek.
Colbert County Heritage Book Committee (Colbert County, Ala.). 1999. The Heritage of Colbert County, Alabama. Clanton, AL: Heritage Pub. Consultants. 42
Colbert County, Alabama; Tuscumbia, Alabama; Ricks Cemetery, Cemetery; African American Cemetery; African American History
The Ricks family cemetery is an African American cemetery located near the Church of Christ established by George Parson Ricks and the Oaks Plantation. The grave of George Parson Ricks, a former slave on the Oaks, can be found in this cemetery along with his sons and other descendants. The cemetery is still managed and maintained by Parsons descendants. The cemetery itself is located behind the Oaks Plantation.
Arthur Graves interview by Sam Keiser. November 11 2015.
Colbert County, Alabama; Cherokee, Alabama; LaGrange Rock Shelter; Paleo-Indian site; Native American History
The LaGrange Rock shelter is considered to be where the first natives lived in the southeastern United States. Archaeologists have put the earliest human activity in this area between 11,000 and 9,000 years ago. Researchers have found evidence of human activity such as flint chips and cutting tools. By carbon dating these materials researches were able to establish a time frame of when human activity first began. Because of the early period of use, the site is referred to as a Paleo-Indian site. Because of the significance of this site it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
Colbert County Heritage Book Committee (Colbert County, Ala.). 1999. The Heritage of Colbert County, Alabama. Clanton, AL: Heritage Pub. Consultants. 55
Colbert County, Alabama; Tuscumbia, Alabama; Railroad; Native American History; Trail of Tears.
The Tuscumbia-Courtland & Decatur railroad was established by a group of investors led by Benjamin Sherrod in 1841. Originally a two-train car, the railroad was established to allow ships to bypass the shoals of the Tennessee River. In 1843, the railroad line expanded to other towns including Courtland, Jonesboro, Leighton, and Decatur. After the completion of the railroad it would be eventually put to use during the Trail of Tears. The train played a prominent role during the forced relocation of the Native American tribes in Georgia. The train provided the means to transport a large number of Native Americans quickly to Tuscumbia Landing where they would then be shipped off to land allocated for their use west of the Mississippi. The primary tribe to be relocated on this train were the Cherokee Nation. The Creek Nation in Georgia had largely been moved out prior to the use of the train. The Cherokee Nation would travel to Decatur where they would board the train heading for Tuscumbia Landing.
Gail King, Historic Document Research, Geophysical Survey, Mapping, and Archaeological Inventory at Tuscumbia Landing, A Trail of Tears National Historic Trail site in Colbert County, Alabama (Aug 2011) pg. 109-143
Colbert County, Alabama; Tuscumbia, Alabama; Tuscumbia Landing; Native American History
During Indian Removal, Tuscumbia’s Landing served as the point of disembarkation for the water route used to move Native Americans west of the Mississippi. The train to Tuscumbia brought the Cherokee Nation to Spring Park, where they were held before being shipped on boats along the Tennessee River. Tuscumbia Landing still holds significance to the descendants of the Native Americans. Every year during the Oka Kapassa festival Native Americans make the two-mile journey from Spring Park to Tuscumbia Landing to signify the road their ancestors traveled during the Trail of Tears.
Gail King, Historic Document Research, Geophysical Survey, Mapping, and Archaeological Inventory at Tuscumbia Landing, A Trail of Tears National Historic Trail site in Colbert County, Alabama (Aug 2011) pg. 101-143
Colbert County, Alabama; Tuscumbia, Alabama; Churches; African American Church; African American History
The First Baptist Church of Tuscumbia was originally formed by a small group of African American worshipers. The church was established in 1866 shortly after the Civil War under the guidance of Elder W.E. Northcross. The church members did not have an official church building to meet at so they were forced to constantly relocate their meetings. The members of the church were able to eventually buy property on Eleventh and High Streets. The building the congregation built would also serve as the site of a school for African American youth. The building, which was made of brick, was completed in 1892. Membership in the church grew so rapidly that the First Baptist Church in Tuscumbia became the largest congregation of African Americans in Colbert County.
Colbert County Heritage Book Committee (Colbert County, Ala.). 1999. The Heritage of Colbert County, Alabama. Clanton, AL: Heritage Pub. Consultants. 35-37
Colbert County, Alabama; Sheffield Alabama; African American Church; Church; African American History
First Baptist Missionary Church was originally founded in 1886. The first church consisted of two wooden buildings. These buildings would later be destroyed in a fire. The congregation was then forced to use the Masonic Hall as their new meeting place. Eventually, the City of Sheffield donated two lots for the use of the congregation. A new building for the congregation was planned. Taking note of the earlier fire, the congregation decided that the new building would be made of brick. The church building would last until 1965 when a new building was constructed for the congregation. The ground was officially broken two years later in 1967. The church can be found on 1103 Sterling Blvd, Sheffield, AL 35660
Colbert County Heritage Book Committee (Colbert County, Ala.). 1999. The Heritage of Colbert County, Alabama. Clanton, AL: Heritage Pub. Consultants. 70
Colbert County, Alabama; Native American History; Ferry; George Colbert
Colbert’s Ferry was a ferry service and an inn run by George Colbert. In 1801, the United States government managed to secure the right to build roads on the Natchez Trace. However, Colbert managed to secure all ferry routes over the rivers for the Chickasaw nation. This meant that only the Chickasaw nation was allowed to operate any ferries on the Trace. The cost of using Colbert’s Ferry was only a dollar for both a man and his horse. However, Colbert was noted to have complained that many of his customers were too poor to afford the service.
Colbert County Heritage Book Committee (Colbert County, Ala.). 1999. The Heritage of Colbert County, Alabama. Clanton, AL: Heritage Pub. Consultants. 43
Colbert County, Alabama; Native American History; Native American house
George Colbert’s House was built on the Natchez Trace along the Tennessee River near the ferry he owned and operated. This house was one of the first buildings in the area to have a clear record of its completion. Historians have placed the completion of the home between 1801 and 1806. The home was a different from many of the settler’s homes during this time period. Most homes that were constructed by settlers were built from log in a dogtrot style. Colbert’s home was instead a frame building. The house also had several chimneys along with two rooms. The house itself could be compared to the home of a wealthy, white southerner at the time.
Colbert County, Alabama; African American History; Fairs; Colbert County Colored Fair
As far back as 1912 there is a record of a fair for African Americans taking place in Colbert County. The fair took place at a location called the Fair Grounds. The fair was popular, with a large turnout for the event. The event officially began on a Wednesday in October of 1912. The festival opened with a street parade that included a band and was followed by kids from the local schools. There were also several exhibits, talks, and displays during the course of the fair. The fair closed on Saturday night ending four days of fair activities. The fair, according to the newspaper the Alabama Dispatch was the only fair for African Americans to take place in the state. The paper also notes that by the end of the fair thousands of African Americans had attended this event. All signs point to this fair generating a large amount of interest in the African-American community.
"Colored Fair in Progress Large Crowds In Attendance And Great Interest Being Manifested." Alabama Dispatch, October 17, 1912.
Colbert County Alabama; Sheffield Alabama; P.B. Swoopes Dry Cleaners; African American History; Business; African American Business; P.B. Swoopes
P.B. Swoopes Dry Cleaners was a business run by P.B. Swoopes in Sheffield Alabama. Swoopes was a graduate of Sheffield school. He would go on to open his dry cleaning business in downtown Sheffield. Swoopes started his dry cleaning business in 1927. The building was later moved in 1942. The building is in a severe state of disrepair and the inside has growing plant life. His business sign can still be seen through the front window.
Arthur Graves interview by Sam Keiser. November 11, 2015 Frederick, Lorene. "Sheffield Businessman Endures 54 Years of Ups and Downs In Downtown District." Florence Times, April 26, 1981. 5
Marshall County, Alabama; Guntersville, Alabama; Commercial Building
The building was built circa 1935. It is a two story building in the early 20th century commercial style. The building has a flat roof and faces west. Its primary use was as a store. The building was remodeled around 1985 and then again in 2000. The building is currently listed in good condition.
Alabama Historical Commission, David Schneider
Guntersville Alabama; Marshall County Alabama; Commercial Building
The building is a two story early 20th century commercial building that was built around 1930. It has a flat roof and the building faces to the west. The building has a brick veneer and is currently in good condition. The building was and is still used as a store.
The building was built around 1925 and then later remodeled in 1975. It is a one story building with a flat roof. The building is designed in the early 20th century commercial block style. It has a brick veneer and was built on a brick foundation. The building is listed as in good condition
Drawn map of Downtown Auburn Alabama with labels for individual buildings and locations around Toomer's Corner.
University of Alabama Special Collections
Bicycles and tricycles--United States--1880-1890.
Woman, on tricycle followed by men on high-wheelers.
Sandham, Hy ; aquarelle print by L. Prang & Co.
Edited from the image found on the Library of Congress website: http://memory.loc.gov/master/pnp/cph/3g030000/3g03000/3g03g043u.tif
Hack 2-433px-Bicycling-ca1887-bigwheelers.jpg
An oral history with Shanna Brodbeck, an alumnus and employee of Auburn University, concerning her participation in the satellite Women's March on Washington that occurred on January 21, 2017, in Birmingham, Alabama. In this interview, Shanna Brodbeck begins by describing her childhood in Germany, Texas, and Alabama as a military dependent. Brodbeck discusses her views on the changing nature of American politics, with an intriguing narrative of her residence in Germany at the start of the Iraq War and the “weight of having to defend [the] entire country.” She also details the myriad emotions she felt after the election and her motivations for participating in the 2017 Women’s March in Birmingham, AL.
Heather M. Haley, Ph.D. candidate, Department of History, Auburn University, in cooperation with the University Archives and Special Collections
All files are the property of the Auburn University Libraries and are intended for non-commercial use. Users of these materials are asked to acknowledge the Auburn University Libraries. For information about obtaining high-resolution copies of this and other items in this collection, please contact Auburn University Libraries Special Collections & Archives Department at archives@auburn.edu or (334) 844-1732.
Architectural drawings; Watercolors; Houses; Dwellings; Doors & doorways; Windows; Shutters; Porches; Columns; Balconies; Hand railings; Ironwork; Arches; Roofs; Chimneys; Moldings; Women; Trees; Landscapes (Representations)
This image is a watercolor painting of the G.C. Thompson House (also known as the Tate-Thompson House) in Tuskegee, Alabama done by James D. Shenesey in 1931. The house was built in 1840. The painting shows the front exterior of the house with its doors, windows, shutters, two-story columned porch, steps, balcony, iron hand railing, side porches with lattice work archways, sloped roof, and two chimneys surrounded by trees and landscaping. There is a woman in period dress on the porch. The house is placed within framing art showing its architectural features including the molding under the roof, top and side views of the columns, the corners and wall of the house, the iron railing from the balcony, various scales, and another woman in period dress. In the lower right corner, there is an Alabama Polytechnic Institute School of Architecture stamp. Above the stamp there is a white star with a handwritten inscription "1st Mention"? At the top of the painting is the phrase: "Drawn and measured by James D. Shenesey." The painting is in excellent condition, with no obvious wear, and is encapsulated.
Shenesey, James D. (rendering); Harris, Peter Coffee (house)
Auburn University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives Dept. Architecture, School of -- Architectural Renderings Student Projects
This image is the property of the Auburn University Libraries and is intended for non-commercial use. Users of the image are asked to acknowledge the Auburn University Libraries. For information about obtaining high-resolution copies of this and other images in this collection, please contact the Auburn University Libraries Special Collections & Archives Department at archive@auburn.edu or (334) 844-1732.
Library of Congress (Historic American Buildings Survey): http://www.loc.gov/item/al0334/
Tuskegee -- Macon County -- Alabama ; 302 North Main Street, Tuskegee, Macon County, AL
1939: Indian Court Federal Building Golden Gate International Exposition
Golden Gate International Exposition--(1939-1940 :--San Francisco, Calif.), Indians of North America--Commemoration--California--San Francisco--1930-1940, Indians of North America--Subsistence activities, Navajo Indians--Subsistence activities--1930-1940, Antelope hunting, United States--Works Progress Administration
This poster was created for the Indian Court exhibit at the Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco, CA. It depicts an antelope hunt and its style is similar to that used in Navajo art works. This poster was created as part of the Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA).
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/wpapos/item/98518807/
United States--California--San Francisco, United States--New Mexico
2005.36.129: Sister to Brother, 1859 November 1
Sister; Brother; Sally; Walnut Grove; Carrie; Virginia Springs; Front House; Dr. Goldsmith; Family
A letter from Sister to Brother, detailing family events and the conditions of Sally, Carrie, and others. The author mentions the Summer plans of the family, as they plan to reside in Virginia Springs for the season. Additionally, a visit with Dr. Goldsmith is mentioned briefly. 6 handwritten pages
P.M.B. Young Collection, Bartow History Museum
Sheet music for band preceded by a chant about the the warrior spirit of "the Southland."
Luther Ledford and Emma May Collin’s Marriage License
Luther Ledford and Emma May Collin’s Marriage License. St. Clair County, Alabama
This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. In addition, no permission is required from the rights-holder(s) for educational uses. For other uses, you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
Marriage License, Odell Wallace and Arellia Wade
Odell Wallace and Arrellia Wade s Marriage License. St. Clair County, Alabama
Death certificate for Tip Wallace, son of Anderson Wallace
2005.36.173: Stephens Hammond & Co. to R.M. Young, 1857 March 28
1857; Receipt; Purchases; Carters Ville, GA
This handwritten one-page receipt, with envelope, from Stephens Hammond & Co. describes the purchase of ___________ and window glass by R.M. Young in February 1836.
P.M.B Young Collection, Bartow History Museum
Obituary for T.M. Wallace, grandson of Anderson Wallace
Obituary for Gloria Jean Lane Avery, great-granddaughter of Anderson Wallace
Obituary for Calvester Timothy Smith, Sr.
Obituary for Calvester Smith, Henry Smith's brohter, Anderson Wallace's great granddaugher
2005.36.320: T. Farrow to Dr. Thomas Foster Jones, 1860 September 5
September 3, 1860, T. Farrow; Spartanburg, South Carolina; Dr. Thomas Foster Jones; Branchville; Wedding; Transcribed
From T. Farrow to Dr. Thomas Foster Jones in response to an invitation to Foster's upcoming wedding. Farrow informs Dr. Foster that he will be unable to make the wedding, but sends his best. 2 handwritten pages
Bartow History Museum Auburn History Department
Architectural drawings; Watercolors; Fire stations; Wooden buildings; Doors & doorways; Windows; Shutters; Porches; Columns; Balconies; Hand railings; Ironwork; Roofs; Streets; Carriages & coaches; Men; Women; Trees
This image is a watercolor painting of an old fire house in Mobile, Alabama done by Darcy Tatum, Jr. sometime between 1917 and 1942. The fire house was built in 1823. The painting shows the front exterior of the firehouse with its doors, windows, shutters, columned porch, balcony with iron railing, and peaked roof with the number "5." The firehouse is situated on a street with buildings on either side and a tree in the background. There is a horse-drawn carriage with driver, two men and a woman on the street. The firehouse is placed within framing art showing its architectural features including close-ups of the door and iron railing, a floor plan and various scales. In the lower right corner, there is an Alabama Polytechnic Institute School of Architecture stamp with a handwritten inscription "2nd Medal." The painting is in good condition with minor edge wear and is encapsulated.
Tatum, Darcy, Jr. (rendering); Unknown (building)
Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/item/al0609/ ; Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Firehouse_No._5
Mobile -- Mobile County -- Alabama ; 7 North Lawrence Street, Mobile, Mobile County, AL (between St. Francis and Dauphin Streets; off Government Street)
Education; Lee County, AL; Auburn, AL; Auburn University; East Alabama Male College; Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical College; Alabama Polytechnic Institute; Glenn, John Bowles; Old Main Hall; American Civil War; Confederate Army; Morrill Act; Dowdell, James Ferguson; Hatch Act; Broun, William Leroy; Smith-Lever Act; Agricultural Extension; Duncan, Luther N.
Established by charter in 1856 as East Alabama Male College, the academic institution that would come to be known as Auburn University was founded ten years before Lee County’s inception. Local residents, such as John Bowles Glenn, the pastor of Loachapoka Methodist Church and president of East Alabama Male College’s first Board of Trustees, comprised much of the institution’s early leadership. Erected in 1859, Auburn’s original facility was a four-story building in which six faculty members serviced a student body of 80. This building, known as Old Main Hall, served as a convalescent hospital for Confederate veterans during the Civil War. Most of the young men enrolled at the nascent institution enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1861. Closed for the duration of the Civil War, East Alabama Male College reopened in 1866. In 1872, under the auspices of the Morrill Act, Auburn was named Alabama’s land-grant college and was renamed the Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical College. Also, during that year President James Ferguson Dowdell and the Board of Trustees voted to turn ownership of the college over to the State of Alabama. A state tax on fertilizer in 1883 and the 1887 Hatch Act provided President William Leroy Broun with funds to purchase land for institutional expansion and the foundation of a scientific research facility. In 1887, Main Hall burned down. The following year, private contractors rebuilt on the site of Main Hall, and Auburn’s administrative brass decided to name the new building Samford Hall, in honor of Governor William J. Samford, a resident of nearby Chambers County. Alabama Agriculture and Mechanical College’s first female student matriculated in 1892, and the institution’s first football team also took the field that year. The institution was renamed Alabama Polytechnic Institute in 1899 via a proposal by President Broun. In 1908, Smith Hall and several other buildings on campus were equipped with electric lighting. The 1914 passage of the Smith-Lever Act made API the headquarters of the agricultural extension system in Alabama. Under the leadership of future API President Luther N. Duncan, the extension system became a seminal educational tool. Extension agents at Auburn were instructed in the techniques of better farming through the implementation of scientific research, and in turn disseminated that knowledge to rural Alabama farmers. From 1941 to 1945, the university grounds served as a training area for the Army and Navy. In 1960, the board of trustees renamed the institution Auburn University, a nod to the sobriquet that generations of students had already bequeathed to the school.
Image Source: http://mikebozack.com/images/ Text Sources: Alexander Nunn, Lee County and Her Forebears (Montgomery, AL: Herff Jones, 1983) 62-70. Auburn University, http://ocm.auburn.edu/presidential_installation/history_tradition.html.
Education; Lee County, AL; William J. Samford Hall; Auburn University; Old Main Hall; Carnegie, Andrew; Samford, William J.; Auburn, AL
Erected in 1888 on the foundation of Old Main Hall (which burned down in 1887), William J. Samford Hall is one of Auburn University’s most easily recognizable buildings. Bruce and Morgan Architectural Firm fashioned the four-story Italianate-style structure after Old Main Hall, with one distinguishing characteristic – a majestic clock tower that rose many feet above the building’s roof. Old Main Hall’s cornerstone is still visible at the base of the northeast corner of Samford Hall. During the late nineteenth century, Samford Hall housed Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical College’s administration, classrooms, and library. In 1909, Samford Hall’s library, which operated out of three cramped rooms on the second floor, moved to the new Carnegie-endowed facility across campus. In 1929, the Board of Trustees officially named the building Samford Hall in honor of William J. Samford, Alabama’s thirty-first governor. Auburn University renovated the building in 1971 and replaced the original clock in 1995. Today the building functions solely as the headquarters of Auburn University’s administration. The building is located at 182 South College Street, Auburn University.
Image Source: http://family.auburn.edu/profiles/blogs/the-best-free-services-auburn-students-should-be-taking-advantage Text Sources: Auburn University Libraries, http://www.lib.auburn.edu/arch/buildings/samford_hall1.htm The Heritage of Lee County Book Committee, The Heritage of Lee County, Alabama (Clanton, AL: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 2000), 74.
Education; Lee County, AL; Auburn University; Carnegie, Andrew; Carnegie Libraries; William J. Samford Hall; Curtis, Nathaniel C.; Alabama Polytechnic Institute; Auburn, AL
The institution that would come to be known as Auburn University’s first library operated out of three rooms on the second floor of William J. Samford Hall. These rooms quickly became overcrowded with an excessive amount of volumes. In 1908, Andrew Carnegie provided an endowment of $30,000 to allow the institution to build a much-needed stand-alone library. Nathaniel C. Curtis, the chair of Alabama Polytechnic Institute’s Architectural Department, designed the new library, which opened on January 11, 1909, and boasted a 60,000-volume capacity. In 1940, Auburn’s Board of Trustees allocated funds to enlarge the Carnegie Library, effectively doubling its volume capacity and adding two new reading rooms. In the early 1960s, Auburn University began building a massive new library building. On November 5, 1963, the building was dedicated and the institution’s library officially moved from the Carnegie building to the new facility. Auburn University tapped the old Carnegie Library to house student financial services and redubbed the building Mary Martin Hall in honor of Auburn’s librarian from 1918 to 1949. Mary Martin Hall still stands at 211 West Thach Avenue, Auburn University.
Image Source: http://family.auburn.edu/profiles/blogs/the-best-free-services-auburn-students-should-be-taking-advantage Text Sources: History of the Auburn Libraries, http://www.lib.auburn.edu/dean/history.php. Ralph Draughon, Jr., Delos Hughes, and Ann Pearson, Lost Auburn: A Village Remembered in Period Photographs (Montgomery: NewSouth Books, 2012), 12.
Education; Lee County, AL; Auburn University; Draughon, Ralph Brown; Alabama Polytechnic Institute; Auburn, AL
By the late 1950s, Alabama Polytechnic Institute’s Carnegie Library exceeded its storage capacity. The Board of Trustees recognized the immediate need for a larger facility, and in the early 1960s the university planned the construction of a major new library building. Built throughout 1962 and 1963 and dedicated on November 5, 1963, the 172,000 square-foot building allowed for the housing of all university library resources under one roof. The new library boasted a million-volume capacity, carrels, furnished seating, special reading rooms, a 108-seat auditorium, and special music rooms. In 1965, Auburn University named the facility Ralph Brown Draughon Library after the university’s tenth president, who retired that year. In 1988, Auburn organized a major renovation project designed to double the library’s floor space to 380,000 square feet, increase its capacity to 2.5 million volumes, and add a 345-car parking deck. Ralph Brown Draughon Library is located at 231 Mell Street, Auburn University.
Image Source: http://www.lib.auburn.edu/about/ Text Sources: History of the Auburn Libraries, http://www.lib.auburn.edu/dean/history.php. The Heritage of Lee County Book Committee, The Heritage of Lee County, Alabama (Clanton, AL: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 2000), 74.
Education; Lee County, AL; Haley Center; Auburn University; Auburn University College of Education; Auburn University College of Liberal Arts; Haley, Paul S.; Parker, Ray K.; Auburn, AL
The largest building on Auburn University’s campus, the Haley Center is capable of accommodating 8,000 students at any given moment. The labyrinthine, 357,000-square-foot structure includes four quadrants centered around a central ten-story tower, a floor plan that prompted Ray K. Parker, a construction inspector, to describe the Haley Center as “essentially five separate buildings.” The building serves as the headquarters for the College of Education and the College of Liberal Arts, and is also houses 142 classrooms and the Auburn University Bookstore. Completed in 1969, the Haley Center is named for Paul S. Haley, an Auburn trustee who served for 51 years. The Haley Center is located at 351 West Thach Concourse, Auburn University.
Image Source: http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2010/09/au_seeks_new_batch_of_classrom.html Text Sources: Auburn University: College of Education, http://www.education.auburn.edu/aboutus/facilities.html “Haley Center Confuses Students for the First Time,” The War Eagle Reader, http://www.thewareaglereader.com/2012/06/haley-center-confuses-students-for-the-first-time/#.VHVANr7tJUQ
Education; Lee County, AL; Auburn University; Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical College; Bragg, Tom; Alumni Gymnasium; Lockwood, Frank; Rogers, Will; Griffith, D.W.; The Birth of a Nation; Toomer's Corner; Donahue, Mike; James E. Foy Hall; Auburn, AL
Irritated by the state’s flat refusal to fund a gymnasium for Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical College, Tom Bragg, the president of the Auburn Alumni Association, solicited funds from Auburn graduates all over the country. In February 1916, noted local architect Frank Lockwood finished the new facility, which contained a basketball court that occasionally doubled as a dance hall. Any entertainment booked by the college, including homecoming dance bands, performed in Alumni Gymnasium. The building hosted some of the most noteworthy entertainers and performing artists of the first half of the twentieth century, including Will Rogers. After a screening of D.W. Griffith’s 1915 silent film, The Birth of a Nation, a race riot almost broke out as agitated male college students gathered at Toomer’s Corner to harass local African Americans. Mike Donahue, Auburn’s football coach, calmed the angry mob and convinced them to disband, diffusing the potentially disastrous situation. In 1972, the college demolished Alumni Hall to make way for the expansion of the Student Union Building (Foy Hall). James E. Foy Hall occupies the site where Alumni Gymnasium formerly resided at 282 West Thach Avenue, Auburn University.
Image Sources: http://diglib.auburn.edu/gsdl/cgi-bin/library?e=d-000-00---0loguesms--00-0-0--0prompt-10---4------0-1l--1-en-50---20-about---00031-001-1-0utfZz-8-00&a=d&c=loguesms&cl=CL1.3&d=HASH015735d8cd342a37772edc22 Text Source: Ralph Draughon, Jr., Delos Hughes, and Ann Pearson, Lost Auburn: A Village Remembered in Period Photographs (Montgomery: NewSouth Books, 2012), 29-30.
Education; Lee County, AL; Auburn University; New Deal; Graves, Bibb; Graves Center; Greek Revival; Agricultural Extension Service; Auburn University Special Collections and Archives; Montgomery, AL; Alabama Polytechnic Institute; Auburn, AL
Alabama Polytechnic Institute built the Graves Center – actually a complex of thirty cottages, an amphitheatre, a large dining hall, and a brass bust of New Deal era governor Bibb Graves – piecemeal throughout the 1930s. The complex of 30 Greek Revival style white cottages were originally intended by the Agricultural Extension Service to accommodate agriculturalists in town for conventions, but served a variety of functions, including housing Auburn’s football team. The dining hall served as the university cafeteria and also served as a venue for dances, costume parties, and commencement exercises. The university relocated the brass bust of Bibb Graves to the Auburn University Special Collections and Archives on the bottom floor of Ralph Brown Draughon Library. Today, two remnants of the Graves Center remain on campus. The first is the amphitheatre, which was originally constructed from granite setts that once paved Commerce Street in downtown Montgomery. Graves Amphitheatre is located at the corner of Duncan Drive and Graves Drive on Auburn University’s campus. One of the Greek Revival cottages still stands approximately four hundred feet west of the intersection of Duncan Drive and West Samford Avenue.
Image Source:http://s83.photobucket.com/user/randy4au/media/Auburn/au_webfinds/bibb_graves_amphitheatre.jpg.html Text Source: Ralph Draughon, Jr., Delos Hughes, and Ann Pearson, Lost Auburn: A Village Remembered in Period Photographs (Montgomery: NewSouth Books, 2012), 31-32.
Education; Lee County, AL; Auburn University; World War II; G.I. Bill of Rights; Alabama Polytechnic Institute; Federal Public Housing Administration; Life Magazine; Auburn Housing; Auburn, AL
As World War II neared culmination, Congress passed the G.I. Bill of Rights, ensuring a paid college education for American military personnel. America’s universities saw a massive influx of veteran students, and Alabama Polytechnic Institute’s experience was no different. The university lacked the housing facilities required to keep up with the enrollment increase. A special committee of faculty and administrators proposed to use deck houses as a temporary housing solution. These deck houses were actually portions of tugboats that the college acquired from the Federal Public Housing Administration in 1946 as U.S. Maritime surplus property. These ninety-three structures caused quite a stir, and were the subject of an article in Life Magazine. These tiny, light blue-gray structures contained two downstairs rooms with two bunks each and an upstairs study area. The college closed and sold the deck houses in 1949.
Image Source: http://www.ag.auburn.edu/heritagepark/history.php Text Source: Ralph Draughon, Jr., Delos Hughes, and Ann Pearson, Lost Auburn: A Village Remembered in Period Photographs (Montgomery: NewSouth Books, 2012), 33.
Education; Lee County, AL; Southern Union Community College; Bethlehem College; Hodge, John M.; Southern Christian Convention of Congregational Christian Churches; Piedmont Junior College; Southern Union College; Southern Union State Junior College; Opelika State Technical College; Alabama State Board of Education; Brown, Robert
Southern Union State Community College began its institutional life as Bethlehem College on June 2, 1922. John M. Hodge, a Wadley banker, donated forty acres to the Southern Christian Convention of Congregational Christian Churches as a site for the campus. From 1923 to 1964, Bethlehem College remained under religious auspices, operating as Piedmont Junior College (1928-1929), Southern Union College (1930-1933), and The Southern Union College (1933-1964). On October 1, 1964, the State of Alabama took possession of Southern Union State Junior College, which became part of a new organization of two-year colleges under the governance of the Alabama State Board of Education. The Alabama State Legislature created Opelika State Technical College in 1963 in order to fill a vocational and technical educational niche in one of Alabama’s heavily industrialized areas. The Lee County Commission donated 63 acres for Opelika State Technical College’s campus, and the college opened on January 10, 1966. Robert Brown served as its first president, heading the technical college until 1992. On August 11, 1994, the Alabama Board of Education decided to assimilate Southern Union State Junior Colleges three campuses in Wadley, Valley, and Opelika, with Opelika State Technical College in Opelika. The community college still operates on campuses in Wadley, Valley, and Opelika.
Image Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Union_State_Community_College Text Sources: “Southern Union State Community College,” Encyclopedia of Alabama, http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-2946 The Heritage of Lee County Book Committee, The Heritage of Lee County, Alabama (Clanton, AL: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 2000), 80.
Education; Lee County, AL; Antebellum Era; Harper, John; Auburn, AL; Methodist Church; Baptist Church; Yancey, Simeon; Flanagan; C.C.
Judge John Harper led a party of Methodists to the future site of Auburn, Alabama in late 1836. The next year, members the new community collaborated to erect a log Methodist church, located on the corner of modern-day East Magnolia Street and South Gay Street. The log church also functioned as a schoolhouse, where the town’s first teacher, Simeon Yancey, held class. Later in 1837, Baptists moved to the nascent community and built a stand-alone schoolhouse across the street from the log church. C.C. Flanagan became Auburn’s second schoolmaster. The Baptist log schoolhouse functioned as a primary school where Auburn’s youth learned reading, writing, and arithmetic. Flanagan became one of Lee County’s most highly regarded antebellum era educators, teaching primary and secondary school in the Auburn area for the following twenty years. Today Auburn United Methodist Church occupies the site of the original Methodist Church and School, and a historic marker notes the exact location of the original log structure.
Image Source: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/48984044 Text Source: Ralph Draughon, Jr., Delos Hughes, and Ann Pearson, Lost Auburn: A Village Remembered in Period Photographs (Montgomery: NewSouth Books, 2012), 47.
Education; Lee County, AL; Slaton's Academy; Antebellum Era; Auburn, AL; Oak Bowery Academy; Slaton, William F.; East Alabama Male College; Methodist Church; Religion
In 1857, this institution opened on the corner of what is now Tichenor Avenue and North Gay Street. Slaton’s Academy functioned as a preparatory school for young men pursuing admission to East Alabama Male College. William F. Slaton, a local Methodist, founded the school and served as its headmaster. Slaton was previously the headmaster of Oak Bowery Academy in Chambers County, but was persuaded by Auburn’s residents to relocate after plans for the men’s college were announced.
Image Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Lissoy/sandbox2 Text Source: Ralph Draughon, Jr., Delos Hughes, and Ann Pearson, Lost Auburn: A Village Remembered in Period Photographs (Montgomery: NewSouth Books, 2012), 48.