Bridget Blessing Morrison Hiding Friends and Enemies
Bridget Blessing Morrison; Zebulon Pike Morrison; Civil War; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
Bridget Blessing Morrison lived on the southeast corner of Wood Avenue and Mobile Street. She was born in Montreal, Canada. Her father brought his family to Florence during the early 1830s to work as an engineer on the first Muscle Shoals Canal. She married Zebulon Pike Morrison, an undertaker and contractor. During the Civil War, Zebulon Morrison built a secret compartment for hiding valuables and eventually food from plundering troops. During the first Union occupation of Florence, Union troops were quartered with the Morrisons. When the Confederate forces moved back into the area, one of the officers who had been wounded in a nearby skirmish could not be evacuated with the retreating Union forces. Mrs. Morrison hid the wounded soldier in the secret compartment and nursed him back to health. Later when the Union forces had again taken Florence, Mrs. Morrison’s nephew who was a Confederate courier was on the run from Union forces. She hid him in the same secret compartment. When the Union forces arrived she recognized their commander as the same man she had hid earlier. The commander made a show of searching the house and left the hiding place alone. Reportedly he departed saying half of a bible verse, “My lady, cast thy bread upon the waters.” The second half from Ecclesiastes finishes “… for thou shalt find it after many days.”
Michael Williams, University of North Alabama
McDonald, William Lindsey. 2003. Civil War tales of the Tennessee Valley. n.p.: Killen, Ala. : Heart of Dixie Pub. (1812 CR 111, Killen, Ala., 35645), [2003], 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015).
Photo from following websites: http://www.trva-tcwc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Muscle-Shoals-Canal-Map2.jpg
Auburn, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Manufacturing; Lawn Care; Motors
Briggs and Stratton produces V-twin engines for riding mowers sold under Ariens, Craftsman, Cub Cadet, Husqvarna, John Deere, Simplicity, and Snapper brands. The business opened in 1995, and still operates today. The plant is located at 150 Technology Pkwy., Auburn, AL.
Image: http://auburnal.blogspot.com/2011/02/briggs-stratton-auburn-alabama-brigg.html
Located in Parkers Crossroads, Alabama on Moores Mill Road. Coordinates: 32.5576368, -85.3352222
Scottsboro, Jackson County, Politics, Government, National Register of Historic Places
The Brown-Proctor House is primarily significant for its associations with John F. Proctor, a local politician who purchased the house in 1907 and gave it its current appearance. Proctor was a prominent attorney who served in the Alabama House of Representatives from 1892-1895 and in the Alabama Senate from 1896-1899, holding the office of Secretary of the Senate. He was a member of the Alabama Constitutional Convention and later served as a court-appointed attorney in the first trial of the Scottsboro Boys in 1931. After his death in 1939, the house continued to be occupied by his family until the early 1980s. Completed in 1881 for John A. Brown at a cost of $3200, the house was advertised for sale in the following year and with one interim owner was purchased in 1884 by General John R. Coffey for his daughter and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Brown. The couple occupied the house sporadically until its sale to John Franklin Proctor in 1907. Between 1907 and 1911, Proctor extensively remodeled the house, giving it its present appearance. The house remained in the Proctor family until 1981, when it was acquired by the Scottsboro Museum Commission. (from Mertins, Ellen; Judith Proctor (July 23, 1982). "Brown-Proctor House". National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form. National Park Service.) Since 1985, the Brown-Proctor house has served as the home of the Scottsboro Jackson Heritage Center, a historical and cultural museum focusing on Scottsboro and Jackson County.
Mertins, Ellen; Judith Proctor (July 23, 1982). "Brown-Proctor House". National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form. National Park Service. http://focus.nps.gov/nrhp/AssetDetail?assetID=f2e6df1f-91c2-47ee-ace9-89c3fd544f6f
Northeast Alabama Community College Archives and Special Collections
Trains; Railroads; Depots; Transportation; Browns, AL; Dallas County, AL
This photograph depicts Browns, Alabama's train station. Browns, Alabama is an unincorporated town in Dallas County, Alabama.
Marvyn, AL; Lee County, AL; Greek Revival Style; New Deal; Agriculture
Built in the 1840s by Richard Buchanan, this Greek Revival home and property provides a history of agriculture in Lee County. It served as a plantation in the antebellum period and as a tenant farm in the early 20th century. In 1937 J.W. Clegg applied for a farm loan under the New Deal Bankhead-Jones Act of 1937 to purchase the property. He was the first farmer from the local area to apply, and second to receive funds from this legislation. The house, located at 23385 U.S. Highway 80, was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in 1996.
Text: Lee County Heritage Book Committee, The Heritage of Lee County (Clanton, AL: Heritage Publishing Consultants: 2000), 16.
Dothan, Houston County, Eufaula, Barbour County, Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Rock music, Southern rock music, Classics IV, Atlanta Rhythm Section,
Buddy Buie (January 23, 1941 - July 18, 2015) Buddy Buie may not be a name that most folks recognize, but his impact on the music scene of the 1960s to the 1990s is one that transcends name recognition. As a songwriter, producer, and concert promoter, Buddy had a hand in showcasing the talents of such artists as Roy Orbison, Wynonna Judd, B.J. Thomas, The Classics IV, and, most of all, The Atlanta Rhythm Section. Born January 23, 1941, in the small town of Marianna, Florida, Perry Carlton Buie (pronounced Boo-ee) moved with his family to the town of Dothan, Alabama when he was still a child. After dropping out of Auburn University, Buddy moved north to New York City to focus on a career in music, but soon settled back in the south in Atlanta, Georgia, where he resided for much of his music career. In the early 1960s, Buddy became the road manager for Roy Orbison. A few years later, he became the producer for the Classics IV, whose guitarist, J.R. Cobb, became a frequent songwriting partner with Buddy. While based in Atlanta, Buddy spent his songwriting time in a small fishing trailer that he had in Eufaula, Alabama. It was during this period that Buddy and Cobb wrote such hits as “Stormy,” “Spooky,” and “Traces.” While the success that he had with the Classics IV set him on steady ground, it was his founding of the group Atlanta Rhythm Section that best-defined Buddy’s influence and success on the music scene. In 1970, Buddy had opened a recording studio in Atlanta. Combining members of the Classics IV and the Candymen, Atlanta Rhythm section established themselves as a Southern Rock band in the realm of the Allman Brothers Band and Lynryd Skynryd. Buddy managed and produced many of their albums, and co-wrote their hit “So Into You,” along with keyboardist Dean Daughtry and Robert Nix. The 1980s and 1990s, while not as productive as the years with Atlanta Rhythm Section, Buddy, along with Cobb, was still actively writing, his most significant hit being Wynonna Judd’s “Rock Bottom”, which hit #2 on the country charts in 1992. In 2003, Buddy retired to Eufaula, his inspiration for so many of his hits. Buddy was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1984, and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2010. Buddy Buie passed away after suffering a heart attack on July 18, 2015, leaving behind a lasting influence on pop and southern rock music that still resonates to this day. Watch and Listen: "Stormy" Classics IV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18Sua_QTDs0 "Spooky" Classics IV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpo9KZYJ4sA "Traces" Classics IV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyxpQO0YYQo "So Into You" Atlanta Rhythm Section https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmJWRLwQq7w "Rock Bottom" Wynonna Judd https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrFfRQsBqd0
John Griffin, University of North Alabama
Buddy Buie: Alabama Music Hall of Fame http://alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/2011/buddy-buie/ Accessed October 31, 2016 Buddy Buie obituary, al.com http://www.al.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2015/07/hall_of_fame_songwriter_buddy.html Accessed October 31, 2016 Buddy Buie obituary, Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/perry-buddy-buie-songwriter-and-producer-dies-at-74/2015/07/23/b3f62650-30c7-11e5-8353-1215475949f4_story.html?utm_term=.0609191a1b97 Accessed October 31, 2016 All images courtesy of Mr. George Lair and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, unless otherwise noted.
Florence, Lauderdale County, Hank Williams, Tree International, Dolly Parton, Curley Putnam, Country music, Pop music, R&B music, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Buddy Killen (November 13, 1932 - November 1, 2006) There are countless musicians, singers and entertainers in the world that, for lack of that big break, never reach the pinnacle, in spite of the fact that they may have just as much, if not more, talent than others who become household names. Chances are that someone with the talent of Elvis Presley would have somehow reached some level of notoriety, but what remains unknown is if this would have been possible without the big break he received from Buddy Killen, who pitched him his first million-selling single, “Heartbreak Hotel." William Doyce Killen was born on November 13, 1932, in the hometown of W.C. Handy, Florence, Alabama. Growing up poor in the American South during this time was a way of life for many families and Buddy’s was no exception. As a child and into his teen years, music was his escape. His first band, the Hillbilly Pals, was formed during his childhood. The Dixie Ramblers, his second, performed on local radio. The day after graduating from high school, Buddy was offered the chance to play bass for a pair of comedians on the Grand Ole Opry, in Nashville, Tennessee. Buddy never hesitated, moving to Nashville, where he soon found himself playing and traveling with such Opry stars as Hank Williams, George Morgan, Ray Price and Jim Reeves, becoming acquainted with many of the people who ran country music scene behind the stage curtain. One of those people proved to be Buddy’s big break in 1953. Jack Stapp was running his publishing company, Tree International, on his own. As Buddy tells it, “I was doing demos for Tree at $10 a session, and Jack would come into the studio and ask me to get together with this singer or that writer. It went well and Jack asked me if I would come to work for him. The job would pay $35 a week and I said yes. I began picking up songs and getting them recorded. We didn’t have an office. I would carry a tape recorder around begging for songs. It was a sheer case of determination.” That determination paid off for Buddy, as he would be made a partner in Tree, eventually rising to president, and eventually, when Stapp passed away in 1980, sole owner. Along the way, he helped several artists reap the reward of their own sheer determination, starting with Elvis Presley in 1956. Another who benefited from Killen’s confidence was 14-year-old Dolly Parton, who Killen signed to a recording contract in 1960. Roger Miller, too, was a beneficiary of Buddy’s ability to spot talent, both writing and performing. Miller would go on to write hit songs for Ray Price, Jim Reeves, and Bill Anderson. Buddy also continued to write songs himself, including the #1 hit “I May Never Get to Heaven” (Conway Twitty – 1979), as well as Ronnie McDowell's #4 hit "Watchin' Girls Go By," released in 1981. In all, Buddy had 19 Top-40 hits that appeared on Billboards Country, Pop, R&B and A/C charts between 1961 and 1986. In 1989, after almost ten years at the helm of Tree International Publishing, Buddy sold the company to CBS/Sony for a reported $30-40 million. In 1993, his autobiography, “By the Seat of My Pants: My Life in Country Music,” was published by Simon & Schuster. Along the way, Buddy picked up many accolades and awards, including being a member of the first class of inductees to the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1985, along with Nat “King” Cole, Hank Williams, and W.C. Handy. Buddy Killen passed away on November 1, 2006. Watch and Listen: "Heartbreak Hotel - Elvis Presley" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4euyTDhFnk "I May Never Get to Heaven - Conway Twitty" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47D2omht1BI "Watchin' Girls Go By - Ronnie McDowell" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ychMkvLV87w "Ain't Gonna Bump No More - Joe Tex" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56tBm7nJ1QM
Buddy Killen; Alabama Music Hall of Fame http://www.alamhof.org/inductees/timeline/1985/buddy-killen/ Accessed December 5, 2016 Buddy Killen http://www.allmusic.com/artist/buddy-killen-mn0000640267/ Accessed December 5, 2016 Buddy Killen obituary http://www.cmt.com/news/1544585/nashville-music-pioneer-buddy-killen-dies/ Accessed December 5, 2016 Buddy Killen obituary http://www.nashvillepost.com/home/article/20400528/buddy-killen-passes-away-at-73/ Accessed December 5, 2016 Killen, Buddy, and Carter, Tom. “By the Seat of My Pants: My Life in Country Music.” New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993. All images courtesy of Mr. George Lair and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, unless otherwise noted.
Cemeteries; Waterloo, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
To reach Bumpus Creek Cemetery from Florence, Alabama, travel Alabama Hwy 20 west and turn left onto Waterloo Rd. and travel to Waterloo, Alabama. County Road # 14 turns north in Waterloo. Turn right and follow Bumpus Creek Road 4.5 miles to the Bumpus Creek Free Will Baptist Church. There are 84 graves in Bumpus Creek Cemetery. (The list of people buried in this cemetery is located in the source.)
Dylan Tucker, University of North Alabama
Montgomery, David L. "Bumpass Creek Cemetery." Rootsweb. January 4, 2005. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allauder/cem-bumpusck2005.htm. Accesed April 12, 2015.
Colonel Florence M. Cornyn; General Sterling A.M. Wood; Civil War; Captain Risden Deford; Globe Cotton Mills; Lauderdale County, AL
A Union force of 1380 men under the command of Colonel Florence M. Cornyn left Corinth, Mississippi on May 26, 1863. Colonel Cornyn’s mission was to destroy the industrial capacity of Lauderdale County. The county was a leading producer of cotton and wool cloth, leather, and food for the Confederate Army of the Tennessee. Among Colonel Cornyn’s officers was Captain Risden Deford, who knew the area from his youth. Captain Deford’s father had been a Methodist circuit riding preacher in the area, often staying in the homes of the local citizens. Captain Deford knowing the locations of the mills, tanneries, and foundries; guided the Union forces to them. The Union forces met the small number of confederate units commanded by General Sterling A.M. Wood on Coffee Road near Cox Creek. After a brief engagement Wood’s troops were driven back into the city. Cornyn’s forces then accomplished their major objective and burned the Globe Cotton Mills on Cypress Creek. The destruction of the mills was valued around one million dollars.
McDonald, William Lindsey. 2003. Civil War tales of the Tennessee Valley. n.p.: Killen, Ala. : Heart of Dixie Pub. (1812 CR 111, Killen, Ala., 35645), [2003], 2003. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 30, 2015). Wallace, Harry E. n.d. "Lauderdale County, Alabama Hisory." algw.org. Accessed April 14, 2015. http://www.algw.org/lauderdale/historyshoals4.htm.
Photo from following websites: http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMHGR1_Ante_Bellum_Cotton_Mills_1840_Florence_AL Photo from following websites: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/49815934 Photo from following websites: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=11114 Photo from following websites: http://civilwartalk.com/threads/corinth-ms-court-martial-and-murder-of-colonel-francis-cornyn-10th-missouri-cavalry.108468/
Burrell Normal School stemmed from Carpenters High School. In 1904 an extra year of training was added to the school for those who wanted to be teachers. This was the first higher education institution for African American students in Lauderdale County. The first president was G.N. White. After a year of study students would take an exam, if the exam was passed a state teacher's certificate was granted.
Claire Eagle, University of North Alabama
Elizabeth Womack McDonald. History of the Florence City schools, 1820-1967, 1900. UNA Library Catalog, EBSCOhost (accessed April 29, 2015).
Burrell Normal School / Burrell High School Marker
Historic Markers; Florence, AL: Lauderdale County, AL
This historic marker is located at the intersection of W College St. and Burrell St. on W College St., Florence, Alabama. The text on the marker reads: "This school named Burrell Academy, formerly in Selma, Alabama, was given to Florence by the American Missionary Association. In 1903, Burrell Normal School opened and served African American students in grades 1-12. In 1937, the Florence City Board of Education assumed its operation and changed the name to Burrell High School. In 1951, it was moved to the Slater Elementary School Building on South Court Street and its name was changed to Burrell Slater High School. That building burned in 1958. In 1960, the present building opened on this site and served students until it closed because of integration 1969." The marker was erected by the Florence Historical Board
“Burrell Normal School/Burrell High School”. Accessed 09/21/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
African-American History; Education; Lauderdale County, AL
When founded, Burrell Normal School was a high school for African-American students and included a year of teacher training for those who wanted to become teachers. In 1937, the school moved into the building that housed Slater Elementary School, and the school was renamed Burrell-Slater School. In 1960, this building was destroyed by fire and a 1962 a new building was built on W. College St. and cost $515,000 to construct.
Ashley Pentecost, University of North Alabama
McDonald, Elizabeth. "History of Florence City Schools." Florence, AL: Self-published.
Colbert County, Alabama; Cherokee, Alabama; Buzzard Roost; Natchez Trace Parkway; Levi Colbert; Native American History; National Register of Historic Places
Buzzard Roost is a site along the Natchez Trace Parkway near Cherokee, where farmer, trader, and Chickasaw tribal spokesman Levi Colbert is thought to have lived and operated a "stand," or inn, for travelers during the early years of the 19th century. The site shares its name with Buzzard Roost Creek, which originates from a spring below the spot where Colbert's home is thought to have stood. The picturesque Buzzard Roost interpretive site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Brian Corrigan, University of North Alabama
National Register of Historic Places, Buzzard Roost, Cherokee, Colbert County, Alabama, National Register #76000157.
Lee County, AL; Civil War; Camp Beauregard; Camp Johnson; Confederate Army; Auburn Guards; Beauregard, AL; Auburn, AL
These two camps trained six groups of Confederate soldiers that included the local Auburn Guards as well as the 14th, 18th, 37th, and 45th Alabama infantry regiments.
Established during the 1830s, the Canaan United Methodist Church is the oldest Methodist congregation in Lauderdale County. Land for the church’s building and cemetery were given by an early settler in the county named Edmond Noel. Established for the rural planters on the bend of the Tennessee River, a tall framed building was constructed. Prior to the Civil War, slaves attended serves with their masters and sat in a designated gallery. The church itself played a role during the Civil War. During the war, soldiers under Union general James Wilson camped nearby and in 1865 Union troops bunked in the church. There was a skirmish between Union and Confederate troops at nearby Gravelly Springs Cemetery, and also a small skirmish took place on the grounds of the church. As a result, bullet holes once peppered the congregation’s pews. However, renovations in the 1970s remodeled the slave gallery and replaced the pews.
Jesse Brock, University of North Alabama
Text: William Lindsey McDonald, “Methodist Building in the Area,” in folder “McDonald Collection: The Church Register (Canaan)(Methodist Episcopal), Churches 10.1,” Bill McDonald Collection, Archives/Special Collections, Collier Library, University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama. “Canaan Methodist Church,”Tennessee Valley Historical Society, Journal of Muscle Shoals Vol. X, 1983: 91-92. Image: “Canaan Methodist Church,”Tennessee Valley Historical Society, Journal of Muscle Shoals Vol. X, 1983: 91-92.
From Florence, Alabama, travel Alabama Hwy. 20 west for 3.3 miles. Turn left onto Waterloo Rd. and go 10.2 miles. Turn left onto County Rd. 189 and go 2.8 miles. The church and cemetery are at the corner of County Rd. 189 and County Rd. 62. The cemetery is located behind the church. The full list of graves is located in the source.
Montgomery, David L. "Canaan Methodist Church Cemetery." Cemeteries Only. February 20, 2015. http://cemeteriesonly.com/CanaanMethChCem.html. Accessed on April 4, 2015.
Hanceville, Cullman County, FAME Studios, Rick Hall, Clarence Carter, R&B music, Soul music, Gospel music, Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Candi Staton (March 13, 1940 - ) For many within the African-American community, the line between gospel and soul music is a thin one. A rhythm that pushes the music along, soaring vocals that inspire and lift the crowds out of their seats, freedom within the soul and within the music, all serve to drive both genres forward. No singer better represents this simultaneous confluence and divergence than soul and gospel artist Candi Staton. Born on March 13, 1940, in Hanceville, Alabama, Canzetta Maria Staton initially was involved in the gospel music scene from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s. Before she was a teenager, Candi began attending the Jewell Christian Academy in Nashville, Tennessee. It was there that she and her sister, who also attended Jewell, were part of a group called the Jewell Gospel Trio. Recording several records that did little commercially, the trio toured the gospel circuit, singing along with such gospels greats as Mahalia Jackson and C.L. Franklin. By the end of the 1950s, Candy had left the group and returned home to Alabama, where she married, had four children, and then divorced her husband. It was in 1968 that, while working at a club in Birmingham, Alabama, she met Clarence Carter, who was recording for Atlantic Records at Rick Hall’s FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Carter asked her to go on tour with him, but Candi was still married at the time. A year later, Clarence asked once again. Now divorced, she agreed. Over the course of the year, she and Clarence fell in love and were married in 1970. Her new husband also brought her to the attention of Rick Hall. With FAME Records, Candi recorded three albums. While the albums themselves were not huge sellers, they did produce four songs that reached Billboard’s R&B Top Ten charts, including a cover of Tammy Wynette’s hit, “Stand BY Your Man,” which reached #4 in 1971. In 1974, Candi, who had divorced Carter the year before, started recording for Warner Brothers, still working under the production skills of Rick Hall. Of working with Hall, Candi says that, “Rick would come to me and ask my opinion ‘Hey, do you think you can do this’. We didn’t have an arranger to come in and say ‘I’m gonna take this song and arrange it for Candi’. All of us had our opinions how the music should go, so we tried different things. If it didn’t work, we tried something else. Some day we worked on a song all day, and all night.” Her first album for Warner, “Candi,” produced the #6 R&B hit, “As Long As He Takes Care of Home.” It was her next album, "Young Hearts Run Free," that produced her sole #1 hit when the title track was released in 1976. Working with a new producer, David Crawford, and in a marriage that had turned abusive, Candi opened up to Crawford over the course of several conversations about her life. In response, he wrote the song as a way to help her give voice to her situation. Subsequent albums and singles proved to be less successful, and by 1981, disillusioned with the secular music industry, Candi had returned to her gospel roots. Married to her fourth husband, former Ashford & Simpson drummer John Sussewell, together they founded their own label, Beracah Ministries. Her return to gospel found her renewed and experiencing success once again. When the idea of returning to the world of soul music, Candi was initially reluctant. It was a conversation with her pastor sometime in the 1990s that changed her mind, in which he said, “Candi, those songs that you did in the 70s and in the 80s, they’re not bad songs. They’re good songs. Some of them you couldn’t sing because of the way you live now. Young Hearts Run Free wasn’t bad; Stand by Your Man – those songs are classics. Those songs were blessed. They raised your children, they bought you a home. Rethink it. You could go out and bless people again with those songs." Since then Candi has continued to release new material, while still revisiting her old hits that fans have come to know and love. Candi Staton was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2014, by her old friend, producer and mentor Rick Hall. Watch and Listen: "Young Hearts Run Free" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5x2PvC_PybY "He Called Me Baby" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txOo9T1jn5Y "Stand By Your Man" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbyStJWvajo "When There's Nothing Left But God" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kWVd5EMRyw "Interview - Candi Staton On Celebrating 40 Years Of Young Hearts Run Free" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPG_25-YctA
Candi Staton official website http://www.candi-staton.com/ Accessed December 6, 2016 Interview 2006 http://www.soulexpress.net/candistaton.htm/ Accessed December 6, 2016 Interview, 2011 http://www.soulexpress.net/deep2_2011.htm#candistaton/ Accessed December 6, 2016 Candi Staton discography http://www.allmusic.com/artist/candi-staton-mn0000542976/biography/ Accessed December 6, 2016 All images courtesy of Mr. George Lair and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, unless otherwise noted..
Colbert, County; Tuscumbia, Alabama; Hiking; Camping; Pet Friendly
Cane Creek is a privately owned nature preserve cooperating with the Nature Conservancy of Alabama. This is a 9.1 mile out and back hiking trail near Tuscumbia. The main feature of the trail is the waterfall. The trail has a moderate hiking rating and can be used for camping, hiking, and trail running. The area is also pet friendly. The park is free to the public year round.
Carrie Keener, University of North Alabama
"Cane Creek Canyon Nature Preserve." AllTrails.com. Accessed November 30, 2015. http://alltrails.com/trail/us/alabama/cane-creek-canyon-nature-preserve. 'Colbert County Northwestern Alabama Gateway'. Florence. Florence City. UNA Special Archives.
To reach the cemetery, turn north off Cox Creek Parkway in Florence and travel 8.3 miles. Turn left onto County Road #73 and keep right. Travel .8 mile to the cemetery on the right. The are a few graves marked with stones. Full list of graves is located in sources.
Montgomery, David L. "Canerday Cemetery." Canerday Cemetery. February 7, 2015. http://cemeteriesonly.com/CanerdayCem.html. Accessed April 22, 2015.
Colbert County Alabama; Cherokee Alabama; Native American History; Native American School; Caney Creek Chickasaw School
Caney Creek Chickasaw School was a Native American school that was originally founded by Presbyterian ministers. The school officially opened January 15, 1827 and was located on Red Rock Rd five miles away from Cherokee on the McWilliams' property. This allowed ministers and missionaries to become a part of movement to civilize the Native American tribes. Missionaries that participated would be given a federal grant to aid their efforts. When the school first opened it had thirty-five students. The school curriculum was heavily focused on religion and language in order to conform the students to the standards and beliefs of white settlers. Children were taught skills based on the traditional values of the settlers. The school lasted until 1836 when the school had to be closed down due to lack of funding after Andrew Jackson was elected president.
Curott, David. Colbert & Lauderdale County History Written on Signs of the Past. Bluewater Publishing, 2011. 11 Colbert County Heritage Book Committee (Colbert County, Ala.). 1999. The Heritage of Colbert County, Alabama. Clanton, AL: Heritage Pub. Consultants 42-43
Historic Markers; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
This marker is located on Waterloo Road 0.1 miles east of Cypress Bend Dr., Florence, Alabama. The text on the marker reads: "John A. Murrell, known as the "Great Western Land Pirate," was captured near this site in the winter of 1834. He was said to have killed over 400 people, including many kidnapped slaves. His arrest was brought about thought the clever maneuvering of Tom Brannon, a local African-American slave. An attempt had been made by the outlaw to recruit Brannon as a contact man for his far-reaching empire of crime. Brannon was awarded $100 for his bravery and his name was publicized across the country." The marker was erected by the Florence Historical Board.
“Capture of John A. Murrell”. Accessed 09/21/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
Architectural drawings; Watercolors; Houses; Dwellings; Brickwork; Doors & doorways; Windows; Shutters; Porches; Columns; Balconies; Hand railings; Woodwork; Roofs; Chimneys; Moldings; Women; Trees; Landscapes (Representations)
This image is a watercolor painting of the Cargill House in Columbus, Georgia done by Grady Hicks in 1932. The house was built sometime in the 19th century. The painting shows the front exterior of the house with its doors, windows, shutters, two story columned porch, steps, balcony, wooden hand railing, brick walls, sloped roof, and two chimneys surrounded by trees and landscaping. There is a woman in period dress in front of the house. The house is placed within framing art showing its architectural features including the molding under the roof and around the doors, the columns, the wooden railing from the balcony, various scales, and floor plans of the porch. The painting is signed: "Drawn by Grady Hicks, Ala. Poly. Inst." The painting is in good condition, some minor discoloration in the lower left corner, and is encapsulated.
Hicks, Grady Lee (rendering) ; Hoxey, Thomas (house)
Auburn University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives Dept. Architecture, School of -- Architectural Renderings Student Projects
This image is the property of the Auburn University Libraries and is intended for non-commercial use. Users of the image are asked to acknowledge the Auburn University Libraries. For information about obtaining high-resolution copies of this and other images in this collection, please contact the Auburn University Libraries Special Collections & Archives Department at archive@auburn.edu or (334) 844-1732.
Library of Congress (Historic American Buildings Survey): http://www.loc.gov/item/ga0268/ ; Digital Library of Georgia: http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/meta/html/dlg/larc/meta_dlg_larc_jlc0682.html
Columbus -- Muscogee County -- Georgia ; 1316 Third Avenue, Columbus, Muscogee County, GA
Walk of Honor Historic Markers; Florence, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
This marker is located on South Cox Creek Parkway (Alabama Route 133), Florence, Alabama. The text on the marker reads: "Educator and author Caroline Hentz was among the first female novelists in America. Her 13 volumes were some of the most popular in the U.S. during the mid-1800s, and her three dramas were produced in major cities." Hentz was inducted to the Florence Walk of Honor in 2007.
“Caroline Lee Hentz”. Accessed 09/21/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
11th grader at Hudson High School The Selma Campaign 1963-1965 Wally G. Vaughn
Auburn, AL; Lee County, AL; Industry; Grist Mill
Carter's Mill was an early non-permitted mill. Sam Carter received his land from the U.S. government and built his mill on that property. In 1840, the property was sold to Mark Golden Jr. who later died 1845. Golden's will listed only grist mill gear, suggesting that the mill was no longer functional.
Religion; Episcopal Church; Birmingham AL; Jefferson County, AL
Image Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_Church_of_the_Advent_(Birmingham,_Alabama) http://archive.adventbirmingham.org/articles.asp?ID=4163 Text Source: Cathedral Church of the Advent - History, http://adventbirmingham.org/about/our-parish/history/
Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception
Religion, Catholic, Mobile County, Mobile, National Register of Historic Places, Father Michael Portier
Located in Mobile, the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception was consecrated in December of 1850, fifteen years after the first cornerstone had been laud. Father Michael Portier was the leader in the construction of the cathedral after being made the founding bishop of the Diocese of Mobile in 1829. Originally this diocese included all of Alabama and Florida. The cathedral has gone through a series of enhancement and repairs over the years including in 1865 when the explosion of a magazine shop destroyed all of the plain glass windows in one of the walls and in 1954 when a fire collapsed the sanctuary floor, and the basement was flooded to stop the fire. In 1963, Pope John XXIII designated the Cathedral as a Minor Basilica. This designation is awarded based on several criteria including antiquity, historical, cultural, and artistic importance. On December 8th, 2004, the Cathedral celebrated the tercentennial of its establishment. A three-year plan for restoration was also completed at this point. Today the Cathedral offers daily mass and is open all day to everyone for private prayer.
http://www.mobilecathedral.org/cms/index.php/history/in-depth-history http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-3499
Cedar Creek Furnace (Alabama Iron Works)
Franklin County, Russellville, Cedar Creek Furnace
Cedar Creek Furnace is a blast furnace located on a site near Russellville, Alabama. Joseph Heslip, a native of Pennsylvania, acquired the property around 1811 and used slave labor to construct the furnace. In 1820, a cholera outbreak killed Heslip and many of the furnace operators. In November 1825, the site was put up for auction and was purchased by Aaron Wells. Like Heslip, Wells was an ironmaker and operated the site for two years before he sold it to Robert Napier. From 1832 to 1836, the furnace operated until the creek near the site flooded. The floodwater extinguished the furnace and hardened the metal, making the furnace useless. Cedar Creek Furnace was the first iron ore furnaces in Alabama.
"National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. Accessed June 1, 2015.
Historic Markers; Killen, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
This historical marker is located at 6620 US 72, Killen, AL. The text on the side one reads: "Center Star was spelled Centre Star into the 1900s. The name evolved from the US Postal Service, which served remote areas by "star routes." The Post Office here, which existed from 1850 to 1914 (except between 1902 and 1913), was the center of a star route for this section of the county, thus Centre Star. This area is one of the oldest settlements in Lauderdale County. Settlers arriving in the early 1800s found both Chickasaw and Cherokee Indians. At one time, their dividing line overlapped here. Remains of Indian villages were found southwest of this location. The land south of Center Star was fertile and was sought by cotton planters desiring the "old fields" cleared by the Indians. Plantations established throughout the area included: Phillips/Taylor, Cunningham, Douglas, and Williams. Communities near here were Bellview, Big Oak and Houstontown. The Bellview Road ran from the mouth of the Bluewater Creek to Center Star. Center Star has the oldest active Methodist congregation in Lauderdale County: it was organized near the mouth of Bluewater Creek in June 1818. It later move near Center Star and was named Driskill's Chapel about 1893. In later years, it was renamed Center Star Methodist Church. The text on side two reads: "The Cumberland Presbyterian Church was organized at the Goodsprings Campground in 1839; it divided in April 1861, and a church was organized at Center Star. Center Star was a rallying point where Captain Edward A. O'Neal, on May 26, 1861, organized his "Calhoun Guard," later designated Company 1, 9th Alabama Infantry Regiment. O'Neal was promoted to Brigadier General and became Governor of Alabama after the War. On May 9, 1864, this was the scene of a two-hour skirmish between Colonel William A. Johnson's Confederate Fourth Alabama Cavalry and a combined Union force from the 7th Illinois Cavalry and the 9th Ohio Regiment under Colonel Richard Rowett. The Center Star Voting Beat was created in 1870. Masonic Lodge 25 was activated here in 1888. Community schools were in the area prior to 1916 when land was purchased by the County Board of Education for the Center Star Elementary School about ¼ mile north of the Old Huntsville Road. The school was relocated to near the intersection of CR 33 and Highway 72 in 1949 and closed in 1965. The Allen Thornton Trade School opened in that building in August 1967. Early commercial activities at Center Star included: general merchandise stores, sorghum mill, blacksmith shop, gristmill, cotton gin, and doctors' offices." East Lauderdale Historical Society erected this marker in 2015.
“Center (Centre) Star Maker”. Accessed 09/28/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
The Center Star Methodist Church congregation is the oldest Methodist congregation in Lauderdale County. Throughout its history the congregation has moved over five times. Its origins began in 1818, when the Methodist Richland Circuit of Giles County, Tennessee, extended across the Tennessee line into Lauderdale County, Alabama. One resident who lived in Lauderdale County at the time, Reverend Wesley Smith, wrote in a letter: “About the year 1819, my family moved from Tennessee to Lauderdale County, Alabama, and settled on Blue Water Creek. We had not been there long until the ‘circuit-rider’ found his cabin and soon made it a preaching place. I well remember the old cabin with dirt floor and two split-long benches that were used to seat the little congregation of backwoods worshipers.” Two early preachers were G. D. Taylor and J. Boucher. In 1823 the name of this congregation became Driskell Chapel Methodist Church, named after its Reverend Ambrose F. Driskell. Also during 1823, the congregation met in the old Trousdale home in Center Star, Alabama. The congregation kept the name, Driskell Chapel Methodist Church until 1893. During 1893 the congregation relocated approximately one mile east, where the church sits today. When it moved, the church changed its name to Center Star Methodist.
Text: “Center Star Methodist Church,” Tennessee Valley Historical Society, Journal of Muscle Shoals History Vol. X (1983): 147. Jill Knight Garrett, A History of Lauderdale County, Alabama, 144
Center Star; Civil War; Confederate Colonel Williams Johnson; 9th Ohio Cavalry; Lauderdale County, AL
Confederate Colonel William Johnson’s 4th Alabama Cavalry crossed the Tennessee River and attacked the 7th Illinois infantry encamped near Center Star on May 7, 1864. A six hour battle ensued. The Confederate raid caused 35 casualties and drove the Union into retreat back toward Rogersville. There the 7th Illinois joined up with the 9th Ohio Cavalry under the command of Colonel Rowett. On May13, the combined Union force attacked Johnson’s camp at Center Star. As a result of the second engagement, the confederate forces were driven back across the river.
Hannings, Bud. 2013. Every day of the Civil War : a chronological encyclopedia. n.p.: Boston, Massachusetts : Credo Reference, 2013., 2013. 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). n.d. "Illinois Adjutant General's Report." old-new-orleans.co. Accessed April 18, 2015. http://www.old-new-orleans.com/ILLINOIS_CW_reghist.pdf.
Photo from following websites: http://www.oocities.org/bourbonstreet/Delta/3843/johnson.htm Photo from following websites: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=40292381
Colbert County, Alabama; Sheffield, Alabama; Chambers Robinson House; Architecture; National Register of Historic Places
The Chambers-Robinson House at 910 Montgomery Avenue in Sheffield is a two-story, Queen-Anne-style frame house, built in 1890 as a residence for Judson G. Chambers and his wife Mary. In 1898, the couple sold the home to Charles and Dora Robinson, whose descendents occupied the house for the next 64 years. The two-story frame house has a steeply pitched hipped roof supported by decorative brackets and pierced by several dormers. Another notable exterior feature is the wraparound porch, complete with elaborate posts, brackets, and latticework. Inside, a grand Eastlake staircase leads to the second story from a first-floor entry hall. The property was listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Places in 1992, and added to the National Register of Historic Places the following year.
National Register of Historic Places, Chambers-Robinson House, Sheffield, Colbert County, Alabama, National Register #93000419. "Chambers-Robinson House," Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chambers-Robinson_House (accessed November 7, 2015).
Located in Auburn along Moores Mill Road. Coordinates: 32.5643029, -85.398002
Lola Sewell remembered that he participated in Bloody Sunday march. He may have played football for Hudson High School. See attached Selma Times newspaper article.
Hudson High School A drive through Alabama's Civil Rights Corridor Page 188 - worked to recruit more students
Cherokee Chief Doublehead's Village Around 1800 Marker
Historic Marker; Rogersville, AL; Lauderdale County, AL
This historic marker is located at the Bluewater Creek Polo Club on the south side near US Hwy 72. The text on the marker reads: "About 1800 Doublehead located his village at this site, where his brother-in-law Tahonteeskee had previously lived. Doublehead's log house was built along the same style of those of the white settlers. Chief Doublehead had previously led raids against Tennessee settlers from Moneetown, located southwest of here. In 1806 a reserve was set aside for Doublehead between Elk River and Cypress Creek. He leased large tracts of land to white settlers who were later evicted by the U.S. Army. His own people assassinated Doublehead on the Hiwassee River in 1807." The Florence Historical Board and Edward Stanley Robbins erected this marker.
“Cherokee Chief Doublehead's Village around 1800 Marker”. Accessed 09/21/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/
Colbert County, Alabama; Cherokee, Alabama; Rosenwald school; African American History
Cherokee High School was one of seven Rosenwald School built for African Americans in Colbert County. The Julius Rosenwald Grant provided the funds for the building. The local African American community provided the remaining funds and land for the school. Around $2,900 came directly from the community. The grant from the Rosenwald’s was only worth only $800. Residents in the community were also able to raise around $900 through various donations and fundraisers. The first class graduated in 1938 and the last class graduated in 1969. The school was closed down after 1969 due to integration. The location of the school can be found on 4595 Old Lee Hwy
Curott, David. Colbert & Lauderdale County History Written on Signs of the Past. Bluewater Publishing, 2011. 17
Cherokee High School; Colbert County School System; Cherokee, Alabama; Colbert County, Alabama; High School; School; Education
Cherokee High School was founded in 1925 as Cherokee Vocational High School as it was the first designated vocational school in Colbert County. The original high school building was located where the current gymnasium stands. As the school expanded with the end of segregation in 1968 the old high school became the junior high school. That building burned on January 21, 1971. Cherokee High School is located in Cherokee, Alabama and serves the western portion of Colbert County as part of the Colbert County School system. It is located along County Road 21 (North Pike) off of U.S. Highway 72.
Thomas Hale, University of North Alabama
“About the School”, Accessed on November 29, 2015, www.chsindians.org/?PageName='AboutTheSchool’
Public Libraries; Cherokee; Colbert County; Alabama
The Cherokee Public Library is located on Church Street in downtown Cherokee, Colbert County. If heading west from Tuscumbia on Hwy 72, turn right on Main Street, cross the Old Lee Highway and the railroad, turn right on First Street, then take the first left on Church Street. The library is on the corner of First and Church Streets. It offers over 14,000 books and periodicals as well as 7 computers with DSL internet access for the general public and wifi access. The library is open 12 pm - 6pm Monday, 12 pm – 5 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 10 am – 2 pm on Fridays. It is closed on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Jacob Grandstaff, University of North Alabama
“Cherokee Public Library," Accessed Novermber, 16, 2015, http://webmini.apls.state.al.us/apls_web/cherokee/?q=home. http://thermasavetech.com/?attachment_id=482
Located in Auburn on Shug Jordan Parkway at Wire Road. Coordinates: 32.5920792, -85.5043942
The Cherry Cotton Mill was one of the largest cotton mills in Lauderdale County at the turn of the twentieth century. Cherry Cotton Mill has an industrial genealogy in Lauderdale County that is traceable to before the Civil War. Cypress Mills Company and the Mountain Mills were both precursors to the Cherry Cotton Mill. Cherry Cotton Mill came to Florence in the Sweetwater area by way of Barton, Alabama and Colbert County and the movement of Mountain Mills to east Florence. Located in Sweetwater at the sight of where an old cotton mill used to be in 1832, Colonel Noel F. Cherry (and primary stock holder), Nial C. Elting (founder of First National Bank of Florence), and Charles M. Brandon (who the Brandon School was named after) founded Cherry Cotton Mill in 1893. The Cherry Cotton Mill produced high quality yarns, amongst other textiles, until the doors of the mill closed during the Great Depression. During the boom years of the early twentieth century, the Cherry Cotton Mill employed over 400 people and had a running capacity of 12,000 spoolers. Just before the turn of the twentieth century, the average wage for the common worker at Cherry was fifteen to seventy-five cents a day. Specialized mechanics and skilled craftsman would earn anywhere from a dollar to a dollar fifty a day. A master mechanic would make a dollar fifty a day and a supervisor two dollars a day. Even children were employed at the mill at as young as six years old. The majority of the employees at the mill were women, but both the children and women tended to be paid the lowest, which is indicative of factory work at the beginning of the 1900s. The mill did provide housing to its employees on close by Cherry Hill in Sweetwater. From 1893 to 1929, Cherry Cotton Mill is said to have consumed 150,000 bales of local cotton in production. Prosperous until the Great Depression, the number of people employed in 1936 by Cherry Cotton Mill was 300 workers, a strong number for an economic downturn. The payroll by 1936 averaged two hundred twenty-five thousand dollars annually. Unfortunately, Cherry Cotton Mill did not last much past 1936 and the Great Depression claimed the largest cotton mill in Florence.
Matthew C. Fesmire, University of North Alabama
Text Sources: McDonald, William Lindsey. "A Walk Through the Past: People and Places of Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama." Killen, Ala., Bluewater Publications, 2003. McDonald, William Lindsey. "Sweetwater: The Story of East Florence." Florence, Ala.: Florence Historical Board, 1989. McDonald, William Lindsey. "Remembering Sweetwater: The Mansions, The Mills, The People." photos by L.D. Staggs, Jr. Killen, Ala., Bluewater Publications, 2002. Picture Source: UNA Archives & Special Collection. William L. McDonald Collection. “Cherry Cotton Mill.” Florence, Alabama. Box 12: Florence Industry, 12-29.
This historic marker is located on North Cherry Street near Hermitage Drive, Florence, Alabama. The text on the marker reads: "Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997, this district contains 52 structures, most of which were built after 1900. Cherry Street was laid out in 1818 near the east boundary of Florence. Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas Sigismund Stribling portrayed Cherry Street in his novel, The Store. Angel's Corner, at Cherry and Tuscaloosa Streets was named for the James H. Angel Grocery Store which was established about 1905. This was a popular streetcar stop during the era of the streetcars."
“Cherry Street Historic District Marker”. Accessed 09/21/2015. http://www.lat34north.com/historicmarkersal/