Browse Items (1458 total)

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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…

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…

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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…

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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…

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…

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…

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…

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.…

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…

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…

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…

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.…

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Leighton Training School was a trade school established with the help of a grant provided by Julius Rosenwald. Like other Rosenwald schools, the African American community was required to raise additional funds for the school to be built. The African…

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When the Zion First Missionary Church was sold to the African American congregation, the land next to the building found use as a cemetery for the African American congregation. As such, the cemetery is strictly filled with only African American…

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Zion Church used to be an white Baptist church prior to the Civil War. During the war, the church was used as a hospital by Union troops. After the Civil War, the white parishioners no longer wanted to use the church as it had become defiled. Because…

Former members of the Church of Christ in the Ricks community originally founded the High Street Church of Christ. The congregation first met in the home of one of its members to worship. The congregation continued to grow and moved to the Art…

Sterling High School was another prominent school for African Americans in Colbert County. The origin of the school is in a Baptist Church on East 20th St. Originally, the school only served five students and a man named Henry Hopkins was hired as…

This church was located close to what is now downtown Tuscumbia. The original buildings were cotton gins sheds. It has been said that these cotton gin sheds were used as a church as far back as the year 1870. The church served as a place of worship…

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…

Mount Zion was a Rosenwald school located in Florence, Alabama. The local community was provided a grant from Julius Rosenwald to build a school for the African American community. Like other Rosenwald schools the local community had to provide…

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Trenholm High School was originally founded as the Osborne Colored Academy in 1877. From there it became Tuscumbia’s Colored School, which lasted until 1921. The Tuscumbia’s Colored School changed its name to Trenholm High School in 1921. The…

The Negro Community Recreation Center was built in the 1950s strictly for African American use in Sheffield, Alabama. The cost of the Negro Recreation Center was reported to be S80,000. Alongside the new community center a pool was built. The…

Metal’s Terrace was a project initiated to provide housing for African American workers in the Shoals. This was also known as the War Housing Project Ala 1213. This housing was to be used strictly for African Americans. It became ready to house…

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This picture shows two school buses parked in front of a high school building in Brownsville, Texas between 1900 and 1920.

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This sound recording captures a radio address by the President, in which he appealed for support of the scrap rubber campaign. The campaign was held because the Japanese had cut off about 92 percent of the U.S. rubber supply.

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A letter from Robert to his mother, sent from Savannah, Georgia. Robert describes the beauties of Savannah, and potential plans to send his children to stay with his mother. He goes on to briefly describe his time in the northern cities of…

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Robert writes to Pierce at West Point, encouraging him to work hard and take advantage of the time he has to make the most of his studies, which will put him in the best possible position to have a good life after he graduates. He lets him know he is…

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Robert Young is filling out a legal bill of sale to Germany and Champion, this is some form of legal document. 3 handwritten pages

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This poster was created to promote winter tourism in New York State. It depicts a man and woman cross-country skiing. Both are wearing blue snowsuits, red scarves, red-and-white striped mittens and socks, and brown shoes. A snow-covered hill is shown…

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This image is a watercolor painting of the Pease Home in Columbus, Georgia done by Elwyn B. Richey sometime around 1934. The year the house was built in is unknown. The painting shows the front exterior of the house with its doors, windows, shutters,…

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A letter to P. Young upon his leaving for West Point from his friend Fraser. He included a bouquet with the note and mentioned he will miss him most when thinking about singing together on the guitar. He said he hoped to see him again when he…

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A short letter from R. Young letting his mother know he arrived in Atlanta. The cook was not there when they arrived and his porter had to find another cook. Also mentions others having breakfast and had some butter and brandy peaches. One…

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Pierce's letter to his sister upon his arrival back at school. Asks her to have their father send a book for study. Chastises her for betraying his confidence regarding the reputation of a lady and then warns to be careful talking to men, they are…

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Pierce described the pomp and circumstance surrounding the visit to West Point by the Prince of Wales. Pierce expressed his displeasure about the fuss the Yankees made over dignitaries and his readiness to join the Southern Confederacy. He…

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Letter was written right before P.M.B. Young's first furlough after two years at West Point. He mentions a receipt of money from father and agreement with father's views. Includes comments about reluctance to ask someone for a favor, disdain for…

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This image is a watercolor painting of the J.L. Parker House, also known as Lakewood, in Livingston, Alabama done by James Lake Parker III in 1932. The house was built in 1833. Miss Julia Strudwick Tutwiler resided at Lakewood during her tenure as…

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The Bettie Ann Highway was once the home to a thriving farming community that included Toonersville and Whitehead.

The text from the historical marker offers description of how the road came to be named:

The home-place of Bettie Anne…

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The Tri-Cities Professional Directory of 1900 listed the following Jewish businesses in Florence, Alabama:

M. Coplan, Grocer
F. Cohn, Clothing
H. Kreisman, Grocer
A. Kreisman, Gents' Furnishings
Frank Perry, Grocer
Charles Perry, Gents'…

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Alfred Huger Moses and his brother, Mordecai, were largely responsible for the founding of Sheffield, Alabama. They named the city after Sheffield, England hoping for similar success in industrialization.

The sales of 500 lots for the…

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Alfred Huger Moses and Morris Nathan were the first two alderman of Sheffield, Alabama. Nathan was buried in the Jewish section of Oakwood Cemetery in Sheffield, Alabama before the Jewish community incorporated or built a temple.

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Alfred Huger Moses was responsible for the layout of the residential, business, and industrial areas of Sheffield, Alabama, which was incorporated in 1895. He named Montgomery Avenue after Montgomery, Alabama where he and his family had lived (and…

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Alfred Huger Moses, the designer and first mayor of Sheffield, built his family home at what is now 1315 North Montgomery Avenue, Sheffield, Alabama. The house burned to the ground circa 1890.

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Alfred Huger Moses, founder and first mayor of Sheffield, Alabama (along with his brother, Mordecai) was the owner of the Sheffield Land, Iron and Coal Company, located on Montgomery Avenue.

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Most of the earliest merchants in Sheffield, Alabama were of Jewish descent and came to the area in the mid 1880's. The earliest Jewish families were the Spielbergers who owned a dry goods and clothing store, Speilbergers and Sons at 217-219…

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The Reisman-Coffee-Looft House, located at 618 N. Wood Avenue, was the home to Mark Reisman and his family. Mr. Reisman was one of the first Jewish merchants in the Florence area. His business was located the corner of Tennessee and Court Streets. He…

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Coleman, Erwin M., A History of Temple B'nai Israel, Florence, Alabama: Centennial Celebration, 1906 - 2006. Privately Printed.

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Jacob Spielberger, who was born in Hungary in January of 1856, came to Alabama around 1888. He opened a dry goods store and clothing store, Spielberger and Sons, at 217 and 219 Mongomery Avenue in Sheffield. His three sons, Jacob, Harry, and Ben…

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Alfred Huger Moses was responsible for the establishment of Sheffield, Alabama. Born in Charleston, South Carolina, he moved to Alabama after serving in the Confederate Army where he achieved the rank of Captain.

HIs wife, Katherine, five…

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A letter to the editor found in the files of the history of Temple B'Nai Israel at the Florence- Lauderdale Public Library suggests that Jewish immigrants to the area were encouraged and welcomed.
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