Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Alabama History & Culture News: November 24 edition

 



Here's the latest batch of links to just-published Alabama history and culture articles. Most of these items are from newspapers, with others from magazines and TV and radio station websites. Some articles may be behind a paywall. Enjoy!


Where did the “First Alabama v. Auburn Game” Historical Marker go? Here's the answer - Bham Now
First Alabama-Auburn Game Historical Marker in Birmingham. Picture taken in 2016. Photo via Pat Byington for Bham Now.


Remember When: One little, two little, three little Indians - The Andalusia Star-News
Recently, a 1924 elementary textbook was given to the Three Notch Museum, “History Stories of Alabama.” This book of stories compiled by Mrs. Pitt ...


Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park – McCalla, Alabama - Atlas Obscura
Discover Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park in McCalla, Alabama: The remains of a foundry and old blast furnaces destroyed during the Civil ...


Hunting the largest shark ever in ancient Alabama - al.com
Alabama, once mostly underwater, offers fossil hunters a unique chance to trace the evolutionary history of the largest shark ever found on earth.


"The Attempted Lynching of Jim Brown" presented by Jim Baggett - YouTube
He currently serves as Vice President of the Alabama Historical ... on race and racial violence, politics, and on the social history of the South.

Restoring a piece of history at Greenville's delightful Alabama Grill - al.com
Resa Bates used to walk by the old restaurant in downtown Greenville and stop to peek through the windows. The Alabama Grill, a Greenville ...

'Unusable' Quinlan Castle will be demolished, replaced with Southern Research biotech ... - AL.com
The grimmest news in 2021 is that in 2020, Alabama had more deaths than births for the first time in recorded history. We think this building can be a ...


WSFA donates decades of film, video and photos to Alabama archives department
WSFA 12 News and the Alabama Department of Archives and History are proud to announce a partnership that will help preserve and make accessible to ...


UNG : Professor Writes Book On Reconstruction In Alabama | Oconee, GA Patch
UNG : Professor Writes Book On Reconstruction In Alabama - Oconee, GA - Dr. Warren Rogers, a University of North Georgia (UNG) professor of ...

Alabama's Little River Canyon shows how ancient forces shaped the state - al.com
Map by Jim Lacefield from the book "Lost Worlds in Alabama Rocks". “With no plant roots to hold the soil in place and no vegetation to anchor it ...


“If they dug up your cemetery or your families cemetery to build something there, how would you feel?” said David Hill, Principal Chief Muscogee ...


... a $3.5 million Welcome Center across from the Old Plateau Cemetery. ... the spotlight is on Mobile, which means the spotlight is on Alabama.
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Thursday, November 18, 2021

UAB Tears Down the Kracke Building

Well, it wasn't Tim Riley's bar, but the Kracke Building on the UAB campus at 1922 7th Avenue South across from the dental school had quite a history just the same. The structure opened in 1929 as the dormitory for nursing students at the Hillman Hospital next door and operated as such until 1963. In July 1965 the building reopened as the Roy R. Kracke Clinical Services Building, named in honor of Dr. Roy Kracke, the first Dean of the Medical College of Alabama. Various clinics and offices were located there over the years. I think Kracke was the third oldest building on campus, behind only Old and New Hillman. 

I worked in this building for a decade. In 1983 I was hired as librarian by the medical school's Anesthesiology Department. At that time the library and the department's administrative and many faculty offices were located on the fifth floor of Kracke. In 1993 those offices and the library were relocated to the ninth floor of Jefferson Tower, which opened in 1939 as Jefferson Hospital. There I remained until retirement in December 2015.

So what are UAB's plans for this space? The Lyons-Harrison Research Building next to both Kracke and Jefferson Tower will be transformed into the Altec Styslinger Genomic Medicine and Data Sciences Building. You can see renderings of that future structure here. 

You can read one of my blog posts about past demolitions at UAB here. 

More comments are below some of the photos. 



A contemporary photo of the Kracke Building with the Pittman Center for Advanced Medical Studies [CAMS] building in the foreground and Jefferson Tower in the background. CAMS has also been demolished; it was the original home of the medical history collection donated in 1958 by Lawrence Reynolds, M.D.  

Dr. James A. Pittman [1927-2014] was Dean of the Medical School from 1973 until 1992, a period of tremendous growth for UAB and its biomedical sector. I had some interesting conversations with him over the years about medical and UAB history. 

Photo by Hanno Van Der Bul 9 March 2021

Source: Birmingham Business Journal



Kracke Clinical Services Building in the 1960's 

Source: UAB Archives via UAB Reporter



Roy Kracke, M.D. in 1945

Kracke was appointed Dean of the Medical College of Alabama in that year, when classes began in September in Birmingham. Previously a two-year school had operated in Tuscaloosa since 1920, after many years in mobile after its founding 1859. The state expanded the curriculum so that students did not have to leave Alabama to finish their M.D. Birmingham was chosen as the new site for its large pool of patients. 

Source: BhamWiki


Nursing students in the dormitory

Source for photo above & below: UAB Archives via UAB Reporter




These photos show the interior of the Kracke Building when it opened in July 1965 and give floor-by-floor descriptions.




I arrived late to the party, so the Kracke Building was mostly a pile of rubble when I was there on November 1. Demolition began October 9. 











In this photo you can see the Lyons-Harrison Building logo on the lower left. This structure began as the Health Sciences Research Building with a phased opening in October 1959 and fully occupied in May 1960. In November 1966 it was renamed after Dr. Champ Lyons, Chair of the Department of Surgery from 1950 until 1965, and another prominent physician, Tinsley Harrison. Among his many other achievements, Harrison wrote the standard Principles of Internal Medicine, first published in 1950 and now in its 20th edition. 




The back of Jefferson Tower, originally Jefferson Hospital which opened in 1939, is visible in this photo.




Here we can see Jefferson Tower and on the right what is now the New Hillman Building, the front of which is seen below with the statue of William Davis, M.D., an important figure in Alabama and Birmingham medical history.









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Monday, November 15, 2021

Alabama History & Culture News: November 15 edition

 



Here's the latest batch of links to just-published Alabama history and culture articles. Most of these items are from newspapers, with others from magazines and TV and radio station websites. Some articles may be behind a paywall. Enjoy!



Historical Smiths Station church celebrates 190th anniversary - WSFA
The church opened its doors in 1801 and, according to the church's historical documents, it was one of the leading Methodist churches in the ...

84 million years ago, a massive meteorite strikes ancient Alabama - al.com
This illustration, from Jim Lacefield's book "Lost Worlds in Alabama Rocks," shows a cross-section of the Wetumpka Impact Crater site.

Alabama's rich culture, history told on Mural Trail throughout state
“There are so many unique murals around the state that show off Alabama's history, culture and arts,” Johnson-Beers said. “Alabama is home to some ...

Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum – Leeds, Alabama - Atlas Obscura
Discover Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Alabama: This 880-acre ... Every last book in this bookstore is signed by the author.

Mud Creek Association celebrates 150 years | The Alabama Baptist
Bill Kitchens, Mud Creek Baptist Association historian, wrote and presented the association's history. Scott Dawson preached at the worship ...

Cherokee County Historical Preservation Society Holds Plaque Unveiling/Dedication for ...
On Thursday, the Historical Preservation Society of Cherokee County hosted the unveiling of the Alabama Historical Commission plaque for Estes 


Blind Horse Pow Wow celebrates Alabama's Native American heritage
Alabama's rich Native American history takes center stage at an event in east Alabama. The Blind Horse Pow Wow is a celebration featuring a drum ...


Stunning White Cliffs of Alabama hint at the forces that shaped the Black Belt - al.com
“The tiny shells and plates of the chalk-forming plankton rained down upon the sea floor for many millions of years,” Lacefield writes in his book.

Joseph Goodman's 'We Want Bama' tells story of Alabama's unforgettable 2020 season - al.com
AL.com columnist's first book published this week. ... but Alabama's 2020 football season was the second draft of what wound up being Joseph ...


Happy Home Baptist marks 100 years in Henagar community
Wendell Dutton presented a certificate to the church on behalf of the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission. “It was a great day,” said church ...

“It's monumental for Africatown and coastal Alabama,” said David Clark, ... “Welcome Center” that will located near the Old Plateau Cemetery.


Legacy of Harold A. Franklin, Auburn University's first African American student, preserved at ...
... earning a master's degree in international studies from the University of Denver and teaching history at Alabama State University, ...


Lineville's Pleasant Grove Baptist marks 150 years
Calvin Milford of the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission and Bruce Willis, director of missions for Carey Baptist Association, ...


First All-Black Crew of Pilots Make History With Flight to Tuskegee
Captains Kyle Green and Johnny Frye made history by becoming the first all-Black crew to land a C-21 aircraft in Alabama's Sharp Field, formerly known ...


Art exhibition to feature works of current, formerly incarcerated individuals
... Alabama Department of Corrections, Alabama Department of Archives and History, Ingram State Technical College, and the Bureau.


'American Pickers' to film in Alabama, looking for locations - Valley Times-News
“American Pickers,” a History Channel hit television series, plans to film episodes throughout Alabama in February 2022, according to a press ...


'Walking Tour of Historic Madison' mobile app teachers users abou | rocketcitynow.com
MADISON, Alabama — Multiple city of Madison orginizations are teaming up to bring residents a new way to learn about the city's history: the ...

One-woman stage play will benefit Monroe Museum Endowment | Clarke County Democrat
The Alabama Historical Association's Fall Pilgrimage was held at Historic Blakeley State Park in Baldwin County Saturday. Members toured the.
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Friday, November 12, 2021

Alabama Photos of the Day: Remember the Historama?

No, I don't either. Let's investigate.


On January 9, 1965, Battleship Memorial Park opened in Mobile as the final resting place of the USS Alabama battleship. One of several U.S. Navy ships named after the state, this massive vessel had been commissioned on August 16, 1942. After service in World War II, the Alabama and other battleships of its class were decommissioned in 1947. 

By 1962 the ship was scheduled to be scrapped, but the state formed a commission in September 1963 to raise money to bring the vessel to Mobile. Something close to $100,000 was raised in spare change from school children; I helped in that effort and have the receipt to prove it. The battleship is now the centerpiece of a 155-acre park that includes the USS Drum, a submarine, and an aircraft pavilion with two dozen warplanes that is dedicated to the state's Medal of Honor winners. 

I recently came across some photos of an attraction that opened soon after the park itself, but apparently did not operate long. On May 15, 1966, something called the Alabama Historama began operation. According to the blurb on the back of one of the postcards below, the Historama was a "unique attraction. Visited by people from all over the United States and the world." Really?

Another postcard declares, "The only attraction of its kind in the country. The complete history of the State is depicted in diorama displays, among which are Indian massacres, naval engagements, Civil War battles and the world's largest relief map of Alabama." 

Below are two photographs and four postcards, which represent most of what I've found on the Historama. The Alabama Secretary of State's Business Entity Records gives us a bit more. Alabama Historama, Inc., formed in Mobile on October 9, 1964, by Cecil K. Dickey, Lou N. Maier, Tom P. Ollinger and Alton H. Maier. Some $10,000 in capital was authorized and $7800 was "paid in."

I believe I found all four individuals at the Find-A-Grave site. Cecil K. Dickey [22 Nov 1924-17 Sept 1974] and Alton Henry Maier [27 Mar 1905-13 Feb 1976] are buried in Mobile Memorial Gardens, as is Maier's wife Essie Lou Newberry Maier [21 Jul 1918-3 Nov 2009]. Thomas Potter "Tom" Ollinger [28 Nov 1922-5 Feb 2015] is buried in Pine Crest Cemetery in Mobile. Ollinger founded a construction company that built "many local landmarks in Baldwin and Mobile Counties." 

If you have any information about the Historama, feel free to tell us in the comments section. Of great interest would be how long it operated and what happened to the building. I've found nothing about it except the photos, postcards and bits of information in this post. Perhaps Hurricane Frederic wiped away the building as it came into Mobile Bay in 1979. 




A billboard and train advertise the Historama on Battleship Parkway in Mobile. 

Source: Alabama Dept of Archives & History



A color photo of the billboard from a slightly different angle

Source: Alabama Dept of Archives and History 




Source: Author's personal collection



Another postcard view of the Historama building

Source: Alabama Dept of Archives and History




Source: CardCow.com 



Source: Mississippi Dept of Archives & History




Alabama and Historama Railway, Inc. 







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Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Alabama History & Culture News: November 10 edition

 


Here's the latest batch of links to just-published Alabama history and culture articles. Most of these items are from newspapers, with others from magazines and TV and radio station websites. Some articles may be behind a paywall. Enjoy!


Dive into Capri Theatre's history this weekend during Montgomery Film Festival
Along with Carples two short films, three others have ties to Alabama. * Obed Lamy's “Once Forgotten” is linked to Montgomery. It's a documentary that ...


'Sweet spirit' as Dutton Baptist Church celebrates centennial
Chris Guinn, director of missions for Sand Mountain Baptist Association, brought greetings, and Wendell Dutton of the Alabama Baptist Historical ...

Pioneer Museum of Alabama celebrates 50 years - The Troy Messenger
“Here, the history of Alabama pioneers is kept alive for all ages,” Smith said. “The extremely large number of artifacts and outbuildings is ...

Amelia Boynton Robinson gets statue bust by Alabama Department of Archives History
A Selma Civil Rights Icon received a bust by the Alabama Department of Archives History on Monday in Montgomery. Amelia Boynton Robinson is one of ...


The Southern Star, Alabama's oldest family owned newspaper, under new owners - WSFA
Little says he doesn't plan to knock the Adam's family out of their history. Joe Adams column Star Scribe's Scribblings will continue to be apart of ...

Photographic Exhibit in Selma Aims to Identify Bloody Sunday Foot Soldiers - Alabama News
Keith Hebert is the Draughon professor of Southern History at Auburn. “We started this effort in mid-August of 2021 and so far we've identified about ...


Alabama honors 2 women who fought for voting rights with statues at Archives & History - al.com
Pattie Ruffner Jacobs, (1875-1935) was Alabama's leading suffrage activist, founding the Alabama Equal Suffrage Association and serving as its ...

DON NOBLE: Charles McNair's new novel Is a transgressive thriller - Tuscaloosa News
Charles McNair, Dothan native and University of Alabama graduate, has two previous novels: “Land O'Goshen,” 1994, a novel set in a dystopic future ...
Orange Baptist has 'good day' celebrating 125th anniversary
Other guest speakers were Loyd Griffus and Jerry Hester, the church's only former pastors who are still living. The church's original altar table was ...

Birmingham Squadron win first game in franchise history, defeat Greensboro Swarm 128-117
Former Auburn star Jared Harper led the team with 35 points and six assists, with Joe Young scoring 30 points as well. Former Alabama star John Petty ...


Auburn University to dedicate marker for first Black student 2 months after his death - WBRC
He earned a master's degree in international studies from the University of Denver and taught history at Alabama State University, North Carolina ...


He managed the Police, founded a punk rock label ... and has strong ties to Alabama - al.com
For proof, just take a look at his new memoir, “Two Steps Forward, One Step Back: My Life in the Music Business.” The book, published in June by ...


Alabama Department of Archives and History to unveil statues of voting rights icons - Selma Sun
The Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH) in Montgomery will unveil statues of voting rights icons, Amelia Boynton Robinson and Pattie ...

Funeral services will take place Thursday at 11 a.m. at Cullman Funeral Home Chapel with internment in Bethlehem East Cemetery in Hanceville.
Selma historic organizations receive grants from Alabama Historical Commission - Selma Sun
Several organizations in Selma have received funds from the Alabama Historical Commission's 2022 Historic Sites Grants Program.

On March 27, 1961, the boy was picked up on Alabama Highway 25, ... He was eventually buried in the Centreville Memorial Cemetery on Mill Street ...

Opinion | It's time for UA to recognize its queer past
Creating a Gay Student Union on The University of Alabama's campus was not as ... Learning about this history would allow LGBTQ students to draw ...

Rare book given to Owens museum after long quest to find it | Raleigh News & Observer
“I love history and with my appreciation for Jesse Owens and what he ... He was an exceptional athlete and a wonderful part of Alabama history and ...



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