Alabama Photos of the Day: the 1969 Sesquicentennial

The state of Alabama is currently in the midst of a multi-year bicentennial celebration. Congress admitted the Alabama Territory to the union on December 14, 1819. The Territory had been created on March 3, 1817. Events have been taking place all over the state to commemorate these important milestones and will continue through 2019.

In July 1968 Alabama Governor Albert Brewer established a Sesquicentennial Commission to develop and oversee activities commemorating the state's 150th  anniversary the following year. Below are some photographs and other materials related to that event and some further comments.

Sesquicentennial Commission at a restaurant lunch meeting in 1968

Left to right: Joe Farley, Judge C. J. Coley, Paul Felts, Mrs. William Nicrosi, Governor Albert Brewer, Katherine McTyeire, Harry Pritchett, George McBurney, and Milo B. Howard Jr. Howard was the director of the state archives. 

Source: Alabama Mosaic

Another photo of a luncheon meeting

Left to right: Paul Felts, Judge C. J. Coley, Mrs. William Nicrosi, Joe Farley, Milo B. Howard Jr., Robert Rockhold (state coordinator, an employee of the Commission), Governor Albert Brewer, Katherine McTyeire, woman from Luckie Forney, Inc. (advertising firm employed by the Commission), and Martin Darity (with his back to the camera).

Source: Alabama Mosaic

Members of the Alabama congressional delegation standing with the 22-star United States flag created by the Alabama Sesquicentennial Commission. The flag flew at the U.S. Capitol between 11:30 a.m. and noon on September 18, 1969. Among those pictured are George Andrews (third from left), John Sparkman (center), Katherine McTyeire (chairman of the Commission), and James B. Allen (fourth from right). 

Source: Alabama Mosaic

Alabama's 22-star flag flying at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. The flag flew between 11:30 a.m. and noon. Because Alabama was the twenty-second state admitted to the union, one of the commission's projects was the creation of this 22-star United States flag.

Source: Alabama Mosaic

Milo Howard and Katherine McTyeire with a security guard before hoisting Alabama's 22-star flag over the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. 

Source: Alabama Mosaic 

This stamp was issued on August 2, 1969, in Huntsville.

Source

Source: Alabama Mosaic 

A variety of medals were issued celebrating the Sesquicentennial. You can see more on eBay. 

This book was an "Official Sesquicentennial Guide" and contained eight chapters on various "History Circle Tours" through the state. 

Alabama's Bicentennial Stamp

Alabama will reach its bicentennial as a state in December 2019. Celebrations of various kinds have been underway since 2017, the year the Alabama Territory was created. As it did for the state's sesquicentennial in 1969, the U.S. Postal Service will issue a stamp in honor of the event. 

More comments are below. 

In 2015 I wrote five posts on stamps related to Alabama. You can find links to them here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5. 

More about U.S. stamps and postal history can be found here.

The new stamp will be issued on February 23 at Constitution Hall in Huntsville. The photo was taken at Cheaha State Park by Joe Miller. 

The post office issued this stamp in 1969 for the sesquicentennial on August 2, 1969, also in Huntsville. Back in April 2018 I wrote a post on the sesquicentennial activities in 1969.

In 1919 the Alabama Centennial Commission planned various activities to celebrate the milestone, but issuance of this half dollar was not one of them. The coin was finally struck by the U.S. Mint in 1921; follow the link to get the details of this convoluted story. The obverse of the coin features busts of William Wyatt, governor in 1819, and Thomas Kilby in 1919. 

Wikipedia also has a long entry on this coin.

Alabama's Centennial in 1919

In a previous post I've taken a look at Alabama's sesquicentennial activities in 1969 in celebration of statehood in 1819. I've also written about a few bicentennial activities going on this year. Now it's time to examine the state's centennial festivities in 1919. 

That celebration might be described as a "Marie Bankhead Owen" production. And who was Marie Bankhead Owen, you ask? Let's investigate.

Bankhead was born in 1869 into what became one of the state's premier political families in the late 19th and first half of the 20th centuries. Her father John H. Bankhead was a future U.S. representative and senator. Younger brother John H. Bankhead, Jr., also served in the U.S. Senate and another younger one, William B. Bankhead, rose to the office of Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Her mother Tallulah was the namesake for her niece, actress Tallulah Bankhead, daughter of William. 

In 1893 she married attorney Thomas McAdory Owen. Using her family's connections, Marie and Thomas convinced the state legislature to establish an Alabama History Commission and in 1901 the Alabama Department of Archives and History. At their initial meeting ADAH trustees appointed Thomas to lead the department, which was the first such entity in the nation. When Thomas died in 1920, Marie was appointed to the post and served until 1955, three years before her death. 

Marie began publishing in various magazines early in the 20th century, and became society and then features editor and writer for the Montgomery Advertiser from 1911 until 1917. By the time that 1919 centennial came around, she was ready to participate. She ultimately wrote six historical plays and four histories for schools related to the event. 

Below are title pages and links to the full texts for some of those writings by Owen. She would continue to write historical materials after the centennial and in 1927 even published a novel, Yvonne of Braithwaite. Also below is some information on the Alabama Centennial half dollar and a couple of other items. 

I've done a bit of preliminary research into a possible semi-centennial in 1869, but have found nothing so far. Since that was just four years after the end of the Civil War, I wouldn't be surprised if that anniversary had no formal celebration. 

Marie Bankhead Owen [1869-1958]

Source: Alabama Dept. of Archives & History

Source: Internet Archive

Source: Internet Archive

Source: Internet Archive

I don't know how long Paragon Press operated, but in 1928 they published a pamphlet celebrating their silver anniversary.

On February 17, 1918, the state legislature created the Alabama Centennial Commission. I'm not sure what else they did during the actual centennial period except issue Owen's publications. However, in September 1922 the Commission was apparently still operating.

Source: Internet Archive

In 1921 the U.S. Bureau of the Mint issued a half dollar to commemorate the state's centennial. The coin was designed by sculptor Laura Gardin Fraser. 

I wonder if David Holt was the only publicity director the commission had; if so, May 1 seems a bit late to be starting such promotion. 

Pensacola Journal 1 May 1919 via Chronicling America

Alabama on U.S. Postage Stamps (3): General Topics

In two previous posts here and here I've discussed numerous U.S. postage stamps related to African-Americans associated with Alabama. Below are some examples of stamps related to specific events in state history or the state generally. In future posts I'll cover additional people and topics. 

More about U.S. stamps and postal history can be found here. 





This stamp was issued on July  30, 2014 to commemorate the Civil War Battle of Mobile Bay. 



This stamp was released on April 2, 2002. All 50 states were featured in similar stamps, designed to look like tourist postcards from the 1930's and 1940's.




Issued August 2, 1969 to celebrate the state's sesquicentennial, this stamp features a camellia and a yellow-shafted flicker.  




Issued April 14, 1982




Issued on February 23, 1976, as part of a sheet featuring flags of all 50 states




Issued June 14, 2008 as part of the "Flags of Our Nation" series