Carnegie Libraries in Alabama

Between 1900 and 1916 grants for "Carnegie" libraries were awarded to 19 locations in Alabama. Let's investigate.

In 1880 businessman Andrew Carnegie began a philanthropic enterprise unlike few others in history--he gave cities money to build libraries. Lots of cities. Around the world. The first grants were given in his native Scotland and then his adopted home, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. That first one in Scotland opened in 1883 and the final one in 1929; in those decades more than 2500 libraries were built. Most were in the U.S. and Europe, but a few were in places like Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Fiji. Some 1681 of those libraries opened in the United States, a large percentage of the nation's libraries of 3500 by 1919. A study in 1992 found that 1554 of the original buildings in the U.S. still existed and over 900 were still being used as libraries. 

The following images of Alabama's Carnegie libraries are in alphabetical order by city. All photos, postcards, etc. are via Alabama Mosaic unless otherwise noted. Some of these photographs [and others on the Alabama Mosaic site] have specific dates in November and December 1910. However, no photographer or source is given. Perhaps the Carnegie Institute had someone in the state documenting these structures. As noted below, only two of the original Carnegie libraries in Alabama still operate as libraries. 

Two Alabama Carnegie libraries are not pictured. The Avondale library in Birmingham opened in 1908 and operated as a library until 1961. The one at Talladega College burned in 1963. 

You can read some of my other posts on aspects of Alabama library history here.

Postcard of the Carnegie library in Anniston from the 1920's. Operated as a library 1918-1965

This Carnegie library was on the Alabama Polytechnic Institute campus in Auburn. The photograph was taken in October 1910; the library had been dedicated on December 2 of the previous year. The building is now Auburn University's Martin Hall and houses offices.

Inside the library at API on October 19, 1910

Photograph of the Bessemer library, probably 1940's. Now the Chamber of Commerce offices.

Birmingham's West End library as it looked on December 17, 1910. Operated as a library until 1962.

Decatur's Carnegie library in October 1910; an interior shot is below. Operated as a library 1904-1976.

Ensley library photographed in 1910. Operated as a library 1906-1955

Eufaula library around 1910. This library and the one in Union Springs are the only two Carnegie structures in Alabama that are still operating as libraries. 

Interior of the Eufaula library around 1910

Postcard of the Carnegie library in Gadsden from the early 20th century. Operated as a library 1906-1955.

"The Huntsville Public Library was built in 1915 with a grant from the Carnegie Library building fund. This building served Huntsville until 1966 when the building was demolished for a parking garage. In 1915 the Huntsville population was 5,000 people. When the building was razed the population had grown to 100,000." [quote from Alabama Mosaic entry]

I remember going to this library as a boy; the children's section, known as the Longfellow Reading Room, was in the basement and can be seen below. No date is attached to this photo at the Alabama Mosaic site, but it would seem to predate my years there in the late 1950's-early 1960's. 

"Pictured in front of the bookmobile at the Huntsville Public Library when it was housed in the Carnegie building are board member Mrs. Claude Davis, council member James E. Davis, library director Elizabeth Parks Beamgaurd and County Commission Chairman Roy Stone."

Date unknown

I've done a post on bookmobiles in Alabama.

Circulation desk at the Carnegie library in Huntsville, date unknown

A gathering of presumably faculty and students outside the Carnegie library on the Alabama A&M campus near Huntsville, date unknown. 

Postcard of the Carnegie library at Judson College in Marion before 1920. Now Bean Hall, which houses the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame.

Postcard of the Montgomery library, early 20th century

Postcard of the Selma library, early 1920's 

"Mrs. Lou McElderry Jemison donated the land and $10,000 towards building Talladega's Public Library in 1906. Robert S. West was the contractor who built the library. It served as the main library until a new library was constructed directly behind this one in the 1970's. This example of a Jemison-Carnegie library is one of only four remaining Carnegie-affiliated buildings in Alabama. The building now serves as the home to the Heritage Hall Museum for local history and the arts."

Source: Wikipedia 

This card of the Troy library is postmarked February 26, 1911

The Tuskegee Institute library on November 29, 1910. The building operated as a library from 1901-1932, and now houses offices.

Inside the Carnegie library at Tuskegee Institute early 20th century

Union Springs Carnegie library around 2000. This library and the one in Eufaula are the only two Carnegie structures in Alabama still operating as libraries. 

In library school at UA I wrote a paper on the formation of this library; a major primary source was the local newspaper. My work is available here. 

An abstract:

Carnegie Comes to Union Springs. The Development of an Alabama Public Library. A Research Proposal

This proposal examines the formation of the Carnegie Library at Union Springs, Alabama, in the context of the rural society from which it grew. It is suggested that the availability of detailed research into the dynamics of this library's formation may help historians identify factors that support the advent of public libraries, regardless of their locations, and may assist the library profession to better articulate methods to help floundering public libraries. It is proposed that several independent variables be examined in varying depth, including: (1) the confluence of Carnegie's philanthropy with the local philanthropic impulse and civic pride; (2) local leadership from elected officials, library association members, and community leaders; (3) the presence of supporters of the local subscription library and their backgrounds; (4) the presence of enough wealth in the county to support Carnegie's matching funds requirement; (5) the backing of the local newspaper; (6) the influence of populism; and (7) the presence of general cultural factors--e.g., the public library movement throughout the southeast, the growth of public education, and the relative lack of racial and political turmoil. (22 references) 

Three Alabama Music Albums

I've recently been going through the several hundred vinyl records that Dianne and I own. Talk about a trip down memory lane. In among all the albums by It's a Beautiful Day, Jefferson Airplane, Hayden and Mozart, etc., I've so far found three with Alabama connections. Let's investigate.

The Locust Fork Band formed in Tuscaloosa in 1974 and has survived to the present day. The group combines performances of cover songs with a few originals and has often played festivals, including City Stages in Birmngham in 1989 and 1998.

The album I have is Playing 'Possum released in 1978. According to the brief BhamWiki entry on the band linked in the previous paragraph, they recorded a 30th anniversary album at Workplay in Birmingham in 2004. I have run across mention of an album called Overnight Success and wonder if that's it. However, I've found little else online beyond what's discussed below. 

The band continues to perform on occasion. This 2009 appearance at the Bottletree Cafe in Birmingham benefited the Black Warrior Riverkeeper organization. I have run across references to other performances in 2015 and 2017. The group maintains a Facebook page. You can read an interview with singer Nida Threet before their set at the 2015 Blueberry Jam Festival in Fairhope here.

This release is a real obscurity, featuring a jazz duo of singer Beth Jackson and singer/keyboardist Joe Hardin. Small World Records in Huntsville released the album of mostly jazz standards. 

Small World Records was apparently a part of the Smith Music Group. Their web site, which has a 2004 date and is apparently abandoned, has this description: "Small World Records, an independent label started in 1981, is credited with over 100 releases. The back catalog is out of print and there are no current releases."

I would think I acquired this album before Dianne and I left Auburn in the summer of 1980, but maybe not. I've tried searching online various combinations of the artists' names etc but have found nothing. 

I did post a query on Facebook's Huntsville Rewound group and received some helpful responses. Jackson and Hardin attended Grissom High School and played at a popular downtown place still in business, the Kaffeeklatsch. Drank a few cups there with friends myself over the years. Hardin is currently a professor in the English Department at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith. He spent 23 years as a professional keyboard player, guitarist, songwriter and singer. No one offered any more information about Jackson or about Small World Records. 

This album is the oldest in the bunch. Childhaven is a children's home in Cullman associated with the Church of Christ. The facility has a long history that you can read about here.

Dr. Jim Wright, Executive Director of Childhaven, was kind enough to give me some background details on this album in an email to me on January 31, 2018:

"Del Brock was the college age (or a upper high school?) aged son of Barney Brock.  Barney was the first superintendent at Childhaven, coming in 1950 and leaving around 1964.  Del remains in Cullman, and is a member of our board of directors.  During those years, Del directed a chorus made up of Childhaven residents.  The chorus would travel and appear in churches, as a pr and fundraising arm for Childhaven.  They made one album - which you have a copy of.  (We have copies here in our archives.  The vinyl and jackets in our collection are not clearly dated - but we are pretty sure it is around 1962 - 63 when it was produced.  Del is uncertain as to the exact age."  

If you have more information about any of these albums and individuals, feel free to tell us in the comment section!

Birmingham Photo of the Day (62): Enslen Building

Eugene F. Enslen, Jr. [1858-1941] was a Birmingham banker, real estate developer and elected official. This three story office building on 21st Street North had some other uses as well before being demolished in 1913. The Ridgely Apartments were constructed on the site; today that building is the Tutwiler Hotel.

In 1890 the Birmingham High School began operating in the building; previously classes had been held since 1883 in rented quarters nearby. In 1906 a high school building was finally constructed on 7th Avenue South. The reorganized Birmingham Public Library also operated in the building from 1891 until moving into the new city hall in 1903.  

A hotel operated in the Enslen building in its final years.

Source: Birmingham Public Library Digital Collections

Quick Visit to a North Alabama Town: Florette

On one of my trips last year to Huntsville, I took a side journey along Alabama Highway 67 and passed through the town of Florette in Morgan County. I thought I would do one of the "quick visit" posts I've done on the blog about various places, and here's what I discovered about Florette.

According to Virginia Foscue's Place Names in Alabama, the settlement was originally named Nunn's Mill after a business in the area. S.W. Nunn rose to the rank of major in the Confederate cavalry. After the war he became tax commissioner of Morgan County in September 1865. Born in 1838, Nunn died in 1884 and is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Birmingham.

In 1878 a post office opened in the town and the name was changed to Florette. Foscue doesn't give a source for this name, although "floret" is a small flower, so perhaps there's some connection. This Florette is the only such name listed in the U.S. Geological Survey's Geographic Names Information System. The post office closed in 1907.

In the early twentieth century the Alabama Official & Statistical Register for 1943 gave the 1940 population as 541; 1930 as 534; and 416 for 1920. Florette's population is not listed in either the 2000 or 2010 census. The area is served by Albert P. Brewer High School, which opened in 1972 when five other schools were combined.

Florette is located in eastern Morgan County on Alabama Highway 67. Other towns on this map that I've visited and written about include Cotaco, Lacey's Spring and Valhermoso Springs. 

Source: Alabama Maps Digital Collection at UA

If you are driving too fast on Alabama 67, you may miss the Florette sign. 

This lovely house was the first thing I spotted in Florette.

Santa Gertrudis is a breed of cattle developed on the King's Ranch in Texas. This sign notes the location of the state's affiliate of the Santa Gertrudis Breeders International organization. The entry there gives this information:

ALABAMA SANTA GERTRUDIS ASSOCIATION

Officers: Charles Sandlin - President

                  Lamar Kelly - 1st Vice President

                  Scotty Hopper - 2nd Vice President

                  Betty Kelso-Clough - Secretary/Treasurer

Alabama Santa Gertrudis History:

The Alabama Santa Gertrudis Association (ASGA) was organized by a group of Alabama breeders in 1974 and became an SGBI affiliate in 1975.  Under the leadership of Mrs. Ann Upchurch a Federally designated 501(c)(3) Youth Fund was established.  Activities, which have historically been sponsored by ASGA include annual sale, field days, seminars, cattle demonstrations, open shows, junior shows, social gatherings, etc.

A Santa Gertrudis bull and cows with calves

Source: Wikipedia 

The stretch of Alabama Highway 67 through Morgan County has signs such as this one I spotted in Florette. I wondered about William Biles. 

A stone memorial stands on the grounds of the Morgan County Courthouse in Decatur that honors county law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. Charles William "Bill" Biles is the final name listed; he worked for the Morgan County Sheriff's Office and died in 1985. You can see a photo of Deputy Biles and some remembrances here. 

Source: Waymarking 

SouthTrust Bank Calculator

Banks have come and gone frequently in recent years, or at least changed owners and names. My mother came across this calculator at her home in Huntsville, so I thought I would investigate the history of this once prominent bank in Alabama and the Southeast. The calculator will be going into my brother Richard's collection of memorabilia associated with merged or defunct banks in the state.

South Trust Bank began life as the Birmingham Trust and Savings Company in December 1887. The bank's first building opened in 1902 and can be seen in the postcard below. A national charter was obtained in 1946, and the bank became the Birmingham Trust National Bank or BTNB. Branches began to appear in the late 1940's and 1950's. As the BhamWiki entry notes, "BTNB was the first financial institution in the nation to introduce what was termed at the time an 'automated central information system' in 1971."

After some regional acquisitions, the bank's holding company became South Trust Company in 1981. The bank and its branches were renamed South Trust Bank in 1982. The company began aggressive acquisitions in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, the Carolinas and Texas. By 1990 South Trust was the largest bank in Alabama.

In 2004 the bank reached 712 branches and $53 billion in assets. Naturally bigger fish came calling, and the company was acquired by Wachovia on November 1 of that year. By October 2005 the South Trust name was gone from Birmingham and elsewhere in Alabama. In 2013 the name and trademarks were acquired by a Texas bank.  

South Trust Tower in downtown Birmingham in 2005. The building became known as the Wachovia Tower after they acquired South Trust and is now the Wells Fargo Tower.

Source: BhamWiki

Source: BhamWiki

Birmingham Trust's first building opened in 1902 and was replaced in 1922.

Source: Alabama Mosaic 

Movies with Alabama Connections: Birthright (1939)

I recorded this film when it appeared on TCM a few months ago, and recently got around to watching it. Here's what I found.

Our story begins with Alabama author T.S. Stribling and his 1922 novel Birthright. Although born in Tennessee, Stribling spent some of his early life in Lauderdale County on the farm of his maternal grandparents. He graduated from college at what is now the University of North Alabama and from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1907. 

Stribling moved to Nashville and set up practicing law. Before long he was writing magazine articles and doing newspaper reporting in Chattanooga. In 1917 his first novel, Cruise of the Dry Dock was published, and Birthright followed five years later after first appearing in seven parts in Century Magazine. Before his death in Florence in 1965 he had published 16 novels, many articles and dozens of detective, science fiction and adventure stories in various pulp magazines.

His best known work is probably The Store, which won a Pulitzer Prize in 1932. The novel was the middle work of a trilogy; the other two are The Forge (1930) and Unfinished Cathedral (1934). Set in the Florence-Lauderdale County area in the antebellum period, the works deal with subjects and injustices that displeased local residents. Despite the trilogy's international success, Stribling did not return to Florence for many years.

Birthright is the story of mulatto Peter Siner who leaves his small hometown in Tennessee to get an education at Harvard. He returns with high hopes of building a school for black children and initiating changes between blacks and whites, but is unable to overcome prejudices supporting the status quo. He eventually relocates north of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Two years after Birthright appeared in book form, African-American novelist and filmmaker Oscar Micheaux made his first film version. This silent film is currently presumed lost. Between 1919 and 1948 Micheaux made numerous films; he was perhaps the most important African-American filmmaker in the U.S. in the first half of the 20th century. Largely forgotten by the time he died in 1951, Michaeux's life and work have attracted wide interest in recent years. 

The subject of Stribling's novel obviously interested Michaeux, who returned to it in 1939. Although crude by modern standards, the film is an earnest and fascinating portrait of a young man far ahead of his time--much like Michaeux himself. Upon his return to his hometown, Peter Siner is immediately taken advantage of by a local banker, much to the amusement of local whites and the chagrin of Siner's friends. The incident just confirms the prejudices of many whites about black abilities.

Throughout the film, Siner retains his dignity despite the frustrations of his hopes and goals. The film explores relations in the black community, including romantic ones, as well as the ways in which whites and blacks dealt with each other in the South during the Jim Crow era. 

I can understand why the black actors appeared in this film. Beyond the obvious reason of employment, these performers knew of Micheaux who was well established by 1939. The real puzzle is the white actors who played racist Southerners; why did they do it? I can imagine friends and relatives might not have been pleased if they found out. But then such a film would not be marketed to whites or seen by many. 

Like all silent and early sound films, the 1939 Birthright will seem crude by today's standards or even when compared to the slick Hollywood productions of the day. But Micheaux's film raises important issues and offers fascinating glimpses of the society in which it was filmed. 

 

Source: Encyclopedia of Alabama

Title page and two of the several illustrations from Stribling's novel.

Source: Internet Archive

Two scenes from the film

Oscar Micheaux [1884-1951]

Source: Wikipedia

U.S. postage stamp issued in 2010