Alabama History & Culture News: August 16 edition

For a number of years I've been posting links to just-published Alabama history and culture articles in the "alabamahistory" group at Yahoo!Groups. Most of the articles are from newspapers, with others from magazines and TV and radio websites. You can subscribe to the emails there if you wish; I send out two or three a week along with relevant meeting announcements and so forth. 

Here's the latest batch:

Lawmakers vow to preserve historic tribal cemetery in path of border wall plans WWLP.com Fifty to 150 graves are located at the historic Eli Jackson Cemetery, which is in such a remote .... children, fled from Alabama to the banks of the Rio Grande because they were being persecuted under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.

On the Beat with Harper Lee The New York Review of Books How do you write the history of a book that was never written, by an author ... In Nixburg, Alabama, in the 1970s, friends and family of the charming ...

'200 Years Of Forgotten Alabama' Author To Present Program Thursday NorthEscambia.com The book features photographs of abandoned structures from all 67 of ... Wills has two other books – Forgotten Alabama and Forgotten Alabama 2.

Historic Home Atop Shades Mountain Listed At $2 Million Patch.com It is registered on the National Register of Historic Places, the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage and on the Jefferson County Historical ...

Watch the trailer for 'The Crown', directed by Alabama photographer AL.com Netflix finally dropped our first look at season three of the popular historical drama series, this time starring Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman as ...

The story behind Alabama barn quilts AL.com All that history is documented in “Pieced Together,” a documentary about ... Anthony and Kitty Hackney, install the blocks on barns around Alabama.

UAH Archives and Department of History to Erect Historical Marker on Campus UAH News (press release) The University of Alabama in Huntsville History Department, in conjunction with M. Louis Salmon Library Archives & Special Collections, plans to erect ...

On this day in Alabama history: Satchel Paige struck out nine Kansas City Monarchs Alabama NewsCenter Mobile native Satchel Paige had signed with the Chattanooga Black Lookouts in the semi-pro baseball leagues in 1926 but that team sold his contract ...

On this day in Alabama history: Albert James Pickett was born

Alabama NewsCenter

He wrote about science, agriculture and history. His definitive work was his “History of Alabama and Incidentally of Georgia and Mississippi from the ...

On this day in Alabama history: Earthquake shook Huntsville and north Alabama Alabama NewsCenter An earthquake centered in Hazel Green in Madison County shook Huntsville and was felt over a 25-mile radius on this day in 1959. There were no ...

Were you Rosie the Riveter? Alabama-founded group wants you AL.com Then an 18-year-old fresh out of high school in Kimberly, Alabama, she did her part during World War II taking shorthand and typing for military officers ...

My Turn: Betty Cotter: The evolution of Miss Alabama [Hannah Brown] The Providence Journal My Turn: Betty Cotter: The evolution of Miss Alabama .... Contestants who reveal something about their family or dating history are praised for being ...

On this day in Alabama history: Julia Smith Oliver was born Alabama NewsCenter Julia Oliver was a social worker and head administrator of what now is the AlabamaDepartment of Human Resources. She was born on this day in ...

Anniston library hosts author of 'Forgotten Alabama' books Mesabi Daily News The summer is winding down but there's still time for vacations. If you're on a “stay-cation” instead, why not take time to read a book? Here are two I ...

Inside the Statehouse: The Story of Floyd Mann Trussvilletribune One of the legendary figures in Alabama political lore is Floyd Mann. ... the Patterson administration that Mann made his mark in Alabama history.

On this day in Alabama history: First-ever blues record by a black singer was made Alabama NewsCenter Perry Bradford was born in Montgomery and left a legacy as a songwriter, bandleader, promoter and composer. Bradford is credited with breaking ...

Hartselle farmer makes history with new breed of sheep Hartselle Enquirer Alabama will make culinary history with the debut of the Australian White USA Sheep Aug. 14 at Fagerman Farm in Hartselle. Owner Daniel Fagerman ...

On this day in Alabama history: Marla Townsend became UAB's first softball coach Alabama NewsCenter Marla Townsend became UAB's first softball coach on this day in 1998 when Athletic Director Gene Bartow announced her hiring. The team played its ...

Movies with Alabama Connections: Mister Roberts

"Mr. Roberts" began life as a novel by Thomas Heggen first published in 1946. The story subsequently appeared in a 1948 play, 1955 film, 1965-66 television show, and a 1984 live broadcast TV movie. The most famous of all is no doubt the 1955 film that starred James Cagney, Henry Fonda, Jack Lemmon and the great William Powell in his last film role. I recently watched it again for the first time in a while and naturally my ears perked up at a couple of mentions of Alabama.

Heggen served on board two cargo ships in the South Pacific during World War II. He developed his novel from short stories he wrote based on that experience as an assistant communications officer on the USS Virgo and the USS Rotanin. His novel was an immediate hit and quickly sold over a million copies. Heggen collaborated with producer-director Joshua Logan on the play two years later. Henry Fonda starred as the title character, and the play was also a major success. Heggen and Logan shared the first Tony Award for Best Play.

Heggen did not live to see the film's success; he drowned in his bathtub after a sleeping pills overdose in May 1949.

The film's two mentions of Alabama are related to the crew's shore leave toward the end of the film. To put it mildly, through most of the story the crew has been kept on a tight leash by the unpopular captain of the USS Reluctant. When finally given shore leave, the crew indulges in some serious drinking and high jinks. You can read about some of it below. 

Mister Roberts is a funny movie with great performances by all and well worth watching if you haven't seen it. You can read the plot details at the Wikipedia entry. 

I have no idea if these Alabama references below appear in the novel or the play or how they ended up in the film instead of, say, Georgia. Original director John Ford had to bow out due to health issues. The film was finished by Joshua Logan, co-author of the play and director of the Broadway production. Logan was born in Texas and grew up in Louisiana, so there's a least a southern connection there.  

Here are the four main characters: Ensign Pulver [Jack Lemmon], Captain Morton [James Cagney], Mr. Roberts [Henry Fonda] and Doc [William Powell]. Also in the cast are a number of other well-known names and character actors including Betsy Palmer, Ward Bond, Ken Curtis, Nick Adams and one of John Wayne's children, Patrick Wayne. 

Shore Patrol Officer: A little while ago, six men from your ship broke into the home of the French Colonial governor. They started throwing things through a plate glass living room window. We found some of the things on the lawn. Large world globe. Small love seat. A lot of books. A bust of Balzac. The French writer. We also found an Army private first class. He was unconscious at the time. He claims they threw him, too.

Lt. j.g. Douglas A. Roberts: Through the window?

Shore Patrol Officer: That's right. It seems he took them there for a little joke. He didn't tell 'em it was a governor's house. He told 'em is was, uh... well, what we call in Alabama...

Lt. j.g. Douglas A. Roberts: Yeah, we call it the same thing in Nebraska.

Shore Patrol Officer: Well, that's about all, Lieutenant. If it makes you feel any better, Admiral Wentworth says this is the worst ship he's ever seen in his entire naval career.

Quote Source: IMDB

Near the end of the movie Ensign Pulver is going through his pieces during mail call. He picks up the first item, smells it, smiles and says, "Ahh, Alabama, I'll save that one for later."

Presumably "Alabama" is the woman Pulver met on shore leave; he comes back to the ship in a rather dreamy, satisfied mental state!

Alabama History & Culture News: August 9 edition

For a number of years I've been posting links to just-published Alabama history and culture articles in the "alabamahistory" group at Yahoo!Groups. Most of the articles are from newspapers, with others from magazines and TV and radio websites. You can subscribe to the emails there if you wish; I send out two or three a week along with relevant meeting announcements and so forth. 

Here's the latest batch:

Scottsboro man selling 'Bear' Bryant's former car

WAFF

(WAFF) - A piece of college football history and Alabama history is in a garage ... “'Bear' Bryant was the head football coach at Alabama somewhere in ...

Former Banks High School has a long history in Birmingham CBS42.com A football game between Banks High and Woodlawn in 1974 is regarded by some as one of the biggest high school football games in Alabama history ...

On this day in Alabama history: Musician Charlie Stripling was born Alabama NewsCenter Charlie Melvin Stripling was born on this day in Pickens County. He acquired a fiddle as a teenager and became Alabama's most accomplished fiddler ...

On this day in Alabama history: Astronaut Jan Davis launched her last space flight Yellowhammer News Secretary of State John Merrill on Tuesday outlined the impact of Alabama Act 2019-507, which became effective on August 1 and establishes new ...

16th Annual Taste of 4th Ave. Jazz Festival

Birmingham Times

... Avenue Business District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, includes the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, The Colored Masonic Temple, ...

Old School Sing-a-long to go a long with Alabama's bicentennial celebration

Andalusia Star-News

To go along with the state of Alabama's bicentennial celebration, the Covington Historical Society is bringing back a favorite pastime for the local ...

Author and photographer to present work at Wild South event Sunday Moulton Advertiser His book, Alabama Outdoors: The Sky, the Sea, and All Between, offers a collection of photographs highlighting the state's diverse wildlife and ...

Weathering Life: the autobiography of James Spann Alabama NewsCenter As a youngster living in rural south Alabama, James Spann was fascinated by summertime thunderstorms and what lay behind them. “Almost every ...

Three generations of book authors: Mother, son and great-grandson share life experiences, stories Opelika Observer Authored by Auburn University graduate and Hartford, Alabama native Betty ... Those experiences gave her confidence in the book-writing world.

EPL puts Alabama, Enterprise history on display

The Southeast Sun

The Enterprise Public Library has set up an exhibit revolving around Alabama's and the city's history in celebration of the state's bicentennial and the ...

Alabama treasurer 'Honest Ike' stole $200000 and fled the state in 1883 AL.com He was praised for lowering Alabama's debt, perhaps earning him the ... according to the book, “AlabamaGovernors: A Political History of the State,” ...

On this day in Alabama history: Astronaut Jan Davis launched her last space flight Alabama NewsCenter Astronaut Jan Davis boarded her last flight into space on the Discovery, completing 189 orbits and traveling 4.7 million miles. She joined NASA in ...

Shah Rukh Khan's 'Zero' was shot in Alabama - Here's how you can explore it!

Zee News

A good portion of the movie was filmed in Huntsville, Alabama. ... In the center of Alabama are the historical cities of Birmingham and Montgomery.

Brittany Howard: “History Repeats” KCRW Brittany Howard is the driving force behind Alabama Shakes with her powerful voice, guitar style and presence. Inspired by a cross-country road trip ...

Tupper celebrates bicentennial with August events

Troy Messenger

Wills said he has traveled the entire state of Alabama, documenting ... “We invite all of those who are interested in Alabama's history to bring lunch and ...

Dread River is an Alabama Maker distilling spirits in style

Alabama NewsCenter

Dread River is an Alabama Maker distilling spirits in style ... is the largest distillery in Alabama, featuring a menu that celebrates Alabama's history.

Volunteers keep history alive in tiny Blountsville Alabama NewsCenter Indeed, in 2016 the Blountsville Historical Society was awarded the Small Town Preservation Award from the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation ...

Why are people leaving pennies on Harper Lee's grave?

AL.com

A simple granite stone marks the grave Alabama's most celebrated novelist, ... Another sister, Frances Lee Conner, is buried in Fairview Cemetery in ...

Possumhaw: Way back when

The Commercial Dispatch

R.C. White's book "Ten Million Kisses" turned over in my hands. ... Lois Cochran was a small-town girl from Alabama going to a nearby college.

TUSCALOOSA 200 MOMENT IN HISTORY: Papermaking in Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa News Papermaking in Tuscaloosa. The Tuskaloosa Paper Company began in 1849 as one of only two nineteenth-century Alabama papermills. The plant ...

Alabama bicentennial book has strong Houston County presence Dothan Eagle Alabama's newly released bicentennial book, benefitting fourth-grade ... spent over two years creating this unique book in Alabama's literary history.

On this day in Alabama history: Hamilton Cleverdon was born Alabama NewsCenter Cleverdon grew up with music in his Washington, D.C., home. When the family moved back to Birmingham he applied to the Alabama School of Fine ...

Mary's Antiques, Gifts & Beads in Huntsville

While in Huntsville recently to visit my mother Carolyn Shores Wright, Dianne and I decided to make a pilgrimage to Mary's Antiques, Gifts & Beads near downtown on Pratt Avenue. This trip was our second one to the shop, and probably won't be the last. Since Dianne makes jewelry, she was mostly interested in the beads available. Me? I like to wander through all the other stuff crammed into what was once a fairly large two-story home. 

More comments are below. 

OK, who's eaten Wheaties from that box and Premium Saltines from that tin container? 

Just enough room here to squeeze in a crucifix. 

One of the cool lady mannequins lurks in the upper right of this photo.

Naturally Coca Cola material has its own display area. One of my uncles once worked for a Coca Cola distributor, and his home was filled with such items up to and including dispensing machines. 

The store has lots of Christmas goodies scattered around. Many cobalt blue bottles, vases, etc, also...

What would a place like this be without pink flamingos? 

Here you can see some of the jewelry that hangs all over the store. Up front as you come in are bins of beads and such for jewelry making. 

Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara are locked in permanent embrace on the wall in the upper left.

As you might expect, the shop has narrow pathways throughout.

That box in the bottom middle contains black and white film stills mostly from 1970's releases. 

I spent a good bit of time examining several boxes of old postcards on shelves above these baby shoes. In among the postcards were some old photographs most with no individual identification and even some old photos AS postcards. Ah the humanity, the whole shop filled with detritus from other lives...

The Luzianne company started in Louisiana in 1902; the brand continues today on coffees, teas and other products. Betty White appeared in TV commercials for the brand in the 1950's, and Burl Ives did so for the tea in the 1970's and 1980's. 

I don't know how long Luzianne used this image; some more examples are here. 

Canada Dry Water?