Alabama History & Culture News: June 19 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!

Leeds author turns family legends into fantastic fiction loosely based on Leeds The Trussville Tribune She's a published author, poet, book illustrator, and artist. ... the life of a 1950s-era, multi-ethnic hillbilly family and community in Alabama.

Author explores lives of Alabama's first political family | DON NOBLE - Tuscaloosa News Tuscaloosa News The book details the huge contributions of the Bankhead family and ... Kari Frederickson of the University of Alabama is a veteran historian of ...

Charles McGee, hero aviator of the Tuskegee Airman, honored at Arlington burial - CNN CNN At one point, there was a military flyover that included Red Tail F-16's from the Alabama Air National Guard 187th Fighter Wing, a squadron ...

Tuskegee Airman Brig. Gen. Charles McGee laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetary WUSA9.com The celebrated Tuskegee Airman from Bethesda died at the age of 102 and was one of the last airmen still living. His funeral was in Chevy Chase in ...

Veteran Alabama sportswriter Rubin Grant honored among 50 'sports writing legends' Alabama NewsCenter Grant had said he wanted to pursue a career as a sportswriter and his city editor thought he was crazy. “I asked her why and she said, 'Because you ...

Birmingham's Sloss Furnaces venue offers history, industrial aesthetic for The World Games 2022 Alabama NewsCenter Sloss Furnaces became a National Historic Landmark in 1981. (Michael Tomberlin / Alabama NewsCenter). Aaron Hauck and Jay Kasten stand in a frying ...

Why Helen Keller story in history books is harmful to people with disabilities - Reckon South Reckon South Every year, the town of Tuscumbia, Alabama, puts on a production of the “The Miracle Worker” at Helen Keller's birthplace, Ivy Green.

Body of sailor returns home to Alabama 80 years after death at Pearl Harbor - CBS 42 CBS 42 Among the remains that were recently exhumed in Hawaii from the USS California that sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was a Geneva ...

Ashley M. Jones, Poet Laureate of Alabama, recites work at Gadsden State Community College Gadsden Times Ashley M. Jones made history in 2021 when she was named Poet Laureate of Alabama — the first Black poet to hold the title since its creation in ...

Book details history of Auburn aeronautics and aerospace engineering program Office of Communications and Marketing - Auburn University ... of Aerial Navigationand#8221; to Alabama Polytechnic Institute engineering students in 1909, stirring interest in this new-fangled concept.

Alabama slave ship, Clotilda, receives renewed importance during Juneteenth - NPR NPR ELLIOTT: Darron Patterson is president of the Clotilda Descendants Association. He says for too long, the slave history of Mobile was hidden.

Hepzibah Baptist Church in McCalla celebrates 175th anniversary The Alabama Baptist Sarah Walters of the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission presented a certificate. “After the past couple years confronting all the chaos created ...

Never underestimate the “Power of One” | News | moultonadvertiser.com Moulton Advertiser The group is responsible for the stately metal historical markers around ... For more information on this organization visit North Alabama History ...

When will repaired Lady in the Bay return to Alabama? - al.com AL.com READ MORE: This historic hotel is a snapshot of Alabama history. Barber also ordered a fiberglass Stonehenge replica, which is located in the ...

'Heart of a small town': Thomaston dreams of converting historic school into lively community hub

Montgomery Advertiser

When Connie Willamor steps out onto her big white house's front porch in Thomaston, Alabama, she can see a few things. First, she sees the old ...

Johnson, historical society reclaim cemetery's fallen headstones - The Madison Record The Madison Record Madison Station Historical Preservation Society members and other volunteers who recently repaired headstones in Old Madison Cemetery included ...

Hueytown Baptist Church celebrates 50th anniversary The Alabama Baptist Joyce Peters of the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission presented a plaque. “The 50th anniversary was a big celebration for our church as it ...

Historical Marker: St. James C.M.E. Church | News | unionspringsherald.com Union Springs Herald Reverend Jack McMillan was born on December 15, 1883, in Charleston, S.C., and died on January 23, 1902, in Midway, Alabama, according to the ...

Rediscovered documents detail Sojourner Truth's fight to save son in Alabama - CBS 42 CBS 42 It was a historic case of a Black woman seeking the release of her son from slavery prevailing in court against a white man.

These are the hottest temperatures ever recorded in each of Alabama's largest cities AL.com In the Birmingham area, the highest temperature ever recorded was 107°, set on July 29, 1930, according to historical data from the National ...

How a trans Birmingham man helped send his uncle to prison in the 16th Street Baptist bombing AL.com Petric Smith testified against Robert "Dynamite Bob" Chambliss in 1977 in the Birmingham bombing that killed four little girls.

Exploring the Clotilda, the last known slave ship in the U.S., brings hope - NPR NPR The discovery of the ship on an Alabama river bottom has fostered a renewed ... A cemetery sits on a hill by the highway, gravestones facing east ...

Alabama and the Six Triple Eight

Captain Abbie N. Campbell and Major Charity Adams inspect the first contingent of African American WACs sent overseas shortly after their arrival in England, 15 February 1945

Source: National Archives via National Museum of the U.S. Army

An interesting but little known unit of the American armed forces in World War II was the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. This group in the Women's Army Corps was the only female, black unit sent overseas in World War II. The 855 women, officers and enlisted, were led by Major Charity Adams. Most of the members of the five companies were postal clerks, but the battalion was self-sufficient and thus had its own cooks, mechanics and other supporting personnel. 

Enlistees trained in Georgia and sailed to Glasgow, Scotland, on February 3, 1945. By mid-February the unit had arrived in Birmingham, England, the location of their assignment. The women were faced with organizing unsorted mail that had been piling up in unheated hangers for as long as two years. Much of the mail had only partial names, nicknames, etc. Seven million Americans were stationed in the European Theater; 7500 were named Robert Smith. The estimated amount was 17 million items. 

What was expected to be a six month task was completed in three, by May 1945. Work continued around the clock, seven days a week; each shift sorted an estimated 65,000 pieces of mail. A unique index card system using serial numbers and ultimately involving 7 million cards, was devised to deal with partial and similar names. Another batch of mail was sorted in France, before the unit was disbanded on March 9, 1946, at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. 

Although unknown to the general public at the time, the 6888th earned accolades during their service and several since. On March 14, 2022, President Biden signed a bill awarding the unit a Congressional Gold Medal. A website devoted to the 6888th includes a listing of the veterans, at least 25 of whom were from Alabama. I note two First Lieutenants among them. 

I imagine each of these women had some interesting stories to tell....

UPDATE 1 August 2022

A recent article from the Associated Press by Jay Reeves profiles Romay Davis, a 102 year old veteran of the unit now living in Birmingham. She is not listed below, but is presumably the Romay Johnson listed in her home state of Virginia. 

UPDATE 17 February 2022

Two other recent articles are here and here. A Netflix film about the group was also recently announced. 

ALABAMA

Battle, Lillian Irma PVT; 

Brown, Dorothy Elizabeth PFC; 

Campbell, Abbie Noel CPT; 

Campbell, Addie Lee T4; 

Coleman, Willie Lee PVT; 

Davis, Elizabeth Mary PFC; 

Duncan, Lilian Willierob 1LT; 

Edwards, Eva PVT; 

Fairgood, Marcelene Lettice T4; 

Fry, Ruby L PVT; 

George, Christel Stocks T5; 

Greene, Irene Robinson PVT; 

House, Willie Mae PFC; 

Johnson, Felicia LaVon PVT; 

Maniece, Mary Rose PFC; 

Middlebrook, Susie Irma PFC; 

Moorehead, Jeanetta Lucile T5; 

Quarles, Minnie Bell PVT; 

Seymour, Tassie Mae PFC; 

Smith, Delores Hall PVT; 

Smith, Mary Frances T5; 

Steele, Hattie Irene PFC; 

Thomas, Ophelia Dark PVT; 

Walthall, Mary Louise PVT; 

Williams, Julia H 1LT

Members sorting mail

Source: National Archives via U.S. Army Center of Military History

Alabama History & Culture News: June 14 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!

It Came From the Archives: Alabama Midland Railroad created 'The Iron Link' for ... - Troy Today

Troy Today - Troy University

He holds a master's degree in American History from the University of South Alabama and is a frequent contributor to Alabama Heritage and Business ...

New film tells tale of former Alabama football player Wilbur Jackson - CBS 42 CBS 42 Alabama halfback Wilbur Jackson (80) finds he is only able to look at the ball as Notre Dame's defensive back Reggie Barnett moves in during the ...

50 years ago Relf sisters were sterilized against their wishes; now Alabama, apologize, write a check AL.com She'd completed copious research for the book, hired a Montgomery-based researcher, made a few trips south from her Brooklyn, N.Y. home. As a side, ...

Union soldiers from Alabama protected General Sherman as he burned down the South We Are The Mighty MIGHTY HISTORY. Union soldiers from Alabama protected General Sherman as he burned down the South. Team Mighty. Posted On June 13, 2022 07:03:34.

Auburn University puts 82 million-year-old dinosaur egg, discovered in west Alabama, on ...

Alabama NewsCenter

Jonathan Armbruster, director of the Auburn University Museum of Natural History, right, was joined by dinosaur egg discoverer and physician Dr.

Former Alabama All-American Robert Stewart dies at 55 - al.com AL.com The cause of death was not immediately disclosed. Regarded as one of the strongest players in Alabama football history, the 6-foot, 308-pound Stewart ...

Tuscaloosa World War II hero honored at the U.S. Navy Memorial - KCRG KCRG “History will not soon forget the lifetime and the service of Mr. McFarland and his dedication to our country, and to the great state of Alabama,” ...

Author Mark Pinsky stops in Montgomery to launch new book about 2004 Garden District slayings Montgomery Advertiser “Brutal, bloody murder is an unlikely intruder in the sedate Garden District of Montgomery, Alabama,” is the first sentence of Mark Pinsky's book ...

“Lady of Bones: A Novel” By: Carolyn Haines | Alabama Public Radio Alabama Public Radio Carolyn Haines of Semmes, Alabama is surely one of the most productive, indeed relentless, mystery writers of all time. The novel opens at Hilltop

New book about 2004 Springford murders reveals new details - WSFA WSFA The author of a new book about one of Montgomery's most high-profile murders will ... Charlotte and Brent Springford (Courtesy Univ. of Alabama).

Auburn unveils dinosaur egg display | News | auburnvillager.com Auburn Villager As Jonathan Armbruster, director of the Auburn University Museum of Natural History, explained, Alabama is rich in fossils … although not usually for ...

City may take over two cemeteries intertwined with Decatur's history - Yahoo News Yahoo News Caroline Swope, the city's historic preservation specialist, ... City Council recently that both cemeteries are on the Alabama Historic Cemetery ...

Decatur historian documents miscarriage of justice | DON NOBLE - Tuscaloosa News Tuscaloosa News Her work was recognized in March by the Alabama Historical Association ... Her first book, “Duty Driven: The Plight of North Alabama's African ...

Morgan County Archives assists New York woman in locating enslaved ancestors

Yahoo News

Finding African American ancestors presents several challenges according to John Makowski, history professor at the University of North Alabama.

New York fund apologizes for role in Tuskegee syphilis study: 'A really good example of ... - Fortune Fortune ... of Black men die of syphilis in Alabama so they could study the disease, ... study: 'A really good example of history as restorative justice'.

Alabaster resident writes book focusing on foster care system - Shelby County Reporter Shelby County Reporter A book launch for her first book will take place in July, and a reading and signing has been set for June 28 with Alabama Baptist Children's Home ...

Smiths Station Baptist Church celebrates 100th anniversary The Alabama Baptist Ellen Dewberry of the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission and Lance presented certificates to the church. “It was amazing to see so many former ...

Unmarked graves discovered at Northport plantation cemetery - WVUA 23

WVUA 23

Each of the 600 people he enslaved had his last name, a common practice in the antebellum era. Congresswoman Terri Sewell of Alabama's 7th ...

Smithsonian Magazine ranks Africatown among places to visit in 2022 - AL.com AL.com Old Plateau Cemetery is among the historic sites of Africatown. ... Smithsonian Magazine has included Alabama's Africatown community among “The 15 ...

The Moth: a story-telling movement with a new book on narrative skills Atlanta Journal-Constitution This year Burns, a native of rural Alabama, has co-authored a book, “How to Tell a Story: The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling from The ...

Where is Battle on the Beach Filmed? HGTV Filming Locations - The Cinemaholic The Cinemaholic It also holds a significant place in history as it is home to Fort Velasco, ... The resort city of Gulf Shores in Alabama served as the primary ...

Babs Deal, Scottsboro & The Torch

As I wandered recently in my book collection, I came upon this item. I've had it a long time and don't remember how I acquired it. The item in question is the 1973 issue of The Torch, a literary magazine from the "Literary Club" at Scottsboro High School. Since this issue is volume 6, the publication presumably first appeared in 1967. I found nothing about such a magazine on the current high school web site, so I have no idea how long it was published beyond that year. 

High school literary magazines are a genre little studied. A search on Google Scholar brings up in the first results a few articles ranging from 1930, 1966, 1971, and two in the 1980s. The 1971 article noted more than 600 such magazines were being published in the U.S. For my junior and senior years in 1968-9 & 1969-70, I worked on the one at Lee High School in Huntsville. Another journal seems to be have been published there recently. 

Well, now to the real point of this article. Back in July 2017 I wrote a blog post about Babs and Borden Deal, two prolific Alabama novelists and short story authors. Babs [1929-2004] was born in Scottsboro. As described in that blog post, I met her in Auburn in the late 1970s. She and Borden had divorced in 1975. 

If you look below at the page opposite The Torch staff listing, you'll find something interesting. In the middle of that page are some thanks to people who conducted workshops for students, and Babs is listed for "short story". So I guess she was in Scottsboro at some point during the 1972-3 school year. 

As noted in the blog post on the Deals, Babs is buried in Scottsboro. 

I've also included some sample writing from The Torch. 

I wondered if this Rodney Jones was the well-known poet and Alabama native of the same name, but he was born in 1950 and was thus 23 in 1973, so I guess not!

This article by Clarke Stallworth appeared in the Birmingham News 26 March 1982. In it she laments the "bestseller" mentality of publishers and notes that after 25 years her publisher Doubleday doesn't "want me any more." She mentions the completed manuscript for a thirteenth novel. Perhaps it is among her papers, also at the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center at Boston University.  

Source: My blog post on the Deals