Alabama History & Culture News: February 8 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!

Sports journalist Doug Segrest's novel adapted into play - HooverSun.com Hoover Sun The Wetumpka Depot Players plan to perform the stage version of Hoover author Doug Segrest's "A Storm Came Up" in Wetumpka, Alabama, from Feb. 24 to ...

'Everybody can change': Autherine Lucy discusses name added to Alabama hall alongside former ... CBS 42 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — At first glance, it'd be hard to guess Autherine Lucy Foster's place in Alabama history. At her home outside Bessemer, ...

Inside 'Little Korea' – One of Birmingham's poorest communities - al.com AL.com Little Korea (Alabama Department of Archives and History/James Peppler). Little Korea.

Black worker at Confederate site raises race complaint | AP News AP News MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama welcomes visitors at the “First White House of the Confederacy,” a historic home next to the state Capitol where ...

Red Bay Museum preserves town's history, heritage | Lifestyle | djournal.com Daily Journal RED BAY, Alabama – In the little town of Red Bay, Alabama, just across the Mississippi state line, stands a two-story brick building brimming with ...

Historical Blakeley Park in Spanish Fort will be making improvements, park director says ...

FOX10 News

The park is located just off HWY 225 in Baldwin County. Being almost two thousand acres, it's also the site of Alabama's largest Civil War battlefield ...

Jim Peppler's Photos from the Civil Rights Movement captured Black history in Alabama - al.com AL.com Few have chronicled Alabama history the way Jim Peppler has. The photographer was on the ground during the mid-1960s for the Southern Courier, ...

Rick Carter to release first book, 'Fables and Stories: Tales From an Alabama Troubadour ... Alabama NewsCenter Rick Carter has opened his life to readers in his new book, “Fables and Stories: Tales From an Alabama Troubadour.” Carter started Telluride Band ...

LIST: These famous books were written by Alabama authors | WHNT.com

WHNT

Some of the novels listed below are obvious inclusions like Harper Lee's “To Kill A Mockingbird,” but they are essential to any conversation ...

New movie theater coming to historic Birmingham steam plant property - CBS 42 CBS 42 A historic steam plant building in downtown Birmingham will soon be developed with plans for a movie theater.

Jim Peppler's Photos From the Civil Rights Movement Captured Black History in Alabama ... The Birmingham Times By Ryan Michaels. The Birmingham Times. Few have chronicled Alabama history the way Jim Peppler has. The photographer was on the ground during the ...

We're relaunching Alabama Vintage to tell an inclusive history of the state - YouTube YouTube AL.com is relaunching its Alabama Vintage Instagram account to tell an inclusive history of the state and share the stories we've long left out.

Alabama officials receive complaints about Black History Month as state debates CRT ... AL.com As Alabama lawmakers look to take up multiple bills in the coming weeks that would ban divisive concepts associated with critical race theory, Alabama ...

Alabama vintage: History and stories too long untold and overlooked finally brought to light - al.com AL.com AL.com is relaunching Alabama vintage on Instagram to showcase photos and videos highlighting communities, cultures, and connections long ignored ...

Hidden History: Dilapidated Prewitt slave cemetery sparks conversation, questions - WVUA 23 WVUA 23 “School kids need to drive over there and say look, that's a slave cemetery.” It's the largest slave cemetery in Alabama, Patricia said, but not only ...

Historical Markers: B.C. Courthouse Historic District | News | unionspringsherald.com Union Springs Herald As I stated in a previous article, 23 historical markers have been erected ... and the information provided by David J. Gaines of Pinson, Alabama, ...

Preserving a Piece of Black History (Video) | Alabama Mountains Spot On Alabama Rosenwald Schools became a pillar of the Civil Rights Movement. According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, one-third.

Original copy of historic MLK letter preserved in Alabama's Special Collections Library - WVUA 23

WVUA 23

By WVUA 23 News Reporter Elise Anzaldua. Among the all the bits of history preserved inside the University of Alabama's Special Collections ...

Sun Ra's Alabama roots to be explored in upcoming documentary - CBS 42 CBS 42 Two filmmakers are exploring the role Birmingham, Alabama played on jazz musician Sun Ra in a new documentary.

Pondering Alabama Maps (9): Where Was Simmsville?

Well, the short answer is--in Shelby County, silly. But let's investigate.

We've lived in Pelham since 1985 and moved to our current house in the city in 1995. Near us is Shelby County Road 11, also called Simmsville Road. I've wondered about the origin of that name, so here we are.

According to Virginia Foscue's Place Names in Alabama (1989, p. 128) the community was named after the first postmaster, William D. Simms. A post office operated there from 1921until 1937. I did not find that William D. Simms in a quick search at Ancestry.com I also did not find him at the Find-A-Grave resource. 

A couple of other books I have coughed up some tidbits on Simmsville. In Shelba Nivens' Early Settlers of the K-Springs Area (1981, p. 61) the author notes the opening of a school in Simmsville in 1910. On January 31, the very first day, a tragedy occurred. Twelve year-old Jim Hodgens was the first to arrive and tried to enter the locked building by opening a window. As he crawled inside, the window fell and broke his neck. He is buried in Pleasant Valley Cemetery in Shelby County on County Road 36 in the Chelsea area. 

More details about the school are available in Heritage of Shelby County, Alabama (1999, pp. 69 & 83). The school was a wooden frame building originally on land donated by James E. Hodgens, Sr., the unlucky student's father. Stepping Stone and Baldwin Readers were used; numbers instead of letters indicated grades on report cards. The first teacher was Jessie Lambert of Helena. 

In 1927 schools at Simmsville, Chelsea, Wilder's Hill and East Saginaw were consolidated into a four room building that included an auditorium. This change eventually led to Chelsea Junior High School. 

A few further comments and maps are below. The latest appearance I could find  of Simmsville on a map was 1965; a 1972 map did not show the town. See more below. 

This article and grave photograph are taken from Find-A-Grave 

Portion of a topographic map showing Simmsville. I have not located any information on the chapel. 

Source: Geological Survey of Alabama

Simmsville can be seen just northeast of Pelham on this portion of a 1928 state highway map.

Source: Historical Maps of Alabama 

Portion of a 1949 Shelby County map created by the state highway department. Simmsville is just east of Oak Mountain State Park. The town also appeared on 1937, 1938 and 1965 maps but had disappeared by 1972.  

Source: Historical Maps of Alabama 

The name can be seen on current Google Maps as Simmsville Road, which is also Shelby County 11. Simms Landing is a new housing development in Pelham. 

Alabama History & Culture News: February 2 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!

Learning Alabama history is a piece of cake: New book takes readers on a culinary tour Yahoo News Author Monica Tapper will be signing her new book "A Culinary Tour Through Alabama History" on Feb. 3 in Montgomery.

Netflix, Obamas to distribute Africatown documentary 'Descendant' - al.com AL.com 'The Last Slave Ship,' Alabama author dives into Clotilda's history and his role in a historic discovery. For many independent films, ...

'The Last Slave Ship,' Alabama author dives into Clotilda's history and his role in a historic ... AL.com In the book, “The Last Slave Ship,” Alabama author Ben Raines dives into the history of the ship Clotilda and the enslaved passengers who arrived ...

Cynthia Tucker: Teaching facts would bring knowledge, not guilt | Columnists | reflector.com The Daily Reflector When I was a fourth-grader in the segregated schools of Alabama, I was taught history from a textbook called “Know Alabama.

Author showcases 'Forgotten Places' - The Troy Messenger The Troy Messenger The Pioneer Museum of Alabama is a place for looking back at times, ... of the Pike County Historical, Genealogical and Preservation Society, ...

Historical Markers explained | News | unionspringsherald.com Union Springs Herald I have chosen to start with the Union Springs, Alabama Historical Marker, which is located in front of the Union Springs City Hall building ...

Remains of Alabama soldier killed in German forest during World War II identified - al.com AL.com The remains, buried in the Ardennes American Cemetery in 1950, were disinterred in April 2019 and sent to the DPAA laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base ...

Alabama sculptor Clydetta Fulmer immortalizes pioneers in bronze Alabama NewsCenter ... Clydetta Fulmer with the bronze bust of suffragette Pattie Ruffner Jacobs she created for the Alabama Department of Archives and History.

Melanin Cafe – Opelika, Alabama - Atlas Obscura Atlas Obscura Discover Melanin Cafe in Opelika, Alabama: At this coffee shop, each drink celebrates African-American history and luminaries.

The future of Dothan's historic Moody Building | WHNT.com WHNT The future of Dothan's historic Moody Building. Alabama News. by: Alex Valdez. Posted: Jan 25, 2022 / 10:36 AM CST / Updated ...

Alabama Historian Mike Bunn talks early years in CVHS virtual program - Valley Times-News Valley Times-News He has written numerous books about Alabama in the first half of the nineteenth century. On Sunday, he discussed his new book, “Fourteenth Colony: ...

A Shipwreck Leads to a Reckoning - The New York Times The New York Times On Election Day in Alabama in 1874, Cudjo Lewis, Pollee Allen and Charlie Lewis ... What distinguishes Raines's book is not only the story of that ...

“Presidential Archivist: A Memoir” By: David E. Alsobrook | Alabama Public Radio Alabama Public Radio Alabama Historian Tells of Presidents and Their Libraries. ... The early chapters of this book, dealing with his training at Auburn's newly ...

The last American slave ship lies 20 feet underwater. Its legacy runs far deeper - Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times He discusses his book, "The Last Slave Ship," and the triumph and tragedy of its ... How important is it to persuade Alabama to excavate the ship?

Birmingham Photos of the Day [82]: Judy Garland in 1961

Judy Garland [1922-1969] is one of the most famous American entertainers of the 20th century and remains well known today. Her performance as Dorothy Gale in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz is alone enough to ensure her immortality in popular culture. Yet from her days as a child appearing with two older sisters in a vaudeville act until her death at 47 in 1969, her life was filled with many other achievements. She acted and sang in musical films and acted in dramatic ones; she was nominated for Academy Awards in each genre. She released both studio and live recording albums and was the first woman to win a Grammy for Album of the Year. Later in life she had a weekly television show and toured concert stages extensively. That brings us to the subject of this blog post.

From 1960 until 1965 Garland appeared in Europe, Canada and the United States in numerous concerts. These venues ranged from the Palladium in London to Carnegie Hall in New York. On April 11, 1961, she performed at Municipal Auditorium in Birmingham, Alabama. 

The concert was sponsored by the Birmingham Music Club, which is "the oldest cultural arts group" in the city according to their web site. Founded in 1905, the group formed the Alabama Symphony Orchestra in 1933. On April 8 she had appeared in Washington, D.C., and then on April 13 in Atlanta. 

The two photographs included here show Garland arriving in the city by train and getting into a waiting car. Both were taken by Anthony Falletta for the Birmingham News. I wonder if others exist. I imagine the concert was reviewed in the local newspapers; perhaps I'll research that one day.

Twelve days after the concert in Birmingham, Garland made her legendary Carnegie Hall performance, which has been called by some "the greatest night in show business history." A double album of the concert won five Grammy Awards, including the aforementioned Album of the Year as well as Female Vocal of the Year. Judy at Carnegie Hall spent 95 weeks on the Billboard chart, 13 at number one. 

Unfortunately, Judy Garland's storied life came to a sad and early end. Plagued all her life with health, financial, substance and relationship problems, she died of a barbiturate overdose in London on June 22, 1969. I wonder if anyone who attended her Birmingham concert is still alive to remember it. 

Garland has another connection to Birmingham. As the Wikipedia article about her notes: 

On September 16, 1963, Garland – along with daughter Liza, Carolyn Jones, June Allyson, and Allyson's daughter Pam Powell – held a press conference to highlight and protest the recent bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, that resulted in the death of four young African American girls. They expressed their shock at the events and requested funds for the families of the victims. Pam Powell and Liza Minnelli both announced their intention to attend the funeral of the victims during the press conference.^[130][131]

In these photos, Garland arrives in Birmingham on April 11, 1961

Source: Alabama Department of Archives and History

Source:  Alabama Department of Archives and History

Alabama History & Culture News: January 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!

Fairhope is an Alabama place of wonders, from sunsets to seafood to storybook castles ...

Alabama NewsCenter

The late Winston Groom, creator of “Forrest Gump,” lived in nearby Magnolia Springs. Business is so brisk that they've added The Book Cellar, an event ...

Outlaw House just a memory, new book highlights unique sites in Alabama | WKRG WKRG It's one of two Mobile County landmarks featured in a new book that highlights unique old buildings in Alabama. Apart from some stones from the ...

'Descendant' Review: Africatown Documentary Rectifies Black Erasure by Filling Historical Gaps Yahoo Because for the many Black folks living in Africatown, Alabama, where the last slave ship made landfall, remembering is what they do best.

Africatown building sold by descendants of Clotilda owner cannot be renovated, will be demolished AL.com ... settlement to develop and build a new Welcome Center adjacent to the Old Plateau Cemetery where gravesites of Clotilda passengers are located.

The Last Slave Ship review: the Clotilda, Africatown and a lasting American injustice - The Guardian The Guardian Ben Raines offers a welcome and affecting history lesson about a dark moment ... custom-built schooner, the Clotilda, returned to Mobile, Alabama, ...

Albertville Museum receives Alabama Humanities recovery grant | News | sandmountainreporter.com

Sand Mountain Reporter

The Albertville Museum has earned a $6000 competitive Alabama Humanities ... Our Mission of protecting and displaying the History of Albertville.

PBS host Darley Newman explores Alabama Civil Rights Trail in new season of 'Travels with ... Alabama NewsCenter Darley Newman visits many historic sites on the Alabama Civil Rights Trail in two episodes of her PBS series "Travels with Darley," including ...

7 Writers of the Harlem Renaissance - HISTORY History.com Author Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960). Corbis/Getty Images. After growing up in rural Alabama and Florida, Zora Neale Hurston attended Howard ...

US researchers test pig-to-human transplant in donated body - New Haven Register

New Haven Register

This time around, surgeons in Alabama transplanted a pig's kidneys into a brain-dead man — a step-by-step rehearsal for an operation they hope to try ...

CVHS to host historian Mike Bunn in virtual program - Valley Times-News Valley Times-News 23, the Chattahoochee Valley Historical Society will be featuring this subject in a virtual meeting. Mike Bunn, one of Alabama's leading ...

Historian invites public to dedication at historic Speake cemetery | News | moultonadvertiser.com Moulton Advertiser However, the ceremony will be open to the public and visitors are welcome to attend, Mize said. “Members of the Alabama Historical Commission will be ...

Imani Perry on how the racial sins of the South belong to us all - Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times A native of Alabama who was raised in New England, Perry considers the South ... and in the sense of where I'm situated socially and historically.

Alumna Publishes First Coloring Book About African-American Inventors | Alabama State University

Alabama State University

“The coloring and activities book is a fun and interactive way to start learning our Black American history,” Thompson-Gray said.

Alabama is in a 'State of Denial': Join the discussion of a whitewashed history poisoning our ... AL.com The 1901 Alabama Constitution was forged in a period most Alabama history textbooks breeze past — the years following Reconstruction when Union ...

Historian invites public to dedication at historic Speake cemetery | News | moultonadvertiser.com Moulton Advertiser A Lawrence County cemetery is being added to the state's list of ... “Members of the Alabama Historical Commission will be present,” Mize said.

Alabama A&M Athletics Hall of Famer and team photographer Sidney Jackson dies - HBCU Sports HBCU Sports Funeral services will be at Saint Joseph Catholic Church (2300 Beasley Avenue, Huntsville) at 9 a.m. on Monday, January 24 followed by military burial ...

Published author has ties to Greenville The Greenville Advocate “My mother worked at the Alabama Institute as well. ... Barnes started her published career with two poetry books, “More P's Please,” volumes 1 ...

CVHS to host historian Mike Bunn in virtual program - Valley Times-News Valley Times-News Mike Bunn, one of Alabama's leading historians and director of the ... Park in Spanish Fort, Alabama, will be speaking on his most recent book, ...