Alabama History & Culture News: December 12 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!

Book Review: 'Freedom's Dominion,' by Jefferson Cowie - The New York Times The New York Times ... sobering new history, “Freedom's Dominion,” traces the close association between the rhetoric of liberty in an Alabama county and the politics ...

Ann Hodges gave the University of Alabama a gift like no other Alabama NewsCenter Ann Hodges' grapefruit-sized space rock — the Sylacauga Meteorite — can be viewed at the Alabama Museum of Natural History.

Relatives of Courtland's famous historic residents visit Courtland Cemetery | - Moulton Advertiser Moulton Advertiser ... in Courtland, Alabama, but they are still important to us even today. ... relatives and visiting the graves of Courtland historic citizens, ...

Work continues on turning Gus Mitchell store into a museum where folks can step back in time

Selma Sun

17 to discuss development of the historic Gus Mitchell store and ... “Last month we got a grant from the Alabama Historical Commission to do more .

Deborah Oberkor made history at the University of Alabama, aims to bring representation to sororities AL.com Montgomery native Deborah Oberkor made history in November after being elected the first Black woman to lead the Alabama Panhellenic Association.

Ridgeview Baptist in Talladega celebrates 75th anniversary The Alabama Baptist Congregational singing was led by Joseph Strickland. Sonja Adams presented a certificate on behalf of the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission. “We ...

FBC Clanton celebrates 150th anniversary - The Alabama Baptist

The Alabama Baptist

Sarah Walters (right), wife of former pastor James Walters, presented a certificate on behalf of the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission to ..

Pike County Historical Society receives grant - The Troy Messenger

The Troy Messenger

Jaine Treadwell | The Messenger The Pike County Historical, Genealogical & Preservation Society has been awarded a grant from the Alabama ...

Family remembers Alabama Navy doctor killed in attack on Pearl Harbor - WSFA

WSFA

“I think it's so important that we remember our history, whether we have a family member or relative, that was directly involved,” said Elizabeth ...

James Braziel - "This Ditch-Walking Love" | Alabama Public Radio Alabama Public Radio This 187-page book has 16 stories, if you want to count them that way. Some are full-length stories, and several are sketches reminiscent in their ...

Program teaches kids about local Native American history | Alabama Public Radio Alabama Public Radio So far, Heidi's stories have included the impeachment of Lauderdale County's coroner, and a Black History Month book drive to benefit Alabama's Black ...

Review: 'Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power' chronicles the fight for civil rights

Los Angeles Times

... the American South, especially in the long politically-charged state of Alabama. From the Montgomery bus boycott to the historic Selma march, ...

From Martin Luther King Jr. to Black Lives Matter: On the Civil Rights Trail in Alabama Euronews Alabama is home to food, fun and history; a state whose importance around the globe is secured by its Civil Rights Movement legacy.

Dr. Tony G. Waldrop, 1951-2022 - University of South Alabama University of South Alabama Dr. Sean Powers, professor and director of the School of Marine and Environmental Sciences, considers Waldrop an important president in the history of ...

Jefferson County Cemetery Board Shadowlawn Memorial Park - WVTM 13

WVTM 13

He visits the cemetery every few weeks to trim their burial plot. Advertisement. So, he knows how the neglected graveyard can frustrate the loved ones ...

“You Are My Sunshine: A Story of Love, Promises, and A Really Long Bike Ride” By: Sean Dietrich Alabama Public Radio Publisher: Zondervan Books ... honestly, even though the reader knows this is going to be a horror show, the book carries one along.

A Quick Visit to Montgomery (3)

In August 2012 son Amos and I made a trip to Montgomery to see some historical sites. Along the way, as I've covered in previous blogs, we happened upon a great Alabama ruin, the Clanton Drive-In, and made a trip through Tuskegee on the way back. 

Downtown Montgomery was quiet that day, since the legislature was not in session. The previous two Montgomery posts are here and here. Comments are below some of the photographs. 

Riverfront Park was a pretty place on a hot August day. Close to The Alley and other locations around the capitol, the park has an amphitheater for concerts, the Harriott II riverboat and other facilities. The Montgomery Biscuits minor league baseball team play at Riverwalk Stadium nearby.

Amos and I had lunch at a restaurant at this venue. I don't remember the name, but we enjoyed it! The Alley is a complex of shops, eateries and bars near Riverfront Park. 

Located near the state capitol is the First White House of the Confederacy, and we did spend some time here. This house served as residence of President Jefferson Davis and family while the capital of the Confederate States of America was located in Montgomery. That period only lasted from February to May 1861, when the capital was moved to Richmond, Virginia. During that time, however, Mrs. Davis hosted many parties at the residence. 

This photo shows the house, built in the 1820's, at it's original location several miles away. Efforts to preserve the house began in the late 19th century, and in 1919 the legislature appropriated money to have it moved to the capital complex. 

The house is filled with furniture of the period and personal items of all sorts belonging to the Davis family. 

We encountered a fascinating example of the ironies of history that day. Apparently the only staff member working there when we visited and who greeted us as we entered was an African-American woman. In talking later we realized both of us had been tempted to ask her what it was like working in this temple of the Confederacy.  

A Quick Visit to Montgomery (2)

In August 2012 son Amos and I made a trip to Montgomery to see some historical sites. Along the way, as I've covered in previous blogs, we happened upon a great Alabama ruin, the Clanton Drive-In, and made a trip through Tuskegee on the way back. This post is the second of three devoted to Montgomery. Part one can be found here and part three here. 

Downtown Montgomery was quiet that day, since the legislature was not in session.

Comments are below some of the photographs. 

The front steps and entrance of the Alabama State Capitol at the end of Dexter Avenue. This Greek Revival building was constructed in 1851 on the foundation of the previous capitol, which had burned. The side and rear wings were constructed later.

All three branches of government were located here until 1940, when the Supreme Court moved to its own building on Dexter Avenue. The state legislature met here until moving to new quarters at the State House in 1985. The governor's offices remain here.

The Alabama Department of Archives and History has a number of historical photographs of the capitol in its digital collections.

These are two backside photos of the Alabama State House.

A shot from the balcony down into the Senate chamber. 

Stand in the rotunda and look up and this is what you see at the top of the dome. 

Artist Roderick MacKenzie painted eight panels depicting state history that hang in the Rotunda. Mackenzie began these panels in 1926 and finished in 1931. He also designed the plaster frames around the panels. 

MacKenzie, born in London, spent his youth and many adult years in Mobile. His long and fascinating career included art studies in Boston and Paris and periods in working in England and India.  He returned to Mobile in 1914 and painted many works with Alabama themes until his death in 1941.

A Quick Visit to Montgomery (1)

In August 2012 son Amos and I made a trip to Montgomery to see some historical sites. Along the way, as I've covered in previous blogs, we happened upon a great Alabama ruin, the Clanton Drive-In, and made a trip through Tuskegee on the way back. In this post and two more I'll share some of the photos from the Montgomery trip and make a few comments. Downtown Montgomery was quiet that day, since the legislature was not in session.

Montgomery is one of Alabama's most history-filled cities. Much attention has been paid to the Civil War period and the Civil Rights era; many articles and books have been published on those periods and individual participants. A recent book on the antebellum period is Jeffrey C. Benton's Through Others' Eyes: Published Accounts of Antebellum Montgomery, Alabama [2014]. 

We saw both the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church and the ministers' home, although we did not have time to go through either one. More comments are below a couple of the other photos. More sites to come in parts two and three of this series. 

Benjamin Moore Hotel and Majestic Cafe served many prominent African-American visitors to Montgomery. 

If the Smithsonian is the "nation's attic", then the state archives is Alabama's "attic." However, like the Smithsonian, the place has better organization and staff than most attics. 

A Quick Visit to Tuskegee

In 2012 son Amos and I made a day trip to some historic sites in Montgomery. We saw a couple of other places as well, including the Clanton drive-in ruin I've written about here. I plan several posts on the Montgomery portion; in this one I cover our quick visit to Tuskegee.

Tuskegee became the seat of Macon County in 1833. Several Native American towns in Alabama, perhaps Creek, were given this name. In his book Historic Indian Towns in Alabama, 1540-1838, Amos J. Wright, Jr., notes four of them located on the Alabama, Chattahoochee, Coosa and Tennessee Rivers. Virginia O. Foscue in Place Names in Alabama says the name is probably a Muskhogean or Creek tribe and means "warrior(s)". There is a ghost town in Oklahoma of the same name. I've written about other Native American names from Alabama in Oklahoma here. 

Unfortunately, the town was at the end of the day before we headed home, so we didn't have a lot of time. We drove through the pretty Tuskegee University campus and saw the downtown square. Comments are below some of the photographs. 

The Macon County courthouse is an impressive piece of architecture. Built in 1905, the style as know as Romanesque and was popularized by Henry Hobson Richardson of Boston. Popular from about 1880 until 1910 for public buildings across the United States, the style resulted in a spectacular courthouse for a small rural county seat. The history of "one of the best-preserved turn-of-the-century courthouses in Alabama" can be found in Samuel A. Rumore, Jr., "Building Alabama's Courthouses: Macon County Courthouse," Alabama Lawyer 56(5): 207-209, 212, July 1995

Fred Gray has been called "the foremost civil rights attorney in Alabama history." Barclay Key's entry on Gray in the Encyclopedia of Alabama is a good summary of his achievements over many decades. 

Of course, two coffee lovers had to spend a bit of time in the Tiger Pause "coffee, tea and smoothies" shop. We found it to be a nice place to relax on a hot day.

Tuskegee's history dates to the mid-1700's when a French fort was established on the site. As several of these pictures demonstrate, a number of the downtown buildings have been restored. 

Also to be seen in downtown Tuskegee are signs of the ironies of history.

Built in the 1850's, Grey Columns now serves as the home of Tuskegee University's President. An older photograph can be seen below. More irony...

Tuskegee University has a pretty campus with striking architecture. I wish I had taken more photos!

Near the roof of the building to the left you may be able to read "John A. Kenney Hall." Kenney was an early black physician in Alabama, and served a number of years at Tuskegee Institute. He was personal doctor to Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver. 

Grey Columns in the 1930's

Source: Alabama Department of Archives & History Digital Collections

A Quick Visit to Thorsby

In August Dianne and I made a trip to Clanton and on the way back drove through the town of Thorsby, also in Chilton County. I had recently read Kelly Kazek's al.com article on the town and wanted to take a personal look. Here's what we found.

As Kazek noted, you'll miss the good stuff if you just drive through on U.S. Highway 31. Thorsby is typical of so many small rural towns these days--some nice historical structures, perhaps some efforts at preservation, and some obvious signs of declne. For instance, we found a couple of large closed and deteriorating buildings we were told were a former school. These are no doubt the former elementary school built around 1925. They must have been in use until fairly recently, though; a wheelchair ramp led up to one main entrance. The fate of the school is precarious. 

Its Scandinavian heritage gives Thorsby some unusual touches for a rural town in Alabama. Kelly covered that aspect in her article linked above. You can see an old photograph of the T.T. Thorson home here. An article about the house is here. Thorson was one of the town founders and its namesake; his house is still a private residence. Thorsby celebrates its heritage with an annual Swedish Festival.

A photo of the town's historical marker is here. The town's own website also offers more information. An article about the Thorsby High School that burned in 1975 is here. A fire almost exactly 50 years earlier had burned the private Thorsby Institute which the high school replaced. The current high school occupies the site today.

Below are some photos of the beautiful former Norwegian Lutheran Church building and its clock. An historical preservation committee for the town was formed in 2007 and has obviously done good work. Beverly Crider's article "Thor's Legacy Lives on in Alabama" is here. 

On our visit I noticed that several streets in the town had the names of states: Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan. I wonder how that came about?

Two other Alabama towns with Scandinavian heritage are Silverhill in Baldwin County and Fruithurst in Cleburne County.

Further Reading

Kazek,, Kelly. Scenes from Thorsby: a touch of Scandinavia in Alabama. Birmingham News 23 August 2015.

Kent, Mark R. Thorsby--Alabama's Scandinavian town. Mobile Register 11 October 2004

Associated Press. Closing its doors: Small town losing its only pharmacy. Birmingham News 11 August 2002