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 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

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.