Saturday, October 12, 2019

Alabama History & Culture News: October 12 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: 


Master photographer John Dersham will present program at Comer Library on Wednesday
Using images from his first published book, “My Alabama: John Dersham Photographs a State,” the master photographer will be at the Comer Library ...


Jackson's latest book follows Stallings, Bryant's relationship forged at Texas A&M
Jackson's book begins in the early years of the lives of both coaches and ... Alabama entered the game at 8-1-1, but A&M quarterback Edd Hargett ...


On this day in Alabama history: Avondale Zoo's show-stopper elephant was born
Miss Fancy, a gentle Indian elephant and the star of Birmingham's first public zoo, was born Oct. 12, 1871. From 1913 to 1934, the Avondale Zoo was ...

Cemetery stroll turns back the clock on Jacksonville history ... of Northeast Alabama will rise from their graves to tell their stories at the city's cemetery.


On this day in Alabama history: George McMillan was born
George McMillan Jr. was born on Oct. 11, 1943, in Greenville, Butler County. He is a well-known attorney, former politician and owner and president of ...

Bobby Tomberlin, Hilary Williams to open 'Audrey Sheppard Williams Story' on Saturday
Tomberlin said he is excited be a part of the Brundidge Historical Society's Alabama bicentennial event and to have the opportunity to hear Hydock's ...

State recognizes Atmore historic district
The Alabama Historical Commission recently approved a map designating a portion of the city of Atmore as a commercial historic district. The location ...


Alabama Man, Tim Ragland, Makes Double History as Youngest and First Black Mayor of ...   
In what resulted in a history-making runoff election, residents of Talladega, Alabama, elected the city's first Black mayor on Tuesday. Timothy Ragland ...

93-year-old WWII vet tours USS Alabama while reliving history
MOBILE, Ala. (WPMI) — It's been more than 70 years since Ron Vogel of Souix Fall, South Dakota has scampered down the stairs of a U.S. battleship.

On this day in Alabama history: Electric car service is born in Birmingham
The Birmingham Railway and Electric Co. was incorporated on May 5, 1890, as a consolidation of the Birmingham Union Street Railway Co. and the ...

On this day in Alabama history: Birmingham Botanical Gardens received Friendship Bell
The Osaka Central Rotary Club of Japan donated a Friendship Bell to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens on this day in 2005. Donated as part of the ...

After 200 years, Montgomery, Alabama, has elected its first black mayor
Montgomery, the majority-black state capital of Alabama, made history this week by electing its first black mayor. On Tuesday evening, 67 percent of ...

Gravlee to speak at LC Historical on cemeteries
Gene Gravlee, former vice president of the Alabama Cemetery Preservation Alliance, will speak at the Lawrence County Historical Commission ...


Popular historical drama to be presented in restored Tallassee theatre
In 2014, several hundred Muscogee Creek tribe members from Oklahoma visited east central Alabama to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the ...


“Unfolding UAB: 50 Years of Photography from the UAB Archives” at UAB's AEIVA, from Oct. 21 ...
Photographs that present an unforgettably rich visual history of the University of Alabama at Birmingham will be on display Oct. 21-Dec. 14, at UAB's ...


Special moments as WWII Veteran visits USS Alabama
A World War II veteran toured the USS Alabama today. ... At 93-years-old, Ron Vogle navigates the steep stairs and close quarters of the battleship ...


Alabama A&M Athletics Hall of Fame announces 2019 Class
The Alabama A&M Athletics Hall of Fame has announced its 2019 class of inductees. Eight new members are entering the Hall of Fame. The 2019 ...

The University must acknowledge its history of racism
I'm detailing this brief history to make a point: the University of Alabama was built on a foundation of anti-blackness. Recently, the University has made ...



For years, he owned the Pine Hill Cemetery in McCalla. Like his love for late-night dancing and the music of Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker, ...

Sierra Club hosts author speaking about Alabama rivers
The co-founder of Alabama Water Watch and author of a new book about Alabama rivers will be the guest speaker Thursday at the Sierra Club ...

On this day in Alabama history: Auburn Women's Club finds a home
The Auburn Women's Club clubhouse is an antebellum home in Auburn, used by the Women's Club of Auburn University as their clubhouse.

On this day in Alabama history: The Atheneum school opened in Birmingham
The East Lake Atheneum was a private girls' school chartered in 1890, built on a hillside and labeled the “Atheneum Eminence.” The school was ...

Spann book signing at Demopolis Public Library (photo gallery)
ABC 33/40 Chief Meteorologist James Spann made a stop at the Demopolis Public Library for a book signing on Saturday, Oct. 5. Spann was in town ...


DON NOBLE: Key tells of childhood growing up in Point Clear
This book, “Bay Boy,” is another collection of nonfiction pieces, but Key ... he was a boy, growing up, especially in summers, in Point Clear, Alabama.



Thursday, October 10, 2019

Old Grissom High School in Huntsville

My younger brother Richard graduated from the original Grissom High School in Huntsville in the 1970's. The school opened in 1969 and was named after Virgil "Gus" Grissom, one of three astronauts who died in the Apollo 1 fire at Cape Canaveral in 1967. Other Huntsville schools were named after Ed White and Roger Chaffee. A new Grissom High School opened in August 2017; you can see a number of photos here.

Plans call for the old site to become a community center; some of the old school will be used in the new facility. A new branch library, meeting rooms, a theater, athletic fields and a gym will be included. 

Much of the original school has been demolished. The photos below were taken in August 2019 and show what remains on the site. 



















The photos below were taken in the seniors parking lot. I wonder if it or the tiger paw markers will survive. 

















Sunday, October 6, 2019

Alabama History & Culture News: October 6 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: 




Tours of f ive historic churches in Oxford begin next week
Attention to Alabama's rich history during the Alabama Bicentennial can start with a focus on the tangible past in our own hometown. The tour presents ...

On this day in Alabama history: Auburn renamed stadium in honor of football coach Shug Jordan
On Oct. 6, 1973, Ralph “Shug” Jordan became the first active football coach in the nation to have a stadium named in his honor. In a special ceremony ...

16th Street Baptist Church added to list of protected sites
The historic church in downtown Birmingham was added to the African ... The Sixteenth Street Baptist Church joins other Alabama sites in the NPS ...

Free walking tours explore Huntsville's rich history
October is Huntsville History Month, and what better way to celebrate the Rocket City's rich history than with a free, guided historic walking tour?


America's last slave ship could offer a case for reparations
MOBILE, Ala. — Alabama steamship owner Timothy Meaher financed the last slave vessel that brought African captives to the United States, and he ...

Bankhead House hosting Bicentennial Traveling exhibit
"Making Alabama: A Bicentennial Traveling Exhibit" will open at the ... The exhibit groups Alabama history into eight periods that span from the state's ...

Fallen Tuskegee Airman Honored at the Tuskegee Airmen Historic Site Museum
“The history, the legacy, is so powerful and unfortunately not a lot people know about it as many as would expect in Alabama,” said Brig. Gen. William ...

On this day in Alabama history: Former US Rep. James Cobb was born
James Cobb was born in Thomaston, Georgia, on Oct. 5, 1835. He received his law degree from Emory University in Atlanta in 1856. During the Civil ...

Montevallo DRC approves COA request for mural project
Funded through The University of Alabama Council for Economic ... Mary Shell with the Alabama Historical Commission to ask about guidelines for ...


Birmingham Gets Back to Distilling Liquor
Traywick says beer brewers were the first in Alabama to push for easing of statewide alcohol restrictions and local breweries are now branching out ...

UM celebrating 123rd Founders' Day
The theme was taken from the book “Alabama College, 1896-1969″ written by former UM professor of history Lucille Griffith. In the preface of the ...

Traveling Alabama Bicentennial exhibit to debut at GMA on Friday
14, a traveling exhibit depicting some of the most important points in the state's history continues making its way to each county. “Making Alabama” will ...

Taste a little Alabama football history at this iconic restaurant
Almost everything about Tuscaloosa's Historic Waysider Restaurant -- or simply “The Waysider,” as everybody knows it -- practically yells “Roll Tide!

On this day in Alabama history: Pulitzer Prize winner Harold Eugene Martin was born
Born on Oct. 4, 1923, Harold Eugene Martin lived in Cullman County and later moved to Birmingham. He was inspired to take up his career during his ...

Bicentennial to be celebrated at Old Cahawba
Tomorrow, Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., the Alabama Historical Commission (AHC), in collaboration with the Alabama Bicentennial Commission will ...


Huntsville History Month returns
(WAFF) - Huntsville History Month is back for its second year. ... monthlong celebration is special because it coincides with Alabama's bicentennial and ...

On this day in Alabama history: Nationally syndicated radio host Rick Burgess was born
Rick Burgess was born in Birmingham on Oct. 3, 1964, and grew up in Oxford. While attending Jacksonville State University, he worked at the college ...


Alabama history enthusiasts to converge on Wetumpka
Officials from Wetumpka and Elmore County will welcome members of the Alabama Historical Association (AHA) Oct. 11-12 as they take in the rich ...


On this day in Alabama history: Former US Rep. Claude Harris died
Claude Harris, born in Bessemer on June 29, 1940, received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Alabama in 1962 and his law ...


Was it the hottest September on record in Alabama? A look at the rankings
The top one is the rank for the entire climate history for the area. ... Several Alabama cities had their hottest September on record, according to data ...


Former AL state legislator Pete Turnham passes away at age 99
Turnham served 40 years in the Alabama Representatives. He was the longest serving member in the history of the Alabama legislature and one of ...


Historic Pink House in Homewood sold
The Homewood Alabama Historical Preservation Society's efforts paid off after they found someone to buy the Historic Pink House in Homewood.


Quilt Display at Belle Mont
Belle Mont, the historic house museum owned by the Alabama Historical Commission, was built circa 1828. It is one of Alabama's most distinguished ...


Henry County celebrates 200 years of history
Henry County, filled with history and Southern charm, will celebrate its 200 th birthday in December. It was created just one day before Alabama ...


'Discovering Alabama' premieres Tuscaloosa segment
'Discovering Alabama' premieres Tuscaloosa segment .... for environmental information and education at UA's Alabama Museum of Natural History, ...



On this day in Alabama history: Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs begins operations
With thousands of World War II returning veterans qualified for increased federal benefits, the American Legion Department of Alabama began calling ...






Friday, October 4, 2019

Robert Hunter's "Alabama Getaway"

On September 23 a man named Robert Hunter died at home in San Rafael, California. Young whippersnappers may not recognize the name, but if you've been even just a "fan" of the Grateful Dead, you know who he was. As Wikipedia notes, Hunter "was an American lyricist, singer-songwriter, translator, and poet, best known for his work with the Grateful Dead." He never performed with the original group, seldom performed or recorded on his own, and rarely gave interviews. Yet his songs for the band, with music mostly by Jerry Garcia, spanned a twenty-five year period and embodied in his often mysterious lyrics the crisp Americana of so much of the group's work. 

The list of his iconic songs is lengthy and includes "Dark Star", "Ripple", "Truckin'", "China Cat Sunflower", and "Terrapin Station". He also collaborated with other other Dead members on such classics as "Sugar Magnolia" and "Box of Rain". Hunter also worked with numerous other musicians outside the Dead over the years, including Bruce Hornsby, Elvis Costello and Bob Dylan.  

Another of Hunter's many songs for the Dead was one called "Alabama Getaway". You can read the lyrics below and David Dodd's commentary on them hereThe song was first performed on November 4, 1979, at the Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island. The Dead played the song at 142 different shows, including first in the set list at Birmingham's Boutwell Auditorium on April 28, 1980. Recordings of a lot of those shows can be found at the Internet Archive YouTube has several versions by the Dead as well as ones by John Mayer and Bob Dylan. 

A number of obituaries and appreciations have appeared since Hunter died. I especially like this one in the New Yorker

In addition to the song and various concerts in the state between 1977 and 1995 there is another connection with the Dead and Alabama. Singer Donna Jean Godchaux worked and toured with the band from 1972 until 1979. She was born in Florence and sang backup on recordings for many artists at Muscle Shoals before leaving for California in 1970. She has since returned to live in the state and continues to perform and tour with her band. 




Robert Hunter in concert in NYC on October 10, 2013

Source: Wikipedia


"Alabama Getaway"
Words by Robert Hunter; music by Jerry Garcia
Copyright Ice Nine Publishing. Used by permission.

Thirty two teeth in a jawbone
Alabama cryin for none
Before I have to hit him
I hope he's got the sense to run

Reason those poor girls love him
Promise them anything
Reason they believe him
He wears a big diamond ring

Alabama getaway
Alabama getaway
Only way to please me
Turn around and leave
and walk away

Majordomo Billy Bojangles
Sit down and have a drink with me
What's this about Alabame
Keeps comin back to me?

Heard your plea in the courthouse
Jurybox began to rock and rise
Forty-nine sister states all had
Alabama in their eyes

Alabama getaway
Alabama getaway
Only way to please me
Turn around and leave
and walk away

Why don't we just give Alabama
rope enough to hang himself?
Ain't no call to worry the jury
His kind takes care of itself

Twenty-third Psalm Majordomo
reserve me a table for three
just you, Alabama and me

Alabama getaway
Alabama getaway
Only way to please me
turn around and leave
and walk away

Source: The Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics by David Dodd 






Here's the set list for the 1974 show in Atlanta when I saw the Dead play. Maria Muldaur was pretty good, too.