Thursday, December 1, 2022

Alabama History & Culture News: December 1 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!


10 Things You Will Learn At USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park - TheTravel
TheTravel
Looking to learn more about naval history, technology, and warfare? It's time to explore USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park!


Dr. Jim Brown, Author of Distracted by Alabama - thehomewoodstar.com
The Homewood Star
Dr. Brown is a native Tennessean. He earned his PhD in European history from Vanderbilt and taught history at Samford University from 1971-2016.

Visit Cheaha Mountain, the highest point in Alabama
Alabama NewsCenter
Cheaha Mountain offers Alabama's most majestic views as well as history, hiking and abundant recreational opportunities. (Alabama State Parks).

Alabama's execution problems are part of a long history of botched lethal ... - The Conversation
The Conversation
Alabama has paused the carrying out of death sentences after a series of cases in which the state struggled with the procedure.

“Afternoons with Harper Lee” By: Wayne Flynt | Alabama Public Radio
Alabama Public Radio
At a “History and Heritage” festival in Eufaula, in 1983, Lee was, ... to discuss or a particular southeast Alabama historical event, ...


Visit Cheaha Mountain, the highest point in Alabama
Alabama NewsCenter
Cheaha Mountain offers Alabama's most majestic views as well as history, hiking and abundant recreational opportunities. (Alabama State Parks).

Daniel Moore shares process behind creating art inspired by Alabama football's biggest moments
WHNT.com
“The neat thing about that book is that I collaborated with Keith Jackson, the famous sportscaster, and The Birmingham News, where you get the ...

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
Randolph County, Alabama, teen Coye Potts of Handley High School in Roanoke shot and killed a red stag deer while hunting in Rock Mills.

Arbor Springs Baptist in Reform celebrates 150th anniversary
The Alabama Baptist
Ricky Morris was the guest pianist. David Nelson of the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission, Mike Jackson of the State Board of Missions and Lyle ...


The Iron Bowl and its weather history - WBRC
WBRC
The weather can vary quite a bit for Alabama's biggest football game.


Book Review: Ancient Life in Alabama | Opinion | auburnvillager.com
Auburn Villager
... followed up his acclaimed work on Alabama rivers with a new book titled "Ancient Life in Alabama: The Fossils, the Finders & Why It Matters.".


Marbury's Confederate Memorial Park to host Santa's Post Office - Elmore-Autauga News
Elmore-Autauga News
(Marbury, AL) Confederate Memorial Park, a historic property of the Alabama Historical Commission, will host a special seasonal event on Saturday, ...


Slavery's ghost haunts cotton gin factory's transformation | AP News
AP News
(AP) — There's no painless way to explain the history of a massive brick structure being renovated into apartments in this central Alabama city ...



FBC Alexander City celebrates 150th anniversary throughout October - The Alabama Baptist
The Alabama Baptist
Calvin Milford of the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission presented a certificate Oct. 16. “The celebration was a reminder that we have been ...


Hartford Square to be named Alabama Historic location - WDHN
WDHN
Recently, Alabama Historical Society members came to Hartford and fell in love with the city's downtown square. Mayor Neil Strickland says they ...

Folks light the way on first Africatown Historical Lantern Walk - FOX10 News
FOX10 News
People came from all across the state for the Africatown Historical Lantern Walk to learn about the history of Africatown and remember its ancestors.

Historic home Woodside 'completely gone' due to fire | WHNT.com
WHNT.com
SVFD Chief Dustin Tucker says Woodside, a home that was part of the Belle Mina plantation formerly owned by Alabama's second governor Thomas Bibb, ...


Lifelong Huntsville resident and author Antonio Howard discovered 'Cousins by the Dozens ...
AL.com
What inspired you to write this family history? I wanted to share the story of a WWII veteran who I discovered was my uncle, my great uncle, ...


Saturday, November 26, 2022

Cheer Up! Sam, or, Sarah Bell

Wikipedia has this opening for its entry on the minstrel show, or minstrelsy, "an American form of racist theatrical entertainment developed in the early 19th century. Each show consisted of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music performances that depicted people specifically of African descent. The shows were performed by mostly white people wearing blackface make-up for the purpose of playing the role of black people. There were also some African-American performers and black-only minstrel groups that formed and toured. Minstrel shows caricatured black people as dim-witted, lazy, buffoonish, superstitious, and happy-go-lucky.[1][2]"


As the entry notes, the minstrel show was the first original form of
American theater. The first shows appeared in the northeast in the
1830's, but spread across the country and remained a fixture of American
culture well into the 20th century. Some small tours continued in the
Southeast and the Midwest into the 1930's. Amateur productions 
are known to have continued in high schools and local venues until the
1960's. The form had been largely replaced, however, by 1910 as the
less racist vaudeville gained in popularity. I've done a blog post on one minstrel
show, "J.C. Lincoln's Sunny South Minstrels in Alabama in 1836."

Minstrel shows included comedy skits, dances and songs. Minstrelsy's legacy continues to permeate American culture today in many ways. Fast paced gags and puns are one example. Some jokes, such as "Why did the chicken cross the road?" continue to be told.

I recently came across the song below that appeared in minstrel shows
and has an Alabama connection. According to one source, "Cheer Up!
Sam. Sara Bell" was popularized by Christy's Minstrels which formed in
Buffalo, New York, in 1843. The group was so popular its show ran in
New York City in  a single venue from March 1847 until July 1854.
 

You can read the lyrics about "deceitful Sarah Bell" and see a printed 
version below. An 1856 version with sheet music can be found here



CHEER UP! SAM. SARAH BELL

Music published and sold by ROBINSON SON, No. 24 South Fifth Street.

Oh! down in Alabama,
Before I was set free,
I loved a dark eyed yellow girl,
And thought that she loved me;
But she has proved inconstant,
And left me here to tell
The sorrow that my heart feels
For deceitful Sarah Bell.

CHORUS.

Cheer up Sam! now don't let your spirits go down
For there's many a belle,
That we know well,
Is looking for you in the town.

I had not much to give her,
Yet all I had I gave;
But wealth and fortune don't belong
To one that's born a slave.
A white man came with dollars,
She fled with him to dwell,
And broke the vows she made to me,
Oh! perjured Sarah Bell.

Now all day while I'm working,
And hoeing up the corn,
I sigh and wish within myself
I never had been born.
Perhaps she's gay and happy,
Wherever she may dwell,
While my poor heart is breaking
For deceitful Sarah Bell.

Printed and Sold Wholesale at
CARD JOB PRINTING OFFICE,
Philadelphia.

JOHNSON, Song Publisher, No. 7 N. Tenth Street

 








Saturday, November 19, 2022

Alabama History & Culture News: November 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!


'South to America' takes home National Book Award for nonfiction - CNBC
CNBC
Perry's book beat finalists including John A. Farrell's "Ted Kennedy: A ... chronicles the Princeton professor's journey to her native Alabama, ...

Poarch Creek Documentary Premieres On Alabama Public TV - NorthEscambia.com
NorthEscambia.com
“The Forgotten Creeks” recalls the history of Alabama's Mvskoke Creek Indians from Spanish contact in the 1500's through the Indian Removal Act of ...


Lowndes Academy building – heart of Lowndesboro community for nearly 100 years
| Lowndes Signal
Howard described a report in which Robert Gamble, former Senior Architectural Historian at the Alabama Historical Commissions outlined the current ...

Most Beautiful Historic Home In Alabama: Bragg-Mitchell Mansion - Only In Your State
Only In Your State
Because Alabama is a huge part of the South, there's no shortage of historic antebellum homes. While most of these homes are currently occupied ...

Food for Thought: Architecture of the Enslaved, Documenting Alabama's Slave Houses
YouTube
The program will be held in person at the Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH) in Montgomery. Admission is FREE.


Auburn University research project allows world to see inside USS Drum submarine
Alabama NewsCenter
They've done a great job there in Alabama at the military park.” History preserved through technology. Lister is pleased the Auburn-led research team ...

2022 Historic Hotels of America Annual Awards of Excellence Winners Announced
Business Wire
Winner: Susan Stein at Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa (1847) Point Clear, AlabamaHistoric Hotels of America Legendary Family Historic Hoteliers ...


'Mockingbird' delivers an important indictment of white saviorism - Beverly Press
Beverly Press
The book, an Alabama woman's semi-autobiographical observation on race and culture in a Depression-era southern community, struck a nerve upon ...

"The Forgotten Creeks" documentary and “Alabama Folk” podcast premiere this week
The Bama Buzz
A new documentary about the history of Alabama's Poarch Band of Creek Indians and a podcast featuring Alabama folk artists are premiering this ...


Caretaker of historic church says education key to preservation - WVTM
WVTM
Bethel Baptist Church is a centerpiece of the struggle for civil rights in Birmingham. From 1956 to 1961, it was the headquarters of the Alabama ...

'It's a dry forest' with men throwing matches: A history of homicide in Birmingham - AL.com
AL.com
“It has a history of industrial violence as well as racial violence. ... The Birmingham News declares 'Crime Splashes Bloody Trail Over Alabama.

Reception for progression of Gus Mitchell Store Museum set for Nov. 17 - Selma Sun
Selma Sun
This sign marks the site of the Gus Mitchell Store, recognized as a historic site by the Alabama Historical Commission in 2020. Image provided.


Historical Society plans 2023 lunch, learn series - The Hartselle Enquirer
The Hartselle Enquirer
“We would also like to express our thanks to the Alabama Humanities Alliance for providing a grant to help with the expense of these sessions. The ...


Alabama Baptists kick off celebration of 200th year of cooperative work
The Alabama Baptist
The History Team, led by Lonette Berg, executive director of the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission, began its work by conducting interviews, doing ...


BPL's Jim Baggett Receives 2022 Marvin Yeomans Whiting Award as State's Top Archivist
Birmingham Public Library Blog
Birmingham, Alabama – Jim Baggett, longtime archivist for the ... He has authored or edited five books on Birmingham and Alabama history, ...


Alabama vs. Auburn: The 10 biggest upsets in the rivalry's history - Saturday Down South
Saturday Down South
Alabama football has rivalries. And then it has The Rivalry. The Iron Bowl. The biggest one of them all, probably by a few hundred country miles, ...



Adrian woman writes fictional book on 1963 Birmingham church bombing - The Daily Telegram
The Daily Telegram
ADRIAN — Adrian resident Cindi Gray has written a historical fiction book about the 1963 bombing of a Black church in Birmingham, Alabama, ...


Excerpt of 'South to America' by Imani Perry - Harvard Gazette
Harvard Gazette - Harvard University
Imani Perry goes in search of the heart of the nation in her new book "South to ... Imani Perry returns to Alabama to interview Angela Davis, ...

Friday, November 18, 2022

Birmingham Photo of the Day [83]: Southern & Athletic Clubs in 1908

An interesting book related to early Birmingham is the 1908 publication Views of Birmingham. Its full title gives a hint of its purpose: Views of Birmingham, Alabama with a Glimpse at some of the Natural Resources of the Birmingham District and the Industries Based thereon. The 64 page book has pages of photos devoted to various buildings such as Union Station, Masonic Temple and St. Vincent Hospital;  street scenes like "Third Avenue at Night", the city water works and various impressive mansions. The publisher was Isidore Newman and Son, bankers in New York and New Orleans. Newman was the owner of street railways in Birmingham and other cities, so this was a natural promotional effort.

I've done blog posts with some details on several of these photos, such as the Morris Hotel, Powell School, the U.S. Weather Bureau building, the Birmingham Water Works Shades Mountain filtration plant and two of the mansions in Glen Iris ParkThis one continues that series.

The Views photograph below shows the buildings of two organizations, the Southern and Birmingham Athletic Clubs. The Southern was a private gentleman's club founded as the Komus Club in 1886. This building opened in 1901; the BhamWiki entry has a photo of the club's interior. The organization folded in 1931 during the Great Depression. The Birmingham Red Cross occupied the building from 1943 until 1967, when it was demolished. The AmSouth-Sonat building was constructed on the site. 

Founded in 1886, the Birmingham Athletic Club opened the three story building shown in 1903. The interior, which included a basement, featured everything from a rifle range and bowling alley to a gymnasium and library. In 1892 the BAC put together a football team, and played the new University of Alabama team on November 12 at Lakeview Park. Alabama managed one 4-point touchdown, but BAC founder Joseph Ross kicked a 65-yard, 5-point field goal for the win. Scoring for U.S. football was a bit different at that time. 

In 1925 the BAC constructed a ten story headquarters elsewhere and sold this building to a local Ku Klux Klan organization. The Klan never occupied it and sold it to the YMCA. Later tenants included the YWCA and the Dixie-Carlton Hotel. The structure was demolished in 1955 for a parking lot. 

You can download a PDF of this book at the Internet Archive. A Flickr site has all the pages. 

Below I've included another photo from 1906 and a color postcard of these two buildings. 













Source: BhamWiki




Detroit Publishing Company, ca. 1906








Color postcard, ca. 1930

SOURCE: Troy University Libraries via Alabama Mosaic




Monday, November 14, 2022

Alabama History & Culture News: November 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!


Inspired by James Dean, former Alabama resident's podcast helps keep Hollywood history alive
AL.com
Inspired by James Dean, former Alabama resident's podcast helps keep Hollywood history alive. Updated: Nov. 13, 2022, 10:53 a.m. |; Published: Nov ...


Wagarville Baptist Church celebrates 75th anniversary
The Alabama Baptist
Jerrol Hare (right) of the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission presents a certificate to Bill Dortch (center) and deacon chair Ed Robinson ...


Auburn research project allowing world to see inside USS Drum submarine like never before
Auburn University
Liu and USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park Curator Shea McLean took a trip ... back to 2007 to continue to build a living history in Mobile Bay.

Jeff Cook, a Founder of the Country Band Alabama, Dies at 73 - The New York Times
The New York Times
Jeff Cook, a founding member of Alabama, one of the most popular and influential bands in the history of country music, died on Monday at his home ...


These two Alabama women served in the U.S. Senate, paving the way for Katie Britt
WHNT.com
Katie Britt is the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Alabama — but did you know two other women served before her?


Cane Creek Baptist celebrates 150th anniversary
The Alabama Baptist
Cane Creek Baptist Church, Clanton, celebrated its 150th anniversary Oct. 16 with former pastor Robert Gibson serving as the guest.


Enon Baptist in Morris celebrates 150th anniversary
The Alabama Baptist
It is a good and God-honoring thing to look back at what God has done and be reminded of His faithfulness.” Pastor Zac Reno spoke.


Head of Alabama Folklife Association discusses new podcast and Mobile's lost history
AL.com
Emily Blejwas is the executive director of the Alabama Folklife Association. She is also the author of "The History of Alabama in Fourteen Foods" ...



Opelika Auburn News
The cemetery at Rising Star Church in Tuskegee, Alabama. Adam Sparks / ... In its cemetery, Forney Calhoun is buried in an unmarked grave.


AL.com
State-supported Antebellum house museums give a narrow view of history — one that excuses slavery and excludes Black people.


Bham Now
Oak Hill Cemetery is bringing back their beloved Fall History Tour this month! #Birmingham #OakHillCemetery #FallHistoryTour #NW.


INTERVIEW: Author of 'Me and My Hero' speaks more on book - WTVM
WTVM
COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - Over 50 years ago, history was made in an Alabama community. 'Rusty' Ryan became the first Black student and football ...


New book out Tuesday from N.K. Jemisin, award-winning author with Mobile ties - al.com
AL.com
“The World We Make,” the latest science-fiction novel from N.K. Jemisin, an award-winning author with Alabama ties, is out Tuesday.

Flynt to discuss new book on Harper Lee | Alabama Mountains
Spot On Alabama
OAKVILLE - The author of a new book about writer Harper Lee will give a talk at the Jesse Owens Museum on Nov. 17 at 11 a.m. There.


Grant, donations help restore historic church in Wilcox County | The Alabama Baptist
The Alabama Baptist
Thanks to a grant from the Alabama Baptist Historical Commission, Bear Creek Baptist Church in Wilcox County,


The story of 'Jeffrey,' Alabama's most famous ghost - CBS 42
CBS 42
Alabama storyteller and author Kathryn Tucker Windham celebrates her 90th ... Alabama Ghost Stories and Jeffrey,” which explored Alabama's history ...


Haunting tours through historic Huntsville with the Huntsville Ghost Walk | News - WAAY-TV
WAAY-TV
historic tour, with a haunting twist. ... Stout said, "We have the ghost stories but we also have that history, it's seeing parts of Huntsville ...


Unearthing History: Decatur native living paleontological dream - Yahoo News
Yahoo News
Oct. 30—Excitement filled Drew Gentry's voice as he talked — albeit vaguely — about his latest excavation. "A wife and husband in south Alabama ...