2022 April 23, Madison Walking Tour lead by Gerald Clark

 We began the tour at the Roundhouse, located near the railroad tracks. Before Mr. Clark started his speech, a train roared past. 

A War Memorial displayed in Madison Park 

We walked across the railroad tracks and began our tour of Historic downtown Madison.

A little history about Madison:

The town began about 1856, when the Memphis and Charleston Railroad laid tracks. In 1858, Judge Clemons planned the town's lots fronting the railroad.

One of the first businesses was a Grist Mill operated by J.J. Akers, S.D. Doolittle opened a blacksmith shop, and other merchants, including Walter, Thomas Hopkins, and James Bib, also opened it. 

Humphrey and Hughes Drug Co.
The Rexall Store 

Historic Madison homes and stores that we saw:

The History of Madison

Madison Station Hertzler Vaughn 1905 

Madison Station Apperson Brown ca 1900

Madison Station Cain Steadman ca 1880

Madison Station, Farley Thornton Goodson, 1911 

Madison Station Clay Sensenberger 1853

Madison Station Shelton Balch 1928

Madison Station Pride Drake 1910 

Madison Station Thomas Vaughn ca 1910 

Madison Station Burton Balch Willis 1885

Madison Station, Farley Sturdivant 1910 

Madison Station Gillespie McDermott 1897

Madison Station Riddle W. Hughes Sampieri 1920

Madison Station Riddle C.P. Hughes 1910

Madison Station Sullivan Wellborn 1889

The Methodist Church 

War Memorials 

Colonel Cecil Hamilton Bolton, LT US ARMY

Leo K Thorsness COL US AIR FORCE

Paul L. Bolden SSG US ARMY 

CITY OF MADISON WALL OF HEROES

Madison Roundhouse

Storefront 16 Main (Yellow House)

Humphrey Bros. was Built by D.S. Brandon 

Robert P. Cain Mercantile 

Humphrey-Hughes Drug Co Store 

The Rexall Store 

Established in 1869, the City of Madison

J.H. Cain General Merchandise 

We learned about Buttermilk Alley, a narrow lane between Front and Arnett Streets. Circa 1900 was a safe haven for sweethearts to take a walk at dusk and hold hands. Mrs. Katie, an African-American woman working for Dr. Kyser on Front Street, sat on her porch and watched the youth's safety. 

Longtime residents also credit Buttermilk Alley's name to food handouts from Front Street residents to hungry hobos riding the train. 

Buttermilk Aly

Madison is a historic small town rich in history and now experiencing rapid growth. 

🚂🚂🚂Tuscumbia Train Depot Museum Built 1888

Tuscumbia was the first railroad in Alabama and the fourth in the USA.
Located at 204 West Fifth Street, Tuscumbia.
Constructed in 1888 by the Memphis and Charleston Railroads

Tuscumbia Train Depot  back view

Tuscumbia Railroad: First Railroad west of the Alleghenies

Tuscumbia Rail Depot front view 

In 1948, a new depot was built along Shop Pike in Sheffield, and the 5th Street Depot was
donated to the City of Tuscumbia for a Community Center.
My grandparents celebrated their 50th Anniversary at the 5th Street Depot in 1976.

Golden Anniversary Celebrations 1976
5th Street Community Center (Old Tuscumbia Depot

The bell came from a real Tuscumbia steam engine, and school children love to ring it. 

JW Kiser, who had worked for the railroad, convinced the Southern Railroad to donate the bell to Woodward Avenue Baptist Church. It was used to signal children that it was time for Sunday School.

The church no longer used the building,  which was donated to the Tuscumbia Train Depot on October 21, 2007.

Waiting for the train & a Long stick used for sending messages

Railroads use lights and hand signals so that trainmen and workers can "talk."  The signs were first used over 130 years ago, before people had radios. Railroads needed men who could send signals from far or near. Many times, the signalman would be too far away to use a whistle or horn. Colors, lights, and hand signals were all used.

Color Signals

On the railroad, different colors have to mean Something to send a message. Flag color signals are:

Red - Stop

White - Go

Green - Go slowly  - caution!

Blue flags are placed on a car or other object on which men are working.

STOP! Swing the lantern across the tracks.

SLOW DOWN! Hold at arm's length when the train is moving.

GO is straight up and down.

GO BACK! Swing up and down in a circle at half an arm's length across the track, when the train is moving.

TRAIN HAS PARTED! This tells the trainmen that cars have come loose, going up and down in a circle at the whole arm's length when the train is running.

DO NOT GO! APPLY BRAKES! Swing straight above your head when the train is standing.

GO! RELEASE BRAKES! Hold at arm's length above your head when the train is standing.

Ticket Counter
When the ticket window opened, it averaged about 30,000 tickets a year. 

WWII of the 718 R.O.B. UNIT -CIT F.T.O.

The fighting 718th Railroad Operating Battalion brought home a souvenir from Germany when they captured a railway station in Germany.

https://archive.org/details/HistoryOfThe718thRailrayOperatingBattalion

The 718th was given the territory from Folligny to Mayenne and to Rennes, a substantial section of the French railroad, to operate. Along with this came the responsibility of maintaining a single track from Pontabault to Cayenne and from Ponterson to Fougeres, and a double track from Folligny to Dol, with French maintenance of a double track from Dol to Rennes. 

Railroad operations were conducted under permissive block during blackout conditions. 

Flagging with a fusee and a lantern was permitted only in emergencies during the blackout. Crews going out on a run never knew when they might get back. 

The carriage owned by the Keller Family used to pick up teacher Anne Sullivan. 

This carriage, owned by the Keller Family, was thought to be used by Captain Arthur Keller to pick up Anne Sullivan at the Tuscumbia Train Station. 

Anne rode in the buggy with Captain Keller down the long drive that was lined with magnolias to Ivy Green. Anne spotted Helen waiting for her on the front porch. Tporchherchange the livporchof both Helen and Anne forever.