Governor Robert Burns Lindsay and daughter Maud McKnight Lindsey Historic Markers

Maud Lindsey's home as it looks today

 Governor Robert Burns Lindsey July 4, 1824-Feb 13, 1902 

A native of Lochmaben, Scotland, Robert Burns Lindsey was Alabama's only foreign-born governor. He immigrated to North Carolina in 1844 and relocated to Tuscumboa in 1849, where he worked as a teacher and read law, obtaining admittance to the Alabama Bar in 1852. The following year, residents of Franklin County elected him to the Alabama House of Representatives. In 1854, Lindsay married Sarah Miller Winston, sister to John Anthony Winston, who served as governor from 1853 to 1857. the couple had nine children, four of whom survived to adulthood, among them educator and author Maud McKnight Lindsey (see other side). 

In 857, Lindsay won the election to the Alabama Senate. In 1861, he joined Colonel Philp D. Roddey's Fourth Alabama Cavalry, CSA. At war's end, voters returned him to the Alabama Senate. In 1870, Lindsey became the first Democrat elected governor of Alabama since the end of the Civil War. His turbulent two-year there in office amidst Reconstruction was beset by economic and political difficulties, compounded by the failure of a state-supported railroad venture. Declining to run for reelection in 1872, Lindsey returned to Tuscumbia, where he continued a limited law practice, hampered by ill health, until his death. 

Sponsored by the Maud Lindsay Study Club and The Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation Alabama Historical Association 2022.

Maud McKnight Lindsay
May 13, 1874-May 30, 1941

International educator and author Maud Lindsay was born at this home, then a frame structure in 1874. She was the daughter of Governor Robert B. Lindsay (see other side) and Sarah M. Winston Lindsey. 

In 1898, after working in a private kindergarten in Tuscumbia, "Mis Maud" crossed social barriers and established Alabama's first free kindergarten program in the working-class cotton mill district of East Florence. 

She remained the teacher and principal of the school for more than four decades. In 1900, Milton Bradley Company published Lindsay's first book. Mother Stories. She subsequently authored sixteen additional works, many of which reflected her childhood experiences in Alabama. Although she had no formal higher education, Lindsay became a sought-after speaker.

She lectured on the art of storytelling at New York University. Rebuffing many offers to teach elsewhere, including an invitation from renowned Italian educator Maria Montessori, Lindsey chose to remain in Alabama. Her childhood friend Helen Keller described her as "one of the truly progressive women of the southland and an example of Alabama's true wealth and greatness." Lindsay was inducted into the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame in 1995. 

Maud Lindsey Kindergarten Florence, Alabama 

Maud McKnight Lindsey 
The Florence Free Kindergarten 

Singing River Sculpture in Florence

Singing River Sculpture 

Singing River Sculpture in Florence 

Dedicated to the world-renowned musicians, recording executives, writers, producers, and performers who made Florence and the Muscle Shoals area the “Hit Recording Capital of the World” in the 1960s and 1970s and to those who continue that legacy.

2020 

Legend of the Singing River 
The Yuchi and other early Native Americans who lived along the banks of the mighty Tennessee River long held the legend of a Spirit Woman who lived in the river, sang her song, and protected them. She sang to them loudly if the drive was angry, softly and sweetly when the river was peaceful, and sometimes in the calming hum of a lullaby. In her honor, they named it the Singing River.
Some say that all they heard was the high waters’ mighty rush and roar over the mussel shoals or the calm, low waters babbling through the river rocks. 
Others say she is real and over the waters, just as she did many years ago. So goes the legend of the Singing River. 

The World-Changing Music Shoals Music 
From the last half of the 20th century to the present, Muscle Shoals area artists, musicians, songwriters, and music industry professionals have helped shape the world’s expansive musical heritage. 

Few styles of music were untouched by Muscle Shoals music, and local contributions have been made in all the areas of the complex industry; producers, recording engineers, songwriting, music publishing, and music business interest.

Many of the world’s greatest performers began their assent to stardom in Muscle Shoals. Artists such as Percy Sledge, Aretha Franklin, The Staple Singers, Bob Seger, and many others quickly created a legacy that earned the area the title “Hit Recording Capitol of the World.”

The warning in Arthur Alexander’s You Better Move On got the attention of the Rolling Stones. The Beatles heard Alexander’s song Anna, and each band acknowledged their respect for Alexander by recording their version of the songs on their first albums. 

The songwriting tradition continues as one of the strongest facets of Muscle Shoals music, with area songwriters penning songs such as When A Man Loves a Woman, I Swear, Blown Away, Before He Cheats, and hundreds of other hits over the decades. 
The area grew a music center by drawing together people of all races and religions. In the 1960s, despite the segregation of race enforced outside the studio, area soul classics were being created in the studios with musicians contributing their innate musical talents. The collaborations created some of the most widely loved music of the 20th Century, including When A Man Loves A Woman, Mustang Sally, Tell Mama, Patch, Respect Yourself, and many others. 

The heart and soul of Muscle Shoals music have always been the players and singers. Four members of the Muscle Shoals Sound Rhythm Section were immortalized in the Lynyrd Skynyrd song Sweet Home Alabama. The lyric, “Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers, and they’ve been known to pick a song or two, “ honors Barry-Beckett, Jimmy Johnson, David Hoot, and Roger Hawkins, owner of Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, and studio musicians who produced and played on hundreds of hit recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios from the late 60s until the mid-70s.


Florence’s Contribution to this Golden Era
Florence has long had a rich and varied music culture and heritage. Building on the foundation of Blues and Spiritual music laid by Florence native W.C. Handy, known as the Father of the Blues, composer of Beale Street Blues, St Louis Blues, and others, that legacy continues to the present day. 
The roots of what became known as the Muscle Shoals sound are found north of the Tennessee River in Florence, AL. They were planted by pioneers such as James Joiner, Tom Stafford, Rich Hall, and the many talented musicians and songwriters who recorded in Florence studios before 1960.
Other notable music personalities from Florence include Sam Phillips, Buddy Killen, Billy Sherrill, and Kelso Herston, all of whom found major success in Memphis and Nashville. 

In 1956, Joiner wrote and produced the area’s first regional hit, Bobby Denton’s A Fallen Star. He, Kelso Herston, and partners established “Tune Records and Publishing Company, the first of its kind in Alabama, and published the classic Country song Six Days on the Road, written by Earl Greene and Carl Montgomery. 


Stafford, Hall, and Billy Sherrill created Florence Alabama Music Enterprises (FAME) above the City Drug Store, owned by Stafford’s family. The studio attracted young talents such as David Briggs, Norbert Putman, Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham, Jerry Carrigan, Earl “Peanutt” Montgomery, Donnie Fritts, Arthur Alexander, Bobby Denton, and others who would go on to be legendary musicians and songwriters. 


In 1964, at the request of John Lennon, four members of the original Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, Norbert Putman, David Briggs, Jerry Carrigan, and Terry Thompson, backed opening acts for the Righteous Brothers and Tommy Roe for the Beatles at their first US concert in Washington D.C. 

In 1976, Wishbone Studio owner and producer Terry Woodford cofounded the University of North Alabama Commercial Music Program, which prepared many for success in the music industry, including Randy Poe, President of Leiber & Stoller Music Publishing/music biographer; Walt Aldridge songwriter/producer, Nancy Lee, V.P. Music Industry Business, Manager Higham Management Ince.; Mark Narmore, Songwriter/singer/keyboardist; John Briggs, V.P. ASCAP (Retired), V.P. Entertainment and Pro Sports, Tower Community Band, and Kevin Lamb, V.P. Peer Music (Retired).

Photos: William Christopher (W.C)Handy
Photo courtesy of W.C. Handy Foundation Inc. 

Photo: James Joiner  and Kelson Herston (L) 
Photo editing courtesy of Glenn Bevis 


Joiner’s Bus Station 
Site of Joiner’s first recording studio 
Photo courtesy of Joiner Family 

Photo: Tom Stanford 
Enigmatic mentor to many young Muscle Shoals musicians 
Photo courtesy of David Briggs

Photo: The Original Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section 
Terry Thompson, Norbert Putman, Jerry Carrigan, and David Briggs 
Photo completion courtesy of Will C. Roberson and Trevor J. Joiner 

Photo: Terry Woodford 
With guest speaker Glenn Frey of the Eagles in UNA Commercial Music class 
Photo courtesy of Terry Woodford. 

The City of Florence, Alabama 
Mayor Steve Holt - Eric Nubbe, Sculpture 
A special thanks to former Mayor Mickey Haddock and former Mayor Bobby E. Irons for their early and unwavering support and encouragement.
Historical commentary by Dick Cooper, David Anderson, Bill Matthews, and Sandra Vetters.

Singing River Sculpture 

2024 April 6, Huntsville Twickenham Walking Tour

Walking tour Twickhbam in Huntsville

I think we had over 60 people on the tour.

The group taking the tour 

Clarke Dorning 1935 home 

White Dogwood Blooms 

What a beautiful day for a walking tour of Twickenham. With every step we took, we learned about the early settlers of Huntsville. 

It was steeped in history from the early 1800s.

It felt like we were walking in a botanical garden with all the colorful Azelas and pink and white dogwood trees in full bloom. The aroma of lilac filled the air from the Lilac bushes and tulips with shiny white faces. Music filled the air with Robins, Blue Jays, Finch, and Woodpecker chirping.

After the tour, we rode to Bridge Street Centre, stopping at the Cheesecake Factory for lunch. 

SkinnyLicious® Avocado Tacos

Roadside Sliders

Original cheesecake 

Hubby ordered Roadside Sliders*

Bite-sized burgers on Mini-Buns Served with Grilled Onions, Pickles, and Ketchup, and I ordered SkinnyLicious® Avocado Tacos.

Fresh Jicama “Tortilla” Shells Filled with Crispy Avocado, Tomatillo Slaw and Cilantro

We also ordered a slice of the Original cheesecake. 

Original

The One that Started It All! Our Famous Creamy Cheesecake with a Graham Cracker Crust and Sour Cream Topping

We were too full to eat the cheesecake, so we brought it home.

2022 April 23, Madison Walking Tour lead by Gerald Clark

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

A War Memorial displayed in Madison's 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 tracks were laid by Memphis and Charleston Railroad. In 1858, Judge Clemons planned the town's lots fronting the railroad.

One of the first businesses was a Grist Mill Mill operated by J.J. Akers, S.D. Doolittle opened a Blacksmith Shop, and other merchants included Walter and Thomas Hopkins and James Bib. 

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 Thorton 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 1869 City of Madison

J.H. Cain General Merchandise 

We learned about Buttermilk Alley Buttermilk Alley is a narrow lane running between Front and Arnett streets. Circa 1900, the alley gave a safe haven for sweethearts to take a walk at dusk and hold hands. Mrs. Katie, an African-American woman who worked for Dr. Kyser on Front Street, sat on her porch and kept a watchful eye on the youth’s safety. 

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

Buttermilk Aly

Madison is a historic small town rich in history and now growing in leaps and bounds. 

2022 Jan 15, First Day Hike on Multi-Purpose Trail Wheeler Dam

Today, a group of hikers meets at JWSP Cabin Office (24921 Alabama Hwy 101) for a little over the 2-mile hike. We followed in our cars to the hiking spot "The Multi-purpose Hiking Trail" with park rangers Sam and David. The trail is between Wheeler Dam and Fishmans Resort camping and lodge. It is a scenic loop that runs along the Tennessee River and Big Nance Creek.

Bathhouse 

We saw several historic ruins of the 1930s, a bathhouse/restrooms. We saw a couple of overgrown Chimneys and Picnic Tables, once used by the people living here during the building of TVA's Wheeler Dam. We also saw a collapsed viewing area that overlooks the Tennessee River. The rangers said they hoped to get a grant to restore the viewing area. We stopped about midway for a group picture. (The ranger David took our picture with his cell phone and said he would email everyone a copy; I have not received mine yet)

This spot overlooking Big Nance Creek is where the group stopped for a picture. We saw several different kinds of hardwood trees, oak, and hickory. We saw a variety of wild mushrooms & berries that feed the animals that are in the park. We saw signs of deer in the soft mud and could hear the many different sounds of Alabama's songbirds.

Open Pit

We also saw a large open grill/pit used to cook outdoor meals for a large group, overgrown with a tree growing in the middle. It was a very overcast day with a chance of rain and snow. The hike began at noon and ended around 2:30 PM. It began to sprinkle as we were leaving. TVA is planning to build a powerhouse to feed the growing community. Hopefully, they will not destroy too much of the walking forest area.

Mushrooms on log 

Everyone received an "I hiked Alabama State Parks New Year's Day." The first-day hike scheduled for Jan 1, 2022, was canceled because of inclement weather. (High winds and threatening tornadoes) and rescheduled for Jan 15, 2022.

Group of hikers

A copy of the group was sent to everyone from Sam and David. We had three dogs, 10 people, plus two park rangers. (One not showing took the picture)

2019 May 15, Day Trip Decatur's Historic & Parks Gardens 💐 🌷

Hubby and I had a great day. I was not sure if we were going anywhere because by 10AM, it looked like rain, but we decided to go anyway. 
We rode to Decatur, stopping at Old Bank Park Garden took pictures of the garden.

Old Bank Street Park Garden 

Next, we rode to Frazier Park. (Never been to this park) I was surprised at how beautiful and serene. It had blooming Hydrangeas, and Magnolia trees were in bloom, as other shrubs, trees, and flowers along a running stream with a cross bridge. 

Frazier Park 

We rode over to Albany to Delano Rose Walk and the Children's Riverwild Playground, splash pad, and Garden. We had taken the grandkids to play in the park when they were small. The River Wild Garden Walkway was new to us. 

DragonFly 

River wild Park 

Toad Frog 

Swamp Rabbit 

Tortoise 

Delano Park Rose Garden

We loved the Frogs, Toads, Beavers, Fireflies, Turtles, butterflies, signs, and statues throughout the Garden. By the time we reached the Rose Garden, it had begun to sprinkle. A landscaper working in the garden, I said a little rain cannot hurt but he said I cannot get my work done in the rain. I kept on taking pictures, but the rain got harder. I looked around, and the gardener had disappeared, he had gone back to his truck to keep from getting wet. I started back to the car, and the rain began to come down hard, but I made it to the car before I got too wet. We rode to Huntsville to get the oil changed in our car by the time they finished, the sun had come out, so we rode back to Decatur so I could finish taking pictures.

Pink Rose 

Entrance Way lined with Snow Queen Hydrangeas

We were getting hungry, and we did not eat lunch because we had stopped at the Shell Gas Station, where they sell hot food, and bought some corn fritters. Hubby had been wanting some. We also stopped at McDonald's for hot apple pie.
We ended up eating at Jack's on hwy 31 because we could not decide where to stop in Decatur. But that was okay because we both liked Jack's

John Lee Hooker - Vance MISS US 61 Blues Trail South Haven, MS

MISS US 61 John Lee Hooker - Vance

John Lee Hooker (c. 1917-2001), one of the most famous and successful of all blues singers, had his musical roots here in the Delta, where he learned to play guitar in the style of his stepfather, Will Moore.  Hooker spent many of his early years with his family in the cotton fields around Vance and Lambert before he moved to Detroit in the 1940s. He became an international celebrity after recording hits  such as “Boogie Chillen,” “I’m in the Mood,” and “Boom Boom.”

John Lee Hooker

John Lee Hooker

John Lee Hooker was at once one of the most influential yet inimitable artists in blues history.  His distinctive “boogie” style harked back to the early days of blues, but his mixture of down-home sounds and urban sensibilities resounded with many Southerners who, like him, migrated north seeking work and a better life.  Hooker, one of eleven children, often gave vague and contradictory details about his early life, later professing little desire to return to Mississippi. He often cited August 22, 1917, as his birth date, although census records, showing the family near Tutwiler in 1920 and 1930, indicate he was several years older. He said he was born between Clarksdale and Vance; Social Security files list his birthplace as Glendora. His father, William Hooker, at one time a sharecropper on the Fewell plantation near Vance, was a preacher who frowned upon the blues. John Lee preferred living with his stepfather, blues guitarist Will Moore and claimed that his idiosyncratic style was “identical” to Moore’s. Hooker was also influenced by his sister Alice’s boyfriend, Tony Hollins (1910-c.1959), who gave Hooker his first guitar. Hooker’s song “When My First Wife Left Me” was based on a 1941 Hollins recording. Hollins once lived north of Vance in Longstreet (so named for its long street of stores, houses, and dance halls).

Following stays in Memphis and Cincinnati and returns to the Vance/Lambert area, Hooker settled in Detroit, where he made his first recordings in 1948. In 1949 his single “Boogie Chillen” reached No. 1 on the R&B charts; “I’m in the Mood” achieved the same feat in 1951. Hooker, famed for his ability to improvise new songs in the studio, recorded prolifically for many different labels, often under pseudonyms to avoid contractual problems. He later crossed over to rock ‘n’ roll and folk audiences and enjoyed a remarkable resurgence beginning in 1989 with the release of The Healer, one of several Hooker albums that featured collaborations with leading rock artists. Hooker received four Grammy® Awards, a Rhythm & Blues Foundation Pioneer Award, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (as well as the one in Clarksdale). He was inducted into both the Rock and Roll and Blues Hall of Fame. Hooker moved to California in the late 1960s and later owned a club, the Boom Boom Room, in San Francisco. He died at his home in Los Altos on June 21, 2001.

Hooker’s cousin Earl Hooker (1929-1970), who also hailed from the Vance area, was widely regarded by his peers as the best guitarist in the blues.  A versatile and innovative performer, Hooker was especially celebrated for his slide guitar skills. As a teenager, Hooker performed on the King Biscuit Time radio show in Helena and later played and recorded with Ike Turner, Junior Wells, and many others, including his own Chicago-based group, the Roadmasters.

Modern Hollywood Records
“Boogie Chillin'”
 John Lee Hooker & His guitar 

Far left, Shaw Artists photo, the 1950s let Hooker during an interview for Living Blues Magazine, Chicago 1977.
Hooker was a headliner on the "chitlin circuit" when he appeared at the Lyric Theater in Louisville, Ky advertised here in the March 1, 1952 issue of the Louisville Defender.
Cousin John Lee and Earl Hooker followed separate career paths but came together to record the album If You Miss I got im in 1969.
Eddie Barns, who once lived in nearby Dublin teamed up with John Lee Hooker to perform and record in Detroit in the 1950s and 50s. Barns (b.1928) knew the Hooker family here, although John Lee had already moved north at the time. Hooker's first wife, Alma Pope was also from Dublin.
Hooker, "King of the Boogie" at a California performance in 1981 with fellow Mississippi native Charlie Musselwhite on hardware. 

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