Day 1: Thursday
On our way to Mobile, we made several stops.
We stopped in Thomasville to tour the Kathryn Tucker Museum (Storyteller). The curator walked us through the museum, telling us some of the history of Mrs. Windham.
Mrs. Windham was famous for her ghost stories about "Jeffery the ghost," who took up residence in Mrs. Windham's home.
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| Kathryn Tucker Windham T-shirt with Jeffrey's Ghost on the Front. |
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| The story about how Kathryn got her first camera! |
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| A sculpture of Kathryn by her good friend "Charlie Lucas" |
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| Kathryn's life story is told in a quilt. |
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| Reserved for Ghost Jeffery |
We thanked our guide, and she said if we liked the museum, we should stop at Clarke County Museum Grover Hill, Al.
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| Clarke County Historical Museum with Pioneer Village in back. |
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| French Bed |
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| Josiah and Lucy Martin Matthew Cabin This structure was donated to the Clarke Co Historical Society to its present site. Restored in 2008. |
We learned that Clarke County was home to 3 salt works during the Civil War. These Springs were also used by the Native Americans.
We also learned that during the Civil War, prices of Salt escalated so high that the workers were paid in salt. Prices rose from $1.25 per bushel of 50 pounds in 1861 to $50 by the end of the Civil War.
When the rumor circulated that Mobile was captured, everyone scattered, ending the widespread use of the works.
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| Salt-making kettle |
Pioneer Day for 2023 will be October 28, 9-3, at the Clarke County Museum.
Pies, cakes, and other homemade baked goods will be available. The famous Gee's Bend quilters will be demonstrating quilting and will be selling some of their beautiful handiwork. Winky Hicks and friends will be playing bluegrass music, and storyteller Deborah Rankins will be on hand to tell local tales.
We thanked our curator and began our final journey to Mobile.
We will be staying at the Battle House Renaissance Hotel, room 5242, another historic site.
The hotel is connected to the completely new and impressive RSA Battle House Tower. The RSA Hotel is the tallest building in the state it is 40 stories tall.
Original opened in 1852. The Franklin Hotel was on this site before burning down in 1829.
Andrew Jackson set up headquarters in 1812. The first Mardi Gras Ball was held in the Crystal Ballroom in 1852.
Elvis Presley stayed the night he was kicked off of the fairgrounds for doing the "Shake" in 1952.
It has a Whispering Arch, the Six Flags of Mobile.
1702-1763 French Flag
1763-1780 British Flag
1780-1813 Spanish Flag
1813 -1861 1st US Flag
1851-1861- Antebellum Period
1861-1864 - Alabama Confederate Flag
1964-present 2nd US Flag
In the whispering arch ceiling area, you can see Louis XIV, George Washington, Ferdinand V, and George III.
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| Whispering Arches |
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| The Grand Ballroom |
We walked up the street to Loda Bier Garten for dinner but were stopped by two men from Chanel 10 Fox News. One with a camera and the other with a microphone. He asked us if we were going on the Cruise ship out of Mobile, and we said yes. So he interviewed us, and we were on TV that night.
I had several people on the Carnival Cruise Ship Spirit who said they saw me on TV.
This was the first ship out of Mobile for over a year. The bay had to be drugged so bigger ships could dock.
We continued our journey to the Bier Garten, where we enjoyed a hamburger, fries, and fried mushrooms.
It had been a long day, so we returned to the hotel, took a hot shower, and climbed into bed.
We wanted to be rested before we began our journey on the Carnival Spirit Cruise Ship to the Bahamas.
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| Fried Mushroom at Lola's Bier Garten in Mobile |
