The Golden Years

In your golden years 

You see a variety of physicians
hoping they can repair it,
your bodily parts

Your body becomes like an aged car
Without constant care, it begins to fall apart. 

What did you say become 

Your daily answer?

Hearing aids become a necessity. 

Snap, Crackle, and Pop are the sounds
you make as you walk across the floor. 

You take the elevator instead of the stairs.

That beautiful, vibrant golden hair has turned shades of gray.

The obituary is your daily reading 

You look daily

for friends, relatives, or neighbors 

names that have gone to the great beyond!

Those once bright white teeth have aged
You now have

root canals, bridges, crowns, implants 

Heaven forbid if you have to 

wear dentures.

Your sight grows dim
and glasses are required.

Arthritis rules your body.
Your signature becomes a scribble.
As you try to sign your name

You take more pills than you can hold in one hand
just to survive.

You leave the room, but forget why?
Do you forget your name?
You forget the day, month, or year!

You watched your parents and grandparents
as they reached their golden years.

Life seems to have passed you by as
You watched your children grow and leave
the nest
Then you watch your grandchildren
leave the nest
Now you are all alone.

My grandmother told me  Heaven is my home
There, I will be able to  run and jump 

just as I did when I was a kid.

She said I don't seek 

fortune, & fame, for they will soon
fade away.

God is my refuge
Heaven is my home
No more pain and suffering.
This is my hope and my salvation!

2019 June 12, Day Trip Cooks Museum of Natural Science, Decatur Depot, Huntsville, Athens, Alabama

Hubby and I rode to Decatur, where we visited the newly opened Cooks Museum of Natural History. 

There, we walked through exhibits featuring a cave, forest, Arctic, and desert environments. 

Cooks Museum of Natural History 

We saw live turtles, saltwater fish, live coral, moon jellyfish, river fish, gopher snakes, American bullfrog, American Alligator, and a variety of insects.

We saw a live beehive with thousands of bees that were connected to the outside, where the bees could collect pollen for the hive. 

A meteorite from outer space, a digital seashell generator, a kinetic sand table, and a tree with a rope bridge to climb were just a few of the inter-actives at the museum. 

Cooks Museum is a place where you can touch, feel, see, and hear different species of animals, reptiles, birds, insects, and fish. 

It is an excellent destination for school groups to visit. 

We had a great time. 

Bee Hive 

We were greeted by a well-informed curator at the Decatur Train Museum. 

He told us some of the museum's history.

We saw an engineer running a miniature train around the tracks, along its path, which was a replica of notable buildings of Decatur.

We saw the Prince's Theater, the Old Bank building, the Turner-Surles Community Resources Center, the Train Depot, and the Dance-Polk House.

We saw a Coca-Cola engine, an Army Supply Train, an Orange caboose, a CSX Engine, a C&X, a K Line, a Seaco, an ADM Box Car, etc. 

Signs along the walls that read Southern Railway "The Southern SerRailroadouth," Railroad Crossing, & Will not clear man or side of the car.

Decatur Train Depot Museum 

We saw the early Memphis Railroad in 1Railroadh steam engines and carriages. We saw an early telephone hanging on the wall, the early Western Union Telegram, maps of early Alabama, and an old Underwood Typewriter. 

On display inside was a Red 1941 Chevrolet 1 2-ton pickup truck

On display inside was a Green and Yellow John Deere model “LA” general-purpose tractor 

We shopped at the new Duluth Company Trading Post( located near Intergraph in Huntsville), which had men's and women's clothing.

We ate a late lunch/dinner at Golden Corral. I always overeat at buffets. 

We purchased an HP OfficeJet 9015 Printer and ink at Office Depot in Huntsville. My old HP had died.

The car was loaded with two cases of water we had bought at Sam's the day before. 

We bought vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes, squash) from a local grower on our way to Decatur.

We bought a few groceries from Oldies in Athens.
We purchased some baking soda at CE Pool, where we had our pool water tested. 

So, the car was loaded with items to be put away.

I had taken several pictures but was too tired to upload them to the computer. I will do that another day.

Ready for some couch time!

2019 Oct 28, In Search of Historic Markers, David Crockett Park, Museum, Halloween displays

Our first search of markers was the Killen & Canal System @ Lock 6.
We saw several homes along the river, and to access them, we had to travel up steep hills, which could be very hazardous in the winter.

The Killen & Canal System at Lock 6 was located at the boating dock at the end of Turtle Landing Road.

Soldiers rest at Butler Cemetery in front of the Polo Club.

 Old Gabe Cemetery, located at CR 42
Gabriel Butler, also known as "Ole Gabe," was born in the Carolinas in 1779, during the time of the Revolutionary War. His name appears in the records in Kentucky from the 1800s. He married his first wife, Sarah Whitesides, in Warren County, KY, on December 26, 1803. Gabe was among the earliest white settlers of Lauderdale County. He arrived here during the early 1800s and leased land from Cherokee Indian Chief Doublehead on the Chief's Reserve. After Doublehead was killed in 1807, the government directed the settlers on his Reserve to leave. 
Gabe and other settlers signed a petition in 1809 asking to remain; however, the settlers were elected around 1811. Gabe and his family moved to the north, to Tennessee. Indian Treaties signed in 1817 allowed the creation of Lauderdale County in February 1818. The Federal Land Office was established, allowing land to be sold here beginning in March of 1818. Gabe traveled to Huntsville on November 14, 1818, and purchased land here along Bluewater Creek. Eventually, he owned several acres in this area.

Gaberial "Old Gabe" Butler 1779-1856 Gabe's land was fertile, with an abundance of good water, timber, and game. He built his home on the hill across Bluewater. He expected the road between Huntsville and Florence to be constructed nearby, giving him easy access to his farmland on the other side of the creek. However, the road was built 1 1/2 miles south in the general vicinity of the modern-day US Highway  72. After 1824, Gabe built his second home southwest of here on this side of the creek. Old Gabe donated two acres of land to start the Primitive Baptist Church at Bluewater on May 16, 1840. 

The churches at Mitchell Town and Elgin Crossroads developed from that church. The cemetery at this location, one of the earliest in Lauderdale County, was established by Gabe and named for him. Gabe died in November 1856 at the age of 77. He and some of his family members are buried within the rock walls. Old Gabe had three wives and 11 children, nine of whom married and raised families in this area. Many of the descendants of “Old Gabe" are buried in this cemetery.

Gaberial "Old Gabe" Butler 1779-1856 Cemetery
Butler Cemetery 
Deeded to Gabriel Butler, Nov 14, 1818

CR 568Spider, Ghost, Skeletons, Witches, Pumpkins "Halloween"

Bettie Anne Highway Historic

French Glover Farm on CR 48
Revolutionary War Veteran Benjamin French (1764-1847), a native of Virginia, is buried at this site. Arriving in Limestone County, Alabama, in about 1808, the French acquired this farm in 1837.
The nearby spring is the site of prehistoric Indian Villages and Civil War encampments. The two-story log house, located initially three miles southwest of this place, is believed to have been constructed as early as 1829. It was moved here by the Glover family before 1813. This road was part of the early Pulaski Pike, a major stagecoach and supply route that connected the river at Florence with Pulaski, Tennessee

We were headed to Tennessee for Lottery tickets and were unsure how to get to Loretto from our current location, so we asked Sirius for directions.
Bought Lottery tickets and rode to Lawrenceburg, stopping at The Brass Lantern for lunch.

Brass Lantern
Hoyt Tidwell & wife were there promoting their recipe book, which included his wife's famous chicken dumpling recipe.

Enjoyed eating the famous Chicken and dumplings, fried green tomatoes, Jack Daniel's Apples, red onion, cornbread, and turnip greens.
The famous chicken & dumplings are on Monday's special menu, which comes with two sides.
YUM!

My Hubby ordered the chicken & dumplings, white beans, fried green tomatoes, cornbread, and made one trip to the salad bar.
We had enough leftovers for a to-go box.

Barred Owl bird of prey resting on its perch

David Crockett Museum with carved pumpkins inviting us inside

We rode to David Crockett Park, where we visited the Crockett Museum
 In the museum, we saw Crockett, Tennessee, Westward Movement, Crockett's distillery, Crockett the Politician, the Great Frontier, Crockett's power mill, Crockett the Industrialist, Crockett the Hunter, Crockett's office, his timeline 1786-1822, some of his tools, Markee of the Almo, where David Crockett was killed, and Crockett the homesteader.

Autumn leaves mirroring the lake, what a beautiful sight. 

Monday, after the weekend of Celebrating Halloween, still lingered at the Town Square of Lawrenceburg. 

Witches sitting, and spiders climbing on the white brick wall
showing the joys of a bright October Halloween Day.

Hubby and I had a great Autumn Day, with our adventures taking us into unknown territory.
Seeing gobblings of all kinds in places we would not have seen if we had chosen to stay home.
We met new people, tried new food, and spent the day together on one of our many traveling adventures.

2019 Oct 19, Finding Huntsville Walking Tour with Carol Cordori & loosing my keyless remote

I traveled to Huntsville for the Finding Huntsville Walking Tour with Carol Cordori. 

I parked in front of the Constitution Village, stopping at their public restroom after my long ride to Huntsville. 

Meet up with a group of people at Harrison Brothers who were interested in the History of Huntsville. 

We began our tour a little after 11 A.M., with guide Carol Cordori, after we were all given a 12-page Finding Huntsville Field Guide.

Harrison Brothers Bank Vault, where records were kept 

Building 1: Commercial Architecture of Harrison Brothers 

Built in the 19th century with large glass display windows that had a recessed front door, long rows of transom windows above the display windows, and bricks that projected beyond the walls.  

Building 2: First National Bank of Huntsville 

Built about 1837- 1840 in the Greek Revival Style

Built with a pitched roof and a triangular front supported by Columns made up of a base, a shaft, and a capital. 

Local builder George Steel drew up the plans for the bank.

Greek Revival "First National Bank of Huntsville"

Building 3: The Madison County Courthouse was built in the International Style. 

Built with a flat roof, tall columns that support a large porch, and no attached decorations, it is often built with glass, steel, and concrete. Built in 1966 by Northington, Smith, Krannert & Associates, "Space Built"

International Style Huntsville Courthouse (backside)

Building 4: Romanesque Revival Schiffman building, built in 1845 and remodeled by George Thompson in 1895.

It has been owned by the Schiffman family for more than 100 years.

It was built of rush stone with carved leaves or flowers, bow windows, and a recessed front under an arch.

Building 5: Gothic Revival Style (used to teach Christianity). The Church of Nativity was built in 1859 by Wills and Dudley. 

The trefoil represents the Trinity (God, Christ & Holy Spirit), and the quatrefoil represents the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

The Lancet arches, tracery, and engaged buttress point up toward Heaven. 

We were greeted by the Minister and given a tour of the temple.

Stained glass window notice at the top that the three-point clover represents the Trinity, and the bottom 4 points clover represents the Gospels of the Bible. 

Gothic Style Church of Nativity
Notice the steeple and windows, all pointing toward Heaven. 

Inside the Church of the Nativity

We finished our tour on the sunken sidewalk in front of the old J. C. Penny building on the Square.

Welcome back, Sunken Sidewalk
In the mid-1800s, masons sculpted local clay into these bricks and created the sidewalks. What once served as a humble walkway for farmers, merchants, and pedestrians now links you to Huntsville's past and to all those who trod where you are standing.

I walked around Huntsville Square, taking pictures of the art.

Red Ball Art on Square

Small Bull  Art 

Space Art

I shopped at Harrison Brothers Mercantile.

I stopped once again at the Constitution Village Public restroom.

I took a few pictures of the beautiful blooming mums in Constitution Park.

Mums at Constitution Village

I walked to my car and tried to open the door, but it would not open. (Keyless Remote)

I had put my remote in my back pocket, but it was not there. 

I walked back to the restroom, thinking I may have dropped them on the floor or even in the toilet.

The keys were not there! Before I retrace my steps, I walked to the Constitution Village Museum Store.

I ask if anyone has found a keyless remote

I was dreading telling  Hubby I had lost my keyless remote 

Someone had turned it in; God was looking out for me.

The young woman behind the counter began by telling me about her episode of lost keys.

She said she cranked her car (Using the Keyless remote) but had to go back inside. She forgot her key, got in her car, and left. She stopped for gas, filled her car, and went to crank it, but it would not crank, for she had no key. She had to call her husband and tell him to bring her the keyless remote. 

Sometimes, Technology is not so great!

In today's world, we get lost in the daily hustle and bustle.

I did some shopping at Kohles in Madison, looking for an Ugly doll for Ava Grace. 

Stopped at Wendy's in Athens for a hot bowl of chili, a chocolate Frosty, and Coke. 

Arrived at about 3:45 P.M. at the East Lauderdale Quilt Show at Rogersville United Methodist Church.

They were giving out awards and getting ready to close. 

What a day! Walked in the drizzling rain, with the wind whipping around the buildings, while listening to our guide describe the art of five historic buildings in Huntsville.

The Minister of the Church of the Nativity took the group on a guided tour.

I had my picture taken with the group?

Lost my keyless remote in the Constitution Village Public Restroom. 

Did a little shopping in Madison, ate a late lunch in Athens, and saw a quilt display in Rogersville. I was home around 4:30 P.M., a little before Hubby arrived home from work. 

1919-1925 Victums of Wilson Dam Construction

Wilson Dam Victims

Wilson Dam Victims

On June 20, 1919, Charles Current was run over by a train

July 11, 1919, William Simpson's cause was not listed

Oct 23, 1919, Oscar Ramsey, railroad accident

Dec 3, 1919, Henry W. Vanhoose, railroad accident

Feb 6, 1920, J. H. Holland drowned.

April 16, 1920, Johnny Jones was Murdered

May 20, 1920, Martin Mardon Black, pier collapse

May 20, 1920, Ed Broadfoot pier collapse

May 20, 1920, T. M. Davis pier collapse

July 23, 1920, F. J. Oxford was struck by a rock

Oct 17, 1920, Edward Parish rail accident

Oct 22, 1920, Cecil Curtis was crushed by a load of lumber

Oct 22, 1920, Edward Harris was run over by a train

Dec 20, 1920, Harvey Matheny drowned 

Dec 20, 1920, T. P. O'Neal drowned

Dec 20, 1920, Henry Gillham drowned

Dec 20, 1920, Forrest Pelt downed

Jan 14, 1921, John Castleberry was struck by a pipe

Jn 21, 1921, J. B. Donaldson was crushed by cement 

Feb 11, 1921, Albert McFarland was struck by a train

On April 25, 1921, Andrew E. McCord caused an unknown

Dec 20, 1921, John W. Clark, cause unknown.

Dec 6, 1922, Clarence Ashmor, cause unknown

Feb 1923 Joe Johnson, cause unknown

Mar 9, 1923, James Thigpen drowned

Mar 23, 1923, Ike Anderson was crushed by gears

April 23, 1923, G. E. Copas was struck by a train 

Aug 10, 1923, Ben Rice Scalded

Oct 12, 1923, Lawrence D. Lloyd was found dead

Jan 1924 Jasper Welch, cause unknown

Mar 1, 1924, Rush King drowned

Mar 1, 1924, Edward Jones drowned

April 30, 1924, Nathan Mosley fell above the powerhouse

May 5, 1924, George D. Pettus' cause unknown

On May 24, 1924, Tom Tate was struck by a concrete bucket

June 16, 1924, L. R. Loyd fell over 80 feet

On July 4, 1924, R. D. Butler stepped off the barge and drowned

Sept 4, 1924, VC Miller was shot by his wife 

Oct 3, 1924, Rube Martin fell from the concrete arch

Dec 1924 George W. Alexander, cause unknown 

Jan 26, 1925, William A. Mecke fell 80 feet and drowned

March 28, 1925, C. D. Phillips was struck by the concrete form 

In May 1925, Fred King's cause is unknown

June 1, 1925, Arch Austin was struck by a concert form 

June 12, 1925, Claude L. Danley fell 25 feet in the powerhouse

Aug 4, 1925, Richard Buckingham was struck by a chain

Other victims 

Laurel Davis, Dave Denny, Percy Harris, Alexander Hobbs, Ardee Ingram, John Marshall, Will Monroe, Isaac Morgan, Nelson Nelson, Richard H. Stinson, Isaac N Stutts, Jessie Swoope, Troy Wardell 

Listed in the index of the state death certificate

Dead certificate index for Colbert County man. Also listing for the Lauderdale man of the same name who died in March 1924.

The reward for Drowned Men
T. P. O'Neal, Henry Gillham, Harvey Matthews & Ernest Pelt
Dec 24, 1919

The reward for drowned men 

Fifty dollars each for the bodies of men drowned at Wilson Dam on Christmas Eve.

The authorities at the Wilson Dam have offered a reward of fifty dollars each for the recovery of the bodies of the men who were drowned on the 24th day of December.

The names of the men who lost their lives in the swift waters of Tennessee are T.P. O'Neal, Harvey Matthews, Earnest Pelt, and Henry Gillham. At the time of the accident that cost these men their lives, the river was running strong, and it may be that the bodies have gone far downstream. 

It is announced that the finder of any of these bodies will hold and promptly communicate with Capt. Henry Fox, C.S., Engineer Office, Wilson Dam, Florence, by telephone or telegraph.

The accident at the dam is fatal
Albert McFarland
Feb 11, 1921
buried Florence Cemetery, Florence, AL 

The accident at the dam is fatal. 

Albert McFarland was struck by a train while working on Construction and succumbed to injuries in a few hours.

The entire community was distressed last Friday evening to learn that Mr. Albert McFarland had been struck by a train on the construction work at Wilson Dam and had had a leg badly mangled, that amputation would be necessary, but fatal news that he had succumbed to his injury before an operation could be performed, shock and sorrow brought to a large circle of friends.

Mr. McFarland was in charge of the unloading of bars of concrete on the construction bridge, where the track and many switches handled the heavy load on the construction train. 

While looking in the opposite direction, he was struck from behind by a car and knocked down on the track. 

He caught hold of the car to pull himself from beneath the wheel,s and his leg became caught between a crosstie and the truck boxing of the ca,r and was badly mangled in the fles.h 

Negro Crushed in Cog Wheel

A government employee was caught in the gears of an unloading crane on the deck.

Below the Florence Bridge

Ike Anderson 

Mar 23, 1923

Ike Anderson, one of the colored employees of the government working at the unloading dock at the Florence bridge, met a horrible death last Thursday evening when he was caught in the gears of one of the big electrical cranes used in unloading sand and gravel.

Anderson was at work about the dock when his boot became caught in the cog of the crane, and before it was noticed by anyone, his entire body was drawn into the gears and terribly mangled, resulting in death in a short time.

The big crane was busy unloading the sand and gravel brought up from Buck Island, which was taken off the barges and dumped into cars for transportation to the dam, where the accident occurred.

Another Fatal Accident Occurs at Wilson 
Dam John Castleberry Killed
Jan 14, 1921

Another Fatal Accident Occurs at Wilson Dam

John Castleberry was killed.

Another fatal accident occurred last Friday afternoon at Wilson Dam when a thirty-foot section of five-inch iron casing, that was being drawn from one of the drill holes, slipped from the rope and fell, crushing the skull of John Castleberry and painfully injuring L. G. Jernigan. 

Castleberry was a young man from Lauderdale living on the Jackson Highway, about twelve miles from Florence.

Death Plunge for Dam Worker
Carpenter Falls from the concrete forms into the swirling waters of the river, and the boy is carried swiftly away.
James Thigpen 
March 9, 1923 

A death plunge for a dam worker 

The carpenter falls from the concrete forms into the swirling waters of the river, carried swiftly away. 

The swirling waters of Tennessee claimed another victim Tuesday morning when James Thigpen, a 26-year-old carpenter at Wilson Dam, lost his foothold while at work on one of the tall concrete forms and plunged into the stream to be carried swiftly out of sight in the current that raged between the pier.

Thigpen had been at work at the dam only since February 20th, having come here from Paint Rock, in Jackson County, Alabama, where he left his young wife, Mrs. Myrtle Thigpen, to await him. Shortly after he went to work on Tuesday morning, when he climbed up on the framework of one of the forms, the accident occurred.

Efforts to locate the body were useless, as the stream is extremely swift when it passes between the piers.

Notice was sent down the river to be on the lookout for this body, and the relative was immediately notified. Besides his widow, Thigpen is survived by his father, Mr. Dan Thigpen of Ramet, Tennessee.

A man was fatally burned at the dam.
Ben Rice 
Aug 10, 1923

A man was fatally burned at the dam. 

Crane overturns, steam scalding a fireman to death. The rest of the crew escaped by jumping. 

A fatal accident occurred last Friday morning at Wilson Dam when one of the locomotive cranes used in escalating for the locks on the north side overturned and caught the fireman, Ben Rice, under the cab, where escaping steam scalded him so severely that death followed twelve hours later at the Coffee Hospital, where he had been rushed for medical attention.

Rice was a citizen of East Florence, where he lived with his mother, who, with two brothers, Clyde and Ellis, survived him. He was about 35 years of age. 

Funeral services were at two o'clock Saturday afternoon at the Fielder Funeral Home, being conducted by Rev. J. O. Hall, pastor of the East Florence Methodist Church, followed by interment at the city cemetery. 

Wilson Dam Labor Foreman was shot and instantly killed by his wife, defending herself. 

VC Miller 

Sept 4, 1924

Wilson Dam Labor foreman was shot and instantly killed by his wife, defending herself. 

V. C. Miller threatens his wife and goes after a hatchet when she probs a fatal load into his head from a single-barreled shotgun.

A man reported having been abusive toward his wife before.

VC Miller, labor foreman at Wilson Dam, was shot and instantly killed by his wife at their home on the south side reservation shortly after 8:30 o'clock last night. 

Immediately after the shooting the wife and two small children, ages 3, and 5 took refuge in the home of a neighbor where they remained under guard last night, K. S. Skinner, chief of Guards at the dam, announced this morning that she would be held on the reservation until a preliminary hearing was held before United States Commissioner Merwin Koone at the Federal Building in Florence this afternoon at five o'clock. 

According to statements from neighbors, Miller had been very overbearing with his wife for some time. He had threatened her on several occasions, so the story goes, and recently ordered her to pack her clothes and other personal effects and leave.

Yesterday, according to the information given to the authorities by a resident of the reservation, he demanded his discharge and payment in full at the dam. Upon airing at his home, he immediately became involved in a quarrel with his wife, and when he threatened her life, she secured a single-barreled shotgun and shot him, the load striking him in the abdomen. The wounded man rushed for a hatchet, but before he could reach his wife with it, she reloaded the gun and fired point-blank into his face, causing instant death. 

After arriving at the home of W.N. Tracy, a neighbor, Mrs. Miller collapsed. Guards at the dam were notified of the killing, and they, in turn, telephoned the Morrison Undertaking Establishment, who removed the body to Florence to prepare it for burial.

Mr. and Mrs. Milled have lived at the dam for the past two years. They came here from Chattanooga, TN. The Deceased had been employed in different divisions of construction work at 

(continued on page six)

Labor falls off the dam to instant death 
citizen of Iron City plunges into the river 80 feet below 
LR Loyd
 June 16, 1924
Buried Lone Cedar Cemetery, Lauderdale County, AL 
 Mr. L. R. Loyd, a laborer at Wilson Dam, fell from the top of the powerhouse on the north side of the river this morning at 8:10 o'clock, causing instant death. He felt more than eighty feet, and it was about thirty-five minutes before the body could be recovered from the deep water into which he fell. Details of the fatal accident could not be learned, but it is thought that he became overbalanced while engaged in his duties on top of the powerhouse construction, falling to his death. Mr. Loyd was 23 years of age. He was married and made his home in Iron City, Tenn., until recently. He and his wife have been living on Huntsville Road, near the dam, since they came to Florence. J. J. Phillips, funeral director, has charge of the remains and announced this morning that arrangements for the funeral have not been completed. Printed in the Florence Times, Wednesday Afternoon, June 18, 1924.

Dam Worker Succumbs to his injuries
Phillips dies in a few hours after having his chest crushed
Other victims were severely injured
HC Penny was seriously wounded when the form fell on the dam
CD Phillips
March 28, 1925

CD Phillips, who was severely injured at Wilson Dam 

Yesterday, he succumbed to his injuries during the afternoon, and his body was taken to Tuscumbia, where he had made his home for the past two years.

Phillips and a Florence man, HC Penny, were both caught when one of the big wooden forms for the concrete work at Wilson Dam slipped from the crane as it was being put in place. Both were seriously injured, the death of Phillips following in a little more than three hours, while Penny is thought to be on the road to recovery. Phillip's chest was crushed by the heavy form, his lungs bursting under the pressure. He had come from Barton to Tuscumbia about two years ago, to work at Wilson Dam, where he was a member of the carpenter's force. He is survived by his widow and five children. Penny is one of the old-timers at Wilson Dam, having been first employed there in 1919.

Stumble proves fatal when a dam employee attempts to race from beneath the falling form.
Archie Austin
June 1, 1925
Buried Canaan Methodist Cemetery, Lauderdale Co, AL 

Stumble proves fatal when the dam. 

Employee attempts to race from beneath the falling form. 

The life of Archie Austin was crushed out this morning when a heavy wooden form toppled over on him. Two companions succeeded in escaping. 

A young man trips when he starts the race to save his life.

Instant death from an accident 

Had been a resident of North Florence in recent months 

Archie Austin 

Jun1, 1925

Archie Austin, age 23, a carpenter at Wilson Dam, was instantly killed this morning at about nine o'clock when a concrete form fell on him, pinning him underneath. The workman who immediately went to his rescue, lifting the heavy form from his body, found that life was extinct and noticed the error of Fielder, the undertaker, who took charge of the remains.

Austin and two other workmen were engaged in placing one of the large wooden forms in the lock pit and were moving it forward with pinch bars when it was pinched forward too far and tilted over, about to fall upon them. All three started to run from beneath it, but Austin caught his foot in some wire and stumbled and fell, being caught beneath the heavy mass and instantly killed, while the other townspeople escaped. 

Mr. Austin had worked at the dam for the past 23 months. He was transferred this morning from the Power House sector to the lock on the north shore, and he had been engaged in his new duties only a few hours when the fatal accident occurred. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. TB Austin of Memphis, who were immediately notified. A telegram from his father stated that he would arrive on the night train after the funeral arrangements were announced. 

Danley's fall proves fatal.
Local youth succumbs to the injury sustained in a fall at the dam
Claude L. Danley 
June 12, 1925
Florence Times Newspaper on June 12, 1925.
DANLEY'S FALL PROES FATAL-- Local Youth Succumbs to Injury Sustained in Fall at Dam--Claude L. Danley, eighteen ear old son of Mr. and Mrs. C.D Danley of this city, died at the Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital shortly after six o'clock yesterday afternoon as a result of injuries sustained in a fall at Wilson Dam, where he was employed, at 11 o'clock yesterday morning. Officials' information regarding the accident could not be obtained at noon today, as papers had not been filed in the office of the record clerk at the dam. Still, it was reported that the young man fell a distance of about twenty-five feet in the powerhouse, landing on his head on the concrete floor, causing such a severe fracture of the skull that he was rendered unconscious. He was rushed to the hospital, where an operation was resorted to, but he never regained consciousness. Funeral services are being conducted this afternoon at the Canaan church near Smithsonian by Rev. J. R. Jolly, pastor of the Central Christian church. Interment will take place in the family burial ground at the place in charge of O. R. Fielder. The young man was well known in Florence. He had been employed at the dam for only a short while at the time of his fatal accident. He formerly worked at the Majestic Lunch Room here and later at O'Brien's Café on W. Tennessee Street. He was a member of a well-known family and had a large number of friends here. Among the out-of-town relatives who arrived today to attend the funeral was Mrs. Berthe Danley of Memphis, an uncle of the young man, who until very recently resided at Florence

Negro Killed at Wilson Dam today
Richard Buckingham 
Aug 4, 1925
Buried in Buckingham Cemetery, Lauderdale County, AL 

Negro Killed at Wilson Dam 

Richard Buckingham, a colored laborer at Wilson Dam, met almost instant death this morning when the stay chains of a dump car, which was being unloaded, broke unfastened and permitted the heavyweight of the dump bucket to swing over, knocking him down and catching his head. 

The injured man was removed from beneath the weight immediately and rushed to the first aid station, but died before he got there. 

The dump car was one of the large twenty-ton capacity models, and the accident occurred on the Jackson Island section, where unloading was taking place at approximately 8:10 this morning.

Buckingham was a resident of Florence living near Chisholm Road. 

Tom Tate 
May 24, 1924
buried Maplewood Cemetery, Pulaski, TN

Accident This Morning Fatal at Wilson Dam
Concrete Forman Dies After Having His Back Broken Today

Tim Tate, one of the foremen at Wilson Dam, received injuries this morning from which he died in a little more than an hour, after being rushed to the Coffee Memorial Hospital here for treatment. He was struck by a loaded concrete bucket that fell from one of the big cranes, and his back was broken, and he sustained other injuries. He was a resident of the reservation at Plant Two, having come here from Pulaski, Tenn., and is survived by his widow and several small children. His death came about half an hour after reaching the hospital. The accident occurred on the south side of the dam, where construction was going forward on the powerhouse. 

TOM TATE MAY 24, 1924

NEGRO has fatal
fall at Wilson Dam
Nathan Mosley 
April 30, 1924
"Nathan Mosley, 21-year-old negro, was almost instantly killed yesterday afternoon at about 2 o'clock when he fell from the top of Wilson am while climbing on the structure above the powerhouse.
The negro attempted to catch in a wedge that protruded from a concrete form at the top of the dam when it came loose, causing the negro to fall to his death. He fell more than 60 feet and died while en route to the hospital.

William Necke
Jan 26, 1925
Buried St Michael's Cemetery, St Florian, Al 
Local Citizen Killed at Dam
Loses balance on top of the Dam and falls
to water below
Death occurs by drowning
stunned by the fall, unable to get out of the shallow water
William A. Mecke, a member of a prominent St. Florian family, met an instant death this morning when he fell from the tip of the dam into the spillway, the fall of eighty feet into the water stunning him to the extent that he was unable to save himself. However, the water was only four or five feet deep, and drowning occurred before those working with him could reach his body.
Every means of artificial respiration was used, but he could not be revived.
The accident occurred in the Jackson Island section, where the water is comparatively still below the spillway. Meeke has been employed at the dam since work resumed some time ago, serving as a member of the carpenters' force.
He was well known throughout the country as the son of Leo P. Meeke, a prominent farmer of St Florian. He was 32 years old and left a young wife and two children: Mary Ann, aged 2, and an infant of only 2 weeks.
He is also survived by his father, mother, three brothers, and three sisters, Leo, Frank, Thomas Mecke, Mrs. Harry Epping, Mrs. Frank Henke, and Miss Genevieve Meeke, all of this county. He made his home near that of his father at St. Florian. He spent his entire life here, except for the period when he was in the army service during the war.
The body was taken in charge by James J. Phillips and removed to the funeral home on Wood Avenue. Arrangements for the funeral had not been made at two o'clock this afternoon.