2009 ~ Saturday, Aug 1, Historic Markers in Waterloo, Alabama

We stopped along the side of the road to take a picture of the site of Wilson's Camp and the spring.

Both Union and Confederate soldiers were active in Florence during the Civil War.

Wilson's Headquarters and Camp

At this site from mid-January to mid-March 1865, Maj. Gen. James Harrison Wilson, U. S. Army, assembled the most significant cavalry force ever massed in the Western Hemisphere. Five divisions totaling 22,000 camped from Gravelly Springs westward to Waterloo. Wilson made headquarters a mile east of the springs at Wildwood plantation, the boyhood home of Alabama senator and governor George Houston. After intensive training, Wilson's Cavalry crossed Tennessee to invade South Alabama and Georgia. This campaign included burning the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa and the capture of President Jefferson Davis at Irwinville, Georgia, in May 1865, after Lee's surrender. Donated by C. L. Culver

Gravelly Springs

We traveled to Waterloo, where we saw a barge traveling down the Tennessee River.

Waterloo

Settled 1819~Incorporated 1832

One of Alabama's oldest incorporated towns. Waterloo was an important port on the Tennessee River during the steamboat era. In the low-water season, after large boats from Louisville, Cincinnati, and other places downriver unloaded here, smaller craft transported goods and passengers upriver to Florence at the foot of the Muscle Shoals. Following a disastrous flood in 1847, the town was moved from its location on the riverbank, now under Pickwick Lake, to present higher ground. Union gunboats shelled it in July 1862. Gen. William T. Sherman crossed the river here in November 1863 and made temporary headquarters in Dr. O. B. Sullivan's home.

A barge traveling on the Tennessee River 

Boaters on the Tennessee River

Trail of Tears

Thousands of Cherokee Indians passed through Waterloo in the 1830s when they were forced by the U. S. government to move west on the "Trail of Tears". Most came by boat from Tuscumbia and camped here to await transfer to larger steamboats. During the encampment, several births, deaths, and escapes occurred.

One party of 1,070 Cherokees traveled overland from Ross' Landing in Tennessee due to low water in the upper river. Following the general route of U. S. Hwy. 72 to Florence, they arrived here on July 10, 1838, in miserable condition after a 23-day journey.

About 17,000 Cherokees were driven from their homeland in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Most traveled by land through Tennessee and on to Oklahoma. Great suffering and about 4,000 deaths occurred along the trail, especially during the winter of 1838-39

Trail of Tears Marker overlooking the Tennessee River 

Edith Newman Culvert Memorial Museum 1872-1995 

 Main Street and County Road 45 on Main Street.

The Newman House was restored and presented to the citizens of Waterloo in 1995 by Ezra Lee Culver as a memorial to his wife, Edith Elizabeth Newman Culver. Built in 1872 by Hiram L. and Julia Ann Young Richardson. This house was purchased in 1918 by Joseph Newman, a native of Ohio and a U.S. Civil War veteran. His son, Clarkson Lytle Newman, with his wife, Eunice Lindsey Newman, became the subsequent owners. Their daughter, Edith, was reared here from her childhood until her marriage. The house remained in the Newman family until its dedication as a museum on October 14, 1995.

Capture of John A.Murrell

Natchez Trace Outlaw

— 1834 —

 John A. Murrell, known as the "Great Western Land Pirate," was captured near this site in the winter of 1834. He was said to have killed over 400 people, including many kidnapped slaves. His arrest was brought about by the clever maneuvering of Tom Brannon, a local African American slave. The outlaw had attempted to recruit Brannon as a contact man for his far-reaching criminal empire. Brannon was awarded $100 for his bravery, and his name was publicized nationwide.

Nelson Rivers Starkey Bridge City of Florence 

This is where the Capture of John Murrell marker is located. 

Nelson Rivers Starkey Bridge City of Florence 

This is where the Capture of John Murrell marker is located. 

Pestilence Before the 20th Century

Before the 20th Century, during its early history, this area faced periods of infectious epidemics. One of the most feared was smallpox. It became a serious threat at the end of the Civil War, believed to have resulted from frequent troop movements in the area. Yellow fever, a rare plague in the northern hemisphere, appeared here in the fall of 1878, resulting in 42 deaths in Florence. Four nurses from the Howard Association, a New Orleans charity organization, were sent here to assist with the sick and the dying.

Pesthouse and Cemetery 1866

Following an outbreak of the dreaded plague, smallpox (Variola), at Florence during the winter of 1865-66, the Board of Aldermen adopted a resolution on January 2, 1866, that a Pesthouse be "erected at the vineyard as soon as possible." According to tradition, this Pesthouse, believed to have been a simple two-room log structure, was located here to isolate people with infectious diseases from the community. Also located nearby is a small cemetery where victims of these diseases were sometimes buried in unmarked graves.

Macedonia Church of Christ 

 County Road 158 west of Road 5

Tracing its roots to the early 1800s, The Macedonia Baptist Church originally met in homes, with Joseph Fanning, a visiting evangelist, leading the meetings. In 1834, J. W. Smith supervised a building on this site. In 1880, T.B. Larimore, an evangelist among Churches of Christ, was asked to preach. The group then changed its name to Macedonia Church of Christ. This church has made a powerful local and worldwide impact. Its adjoining cemetery is the resting place for many of the country's beloved sons and daughters.

It started to rain,n so we finished up with the Macedonia marker

There are streaks of rain in the picture of the marker.

That afternoon, on the day after, dark, we took the grandkids to Heritage Park to watch the water show, and they all decided to get wet. 

When the water came up from the fountains, it was blue, pink, yellow, and white.

2009 ~ Friday, July 24, Historic Markers Lauderdale County Alabama

My husband spent the day driving me around Florence; he would stop and let me out long enough to take a few pictures.

We stopped in the Marriott's parking lot to get a picture of The Father of Rock' n' Roll, & Sam Phillips in Florence.

  The Father of Rock'  N' Roll 
Sam Phillips fell in love with the miracle of sound and the unifying power of music. Moving to Memphis, Tennessee, he embraced the beauty of the blues through his early recordings of Howlin' Wolf, B.B. King, and other Delta artists. In 1951, the maverick producer cut the first "Rock' N' Roll" record, "Rocket 88." Three years later, he revolutionized American music with his discovery of the dynamic Elvis Presley. His credo was passionate conviction, originality, and extreme individuality. His Sun Records label unleashed the earth-shaking, rule-breaking sounds of Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, and Charlie Rich. "Rock' N' Roll is the freedom of the rhythm of the soul." He once said, "And I was looking for that little piece of soul magic."

Sam Phillips in Florence
Sam Phillips had a vision. It sprang from the land. It sprang from the river. Long after he had achieved fame and worldwide recognition, he always spoke of Florence as the birthplace of his inspiration. He pointed toward the people he had grown up with, the family upbringing he had enjoyed, and the freedom he had learned to cherish in Alabama. His great heroes were from the place of his birth and often of the humblest origins. He loved, as he always said, "the soil, the water, the trees, and  the beautiful Tennessee River." He learned from his father how to plow behind a mule, but he told the world to continuously seek that unplowed row.
Above text by Peter Guralnick.

We stopped on Veterans Drive so I could take a picture of the Florence Wagon Works Marker; it was very worn.

Florence Wagon Works
Moved here from Atlanta in 1889, this industry made Florence a household word throughout the South. It was the largest wagon factory in the South, reportedly the second-largest in the U.S., with 250 employees and an annual production of 12,000 wagons. World War I army wagons were made here and sent all over the U.S. and to France. The increasing use of motorized vehicles led to a gradual decline in factory activity. The firm was liquidated in the 1930s.

We stopped in East Florence so I could take a picture of the East Florence Historic District marker, which was located on South Royal Avenue and Georgia Street, next to the building that was once a Drug Store.

East Florence Historic District
The East Florence business area began during the industrial boom of the 1880s and 1890s and continued to develop through the 1920s. Originally known as "Sweetwater", the small, locally owned firms were established to serve the growing population employed in the area's industries. The district contains twelve buildings of historical and architectural significance, including a home, drug store, grocery, bank, cafe, fire station, and railroad.

We stopped on Veterans Drive behind the Hampton Inn so I could take a picture of the John McKinney marker.

 John McKinney, Associate Justice, US Supreme Court 

John McKinley (1780~1852), a native of Virginia, prominent attorney, and member of the Cypress Land Company, built a large three-story mansion near this site in 1820, which later burned. McKinley served in the Alabama Legislature and the U.S. Senate (1826~31); was appointed Associate Justice, United States Supreme Court, by President Van Buren; served 1837~52. Died in Louisville, Ky.

We rode uptown Florence, where I took pictures of the  Site of Fame Studio, Father of Rock ' n ' Roll, marker located on the corner of Florence Boulevard and Seminary Street.

Original Site of Fame Recording Studios, early 1960s 
Following the limited success, the partnership dissolved. Rick Hall took the publishing company and FAME name in return for the studio equipment. He relocated the studio to an empty tobacco warehouse in Muscle Shoals. His next recording of "You Better Move On" by Arthur Alexander was acclaimed as the Shoal's first worldwide bestseller. Over the next several decades, FAME recording studios became one of the most successful producers of rhythm and blues, pop, and country in the world. Rick Hall became known as the "Father of the Muscle Shoals Sound".

Original Site of Fame Recording Studios, early 1960s
This marks the site of the pioneering music company, Florence, Alabama Music Enterprise (FAME), a name that became renowned worldwide as the home of the "Muscle Shoals Sound". FAME was founded in the early 1960s by three young local entrepreneurs, Rick Hall, Billy Sherrill, and Tom Stafford, who improvised a make-shift studio in a vacant room above the City Drug Store that once stood there. FAME's earliest recording sessions launched the careers of such music business legends as Arthur Alexander, Rick Hall, Billy Sherrell, Norbert Putman, David Briggs, Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham, and many others.

St Joseph Catholic Church 1898
The Roman Catholic Church in Florence established its first church here in 1898, with Gammelbert Brunner, OSB, as pastor. They earlier met in private homes attended by visiting priests. Churches in Tuscumbia and St Florian served the Shoals at large. The original wooden church and its school were the center of the surrounding Catholic Hill neighborhood for seventy-five years. A brick church replaced the wooden building in 1974. When St. Joseph Church and School was founded, it mainly served the working-class areas of East Florence. At the time, it became the chief religious and educational center for area Catholics.

St Joseph Catholic Church  is located on the hill behind the Florence Cemetery
on 115 Plumb Street

In the College Place Historic District, there are two of these markers: one at Lelia Ave & Willingham Road, and the other at the end of Willingham Road and North Sherrod Avenue.

The land on which this district rests was part of the 1818 sale by the Cypress Land Company, which established the City of Florence. During the Civil War, Confederate soldiers constructed breastworks here to defend Florence. House construction began in 1907, and thirty-three were built before 1929. This lovely neighborhood contains fine examples of Prairie Missio, and English Tudor architectur,e but the Bungalow style dominates. A tour of the district reveals the excellent condition of the homes, the tree-lined streets, and the comfortable life available here. The neighborhood was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

Florence's Early Water Tower 1890 

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this tower of native stone was completed in 1890 as the foundation for a wrought-iron tank with a capacity of 280,000 gallons of water. It is 70 feet high and sits at the city's highest elevation. Water was pumped from Cypress Creek here. It was constructed during the Industrial Boom, when Florence's population increased from approximately 2,000 in 1887 to over 6,000 in 1889. It was replaced by the adjoining standpipe in 1935.

Florence's Early Water Tower, 189,0, no longer in use, located on Seymore  Avenue. 

Ante-Bellum Cotton Mills 1840 is located at the intersection of Appleby Blvd and Cypress Mill Road.d

About one mile west of here is the site of the Globe Cotton Factory, which was erected on Cypress Creek in 1840. By 1857, its operations included three cotton mills, a flour mill, and two corn mills, all powered by three dams. By 1860, the factory employed 310 people, including many women and children, at an average weekly salary of $2.50. These mills were burned by the Union Army in May 1863. One factory, Cypress Mill, was rebuilt after the war, but its operations were never successful.

Lone Cedar Church of Christ 1898

Christians first met here in a log building, which also served as a schoolhouse. In 1909, a frame building was constructed. Because of a single cedar tree in prominent view, it was given the name Lone Cedar by Wilbert M (Will) Behel, an early dedicated gospel preacher. In 193,8, a more modern stone building was completed by these diligent Christians. A larger auditorium was added in 1977. This early Christian meeting place soon became a landmark and a vital part of the Greenhill Community.

Lone Cedar Church of Christ 1898
The front has a new addition located on the Old Jackson Highway. 

We stopped at 1350 North Pine Street to get a couple of barbecue sandwiches for lunch at Dick Howell Barbecue Pit.

2009 ~ Thursday, July 30, LaGrange College Site, Barton Civil War Skirmish & Coon Dog Cemetery

Hubby had surgery on his stomach (a tear in his stomach from a fall) on July 20. Today was a recheck to make sure the incision was healing. After the doctor visit, we decided to ride to Ford City to eat lunch at Stanfield's. It is one of our favorite places to eat.

Hubby usually orders steak and a baked potato, and gets the salad bar.

I usually order a small shrimp plate, which includes shrimp, Texas toast, slaw, and a baked potato.

On our way to Stanfield's, we rode past the Weeden Heights historic marker, located next to the Broadway Rec Center.
Crape Myrtles were in full bloom, and there were several pink ones behind the marker.

Weeden Heights, early 1900s

This Twentieth-century business and residential area was developed by John D. Weeden Jr during the building of Wilson Dam and the World War I Defense Plants. Weeden Heights was carved from 3,800-acre Sweetwater Plantation, the former home of his grandfather, Governor Robert M. Patton. The slave village, with its 23 small cabins facing a community square, was located north of the Broadway Recreation Center. An unmarked slave cemetery is nearby. In 1871, the Pattons gifted a 25-acre farm in this area to a former slave. 

Edmund Patton

"In consideration of his faithfulness and fidelity."

After we left Stanfield's, we stopped at Southern Railroad in Muscle Shoals, where I took a picture of the red caboose and the Jerry Scott memorial marker.

Red Caboose

In Memory of Jerry H. Scott, an unforgettable friend whose humor, loyalty, and safe, dedicated service left us all a lasting inspiration.

We rode to LaGrange Park, but none of the buildings were open because there was no activity. So we strolled through the park, stopping to take pictures of the park, a country store, a church, a cabin, & the historical marker about LaGrange's history. 

Entrance to LaGrange College Site 

Hubby relaxing at Log Cabin.

LaGrange College Site Park 

County Store/Post Office 

Blacksmith Shop

LaGrange College Park 

This is the site of

LaGrange College

Chartered in 1830 by an act of

The Legislature of Alabama

An Institution of High Order for men

attended chiefly by students

from the southern states.

The college was burned on April 28, 1863

by Federal Cavalry Commanded by

Colonel Florence M. Cornyn

under General Granville Dodge

Presidents

Bishop Robert Paine 1830-1846

Dr. Edward Wadsworth 1846-1852

James W. Hardy 1852-1853

Rev. Smith Moore 3 months 1853

Dr. R. H. Rivers 1854-1855

Rev. Felix Johnson 1855-1858

Col. J. W. Robertson 1858-1862

 We stopped in Barton to see the Barton Cemetery and the Civil War Skirmish there.

Barton Cemetery 

Bullet-marked tombstones in the Cemetery show evidence of a brisk skirmish here on October 26, 1863, when Gen. P. J. Osterhaut's first division of Sherman's Corps came under fire from Gen. S. D. Lee's Confederate troops. CSA artillery on a hill near a frame church (Zion No. 1) opened fire at dawn, and Union artillery replied from Cemetery. CSA forces retreated to Little Bear Creek. USA forces briefly occupied Tuscumbia, then fled to Cherokee and abandoned the attempt to advance along the railroad.  

Civil War Skirmishes at Barton

In 1862~63, Confederate forces fought several sharp skirmishes near Barton as they sought to repeal or delay Union expeditions invading the Tennessee Valley from the Federal stronghold at Corinth, Mississippi.

December 12, 1862, ~~~ Col. T.W. Sweeny, USA vs Col. P.D. Roddey, CSA

April 17, 1863 ~~~Gen. G.M. Dodge, USA vs Col. P.D. Roddey, CS

October 20, 1863~~~ Gen. P.J. Osterhaus, USA vs Col. Jeff Forrest, CSA

October 26, 1863 ~~~Gen. P.J. Osterhaus, USA vs Gen. S.D. Lee, CSA

Barton Church 

Tomb of Robert Craig Garner

Our last stop was the Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Graveyard, a resting place for hunting hounds. The Cemetery is well kept, with an outhouse and a shelter where coon dog owners gather to remember their coon dogs.

Only the Cemetery of its kind in the world allows coonhounds to be buried. Troop First Dog was laid to rest here on September 4, 1937

Grave sites of many coon dogs

Grave sites of many coon dogs

Coon Dog Cemetery 

Troop First Dog was laid to rest here on September 4, 1937
The troop is surrounded by a fence with a barrier top to protect its grave and tombstone.