Todd Keith presents a comprehensive view of the history, geology, ecology, and current state of the Cahaba River, one of the most biologically diverse rivers in the United States. Along the winding course of the Cahaba are the relics of a Native American civilization, the ruins of Alabama's first capital, Cahawba, and abandoned coal mines and coal communities. In addition to historic sites, the Cahaba in Bibb County supports a "lost glade," a biological island of rare and endangered plants, and every spring, near West Blocton, an unusual display of Cahaba lilies brings hundreds of visitors to see the brilliant white blooms. Although pollution has been and continues to be a threat to the river's health, the formation of the Cahaba River Society, dedicated to protecting the river, and an increasing awareness among the public of the wide variety of aquatic life on the Cahaba provide hope for its future. The article features numerous photographs by acclaimed photographer Beth Maynor Young.



Places in Peril, 1998
By Ed Hooker and Brandon Brazil

For the fifth year in a row, The Alabama Historical Commission, a state agency, and the Alabama Preservation Alliance, a non-profit group, have drawn up a list of the most endangered historic sites in Alabama. As part of the effort to raise awareness of endangered properties around the state, the Places in Peril listing is published each year in the fall issue of Alabama Heritage magazine. The 1998 endangered properties list includes: Bullock County Road 14, Bullock County; Sand Island Light, Mobile Bay; Downtown Pine Apple, Wilcox County; Western of Alabama Car and Engine Shops, Downtown Montgomery; Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church, Dallas County; Quinlan Castle, Birmingham; Historically Black Colleges Statewide; Atassi, Macon County; The Cash House, Chilton County; and the Queen City Pool Complex, Tuscaloosa. An update of the last four years of endangered properties appears with the article.



Eugenia Levy Phillips vs. the United States of America
by Joanna Jacobs