On the cover: A frog effigy bottle excavated in 1931, north of Mound R at the Moundville Archaeological site, where W. B. Jones spurred the restoration of a national historic treasure. (Photograph by Robin McDonald)
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Article Abstracts and Supplements
Walter B. Jones and Moundville
by Ellen Garrison
In 1924, when a young geologist named Walter B. Jones surveyed a rural scene south of Tuscaloosa, what he saw astounded him. The area before him would become what we know as Moundville, and Jones would work for much of his life in an effort to salvage and preserve that site. Author Ellen Garrison examines Jones' achievements, fighting against natural growth, farming, and looting of artifacts, while searching for funding by badgering state senators and even mortgaging his own home. Following these struggles, Garrison shows the success of Jones' efforts, as construction of the Mound State Monument Museum was completed and became one of the finest geological parks in the country.
 Photograph courtesy Mary Burges Rudulph Steeves |
by Frances Tucker
One fateful Sunday afternoon, June 15, 1919, Tuscaloosa businessman Sam Alston invited area children aboard his ship, the Mary Frances, for free rides up the Black Warrior River. However, a day of fun became a nightmare when, a quarter-mile into the trip, the vessel capsized, leading twenty-six children and adults to their death. Using vivid details from newspapers and personal records of the time, author Frances Tucker recounts the frantic moments just after the accident, as passengers struggled for their lives, and tells of the grieving aftermath that faced Tuscaloosa for those who did not survive the fatal voyage.
Lives of Quiet Affirmation: Anniston's Early Jewish Community
by Sherry Blanton
When the private company town of Anniston, Alabama, opened its doors to the public in 1833, a small but thriving Jewish community settled there, coming together to build Temple Beth El, the oldest temple in Alabama continually used as a Jewish house of worship. This article tells the story of Jewish life in early Anniston, beginning as dry goods and clothing merchants, and becoming a flourishing part of the community. Also detailed is the Ladies Hebrew Benevolent Society, the women's group responsible for the fundraising which made the construction of Temple Beth El possible. Following the temple's dedication, author Sherry Blanton notes the history and importance of the 108-year-old Temple Beth El to Anniston's Jews, as well as Jewish communities all across Alabama and America.
The Great Montgomery Monkey Trial
by John B. Scott, Jr.
In 1950, an attractive young Montgomery housewife was attacked by a well-dressed spider monkey with an affinity for port wine, thus beginning the famous Circuit Court of Montgomery County's trial of Cheeta the drinking monkey. Cheeta, this pet and "perfect friend" of handyman John Lee Simmons, often dressed in his favorite outfit--a custom-designed policeman's uniform complete with a toy pistol--and was tried for assaulting Mrs. Barah Blake Jones. Author John B. Scott, Jr., details the proceedings of the light-hearted trial in which prosecutors pushed for Cheeta's demise as defense attorneys stressed his civilized nature and innocent track record. Alas, the monumental question for jurisprudence to decide: Would the "one free bite rule"--afforded domesticated pets but not "wild" animals--apply to this evolutionary hiccup? Was Cheeta a wild, uncivilized beast or just a good monkey gone wrong?
DEPARTMENTS
THE NATURE JOURNAL - "Great Blues" by L. J. Davenport
ALABAMA ALBUM - "The Governor Goes Hunting"
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