Cover: In 1883 Harper’s Weekly highlighted night military drills at the Mobile levee. See article page 16. (Birmingham Public Library Archives)




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Winter 2010, Issue 95

Article Abstracts and Supplements

Athena on the Chattahoochee
“Keep Still”: Booker T. Washington and the Shiloh Church Tragedy
Columns and Colonnades: Treasures of Greek Revival Mobile
Becoming Alabama: A Time Rich in Historical Remembrances
Departments



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Athena on the Chattahoochee
By Stephen M. Rowe

One of the country’s most impressive privately held collections of unique and rare documents, books, and photographs is located in a beautifully renovated historic storefront in Eufaula, Alabama. This collection—pertaining to Alabama, southern, and American history—has been a labor of love for decades for owner Steve Williams, who acquired much of this stunning treasure with the help of Steven Rowe, who now serves as the collection’s curator and wrote this article for Alabama Heritage. The two-story Eufaula Athenaeum holds the memories of everything from colonial America to the civil rights movement and includes one-of-a-kind photographs, first editions of classics, documents discussing the nation’s founders, documents signed by many of America’s most notable historical figures, and forty-five unique Confederate imprints (of 450 total). Best of all, Williams makes his collection available to researchers, rendering this immense private collection of value to the public.

About the Author
Stephen M. Rowe is currently archivist and curator of the Eufaula Athenaeum. A native of Richmond, Virginia, and a graduate of North Carolina State University at Raleigh, he has been in his present position since 2005. From 1974 to 1977, he was an assistant archivist at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. His ongoing profession since 1983 is that of antiquarian bookseller and appraiser. It was the broadening of the Civil War collection at the Eufaula Athenaeum that brought the Athenaeum’s founder, Steve Williams, together with Rowe. The two men were introduced in 1985 through a mutual friend. Rowe specializes in books and other materials, including photography and manuscripts, relating to the Confederacy. Rowe’s training as a historian and archivist and his long association with Williams brought Rowe to Eufaula in 2005 to oversee the day-to-day operations of the museum and to direct the ongoing cataloging effort.

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This Confederate artillery sabre was manufactured for the state of Alabama by Mobile silversmith James Conning. (Robin McDonald) This edition of Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations, with a wallpaper title page, was published in Mobile in 1863. With it is a carte de visite of the author. (Robin McDonald) Stereoscopes and stereocards were popular from the 1850s to World War I. (Robin McDonald)
Cartes de visite were an inexpensive form of portraiture from 1860 to the 1880s. The Athenaeum has collected and catalogued the work of about 2,500 photographers of this period from across the South. (Robin McDonald)
Cartes de visite were an inexpensive form of portraiture from 1860 to the 1880s. The Athenaeum has collected and catalogued the work of about 2,500 photographers of this period from across the South. (Robin McDonald)
Two copies of James Dickey’s Deliverance showing the trial dust jacket, with white type, and the final dust jacket, with green. (Robin McDonald)
Some rare books from the Southern literature collection, including first editions of Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, Gone With the Wind, and American (left) and English editions of To Kill a Mockingbird. (Robin McDonald) The Athenaeum’s copy of Andrew Nelson Lytle’s first book is inscribed to his Vanderbilt classmate, fellow Fugitive, and friend, Robert Penn Warren (“Red”). (Robin McDonald) The Athenaeum’s copy of Andrew Nelson Lytle’s first book is inscribed to his Vanderbilt classmate, fellow Fugitive, and friend, Robert Penn Warren (“Red”). (Robin McDonald)
Athenaeum curator Stephen Rowe, left, and Director Steve Williams. (Robin McDonald)Designed by architect Mike Hamrick, the Eufaula Athenaeum occupies a former storefront on Broad Street. (Robin McDonald)
Signed presidential documents and books about presidents adorn the walls on the first floor of the Eufaula Athenaeum. (Robin McDonald)
This display case focuses on photographs, manuscripts, and printed matter relating to Eufaula. (Robin McDonald)
These bank notes were issued by the Eastern Bank of Eufaula between 1858 and 1860. (Robin McDonald)
The main exhibit room of the Athenaeum has four chronologically sequenced alcoves featuring archivally framed documents from the presidential manuscript collection, including this 1861 military commission signed by Lincoln (Robin McDonald)
The main exhibit room of the Athenaeum has four chronologically sequenced alcoves featuring archivally framed documents from the presidential manuscript collection, including a 1861 military commission signed by Lincoln (Robin McDonald)
The Athenaeum’s collection includes first editions of nineteen of the books on Rucker Agee’s list of the twenty most important books relating to Alabama, including Bartram’s Travels, and Pickett’s History of Alabama. (Robin McDonald)
The Athenaeum’s collection includes first editions of nineteen of the books on Rucker Agee’s list of the twenty most important books relating to Alabama, including Bartram’s Travels, and Pickett’s History of Alabama. (Robin McDonald)
This display case features materials on Tuskegee Institute and Booker T. Washington. (Robin McDonald)
Containing 100 plates in two volumes, including this famous photograph of President Lincoln visiting Gen. George McClellan at Antietam,
Alexander Gardner’s Photographic Sketch Book of the War is famed for its rarity. (Robin McDonald)
Containing 100 plates in two volumes, including a famous photograph of President Lincoln visiting Gen. George McClellan at Antietam,
Alexander Gardner’s Photographic Sketch Book of the War is famed for its rarity. (Robin McDonald)

“Keep Still”: Booker T. Washington and the Shiloh Church Tragedy
By James L. Baggett


In the early twentieth century, African American intellectual and orator Booker T. Washington always drew a crowd. In 1902 Washington was invited to speak at Shiloh Baptist Church in Birmingham during a National Baptist Convention. Not surprisingly, the event garnered much attention, and the crowd grew to several thousand on the night of September 19, 1902, packing the room, balcony, outer stairs, and lawn with guests from all over the South. In this article, James L. Baggett describes how a shout misinterpreted as “Fire!” set off a panic, causing a massive stampede that took the lives of 120 people. It was a painful memory for Booker T. Washington and many others, but created such a stir of sympathy in Birmingham that, for one brief golden moment, racial tensions were forgotten.

About the Authors
Jim Baggett is head of the Department of Archives and Manuscripts at the Birmingham Public Library and archivist for the City of Birmingham. He holds an MA in history from UAB and an MLIS from the University of Alabama. He has served as president of the Society of Alabama Archivists and chair of the Jefferson County Historical Commission. Jim is an occasional contributor to Alabama Heritage and the author or editor of three books on Birmingham history, including Historic Photos of Birmingham (Turner Publishing Company, 2006).

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Columns and Colonnades: Treasures of Greek Revival Mobile
By John S. Sledge
Photography by Sheila Hagler

In the early decades of the nineteenth century, Mobile was becoming a thriving port city of the South. However, much of the architecture did not boast of the economic prosperity and growth that was taking place during that time period. John S. Sledge discusses how, in the aftermath of a devastating fire that consumed most of the city, a revival of classical architecture flourished. This revival produced many landmarks that still testify to the spirit of hope and cultural celebration surrounding that generation. The article visits some of these landmarks, including the City Hospital, the main building at Spring Hill College, and the lovely Oakleigh residence, and offers glimpses of the lives of the men who built or helped build them. The blending of architectural styles of the Gulf Coast and classic Western architecture illustrates the unique flavor of the Greek Revival in nineteenth-century Mobile.

About the Author
John Sledge was born in Gainesville, Florida, in 1957 and moved with his family to central Alabama in 1962. He grew up in Montevallo but has deep roots on the Gulf Coast. His mother lived in the Pontalba Building in New Orleans as a child, and his father grew up in Georgia Cottage on Springhill Avenue, home of Victorian authoress Augusta Evans Wilson. Sledge holds a BA in history and Spanish from Auburn University and a master’s degree in historic preservation from Middle Tennessee State University. He is an architectural historian with the Mobile Historic Development Commission, where he has worked since 1985. In partnership with Grand Bay photographer Sheila Hagler, he is the author of three books, Cities of Silence: A Guide to Mobile’s Historic Cemeteries (University of Alabama Press, 2002), An Ornament to the City: Old Mobile Ironwork (University of Georgia Press, 2006), and The Pillared City: Greek Revival Mobile (University of Georgia Press, 2009). In addition, Sledge is books editor for the Mobile Press-Register. He and his wife live in Fairhope.

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Becoming Alabama: A Time Rich in Historical Remembrances
By Edwin C. Bridges

The next five years will see milestone anniversaries of numerous events that shaped and defined Alabama’s history. These anniversaries all surround three major historical and cultural conflicts—the Creek War, the Civil War, and the civil rights movement—all of which are essential to understanding how Alabama became what it is today. This article introduces a collaborative venture of cultural organizations all over the state to commemorate cooperatively a program they call “Becoming Alabama.” Edwin C. Bridges describes how each of these core events shaped the next, and why the simultaneous commemorations offer a great opportunity to understand the complexity of “becoming Alabama.” A sidebar by Steve Murray introduces the actual Becoming Alabama program with information for those who want to participate.

Alabama Heritage will play its part in the new program by launching a new department to run for the duration—the first piece of which is included here. Quarter by quarter, authors Joseph Pearson, Megan Bever, and Matthew Downs will take readers back to the three periods 200, 150, and 50 years ago, revealing what was on the minds of our forebears as wars and conflicts unfolded. The first issue discusses the impact of settlers squatting on Creek lands in 1810, the tensions surrounding the presidential election of 1860, and the beginning of the sit-in movement in 1960. These articles, along with information about upcoming events to commemorate the anniversaries surrounding these three conflicts, are all part of an initiative to share and celebrate the history of Alabama.

The new department is done in partnership with the University of Alabama History Department, the Summersell Center for the Study of the South, and the Alabama Tourism Department.


About the Author

Ed Bridges has been director of the Alabama Department of Archives and History since 1982. He grew up in Bainbridge, Georgia, graduated from Furman University, and received his PhD from the University of Chicago. He taught high school and college and then worked at the Georgia Department of Archives and History before being appointed director of the Alabama Archives. He has been active in national archival organizations as well as in Alabama history activities across the state. The Alabama Archives was the nation’s first state historical agency and has long been a center for the study of Alabama history.

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Menawa was a leader of the Red Stick Creek Indians, who resisted the incursions of white settlers during the Creek War. (Alabama Department of Archives and History)
This statue of a soldier is part of the Confederate Memorial on the grounds of the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery. (Robin McDonald)
In September 2009 the Museum of Mobile hosted the third quarterly meeting of the Becoming Alabama initiative. (Steve Murray)
This statue commemorates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Birmingham. (Robin McDonald)
This inset of an 1812 map titled, Carte des Etats-Unis de L’Amérique Septentrionale, by Antoine Francois Tardieu of Paris, reveals the borders of what was then the Mississippi Territory. (Birmingham Public Library Cartography Collection)
In 1808 Thomas Jefferson appointed David Holmes of Virginia as the fourth governor of the Mississippi Territory, where he wrangled with the perpetual troubles between the Native Americans and the newcomers. (Library of Congress)
William Lowndes Yancey was the leading proponent of secession in Alabama. This portrait hangs in the Alabama State Capitol, where secession became a reality. (Alabama Department of Archives and History)
Students at Alabama State College stage a protest march on campus in 1960, the same year that students from the college helped organize a sit-in at the snack bar in the Montgomery County Courthouse. (Howard University)
 

Departments

Southern Architecture and Preservation
Reclaiming Roseland
By Betsy Gaines Crosby


Preservation, while crucially important to maintaining Alabama’s heritage, often takes curious and creative forms. Here, Betsy Gaines Crosby recounts her family’s efforts to maintain Roseland, a family plantation. After securing a spot for Roseland on the National Register of Historic Places, the family’s preservation efforts began in full. Crosby details the intricate steps a family and community took to ensure the preservation of their historic structure.

About the Author
Betsy Crosby lives in Atlanta and writes about the decorative arts, preservation, and travel. She is currently working on a family history of Roseland. Robert Gamble, senior architectural historian for the Alabama Historical Commission, serves as the standing editor of the “Southern Architecture and Preservation” department of Alabama Heritage.
The Gaines family celebrates Roseland’s restoration with a picnic. Betty Gaines holds the hand of her granddaughter Julia Gaines, a seventh generation descendant; the author (in blue) stands behind them.


Recollections
Colin Powell and a Nearly Perfect Plan
By Jack Owens

After the University of Alabama football team won the 1992 National Championship, the excitement was only beginning. Jack Owens recounts the day Gen. Colin Powell visited the team in March 1993, just ahead of a freak snowstorm. Despite meticulous planning, Owens faced the unexpected challenge of getting the general out of town before weather conditions shut him in.

About the Author
Jack Owens, a graduate of the University of Alabama School of Law, was an FBI agent for thirty years. This article was adapted from his book Don’t Shoot! We’re Republicans! (History Publishing Company, 2009).
Members of the First and Ten Club pose with Gen. Colin Powell as snow accumulates outside and the window of opportunity for safe passage home rapidly closes for all.  (University of Alabama)
 
Alabama Oral History Project
A Visit with James D. Martin
By Amber Baker


As the first installment in Alabama Heritage’s new department, Amber Baker’s oral history collects the memories of one prominent Alabamian. James D. Martin’s multifaceted role in Alabama’s political and economic life has led to many memorable moments, highlights of which are collected here. Former congressman Martin reflects on his role as the state commissioner of conservation and natural resources, and specifically on the establishment of the state’s “Forever Wild” land and wildlife conservation program.

About the Author
Amber Baker is an undergraduate history major and research assistant with the Summersell Center for the Study of the South—cosponsor of the Alabama Oral History Project, in cooperation with the Hoole Special Collections Library at the University of Alabama. To listen to the interviews and read the transcripts of oral histories collected by the Alabama Oral History Project, visit the Summersell Center web site at http://www.scss.ua.edu.


James D. Martin has been a participant in or key observer of many important moments in Alabama’s twentieth-century story. But it is as the driving force behind the Forever Wild
conservation program that he is best known. (James Martin)
Nature Journal
Milking Aphids
By L. J. Davenport


Biologist Larry Davenport connects his childhood memories of farming with the life cycle of ants and aphids, producing an informative and colorful account of these insects and their reproductive rituals.

About the Author
Larry Davenport is a professor of biology at Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama.
Ants tend their aphid “cows” on an elderberry bush, suburban Birmingham, Alabama. (Photograph by L. J. Davenport)
Reading the Southern Past
Portraits of a Changing South
By Stephen Goldfarb


Author Stephen Goldfarb considers several books that explore Alabama’s Jewish immigrant population. Goldfarb charts the works of Mobile writer Roy Hoffman, showing how his novels reveal a unique portrait of the life of twentieth-century Jewish southerners. Hoffman’s books include Almost Family (University of Alabama Press, 2000), Chicken Dreaming Corn (University of Georgia Press, 2004), and Back Home: Journeys through Mobile (University of Alabama Press, 2001).

About the Author
Stephen Goldfarb holds a PhD in the history of science and technology. He retired from a public library in 2003.



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