ALABAMA HERITAGE
  • Magazine
    • Current and Back Issues >
      • Back Issues 141-150 >
        • Issue 147, Winter 2023
        • Issue 146, Fall 2022
        • Issue 145, Summer 2022
        • Issue 144, Spring 2022
        • Issue 143, Winter 2022
        • Issue 142, Fall 2021
        • Issue 141, Summer 2021
      • Back Issues 131-140 >
        • Issue 140, Spring 2021
        • Issue 139, Winter 2021
        • Issue 138, Fall 2020
        • Issue 137, Summer 2020
        • Issue 136, Spring 2020
        • Issue 135, Winter 2020
        • Issue 134, Fall 2019
        • Issue 133, Summer 2019
        • Issue 132 Spring 2019
        • Issue 131, Winter 2019
      • Back Issues 121-130 >
        • Issue 130, Fall 2018
        • Issue 129, Summer 2018
        • Issue 128, Spring 2018
        • Issue 127, Winter 2018
        • Issue 126, Fall 2017
        • Issue 125 Summer 2017
        • Issue 124, Spring 2017
        • Issue 123, Winter 2017
        • Issue 122, Fall 2016
        • Issue 121, Summer 2016
      • Back Issues 111-120 >
        • Issue 120, Spring 2016
        • Issue 119, Winter 2016
        • Issue 118, Fall 2015
        • Issue 117, Summer 2015
        • Issue 116, Spring 2015
        • Issue 115, Winter 2015
        • Issue 114, Fall 2014
        • Issue 113, Summer 2014
        • Issue 112, Spring 2014
        • Issue 111, Winter 2014
      • Back Issues 101-110 >
        • Issue 110, Fall 2013
        • Issue 109, Summer 2013
        • Issue 108, Spring 2013
        • Issue 107, Winter 2013
        • Issue 106, Fall 2012
        • Issue 105, Summer 2012
        • Issue 104, Spring 2012
        • Issue 103, Winter 2012
        • Issue 102, Fall 2011
        • Issue 101, Summer 2011
      • Back Issues 91-100 >
        • Issue 100, Spring 2011
        • Issue 99, Winter 2011
        • Issue 98, Fall 2010
        • Issue 97, Summer 2010
        • Issue 96, Spring 2010
        • Issue 95, Winter 2010
        • Issue 94, Fall 2009
        • Issue 93, Summer 2009
        • Issue 92, Spring 2009
        • Issue 91, Winter 2009
      • Back Issues 81-90 >
        • Issue 90, Fall 2008
        • Issue 89, Summer 2008
        • Issue 88, Spring 2008
        • Issue 87, Winter 2008
        • Issue 86, Fall 2007
        • Issue 85, Summer 2007
        • Issue 84, Spring 2007
        • Issue 83, Winter 2007
        • Issue 82, Fall 2006
        • Issue 81, Summer 2006
      • Back Issues 71-80 >
        • Issue 80, Spring 2006
        • Issue 79, Winter 2006
        • Issue 78, Fall 2005
        • Issue 77, Summer 2005
        • Issue 76, Spring 2005
        • Issue 75, Winter 2005
        • Issue 74, Fall 2004
        • Issue 73, Summer 2004
        • Issue 72, Spring 2004
        • Issue 71, Winter 2004
      • Back Issues 61-70 >
        • Issue 70, Fall 2003
        • Issue 69, Summer 2003
        • Issue 68, Spring 2003
        • Issue 67, Winter 2003
        • Issue 66, Fall 2002
        • Issue 65, Summer 2002
        • Issue 64, Spring 2002
        • Issue 63, Winter 2002
        • Issue 62, Fall 2001
        • Issue 61, Summer 2001
      • Back Issues 51-60 >
        • Issue 60, Spring 2001
        • Issue 59, Winter 2001
        • Issue 58, Fall 2000
        • Issue 57, Summer 2000
        • Issue 56, Spring 2000
        • Issue 55, Winter 2000
        • Issue 54, Fall 1999
        • Issue 53, Summer 1999
        • Issue 52, Spring 1999
        • Issue 51, Winter 1999
      • Back Issues 41-50 >
        • Issue 50, Fall 1998
        • Issue 49, Summer 1998
        • Issue 48, Spring 1998
        • Issue 47, Winter 1998
        • Issue 46, Fall 1997
        • Issue 45, Summer 1997
        • Issue 44, Spring 1997
        • Issue 43, Winter 1997
        • Issue 42, Fall 1996
        • Issue 41, Summer 1996
      • Back Issues 31-40 >
        • Issue 40, Spring 1996
        • Issue 39, Winter 1996
        • Issue 38, Fall 1995
        • Issue 37, Summer 1995
        • Issue 36, Spring 1995
        • Issue 35, Winter 1995
        • Issue 34, Fall 1994
        • Issue 33, Summer 1994
        • Issue 32, Spring 1994
        • Issue 31, Winter 1994
      • Back Issues 21-30 >
        • Issue 30, Fall 1993
        • Issue 29, Summer 1993
        • Issue 28, Spring 1993
        • Issue 27, Winter 1993
        • Issue 26, Fall 1992
        • Issue 25, Summer 1992
        • Issue 24, Spring 1992
        • Issue 23, Winter 1992
        • Issue 22, Fall 1991
        • Issue 21, Summer 1991
      • Back Issues 11-20 >
        • Issue 20, Spring 1991
        • Issue 19, Winter 1991
        • Issue 18, Fall 1990
        • Issue 17, Summer 1990
        • Issue 16, Spring 1990
        • Issue 15, Winter 1990
        • Issue 14, Fall 1989
        • Issue 13, Summer 1989
        • Issue 12, Spring 1989
        • Issue 11, Winter 1989
      • Back Issues 1-10 >
        • Issue 10, Fall 1988
        • Issue 9, Summer 1988
        • Issue 8, Spring 1988
        • Issue 7, Winter 1988
        • Issue 6, Fall 1987
        • Issue 5, Summer 1987
        • Issue 4, Spring 1987
        • Issue 3, Winter 1987
        • Issue 2, Fall 1986
        • Issue 1, Summer 1986
    • Digital Features
    • Links of Interest
    • Bonus Materials >
      • Adventures in Genealogy
      • Alabama Heritage Blog
      • Alabama Territory
      • Becoming Alabama >
        • Creek War Era
        • Civil War Era
        • Civil Rights Movement
      • From the Vault
      • History in Ruins
      • Places in Peril
      • Recipes
  • Online Store
    • Customer Service
  • About Us
    • Awards
    • Meet Our Team
    • News
    • Writer's Guidelines and Submissions
  • Search
  • Donate
Published by The University of Alabama,
The University of Alabama at Birmingham,
and the Alabama Department of Archives and History
Alabama Heritage, Issue 46, Fall 1997
Issue 46, Fall 1997
Buy This Issue
Start Your Subscription
Give a Gift Subscription
On the cover: Lt. Richard Crommelin, one of the five Crommelin brothers, pictured in the cockpit of his Hellcat fighter, c. 1944. (Courtesy Naval Historical Center, Washington, D.C.)

FEATURE  ABSTRACTS


Places in Peril

By the Alabama Historical Commission and the Alabama Preservation Alliance
Endangered Historic Landmarks Committee


The 1997 list of the most endangered historic sites in Alabama includes a covered bridge, a train depot, the remains of an early ironwork, and even an entire town. 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. The 1997 "Places in Peril" are: The City of Bridgeport; New Empire Theatre, Montgomery (demolished August 1997, prior to publication of list); Old Greene County Courthouse Complex, Eutaw; Slave Quarters, Statewide; Melton Hollow, Lauderdale County; Salem-Shotwell Covered Bridge, Lee County; Brierfield Furnace, Brierfield Ironworks Historical State Park, Bibb County; Vicksburg and Brunswick Depot, Eufaula; Historic Mill Villages, Statewide; Copeland House, Blount County; Nat King Cole House/Belaire Neighborhood, Montgomery. 

Additional Information
The following articles in the Encyclopedia of Alabama will also be of interest:
  • Bridgeport 
  • Brierfield Ironworks Historical State Park 
  • Greene County 
  • Montgomery 
  • Nat “King” Cole 
Multimedia:
  • Bibb Furnace at Brierfield Ironworks 
  • Nat “King” Cole Birthplace 
  • Ruins of Brierfield Ironworks 

About the AHC/APA EHLC
The fourth annual listing of Places in Peril was prepared by a committee of preservationists from the Alabama Historical Commission, a state agency, and the Alabama Preservation Alliance, a private, nonprofit preservation organization. The committee made its selections after reviewing the extensive listings on the Preservation Watch List maintained by the commission as well as nominations from the general public.

Among those who participated in the selection process and/or the preparation of the article are Robert Gamble, Suzanne Wolfe, Devereaux Bemis, Doug Purcell, Jeff Mansell, Mary Elizabeth Johnson Huff, Camille Bowman, Ed Hooker, Ellen Mertins, Nathan Farris, Elizabeth Ann Brown, Mary Shell, Jim Parker, Tara Lanier, and Jennifer Horne.

The update on previously listed endangered properties was prepared with the assistance of the staffs of the Alabama Historical Commission, the Tuscaloosa Heritage Commission, and the Mobile Historic Development Commission. Ed Hooker of the Alabama Historical Commission prepared the endangered landmarks exhibit scheduled to tour the state for the coming year. To arrange for the exhibit to travel to your area or to nominate an endangered property for a future list, send information to Endangered Historic Landmarks, Alabama Historical Commission, 468 South Perry Street, Montgomery, Alabama 36130 (FAX 334-240-3477) or call 334-242-3184. All nominations must be accompanied by at least one good-quality photograph.
To read about more places in peril, click here for our Places in Peril blog.
Back to Top

Crommelin Brothers
The Crommelin saga made it into Volume 1, Number 1 of the comic book series entitled It Really Happened, published in New York in 1944. (Courtesy Katherine Crommelin Milton.)
The Crommelin Brothers

By John B. Scott, Jr.

History-making seemed to come naturally to the Crommelin boys of Wetumpka, Alabama, both at sea and in the air. The five brothers made their mark in World War II, earning a series of medals and in the process becoming one of the most decorated families in naval history. Author John B. Scott, Jr., interweaves the lives and heroic acts of the Crommelin brothers with the history of the naval battles that took place in the Pacific theatre in World War II. Time magazine dubbed the Crommelin brothers "The Indestructibles" for their amazing escapes from death, but it wasn’t long before this was proved, sadly, untrue. Within three months of each other, two of the brothers, Richard and Charles, were killed in mid-air collisions with other navy planes, and "the fleet’s most famous flying family" was broken up. A monument to the Crommelins in Battleship Park in Mobile, Alabama, commemorates their bravery.

Additional Information
  • Bruce, Lt. Cdr. Rov W.  USNR (Ret.), and Lt. Cdr. Charles R. Leonard, USN (Ret.) Crommelin's Thunderbirds: Air Group 12 Strikes the Heart of Japan. (The Naval Institute Press, 1994).
  • Cagle, Vice Adm. H W., USN (Ret.), "The Crommelin Brothers Five." Naval Aviation Museum Foundation 2:9 (Fall 1988).
  • Keegan, John. The Price of Admiralty: The Evolution of Naval Warfare. (Viking Penguin Inc., 1989).
  • Morison, Samuel Eliot Morison. History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. (Little, Brown, 1947-62).
  • Stafford, Cdr. Edward P. Stafford, USN. The Big E: The Story of the USS Enterprise. (Random House, 1962).
  • _________ . "Saving Carrier Aviation-1949 Style." Proceedings (U.S. Naval Institute) 116:1 (Januarv 1990).
  • Tillman, Barrett. Hellcat: The F6F in World War II (Naval Institute Press, 1979).
The following articles in the Encyclopedia of Alabama will also be of interest:
  • The Crommelin Brothers 
  • World War II and Alabama 
Multimedia:

  • Charles Crommelin 
  • John Crommelin 
  • Quentin Crommelin 
  • Richard “Dick” Crommelin 
  • USS Crommelin 

About the Author
Since retiring from active practice with the law firm of Capell, Howard, Knabe & Cobbs, Montgomery native John Scott has been writing on Alabama's history and countryside. This is his second article for Alabama Heritage. His previous contribution, on the old Clay County resort of Clairmont Springs, appeared in the fall of 1996. Memories of the Mount, Scott's history of Mt. Meigs, Alabama, was published in 1993 by Black Belt Press and received the C.J. Coley Award from the Alabama Historical Association.

The author wishes to thank the various members of the Crommelin family who assisted with the article and also former navy fighter pilot Cdr. William H. "Boots" Pierce, Jr., USN (Ret.) for his advice and insights. Thanks are also due to the United States Naval Academy, the National Institute, and the Naval Aviation Museum for the materials they furnished.
Back to Top

D.L. HightowerDraffus Hightower (1899-1993), photographed here studying an antique music box, was a shy, quiet man and a voracious reader who found almost any subject fascinating. In the mid-1930's, he turned his gaze to the world around him, which he documented with his camera for the next thirty years.
D.L. Hightower’s Photographs of a Vanishing World

By Michael V. R. Thomason

A Clayton, Alabama, resident and the former owner of Hightower Chevrolet, Draffus Hightower was known more for his hobby of taking photographs of local people and places than for his career. Now, Hightower’s photographs of the vanishing rural culture of Barbour County serve as an important historical record for current and future generations. In an excerpt from his book, To Remember a Vanishing World: D.L. Hightower’s Photographs of Barbour County, Alabama, c. 1930-1965, Michael V. R. Thomason examines the life of Draffus Hightower and the historic record his photos have left behind. After his father’s death in 1931, Hightower committed himself to preserving the disappearing culture of his youth. In addition to his more candid photos, Hightower often photographed community events like weddings and funerals. From 1936 on, he took hundreds of portraits of the people of Barbour County, which proved to be his greatest record of the culture he sought to preserve.

Additional Information
  • Bourke-White, Margaret  and Erskine Caldwell. You Have Seen Their Faces (Viking Press, 1937).
  • Evans, Walker.  Photographs for the Farm Security Administration, 1935-38. (Da Capo Press, 1975 [1938]).
  • Rothstein, Arthur. The Depression Years as Photographed by Arthur Rothstein. (Dover, 1978)
  • Stryker, Roy Emerson and Nancy Wood. In This Proud Land: America 1935-1943, As Seen in the FSA Photographs (Graphic Society Ltd., 1973).
The following article in the Encyclopedia of Alabama will also be of interest:
  • Barbour County 

About the Author
Michael Thomason is a professor of history and director of University Archives, University of South Alabama, where he has been on the faculty since 1970. Originally from Florida, Thomason has a B.A. from Sewanee and an M.A./Ph.D. from Duke University. Long interested in old photographs and the photographers who made them, he has been the author or co-author of several books of historic photographs. 

Thomason reports that he felt especially drawn to Draffus Hightower after studying his work, and he now believes that Hightower is one of Alabama's and the South's finest photographers.

To Remember a Vanishing World: D.L. Hightower's Photographs of Barbour County, Alabama, c. 1910-1965 will be published this fall by the Historic Chattahoochee Commission. The book sells for $29.95, plus $4 shipping and handling. For more information, or to order a copy, contact: Historic Chattahoochee Commission, P. O. Box 33, Dept. AH, Eufaula, Alabama 36072-0033. Phone: (334) 687-9755; FAX: (334) 687-6631.

Back to Top

DEPARTMENT  ABSTRACTS


Talladega Sewer, William SkaggsWilliam H. Skaggs (1861-1947), the colorful mayor of Talladega, inaugurated many civic improvements- waterworks, public schools, a fire protection company- but he reguarded the day he put the sewer under the railroad tracks as one of the high points of his political career. (Courtesy Alabama Department of Archives and History.)
Notes on Alabama Law
The Talladega Sewer War, 1890

By Paul M. Pruitt, Jr. 

William H. Skaggs (1861-1947), the colorful mayor of Talladega, inaugurated many civic improvements--waterworks, public schools, a fire protection company--but he regarded the day he put the sewer under the railroad tracks as one of the high points of his political career. This high point came after an extended battle with the railroad company, and may well have cost Skaggs his fourth term as mayor, but he regarded the sewer as a major contribution to the civic life of Talladega.

Additional Information
The following article in the Encyclopedia of Alabama will also be of interest:
  • Talladega 

About the Author
Paul M. Pruitt, Jr., is Special Collections Librarian, University of Alabama School of Law.

Back to Top

The Nature Journal
British Soldiers (And Other Lichens)

By L.J. Davenport

Ubiquitous, but often overlooked, lichens inhabit some of the harshest environments on earth. For most of human history, scientists have treated lichens as single plants. We now know, however, that a lichen is actually a composite creature--part fungus and part alga, but with characteristics of its own.

About the Author
Larry Davenport is a professor of biology at Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama.
Back to Top

Southern Architecture and Preservation
Lighting Planters' Lives

By Lee W. Rahe

As late as the middle of the nineteenth century, candles, because they were costly, were used sparingly even in the homes of Alabama's wealthiest planters. Lamps, too, were expensive as was the fuel they consumed. This article examines the variety of methods used for lighting houses during the time period.

Additional Information
The following items in the Encyclopedia of Alabama will also be of interest:
  • Plantation Architecture in Alabama 
  • Plantation Architecture (gallery)

About the Author
Lee Rahe is an authority on the decorative arts of the antebellum South.
Back to Top
Online Store
​Customer Service
Meet Our Team
Board of Directors
Corporate Sponsors
News
Join Our Email List

Employment
UA Disclaimer
UA Privacy Policy ​
​Website comments or questions?  

Email ah.online@ua.edu
Published by The University of Alabama, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the Alabama Department of Archives and History
​Alabama Heritage
Box 870342
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487
Local: (205) 348-7467
Toll-Free: (877) 925-2323
Fax: (205) 348-7473

alabama.heritage@ua.edu