Issue 102, Fall 2011

The image appears to be the cover of a magazine titled “Alabama Heritage” from the Fall 2011 issue. The cover features a pixelated painting of an individual wearing a dark coat and white shirt. Below the pixelated area, there is text that reads “Lafayette’s Alabama Tour.” Additional text at the bottom indicates that the magazine is published by The University of Alabama at Birmingham and the Alabama Department of Archives and History. The price of the magazine is six dollars.

Issue 102, Fall 2011

On the cover: Portrait of the Marquis de Lafayette at the time of his Alabama tour. [Alabama Department of Archives and History]

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Features

“The Nation’s Guest”: The Marquis De Lafayette’s Tour of Alabama 

By Edwin C. Bridges

As a Revolutionary War hero and beloved friend of George Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette occupied a significant place in nineteenth-century America. When he decided to visit Alabama as part of a tour of the United States, Lafayette set into motion one of the largest-scale celebrations the nascent state had ever staged. In a very special appearance, author Ed Bridges, Director of the Alabama Department of Archives and History, draws on historic items in the ADAH collection to illuminate the lavish reception accorded to Lafayette—and the tremendous bill that came with it.

The portrait depicts an individual standing confidently, one hand resting on a stone railing and the other on their hip. Their face is obscured by a brown rectangle, making identification impossible. The person wears a military-style uniform adorned with decorations, suggesting they may be an officer or a person of importance. The background features a landscape with what appears to be a castle or fortress on the left, set against an open sky. The ornate frame and the text at the bottom read “LAFAYETTE,” hinting that this could be a portrait of Marquis de Lafayette—a significant figure in both American and French history.
The Marquis de Lafayette. [Library of Congress]
The picture portrays a person standing in front of a wooden building, possibly a house. Lush foliage frames the scene in the foreground. The individual’s face remains obscured by a gray rectangle, likely for privacy reasons. Their attire suggests a vintage style: a long skirt, a buttoned-up blouse with a patterned design, and a cardigan layered over it. Dark shoes complete the ensemble. The wooden building behind the person features visible stairs leading up to an entrance. An open door or window on the upper level hints at the building’s purpose. The overall ambiance evokes historical or nostalgic vibes.
During the Great Depression, Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Federal Writers Project. Journalists and authors traveled around the country, collecting narratives, folklore, histories, and many other stories, including slave narratives. Georgia Flournoy was one of the former slaves interviewed in Alabama. [Library of Congress]

Phantoms of the Wiregrass: Tracing the Incarnations of Alabama Folklore 

By Nancy Gregory McLendon 

Before humans recorded narratives in writing, they told stories as a way to preserve their cultural heritage and crucial information. Although the art of storytelling is less prominent today than previously, stories continue to circulate throughout communities, preserving legends, offering implicit moral advice, and sometimes even instilling fear in listeners. Nancy Gregory McLendon traces the role of folklore through the tale of Huggin’ Molly, an example of the southern ghost story at its finest.

Newspaper clippings.
The rape and murder of Vaudine Maddox made headlines for several months. [Tuscaloosa News]

“Martyrs…to a Mock Cause”: Murder, Mayhem, and an Honorable Scrubbing in Tuscaloosa 

By B. J. Hollars

After a young white woman was murdered in Tuscaloosa in 1933, several African American men were arrested for the crime. The case attracted national attention, while the accused men drew visits, along with offers of legal support and defense, from members of the International Labor Defense, a northern group with Communist ties. Tuscaloosa’s citizens, skeptical of the perceived intrusion, took matters into their own hands—with deadly results and an image in need of scrubbing. Based on author B. J. Hollars’s book Thirteen Loops: Race, Violence, and the Last Lynching in America, available from University of Alabama Press. 

The image depicts an old, abandoned house nestled among overgrown vegetation. The house exhibits signs of neglect and decay. Its wooden exterior walls bear weathered, peeling paint, hinting at years of exposure to the elements. The gabled roof and brick chimney evoke memories of a bygone era when this structure likely served as a home. The front porch, supported by four white columns, shows visible wear and missing planks. The windows are either boarded up or entirely absent, emphasizing the house’s long vacancy. Nature has reclaimed parts of the property, with vines and weeds entwining the structure. Overall, this image captures the melancholic beauty of abandonment—a silent witness to the passage of time and the stories once lived within its walls.
Bermuda Hill. [Robin McDonald]

Places in Peril 2011: Alabama’s Endangered Historic Landmarks 

By Donna Castellano and David Schneider

Each year, Places in Peril highlights significant historical properties in need of preservation or restoration. This year’s list features a variety of structures throughout the state, from religious sites and historic homes to civic and commercial buildings. In addition, the annual list calls much-needed attention to the plight of historic movie theaters statewide. Each of these places would benefit from the interest and efforts of local preservationists. 

In addition to the normal installment of Places in Peril, this year’s list also considers the recent storm damage. The spring tornadoes that ravaged Alabama left a wake of destruction that is still being assessed. Bob Gamble takes a preliminary survey of historic structures damaged or destroyed by the storms. 

Departments

Southern Architecture and Preservation 

A Victorian Lady Gets a New Start

By James Baños 

Most of Birmingham’s private homes from the Victorian era fell to the ravages of disrepair or commercial development, but the house known as the “Twenty Twenty-Eight Building” survived intact into the twenty-first century. Preservationist James Baños details how the combined efforts of people across several eras helped protect this significant structure for future generations. 

The image depicts a large, multi-story Victorian-style house. Its complex roof structure features multiple gables and a prominent chimney. The exterior showcases decorative trim in contrasting green and cream colors. Surrounding the property is a well-maintained lawn, enclosed by a low metal fence with brick pillars. Positioned in front of the house is a cherry picker with an extended boom lift, suggesting maintenance or renovation work on the building’s facade. The clear sky indicates favorable weather conditions for outdoor tasks.
Ira and Shelia Chaffin provided architectural and woodworking expertise to revive the historic structure. [Robin McDonald]

AH Update

To Kill a Mockingbird Letters 

By Susan Reynolds

Everyone dreams of going to a yard sale and stumbling on a treasure, but few people actually accomplish this. Tracy Kyser, an Alabama teacher, did just that when he purchased several authentic letters discussing To Kill a Mockingbird. One of the letters came from Harper Lee herself, and it stands as a rare moment when the reclusive author commented on her work. 

Becoming Alabama

Quarter by Quarter

By Joseph W. Pearson, Megan L. Bever, and Matthew Downs

This quarter’s installment of Becoming Alabama revisits the burgeoning tensions within the Creek Indian community, the first engagements of the Civil War, and the Massive Resistance aspect of the civil rights movement. In the fall of 1811, traditional Creek life faced many threats—from encroaching white settlers, certainly, but also from more modern-leaning factions of Creeks themselves. In 1861, victory in the Battle of Manassas bolstered the Confederacy’s spirits and renewed its vigor for the war effort. And in 1961, opponents to the civil rights movement formed White Citizens’ Councils to help resist further change.

Editor’s Note: Alabama Heritage, the Summersell Center for Study of the South, the University of Alabama Department of History, and the Alabama Tourism Department offer this department as a part of the statewide “Becoming Alabama” initiative—a cooperative venture of state organizations to commemorate Alabama’s experiences related to the Creek War, the Civil War, and the civil rights movement. Quarter by quarter we will take you to the corresponding seasons 200, 150, and 50 years ago—sometimes describing the most pivotal events, sometimes describing daily life, but always illuminating a world in flux. We will wait for the ultimate outcomes as our forbears did—over time.

The image portrays an aged, tattered piece of paper. Its irregular edges, faded ink, and smudges suggest significant wear over time. On this paper, there are musical notations arranged on staff lines, complete with notes and clefs. The interspersed handwritten script appears to be lyrics or annotations related to the music. This intriguing artifact could be of interest to historians, musicians, or anyone studying classical scores.
The original score of “Dixie.” [Alabama Department of Archives and History]
The black and white photograph features five individuals standing behind a table. Their faces have been pixelated for privacy. The setting appears to be scientific or educational, as the individuals are wearing aprons. On the table lies a large fish or marine creature, which seems to be undergoing dissection or examination.
Students with a cadaver, c. 1905. [UAB Archives, University of Alabama at Birmingham]

Alabama Treasures

The Birmingham Medical College Scanning Project

By Tim L. Pennycuff

Although UAB is acclaimed for its medical school, not many people realize that Birmingham had another medical school at the turn of the century. Founded in 1894, the Birmingham Medical College was one of the state’s two such programs. The school was short-lived, closing in 1915, but thanks to recent support from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, records and archival materials from the Birmingham Medical College are now available in a searchable online database. Archivist Tim Pennycuff explores some of the collection’s treasures. 

The image shows a group of individuals posing for a photo outdoors. Their faces are pixelated, making identification impossible. The group is arranged in three rows: seated on the ground, kneeling, and standing. Trees provide a backdrop.
The Red Hills Salabrators, June 18, 2010. [Beth Young]

Nature Journal

The Red Hills Salabration

By L. J. Davenport

This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the discovery of Alabama’s state amphibian, the Red Hills Salamander. Discovered by Leslie Hubricht, the elusive creature remains quite rare and is not sighted often. Larry Davenport recounts a commemorative visit to seek out and celebrate the species.

The image you uploaded appears to be the cover of a book titled “Rickwood Field: A Century in America’s Oldest Ballpark” by Allen Barra. The top half of the cover features a photograph of an empty baseball stadium with green seats, a well-maintained playing field, and a view of the upper levels and lighting structures. The sky above the stadium is clear. The bottom half of the cover has a green background with white text displaying the author’s name, “Allen Barra,” and the title of the book.
The image you uploaded appears to be the cover of a book titled “Dixie Walker of the Dodgers.” The authors are Maury Allen and Susan Walker. The cover features a vintage photograph of a baseball player, possibly Dixie Walker, mid-swing, wearing a Brooklyn Dodgers uniform. The background resembles wooden planks, and there’s a blue ribbon graphic element extending to the edges of the book. It’s likely a biography of the athlete.

Reading the Southern Past

Alabama Baseball in Black and White 

By Stephen Goldfarb

This quarter, Stephen Goldfarb takes up America’s pastime and explores its Alabama connections. In a review of Allen Barra’s Rickwood Field: A Century In America’s Oldest Ballpark (W. W. Norton, 2010) and Maury Allen & Susan Walker’s Dixie Walker of the Dodgers: The People’s Choice (University of Alabama Press, 2010), Goldfarb traces both the sites and the people that enriched Alabama’s ties to the sport and its fans.

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