Issue 144, Spring 2022
On the cover: A Black Madonna in stained glass graces the sanctuary of the Most Pure Heart of Mary Church in Mobile. [Robin McDonald]
Features
A Heritage of Service, A Mission of “Somebodiness”
Mobile’s Most Pure Heart of Mary
By Scotty E. Kirkland
Founded at the end of the nineteenth century, Mobile’s Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic Church was established by the Josephite mission, which is committed to working with and advancing Black communities. Soon afterwards, the church added a school, and for decades the nuns who served as teachers joined with other school officials to advance the opportunities available and rights accorded to their students—even in moments when that advocacy put them at odds with members of the diocese. Though the school closed last year, its legacy shaped the lives of many children in Mobile and beyond.
Alabama’s Great War GOBs
By Jerry A. Davis Jr.
During World War I, while soldiers were called “doughboys,” those enlisted in the navy went by the term “gobs.” Alabama contributed a significant number of gobs to the war effort, though many of them did not return, instead making the ultimate sacrifice to the cause. These men—including Kelly Ingram, Jack Melvin, Ernest Harrison, Hamilton Thompson Beggs, Hezzie Raymond Brannon, Bascomb Newcomb Branson, Earl LeBaron, John Clarence Dempsey, and Austin Mize—indelibly shaped our collective future, representing Alabama honorably as they navigated the myriad challenges of the sea.
Nights of Terror in Butler County
By Sarah Sexton Miller
Though today Georgianna is a small, quiet town, it has not always been this way. At the end of the 1800s, it was wracked by a string of homicides. Not all of these murders were solved, though some attempts to determine the killers were tinged with the prejudices of the era. Eventually, though, several men were arrested for some of the killings, leading to their lynching prior to a trial. These men are known to have been part of a robbery gang, but questions remain about their culpability for the murders for which they hung.
Places in Peril 2021
By Lee Anne Hewett Wofford
Since 1994 the Alabama Historical Commission, the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation, and Alabama Heritage have partnered to promote Places in Peril, a public awareness program highlighting significant endangered historic properties in Alabama. As awareness yields commitment, and commitment yields action, these threatened properties can be saved as treasured and preserved landmarks. Places in Peril has encouraged the preservation of important places in Alabama that may otherwise have been lost. The program focuses on bringing attention to nominated places to rally local and statewide support. Over the course of twenty-eight years, the program has highlighted more than 260 resources. The 2021 list includes a hotel, a downtown, a church, and multiple schools. Being listed as a significant historic endangered site carries no formal protection, but it is hoped the listing generates the local support necessary for the preservation of these resources.
Department Abstracts
From the Archives
Justice, Not Favor: Alabama Women and the Vote
By Alex Colvin
In late 2021, the Alabama Department of Archives and History unveiled two new statues prominently displayed in its south lobby. The statues, by Alabama artist Clydetta Fulmer, celebrate two important women from Alabama’s voting rights movements: Pattie Ruffner Jacobs (1875–1935) and Amelia Boynton Robinson (1911–2015). Though they represent different eras and aspects, both women—the first to be honored in Statuary Hall—made significant contributions to voting rights in Alabama and remain models for the state’s engaged citizens today.
Alabama Governors
Edward A. O’Neal (1882-1886)
A two-term governor, Edward O’Neal is also the only Alabama governor to have a son who also served as the state’s governor. During his tenure as governor, the state expanded, creating departments that remain influential today. However, it was not immune to problems; a state official fled with government funds, and some issues for which O’Neal advocated were not advanced.
Correction: In the article, the author states that O’Neal graduated from “LaGrange College in Georgia.” However, the correct LaGrange College is the one that was in Alabama at the time (the predecessor of the University of North Alabama).
Behind the Image
A Modern Woman
By Frances Osborn Robb
Before departing for Los Angeles, Frank Harris Cloud was a significant presence in the Birmingham community. This quarter’s column focuses on a portrait he took around 1930 in his Birmingham studio, through which careful observers can glean a wealth of information about the community in this era.
The Nature Journal
Columned Stinkhorns and Other Earthly Delights
In this quarter’s installment of “Nature Journal,” Alabama Heritage’s resident naturalist explores a lesser-known fungus, the columned stinkhorn. Along the way, he unpacks the history of biological classification, from Linnaeus to the present.
Reading the Southern Past
The Ancient South
Texts about early inhabitants of the area now known as Alabama shed important light on our shared history and contributions of the first people to walk these lands. Three books offer valuable insights on this topic: Mound Builders of Ancient America: The Archaeology of a Myth (New York Graphic Society, 1968) by Robert Silverberg; Mound Sites of the Ancient South: A Guide to the Mississippian Chiefdoms (University of Georgia Press, 2013) by Eric E. Bowne; and Moundville (University of Alabama Press, 2008) by John H. Blitz.
