“The Boy From Troy”: How John Lewis Empowered America

By B.J. Hollars

Though he was not a tall man, John Lewis had a towering reputation. Congressman, author, Freedom Rider, friend and fellow activist to Martin Luther King Jr.—Lewis’s many accomplishments are well-known to many. However, in this Alabama Heritage feature, B.J. Hollars looks at a different side of Lewis’s legacy—some of the people whose lives he changed. Based on personal interviews and archival materials, Hollars chronicles the ongoing influence this exceptional individual had on the men, women, and even children he encountered. 

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Rosenbaum House

By Libby Jordan 

For far too long, one of Alabama’s architectural treasures languished in obscurity and disrepair. The Rosenbaum house, created by Frank Lloyd Wright in the 1930s, was rescued by the City of Florence, which purchased it in the 1990s. Today, this example of Usonian architecture is the Southeast’s only Wright house open to the public. Libby Jordan recounts the house’s history, brought to life with photography by Robin McDonald. 

Archaeological Stewardship: The Tennessee Valley Authority’s Ten Thousand Eyes Program

By Erin Dunsmore and Brian Murphy

For two decades, the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Ten Thousand Eyes Archaeological Outreach Program has trained volunteers from the community to monitor and protect Native American sites, which are vulnerable to accidental destruction and more insidious harm, such as looting and grave robbing. In Florence, TVA partners with leaders of various tribes and with the Florence Indian Mound Museum to promote the program and protecting local sites. Through the multi-day training, volunteers learn to protect local areas, and the program also offers education throughout the community, helping instill a sense of pride and appreciation for these historic sites. 

With Guns Blazing: Joseph Humphrey Sloss’s Righteous Pursuit of Honor

By Kayla Scott Gurner

Though he occupied positions of prominence—including a state legislator, federal congressman, US Marshal—Joseph Humphrey Sloss often engaged in violent behavior that stood out even to his nineteenth-century peers. Sloss was first incited by a personal family matter involving his daughter’s honor, but his violent ire at this slight proved only to be the first of numerous outbursts, many of which led to violence and were chronicled throughout the international press. While Sloss was elected to represent Alabama in political office, his most lasting impact may have been through the somewhat dubious image he presented of the state and its so-called gentlemen.

Portraits and Landscapes

Remembering Solomon Kimerling and Weld’s “No More Bull”

​By Margaret Norman, Mark Kelly, and Pamela Sterne King

For several years now, Birmingham’s Temple Beth-El has been creating the Temple Beth-El Civil Rights Experience, a multimedia project that investigates the city’s civil rights and Jewish histories. As part of this work, they will soon be making available a series of columns originally published in a local newspaper. The brainchild of Solomon “Sol” Kimerling and Pamela Sterne King, the columns commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of a pivotal series of civil rights events in Birmingham.

Alabama Governors

William C. Oates (1894-1896)

By Colin Rafferty

Alabama’s twenty-ninth governor, William C. Oates was a Confederate veteran whose military service helped him reach heights beyond those suggested by his upbringing and education. Oates served a single term as governor focused primarily on the state’s financial needs. After his term, he returned to his Abbeville law practice.

From the Archives

Alabama Radio Moments

By Sam Christensen

Between now and the end of May, visitors to the Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH) will enjoy a special exhibit on the state’s radio history. The exhibit, Alabama Radio History, resulted from a partnership between ADAH and the Alabama Radio Historical Society; it traces the platform’s significance in the state, along with key technologies and moments, from sports and entertainment to critical junctures in the state’s civil rights history.