Issue 83, Winter 2007

The image features the cover of a magazine titled “Alabama Heritage.” Here are the key elements: Title and Issue Information: The main title, “ALABAMA HERITAGE,” is prominently displayed in large white letters against a black background. The issue number is “83,” and it’s the Winter 2007 edition. The price is listed as “SIX DOLLARS.” Cover Art: The cover art depicts multiple figures, likely African American individuals, in various poses. Their faces are obscured intentionally, with patches of brown color covering them. The figures wear white clothing and stand against a darker background, possibly an interior space or night sky. Additional Text: Below the main title, there’s additional text: “PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA, THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM, AND THE ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY.” Overall, this image represents a publication related to Alabama’s history and heritage.

Issue 83, Winter 2007

On the cover: River Baptizing (detail), by Howard Cook (1935). [Courtesy Georgia Museum of Art; gift of the artist and Friends of the Art Department and Museum]

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Features

The image displays a bust sculpture, likely made of marble or a similar material. It depicts an individual from the shoulders up. The sculpture wears 18th or 19th-century attire—a high-collared coat with prominent buttons and styled lapels. The background is shadowy, contrasting with the light color of the sculpture.
Bust of Aaron Burr. [U.S. Senate Collection]

A Traitor in the Wilderness: The Arrest of Aaron Burr

By Aaron Welborn

In the dead of winter, 1807, one of the most infamous men of the 19th century was hiding out in the rough-and-tumble backwoods just north of Spanish-held Mobile. Former vice president of the United States, the man who shot Alexander Hamilton, suspected traitor to his country and fugitive from the law—it was Aaron Burr himself. Recognizing him by the infamous glitter of his black eyes and an aristocratic aura that seemed misplaced in the wilderness, Nicholas Perkins, a federal land registrar, finally caught Aaron Burr, but it would be up to history to pose a greater question: What exactly was he guilty of?

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The Price of Progress: The Lost Towns of Pickwick Reservoir

By Patricia Bernard Ezzell

When the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) approved the construction of Pickwick Landing Dam, it signaled an era of progress in the Tennessee Valley Region. However, several communities were sacrificed in exchange for the dam’s technological and recreational benefits. Two such towns, Waterloo and Riverton, Alabama, were flooded by Pickwick Dam, and their residents were forced to relocate. Today, remnants of these lost towns exist only in memories, history books, and under the waters of the Pickwick Reservoir, but prior to their destruction in the 1930s, these towns were active centers of Alabama life.

The image depicts a traditional church building with a pointed red steeple. The structure is white, featuring a gabled roof and three arched doorways accessible via a set of stairs. Large, arched windows adorn the sides of the building. Surrounding the church are trees with autumn-colored leaves, suggesting the season is fall. The clear blue sky above completes the serene scene. This image could be relevant for discussions about architecture, religion, seasons, or community landmarks.
The Waterloo United Methodist Church, established 1854. [Robin McDonald]
The black and white aerial photograph captures a landscape with several notable features: Water Body: A large body of water, resembling a river, flows from the top to the bottom of the image. The river meanders through the terrain. Land Features: On both sides of the river, there is land with varying topography. The texture and vegetation patterns differ, suggesting diverse terrain. Some areas appear to be fields or open spaces. Infrastructure: One side of the river features a dam or bridge structure. Roads or pathways lead to this structure, indicating its significance. The presence of buildings or structures near the riverbank suggests human activity. Historical Context: The date “12-31-62” in the corner indicates that the photo was taken on December 31st, 1962. This historical context adds value to the image. Overall, this photograph likely depicts a valley or an area with elevated terrain. It could be relevant for studies related to geography, urban planning, environmental changes, or historical documentation.
Guntersville Dam, as seen in 1962.
[University of Alabama Map Library]

Before the Flood: Emergency Archaeology in the Tennessee Valley

By Eugene Futato

The fertile valley surrounding the Tennessee River and its tributaries has a long history of Native American settlement. Living off of the rich soil and the abundant fish and shellfish furnished by the river, camps have dotted the banks for eleven thousand years. The valley is littered with bone, pottery, and stone artifacts. But in the 1930s, plans by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) called for a series of dams that would furnish a major supply of hydroelectricity to the area, and usher in a modern age for the Southeast. A team of concerned individuals, including several professional archaeologists, banded together to ensure that the artifacts were not lost beneath the waters that were soon to rise behind the freshly constructed dams.

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Howard Cook: Portraits of Alabama Life

By Stephen J. Goldfarb

Guggenheim recipient Howard Cook chose to spend his grant money on a tour of the Old South, from Virginia to Texas. It was an attempt to live among the subjects he rendered in his art, to observe the native customs and folk, and to gain a greater appreciation for them, which would shine through in his work. In the autumn of 1934, he and his wife, Barbara Latham (also an artist) journeyed through the Alabama Black Belt, sketching their experiences as they went. Witness to an African American baptism and footwashing, a fiddlers’ contest, and the world of the Birmingham steelworkers, Cook found plenty of inspiration, and created a portfolio of expressive artwork that tells the story of his odyssey through the South.

The image portrays three musicians playing instruments. On the left, an individual plays a guitar; in the center, another plays a violin; and on the right, a third person plays a stringed instrument, possibly a banjo. The scene exudes warmth and informality, suggesting an intimate musical setting.
“Fiddler’s Contest,” 1934-5. [Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia]
The sepia-toned photograph depicts two individuals standing in front of an aircraft. Both individuals wear suits: the person on the left in a darker suit and tie, and the person on the right in a lighter-colored suit with a patterned tie. The partially visible lettering on the aircraft begins with “T.”
Martin Luther King, Jr., urged evangelist Billy Graham to hold crusades in the Deep South. Although Graham felt that evangelism, rather than civil disobedience, was the true path towards improving race relations, the two leaders found common ground in their opposition to segregation and Jim Crow laws. [Russ Busby and the Billy Graham Evangelical Association]

“Another Kind of March”: Billy Graham in Civil Rights Era Alabama

By Steven P. Miller

As one of the world’s most well-known evangelists, Billy Graham’s crusades have taken him all over the globe. Yet his role in the South during the Civil Rights Era, particularly his work at easing Alabama’s racial tensions, often is overlooked. Beginning with his Easter Day rally at Birmingham’s Legion Field in 1964, Graham went on to hold six additional desegregated crusades in Alabama the following year. A friend of both Martin Luther King and George Wallace, Graham managed to bridge the racial divide of white and black Alabama through the terms of his faith.

Departments

Alabama Treasures

The Flag of the Magnolia Cadets

By Robert Bradley

During the Civil War, Selma’s Magnolia Cadets, under the leadership of Captain N. H. R. Dawson, were represented by their company flag, designed by the half-sisters of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. These flags, each unique in design, not only served as military banners but are Civil War–period works of art as well.

The image depicts an aged, worn flag with a cream or light beige background. At its center, there’s a wreath made of dark green leaves, possibly magnolia leaves. Within the wreath, bold serif text reads “MAGNOLIA CADETS” in an arching formation above the date “1861,” which is written horizontally at the bottom. Above the wreath and text, there’s a single faded gold or yellow five-pointed star. The flag’s edges are frayed and tattered, suggesting significant age or exposure to the elements. This artifact likely has historical significance, possibly related to the American Civil War era. The name “Magnolia Cadets” hints at a specific unit or group associated with magnolias, common in the Southern United States. The year 1861 aligns with the start of the Civil War.
This flag was designed by Abraham Lincoln’s Confederate sisters-in-law [Alabama Department of Archives and History]

Alabama Mysteries

The Giggling Granny

By Pam Jones

Over the course of some thirty years, Alabama’s most prolific serial killer, Nannie Doss, murdered four of her five husbands and numerous other family members, often by poisoning the meals she prepared for them. Due to her lack of remorse, her flirtatious demeanor, and her affection for romance stories, she became known nationwide as “The Giggling Granny.”

The image is a pencil sketch of a person seen from behind. The individual holds a tray with food items. Their head is obscured by a gray box, likely for privacy. The person wears a white button-up shirt and has curly hair tied up. On the tray, there are two bowls—one containing what appears to be rice with a spoon, and the other possibly empty or holding something flat. Next to the bowls, there’s an item resembling flatbread.
Nannie Doss.
The image depicts the book cover for “Alabama in the Twentieth Century” by Wayne Flynt. The cover features a collage of vintage license plates from different years and states, with a prominent red stripe down the center. This design creatively incorporates historical artifacts (license plates) to symbolize the book’s exploration of Alabama’s history during the 20th century.
The image depicts the cover of a book titled “Inside Alabama: A Personal History of My State” by Harvey H. Jackson III. The cover features a painting of a street scene with buildings, including a storefront with an awning and a two-story building beside it. The sky is depicted in light blue, and there are no people visible in the scene. The title and author’s name are printed in white text against a red background at the top portion of the cover.

Reading the Southern Past

Alabama, In General

By Stephen Goldfarb

Using personal experiences and scholarly awareness to illuminate their home state, Wayne Flynt and Harvey H. Jackson have both penned histories of Alabama, titled Alabama in the Twentieth Century and Inside Alabama. Stephen Goldfarb summarizes each academician’s take on Alabama’s past.

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