Issue 86, Fall 2007

The image appears to be the cover of a magazine titled “ALABAMA HERITAGE.” The cover features two individuals, their faces obscured by gray rectangles for privacy. The person on the left wears a floral-patterned dress, while the one on the right is in a dark suit with a light-colored shirt and dark tie. The gold background complements the composition. Below the image, there’s additional text: “PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA, THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM, AND THE ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY.”

Issue 86, Fall 2007

On the cover: In 1956 Rosa Parks and more than ninety others were indicted for illegal boycotting. [Courtesy Montgomery County Archives]

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Features

Hank Williams: The Hillbilly Shakespeare 

By Colin Thomas Rafferty

On June 11, 1949, the Grand Ole Opry’s halls were filled for the first time with the drawl of chart-topping country musician Hank Williams—an Alabama native. In the span of just four years, Hank would change the face of popular music. Producing songs that appealed to the masses, Hank’s hits resonated with people of all means and ages. Hank died tragically at the age of twenty-nine, cutting short a phenomenal career. But the songs he composed continue to influence country music today. 

The image depicts an adult holding a child. Both faces are pixelated for privacy. The adult wears a pinstriped suit and stands next to a vintage car with the license plate “56-14.” The photographer’s shadow is visible on the ground.
Hank and Lycrecia Williams. [Lycrecia Williams, Dale Vinicur, and Audrey’s Secret]
The image portrays a historical scene set outdoors, likely during the 18th or 19th century. A large gathering of people is visible, dressed in period clothing—long dresses, bonnets, and suits with tails. The central focus is a wooden gallows, suggesting a public execution. The lush greenery in the background includes trees and hills, indicating a rural setting.
A Methodist camp meeting. [Library of Congress]

Of Circuit Riders and Camp Meetings, Missionaries and Methodists

By G. Ward Hubbs

The appearance of the Reverend Matthew P. Sturdevant in the Tombigbee settlements in 1808 marked Methodism’s formal introduction in the state of Alabama. Sturdevant was one of many preachers who traveled on horseback through the Alabama wilderness in the early nineteenth century. These preachers, who were known as circuit riders, established a new and important tool for spreading the Word to the American frontier: the camp meeting.

Honing Heredity: Alabama and the Eugenics Movement 

By Gregory Michael Dorr

The eugenics movement—the science of improving humanity through controlled breeding—continues to generate controversy, due in no small part to the vast sterilizations that occurred worldwide in its name. Hitler and the Nazi regime’s horrific medical procedures offer the most famous and extreme expression of eugenics principles. Convinced of the social good of preventing those deemed “feebleminded” or “defective” from procreating, a number of Alabama physicians worked to broaden sterilization laws. A eugenics segregation law passed in Alabama in 1919 made it legal for mental health facilities to sterilize inmates without their informed consent or to require it as a condition of release from the facility. Such practices continued until three 1974 court cases successfully struck them down. These cases, spurred by a new commitment to women’s rights, prompted national policy changes.

This appears to be the back of a postcard from a previous era. In a cartoon sketch, two individuals are shown. The one on the left is on bended knee. The person on the right is standing away from the other person, with their right arm held up in a stop motion.
Postcard satirizing emphasis on genetic purity. [Museum of disABILITY History]

Places in Peril: Alabama’s Endangered Historic Landmarks for 2007

By Melanie Betz Gregory with Robert Gamble and David Schneider 

The Alabama Historical Commission, the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation, and Alabama Heritage magazine have partnered once again to present a new list of eleven historic sites in that are in danger of being destroyed. Join us to read of new areas in need of preservation statewide, including the South Perry Street Historic District in Montgomery, the Edgewood Community in Homewood, Sunny Slope in Auburn, Barclift Inn in Blountsville, the Aircraft Hangar at Gragg Field in Clanton, old iron and steel truss bridges (statewide), the 1910 Bibb County Jail in Centerville, the Winterboro High School in Winterboro, the St. Clair Springs Historic District, the old Church of the Epiphany in Guntersville, and the Carraway House in Birmingham.

The image depicts an old, rusted metal truss bridge spanning a calm river. The bridge, no longer in use, is covered in vegetation, showcasing nature reclaiming the human-made structure. The lush greenery surrounding the bridge adds to the serene atmosphere. The river reflects parts of the bridge and the trees, creating a beautiful contrast between industrial engineering and natural beauty.
This 1905 Holt Bridge is the last of its kind in eastern Tuscaloosa County. [Nancy Callahan]

Departments

Alabama Mysteries

The Murder of Faye New

By Pam Jones

When Howard College student Faye New failed to return home one August evening in 1934, a search began for her body. The boys she was with that night were called in for questioning, and one went on trial. The theatrical performances of the lawyers and lack of evidence during trial made the case highly publicized and controversial, and the young man went free. Faye New’s murder remains unsolved. 

Newspaper clippings from 1934 of the murder of Faye New.
Faye New’s murder fascinated the Birmingham public. Local newspapers dedicated their front pages to the search for her body and to Taylor’s trial. Insets, left to right, are of Faye New, Ashley Cain, and Harold Taylor. [Photos by The Birmingham Age-Herald, 1934.]
A black and white grainy photograph from an earlier era. Four individuals stand posing for the camera. Two of them are adults, and the other are children.
James Andrew Dingus, his wife Electa, and his daughters Aurora and Electa. [Dr. Janice Douglas Baltimore and Peter Byrd]

AH Revisited

Images of Kowaliga

By Donna L. Cox 

The article “William Benson and the Kowaliga School” by Leah Rawls Atkins and Michael Sznajderman featured in Alabama Heritage, Spring 2005 (#76) issue, recounted the story of an African American man from Alabama who built an extraordinary school and industry to elevate the opportunities for black residents of Tallapoosa and Elmore Counties in the early twentieth century. Recently, Peter Byrd of Douglasville, Georgia, the great-grandson of James Andrew Dingus, principal of The Kowaliga Academic and Industrial Institute from 1916 to 1919, shared rare photos with us, documenting the school and its teachers.

The Nature Journal

Miss Julia’s Fertile Fern

By L. J. Davenport

Miss Julia Tutwiler’s adventurous personality caused her to stumble upon a hybrid fern in deep in the Havana Glen in 1873. While the hybrid species was interesting, the fact that it had managed to render itself both fertile and self-perpetuating by doubling its own chromosome count caused quite a stir in biology circles of the 1930s. Davenport recounts his journey to the heart of the glen with the mission of renaming the world’s rarest fern. 

The image depicts a close-up view of a rough, textured surface that appears to be a rock or a wall. Various shades of brown, orange, and hints of green create a visually interesting backdrop. Patches of moss or lichen are scattered across the surface, adding to the variety of textures and colors. In the center, a small cluster of green ferns with delicate leaves stands out against the rugged background. The contrast between the soft organic shapes of the ferns and the hard inorganic texture of the rock is captivating. This image could be relevant for studies in botany, ecology, or geology, as it showcases how plant life can thrive in seemingly inhospitable environments.
Asplenium tutwilerae. [L.J. Davenport]
The image displays the cover of a book titled “THE WHITE HOUSE” with the subtitle “WILLIAM E. LEUCHTENBURG.” Below the title and subtitle, there are three names listed: FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, HARRY S. TRUMAN, LYNDON B. JOHNSON. The cover features a grayscale photograph of the White House at night, with its facade illuminated and trees on either side. The sky is dark, suggesting it is taken after dusk. This image shows a book cover that is likely to be relevant or interesting to those studying American history or politics, particularly the presidencies of Roosevelt, Truman, and Johnson.
The image depicts the cover of a book titled “This Mighty Scourge: Perspectives on the Civil War” by James M. McPherson. The cover features a black and white photograph of a barren tree standing alone in an open field. The tree’s branches are widespread and bare, creating a stark silhouette against the sky. A small figure stands to the left of the tree, providing a sense of scale. The desolate landscape evokes themes related to history, particularly the Civil War, with somber visual elements. The solitary figure adds to the contemplative atmosphere.

Reading the Southern Past

Two Masters at the Top of Their Game

By Stephen Goldfarb

Past Presidents, the Civil War, and the Great Depression return to the spotlight in two influential books by great historians William E. Leuchtenburg and James M. McPherson. Leuchtenburg’s The White House Looks South and McPherson’s This Mighty Scourge: Perspectives on the Civil War discuss the leaders during important times of crisis in our nation’s history.

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