Issue 91, Winter 2009

The cover of the magazine “ALABAMA HERITAGE” features a captivating photograph. At the top, the issue number “91” and the date “WINTER 2009” are prominently displayed. The magazine is published by the University of Alabama, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the Alabama Department of Archives and History. Now, let’s focus on the intriguing centerpiece: a leopard wearing an old-fashioned leather football helmet. The leopard stands on its hind legs, mouth open as if roaring or panting. In front of it lies an American football. This juxtaposition of a wild animal with football elements creates a striking visual metaphor. The .00 price tag in the upper left corner adds to the curiosity. Perhaps this cover symbolizes Alabama’s cultural heritage, blending unexpected elements like sports and wildlife. Notably, the University of Alabama Crimson Tide’s mascot—an elephant—also defies convention, much like this fierce feline on the cover.

Issue 91, Winter 2009

On the cover: Birmingham-Southern mascot “Rowdy” raised spirits in 1926. [Birmingham Public Library Archives]

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Features

The image depicts a vintage photograph of two individuals seated side by side. The photo appears to be a daguerreotype from the mid-19th century, characterized by its aged appearance and metallic sheen. The individuals wear formal attire typical of that era: the person on the left in a suit with a bow tie and vest, and the person on the right in a dress with full sleeves and a full skirt. The ornate frame adds to its historical value.
Thomas and Nancy McCrary [McCrary family photo]

The McCrarys of Madison County: Two Centuries and Counting 

By Joseph M. Jones

Two hundred years after its original founding, the family farm of Thomas McCrary still prospers in Alabama’s Madison County. Bought by McCrary when he was an enterprising Carolina youngster, the farm became his family homestead and livelihood, evolving over the centuries from a cotton farm to land for cattle and assorted crops. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this complex boasts several original buildings and a large collection of historical furnishings, many of them built locally in Huntsville. One of Alabama’s oldest family-owned working farms, the McCrary farm remains a testament to Thomas McCrary’s nineteenth-century entrepreneurial spirit and a valuable example of preservation at work.

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The Reclusive Adelaide Mahan: A Brierfield Original

By Sandra Herrin Swindall 

At the turn of the twentieth century, Adelaide Mahan, a young Brierfield native, left Alabama to pursue artistic training at New York City’s Cooper Union. In New York, Mahan studied with prominent artists such as J. W. Twatchman, Willard Metcalf, and R. Swain Gifford. Mahan further developed her talents in such far-flung locales as Nova Scotia and Honduras, but she always returned to her Alabama roots, coming back to spend the majority of her adult life in Brierfield. Throughout her life, Mahan pursued her passions and remained fiercely independent, becoming a talented and prolific, if little-known, Alabama artist. Thanks to recent scholarship and interest in her work, Mahan’s artistry is now earning the recognition it so heartily deserves. Sandy Swindall chronicles this southern original, her life, and its adventures—from budgetary self-inoculation to an apparently cantankerous meeting with Picasso.

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The image depicts a vintage photograph of an individual. The person wears a hat adorned with large flowers and foliage, reminiscent of late 19th or early 20th-century fashion. The attire includes a light-colored, high-collared garment.
Fashion was one of Adelaide Mahan’s passions [Adelaide E. Mahan Collection, Mike and Linda Mahan, conservators]
The image portrays a historical battle scene with soldiers engaged in combat. Tents in the background suggest a military encampment, and smoke indicates recent firearm use. The chaotic intensity of warfare is evident, providing historical context or serving as an educational illustration.
The assault on Fort Blakely. [Harper’s Weekly]

Confederate Twilight: The Fall of Fort Blakely 

By Jim Noles

On April 9, 1865, mere hours from the moment when Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox, one last Civil War battle raged at Alabama’s Fort Blakely. The men there knew nothing about Lee’s surrender, so they valiantly struggled on—the Confederates trying vainly to protect their fort from the Union troops that ravaged it. Although this battle has been largely ignored in history, since Lee’s surrender rendered it seemingly moot, the men who fought at Blakely waged a fierce and determined battle on the land now preserved as Historic Blakely State Park.

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The photograph depicts a group of individuals arranged in three rows. The front row consists of seated individuals, while those in the middle and back rows are standing. They all wear sports attire, with various numbers and letters printed on their shirts. Notably, some of the shirts bear the letters “BSC,” which could indicate the name of their sports team or club. The setting appears to be outdoors, with trees visible in the background—a typical backdrop for team photographs.
The BSC team dwindled to twenty-one players for its final season [Birmingham-Southern College Archives]

The BSC-Howard Rivalry: Birmingham’s ‘Battle of the Marne’

By Benjamin Lewellyn and Peter Starr 

The annual Birmingham-Southern College and Howard College (now Samford University) football game remained one of Alabama’s fiercest sports rivalries for much of the first half of the twentieth century. Known as the South’s own ‘Battle of the Marne,’ the BSC-Howard game drew attention from governors, mayors, U.S. senators, and even Wallace Wade, the University of Alabama’s first national championship–winning football coach. The rivalry soon spread off the field and infiltrated the student body of both schools; eventually the extra-curricular events spiraled from imaginative pranks and mascot abductions to destructive vandalism and even manslaughter. Though this intense rivalry ended with the disbandment of Birmingham-Southern’s football program in 1939, it nevertheless brought a flash of exhilaration to the city of Birmingham each year, uniting the community in the much-anticipated weeks of late November.

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Departments

The image depicts a charming city street scene with cobblestone pavement. On the left side, there are red-brick buildings adorned with business signage, including “Maison” and “GAIA.” Parked vehicles line the street, and an elevated train track structure stretches across the background. The overcast sky sets the mood, and curiously, no people are visible in this scene
Downtown Birmingham’s Morris Avenue. [Robin McDonald]

Southern Architecture and Preservation

To Enliven, Not to Embalm

By Frank J. Nola Jr.

As urban centers rapidly expand to meet the needs of growing populations, historic town centers often get overlooked or abandoned. Determining the optimal way to maintain a town’s historic core has proved challenging for urban planners, who must balance preservation with contemporary practical needs. Luckily, over the past few decades, trends have shown that maintaining a town’s historical heritage can actually increase the intrinsic value of a town by bolstering its sense of place and culture. 

The image depicts a bottle of Jim Beam bourbon whiskey alongside a metal bowl filled with ice cubes and a metal cup containing ice. A sprig of mint suggests the preparation of a mint julep, a cocktail associated with the Southern United States and often enjoyed during events like the Kentucky Derby. The setting appears to be on an embroidered tablecloth, indicating a social gathering or drinks being served.
Silver is the proper julep vessel.
[Robin McDonald]

Southern Folkways

Mint Julep: A Gentleman’s Drink

By Lisa Cahill

Although it is perhaps best-known for its appearance on the first Saturday in May, as the traditional drink of the Kentucky Derby, the mint julep’s importance to southern culture transcends this one event. In fact, the drink boasts a rich heritage, complete with hotly debated and even occasionally duel-inducing recipes, celebrity imbibers, and serving dishes passed down as family treasures. Author Lisa Cahill traces the history of this quintessentially southern beverage.

Alabama Treasures

Roadside Stories

By Norwood Kerr 

Decades ago the Alabama Historical Association began to post markers at historic sites along Alabama’s roadways, making a car ride an education in the Alabama past. Erected now by several different agencies throughout the state, the markers reflect how historical interests and cultural values evolve over time.

The image depicts a historical marker in front of a house titled “ROWAN HOUSE.” The house has a traditional design with a porch and is partially obscured by the sign. Trees in the background suggest a suburban or rural setting. The marker likely provides information about the house’s historical significance.
Alabama Historical Commission markers highlight properties such as the Rowan House in Leeds. [Robin McDonald]
The image you uploaded depicts the cover of a book titled “This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War” by Drew Gilpin Faust. The sepia-toned photograph on the cover appears to depict a battlefield strewn with fallen figures, symbolizing the theme of death during the American Civil War. The circular emblem at the bottom indicates that it is a National Bestseller, and praise from The New York Times Book Review describes it as “Extraordinary… Profoundly moving.”
The image you uploaded depicts the cover of a book titled “The Civil War and the Limits of Destruction” by Mark E. Neely, Jr. The cover features a painting portraying a chaotic battle scene from the American Civil War. Soldiers are engaged in close combat, with elements such as different-colored uniforms, horseback riders, flags, and smoke in the background suggesting gunfire or cannon fire. This historical representation is relevant for those studying American history or military conflicts.
The image you uploaded is the cover of a book titled “The Hard Hand of War: Union Military Policy Toward Southern Civilians 1861-1865” by Mark Grimsley. The cover features a blue and beige color scheme with the title text prominently displayed. In the center, there is an old photograph of three military figures whose faces are obscured by pixelation. The book appears to be a historical account focusing on the policies and actions of Union forces towards civilians during the American Civil War, which makes it relevant for those interested in American history or military policy.

Reading the Southern Past

“A Fearful Aggregate of Woe” 

By Stephen Goldfarb

Unlike now, when war combatants’ bodies are typically identified and returned home, a lack of technology and the sheer number of dead soldiers in the Civil War led to chaotic, ineffective methods of identifying and retrieving men killed in combat. Author Stephen Goldfarb reviews texts of the Civil War, particularly those concerning the immense number of casualties caused by combat. Books reviewed include Drew Gilpin Faust’s This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War (Knopf, 2007); Mark E. Neely Jr.’s The Civil War and the Limits of Destruction (Harvard University Press, 2007); and Mark Grimsley’s The Hard Hand of War: Union Military Policy Toward Southern Civilians, 1861–1865 (Cambridge University Press, 1995).

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