Sand Island's story begins in the early 1800s. Originally a much larger landmass exceeding four hundred acres, it served as a vital navigational point for ships entering Mobile Bay, a crucial port for trade and commerce. Recognizing the island’s importance, Congress authorized the construction of a land marker in 1828, followed by a more substantial lighthouse in 1838. This iconic structure, built in the Italianate style, stands 132 feet tall, a testament to the ingenuity of nineteenth-century engineers. However, Sand Island's existence has been a constant battle against the elements. |
On March 18th, 1976, the people of Birmingham read in the Birmingham News that Sloss Furnace, an old iron blast furnace closed years ago and donated to the Alabama State Fair to be preserved, was scheduled to be demolished. In previous years other iconic historical sites, like the Terminal Station in Birmingham, had been demolished against public opinion. It was understandable that the citizens of Birmingham were outraged at the thought of another iconic part of their city being destroyed. As Topsy Smith Rigney said in a The Birmingham News column, “So let us cry out - loud and clear - to the powers that be - to stop destroying our history. A young city like Birmingham doesn't have that much tradition to preserve.” Head historian at Sloss Furnaces, Tyler Malugani further described the situation, “When plans surfaced that the Alabama State Fair Authority would tear down Sloss, Birmingham citizens stepped up to ensure another vital part of the city's history was not lost.”
Forty-eight years after Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas, Hernando de Soto, a famed Spanish conquistador, would lead an expedition down the Alabama River and arrive at the town of Mabila. De Soto was about to partake in what would be the bloodiest battle on American soil before the US Civil War. This battle would be fought between the resident Mississippian Native Americans and de Soto’s Spaniards. On the peak of a quiet hilltop, located between the towns of Columbiana and Calera, the Shelby Springs Confederate Cemetery sits nestled in the dense woods of central Alabama. Often referred to as “The Old Soldiers Graveyard,” the cemetery holds the remains of 189 known Confederate soldiers, as well as the remains of 180 unidentified Confederate soldiers from the American Civil War. A feature which makes this cemetery unique is that it not only holds the remains of Alabama soldiers, but also soldiers from Mississippi, Texas, Tennessee, Arkansas, and even Missouri. Before the Civil War, the cemetery was used by the local public, but in 1863 the burial grounds were expanded for Confederate soldiers. The role of women within the U. S. Military has changed drastically over time. One of the most remarkable women from Alabama to initiate this transformation during the twentieth century is Fran McKee. She stands as an embodiment for women in the modern day US military.
In 1976, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Blazer’s athletics program was in its infancy and nonexistent. Despite the absence of a program, UAB took a puzzling next step. The university aimed to establish a NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division I basketball program from scratch, bypassing all lower divisions. Remarkably, it succeeded. To transition from nonexistent to Division I, the university needed to hire an all-time great coach and athletic director. Somehow, UAB did just that with the hire of former University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) coach Gene Bartow just a year later.
The Louisville and Nashville Railroad (L & N), along with other railroad startups, began prior to the Civil War. Located in Kentucky, the L & N railroad entered Alabama by acquiring some smaller lines and building railways.
Exploring Alabama’s Complex Past: Teaching the Legacy of the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing5/7/2024
Alabama has a rich and complex history, one that is marked by moments of both triumph and tragedy. The bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham that happened on September 15, 1963, remains one of the city’s most devastating events. The 16th Street Baptist Church was a prominent African American church in Birmingham that was known for its role in the civil rights movement. It served as a rallying point for activists and hosted meetings advocating for desegregation and equal rights. On the morning of September 15, 1963, a powerful bomb exploded underneath the steps of the church, causing a portion of the building to collapse. The explosion occurred just before Sunday services were set to begin, resulting in the deaths of four young girls and injuring over twenty others. The victims of the bombing were Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Denise McNair, all of whom were attending Sunday school at the time of the explosion. The tragic event of this day is something that every young child from Alabama, or in the neighboring states, comes to learn about. Flowing 280 miles through Alabama as a tributary to the Alabama River is the Coosa River. With headwaters found in Tennessee and Georgia, the rich, biodiverse banks of the Coosa River have been inhabited for thousands of years. Native peoples such as Cherokees and Creeks lived along the banks as it made its way through what we now call Alabama. Later, as Europeans arrived in the region, they also saw the advantages of the river. Throughout our state history, the Coosa River has richly benefitted those who called it home.
The Catholic Church in the state of Alabama reaches as far back as European contact with native peoples during the May 1539 De Soto expedition into the southern interior. Following the expedition, Spanish Catholic missionaries would be the first to bring Christianity into North America. Mobile would later become the center of Alabama’s Catholic life when French Catholics first settled in the city. The center point of Catholicism in Alabama would become the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Yet the cathedral was not always the beautiful and historic landmark that it is now.
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Alabama Heritage BLOG
At Alabama Heritage, we owe many of our successes and smooth operations to our fabulous student interns. We hope that with this blog--written mostly by our interns as well as history students from UAB and a few from our own editors--our readers will have an opportunity to get to know the students who bring so much to the table with their enthusiasm, hard work, and expertise! If you're interested in our internship program, check out the details here. Archives
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