All Non-Digital Titles

Stately Samford University, established in 1841 as Howard College, is a treasured institution of higher learning in Alabama, consistently ranked among the best regional universities in the nation.

Well known for the quality of education it offers and for its stunning Georgian-Colonial campus, Samford boasts a long and fascinating history, illuminated here in a collection of vintage photographs. With images ranging from informal to formal, routine to remarkable, tragic to hilarious, this engaging retrospective delves into the heart of the school's heritage--its people. The aspirations of all who have called Samford home and those who have supported its mission come to life in snapshot memories of centuries past. Highlights of the book include extensive coverage of the East Lake campus years; the first experiment in coeducation; the earliest known photographs of the Marion campus; the infamous ""liberation"" of a rival college's mascot; the courage of student journalists in the 1970s; the story of Harry, the slave who gave his life saving students; and Samford University's latest educational innovations and architectural marvels. Rarely seen photographs from the university's Special Collection department, supplemented by informative, entertaining captions, offer Samford students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends a chance to relive some of the most memorable moments in the school's history.

Join author Christopher Andrews on a delectable romp through the long food history of Mobile, Alabama. From its founding in 1702 by the French, Mobile has had a lot on its plate. Indeed, the story of food itself is a rich gumbo—a dish created in Mobile—tracing the city’s rich history, albeit in far more filling fashion. Native, European and African traditions met and blended here. From the colonial days through the Civil War and up to the present, this history serves up a full menu for foodies and history buffs alike.

This book reveals the battles and events that shaped the history of 'The Heart of Dixie' during the Civil War.

Alabama's role in the Civil War cannot be understated. Union raids into northern Alabama, the huge manufacturing infrastructure in central Alabama and the Battle of Mobile Bay all played significant parts. A number of important Civil War figures also called Alabama home. Major General Joseph Wheeler was one of the most remarkable Confederate cavalry commanders in the west. John ""the Gallant"" Pelham earned the nickname for his bravery during the Battle of Fredericksburg. John Semmes commanded two of the most famous commerce raiders of the war--the CSS Sumter and the CSS Alabama. Author Robert C. Jones examines the people and places in Alabama that shaped the Civil War.

Join author Wil Elrick as he explores the history behind some of the Cotton State's weird and legendary tales.

Mysterious 1989 UFO sightings brought more than 4,000 visitors to the tiny town of Fyffe, population 1,300. Legends of the Alabama White Thang - an elusive, hairy creature with a shrill shriek - persisted in the state for a century. Just outside Huntsville's historic Maple Hill Cemetery lies an eerie playground where the ghosts of departed children are rumored to play in the dead of night. After hundreds of unexplained sightings, the town of Evergreen declared itself the Bigfoot Capital of Alabama. Alabama is a weird and wonderful place with a colorful history steeped in folk tales passed from generation to generation.

While legislators were writing the first laws in Alabama, some miscreant citizens were already breaking them, causing disorder and fleeing the hands of justice.

Among these were cult-leader-turned-murderer Bloody Bob Sims, social-activist-turned-anarchist Albert Parsons, the mysterious hobo bandit Railroad Bill and the nefarious outlaw sheriff Steve Renfroe, who was credited with countless prison escapes, thefts and arson. Legendary Wild West figures Frank and Jesse James also appeared in Alabama, along with numerous other well-known gunslingers, pirates, crooks and desperados. Bushwhackers caused widespread chaos during the Civil War and were considered outlaws depending on which side you supported. Join real-life partners in crime Kelly Kazek and Wil Elrick as they recount the atrocities of some of Alabama's most infamous lawbreakers.

Over 200 vintage photographs from the Albertville archives, family and church collections, and the author's private collection illustrate the successful story of the town of Albertville.

Join the Coastal Cannonball in this exciting new All Aboard adventure. 

From the recording legacy of Muscle Shoals to suiting up for your own space mission, All Aboard, Alabama! showcases the rich history and diverse experiences young travelers can enjoy in Alabama. Try on an Egyptian mask, taste your first Moon Pie, and follow in the footsteps of heroes. Climb aboard and take a lap around the track!

Auburn. The name resonates among generations who have studied, taught, or worked on the campus. Virtues such as loyalty, patriotism, service, and hard work have been encouraged on the campus from the school's inception.

No matter what the university has been formally named over the years-from East Alabama Male College to Alabama Polytechnic Institute-people have fondly called it Auburn since it was chartered in 1856. Professor George Petrie's Auburn Creed emphasizes the refrain ""I believe,"" which the Auburn family of Plainsmen, Tigers, and War Eagles have embraced. In this fitting tribute to a landmark Southern institution, vintage photographs depict people, places, experiences, and traditions beloved by the Auburn community. With a cooperative spirit, students and faculty alike applaud each other's successes in the classrooms and laboratories as well as in stadiums and on athletic fields. Numerous significant accomplishments in both academics and athletics are associated with Auburn and they are celebrated within these pages. Images of the campus as it has evolved over the years; memorable students, faculty, staff, and alumni; and unforgettable events have been gathered and preserved in this keepsake volume.

Discover Calhoun County's diverse and unique history through historic images collected and compiled through the decades.

Chief Ladiga and his Creek tribe first settled in the northeastern half of the county. By the early 1800s, settlers from Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina came to this scenic mountainous area to farm in the county's rich valleys. After the Treaty of Cusseta removed the Creeks west of the Mississippi in 1832, more settlers began arriving. In 1833, Benton County was incorporated into the state of Alabama and Jacksonville was made the county seat. Oxford, or ""Lick-Skillet,"" was a frontier town at the time, and Piedmont, or ""Cross Plains,"" was an intersection for the two stagecoach routes. By the time of the Civil War, the county would change its name to Calhoun County in honor of South Carolina statesman John C. Calhoun. In 1872, two northern industrialists, Samuel Noble and Gen. Daniel Tyler, created their ""model city"" in Anniston, which began a period of great growth in the county.

Once little more than a local curiosity, Cathedral Caverns was transformed by one man’s vision and hard work into a spectacular tourist attraction and natural landmark.

In 1952, Jacob “Jay” Gurley explored a local Marshall County curiosity which residents referred to as “Bat Cave.” Amazed by its stalagmites and sheer enormity, Gurley purchased the site and began transforming it into Cathedral Caverns. After decades of hard work, Cathedral Caverns became one of Alabama’s top tourist attractions, eventually being dedicated as a national natural landmark in 1973, and a state park in 2000. Had it not been for Gurley's hard work and dedication, this cave, a geological treasure of international renown, might have remained a little-known hole in the ground. His efforts impacted local and state tourism, economics, and politics. This is the story of one man and his vision. Enjoy the rich history of Cathedral Caverns in this collection of 15 historic black-and-white postcards.

Track the history of Chattahoochee Valley Railway through five generations of service using vintage images.

Weaving across state lines from Standing Rock, Alabama, through West Point, Georgia, and back to Bleecker, Alabama, the Chattahoochee Valley Railway served many communities along its line. Its last run was in 1992, but now the days of the short line railroad are revisited in Chattahoochee Valley Railway. Although some books on the history of the region render a passing mention of this railway, none have included over 200 images and a detailed historical account like Chattahoochee Valley Railway. The railroad served surrounding communities for over five generations by offering transportation, and the rail line's parent textile corporation built schools, churches, recreational areas, and a water supply for those communities. By the 1980s, modernization of the corporate structure eliminated the need for the railway and its equipment was sold off. However, part of its track bed is now a biking, hiking, and walking trail. The old railway is still serving nearby residents and is still enjoyed by all who follow its path.

Within these pages, the Cherokee County's rich and varied history is illuminated by vintage photographs, and its past is brought to life in the faces of its early settlers.

Created in 1836 from land held formerly by the Cherokee Indians, Cherokee County is situated in the northeast corner of Alabama, bordered by Georgia to the east.The families of the Reverend Whitefield Anthony and others settled at Mudd Creek in 1831 in what was to become Cherokee County. From these first families developed a community that would grow and change along with a young and bustling America, welcoming new industries, farming fertile lands, and building churches and schools to feed the hearts and minds of its young. The photographs in this volume, illustrating the county's past as well as how it looks in the present day, were culled from a variety of sources, including the Cherokee County History Museum, the Pine Grove Baptist Church, and the private collections of many local families. Coupled with a historical narrative, these glimpses of yesteryear will evoke fond memories for all who have made Cherokee County home.

Choctaw County, one of Alabama's largest counties by area at 909 square miles, is also one of the smallest in population.

Established at the end of 1847 by taking land from Sumter and Washington Counties, Choctaw County today is a recognized leader in the pulpwood industry and renowned for its hunting and fishing. Cattle farming and agriculture also play a large role in daily life and economics, and residents take pride in having the first producing oil well in the state of Alabama. Choctaw County is even home to the remains of the historic healing waters of the former Bladon Springs Hotel, and a curious connection with the basilosaurus cetoides, a prehistoric sea mammal found near Melvin, currently on display in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

The 50-year Cold War began following World War II and was a struggle between ideologies, militaries, economies, athletes, and each nation’s ability to reach space. Alabama played a key role in that conflict.

Huntsville led the efforts in ballistic missile as well as rocket propulsion development. From Enterprise to Montgomery to Anniston, the military prepared for and served in battles abroad. While the United States promoted democracy globally, the civil rights movement fought for a “more perfect union” at home. Not everyone supported the US involvement in proxy wars; groups of college students in Alabama protested the Vietnam War. All these aspects of the Cold War are captured from across Alabama through pictures and words.

With fewer than a thousand remaining in the United States, the covered bridges of Alabama are an important relic of the paths our ancestors took.

Alabama's covered bridges are reminiscent of a more romantic time, when people rode in horse-drawn buggies and couples stole kisses beneath their roofs. But they are also keepers of history - structures built by former slaves and Civil War soldiers. Such places are steeped in legend, including tales of ghostly children and the hanging of a sheriff turned outlaw. Just eleven historic covered bridges survive in Alabama - the oldest dating to the 1850s - but dozens of more recently constructed spans dot the landscape. Wil Elrick and Kelly Kazek provide photos and detailed information on more than fifty Alabama bridges, reveal the fate of the state's lost bridges and delve into the haunting legends surrounding these nostalgic structures.

Daphne, the Jubilee City, is home to people who came to partake of the rich resources of Mobile Bay's eastern shore.

They gathered to collect seafood miraculously washing ashore during the phenomenon of jubilee. They gathered under the spreading oaks to hold councils and along the bayfront to escape the perils of yellow fever across the bay in Mobile. They gathered for clean spring waters and rare pottery clay, to greet the bay boats, and to farm the rich soil. Daphne's heritage is one of a gathering of peoples, and Images of America: Daphne documents that heritage.

Established in 1820 on the banks of the Tennessee River, Decatur, Alabama, has always had its destiny tied to the water. It is the city's lifeblood and obstacle.

A railroad, an iron river between Tuscumbia and Decatur, was built to overcome the natural obstacle so it could be used as an asset. This effort worked. War, pestilence, economic downturns, labor, and social unrest all imbued residents with a resilience of spirit. Residents knew it, and visitors sometimes described it in quick notes on cardstock. These postcards from Decatur, Alabama, traveled across the land and the world. Presented here for the first time are some of those cards, dating between 1874 and the latter 1970s.

Mysterious creatures, strange happenings and ghost stories. Alabama has them all and more - despite its glorious depictions.

Alabama claims an abundance of fascinating mysteries and legends despite being known for its antebellum mansions and sunny beaches, . The White Thang is a Sasquatch-like creature that has terrorized Alabamians for generations. For a brief period in the 1980s, Needham gained national attention because of its "crying pecan tree." In 1854, a farmer named Orion Williamson simply vanished in a field in Selma. From the aquatic beast known as the Coosa River Monster to the story of the Leprechaun of Mobile, these stories have evolved over generations. Author and ghost-story guru Alan Brown presents some of the strangest stories from this collective tradition.

View postcards of charming images of the striking homes and historic scenes from this part of Alabama.

Boasting one of the largest historic districts in the state of Alabama, Eufaula attracts thousand of visitors each year to tour its homes, many of which are highlighted in this engaging volume. Eufaula and Barbour County in Vintage Postcards includes not only these striking architectural treasures, but images of local businesses, railroad depots, and political campaigns as well. Longtime residents of the community and those who come to tour its charming streets will delight in this entertaining glimpse into the past.

Join author and historian Carolyn Barske as she recounts the history of Florence, Alabama through the lens of over 200 vintage images.

On the banks of the Tennessee River, below the once-formidable Muscle Shoals in northwest Alabama, sits the vibrant community of Florence. In the early 19th century, the Chickasaw Nation ceded lands to the US government, and in 1818 the Cypress Land Company held its first auction. The town grew quickly because of the efforts of the company's founders, which included Gen. John Coffee; John McKinley, who later sat on the US Supreme Court; and James Jackson, whose imported Thoroughbred horses became the bloodstock for some of Kentucky's finest racehorses. Schools, churches, hotels, and businesses soon filled the streets. For almost 200 years, the town of Florence has continued to grow, becoming home to the University of North Alabama and people like the ""Father of the Blues,"" W.C. Handy; Maud Lindsay, who operated the first free kindergarten in the state; and four governors in Edward A. O'Neal, Emmett O'Neal, Robert M. Patton, and Hugh McVay.

Advertisements placed in newspapers throughout the Midwest in the early 1900s read, ""Notice to Homeseekers: Good farm land at a reasonable price,"" directing people toward picturesque Foley, Alabama.

A new town with an ideal climate and boundless resources, it was the final stop on the railroad spur to south Baldwin County that was completed in 1905. First built on an agriculture and timber economy, the town was soon home to businesses that sprang up during the population explosion. Nearby Elberta, a German colony, and the river towns of Magnolia Springs and Bon Secour also experienced accelerated growth as the area was developed. The heritage of the greatest resource--the people of Foley--is best told in the photographs long treasured by families of the earliest settlers and collected by the authors to be shared and preserved for posterity. ""

Alabama tales that have existed only in rumor, legend and lore are uncovered in this volume of strange, funny, far-fetched, unique and gripping stories from Muscle Shoals to Mobile.

From Muscle Shoals to Montgomery to Mobile, there's just no place quite like Alabama. Take a journey off the beaten path through the Cotton State with author Kelly Kazek as she uncovers the stories that make Alabama one of a kind. Kazek, a longtime Alabama resident, unearths tales that have existed only in rumor, anecdote, legend and lore. This collection is packed with little-known stories of strange sites, like the world's largest Nehi bottle; curious critters, like the first monkey in space; and colorful characters, such as the outlaw Tom Clark. Whether funny, far-fetched, gripping or grisly, Forgotten Tales of Alabama is filled with stories you won't soon forget.

Fort Morgan has stood sentry on the Gulf of Mexico for almost 200 years. This pictorial history illustrates the people and events that have shaped its history.

Following the War of 1812, the United States embarked upon a major building program to improve the nation's seacoast defenses. A project was begun on Mobile Bay that would take almost twelve years to complete, plagued by harsh conditions, a lack of resources, and financial burdens. The end result, completed and opened in March of 1834, was Fort Morgan. Fort Morgan has played many key roles in the nation's military. During the Civil War, Fort Morgan provided covering fire for blockade runners entering and leaving Mobile Bay. The fort fell into disrepair after the Civil War as military planners thought it had outlived its usefulness. Between 1895 and 1904, five modern reinforced concrete batteries rose from the sands. At the peak of operations between 1910 and 1918, more than one hundred structures dotted the Mobile Bay landscape. This unique pictorial retrospective explores the growth and change at Fort Morgan, allowing the reader a chance to step back in time to the days when our nation's military fortifications provided a sense of security and protection to every citizen. Included are images culled from the Fort Morgan Museum, the National Archives and Records, and private collections. These vintage photographs depict every aspect of the fort's history, from the damage caused by the Union siege guns to the days following World War II when the fort was temporarily turned into a resort, and from the Confederates who worked to strengthen Mobile's lower defense line to the devastation of the hurricanes in 1906 and 1916.

Free State of Winston is a pictorial history of this unique and interesting community.

Based on a lifetime of researching and writing about their home county of Winston, the husband and wife team of Don and Amy Dodd have crafted a unique pictorial retrospective that conveys a serene sense of what it was like to grow up in the hills of Winston. Outlining the highlights of this Appalachian county's history, from its opposition to the Confederacy to its slow evolution from its rustic, rural roots of the mid-nineteenth century, two hundred photographs illustrate a century of hill country culture. A sparsely settled, isolated county of small farms with uncultivated, forested land, most of Winston County was out of the mainstream ofSouthern life for much of its history. The creation of the Bankhead National Forest preserved almost 200,000 acres of forested land, primarily in Winston, to perpetuate this ""stranded frontier"" into the post-World War II era. The story setting is scenic--fast-flowing creeks, waterfalls, bluffs, caves, natural bridges, and dense forests--and thecharacters match the stage--individualistic, rugged pioneers, more than a thousand mentioned by name within these pages. Winston has long resisted change, has held fast to traditional values, and, as seen in this treasured volume, is a place as unique as any other in America.

Gadsden: City of Champions, with over 100 black-and-white illustrations, presents a comprehensive history of Gadsden's astonishing development and details the various stages of the city's evolution, from a neutral playing field between rival Cherokee and Creek tribes, to a wilderness stagecoach stop, to a humble village, to a major riverboat port, into a modern industrial city. Amid streetcars, opera houses, bustling mills, and unpaved streets, readers meet local figures, such as Colonel R.B. Kyle, Captain James M. Elliott Jr., Judge John H. Disque, Emma Sansom, and John W. Wisdom, and a host of colorful CHaracters-riverboat pilots, theater managers, mill workers, Pulltight saloonkeepers, and bootleggers-against an epic backdrop of war, Reconstruction, depression, fire, and prosperity.