Name: Tallassee
Brand: William Goss
SKU: 9780738553436
Price: 18.74 USD
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Tallassee

9780738553436

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Those who have lived beside the great falls at the Tallapoosa River have witnessed and participated in great changes in Tallassee, Alabama. In the 1800s, the legendary Tecumseh paid a visit, and one of the first industrial-based Southern cities was founded and became a supply center for the Confederacy. The next century ushered in prosperity, expansion, and electricity. During the modern age, the people of Tallassee also met the challenges of floods and storms, and again acted as a supply center--this time for two world wars. This volume's intriguing images and documents showcase the history of Tallassee, the city by the great falls. At the year of Tallassee's centennial celebration, 2008, this book guides residents and visitors through Tallassee's great changes.

Lamar County

9780738506753

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Charming, historic Lamar County, Alabama, lies just within hours of such metropolises as Birmingham, Montgomery, and Nashville. The county was established in the nineteenth century on lands once inhabited and hunted by Native American tribes. Known first as Jones and then as Sanford County, the county was named Lamar in 1877, in honor of L.Q.C. Lamar, a senator from Mississippi. Since its founding, Lamar County has enjoyed bountiful farming, hunting, and fishing; myriad recreational opportunities provided by area waterways; and steadfast family values and community pride. In this captivating collection of vintage photographs readers will be transported to the Lamar County of yesteryear, joining the pioneer settlers who came by covered wagon from Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas. They came with little more than the dream of moving westward to a promising future, and settled a community that would always be defined by its hardworking, unyielding spirit. The early families who came to Lamar County-who built homes, toiled the land, and established local traditions-are the subject of this engaging retrospective. In their faces the story of the county unfolds, and in their legacy the spirit of the county lives on.

Cover image for Lamar County, isbn: 9780738506753

Lawrence County

9781467108355

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Lawrence County was founded on February 6, 1818, the year before Alabama became a state, from lands ceded by the Cherokee and Chickasaw. It is a rural county bordered to the north by the Tennessee River and to the south by the waterfall-rich Bankhead National Forest and filled with small vibrant communities. Moulton, the county seat, features a picturesque square. Courtland, an antebellum town, was once a bustling railroad port. Featured topics include Southern architecture, leaving for war, the railroad boom, cotton agriculture, and industry. Notable individuals highlighted include Jesse Owens, Gen. Joseph Wheeler, and Annie Wheeler.

A Culinary Tour Through Alabama History

9781467149730

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One of the surest ways to connect with the past is to sample what was on its plate. That's the goal with this gustatory journey through Alabama history. Sweetmeats with the governor's lonely, oft-depressed wife in 1832 Greensboro. Shrimp and crabmeat casserole at a long-departed preacher's house at the Gaines Ridge Dinner Club in Camden. Pimento cheese and tea with notes of cinnamon and citrus at the Bragg-Mitchell Mansion in Mobile. Poundcake from Georgia Gilmore's kitchen in Montgomery, where workaday freedom fighters and luminaries of the civil rights movement sought sustenance. Author Monica Tapper serves up a stick-to-your-ribs trek through Alabama history, providing classic recipes modified for the modern kitchen along the way.

Monroeville

9780738502045

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For 39 years, people from all over the world and all walks of life have come to the small town of Monroeville, Alabama, in search of a place called Maycomb. They come in search of a story that have moved millions of people with its enduring message, and in search of the world of the storyteller. Monroeville: The Search for Harper Lee's Maycomb explores the relationship between Harper Lee's hometown and the setting of her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Born in response to the curiosities of visitors to the Monroe County Heritage Museums, this book explores the parallels between the tow worlds through vintage images and informative captions. Included are photographs of the Lee family and the author in her early years; the sights of Monroeville that undoubtedly inspired the setting of Maycomb; the cast of the Oscar-winning film adaptation that premiered in 1963; and the Mockingbird Players, a group of Monroeville residents who, each year in May, present an authentic production of the two-act play adapted by Christopher Sergel. Among the visitors to Monroeville are teachers and lawyers making a pilgrimage to Atticus' courtroom, scholars in search of unanswered questions, and fans of the novel trying to capture a glimpse of Scout's world. The Monroe County Heritage Museums, under the direction of Kathy McCoy, made this possible in 1991 with the opening of the Old Courthouse Museum on the town square. Visitors now leave Monroeville feeling as if they walked the streets of Maycomb on a hot summer day, enchanted by the imagined presence of Sout, Jem, and Dill exploring their neighborhood in an era of tumultuous change.

Haunted Birmingham

9781596296145

$14.99 $11.24 Save 25%

From the eerie vestiges of the Sloss Furnaces to the unexplained (and un-booked) performances in the Alabama Theatre and rather otherworldly room service at the Tutwiler Hotel, Birmingham is truly one of the South's supernatural hotbeds. Renowned author and ghost expert Alan Brown delivers a fascinating, downright spine-chilling collection of haunts from around the city and surrounding neighborhoods such as Bessemer, Columbiana, Jasper and Montevallo. Residents and tourists alike will cherish this exclusive glimpse into the city's inexplicable occupants, and even the skeptics can enjoy the book's historical framework.

Ensley and Tuxedo Junction

9780738586809

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With dreams of building a vast steel production operation, Memphis planter Enoch Ensley founded a city in the wooded valley at the heart of Jefferson County, Alabama. He named the city Ensley, after himself, and established the Ensley Land Company to acquire and develop 4,000 acres for industrial facilities and a town. As field workers left their farms to work in steel mills and businesses sprang up on the valley floor, Ensley became a diverse place of hopes and desires. A strong community of churches, businesses, civic clubs, and neighborhoods developed around the factories and railroads. Jazz music was the social thread of Ensley's African American community, known as Tuxedo Junction. Musicians such as Erskine Hawkins famously mastered the style. The annexation of Ensley into Birmingham established the "Magic City" as the largest and wealthiest in Alabama and the heart of the Southern steel manufacturing economy.

Tuskegee

9781467110358

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Tuskegee, Alabama, is associated with Tuskegee University, the Tuskegee Airmen, Booker T. Washington, and George Washington Carver. Named after the Taskigi, it is the site of the first law school in Alabama and had local schools long before there was a public school system. Tuskegee Normal School for Colored Teachers (now Tuskegee University) was pivotal to the city being a beacon of African American achievement for a century. The birthplace of civil rights icon Rosa Parks, radio host Tom Joyner, and singer Lionel Richie, it is where Olympic star Alice Coachman was dubbed the "Tuskegee Flash" and where important court cases guaranteeing voting rights and equal education were fought. The city was also the site of the infamous medical experiment that threatened to stain the school's triumphant legacy.

Calhoun County

9780738589985

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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.

160 Years of Samford University

9780738513539

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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.

Foley

9780738598697

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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. ""

Haunted Alabama Black Belt

9781609499440

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

There is a place in Alabama, a region that stretches across its lower middle from Georgia to Mississippi. It is a place steeped in history--a place where a people were enslaved, a nation was broken and a new dream of freedom was born. It is a place where the past is always near at hand. And sometimes, that past takes a moment to whisper in your ear. They call this place the Black Belt. From the Cato-Thorn House in Barbour County to the Snow Hill Institute in Wilcox County, Alabama's Black Belt has a great number of restless spirits that still haunt it. Join authors David Higdon and Brett Talley as they uncover the ghosts and hauntings of one of Alabama's most historic areas.

Trussville

9781467111409

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Visitors and newcomers often comment on Trussville's idyllic "Mayberry" qualities. Longtime residents take those attributes for granted. "That's just Trussville," they say, even as they jog down shady sidewalks, picnic on the banks of the Cahaba River, and gather at one of the city's many places of worship. But, today's Trussville did not happen without early residents forming a foundation for a strong and caring community. Images of America: Trussville highlights the mid-20th century, a time of building--literally and figuratively--a city of progress, yet in some ways frozen in a simpler time. As Trussville continues to transition from a Birmingham bedroom community to a multi-faceted municipality, it is important to remember those who positioned the city in reputation and reality to become that Mayberry kind of place. Or as the city's tagline describes it: "The Gateway to Happy Living."

Haunted Etowah County, Alabama

9781609493608

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Situated along the Coosa River, Etowah County's history is intertwined with the twists and turns of this flowing water. And though the currents of the Coosa shift every day, some fixtures of the river cannot help but remain. It is said that famed riverboat captain James M. Elliott Jr. haunts the Coosa's banks, still blasting the whistle from the Magnolia, his steam engine more than a century old. But the river isn't the only part of Etowah County that remains populated by spirits past. Join local author and ghost tour guide Mike Goodson on a chilling journey through Gadsden, Attalla and the rest of Etowah County as he recounts the haunted history of the region. This eerie collection offers the definitive guide to ghostly activity in Etowah County.

Christmas in Birmingham

9781626197022

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For decades, the Christmas season in Birmingham was not complete without the sights and sounds of the retail district. During the season, the Magic City made magic with elaborate light displays and the Living Christmas Tree in Woodrow Wilson Park. Many remember the battling Santas of Loveman's and Pizitz, each vying for the hearts of the community. The elaborate Enchanted Forest dazzled shoppers on the sixth floor at Pizitz. In the 1940s, more than 200,000 people lined the streets each year to make merry for the Christmas Carnival parade. Author and local historian Tim Hollis celebrates the happy history of Birmingham's holiday season, reviving the traditions and festivities, the food and shopping of days gone by.

Cover image for Christmas in Birmingham, isbn: 9781626197022

Tuskegee Airmen

9781455628308

$14.95 $11.21 Save 25%

Now in paperback!

Substitute teacher Victor Kennedy begins a middle-school American history class by writing one word on the chalkboard: Tuskegee. Over the next several days, the elderly veteran teaches students about the Tuskegee Airmen, brave men who fought racism and prejudice to fly more than 1,500 missions during World War II. The students learn about segregation and how the victories of the Tuskegee Airmen helped move the United States on a path toward racial equality. In Tuskegee Airmen: American Heroes, exciting battles against evil abroad and at home come alive for a new generation.

Cover image for Tuskegee Airmen, isbn: 9781455628308

Baseball In Mobile

9780738515823

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A city wrapped by the Gulf of Mexico's beaches, Mobile has a history as rich as the azalea-saturated soil on which it rests. Recipient of the All-American City distinction, Mobile is home to the original Mardi Gras celebration, the Junior Miss Scholarship Program, the Battleship U.S.S. Alabama, and Hammerin' Hank Aaron. The city's passion for baseball has endured through its tumultuous past, marked by yellow fever, World War II prominence, and the Civil Rights Movement. Spanning from the late 1800s to the present day, Baseball in Mobile recounts the introduction of baseball to the Port City, chronicles the vast talent of Mobile natives who have influenced the sport, and introduces the players and teams of modern Mobile, many of whom are sure to become tomorrow's legends. Historic photographs of the changing baseball landscape are captured in Baseball in Mobile, showcasing the fact that while the fields, uniforms, and teams have changed, the game remains ingrained in Mobile, as constant as the bay that surrounds it.

Montgomery Aviation

9780738552590

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The history of powered flight in Alabama began in February 1910 with the arrival of Wilbur Wright in the capital city of Montgomery. In search of a suitable location to establish a training camp for student aviators, Wright selected Montgomery as the site of the nation's first civilian pilot training school because of the region's short winters, mild climate, and flat farmland. The establishment of the Wright flying school marked the beginning of a remarkable aviation heritage in Montgomery, a legacy further enhanced by the arrival of military flight
training at Taylor Field less than a decade later. The same factors that attracted the Wrights to Montgomery made the area an ideal location for the military flight training programs that would produce more than 100,000 aviation cadets at Maxwell and Gunter Fields during the Second World War. From the
Wright brothers to the Air University at Maxwell Field, Images of Aviation: Montgomery Aviation is the story of the first century of powered flight in Alabama's capital city.

Madison

9781467110167

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The city of Madison reflects the evolution of networked communications. Initially, this occurred as physical pathways were trod via horse and foot traffic, then waterways fostered communications as products and crops were shipped to markets when wilderness gave way to farms. Widespread communication expanded again with the laying of railroad tracks that carried passengers and freight; Madison was established after the arrival of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad in the area in the 1850s. Almost concurrently, electronic communication and vehicular roadways enabled more widespread delivery of messages, passengers, and freight. Today, aircraft play a primary role in the movement of commodities, while communication is rapidly transitioning to the Internet and bypassing radio, television, telephone, and mail services. Madison has been involved, often as a hub, with all of these media outlets since its founding in 1857.

Homewood

9781467114905

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Shades Valley was primarily used as a hunting ground by Native Americans until the arrival of the first white settlers in the 1830s. During Birmingham's industrial boom in the 1870s, Out of the Smoke Zone, Into the Ozone became the promoters' cry to move Over the Mountain into what was then called Clifton. By 1926, Rosedale, Edgewood, and Grove Park were established neighborhoods, and under the leadership of Charles Rice they incorporated to form the city of Homewood. The new community had luxurious amenities like the Hillcrest Country Club and the Birmingham Motor and Country Club at Edgewood Lake, which was accessible via the Edgewood Electric Railway. Nearly 100 years later, through much growth and change, Homewood has maintained its small-town feel while adapting to the ever-changing culture of today.

Vestavia Hills

9781467112628

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In response to the explosive growth of industry in Birmingham, entrepreneurs and young families sought quieter areas to call home. The search led them to Shades Mountain, an area replete with flowering dogwood and pink honeysuckle--pure wilderness. There were no paved roads, no public services, and no merchants nearer than Homewood. Still, those seeking respite from the soot (of the steel mills) lingering over the "Magic City" persevered, establishing homesteads, stores, communities of worship, and basic public services. While the contributions of some of the area's early pioneers--men like Edgar S. Smyer, George Ward, and Charles Byrd--are well documented, Images of America: Vestavia Hills contains lesser-known stories of citizens who helped shape the "city on top of the mountain."

Chilton County

9781467125185

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Located in the geographic center of the state, Chilton County is the Peach Capital of Alabama. The mild climate and gently sloping terrain of central Alabama provide an ideal environment for cultivation of the region's principal agricultural export and Alabama's leading commercial fruit. This distinctive setting has influenced the heritage and historical legacy of the county and its people for more than 100 years. From the big peach water tower that welcomes visitors to Chilton County to the annual peach festival celebration and the crowning of the Peach Queen, this iconic fruit has become symbolic of a way of life for residents of the Chilton County communities of Clanton, Jemison, Maplesville, Thorsby, and Verbena. In celebration of the 150th anniversary of this remarkable county, Images of America: Chilton County is the story of the people and places that are the heart of Alabama.

Anniston Revisited

9781467114752

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Nestled in the Piedmont region of the Appalachian Mountains, the small farming community of Pine Ankle was established in the 1830s on the former lands of the Creek Nation. In 1872, industrialists Samuel Noble and Daniel Tyler purchased the land for their Woodstock Iron Company, and in 1883 the town was opened to the public as Annie's Town. It grew rapidly, and by the early 20th century Anniston was not only the seat of Calhoun County, but also home to numerous textile and iron industries as well as a thriving military complex. The vintage photographs in Images of America: Anniston Revisited showcase the daily lives of Annistonians and Fort McClellan soldiers during a time when Noble Street was a bustling urban center. Anniston's homes, schools, and community centers are featured, along with the expanded downtown area and Fort McClellan, to paint a vivid portrait of The Model City.

Monroeville

9780738554372

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Monroeville is the county seat of Monroe County, a county older than the state of Alabama itself.

Located in what was the western Creek Nation, Monroeville became the center of county business in 1832, eighteen years after the surrender of the Creeks to Andrew Jackson. Monroeville soon became a powerful political base in the state. In the 20th century, it hosted visits from ""Big Jim"" Folsom as well as George Wallace, a powerful young orator who would change the face of American politics. Today, Monroeville is known as the childhood home of internationally known authors Harper Lee and Truman Capote; Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel To Kill A Mockingbird was set even in a small Southern town based on Monroeville, while many of Capote's short stories and novels were drawn from his Monroeville experiences. Visitors from around the world come to the town that still remembers when Capote rented the town's only taxi for the weekend and drove around for days ""visiting. "" Townsfolk like to talk about the time Gregory Peck came to town to meet the many of the people who were inspirations for the characters in To Kill a Mockingbird. As other writers from Monroeville emerge, such as Mark Childress and Cynthia Tucker, one wonders how many more stories the town holds, as well as what is so special about a small, rural southwestern Alabama town call Monroeville.

North Alabama Beer

9781467136648

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

North Alabama built its fi rst commercial brewery in Huntsville in 1819, three months before the state joined the Union. Before Prohibition in 1915, the region was peppered with numerous saloons, taverns and dance halls. Locals still found ways to get their booze during Prohibition using Tennessee River steamboats and secret tunnels for smuggling. Alabama re-legalized beer in 1937, but it wasn't until 2004, when the grass-roots organization Free the Hops took on the state's harsh beer laws, that the craft beer scene really began to flourish. Authors Sarah Bélanger and Kamara Bowling Davis trace the history of beer in North Alabama from the early saloon days to the craft beer explosion.

Irresistible History of Alabama Barbecue, An

9781467137027

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

From Muscle Shoals to Mobile, Alabamians enjoy fabulous barbecue at home, at club meetings and at countless eateries.

In the 1820s, however, a group of reformers wanted to eliminate the southern staple because politicians used it to entice voters. As the state and nation changed through wars and the civil rights movement, so did Alabama barbecue. Alabama restaurants like Big Bob Gibson's, Dreamland and Jim 'n Nick's have earned fans across the country. Mark A. Johnson traces the development of the state's famous food from the earliest settlement of the state to the rise of barbecue restaurants.

Irresistible History of Alabama Barbecue, An

Haunted Montgomery, Alabama

9781609499303

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In Montgomery--cradle of the Confederacy and capital city of Alabama--lost highways bring visitors to the grave of legendary country singer Hank Williams and the home of the jazz-era princess Zelda Fitzgerald. Dig up the bones on the feather duster murder from the Garden District, and find out which spirits at Huntingdon College make this campus their eternal home. Take a stroll through the Old Alabama Town, and listen for the ghost of the Lucas Tavern. Join ghost hunter and folklorist Faith Serafin for a trip through the Heart of Dixie and Montgomery's most haunted history.

Birmingham and Jefferson County

9780738587301

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

From its founding as a steel-making area that rivaled any in the world for quality and quantity, to its present-day role as a leading banking, retail, and medical center for the New South, the rolling, iron-rich land of Jefferson County has been well represented in picture postcards. Roving photographers and those from local studios captured scenes of civic, business, and private life, and made them into postcards that were sent around the world. Birmingham and Jefferson County, Alabama takes the reader on a visual tour of such landmarks as the Tutwiler Hotel, the Empire Building, Rickwood Field, Legion Field, Arlington, and the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. Explore the beginnings of world-class medical facilities, the rise of the iron and steel industry, and the rich cultural heritage that the Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Italians, Greeks, and other ethnic groups brought to the area.

Tannehill Ironworks

9780738582412

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

When cotton was king and Jackson was president, Daniel Hillman built a bloomery forge on Roupes Creek near the Jefferson and Tuscaloosa County line. As the birthplace of the Birmingham Iron and Steel District, the forge grew into an important battery of three blast furnaces capable of producing 22 tons of iron daily for Confederate munitions. The Tannehill Furnaces--the handiwork of Moses Stroup, one of the South's leading ironmasters--are among the best preserved 19th-century ironworks in America. Along with the Iron and Steel Museum of Alabama, the furnace ruins form the centerpiece of Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park, which attracts 400,000 visitors annually. It is Alabama's most visited Civil War site.

Miles College

9780738517933

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Emerging from post-Civil War America, Miles College was formally founded in 1905 by the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. Efforts to found the college began in 1898 as part of the struggle to create equal educational opportunities for Birmingham's African-American middle class and expanding working class. Since then, the college
has aimed to develop students intellectually, ethically, and spiritually and has remained affiliated with its founder. Originally chartered as Miles Memorial College, in honor of Bishop William H. Miles, the name of the college was changed by the trustees in 1941 to its current name, Miles College.
The four-year, liberal arts Historically Black College
(HBCU) is currently located in Fairfield, Alabama,
six miles west of downtown Birmingham. In recent
years, the college has had an annual enrollment of
over 1,700. The close relationship Miles College
established with the community is still
maintained today.

Perry County

9780738586625

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Perry County has been a major player in the history of Alabama. Native Americans lived and hunted on its land, and it became a county before Alabama gained statehood. Early citizens chose to name it for Oliver Hazard Perry, a hero of the War of 1812. The people of Perry County have played major roles over the years, which include the following: one married Sam Houston; one served as Alabama's first governor during the Civil War; one designed the Confederate flag and uniform; one married Martin Luther King; one was slain by a state trooper, triggering the Selma-to-Montgomery march; and another was the wife of Andrew Young. Along with its history, Perry County is an educational center and the location of many homes that predate the Civil War. Images of America: Perry County features samples of its rich history in photographs.

Around Chelsea

9781467116411

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From humble beginnings to magnificent gains, there are few cities that can boast as much growth as Chelsea, Alabama. Where Creek Indians once hunted and roamed, successful businesses, neighborhoods, schools, recreation parks, and churches now stand. In the mid-1800s, pioneer families settled in the hills of what was first called Melrose. The railroad played a vital role in the advancement of the area by offering passenger and commercial transportation, attracting families, businesses, and schools, and in 1996 Chelsea was incorporated with a population of 908. Just over 10 years later, it exceeded 10,000, and Chelsea was the fastest-growing city in Shelby County. With an expanding home market, a growing school system, and a strong sense of community, Chelsea is widely considered one of the top areas in the state for families to live. In fact, the city's motto is "It's all about family."

Energen Corporation

9780738514611

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Energen Corporation, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, traces its beginnings to October 14, 1852. On that date, John Jeffrey and Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, received a franchise from the City of Montgomery to provide street lighting using manufactured gas. Montgomery Gas Light Company purchased the franchise in 1853 and a year later, the first street gaslights were in operation. Since 1854, the Company has experienced mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and name changes. In 1937, Southern Natural Gas Company organized the utility into Alabama Gas Company and in 1948 merged it with Birmingham Gas Company to form Alabama Gas Corporation. The Company spun off from Southern Natural in 1953, becoming an independent and publicly traded company. Positioning itself for the future in 1974, the Company formed Alagasco, Inc., a holding company, with Alabama Gas Corporation as its primary subsidiary. In 1985, the holding company became Energen Corporation. Today, Energen Corporation is a diversified energy company with two major subsidiaries, Alagasco, its natural gas utility, and Energen Resources, its oil and gas acquisition and production company.

Cover image for Energen Corporation, isbn: 9780738514611

Baseball in Alabama

9781467138789

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Although football may first spring to mind when talking about sports in Alabama, the state has certainly made its mark with the national pastime. Thirteen players with Alabama roots are enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, including all-time greats like Hank Aaron, Ozzie Smith and Satchel Paige. Bob Veale of Birmingham led the National League in strikeouts in 1964. Superstars and former players like Bo Jackson and Britt Burns give back to their home state by organizing charities and coaching Alabama's next generation of players. Author and baseball historian Doug Wedge explores stories from this rich history.

Historic Alabama Bells

9781467144957

$23.99 $17.99 Save 25%

After seven years of climbing into attics, domes, towers and steeples, Thomas Kaufmann emerges with a story of Alabama bells.

This story encapsulates the history of the state itself. These bells - some dormant, others pealing still - were forged by the Reveres in Boston. They called Alabamians to worship, celebrated weddings and tolled at funerals. They sounded the death knell for countless parishioners during the havoc of the Civil War, watched over the Freedom Riders and shook from the blast of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing. And while their clear tones have rung out in remembrance of so many of the state’s solemn and sacred moments, many of these bells have fallen into neglect, their silence serving as its own reminder of the urgent need for preservation.

Cover image for Historic Alabama Bells, isbn: 9781467144957

Tuscumbia

9780738588209

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Tuscumbia sits at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in northwest Alabama in an area known as the Shoals. The area is rich with history beginning with the Native Americans who lived near the big spring for thousands of years. The European influence began with the Spanish under De Soto and the French, who had a trading post here in the 1700s. In the early 1800s, the African American influence became prevalent. Tuscumbia was America's first frontier railroad town with the incorporation of Tuscumbia Railroad Company and the home of "America's First Lady of Courage," Helen Keller. Today, Tuscumbia contains the oldest commercial buildings in the state of Alabama. Rail service was expanded in 1834 around the treacherous Muscle Shoals of the Tennessee River between Florence and Decatur, connecting steamboats at Tuscumbia Landing with Decatur, Alabama. Thousands of Native Americans--Cherokee, Creek, and Chickasaw--were removed from Tuscumbia to their new home in Indian Territory.

Huntsville in Vintage Postcards

9780738505619

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Founded in 1805, Hunstville brought many "firsts" to the state of Alabama - including the first bank, the first public library, and the first cotton mill. The city hosted the 1819 constitutional convention that formed the state of Alabama, and served as the first state capital. Huntsvillians have long enjoyed a progressive community of the forefront of the state's growth in the areas of business and technology, and have also created a vibrant social and cultural atmosphere.

Monroeville and the Stage Production of To Kill a Mockingbird

9781467152969

$23.99 $17.99 Save 25%

Tread the boards with Mockingbird Players as they present Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. To Kill a Mockingbird burst into the world in 1960, followed by the Academy Award-winning film in 1962. Since then, the story of Scout, Atticus, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley has been an indelible part of American culture. Playwright Christopher Sergel secured Harper Lee's blessing in 1970 for the stage adaptation of her novel, and in 1991, the Mockingbird Players began the annual ritual of staging the show on its home turf and beyond. Author John Williams chronicles the production's extraordinary journey along with a wealth of side stories from the deep and colorful histories of Monroeville and Monroe County.

Monroeville and the Stage Production of To Kill a Mockingbird

Magic City Rock

9781625858962

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

Birmingham's rock music scene has thrived on camaraderie and collaboration for decades. With no competitiveness, it has maintained a punk rock ethos while also appealing to a mainstream audience, thanks to DIY clubs and alternative radio support. Once one of the country's most successful AAA radio stations, 107.7 The X and the A&R power of station head Scott Register provided the early radio success that helped break Train, Matchbox Twenty and John Mayer. The same scene produced Jim Bob & the Leisure Suits, the Primitons, the Sugar La Las and Verbena. From local legends like Hotel and Telluride to national sensation St. Paul and the Broken Bones, writer Blake Ells tells the story of the Magic City's indelible stamp on the history of modern rock.

Helena

9780738552804

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

The first pictorial history of Helena, Alabama, this new volume traces the progress of a small crossroads village into one of the state's most vibrant and rapidly growing cities. Helena's story is one of
extraordinary strength and perseverance. The community has braved numerous blows, including the onslaught of 10,000 Union troopers, a devastating tornado, and the decline of its once successful iron and coal industries. With nearly 200 images--many previously unpublished--Helena, Alabama introduces the area's early settlers and reveals a community grown wealthy on the fortunes gouged from the earth
at nearby coal mining camps. From education to recreation, from farming to industrial progress, discover the way of life in Helena as it was experienced long ago. Collected over a 30-year period, the photographs in this collection are indeed rare treasures. Many of the images featured have been gathered from such diverse sources as a
steamer trunk in an attic in Oregon, a St. Clair County yard sale, a dilapidated barn along Buck Creek, and from carefully preserved family albums from California to McCalla, Alabama.

The Kiwanis Club of Birmingham

9781467126243

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

When founded in 1917, the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham, Alabama, embarked on a civic-minded journey that would take it through a century of service and tradition. The club's membership rolls would ultimately boast some of the most distinguished leaders in Birmingham's business community. At their weekly lunches, they would be entertained by both local and national speakers and visitors, ranging from Babe Ruth to Tom Brokaw. Equally importantly, the club's tradition of generosity continues to resonate in Birmingham today as the club celebrates its centennial year in 2017. The club's endeavors include commissioning a master urban parks plan for Birmingham in 1924, erecting the city's iconic statue of Vulcan atop Red Mountain, funding the construction of Birmingham's Boys Club, sponsoring professional football games at Birmingham's historic Legion Field in the 1960s, and more recently, funding a $4-million project to enhance Vulcan, build the Kiwanis Centennial Park, and establish a key link in Birmingham's Red Rock Ridge and Valley Trail System.

Gadsden Public Library

9780738553856

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Gadsden Public Library is a monument to the initiative, creativity, and vision of those who dreamed of an evolving, comprehensive library to serve all citizens. Eight foreseeing directors have diligently continued this original mission. Since 1906, Gadsden Public Library has housed a variety of displays and sponsored countless programs featuring authors, speakers, reading initiatives, book clubs, and story times. With dedicated library staff members, supportive community leaders, and enthusiastic citizens, Gadsden Public Library has an established tradition of encouraging lifelong learning. From the installation of a telephone in 1913, to wireless access in 2006, Gadsden Public Library has changed to meet the technological needs of its staff and community. What will never change is the library's importance to the city and the joy of reading that is central to its mission. Through a collection of photographs, this book provides a nostalgic look at 100 years of developing library service and the people who shaped it.

Gadsden:

9780738503486

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

The 1930s were an unparalleled period in American history. Never before or since - and probably never again - has the gamut of human emotions swung so far, and so fast. On October 29, 1929, the stock market crashed and soon after, the nation of plenty was in turmoil and fast becoming a wasteland. No sacred institution was left untouched; banks failed, factories shut down, stores closed, and almost every business seemed paralyzed with economic stagnation. A generation raised in these conditions could not help but be changed by such foreboding circumstances. It was a period in which new trends of thought emerged in economic matters, social activity, and moral conduct - all leaving the pockmark of progress upon the nation's young. This book presents a revealing portrait of one man's life during the Depression. His particular story is derived from a specific location in the state of Alabama; however, it is an intimately familiar tale to anyone who survived that horrible economic period, and to younger generations who have allowed the stories to endure in their family lore.

Haunted Shelby County, Alabama

9781609499273

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

Join author Kim Johnston as she recalls the ghostly history and sinister past of Shelby County, Alabama.

Shelby County, Alabama, is at the heart of the state. The area is home to Alabama's forgotten plantations, a deep history of the Creek Indians who died during the Trail of Tears and dark secrets from areas such as Harpersville, Calera, Chelsea, Montevallo and Leeds. From eerie images of Civil War ghosts at Shelby Springs Manor to the downright sinister happenings in the Devil's Corridor of Chelsea, the scars of the past have left Shelby County a major hot spot of paranormal activity. Author and paranormal researcher Kim Johnston delivers a fascinating collection of haunts and legends from around Shelby County.

Haunted Tuscaloosa

9781609495732

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

Tuscaloosa was first inhabited by ancient native tribes tied to the land by centuries-old traditions. Pioneering settlers later moved in, establishing a town and a university that would prove vital to the state. Some say these early inhabitants never truly left. Voices from the Civil War to the civil rights movement still echo in Tuscaloosa, where the past refuses to lie dormant. Now, take a terrifying trek through Tuscaloosa with authors David Higdon and Brett Talley as they delve into the city's shadowy history with tales of the jettisoned insane asylum, lingering antebellum mansions housing the ghosts of the original dwellers and haunted cemeteries where the specters of Confederate soldiers still march. From ghostly hot spots on campus to the shady outskirts of town, this is Haunted Tuscaloosa.

Birmingham Beer

9781626194564

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

Less than fifteen years after the birth of Birmingham, its brewing history began, and soon saloons dotted nearly every corner. Prohibition, however, decimated the brewing scene for eighty-five years. Although national Prohibition began in 1920, Jefferson County voted to go dry in 1907. Alabama beer saw a brief resurgence after the Brewpub Act of 1992, as craft beer's popularity grew nationwide. But the brewpubs and breweries that emerged struggled against the state's restrictive laws, which included such stipulations as locating brewpubs in historic districts and limiting beer bottle sizes to sixteen ounces. By the time grass-roots lobbying organization Free the Hops formed in 2004 to fight those restrictive laws, every Birmingham brewery had closed. Join author Carla Jean Whitley as she uncovers the struggle to make local beer a Birmingham staple.

Cover image for Birmingham Beer, isbn: 9781626194564

Wetumpka

9781467111249

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, seeking to create a strategic outpost for New France, built Fort Toulouse in Creek territory. This area would eventually become Wetumpka, located on the banks of the Coosa River and standing at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains. The fort became the headquarters for Gen. Andrew Jackson during the War of 1812, and later it was where Creek Indians ceded their lands to the federal government. Wetumpka's presence was also large outside of military endeavors. During the cotton boom, two years after the city's incorporation in 1834, a New York newspaper declared it and Chicago, Illinois, the "two most promising cities in the West." Although fire, floods, and the Civil War hindered growth, infrastructural transformations and cultural additions have helped mold modern Wetumpka into the "City of Natural Beauty" and propel it to occasional roles on the big screen.

Alabama Musicians

9781609491574

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, legendary artists like Aretha Franklin, the Rolling Stones, Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan traveled to North Alabama to record with the Muscle Shoals Rhythm section, also known as the Swampers. But Alabama hasn't just attracted musical stars with its talent--it also has a history of creating stars of its own. Join author and musician C.S. Fuqua as he showcases the breadth of Alabama's musical talent through the profiles and stories of its historic performers and innovators. From the "father of the blues," W.C. Handy, to Hank Williams, the originator of modern country music, to folk music hero Odetta and everyone in between, this is an unprecedented compendium of Alabama's groundbreaking music makers.

The Adventures of Riverboat John

9781596298521

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

For years, Riverboat John Ferguson has captivated audiences the world over as a guitar pickin', song singin', storytellin' original. Now, for the first time ever, you can take home Riverboat's strolling song and story act in this collection of boyhood hijinks, long lost traditions and unmistakable southern charm. Born on the blue-collar banks of the Tennessee River in Huntsville, Alabama, Ferguson's homespun memories are sure to resonate with anyone who remembers life in the 1950s. Read about the time he took a wrong turn and drove his first pickup truck into the Elk River, his first—disastrous—attempt at eating barbeque chicken with silverware, the day television came to town, the time he left home on a train and so many more. So settle in, kick up your feet and enjoy this one-of-a-kind glimpse into Huntsville in the 1950s from the man heralded by The New York Times as a true American minstrel. Just don't say nothin' bad about Gene Autry!

Cover image for The Adventures of Riverboat John, isbn: 9781596298521

Walker County High School Athletics

9780738544342

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

This volume documents the achievements of great and
average athletes who made Walker a name that commands
respect across the state of Alabama. Read about the greats of the olden days--men such as Bruce Jones, Wick Hudson, Al Blanton, Jelly McDanal, and Billy Richardson--as well as feats of modern-day heroes Ronnie Coleman, Glen Clem, Linnie Patrick, Tommy Cole, Peggy Keebler, and Mary Catherine McColluch, along with hundreds of others. Included are men's and women's sports as well as everything from cheerleading to parades and pep rallies.

Hueytown

9780738586908

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

The City of Hueytown was incorporated on May 6, 1960. Since then, city officials, past and present, have provided excellent laws and codes that offer a well-designed city for its citizens. Native Americans were the first to settle along Valley Creek, while the following prominent names helped develop and establish the area: the Huey, Waldrop, Salter, Knight, Dabbs, Parsons, Vines, Crooks, and Robertson families. The Woodward Iron Company was the first major employer, and the Tennessee Coal and Iron Company, later called United Steel Company, also provided jobs and security for many citizens. A group of famous NASCAR race car drivers from Hueytown, "The Alabama Gang," helped create an interest in racing. In addition, Hueytown has had many devoted educators who staffed the area's schools and encouraged students to strive for the best.

Fire on the Mountain

9781596297593

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

In 1985, a high school football team in Sand Rock, Alabama, made history. Through the excitement of an undefeated season and a championship-winning game, the lives of players, coaches and everyone in the community were changed. Join author Scott Wright, a lifelong resident of Cherokee County, as he recounts the story with the flair of a sports journalist and the warmth of a local fan.