History of Natural Bridge, AL

Hello all! First, I want to apologize for not posting in so long, but I hope to be back up and posting more of where I have travelled to recently more regularly!

This past weekend I travelled to a small little town close to Jasper, Alabama called Natural Bridge, Alabama. It is located right outside of Winston County here in Alabama. The town was established on September 3, 1914. In the 1930s, the population of the town began to dwindle, and its charter ended up becoming dormant. It was not re-incorporated until July 24, 1997. In the year 2000 it was actually the least populated town in all of Alabama with a population of 28 people. By the 2010 census they had gone up to 37 people living in the town.

The town brings in people from all over with the Natural Bridge Park. The rock arch located in the park is the longest natural bridge east of the Rocky Mountain. It spans 127 feet! This arch dates back to 200 million years ago when the sea washed the sandstone away leaving iron ore veins holding the bridge. The Creek Indians used to live in the area, and it is believed that they probably used the area under the bridge as shelter. The park opened in 1954 and has seen many people since its opening. The location used to be known as Lodi.

Within the park is also an artesian well (confined aquifer containing groundwater) for the water fountains, a gift shop, 27 kinds of ferns, hemlock that dates back to the Ice Age, a picnic area, a beautiful trail that lasts about 30 minutes, and a rock formation that is in the shape of an Indian head. The Indian head stone is about 15 feet tall.

Unfortunately, people are not allowed to walk across the bridge for insurance reasons, but it truly is a sight to see! The admission is only $3.50 per adult so I believe it is well worth the trip. The area itself is not the largest but thinking of all of the people that have walked the area is so neat to me. I hope you are able to visit it one day!

History of Eclectic, Alabama

This week I decided to go somewhere a little more familiar for me. A little town about forty-five minutes outside of Montgomery, Alabama called Eclectic, Alabama. It definitely is not the biggest of towns, but it does have a lot of charm!

The area of now Eclectic once was located within the Creek territory. And through the Treaty of Cusseta in 1832, the first owner of the land was tribe member Ho-Pic-You-Che. In 1835 he sold the land to the Alex J. Robinson Land Company. The company then sold it to a man by the name of William Gray. William Gray then divided the land into 213 plots and sold them for settlement. The area then got the name Pleasant Grove.

In 1877, practitioner and resident Dr. M.L. Fielder bought 122 acres at the western border of Pleasant Grove and offered one acre lots of land each for free to settlers around. To acquire the land and seal the deal, the settlers would have to either build a house or a business. To ensure the plots were actually going to be put to use in the area. In 1879, Dr. Fielder brought the first post office to the area in his home. As more people started moving in the whole are began to be referred to as Eclectic. So the name Pleasant Grove eventually disappeared.

The little town of Eclectic was founded in 1907 by the practitioner Dr. M. L. Fielder. Dr. Fielder practiced a form of medicine known as eclectic medicine, which was an American medicine that used botanical remedies and other substances physical therapy practices. And this is how the town became named Eclectic. For the name, the town has ended up on the list of ‘Unusual Place Names’ multiple times.

In 1911, the county that Eclectic is in, Elmore County, got its first high school. And it was built in Eclectic, Alabama. It was given the name Elmore County High School. I have a good bit of family on my mom’s side from Eclectic so many of them graduated from this high school or attended it at some point. When my grandma attended, they had the elementary through high school grades on one campus. Now there are three separate buildings for elementary school, middle school, and high school.

In 1913, the Birmingham and Southeastern Railroad came through the town. This helped the area have a boom in land sales and people moving in. When the Great Depression came through, the railroad system in Eclectic fell through. It was closed in 1936 due to this. The town has remained a smaller size ever since. In the last census that was taken in 2010, the town had around 1,000 people living in it.

This is a town that I have pretty much been living in for most of my life. It is a second hometown. It is definitely not the biggest of places but there are still things to do. They have quite a few restaurants that have delicious food, boutiques, a coffee shop (my personal favorite spot in Eclectic), a public library (I have volunteered there quite a few times), a playground park called Panther Palace. Eclectic is also not very far from Lake Martin so that is a definite plus. 

Eclectic has a slogan that says they are the "Star of Elmore County." So if you come to Eclectic you will notice star statues in the area. There is one at Panther Palace, and you find a couple welcoming you to Eclectic and telling you to be careful when you leave town. 

Every October, Eclectic also hosts a festival called the Cotton Festival. It usually has a Cotton Pageant, a 5k run, antique car show, games for both kids and adults, plenty of food, live music, and more attractions as well. I have been a couple of times and have enjoyed it when I went!

The town is a pretty small place, but it is definitely worth stopping by and checking out!

An interactive photo: https://view.genial.ly/5e9d3352c485a60df8a00cfa/interactive-image-interactive-image

Video of Eclectic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7cF_GEY-DA

History of Columbus, Georgia

For this week’s blog I am taking you out of state to the city of Columbus, Georgia. This is a city that I interned in this past summer at WRBL News 3! It was a very neat experience and I loved being a part of this town for two months. I hope that you can find the history of the town neat enough to want to visit too!

                                                    

The area of Columbus, Georgia was originally owned and inhabited by the Creek Indians. In 1828, the area was founded and officially named Columbus in an act passed by Georgia Legislature. The city was actually named after Christopher Columbus! A man named Dr. Edwin L. DeGraffenreid drew a plan for the town and put it on a bluff overlooking the river. In 1836, the last remaining Creek Indians were sadly forcibly removed by the federal government for the European-Americans coming into the town.

The city took advantage of the river running beside it and used it to ship cotton from the plantations down to New Orleans. The crop would then be shipped to Liverpool, England. In the 1850s, the railroad system came to the city, helping it grow even more. Columbus also brought textile mills to the area and built them along the river. Columbus became an important industrial center of the South by 1860 and earned the nickname “Lowell of the South.” Lowell was an important textile mill town located in Massachusetts.

When the Civil War started, Columbus became one of the most important places of industry to the Confederacy. They were second to Richmond, Virginia. Columbus manufactured materials for Confederate uniforms, cannons, machinery, firearms, swords, bayonets, and ammunition. Columbus also had a shipyard for the Confederate Navy. On April 16, 1865, the Battle of Columbus took place and many of the industrial buildings were burned down. This battle is considered the “Last Land Battle in the War from 1861 to 1865.”

In the spring of 1866, a group in Columbus called the Ladies Memorial Association signed to set aside one day to honor those who died for the Confederacy. Ladies from all of the southern states were invited to come to Columbus to celebrate. A lady named Elizabeth Rutherford Ellis chose April 26, 1866 as the first official day to celebrate Confederate Memorial Day. Quite a few cities in the South have tried to say they started the holiday, but it has be proven to have been Columbus.

The Springer Opera House was built in 1871 and was named the official State Theater of Georgia by former President Jimmy Carter on its 100^th anniversary. In its hay day Oscar Wilde came to the theater.

In October of 1909, Columbus mayor Lucius Chappell brought the then named Camp Benning to the area to train soldiers. In 1922, it was renamed to Fort Benning after the Confederate General Henry L. Benning who was a native of Columbus.

As the city continued to grow Columbus College was founded in 1958. It started out as a two- year university but grew into what is today Columbus State University. It was renamed in 1996. In the 1960s to 1980s, the Columbus area started seeing a decline. The class groups started to show a divide and prostitution became prevalent. But many improvements began to be made. Neighborhoods were fixed up, historic buildings and areas were redone, large residential neighborhoods were built for soldiers after the Vietnam War, and new projects were done. These projects included a softball complex which hosted 1996 Olympic softball competition, the Chattahoochee Riverwalk, the National Civil War Naval Museum, the Coco-Cola Space Science Center, expansion of Columbus Museum, fixed roads, and a new bridge connecting Columbus to Phenix City, Alabama.

Columbus is a beautiful city with quite a few cites to see. Some more places I recommend visiting are the National Infantry Museum, whitewater rafting (Columbus has the longest urban venue in the world), Broadway Street, the Riverwalk, Columbus Art Museum, and there is so much more to find! It is an awesome city that I hope you will have the chance to visit one day too!

I had the chance to interview two people who live in the area. One Smith Station, Alabama resident Yolanda Allen and the other is Columbus resident Kate Lopez. Here are the questions and answers:

How long have you lived here/in the area?

Yolanda Allen: “I moved here 13 years ago. My mom and dad wanted to move closer to home since dad retired from the army.”

Kate Lopez: “Going on seven months.”

What is your favorite part of Columbus?

YA: “Downtown Columbus is my favorite part of the area. There’s a lot of food spots and entertainment. Plus, the Riverwalk is also there. Which you can walk, fish, and go white water rafting at.”

KL: “Location wise, downtown for sure.”

What is your favorite part of the history of Columbus?

YA: “The Springer Opera House is one of my favorite things about the history of Columbus. It has been there since the 1800s and it still has live performances inside the building.’

KL: “It used to be a big port city back in the 1800s. It was used to transport supplies during the Civil War. It’s my favorite because they still have the old buildings from back then downtown and it’s nice to walk there and see them.”

Would you recommend Columbus as a place to live for people? Why/why not?

YA: “I would recommend Columbus as a place to live. I honestly don’t think it’s a bad place to live. There is a lot of stuff you can do in Columbus.”

KL: “Yes, it’s pretty. There are a lot of places to go out to and do with family or even just yourself. There are a lot of parks here too if that’s your thing. Many job opportunities and schools. It’s a busy city most of the time but it’s also a quiet and chill city too.”

Interactive Photo: https://view.genial.ly/5e8b72c974dd8c0e246962d3/interactive-image-interactive-image

History of Birmingham, Alabama

This week's blog is about a place in Alabama that I absolutely love to visit when I get have the chance. It is one of the bigger cities in Alabama and is a fairly popular place for tourists to visit. And it has a multitude of places to go and a multitude of things to do. This week is about Birmingham, Alabama!

Birmingham was founded on June 1, 1871 by the Elyton Land Company. They merged three farm towns together. The most well-known town being Elyton. The city started becoming a major industry based on mineral, railroad transport, iron, and steel. The area was given the name Birmingham after Birmingham, England. Which at the time was the United Kingdom’s second largest city and a major industrial city. And since the newly created town was about to become a big industrial area, that is why they chose that name as well.

Back in the early days of the town, the railroad system was very prominent. The railroad crossing was close to the three main minerals that could be found in the area: iron ore, limestone, and coal. Birmingham is the only place where all three of these minerals are found in such closer quarters. In 1873, the growth of the town was slowed down by a cholera outbreak and a Wall Street crash. But it soon started growing again.

The town experienced a rapid growth from 1881 to 1920 and picked up two nicknames because of its growth: “The Magic City” and “The Pittsburgh of the South.” From 1902 to 1912, downtown Birmingham had the construction of some of its large buildings at the intersection of 20th Street, the central north-south spine of the city, and 1st Avenue North. These first group of skyscrapers were nicknamed the “Heaviest Corner on Earth.” In 1916, Birmingham was hit by the Irondale Earthquake which messed up some of the buildings. The earthquake was actually felt all the way in Atlanta, Georgia and other neighboring states!

Birmingham has the oldest professional baseball park in the United States! It was built for the Birmingham Barons in 1910. It was the park for the Barons and then also the Birmingham Black Barons in the Negro Leagues.

When the Great Depression came through Birmingham, it was considered by President Roosevelt as the “worst hit town in the country.” With the programs that Roosevelt set in place to bounce back from the Great Depression, such as the New Deal, came Vulcan’s Tower and Oak Mountain State Park.

When the 1950’s and 60’s rolled around, Birmingham gained a lot of attention both nationally and internationally during the Civil Rights Movement. The KKK groups began to terrorize the city. Quite a few members worked within the mining industry in the area; so, they had easy access to dynamite. Many homes owned by black families were bombed. Birmingham was given the not so loving nick name of “Bombingham.” The most famous bombing was of the 16 Street Baptist Church which resulted in the death of four young girls in September of 1963. This was one of the happenings that helped the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to be passed. You can visit the church in downtown Birmingham today.

In the 1970s, the University of Alabama at Birmingham was created. Which has become a very major medical and research center! The campus is located in downtown Birmingham is a lovely place to visit.

Birmingham has quite a few places to visit! Some of my favorite places are Sloss Furnaces (which are reportedly haunted and so they have events around Halloween), Birmingham Botanical Gardens (free admission), Birmingham Zoo, Railroad Park, Birmingham Museum of Art, Color Tunnel, Rotary Trail, the Alabama Theatre, UAB, Top Golf, BJCC, and plenty more to see.

I have been to quite a few places, and Birmingham has been one of my favorite places to see and visit. There is quite a bit to do and quite a few places to see. There is plenty more I could write about it, but I will let you find some gems of your own! I hope you can one day have to pleasure of seeing the “Magic City.”

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VIDEO ON BIRMINGHAM: https://youtu.be/a72Sfz58WAE

Ozark, Alabama

This week I decided to take another trip a little further south. This week I made the trip down to a little city called Ozark, Alabama. It is about 30 minutes south of Troy, and 20 north of Dothan (I have a blog post about Dothan if you would like to check it out.) It is a neat little town that has a lot of charm with it and is lovely to visit.

The area of Ozark was originally inhabited by the Muscogee people. In 1822, the area had its first European settler, John Merrick, Sr., and the area was then named Merrick in honor of him. The town of Merrick then had a name change to Woodshop. After this happened the town received its post office. In 1855, the citizens wanted the name to be changed and this is when Ozark came about. It is believed that the name was chosen by a traveler visiting the area. It is said that Woodshop reminded him of the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas. In 1870, the county seat of Dale County was moved to Ozark from Newton. This is where it has remained since then.

It may not seem like it upon first glance, but there are quite a few places to go to while in Ozark! Ozark is home to the Ed Lisenby Lake. It is 92 acres and is award-winning. You can enjoy fishing, you can rent a boat, do archery, have a picnic, and also enjoy the 3.1 mile trail that goes around the lake. The trail is my personal favorite at the lake. There is also a second lake in Ozark called Lake Tholocco. It is a little bigger than Ed Lisenby with 640 acres of land. You can rent boats, there is a hiking trail, you can fish, and there are places to play basketball and volleyball. There is also a little beach on the lake that is perfect for family time, having a picnic, and just relaxing.

There are a few delicious places to eat in Ozark as well. The most popular ones are Our Place Diner and Milky Moos. Our Place Diner is located in downtown Ozark and is an award-winning restaurant. It was voted to have the “Best Burger in Alabama” in 2018! If you enjoy Southern-style comfort food then this is definitely the place for you to visit. If you have room for dessert afterwards, then I recommend making a trip over to Milky Moos. It is also located in downtown Ozark. It is on the main road so it is hard to miss. It is best known for its ice cream and sundaes but it does serve regular food as well. Some popular flavors to try are Banana Laffy Taffy, Mud Slide and Dutch Apple Pie. The ice cream is homemade as well so if you prefer that then Milky Moos is the place for you.

If you are a fan of seeing historic places, Ozark is home to three that are registered on the National Register of Historic Places. One is the Samuel Lawson Dowling House. It is a house that was built in 1870 and the family was one of the first to settle in Dale County. The second is the Claybank Log Church. The church is believed to be the oldest building in Dale County. The third historic site is the J.D. Holman House. It is considered one of the most elaborate Neoclassical houses in the Wiregrass Region (which spans Dothan and the surrounding cities). It was built in 1913 and was owned by a local merchant.

Ozark is not the biggest of places (the last census put the city at having 14,907 people), but it does have a lot of charm. If you ever find yourself driving by the “Welcome to Ozark” sign, and you have some free time, check it out! It is a neat little town and the downtown is beautiful. It two pairs of wings to pose in front of as well for those who love that! I hope you are able to make the trip one day to see the town voted the "Most Patriotic City in Alabama!" 

https://www.facebook.com/natalieann.ledbetter.5/videos/663588681050646/

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Blue Springs State Park Alabama

For this week’s blog, I decided to go a little bit further south. This is a place that I have been to a handful of time, but I have never tried to look into it. I also wanted an excuse to take a trip back to this place, so this was the perfect opportunity! This week the blog is about Blue Springs State Park. It is located about 30 minutes from Troy, Alabama in the small town of Blue Springs, Alabama. Having the same name as the town makes it much easier to find!

The town started to really build up in an attempt to turn it into a health spa around 1890 with the construction of Harrison’s Hotel. In 1900, a member of the town by the name of J.T.E. Whigham built another hotel by the name of Blue Springs Hotel. It had 28 rooms and a modern bathhouse as well. Three years later in 1913 the spring pools were given the concrete lining that it has today and a smaller pool was added for children to play in as well. The pools stayed open until 1938 when it was closed the first time.

In the early days of the area, it was a popular spot for political rallies, horse-trading events, and also Confederate soldier reunions!

Eventually the area was sold to the state of Alabama by J.D. McLaughlin. In the 60s, Governor George Wallace went about restoring state parks in Alabama. This also helped Blue Springs in its restoration and creation in 1963.

The state park is located on 103 acres. When you first enter the park, you see a decent sized pond that you can fish on and also ride paddle boats on. When you pull to the left, you come to the two pools. They have 3,600 gallons of the natural underground spring water pumping into them every hour. It usually remains at a constant of 68 degrees. Which feels much colder in the winter months. But it feels wonderful in the hotter ones! You just have to be careful when swimming, because there is not a lifeguard that works at the park. You have to swim at your own risk. There is a tunnel under the water that shoots you from one pool into the other as well.

You can even camp in the park! They have rental cabins, rental campers, and you can choose between the modern or primitive camping! That can be found more towards the back of the park. There is also a playground for children to play on as well. It is made of 100% recycled materials. Which I find very neat and it looks great! There is also a sand volleyball court that holds tournaments during the spring and summer.

In 2013, the park was expanded when Forever Wild Land Trust purchased 100 acres to give hiking trails to the park. In 2018, the Magnolia Trail was opened. It takes you through two miles of forest and gives a view of the Choctawhatchee River as well.

Blue Springs State Park is a place I would recommend for anyone to visit. There is not too much to see there, but the springs are worth seeing in person. The clear water is incredibly fascinating to see. Every friend I have taken to it has thoroughly enjoyed their time there as well. It only costs $4 to enter. I hope you will be able to make the trip yourself one day too!

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https://youtu.be/Z4cPJGD5wdk

Tallassee, Alabama

Hello all! I am very excited to get this blog back up and going and to have my first actual blog post of the semester. This blog I decided to keep closer to where I am from. Quite literally. This post is about a smaller town in Alabama called Tallassee located 20 minutes outside of Montgomery, Alabama. Not to be confused with Tallahassee, Florida.

Before Tallassee was formed, the area was inhabited by Creek Indians who were believed to have descended from the Mississippian culture (mainly in the Mississippi and Ohio river regions). The original spelling of the town name was Talisi, which means “old town” in Creek language. The area was also home to the Creek capital of Tuckabatchee. Traveler Hernando de Soto actually paid them a visit in 1540 when he was travelling through the Southeast. The Creeks had a tree called the Council Tree where they would have meetings with the tribe. This was also located in Tallassee.

When the Creek Wars began in 1813, there was a lot of tension between the Indians and the Americans. This war led many Creek Indians to leave the area and move out of state. Some of the Creeks from Talisi moved to Oklahoma and named the new settlement Talisia. This would later become Tulsa, Oklahoma.

A very well-known mark in the Tallassee are the old mills that are located on the Tallapoosa River that runs in the middle of the town. Originally old cotton mills, it was turned into an armory in June of 1864 when a Confederate carbine (gas-operated semiautomatic rifle) factory moved to the old cotton mills from Richmond, Virginia during the Civil War. There was only one attempt from the Union Army to attack Tallassee and that was an attempt to destroy the Tallassee mill. It did not work. The Tallassee Armory was the only Confederate armory not destroyed during the war.

Continuing with the mills, in 1900 the Tallassee Falls Manufacturing Company merged with the Mount Vernon-Woodberry Cotton Duck Company. The name Mount Vernon stuck with the mill’s name. During World War II, the mills actually received awards of excellence from the U.S. Army for the production of war materials. In all they ran from 1864 to 2005. Making it the longest running mill of its kind in America. The mills deteriorated pretty badly afterwards because the owner did not care for them wel1. In 2016, one of the mills was being renovated to become a museum. It was tragically burned down on May 5, 2016.

Tallassee has a bridge called the Benjamin Fitzpatrick Bridge (dedicated December 10, 1940). It runs over the Tallapoosa bridge and connects the two counties of Elmore County and Tallapoosa County (the city is in two counties). This bridge cost $600,000 to build and with the way it is built (on a curve and a grade) it is one of the longest curved bridges in the world and also said to be one of a kind in the world as well. The bridge is 1,738 feet long. It is the state’s highest bridge as well at 143 feet above the river. It is the only way to get from the east to the west of the city and vice versa.

Tallassee also has a ‘haunted’ attraction. The Public Library which was opened in 1921. There was actually a ghost hunting show that shot an episode in it. With it once being a Confederate hospital there is no surprise there. Some common apparitions that are seen are of Civil War soldiers and a little girl. The children’s section is said to be the most active area of the ghosts.

The biggest business in Tallassee is the hydroelectric company that works below the bridge on the Thurlow Dam. There are two other dams on the Tallapoosa river called Martin Dam and Yates Dam. In all there is a 260,000 horsepower capacity.

In Tallassee, every morning at 4:30 am (except Sundays), since 1948, there has been a ‘long bell’ that has wrung. This was originally a bell for the mills but has remained long after they were closed.

I lived in Tallassee for pretty much all of my life. It is not my favorite place and I do not plan on living there again. But it is definitely a place I recommend seeing for the historical aspects of it. The river is also very beautiful.

I was able to interview two people who live in Tallassee as well! I was able to interview my dad and a long-time family friend as well. Here are their answers and the questions I asked:

1.     How long have you lived in Tallassee?

Nathan Ledbetter: “I moved to Tallassee in 1993. So 27 years.”

Linda Williams: “I have lived here for 4 years. I moved here in 2016.”

2.      What is your favorite part of Tallassee?

NL: “It’s a small city, not real big. There’s low crime, and nice people. Most of the shopping conveniences are here and the bigger cities are nearby. It’s also situated on the Tallapoosa River.”

LW: “I enjoy the churches.”

3.      What change has come about Tallassee since you first moved there?

NL: “Tallassee was born around the textile industry, but it shut down. The city has moved to other kinds of jobs. It reinvented itself.”

LW: “Mainly outsiders moving in.”

4.      What is your favorite part of Tallassee history?

NL: “The capital of the Creek Indian nation was located here. The Council Tree was still here when I was younger.”

LW: “The Jordanville history. How it was once a self-contained town of its own and its part of Tallassee now.”

5.      Would you recommend Tallassee to people? Why/Why not?

NL: “Yes. The location, low taxes, mostly friendly people. But there aren’t a lot of things to do. There are good schools, summer activities for kids, and the parents are very involved. Tight knit.”

LW: “Yes. Unless you have school-aged children. The schools are subpar.”


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