John A. Pruitt John A. Pruitt began a fascination with moving pictures during his time with the Woodmen of the World insurance fraternity. He bought the local Florence chapter a stereopticon, or what was often called a “magic lantern”. It…
The beginning of Shoals area photographers in the 19th century coincided with a period of immense change and growth. In the Shoals community, a diverse group of individuals embraced this novel technology, capturing the faces, landscapes, and events that shaped our local history. This comprehensive list…
Studying an 1837 map of Florence, Alabama we noticed, along what is now West Irvine, a large plot of land owned by an unknown person named C.S. Tarpley, Esq. Unknown, because it isn’t a name that we recognized from that…
Born on June 27, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama, Helen Keller became one of the most recognized figures in American history. Her childhood home, Ivy Green, was where teacher Anne Sullivan helped Keller make her famous breakthrough in communication. Keller later…
By 1829, the Cherokee Nation in the Southeast was under enormous pressure. Georgia was pushing to extend its authority over Cherokee lands, white settlers were moving into disputed territory, and the federal government was moving steadily toward a policy of…
The Larimore Home, a magnificent Victorian-era mansion nestled in the heart of Mars Hill, Alabama was built in 1870 by Theophilus Brown “TB” Larimore and his wife, Julia Esther Gresham, the home was a stunning example of architectural craftsmanship. The…
Just south of where the Natchez Trace bridge spans the Tennessee River lies Koger Island, a landscape rich with history, both ancient and antebellum. The island is named after William and Martha Koger, prominent figures in the region’s history, whose…
Gravelly Springs, Alabama, near Waterloo, was the site of an extraordinary gathering during the final weeks of the Civil War. In the spring of 1865, Major General James Harrison Wilson assembled approximately 22,000 cavalrymen in the area between Gravelly Springs…
For the last half of the 19th Century, the Florence Synodical Female College was one of the leading seminaries in the South. Situated in a town whose people are noted for culture, refinement and hospitality it was destined for success.…
Robert M. Patton, Alabama’s governor from 1865 to 1867, is often portrayed as a complex figure, caught between the remnants of the Confederacy and the emerging era of Reconstruction. However, a darker aspect of his legacy remains undeniable: his ownership…