On April 23, 1890, the Florence Herald announced what it portrayed as one of Florence’s newest discoveries: a group of mineral springs in East Florence known as Mooleoosa Springs. The springs were located about a mile and a half east…
In January 1890 construction began on a 7-acre campus located at the intersection of Seymore and Sherrod Streets in North Florence. Designed by local architect, F.L. Rousseau, in the Renaissance style of architecture, it had a roof topped by one…
Charles Morton Southall graduated from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy with gold medals for the highest grade as well as “proficiency in chemistry.” Southall moved to Florence in 1891. He constructed this building (see construction photo at right) to house…
The Shoals area has been home to many saloons in the 1800s and over the course of the area’s history. Many of those were inside the hotels of the time. We won’t go into much detail on those hotel saloons,…
In the late 1800s, the city of Florence, Alabama was experiencing a period of growth and prosperity, driven by the Industrial Boom. And as the city grew, so did its need for clean, reliable water. That’s when a group of…
Since its incorporation in 1826 (although founded in 1818), the city of Florence, Alabama has had 38 mayors (some serving more than once), each of whom has left their mark on the community in different ways. In the list below,…
The Commercial Hotel was a historic building located in Florence, Alabama just a block from the courthouse. It had a rich history of over four decades and was an important landmark in the city. Opening for the first time in…
The Silver Moon Hotel in Florence, Alabama was built in 1890 by Jere McCluskey. The building was located where the current entrance to the downtown parking deck is on Tennessee Street. Room rates at the time were just $2 per day, and…
If you had walked down Court Street in Florence during the second half of the 1800s, you probably wouldn’t have needed an address to find the Stafford Block, also called Stafford’s Corner. People simply knew where it was. Today, you’ll…
In the late 19th century, the city of Florence in Alabama was rapidly growing, and with it came a need for new commercial buildings. In July 1889, local businessmen J.M. Garlington and W.P. Campbell announced their plans to erect a…