Legendary Locals Of Huntsville

First they came for the land, later they came for the stars and the moon; all found themselves against the glorious backdrop of the Tennessee Valley. Legendary Locals of Huntsville chronicles the story of Rocket City, a sleepy, Southern cotton town that weathered the Great Depression with its mill villages, gained national attention with Redstone Arsenal, blossomed into the center of aerospace development, and became the home of the largest arts center in the Southeast. Notables include pioneer John Hunt and founding father LeRoy Pope; aerospace engineer Wernher von Braun; world-renowned portrait artist and poet Howard Weeden and cobweb artist Anne Clopton; internationally known soprano Susanna Phillips; Professional Football Hall of Fame member John Stallworth; performing arts pioneers Helen Herriott and Loyd Tygett; and entrepreneur and philanthropist Mark C. Smith. The stories herein celebrate just a handful of the many people who have made a memorable impact on this community and who continue to propel Huntsville forward through leadership by example.

When Nathan Appleton and his colleagues built their first textile mill on the banks of the Merrimack River in 1822, they were pursuing the vision of their departed mentor, Francis Cabot Lowell. The complex system of machinery, labor, management, and capital that resulted made the city that they named Lowell the centerpiece of America's Industrial Revolution. Changes in technology and commerce made the golden age of Lowell's mills short lived. Despite the success of businesses such as the patent medicine company of James C. Ayer, jobs remained scarce for decades. Hard times created strong leaders--people like Congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers, who sponsored the G.I. Bill, and writer Jack Kerouac, who added a new voice to the country's literary mix. More recently, Paul Tsongas inspired a new generation to transform Lowell into one of the most exciting mid-sized cities in post-industrial America and a world model of urban revitalization. Legendary Locals of Lowell tells the city's story through pictures of its people.

Fitchburg was incorporated as a town 250 years ago. Many of the original 40 family founders served as Minutemen, beginning the tradition of volunteers like Orlando Boss, Henry Spooner, Norman Tucker, and Richard and Thomas Bresnahan serving in the Civil War, World War I, and World War II. Led by strong businessmen who also were public servants such as Alvah Crocker, Sylvanus Sawyer, Rodney Wallace, and George Simonds, the city grew to 40,000. Fitchburg has always welcomed immigrants who have enriched the community's history. Mayor Lisa Wong is the first Asian American mayor to have been elected in Massachusetts. Named an All-America city in 1970, Fitchburg remains proud of its heritage, celebrates its past, and anticipates the future. Legendary Locals of Fitchburg provides another historical view in the city's sestercentennial year.

In search of opportunity and freedom from oppression, European emigrants boarded ships, leaving behind their ancestral homes. They carved new lives from the unknown wilderness in the American South. The Speegle family settled in what would become southwest Cullman County, and the Brindley family claimed lands to the north. From the historic Streights Raid exploit of the Civil War to the agricultural and social development of this region of northern Alabama, these early pioneers marched into history. In 1865, Col. Johann G. Cullmann, who was disillusioned with the anarchism in his native Germany, also sought new opportunity in America, eventually settling in Alabama. After being enticed by Colonel Cullmanns descriptive words of the areas virgin timber and fertile soils, five German families joined him. Encouraged by what they found, optimism flourished, word spread, and Cullman Countys destiny was set. Its growth has been constant, and, today, its expansion is propelling the area to new heights of economic prominence.

A family venture: Ogden's pioneer portraits -- Business booms: Ogden's industries -- Service in aid and need: public servants -- Give us teachers: a rally for education -- Military service: at home and abroad -- Voices of the people: local and national leaders -- Service and sisterhood: women's organizations -- Out and about in Ogden: culture and recreation -- What a contrast: famous and infamous.

A city is not merely its structures but also its citizens, the men and women working hard and raising families, aspiring to ideals or lofty dreams. Since its founding as a farm community by tough New England sodbusters, Wheaton has provided residency for an amazing array of personalities, from ex-slave William Osborne to astronaut Shannon Lucid, from sculptors to preachers, from intensely focused athletes to "ordinary" citizens performing extraordinary, selfless acts. As Carl Sandburg, poet laureate of Illinois, mused, "These are the people, with flaws and failings, with patience, sacrifice, devotion, the people." Portraying glimpses of their humor, insight, dedication, and ability, this book seeks to celebrate only a fraction of these fascinating individuals, the true heart and soul of the city--and the nation.

Before the Europeans came, Amerindians celebrated on Hilton Head Island with seasonal oyster feasts. Later, planters made fortunes here with Sea Island cotton. But the island came alive to the guns of the Union in 1861 and, for seven years, was host to the troops who helped former slaves even before the Emancipation Proclamation made freedom official. The forces left, and the island slept. In the pages of this book are some of the people who kept the Gullah sea island culture alive, a self-sustaining culture of mutual help and integrity, living off the sea and the land. This volume also includes some of the people who set a standard for development and made the island what it is today, unique visionaries who had a fierce devotion to preservation of the island's natural beauty, its flora, and its fauna.

Migrating tribes settled along the river in the J-shaped valley lying beneath the majestic mountain known today as Mount Rainier. Tribal traders from east of the mountains called the western valley tribe "generous people," a word that in English sounds like "Puyallup." Pioneers found promise in clearing the land, creating the towns of Puyallup, Sumner, and Orting, and donating property for the common good. Agriculture produced hop barons, nationally renowned daffodil bulb growers, and successful berry farmers. Early entrepreneurs spawned multigenerational businesses while doctors, educators, and civic leaders more than fulfilled pioneer dreams. In 1900, a small band of men established an annual fair in Puyallup, which became the Washington State Fair. More recently, benefactors helped to build premier fitness and medical facilities. Citizens from each town continue to participate in community service clubs. Legendary Locals of the Puyallup Valley weaves a story of determined people who have left their mark on this beautiful valley.