Tales Of Old Blount County Alabama

Many of the people and events in Blount County history are well documented. Others, not so much. This book of essays is an attempt to revisit some of the well known events of our county's past, add a little more background, and present our history from a Blount County point of view. In addition to illuminating some familiar topics, this book attempts to bring to light people and events who played significant roles in the development of Blount, but were somehow overlooked or skimmed over by the primary reference books-people and events which were the topic of conversation among our ancestors but over time, have been forgotten. These fun to read tales will promote a greater understanding of the history of Blount County.

Amazing Alabama: A Potpourri of Fascinating Facts, Tall Tales and Storied Stories chronicles a brief history of the state, famous personages associated with Alabama, a discussion of state firsts, unique occurrences, antiquated laws and other fascinating topics.

The Blount Count Journal published in Oneonta from 1909 to 1918. Compared to other Blount County papers, the Journal was only a small blip on the journalistic radar in Blount County. However, it is an often overlooked and untapped source of great genealogical and historical knowledge. While some of the articles mirror those published in its contemporary publications, often the Journal captured other obituaries and news missed by the Democrat. Most of the original copies of the Journal were found in the court house in Oneonta. These were reviewed for notices of births, marriages, obituaries and interesting news items. Missing issues from the court house were reviewed at the State Archives in Montgomery. This book will add to the body of knowledge of Blount County, Alabama and will serve as a useful tool for area genealogists and historians.

Known for antebellum mansions and sunny beaches, Alabama also claims an abundance of fascinating mysteries and legends. The White Thang is a Sasquatch-like creature that has terrorized Alabamians for generations. For a brief period in the 1980s, Needham gained national attention because of its "crying pecan tree." In 1854, a farmer named Orion Williamson simply vanished in a field in Selma. From the aquatic beast known as the Coosa River Monster to the story of the Leprechaun of Mobile, these stories have evolved over generations. Author Alan Brown presents some of the strangest stories from this collective tradition.

"The Cullman Democrat was established about 25 years after the first newspaper to publish in the town named for the famous German settler, John G. Cullman. While it came relatively late on the scene, its circulation soon grew to match that of the most successful Alabama weekly newspapers. The Democrat was first published by Major W.F. Palmer in June of 1901. Palmer sold the paper to R.L. and J.E. Griffin in 1902, but by the end of January of 1903, the paper was purchased by Joseph Robert Rosson. The Democrat remained in control of the Rosson family for man years after."--Publisher's description.

When people think of Cullman County and its history, often the first things that come to mind are its German ancestry, Ave Maria Grotto, strawberries, Jim Folsom and Guy Hunt. But there's lots more. Organized in 1877, the county is the second youngest county in the state. Despite its relative recent creation, Cullman has a rich and often tumultuous past. Few remember the old stage road, ghost towns, and struggles along the railroad line. Then there's the little known Cleveland County, the Bug Tussle Mail Fraud Caper, a vanished railroad line, and the man who foretold of a railroad wreck at Holmes Gap. These, and other little known, secret, and hidden topics make up the history of Cullman. This book is not a definitive or comprehensive history of Cullman, but attempts to fill in a few of the gaps and illuminate topics skimmed over or skipped in other books. Those who think they know the history of Cullman will be surprised and amazed at what they find within these pages!

A brilliant analysis of colloquial English, both its syntax and its variations, using novel data from live, unscripted radio and TV broadcasts and the internet.

“The principal authority for the general treatment of the history of coal, and of iron and steel, in Alabama is the work of Miss Ethel Armes. The Story of Coal and Iron in Alabama is a comprehensive and scholarly work portraying in attractive style the growth of the mineral industries in its relation to the development of the state and of the South, in preparation of which the author spent more than five years.” —Thomas McAdory Owen, History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography