Pope's Tavern Museum

Pope's Tavern has a long two-century history, longer than the town of Florence. Today it serves as a wonderful museum educating old and young alike in the history and culture of Florence. Many gems reside inside including a rare battle flag of the Confederacy.

 

 When creating my book "Signs of the Past", I wanted a photo of a Kennedy Rifle to go with the Greenhill marker "Kennedy Gun Factory". I remembered a rifle on display at the Pope's Museum and checked it out. I was amazed to find it was a rare Kennedy Rifle and the museum allowed me to photograph it and that photo appears on page 100.

 

Jackson's Military Road

The "Jackson Military Road" sign has been relocated by the Florence Historical Board from near Pope's Tavern to the intersection of Hermitage Drive and Military Road (near Braly Stadium).

Church Spring Church & School

When the book "Signs of the Past" was published, the "Church Spring" maker was missing. All that remained was the damaged post so the text of the original sign and a photo of the empty post appeared in the book. 

Happily, the Florence Historical Board obtained funds to replace the missing sign.

Am interesting fact missing from the sign:

St. Florian

In 2011 the town of St. Florian added an historical marker.

St.Florian is several miles north of Florence, AL, 

in Lauderdale County.

LOCK 6 & The MUSCLE SHOALS CANAL

Lock 6 & Muscle Shoals Canal

    On April 6, 2011, Killen, AL, unveiled this marker

In the 19th century, before the damming of the Tennessee, a series of locks and canals were constructed to carry river traffic around the numerous "shoals".

Canal headquarters was at
 Lock 6.

The waters of Wilson Lake now hide the remains of
Lock 6.

"LAGRANGE COLLEGE" & "LAGRANGE MILITARY ACADEMY"

"LAGRANGE COLLEGE" &

"LAGRANGE MILITARY ACADEMY"

        
Two Lagrange signs were installed May 2012.  One sign "Lagrange College" is seen from route 157, the other sign "Lagrange Military Academy" is up on Lagrange mountain near the Academy site.

The BATTLE of TOWN CREEK

The BATTLE of TOWN CREEK

  

Unfortunately this sign is missed by so many people because it is on the old hwy.

This skirmish preceded the burning of Lagrange College 

 

FLORENCE SYNODICAL FEMALE COLLEGE

 The Synodical Female College

One of the earliest educational institutions in the Shoals.

Located south of Wilson Park, east of the current post office in Florence, AL. Now occupied by a postal parking lot, there is nothing (except this sign) to suggest the historical significance of this site. 

The Synodical Female College was a very important place in Florence during the years 1855 to 1893.  It faced Wilson park and was an imposing three story building.  There was an adjoining dormitory which was torn down in 1911 to make way for the present post office.  The school building continued to be used for various functions until it was demolished in 1972.

 

 

TABERNACLE CEMETERY

Tabernacle Cemetery

On Saturday, June 1, 2013, the family and friends of Tabernacle Cemetery 

erected this historical marker to memorialize an important burial ground.

It is on County Road 47 ,  south of Rogers High School in Green Hill.

KARSNER - KENNEDY HOUSE

The  Karsner-Kennedy  House, 

in  downtown Florence at 301 North Pine Street, is the second local structure to be listed on the National Register of Historical Places.The house is approaching 200 years of age and its architectural significance is aptly described on the markers.

This Karsner -Kennedy House marker was installed 

on June 27 of 2013.

Elgin / Elgin Crossroads

Elgin / Elgin Crossroads

Eastern Lauderdale County has had relatively few historical road markers. You will find “Butler Cemetery” on page 3 of my “Signs of the Past”, “Andrew Phillips” on page 8, “Daniel White” on page 31, “French-Glover Farm” on page 58, “Grassy Memorial” on page 66, “Rogersville Heritage Park” on page 71, and “Chief Doublehead” on page 172. By comparison the western side of Lauderdale County has close to a hundred markers. This imbalance may be addressed by the recent formation of the East Lauderdale Historical Society (ELHS). This society is erecting markers to fill this “marker vacuum”.

This “Elgin/Elgin Crossroads” historical marker was recently erected by the ELHS. Several people mentioned on the marker appear on other Lauderdale historical markers. “Gabriel Butler” appears on page 3 of “Signs of the Past”, “Daniel White” is featured on page 31, and you may read about the “Jackson's Military Road” on pages 91 & 92.

Fort Willingham Armory & the 115th Signal Battalion

Fort Willingham Armory  

& the 115th Signal Battalion

The town of Florence has created a “Memorial Grove” on the site of the former National Guard Armory, on Florence Blvd where it becomes Tennessee Street (NE of Florence Cemetery). A monument there honors Police and Fire Heroes. There was previously a “115^th Signal Battalion” marker (see page 2, Signs of the Past ) . It has been repositioned near the U.S.flagpole where it is more visible from Florence Blvd.

On November 2, 2013, a new historical marker was added to commemorate the Fort Willingham National Guard Armory

 

"Here Today, Gone Tomorrow"

"Here Today, Gone Tomorrow"

seems like a good description of the  
Southern Female University.

It burned down in 1911 so that now, a hundred years later, very few Florence citizens even know that it existed. You can see in the photographs that it was an enormous building: five stories tall. originally intended to be a Baptist University when it was opened in 1891 .  Local historian, Professor Ken Johnson, says that the Baptists early on withdrew their support and moved to Birmingham instead. 

In 1908, it re-opened its doors as the Florence University for Women.

Being an inconvenient distance from the town of Florence and having poor roads, it was not popular with women. Finally the 1911 fire spelled its demise.

Notice in the map that the FSU/FUW was in North Florence just south of the Florence Water Tower which is on Seymore Avenue.

"Seven Points" is colored yellow to help orient you.









The FUW was razed and today there are homes on its land. The only evidence for its existence is an occasional brick found in the ground and the historical signs erected in the Autumn of 2012.








"Nothing lasts forever." 

Dec 15 Signing at Warrior Mountain Trading Post

          Unique Christmas Gift Opportunity for History Lovers

Do you enjoy history? Do you have a history lover on your Christmas list? 

Here is the opportunity to enjoy yourself while picking up a unique gift for 

that history lover.  Meet Alabama historians and authors Rickey Butch

Walker,  Wheeler Pounds, Tim Kent, and David Curott at the Warrior 

Mountain Trading Post in Moulton, Alabama on  December 15th

from 2:00 to 5:00 P.M. There is something for almost every 

American history enthusiast.

David Curott will have Signs of the Past (ISBN-13: 978-1934610596) for

those interested in local Alabama history. This book is a beautifully done    photographic journey to Colbert and Lauderdale Counties’ historical markers.  

For the Native American history aficionado, Butch Walker will be signing 

Chickasaw Chief George Colbert: His Family and His Country 

(ISBN-13: 978-1934610718) and Doublehead:  Last Chickamauga 

Cherokee Chief  (ISBN-13: 978-1934610671) and 

 

Wheeler Pounds will have his latest novel, THE GARDEN OF EVE; 

MYSTERY OF THE CHEROKEE HIDEAWAY 

(ISBN-13: 978-1934610640).    

For the Civil War buff  Tim Kent will be in attendance signing  

Die Like Men (ISBN-13: 978-1934610626) about the Tennessee 

Battle of Franklin and  Never Smile Again (ISBN-13: 978-1934610626) )

which  is a riveting rendering of the campaign from Corinth

to Shiloh Church. 

Come to Warrior Mountain trading Post on December 15, from 2 to 5 P.M. 

and get your Christmas shopping done for the history addicts on your list.

Reconditioned Signs

 Reconditioned Signs

Occasionally historic signs noticeably deteriorate and need reconditioning. Two church signs appearing in my book were in very poor condition.  One was the sign commemorating the St Joseph Catholic Church  in Florence (just east of the Florence Cemetery).  It was unfortunate to have such a deteriorated marker for a beautiful, modern, neat place of worship.

Fortunately the religious leaders were very aware of the situation and they paid to have it reconditioned this year.  The repaired sign now does credit to the beauty and history of the church.

The other sign in very poor condition was that at the Greater Mount Moriah Primitive Baptist Church in Florence on West Irvine Avenue.

I'm happy to report that the sign was removed several months ago, was refurbished, and has been reinstalled.  New signs cost somewhere between $2500 and $3000.  Reconditioning costs about $750. The renewed sign is a nice improvement. 

Rattlesnake Saloon

This past Saturday (1Sep2012) three other authors and myself  held a "signing" of our books at the Rattlesnake Saloon in western Colbert County. It was an unforgettable experience.  If you haven't been to the "Rattlesnake" let me urge you to visit this unique restaurant (and resort) on county road 33.

 The restaurant is situated underneath an enormous stone bluff and the food is memorable.  Above the bluff is the "Sidewinder" gift-shop where we enjoyed selling and signing our books.  The 3 "southerners" gave this transplanted Yankee a hard time; but with cannon ball in hand, I was able to thwart the "attack"

 The "Sidewinder" gift shop is run by "Mama Faye", her son operates the restaurant, and her husband was working in the Seven Springs Lodge.
     

Mama Faye bubbles with energy and friendliness.
She made our stay a wonderful experience.


There were horses everywhere - -  many trail rides were scheduled for this weekend.  Janice and I intend to return this Autumn to rent horses for a ride through the beautiful surrounding countryside.


You can learn more about the "Rattlesnake" online at
    http://rattlesnakesaloon.net/Saloon/Saloon_home.html

I recommend "Die Like Men"

I have just finished a new novel which I highly recommend, especially if you have an interest in civil war history:

Tim Kent's "Die Like Men", $19.95 published by Bluewater Publications, is a historical novel portraying the Civil War battles of Franklin and Nashville and the events leading up to these tragic slaughters. Generals Hooke, Forrest, Cheatham, Brown, Cleburne, Lee, Smith, Thomas, Schofield, Opdycke, Wilson, Shy, and others come alive. Author Kent obviously lives and breathes the lives of these officers since he demonstates an intimate knowledge of their personalities and backgrounds. Although we know the outcomes of those battles, Tim makes the story live and writes in such a way that one looks forward to each new page. Sparingly the language is raw where needed; omiting that would be an injustice to history. The chapters alternate between the CSA and the USA plans. Mr. Kent presents a balanced description that is fair to both sides of the conflict. He adeptly shows how certain subordinate decisions drastically affected the outcome. You can sample his book at his blog: www.trrcobb.blogspot.com. I eagerly look forward to the "histories" of other battles by this exciting young historian.

© 2012 Dr. David R. Curott
Author of “Signs of the Past”