Aug
MEDIA COVERAGE OF FLORENCE, ALABAMA Date, Publication, and Title of Article 8/2015 Gear Patrol “50 Best menswear Shops in America” 1/2017 USA Today “Picturesque Small Towns in Every State” 3/2017 AL.com “26 Reasons you should have a Shoals Getaway” 5/2017 Southern Living “South’s Best College Towns” 5/2017 Traveling Well for Less “25 Reasons to […]
Jan
Turbulent waters and the shoals presented a constant challenge to tame the Tennessee River and contributed, combined and helped to create a unique place in the history of American popular music. The mighty Tennessee has been harnessed and it is said that the Tennessee continues to sing with a voice of an Indian Princess, and […]
Jan
WJOY (WJOI) Shoals radio listeners discovered Presley’s hypnotic first recordings, five defining singles, issues by Sun in 1954 and ’55, on a Saturday morning radio program called ‘ Tommy’s Turntable’. The host of the show was a 16 year old Tommy Van Sandt, whose father owned WJOI, a radio station near the Indian Mound in […]
Jan
Florence Fairgrounds: Featured entertainment at the Florence Fairgrounds included not only fairs but traveling shows such as Grand Ole Opry and Ozark Jubilee TV star Webb Pierce. The Florence Coliseum: The Florence Coliseum was site of many different kinds of concerts and events including Ray Charles and the Raeletts, Johnny Cash, Dick Clark’s Cavalcade of […]
Jan
Farming and agriculture has been an integral part of the economic history of Florence and Lauderdale County. The Alabama Department of Agriculture has recognized those farms that have been in the same family for more than a century as Alabama Century and Heritage Farms. Lauderdale County, Alabama: Farm Name: Austin Place Owners: Joseph R. Austin, Rt 12 […]
Jan
AgriTourism in Alabama is a partnership between the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel, Alabama Farmers Federation and the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service with a mission to develop and market a statewide Agri-tourism database and directory, the Alabama Agri-tourism Trail, currently lists more than 120 sites and links including […]
Jan
The Tennessee River has long been known as a good place to fish. A team from the Office of Archaeological Services at Moundville, Alabama discovered during research conducted in 1996 a fishhook made from deer bones underneath 15 feet of dirt that is estimated to be about 10,000 years old. The Tennessee River at The […]
Jan
Under the direction of Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Director Harcourt Morgan, the focus turned to research and development of fertilizers and through pilot work, the Muscle Shoals facility became the nation’s most complete fertilizer research and development center. Demonstration farms and projects and partnerships with land grant colleges and extension services provided testing of products […]
Jan
Land use mapping in 1992-93 shows that forests make up about half of the land use of the Tennessee Basin. Agricultural forms a higher proportion (35%) of land use in the Tennessee Basin than in all the other river basins in the state. Wood products designed and produced by Robin Wade continue to utilize native […]
Jan
Contemporary use of textiles and fabric production carries the industry into the new century and international markets. From 1976 to 2005, Tee-Jays Manufacturing was one of the largest employers of the Florence textile industry. Tee-Jays was a recognized company internationally until it closed in 2005. The Louisiana native, Billy Reid, launched his men’s clothing line […]
This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Northwest RC&D Council.
The views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this website do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Research led by Nancy Gonce; research assistance and additional photography by Amy Privette.