News

History among the Tombstones – Oak Hill Cemetery Tours

As macabre as it may seem, cemeteries are a place where history comes into focus. Just north of downtown Newnan at 96 Jackson Street, Oak Hill Cemetery is one such place. Established as a resting place for deceased Confederate soldiers, it has been a part of Newnan (and West Georgia’s) history ever since. On two weekends each October, the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society hosts creative, interactive “cemetery tours” of this location. These tours will be the focus of our upcoming quarterly presentation on Sunday, January 25th, 2026, at 3:00 PM EDT (2:00 PM CDT). This virtual presentation (once again on Zoom) will feature Mrs. Larisa Scott, NCHS Exec. Director. She will also share the history of NCHS and the future of their new museum and other NCHS services.
The Newnan-Coweta Historical Society is a non-profit over 50 years old. Originally housed in the Male Academy museum, the organization’s home base is now the McRitchie-Hollis Museum. Currently there is a new museum in the works, and she will discuss this as well. The main focus of her presentation, however, will be the cemetery.
Oak Hill Cemetery was established and completed in its initial phase between 1863 and 1864 during the height of the American Civil War. It was originally developed as a final resting place for former Confederate soldiers. The oldest section of the cemetery holds 269 former Confederate soldiers (representing regiments from every state in the Confederacy). Much of the identification of the soldiers was done by the local war hospital (then located at the aforementioned McRitchie-Hollis home, which treated both Confederate and Union soldiers). The hospital was very efficient in its process of soldier identification, so much that only two of the 269 deceased could not be properly identified.
The history of Oak Hill did not end with the Civil War. It also houses the interred remains of many Revolutionary War soldiers as well. In addition to many other figures in local West Georgia history, it also serves as the final resting place of two former Governors of Georgia (both Newnan residents): William Atkinson and Ellis Arnall.
Our presenter, Mrs. Scott, is very passionate about history, storytelling, education, and preservation. Passionate about history, culture, the arts, she is a self-described lifelong learner, Larisa loves to get other people excited about reading and learning. She also enjoys bringing people together for learning experiences such as the 3rd Thursday Lecture Series hosted by NCHC and other events and activities throughout the year. One of her greatest strengths is organizing and preserving materials, a skill honed while earning her Masters of Library and Information Science. A Georgia girl her entire life, Larisa loves Newnan and has called it home for the last 28 years. She lives in a 175-year-old home located downtown in the historic College-Temple District.
She looks forward to sharing the history of Oak Hill Cemetery and how the NCHS has adapted it into a popular, interactive annual Newnan tradition. She will also discuss current NCHS developments (as well as future plans for a new museum).
Join us for this very informative and interesting presentation on January 25th. To attend this virtual meeting email ccpowers02@gmail.com prior to 12:00 PM noon (EDT) on Sunday, January 25th. You will then be sent the Zoom link with instructions regarding how to join the meeting.

Kennedy Came to West Georgia

The Fall program of CVHS will be held virtually on October 26th, at 3:00 PM (EDT). Our presenter, Dr. Steve Goodson, is a retired instructor of History at the University of West Georgia. This will be Dr. Goodson’s fourth program for CVHS, the former highlighting the life and music of Hank Williams, Jr.
While most of Dr. Goodson’s past presentations for our organization have focused on the history of Country Music and related matters, this presentation will have an entirely different focus. The focus of this presentation in October will be on Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy’s visit to West Georgia College (now the University of West Georgia) in Carrollton, GA in 1964. This visit had a significant role in shaping the University’s historic trajectory and also led to the establishment of the Kennedy Chapel on the campus.
Kennedy’s visit occurred at a very tumultuous time in U.S. history (in early 1964). This visit came only mere months after the assassination of his own brother, President John F. Kennedy, in November of 1963. Early in the Johnson Administration, then AG Kennedy and the new President clashed on many issues. This was also during a critical phase of the Civil Rights Movement. Almost a year earlier, the Birmingham protests had brought the movement into the living room televisions of many Americans (many seeing the first time the violence targeting non-violent protestors on live television). This was also at a time when the U.S. Congress was debating the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (as well as the 24th Amendment, which involved voting rights).
Another issue on the horizon was Johnson’s interest in U.S. entry into what was then the “Second Indochina War” (in Vietnam). Kennedy’s brother had been hesitant to get the U.S. directly involved in the Vietnam conflict, but Johnson felt more strongly that the U.S. should get involved (and increased U.S. troop presence in and around Vietnam before the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution of August later that year). All of these things happened during an Election year, with Johnson running against Republican Barry Goldwater later that year.
During this time, AG Kennedy was a member of a Democratic Party that was in a period of transition. The Democrats still had pretty solid control over the Southern States in 1964, but Robert (like his brother) was more firmly on the left. This shift to the left was also continued by the Johnson Administration with his “Great Society” reforms and support for Civil Rights protestors and Native American “self-determination.” This was a time when most Georgia Democrats were far more socially conservative. All of this provided a backdrop for AG Robert Kennedy’s visit to WGC in Carrollton.
Steve Goodson was born in Montgomery, Alabama, and grew up in nearby Prattville. He received his B.A. in History from Auburn University at Montgomery in 1988 and earned his Ph.D. in History from Emory University in 1995. He joined the faculty at the University of West Georgia, where he retired in the Fall of 2023 after serving twelve years as department chair. His book Highbrows, Hillbillies, and Hellfire: Public Entertainment in Atlanta, 1880-1930, published by the University of Georgia Press, won the Georgia Historical Society’s Bell Award as the best book on Georgia History published in 2002. He is also co-editor of The Hank Williams Reader, which was published in 2014 by the Oxford University Press. This work has received much critical acclaim as a detailed account of Williams’ life and career.
Join us for this very informative and interesting presentation on October 26th. To attend this virtual meeting email ccpowers02@gmail.com prior to 12:00 PM noon (EDT) on Sunday, October 26th. You will then be sent the Zoom link with instructions regarding how to join the meeting.

On Saturday, July 19, at 10:00 am CDT (11:00 am EDT), Chattahoochee Valley Historical Society will host its summer quarterly program in downtown Lafayette, Alabama. Last summer, we held our first-ever off-site meeting in downtown West Point’s outdoor pavilion alongside the Chattahoochee River. An informational and entertaining program on the history of West Point was followed by a walking tour of historic downtown. According to CVHS President Jason Williams, “We had so much fun we decided to make our summer meeting an annual off-site event! This year our program will be held at “The Venue,” located at 9 Alabama Ave E, on the northside of the Courthouse Square. We so appreciate owner Kim Langley for hosting our upcoming meeting and supporting historic preservation in Chambers County.”

Larry Krumenaker will be presenting the program this quarter, focusing on the life of the most famous French aristocrat to ever visit the United States, the Marquis de Lafayette, for whom the county seat of Chambers County is named. An expert on this subject, Krumenaker’s research is the basis for his book, “Nine Days Traveling: Lafayette’s 1825 Alabama Tour, Today’s Historical Road Trip”. Copies of his publication will be available for sale at the meeting.

Lafayette was only 20 years old when he sailed across the Atlantic to the “colonies” to volunteer his services to General George Washington, who was impressed with the young Frenchmen and his love of liberty. After the war Lafayette returned to France, taking part in the French Revolution. Fast forward to 1824, when Lafayette-the last remaining Revolutionary War general- was invited by President James Monroe to return to the United States to tour all 24 states. It was during this period that Lafayette traveled through the current state of Alabama.

By the spring of 1825, Lafayette crossed the Chattahoochee River at Columbus, Georgia, into Creek Indian territory. Even though Alabama had become a state in 1819, a portion of the land between the state of Georgia and Montgomery had been delegated to the Creeks as a reservation. A busy but primitive “Federal Road” ran from Columbus to Montgomery, and for nine days the Marquis de Lafayette and his entourage made their way westward. This intriguing chapter in Alabama and Native American histories is often overlooked.

Afterwards, CVHS newsletter editor Ron Williams will lead a walking tour around Courthouse Square, talking about the courthouse and the early days of the city of Lafayette. CVHS members and the general public are invited to attend both the program and walking tour.

Chief William McIntosh in Context

The Spring program of CVHS will be held virtually on April 27th, at 3:00 PM (EDT). Our presenter, Dr. Gary Van Valen, is a longtime instructor of History at the University of West Georgia. As an expert on Native American history and contemporary issues facing Indigenous communities, he will be presenting about the assassination of Muscogee leader William McIntosh in 1825. This year marks the 200th anniversary of both this event and the signing of the Treaty of Indian Springs (which preceded it). In addition to the presentation topic itself, Dr. Van Valen will also be briefly discussing (and promoting) an upcoming event in which McIntosh’s living descendants will be giving a public appearance on April 30th in Whitesburg, Georgia.

William McIntosh was the son of a Scottish Loyalist and a Muscogee (Creek) woman, who became a leader in his mother’s nation in the first quarter of the nineteenth century. He played important roles in negotiating treaties with the U.S. government between 1805 and 1825 which resulted in the surrender of all Muscogee lands in Georgia, and he fought on the side of U.S. forces in the First Creek and First Seminole wars in Alabama and Florida. In 1825, Upper Creeks from Alabama killed McIntosh at his home on the Chattahoochee River as punishment for the final land surrender of that year. McIntosh almost immediately became a subject of history and legend. This presentation will clarify what historians actually know about McIntosh’s identity, his position in Muscogee society, and his actions in the context of both Muscogee culture and U.S. Indian policy.

Essentially, the history of William McIntosh is very relevant not only to the history of Alabama overall, but especially for the regions of East Alabama (including Chambers, Lee, Randolph, and other counties). This land cession to the United States Government in 1825 opened up this land for White settlement. Interestingly enough, since this occurred five years before the passage of the Indian Removal Act, the Muscogee (“Creeks”) in this area were not immediately subject to removal. Unfortunately, they would be removed in the following decade with the outbreak of the Second Creek War in 1836.

Gary Van Valen, our presenter, was born in New Jersey and grew up in the town of Dumont. He completed his B.A. in history at Montclair State University in 1988, his M.A. in Latin American history at the University of South Carolina in 1995, and his Ph.D. in Latin American history at the University of New Mexico in 2003. He is a historian of Latin America and indigenous peoples who has taught at the University of West Georgia since 2006.

He is the author of Indigenous Agency in the Amazon: The Mojos in Liberal and Rubber-Boom Bolivia, 1842-1932 (University of Arizona Press, 2013), which won the American Society for Ethnohistory’s Erminie Wheeler-Voegelin Book Award, as well as several articles and chapters in edited volumes. He is currently collaborating with fellow West Georgia faculty and members of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation in a project to highlight the role of William McIntosh in local history.

On Wednesday, April 30th, the descendants of Chief William McIntosh will hold a public meet and greet at the Whitesburg, GA, Public Library. The event will be from 1:00 to 3:00 pm and is meant to commemorate the bicentennial of Chief McIntosh’s death. It has been arranged by the Friends of McIntosh Reserve. McIntosh lived in the eastern edge of what is now Carroll County, Georgia. A public commercial area in Carrollton bares his name (“McIntosh Plaza,” where Publix and Target are located).

Join us for this very informative and interesting presentation on April 27th. To attend this virtual meeting email ccpowers02@gmail.com prior to 12:00 PM noon (EDT) on Sunday, April 27th. You will then be sent the Zoom link with instructions regarding how to join the meeting.

The House Known as “Pebble Hill”

The Fall program of CVHS will be held virtually on Sunday, October 27th, at 3:00 PM (EDT). Our presenter will be Dr. Mark Wilson from Auburn University. Dr. Wilson will be discussing the Scott-Yarborough House (known more colloquially as ‘Pebble Hill”) in Auburn, AL. The house is an 1847 Greek Revival style cottage that has become an important landmark in Auburn as well as a popular event venue. The focus of the presentation will be on the history of the house as well as many notable people associated with the house. In addition, he will note some unique artifacts in the collection that illustrate important aspects of state and local history.
The origins of the home ultimately begin with Nathaniel J. Scott and his wife Mary. They moved to East Alabama as part of the massive influx of White settlers to this area following the Second Creek War of the late 1830s. Originally moving to Macon County, they eventually relocated when Nathaniel’s own half-brother John J. Harper founded the city of Auburn (then in Macon County). They purchased the land that “Pebble Hill” would be built upon in 1846 for just $800 (which was a short distance East of downtown Auburn at the time). While continuing to own additional farmland in Auburn, they completed the construction of the house in 1847.
Because of their wealth as landed planters and their family ties to the city’s founder, the Scotts played a big role in helping establish Auburn, with Nathaniel becoming town Commissioner in 1839. Nathaniel Scott also served in State politics, representing Macon County in the Alabama State House of Representatives from 1841 to 1845, when he was elected to the State Senate. He also helped establish what would later become the Auburn Masonic Female College. In 1856, Scott and many other of his fellow Auburn Methodists established East Alabama Male College (which is what we now know as Auburn University). The Scotts remained in Auburn even after Nathaniel’s death in 1862. Following the conclusion of the Civil War and the end of slavery, Mary Scott sold the house at Pebble Hill.
The house would change owners many times from the late 1860s up until its purchase by Dr. Cecil S. Yarborough and his wife Bertha Mae Yarborough in 1912. Like the original owner, Dr. Yarborough also served in Alabama State politics for many years. He also served two terms as Mayor of Auburn, and personally welcomed President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the community upon his visit in 1939. Following his death in the 1940s, his son Clarke S. Yarborough owned the home until finally selling it in 1982. It has officially been known as the “Scott-Yarborough” house ever since, though the name “Pebble Hill” is probably what it is best known as locally.
The house is currently maintained and cared for by the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities, a part of the College of Liberal Arts at Auburn University. The Center maintains a digital, virtual tour of the entire house, which is located at the following link: https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=g7dppkiJq8K
In addition to history related to Pebble Hill, Dr. Wilson will discuss upcoming events at Pebble Hill which might interest CVHS members.
Dr. Mark Wilson is of the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities in the College of Liberal Arts at Auburn University. Originally from Saraland, Alabama, he holds degrees from the University of Mobile (B.A. Religion), McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University (Master of Divinity), and Auburn University (Ph.D. History). He is the author of William Owen Carver’s Controversies in the Baptist South (Mercer University), co-author of Living Democracy: Students as Citizens, Communities as Classrooms (Kettering Foundation Press) and several articles. In 2018, he was voted by students at Auburn University to deliver the “Final Lecture,” an award coordinated by the Student Government Association. He is a past recipient of the David Mathews Center for Civic Life’s Jean O’Connor-Snyder Award.
Join us for this very informative and interesting presentation on October 27th. To attend this virtual meeting email ccpowers02@gmail.com prior to 12:00 PM noon (EDT) on Sunday, October 27th. You will then be sent the Zoom link with instructions regarding how to join the meeting.

West Point on the Chattahoochee

We love to hear from our members, and over the past few years several members have expressed a desire to return to in-person meetings. Virtual meetings were a necessity during the Covid period and even afterwards due to the loss of our traditional meeting arrangement with the Bradshaw Library.

On Saturday morning, July 27, CVHS will host a very different kind of quarterly program at the West Point outdoor riverside pavilion, located directly south of City Hall. CVHS President Jason Williams, VOICE Editor Ron Williams, and fellow board member Malinda Powers will present the program on this small city’s remarkable history.

Archaeological evidence suggests Native Americans were here as early as the Archaic period during the time of “hunter-gatherers.” Shallow shoals just a mile or so upriver provided excellent fishing and, more importantly, a natural river crossing enabling travel between more permanent native towns that developed. Traders made their way westward from South Carolina, followed by pioneer settlers which ultimately resulted in Indian removal westward. Early West Point residents faced many hardships and trials, but persevered. Two rail lines were conjoined in West Point, connecting the little city with two state capitals. When war came to West Point, the battle became known in the annuals of American History as “the last fort battle of the Civil War.” But like the mythical Griffith, West Point was quick to rise from its ashes and reinvent itself. The river once again played a vital role in the city’s history as it powered two new factories downstream, ultimately becoming a leading textile manufacturer in the world.

The public is invited to attend the meeting at the pavilion at 10:00 am EDT. Immediately following the program, guests are welcome to join a guided walking tour of several blocks downtown to discover the forgotten businesses that once thrived there. At the conclusion of the walking tour, guests will find a variety of downtown restaurants and eateries for lunch.

“Archaeology for Dummies”

The Spring program of CVHS will be held virtually on April 28th, at 3:00 PM (EDT). Our presenter will be David Johnson. Mr. Johnson is an “avocational archaeologist,” meaning that he came to practice archaeology outside of the traditional profession. In spite of not being an “official” archaeologist, he works very closely with the Alabama Archaeological Society. His area of specialty concerns the prehistoric indigenous populations of Alabama. He has published several books over the years and given many presentations throughout Alabama (and also Mississippi and elsewhere). His presentation for us will be entitled “Archaeology for Dummies” (not an insult to those in attendance, but rather a play on the title of various media that break down complex fields and concepts for unfamiliar readers).

David Johnson originally worked for the Alabama Department of Transportation. The discovery of prehistoric artifacts on his private property, however, led him to become fascinated by the field of archaeology. Realizing that he, a layperson with no previous experience or training in archaeology, was ill-equipped or prepared to handle these artifacts properly, he consulted local professional archaeologists. They showed him the proper ways of cataloging and recording their discoveries for the purposes of preservation and education. Through working with them (and learning how they carried out their practice), David became personally enraptured in the world of amateur (or as he calls it, “avocational”) archaeology. He began to realize that others like him (with no previous archaeological training or expertise) would need the same know-how and assistance should they also discover prehistoric artifacts. While continuing his work with ALDOT, he also began sharing this newfound passion with other “lay people.”

David has authored many books, most notably the Handbook for Alabama’s Prehistoric Indians and Artifacts (Borgo Press, 2019). This work also saw contributions from many of the professional archaeologists in the Alabama Archaeological Society. The work contains many full-scale photographs, geographic distribution charts, and detailed descriptions of various artifacts (such as prehistoric projectile points). Due to the popularity of the book in Alabama, he was also asked to publish a similar catalogue for Mississippi as well (which he will be discussing in his presentation, as it has recently been published).

Retired from the Alabama Department of Transportation, David and his wife April volunteer working with different archaeological projects and providing educational presentations to schools and other groups regarding archaeology and prehistory. He is also currently working with many Native American groups to help preserve various Native archaeological sites on Chandler Mountain in St. Claire County, AL from local developers’ plans to create a massive dam project.

Our virtual presentation will last approximately one hour (with David’s power points lasting approximately 45 to 50 minutes). The presentation will expound upon his work on the two archaeological works (for Alabama and Mississippi) as well as an overview of how “avocational” archaeological enthusiasts can participate and experience the world of archaeology in an official, responsible manner (respectful of the cultures and peoples whose artifacts are being discovered). His is a tale that exemplifies the potential that exists when professional archeologists endeavor to include ordinary lay people through educating and mentoring nonprofessionals.

Join us for this very informative and interesting presentation on April 28th. To attend this virtual meeting email ccpowers02@gmail.com prior to 12:00 PM noon (EDT) on Sunday, April 28th. You will then be sent the Zoom link with instructions regarding how to join the meeting.

A Sister’s Love: Legacy of Hank Williams and His Sister Irene

The Winter program of CVHS will be held virtually on January 28th, at 3:00 PM (EDT). Our presenter, Dr. Steve Goodson, is a longtime instructor of History at the University of West Georgia (having recently just retired) and an authority on the history of Country Music in the Deep South. This will be Dr. Goodson’s third program for CVHS, the former highlighting the life and music of Hank Williams, Jr.
“It is the story of Hank’s older sister Irene,” says Goodson. “Irene played an important but underappreciated role in protecting and promoting Hank’s reputation and legacy in the decades following his death in 1953.” Both Irene and Hank were born in Butler County, Alabama in the early 1920s. Their father Elonzo “Lon” Williams was a former Railroad Engineer for W.T. Smith Lumber Co. before serving (and suffering injuries) in World War I. Following the death of Ernest Williams two days after his birth in 1921, Irene became the oldest child of the Williams family. For this reason, perhaps, she took on a more protective role in the upbringing of her younger siblings. This applied to Hank, who struggled with Spina Bifida (a painful spinal condition) during his childhood (and later).
This presentation will highlight many of the hardships the Williams family endured during Irene and Hank’s childhood. All of this heavily influenced Hank’s musical career. Regarding Irene’s role in Hank’s career and legacy, Goodson feels that her story is very much a part of Hank’s own story (both before and after his death). He feels it is essential to all who wish to learn more about the Alabama-born Country legend.
Steve Goodson was born in Montgomery, Alabama, and grew up in nearby Prattville. He received his B.A. in History from Auburn University at Montgomery in 1988 and earned his Ph.D. in History from Emory University in 1995. He joined the faculty at the University of West Georgia, where he served as a professor (and for twelve years as department chair) until retiring just last month. His book Highbrows, Hillbillies, and Hellfire: Public Entertainment in Atlanta, 1880-1930, published by the University of Georgia Press, won the Georgia Historical Society’s Bell Award as the best book on Georgia History published in 2002. He is also co-editor of The Hank Williams Reader, which was published in 2014 by the Oxford University Press. This work has received much critical acclaim as a detailed account of Williams’ life and career.
Join us for this very informative and interesting presentation on January 28th. To attend this virtual meeting email ccpowers02@gmail.com prior to 12:00 PM noon (EDT) on Sunday, January 28th. You will then be sent the Zoom link with instructions regarding how to join the meeting.

A Home with a History – McRitchie-Hollis Home

Every house (and every home) has a history—each with its own stories, memories, and legacy of those who once lived there. Many homes also reflect the history of the community in which they live. One home that encompasses an abundantly rich history of both its many residents and its community can be found at 74 Jackson Street in Newnan, GA. This 1937 Neoclassical house has such a rich history that it has served as a museum (and home base for the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society) since 2013.
Before you go, or if you are unable to, you certainly will want to join us for an online discussion about this wonderful museum. The McRitchie-Hollis Museum will be the focus of our quarterly presentation on Sunday, July 23rd, 2023, at 3:00 PM EDT (2:00 PM CDT). This virtual presentation (once again on Zoom) will feature the director of the museum. Our presenter, Ms. Larisa Scott, NCHS Exec. Director, will share the history of NCHS and the future of the museum and other NCHS services.
The Newnan-Coweta Historical Society is a non-profit over 50 years old. Originally housed in the Male Academy Museum, the organization’s home base is now the McRitchie-Hollis Museum. Located near downtown Newnan, the museum is undergoing a major transformation. Once owned by Ellis and Mildred Peniston, members of a prominent mill family, later became the hospital auxiliary offices before becoming a museum. It still houses many of the Peniston’s former belongings (and even has their family kitchen preserved in its original state).
There are also many relics from Newnan itself on display. In the Peniston’s former dining room, one can find preserved wooden blocks that once lined the streets of Newnan’s picturesque Courthouse Square. In the adjacent room, one can find the Museum’s “meet the locals” exhibit featuring local Newnan-born figures (such as Country music legend Alan Jackson). Also, there is an exhibit dedicated to the infamous “Murder in Coweta County” (a 1948 court case notable for a White defendant, wealthy and powerful John Wallace, being convicted by the testimony of two Black laborers). This infamous case became memorialized in a 1976 book by Margaret Anne Barnes (and later as a 1983 television film starring Andy Griffith and Johnny Cash).
In another room, there is an exhibit on one of Newnan’s most notable residents: former Governor Ellis G. Arnall. Elected in 1943, Ellis Arnall was notable during his day for his opposition to the Poll Tax, White Supremacy, and the prominence and influence of the Ku Klux Klan. Unfortunately, his opposition to such things cost him his re-election bid in 1947 to Herman Talmadge. Interestingly enough, Talmadge died soon after the election, igniting what became the infamous “Three Governors Controversy”. Ellis passed away in 1989 and is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, just across the street from the Museum itself.
Our presenter, Ms. Scott, is a Georgia native and Newnan resident for 25 years. She is very passionate about history, storytelling, education and preservation. She looks forward to sharing the history of NCHS and the museum, plus future plans.
Join us for this very informative and interesting presentation on July 23rd. To attend this virtual meeting email ccpowers02@gmail.com prior to 12:00 PM noon (EDT) on Sunday, July 23rd. You will then be sent the Zoom link with instructions regarding how to join the meeting.

History Close to Home:
The Museum of East Alabama

Are you a resident of East Alabama? Did you grow up there? If not, have you ever visited the region? It is a region with a rather complex history and a richness of stories and other trappings of days long gone. Fortunately, though, there is a place where this is made easier (and wonderfully presentable). This place, of course, is the Museum of East Alabama in Opelika, AL.
Please join us for a discussion on this wonderful museum on Sunday, April 23rd, 2023, at 2:00 PM CDT (3:00 PM EDT) for our quarterly presentation. This virtual presentation (once again on Zoom) will feature the director of the museum. Our presenter, Mr. Glenn Buxton, has been the official director of the Museum of East Alabama since he retired from a long broadcasting career in 2006. He will be discussing the various exhibits and services that the Museum of East Alabama currently provides.
The Museum of East Alabama was first open to the public in 1989. It occupies the site of the former Clement Hotel on 121 South St. in downtown Opelika, AL. It is open to the public, free of charge, from 10 AM to 4 PM Tuesdays through Fridays. The museum has an impressive collection of artifacts and exhibits on display detailing the history of this region from pre-Columbian times up until the present day.
The Museum currently has two main exhibition halls, the one adjacent to the main room being reserved for the history of Alabama’s Native peoples. These exhibits cover a wide variety of historical periods of Native history in Alabama. Its oldest (and most well-known) artifact on display is a canoe used by the “Eastern Woodland” culture in 3500 B.C. The canoe was originally unearthed in northwestern Florida, but used by the same Eastern Woodland peoples who inhabited what is now East Alabama during the same time period. They have many other artifacts from both ancient and more “recent” Native inhabitants of Alabama. These artifacts include projectile artifacts (“arrowheads”), pottery, jewelry and ceremonial wear, and more. The most “recent” Native exhibit is a pair of Muscogee women’s legging (a ceremonial outfit) going back to the early 1840s.
There are many other interesting exhibits on display, such as several clothing exhibits spanning back 200 years. One of the more interesting of these is a collection of wedding gowns worn by women of the region throughout various decades of the 20th century (from the 1920s up until the 1950s). There are some very interesting “war-time” exhibits covering the “spoils of war” from World War II. One of the most notable are the collection of Samurai swords (formerly owned by officers in the Japanese Imperial Forces) confiscated by U.S. servicemen native to Lee County during the war. As one can also probably imagine, there are many exhibits focusing on the Industrial history of this region (including machinery and other exhibits from the various cotton mills that once employed the majority of East Alabama’s work force). The most recent display is an exhibit on the unfortunate history of lynchings and extrajudicial killings that African-Americans often endured in Alabama from the Reconstruction era up until the late 20th century. Part of the larger “remembrance project” based out of Montgomery, this exhibit was largely curated and produced by the History Department at Auburn University.
Join us for this very informative and interesting presentation on April 23rd. To attend this virtual meeting email ccpowers02@gmail.com prior to 12:00 PM noon (EDT) on Sunday, April 23rd. You will then be sent the Zoom link with instructions regarding how to join the meeting.