History fans invited to annual conference

Published 2:30 pm Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Those interested in learning more about local history are invited to join the Alabama Association of Historians and Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area for a series of presentations this weekend.

The fun begins Friday with a free keynote address from Matthew Downs, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and associate professor of history at the University of Mobile. Downs will present “Power for the People: Muscle Shoals, the Tennessee Valley Authority and the South’s New Deal” starting 7 p.m. Friday in the GUC Performance Center on the University of North Alabama campus in Florence. 

On Saturday, sessions begin at 9 a.m. and continue throughout the day. Each session is free and open to the public, though there is a charge for meals. Visit www.alabamaassochistorians.org/events to purchase tickets for the 6 p.m. dinner Friday or noon lunch Saturday.

The weekend conference doubles as the AAH’s annual meeting. MSNHA, which is cosponsoring the event, is part of a National Park Service program and covers six northwest Alabama counties, including Limestone County. 

“While this is the association’s annual meeting, it’s also a chance for the public to hear presentations and discussions on various historical topics,” said AAH president and MSNHA director Carrie Crawford. “We want people to attend our Friday night keynote address and our Saturday sessions so they can learn about the significant and valuable historical research happening throughout the state.”

Saturday schedule

The following sessions are scheduled for Saturday:

• 9–10:15 a.m. in GUC Performance Center — “Miss Jennie Moxley’s Memory String: A Reconstruction Story,” presented by independent scholar Frances Robb; “From Alabama to Algeria and Beyond: The World War II Photography of Major Edwin D. Burwell Jr.,” presented by Caroline Gibbons of the University of Alabama in Huntsville Special Collection & Archives and Dudley Burwell of Dudley Burwell Consulting; “Commemorating a ‘Hero’ With a Highway: The Jackson Highway as a Cautionary Tale in Public History,” presented by Martin Olliff of Troy University;

• 9–10:15 a.m. in GUC Classroom — “Integrating Museums into History Education,” presented by Brian Murphy of the Florence Indian Mound Museum, Ana Peeples of Riverhill School and Anna Mullican of Oakville Indian Mounds Museum and Education Center;

• 10:30–11:45 a.m. in GUC Performance Center — “Finding and Documenting Birmingham’s Queer History Sites,” presented by Jim Baggett of Birmingham Public Library Archives, and “The Invisible Histories Project,” presented by Joshua Bufford and Maigen Sullivan of The Invisible Histories Project;

• 10:30–11:45 a.m. in GUC Classroom — “Dr. Richard D. Morrison, NASA and the Transformation of Black Higher Education in Space Age Huntsville, Alabama,” presented by Brian C. Odom of NASA Marshall Space Flight Center; “In Their Own Words: The Shoals’ Reaction to Brown v Board,” presented by Allie Roberts of UNA; “From Empire to Republic: MacArthur’s Construction of a Democratic Japan,” presented by Aidan McKay of the University of Montevallo;

• Noon–1 p.m. in GUC Performance Center — “Why Local History is Important and How to Document It,” presented by Hannah Garmon, Alabama Historical Commission 

• 1:15–2:30 p.m. in GUC Performance Center — “Dixieland: The Lost Colony of T.B. Larimore,” presented by John Young of the University of Alabama; “Love, Mercy, Peace & Truth: The Spiritual Qualities of T.B. Larimore,” presented by Nathan Guy of Mars Hill Bible School; “The 1897 Larimore-Spiegel Exchange in its Original and Contemporary Contexts,” presented by independent scholar Chris Cotton;

• 1:15–2:30 p.m. in GUC Classroom — “The Defining of the African-American Community in Alabama,” presented by Justin Rudder of Alabama Department of Archives and History; “A Brief History of the Spiritual,” presented by Thomas Reid of the University of Montevallo; “Signal Mountain, Tennessee Lore: The Conner Toll House and Walden’s Ridge Historical Association,” presented by Stefanie M. Haire of Middle Tennessee State University;

• 2:45–4 p.m. in GUC Performance Center — “John Melish (1771-1822) Maker of Important Early Alabama Maps,” presented by independent scholar David Robb; “Folk History Surrounding Alabama Waters,” presented by Sara Walley of the University of Montevallo; “Fort Powell: The Forgotten Story of a Sand Fortification at Mobile Bay,” presented by Kayla Scott of Alabama Department of Archives and History;

• 2:45–4 p.m. in GUC Classroom — “Georgian Papers Programme: Engaging the Community and Kids in Database Creation and Development,” a roundtable discussion featuring UNA Professor of History Jeffrey Bibbee, Becky Pickle of Florence Freshman Center, Kim Burney of Russellville, Brandon White of Coffman and Stephanie McCrary of Decatur.

This schedule is subject to change. Visit the AAH website for more information.