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United States | North America | World
Capital Montgomery
Area 51,705 sq mi
133,915 sq km
Population
(2000 census) 4,447,100
Major Cities
(2000 census) Birmingham (242,820), Montgomery (201,568),
Mobile (198,915), Huntsville (158,216),
Tuscaloosa (77,906)
Major Rivers Mobile, Alabama, Tombigbee, Tennessee, Coosa, Tallapoosa, Black Warrior, Chattahoochee
Highest Point Cheaha Mtn.
2,405 feet
733 meters
Industry paper products, lumber and wood products, chemicals, textiles, mining, food products, clothing
Agriculture chickens, beef cattle, greenhouse and nursery products, eggs, milk, peanuts, cotton, vegetables, soybeans
Minerals and Resources forests, coal, natural gas, petroleum, crushed stone, limestone

Historic Figures -2

Rosa Parks
1913?Present: Civil rights activist; born in Tuskagee, Ala. After briefly attending Alabama State University, she married and settled in Montgomery, Ala., where by 1955 she was working as a tailor's assistant in a department store. Contrary to most early portrayals of her as merely a poor, tired seamstress, who on the spur of the moment refused to surrender her seat in a bus to a white passenger, she had long been a community activist - she had served as secretary of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and she had worked for the Union of Sleeping Car Porters. She had also been involved in previous incidents when refusing to leave a bus seat. By forcing the police to remove, arrest, and imprison her on this occasion, and then agreeing to become a test case of segregation ordinances, she played a deliberate role in instigating the Montgomery bus boycott (1955--56). She was fired from her job at the department store and in 1957 she became a youth worker in Detroit, Mich. As she eventually earned recognition as the "midwife" or "mother" of the civil rights revolution, she became a sought-after speaker nationally. In 1999, Parks received the Congressional Gold Medal from President Clinton.
Jesse Owens
1913-80: Track and field athlete; born in Danville, Ala. After setting records as a schoolboy athlete in Cleveland, he attended Ohio State University; on one day (May 25, 1935), he set three world records and tied another in the span of about an hour. (His 26 feet 81/4 inch running broad jump was not broken until 1960.) At the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany, he disproved for the world Adolf Hitler's proclamation of "Aryan supremacy" by achieving the finest one-day performance in track history with four gold medals (100 meters, 200 meters, 4ױ00 meters, running broad jump); Hitler left the stadium to avoid having to congratulate an African-American. Although he gained worldwide publicity for his feat, back in the U.S.A. he gained few financial or social benefits and was reduced to running "freak" races against horses and dogs. After graduating from Ohio State (1937) he went into private business before becoming secretary of the Illinois Athletic Commission (until 1955). He made a goodwill tour of India for the U.S. State Department and attended the 1956 Olympics as President Eisenhower's personal representative. He returned to Illinois to direct youth sports activities for the Illinois Youth Commission. In a belated gesture of national recognition, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1976.15*50

Historic Figures - 1

Hank Aaron
1934-Present: Baseball player and executive, born in Mobile, Alabama, USA. Baseball's all-time homerun king, he played 23 years as an outfielder for the Milwaukee (later Atlanta) Braves and Milwaukee Brewers (1954--76). He holds many of baseball's most distinguished records, including most lifetime runs batted in (2,297), most years with 30 or more homeruns (15), and most career homeruns (755). Breaking the latter record, baseball's most venerable since Babe Ruth retired with 714 homeruns in 1935, was both a triumph and a trial for Aaron. He was besieged by the media and badgered by racist letter-writers who resented Aaron breaking Ruth's record. A complete player whose skills were never fully appreciated until he broke the record in 1974, Aaron was voted the National League Most Valuable Player only once (1957). After retiring as a player, he moved into the Atlanta Braves front office as executive vice-president, where he has been a leading spokesperson for minority hiring in baseball. Nicknamed, "Hammerin' Henry,' he was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame in 1982. His autobiography, I Had a Hammer, was published in 1990.
Ralph Abernathy
1926-90: Baptist clergyman, civil rights activist; born in Linden, Ala. An early civil rights organizer and leading confidante of Martin Luther King Jr., he was pastor of the West Hunter Street Baptist Church in Atlanta, Ga. throughout his civil rights career (1961--90). He was King's chosen successor as head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) (1968--77). Although he was a competent leader, the SCLC never regained the influence it had under King. He resigned the SCLC leadership to run unsuccessfully for Andrew Young's congressional seat (1977). Turning away from the civil rights movement, he devoted his attention to the West Hunter Street Baptist Church and the issues of worldwide peace.

alabama in history

alabama in history
General State History
Spanish explorers are believed to have arrived at Mobile Bay in 1519, and the territory was visited in 1540 by the explorer Hernando de Soto. The first permanent European settlement in Alabama was founded by the French at Fort Louis de la Mobile in 1702. The British gained control of the area in 1763 by the Treaty of Paris, but had to cede almost all the Alabama region to the U.S. after the American Revolution. The Confederacy was founded at Montgomery in February 1861 and, for a time, the city was the Confederate capital.

Alabama

fish in alabama

usa - alabama - Huntsville

USA, Alabama, Huntsville

The University of Alabama

The University of Alabama is a major, comprehensive, student-centered research university founded in 1831 as Alabama’s first public college. Dedicated to excellence in teaching, research and service, we provide a creative, nurturing campus environment where our students can become the best individuals possible … learn from the best and brightest faculty … and make a positive difference in the community, the state and the world.
The University of Alabama

Mobile

Mobile Alabama is a lively and lovely city on the Gulf of Mexico. Mobile has been a major seaport and shipbuilding center for centuries. They’ve been celebrating Mardi Gras in Mobile for 60+ years longer than New Orleans, so they know how to have a good time here. The seafood is fresh, the fish are jumping, and the water’s fine in Mobile Bay.
There’s a lot to see and do by boat in Mobile Alabama. Boat tours of the river delta give visitors a chance to see lovely birds and fearsome ‘gators. The Southern Belle gives a leisurely tour of the Fowler River, courtesy of Alabama Cruises, and a tour on the Delta QueeN steam-powered paddleboat is a ride on a national historic landmark. Delta Outdoor Guides & Airboat Tours help visitors explore Mobile Bay, the Tensaw River and the surrounding swamps.
For chartered fishing, dolphin spotting tours and sunset cruises, you could do much worse than Capt. Mike Thierry’s Deep Sea Fishing. For a look at some living U.S. maritime history go and tour the USS Alabama, moored near Fort Conde. This WW II battleship survived 9 pitched sea battles with nary a scratch.
Mobile has some nice parks in its vicinity. The Meaher State Park is a wetlands preserve with a boardwalk from which to observe local wildlife. Chickasabogue Park is an 1,100-acre multi-use outdoor recreation facility that has trails for hiking and biking, RV and tent campsites and fishing, swimming and canoeing opportunities in the Chickasaw River.
Mobile Alabama is the Azalea Capital of the World, and in a place where they take their flowers seriously the Bellingrath Gardens & Home should come as no surprise; but it does. A riot of color blazes across the 65 acres of flowers here, which don’t confine themselves to the gorgeous gardens, but find purchase all over these lovely grounds.

Montgomery

Alabama’s capital, Montgomery, has seen its fair share of turmoil. It was here that Jefferson Davis took the oath to become the “President” of the “Confederate States of America”. A century later it was here that Rosa Parks made a stand against racial discrimination. Today Montgomery is quite a lot quieter, and is working hard to shed its reputation for social backwardness through a respectful acknowledgement of its struggle and a variety of 1st class cultural amenities.
The 1st White House of the Confederacy has been historically preserved along with various artifacts from the Davis family, and is open for guided tours. The Rosa Parks Library & Museum chronicles the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955, which some regard as the most important American civil rights protest since the civil war. The Civil Rights Memorial in front of the Southern Poverty Law Center honors 40 martyrs of the cause.
Montgomery is rightfully proud of some of its late celebrity residents. The Hank Williams Museum features music, video, and exhibits on this country music legend. The F. Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald Museum is the former home of the great American novelist, the couple met in Montgomery when F. Scott was stationed here in WW I.
Sports enthusiasts have some interesting options in Montgomery Alabama. Golfers have a number of courses to choose from. The challenging, water-hazard dotted course at Lagoon Park is a favorite, as are the 3 Robert Trent Jones Golf Trails. Montgomery Motor Sports Park is a NHRA approved speedway that offers year-round drag racing and “Street Wars” on Friday nights that allow anyone to be a racecar driver. Montgomery Skate Park is the city’s only skateboarding park, and features a 5’ mini ramp, excellent street course and weekly BMX sessions.
The Alabama Shakespeare Festival is held in Montgomery at Blount Cultural Park; this highly acclaimed festival is one of the worlds largest and is the only American theater invited to fly the Royal Shakespeare Company Flag. Montgomery AL is home to the Montgomery Biscuits Minor League Baseball Team.

Birmingham

Birmingham is the largest city in the state of Alabama, and is known more for its troubled past with regards to civil rights than it is for its current urbanity and diversity. Today Birmingham is a visitor friendly city with a great deal to offer any traveler. There are museums, performing arts and athletic events courtesy of the University of Alabama (go Razorbacks!), as well as outdoor adventure both in a around the city.
There are many fascinating attractions to enjoy in Birmingham Alabama. The city’s struggle for (and against) equality and progress can be examined at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, which has audio, visual and interpretive exhibits on the subject. The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame pays tribute to musical legends like Dinah Washington, Nat King Cole and Duke Ellington. A visit to Birmingham’s Vulcan Park will bring visitors face to foot with the country’s 2nd largest statue, that of the Roman god of the forge, the titular Vulcan. A trip to this fiery deity’s crown provides great views of the city from 180 feet above the park. An especially remarkable attraction in Birmingham is the Ave Maria Grotto, where the late monk Brother Joseph Zoetl reconstructed more than 125 famous and sacred buildings in painstakingly detailed miniature on the grounds of Alabama’s only Benedictine monastery. The replicas in this 4-acre park include the tower of Pisa, St. Peter’s Basilica and the entire city of Jerusalem.
Outdoor enthusiasts have an interesting variety of activities to choose from in and around Birmingham Alabama. The Ruffner Mountain Nature Center lies right in the heart of the city. Formerly the location of some of the city’s major mines and quarries, this 1,000+-acre nature center now provides visitors with 11 miles of hiking trails and bird watching opportunities. Relatively nearby Oak State Park is the largest State Park in Alabama. It has 131 campsites, hiking and biking trail and a lake for boating and water sports. Desoto Caverns Park is only 36 miles from Birmingham. The park has rides, games and 250 feet of climbing wall above, and a 12 story deep cave below that’s wider than a football field and covered in 1,000’s of eye-popping rock and mineral formations.
Some Native Americans used the Desoto Caverns near Birmingham Alabama as a burial site. The remains of one of the men buried there suggested he was over 7 feet tall.

Lewis Smith Lake

Lewis Smith Lake, located just an hour north of Birmingham is a northern Alabama fishing paradise. This 21,200-acre lake has depths of more than 200 feet and over 500 miles of shoreline. Fish are plentiful here.
The number of largemouth bass and spotted bass in Lewis Smith Lake is extremely good. The amount of 5 year-old largemouth bass and 4 year-old spotted bass continues to increase according to fish collections by the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division. Because young bass are to be too abundant, anglers are asked to keep bass less than 13 inches long in order to encourage the growth of the remaining bass.
Smith Lake is known among Alabama lakes for being home to huge striped bass. Fish in the 40+ pound range have been caught, and it’s only a matter of time before a record breaking 50-pounder is caught, perhaps buy a vacationing angler out to grab a little glory out on Alabama’s Lewis Smith Lake.

Huntsville

Huntsville Alabama became a national center for Aerospace research in the 1950’s when German scientists were relocated there to aid the United States Army with its rocket research. Huntsville celebrates this identity with the Von Braun Civic Center and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, a combination science museum and theme park. But there’s more to Huntsville than out-of-this-world adventure; there’s plenty of out-of-the-doors adventure here as well.
Monte Sano State Park is just south of downtown Huntsville, and has great hiking trails that lead to excellent mountain views. Monte Sano is also ideal for campers with 14 cabins for rent and 89 campsites, but reservations are required ((256) 534-3757). Madison County Lake, 15 miles northeast of Huntsville, is a 105-acre recreational spot with facilities for picnicking and public fishing (license required). Call (256) 379-2868 to make a reservation. Cathedral Caverns State Park is 40 miles east of Huntsville and features breath-taking stalagmite “forests” studded with 220 million year-old fossils of ancient sea-life. Canoeing enthusiasts may enjoy a relaxing trip down the Flint River.

The Shoals

The area along the Tennessee River in Alabama called The Shoals is actually make up of 4 separate cities: Florence, Sheffield, Tuscumbia and Muscle Shoals. The Shoals are primarily known for their rich American music tradition and the water-based activities that abound there, particularly on the Tennessee River, with its 37 miles of Muscle Shoal Rapids, and in fishing spots like Pickwick, Wilson and Wheeler lakes.
The Alabama Music Hall of Fame, whose inductees include producer Sam Phillips, R&B legend Wilson Pickett and New York Metro Opera soprano Rachel Mathis, evidences the former. Other area attractions include the Tennessee Valley Art Center in Tuscumbia, with its permanent aboriginal petroglyph exhibits, and Ivy Green, the birthplace of Helen Keller museum, also in Tuscumbia.

Orange Beach and Gulf Shore

Alabama’s Orange Beach and the Gulf Shore in the Gulf of Mexico are two of the most gorgeous vacation spots in the south. The beaches there are 95% quartz, the waters are clear and blue, and Orange Beach has the largest charter fishing fleet Alabama with 88 listed boats. Saltwater anglers can reel in enormous Marlin and Red Snapper while sailors sail, divers dive and dinner-cruisers cruise.
The beaches in and around Orange Beach and Gulf Shore are fantastic. Roma Beach is easy to access for a short stroll or picnic, and there’s limited free parking. Gulf Shore Public Beach is the place for sunbathing, volleyball and beach-bars. Alabama Point is a picture perfect beach with 6,000 feet of wide, high-dune beach with a 225-ft. boardwalk.
There are more than 15 marinas in the Orange Beach/Gulf Shore area. They offer a variety of boating services, including Jet Ski and Hobiecat rentals, transients and wet-slips, and more. Bear Point Marina, Orange Beach Marina, Inc. and SanRoc Cay are only a few of the many choices.
There are a number of parks to enjoy in the Orange Beach/Gulf Shore area. Waterfront Park is a modest but pretty family park on Wolf Bay with playgrounds, picnic areas and a 400-ft. fishing pier. Gulf State Park’s 6,000 acres contain 2 ½ miles of beaches, nature trails and 900-acre Shelby Lake, where swimming, boating and freshwater fishing are the names of the games. Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge has 6,200-acres of forest and coastline with beaches, trails and excellent fishing in Gator Lake and the nearby lagoon to offer its visitors, as well as a chance to see large migratory birds from April to October. The park is open year round from dawn to dusk and admission is free.
Orange Beach Alabama is home to the annual Orange Beach Red Snapper World Championship, courtesy of the Orange Beach Fishing Association ((251) 981-2300).

Alabama Beaches and Lakes

There are few places in the American south that can match Alabama for fun on and in the water. Pictures of Alabama beaches don’t do them justice; Alabama beaches are some of the best on the east coast, from the sparkling quartz sands of Orange Beach, with its 225-foot long boardwalk, to the fishing spots on Dauphin Island Pier, where the waters team with sheephead, mackerel and flounder. Anglers know that Alabama lakes are nothing to sneeze at either, especially those who’ve reeled in a 30-pound striped bass from Lake Lewis Smith, and Alabama maps of the Shoals are chock-full of lakes, creeks and rivers enjoyed by thousands of visitors every year.

Historic Mill

The tranquil pace of life in Monroe County, Alabama, has nurtured some notable literary figures. Harper Lee and Truman Capote have called the county home.