Found In Florence--Florence, Alabama, That Is

Some of the most charming people and interesting sites can be found in the small cities and towns of the United States. Such is the case with Florence, Alabama (888-FLO-TOUR; www.flo-tour.org). Founded in 1818 on the banks of the Tennessee River in the Northwest corner of Alabama there is actually Florence, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, Tuscumbia, and two counties, Lauderdale and Colbert. These comprise the Shoals area. You'll find lots of contrasts in the city of Florence. Take the downtown architecture for example--from antebellum mansions and Grand Victorians to Art Deco buildings and Federal-style townhouse, homes ordered from a Sears and Roebuck Catalog. While the buildings tell one story, the true history of Florence and the Shoals started more than 10,000 years ago when Native Americans inhabited the area.

And, you can check out some of evidence of the original Native culture still today at the ancient Florence Indian Mound (256-760-6427). It is considered to be the largest domiciliary mound in the Tennessee Valley Region. The rectangular, flat-topped mound measures 42 feet high and 310-by-230 feet, and the summit measures approximately 145 by 94 feet. This mound, “Wawmanona,” was built as early as 500 A.D., predating Columbus by 1,000 years. It is is thought to have been a place for ceremonies and other tribal exercises. An educational museum, located at the base of the mound, houses authentic artifacts dating back thousands of years

The area also hosts the Trail of Tears Motorcycle Ride (www.al-tn-trailoftears.org) takes place annually. In 1830 the Indian Removal Act called for the Indians in the eastern United States be moved to Oklahoma. Soldiers forced some 17,000 Cherokees out of their homes in a removal that became known as the “Trail of Tears.” Many died along the 230-mile journey, that followed what is now U.S. Highway 72. The Town of Waterloo hosts the “Trail of Tears Commemoration and Motorcycle Ride” the third weekend of each September to honor Native Americans and to educate people about the Trail of Tears history. The motorcycle journey follows much of the Cherokee’s route from Ross’ Landing to Waterloo. When the bikers get to Waterloo, there are Native American crafters, demonstrators, dancers and powwows. The first ride, in 1994, started with eight motorcycles; now there are more than 100,000 motorcycles.

The Edith Newman Memorial Museum (256-767-6081 ) features Native American artifacts, Civil War relics and the heritage of Waterloo, one of Alabama’s oldest incorporated towns. The museum was home to Union soldier Joseph Marion Newman of Ohio and his bride Sarah Long in 1918. Years later Newman's granddaughter, Edith Newman Culver, inherited the house. She and her husband, Ezra Lee Culver, gave the house to the City of Waterloo in 1995 to be used as a museum.

There's also a deep musical history in Florence and the surrounding areas. There's The Alabama Music Hall of Fame (see previous blog) and the W.C. Handy Birthplace, Museum & Library (256-760-6434), the birth house of one of the world's most important musicians, W.C. Handy. Born in the small log cabin on November 16, 1873, he went on to be known as the Father of the Blues. The museum houses the most complete collection in the world of Handy’s personal papers and artifacts. And a 1,447-square-foot building has been added to the property to contain the items Handy left to the museum after his death in 1958. This is also the site of the annual W.C. Handy Festival, held every November 16.

On the architectural side, one must visit is the Frank Lloyd Wright Rosenbaum House (256-740-8899; http://www.wrightinalabama.com) In 1939, Stanley Rosenbaum commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to design his first home as a gift for his bride, Mildred. Now, Frank Lloyd Wright’s usonian-style Rosenbaum House, is a National Historic Property. The house is the only Frank Lloyd Wright structure in the state of Alabama and one of 26 pre-World War II Usonian houses in the United States. The L-shaped house was constructed of all natural materials such as cypress, brick and glass.

Another home of historic note is the Helen Keller Birthplace—Ivy Green (256-383-4066; http://www.helenkellerbirthplace.org/ or http://www.helenkellerfestival.com). Keller was born in Tuscumbia at an estate referred to as Ivy Green, which was built in 1820. The home survived the Civil War and has been maintained to the smallest detail. Ivy Green is also the site of the “Miracle Worker Play,” held each June and July and Helen Keller Festival, held annually the last weekend in June.

As you can see, there is plenty to do in Florence. Find Florence for yourself.

EVENTS...If you find yourself in Detroit on April 29, check out the 2nd Annual Robert S. Shumake Relays at Martin Luther King High School at 8:00 am. Sanctioned by the U.S. Track and Field Association, it will host a bevy of Mid-West High School students competing for individual and team trophies and college scholarships. And business and community leaders have joined together for the event; among the sponsors are Comerica, Inheritance Investment Group, the Freedom Institute, and the UNCF-Detroit Branch. Visit http://www.shumakerelays.com/ for more information.

TRAVEL TIPS...Looking for a good travel and or history read? Here area a few good picks: Post-Bellum, Pre-Harlem: Rethinking African American Literature and Culture, 1877-1919 (New York University Press, June 2006) edited by Caroline Gebhard and Barbara McCaskill, it offers fresh perspectives on the literary and cultural achievements of African Americans during this period; Your Negro Tour Guide:Truths in Black and White (Emmis Books; Jan. 2006) by Kathy Y. Wilson is a bold perspectives on urban living, race, scandal, trends and humanity; Civility in the City: Blacks, Jews, and Koreans in Urban America (Harvard University Press; Jan. 2006) by Jennifer Lee. University of California-Irvine sociology professor Lee examines the relationship between African-American, Korean and Jewish store owners and their black customers in New York and Philadelphia; Rough Guide To Egypt 6 (Rough Guides; Dec. 2005) by Dan Richardson, Daniel Jacobs, Michael Kohn, Michael Ackroyd, and Ros Ford, this is a fun comprehensive guide to the oldest tourist destination in the world; Nashville: Then & Now (Thunder Bay Press; Nov. 2005) by Katrina McDaniel gives the history in word and pics of the city now known as the Country Music Capital of the World; Traveler's Guide to Mexican Camping (Rolling Homes Press) by Mike and Terri Church has been called the "best book ever written for RV travelers in Mexico"; We Are Iran: The Persian Blogs (Soft Skull Press; 2005) by Nasin Alavi, about Iran by the people. One of the bloggers was sentenced to 14 years in jail in Feb.; Switching gears, shopaholics will love Cool Shops Los Angeles (Te Neues Publishing; Sept. 2005) edited by Karin Mahle and Katharina Feuer; Airline Design (Te Neues Publishing; Dec. 2005) by Peter Delius is a surprisingly fascinating look at how airlines have changed over the decades; speaking of airlines, get the real skinny about air travel from insiders in Travel Tales from the Flight Crew: The Plane Truth at 35,000 Feet (Impact Publications; 2005) by A. Frank Steward, fun but fact-filled; The Lonely Planet The Blue List, 2006-2007, captures the world's hottest trends, destinations and experiences and sets the travel agenda for the year ahead.