Archival collections sometimes tell stories beyond those on their face. Archivists talk about collections found in attics or on roadsides, and some collections have had narrow escapes from destruction.
The Bill Church Collection (record group 101) is one of those. A long-time Dothan resident, Mr. Church was chatting with a workman burning debris from a…
This 1941 photograph shows the first two graduates of the new 12th grade curriculum offered at Columbia High School in Columbia, Alabama, Mabel Weems (16) and Euffie Weems (18). The story of both their family and their journey to complete 12th grade is worth knowing.
The African American side of the Weems Family of Columbia,…
Life in early-twentieth-century rural communities was very different – and far more informally personal – than life today. We can see this when we compare our business activities with those of Dr. Curtis Espy of Midland City, Alabama.
Dr. Espy was a well-known physician and business owner. He was born in Abbeville in 1876, graduated…