History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume II, Part 64

Author: Owen, Thomas McAdory, 1866-1920; Owen, Marie (Bankhead) Mrs. 1869-
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 724

USA > Alabama > History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume II > Part 64

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REFERENCES .- Gibson, Report on the geological structure of Murphree's Valley (Geol. Survey of Ala. Special report 4, 1893) ; McCalley, Val- ley regions of Alabama, pt. 2, Coosa Valley (Ibid 9, 1897) ; Armes, Story of coal and iron

in Alabama (1910), see index; Northern Ala- bama (1888), p. 108; George Powell, History of Blount County, 1855.

MUSCADINE. Post office and station on the Southern Railway, in the eastern part of Cleburne County, about 2 miles from the Georgia Line, about 4 miles east of Fruit- hurst, and on the west bank of Tallapoosa River. Population: 1910-130.

It is in the fruit growing region of the county, especially noted for its grapes, hence its name.

REFERENCE .- Manuscript data in the Alabama Department of Archives and History.

MUSCLE SHOALS. A section of the Ten- nessee River that extends from the head of Brown's Island to the river bridge connecting Colbert and Lauderdale Counties, a distance of 36 miles, in which distance the river has a fall of 131 feet. Practically a complete barrier to navigation has been formed by a succession of reefs and shoals. In places the slope is as much as 15 feet to the mile and there are currents in excess of 10 miles per hour. Big Muscle Shoals, Elk River Shoals, Nancy Reef, and Little Muscle Shoals, are included in this section. Big Muscle Shoals, nearly midway of the section, where the greater part, about 14 miles, of the fall is concentrated, was entirely unnavigable.

By an act of Congress, 1828, a grant was made of 400,000 acres of public land to the state of Alabama. This land was to be sold and the proceeds to be applied to the im- provement of the Muscle Shoals and the Col- bert Shoals in the Tennessee River.

The construction of a lateral canal, 6 feet in depth, 42 feet in width, with 17 locks, 120 feet long, 32 feet wide, and of 5 feet lift, with 6 feet of water on sills, on the right bank of the river covering the entire Muscle Shoals section was contemplated by the state in 1834 in the original plan of improvement. It was to cover the length of Big Muscle Shoals, but it left unimproved a length of the river both above and below the canal. This unimproved section was difficult, dan- gerous and very often impracticable of navi- gation, therefore the canal was not used for commercial purposes and soon fell into decay.

Congress, in 1873, made provisions for the restoration and reconstruction of this canal. Major Walter McFarland, corps of engineers, submitted in 1872 the following project: the building of a larger canal at an estimated cost of $4,000,000, the locks to be 300 feet long, 70 feet wide, 100 feet wide at bottom, and the navigable depth to be 6 feet. Three canals were proposed along the north bank of the river, the first, around Elk River Shoals, was to have 3 lift locks and 2 guard locks; the second or Big Muscle Shoals divi- sion, 17 locks; and the third, Little Muscle Shoals division, 3 lift locks and 2 guard locks. Work was to commence in 1875.

This report was modified in 1877 by the report of Major W. R. King, corps of engi- neers. His proposition was, the improving of Little Muscle Shoals by spur dams and rock

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excavation and the reduction from 17 to 9 of the locks in the Big Muscle Shoals division.

. These plans were adopted as the cost of work was far less than the plan of Major McFarland. The work was begun and was carried out under various contracts.

In 1890 the canal was completed at a total cost of $3,191,726.50 and since then the maintenance of the canal has cost an average of $600,000 per year. This is the canal now in operation in the Muscle Shoals district.

In 1889, under special order 83, issued by the war department, a board of engineers was directed to make an examination and report on the improvement of the Little Muscle Shoals. A canal from near lock 9 to the city of Florence was recommended. This work would cost about $3,000,000. The recom- mendation of the board was approved but the canal was not constructed. In 1907, by an- other special order of the war department, a board of engineers was again directed to examine the condition of the improvements with a view to permitting the improvements by private or corporate agency. The board reported that this reach of the river "can- not advisedly be improved by means of not more than three locks and dams."

The board was reconvened on May 9, 1908, for the purpose of securing additional in- formation with regard to the natural fea- tures of Muscle Shoals section and to look into the offer of the Muscle Shoals Hydro- Electric Power company. The offer of this corporation was not accepted.

Another investigation was made by a board of engineers in 1911 but no improvements were made.

Two nitrate plants were constructed near Sheffield and Tuscumbia in 1917 when the United States entered the World War, $20,- 000,000 being appropriated by Congress. Nitrate plant No. 1 was unable to operate as the machinery was never installed prop- erly. Plant No. 2 was completed in 1918 and manufactured ammonia nitrate by cyan- imid process. On February 28, 1918, Presl- dent Wilson under authority of section 124 of the defense act, issued a letter to the secretary of war authorizing the construction of dam and power house No. 2 at Little Muscle Shoals for the purpose of furnishing power to the nitrate plant. He also author- ized that $13,385,000 the available balance from the $20,000,000 be used for this pur- pose. Dam No. 2, better known as "Wilson Dam" was to be constructed in co-operation with the Muscle Shoals hydro-electric power company. It was also planned to make a canal from the Wilson Dam to the river bridge and to build another dam to be known as Dam No. 3 with lock on the right bank and power house on the left bank. In Feb- ruary, 1921, a bill was up before congress for the appropriation of $10,000,000 for con- tinuing work on Wilson Dam. On the last day of the 66th congress this bill failed to pass the house.

REFERENCES .- Montgomery Advertiser, Feb- ruary 26, March 4, 1921, and article of Walter F. Miller, in Montgomery Advertiser, March 3, 1921.

MUSCLE SHOALS VILLAGES. Three Cherokee villages located along the Tennes- see River. (1) In 1780 one of these stood a few miles above the head of Muscle Shoals, on the south side of the river. (2) Another in 1787, stood at the foot of the shoals, on the same side of the river. It consisted of a few cabins only. (3) The largest, in 1798, stood at the shoals on the south side of the river, along the banks and about the mouth of Town Creek. It extended southwardly from the shoals about a mile and a half and for some distance up and down the river. Doublehead and Katagiskee were its chiefs.

REFERENCES .- O. D. Street, in Alabama His- tory Commission, Report (1901), vol. 1, p. 419; Haywood, Civil History of Tennessee (Reprint, 1891), pp. 103, 231; Bureau of American Eth- nology, Fifth annual report (1887), p. 272.

MUSEUMS. Organized institutions, planned to bring systematically together, arrange, catalogue, and properly display with well or- dered labels, for educational and instructive purposes, groups of objects of scientific, his- torical, literary, and educational interest.

There are only six organized museums in the State, though there are a number of smaller groups of objects which have been brought together and are displayed in cases or other- wise, which are worthy of attention. Sev- eral groups or collections of special objects and materials are in the hands of private collectors, and while not Museums in broad terms, should be noted in connection with this subject.

Museum, Alabama Department of Archives and History .- The museum of this depart- ment is housed in the State Capitol, and while much of it is in storage on account of the lack of space available for exhibition purposes, groups of war relics, fire arms, swords, pistols, archaeological objects, pioneer relics, old books, and manuscripts, personal relics of an historical character, flags, uni- forms, Colonial and Revolutionary items, and natural history specimens are shown in the twenty-seven display cases arranged in the House of Representatives.

On display are, among other things, the breech-block of the one piece of ordnance brought to America by DeSoto in 1539; Rev- olutionary relics of Captain William Bibb, father of the first Governor; pioneer relics of various of the early families settled in the state; personal relics of William Weather- ford and other well known Indians; groups of fire arms, illustrating types from the blunderbuss down to the current army rifles; a large collection of swords of officers who participated in the War of 1836, the Mex- ican War of 1846-47, War of Secession, and the Spanish-American War. Other items are, flags of most of the Alabama Regiments who participated in the War of Secession, some of which were captured and returned by the United States War Department, others of which have been returned from northern Museums. A representative collection of the uniforms worn in the Mexican War, War of Secession, and Spanish-American War, as well

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as college, military schools, and State Militia types.

The Archaeological group is not surpassed in the whole country so far as objects from the given state are concerned. This collection includes the Beasley collection, the Burke col- lection, and other private collections, as well as having deposited with it the Alabama An- thropological Society's objects. There are about 75,000 individual objects in the lot.

Another group is old currency, broken bank bills, Confederate bills, and philatelic items.

A lately added feature of the collection is the natural history group, comprising more than 175 native birds mounted on rustic stands, and some twenty-five animals native to the State. More than fifty snakes and amphibians are preserved in formaldehyde. These are displayed in appropriate cases and it is intended to bring together sufficient num- bers to form group collections.

As space permits it is the purpose to bring together collections of all grains, grasses, woods, fruits, and all botanical and economic items which have to do with the life history of the State.

It is estimated that there are more than one hundred thousand items in the collection, but these include some of the manuscripts of an historical interest, which for conven- ience are deposited in the library of the De- partment, but, however, strictly belong to the Museum.

Museum, Geological Survey. The museum of the Survey is housed in Smith Hall, at the State University, is immediately under the jurisdiction of the State Geologist, Dr. Eugene A. Smith, and includes collections, for the most part, of geological, conchological and archaeological items, together with the fauna of the State.

The collection of shells is said to be the largest in the Southern States, and was brought together principally through the generosity of Mr. Truman H. Aldrich, long an interested student and collector of Bir- mingham. Some years since, Mr. Aldrich presented his collection to the Survey, and this forms the basis of other large groups. The late Herbert H. Smith, at the time of his death in 1918, Curator of the Museum, added materially to the collection by his work on the Coosa, Black Warrior, and Tombigbee Rivers, and the collection of fresh water shells is not surpassed in the entire country.

Other items in the collection are, about one hundred birds, several hundred amphib- ians, a small, but highly representative col- lection of archaeological objects, and a com- plete group of geological specimens. Dr. Smith in his work as State Geologist, since 1873, has brought together a comprehensive collection, illustrative of that feature of the State history which is not exceeded by any in the whole country.

Museum, Alabama Polytechnic Institute .- Occupying rooms in the main administrative building of the Institute, is not open to the public except on special occasions. It is gen-

eral in character, not confining its collections to Alabama material.

No official is directly in charge of the col- lections, the administration being under the President of the College. The collections in- clude Aboriginal relics, from Alabama, Mis- sissippi, Florida, and West Virginia, and New Mexico; Confederate relics; African, Philip- pine and Asiatic items; casts and miscellane- ous objects, and are displayed in sixteen large pyramidal cases.

Museum, Birmingham Public Schools .- In the high school of the city of Birmingham is displayed a small representative group of aboriginal objects together with some miscel- laneous items, which have been brought to- gether for instructive purposes, for the use of students of the school. The collection does not claim any pretentions, but is an inter- esting one.

Museum, St. Bernard College, Cullman .- In connection with the institution, and oc- cupying one of the buildings of the college, is maintained a Museum, for historical and educational instruction. The collection is growing, and is being added to materially, there being forty individual contributors dur- ing the year 1920. These contributions in- clude World War relics, coins, natural history specimens, aboriginal relics, ores, etc.

Museum, Spring Hill College .- There is maintained at Spring Hill College, for educa- tional purposes, a Museum in connection with the institution, in which especial attention has been paid to the fauna of south Alabama. A large collection of amphibians and reptiles is included.

See Collectors and Collections, Private.

REFERENCES .- Mss. data in Alabama Depart- ment Archives and History.

MUSICAL ORGANIZATIONS. Volunteer social and educational associations, organized for the encouragement of interest in music and for mutual improvement by study and conference. They include music clubs, col- lege glee clubs, county or town music asso- ciations, harmonic societies, and associations of music teachers. Throughout the history of the State there were doubtless numerous local organizations of the type referred to, of which no record now exists.

One of the oldest is the Mobile Philhar- monic Society, organized in 1900. On De- cember 30, 1902, at the Mobile Theatre it presented the cantata, Arnold's "The Light of Asia," with music by Buck.

In 1891 the Union Musical Association was formed "to improve vocal music in our bounds." Records are preserved of meet- ings held at New Bethel Baptist Church, near Warrior, Jefferson County, in 1896, and at Milner's school house north of Birming- ham in the same county in 1897.

The Montgomery Music Club and Men's Choral Club were active in Montgomery in 1912.

The Montgomery Midsummer Festival was given at the Grand Theatre June 15 and 16, 1908, under the auspices of the Montgomery Commercial Club, in which the Montgomery

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Festival Chorus and the Montgomery Junior Chorus appeared.

The National Federation of Music Clubs held its tenth biennial convention in Birm- ingham April 15-21, 1917.

In 1904 the Alabama State Music Teach- ers' Association was organized, its object be- ing to bring together the many teachers of music in colleges, schools, and private teach- ers throughout the State. The fourth an- nual convention was held at Montgomery June 12-14, 1907, in connection with the eighth annual convention of the Southern Music Teachers' Association.

The Alabama Organization of Music Clubs was formed in 1916. Its constitution de- clares that "The object for which this organ- ization is formed is, first: to bring into com- munication with one another the various music clubs of the State of Alabama in order that they may compare methods of work and become mutually helpful, and second: to aid and cooperate with the National Federation of Musical Clubs of the United States in ad- vancing and carrying out its objects and purposes as provided in its constitution and by-laws."

The following clubs are represented in the association, as shown in the program of the Third Annual Convention, held at Gadsden, April 23, 24 and 25, 1918:

Anniston-Choral Club.

Auburn-The Allegro Club.

Bessemer-Wednesday Music Club.

Birmingham-Arion Club.

Birmingham-Music Study Club.

Columbiana-Music Study Club.

Citronelle-Cecilian Circle.

Dothan-Harmony Club. Demopolis-Music Study Club. Eufaula-Music Lovers Club.

Florence-Music Study Club.

Guntersville-Music Study Club.

Greenville-Harmony Club. Gadsden-Music Study Club. Montgomery-Music Study Club.

Mobile-Music Study Club.

Mobile-Woman's Chorus.

Mobile-Chopin Club.

Mobile-Polymnia Club.

Ozark-Music Club.

Russellville-Music Study Club.

Sylacauga-Philharmonic Club.

Selma-Music Study Club.

Talladega-Woman's Music Club.

Tuscaloosa-Music Club.

Tuscaloosa-Music Teachers' Association. Tuscaloosa-Choral Club.

Troy-MacDowell Club.

Troy-Music Study Club.

Uniontown-Harmony Club.

Union Springs-Music Club.

NAFOLEE. An Upper Creek town on the east side of the Tallapoosa River, and just below Talasi, but of which no facts are pre- served, other than the map references below.

REFERENCES .- Mitchell, Map of British Colo-

nies (1755); American Gazetteer .(London, 1762), vol. 1, map.

NAME, THE STATE. See Alabama.

NANAFALIA. A bluff on the Tombigbee River in Marengo County. The bluff rises abruptly and extends for some distance out from the left bank, and its general configura- tion has given it the Choctaw name Nanih falaiya, meaning "long hill." The transla- tion as "long fish" is erroneous. The earliest known description is by Romans, who says "at eleven a. m., at the hills of Nana falaya, on the east side, which rise steep out of the water about 15 to 20 feet, then slope up into very short hills. Some parts of the rocks are red, others grey." There was at one time a post office in the vicinity, of the same name.

REFERENCES.Romans, Florida (1775), pp. 327, 328; Hamilton, Colonial Mobile (1910), p. 190.

NANI KOSOMA. This place name signi- fies bad smelling fish, is spelled Nany Couso- uma on De Crenay's map. "Nani," fish, "Koso," a bad smelling, stinking. It is prob- ably Duck Creek in Clarke County, which empties into the Alabama on its west side.

REFERENCES .- Manuscript records in Alabama Department Archives and History.

NANIABAS, OR NANNA HUBBAS. See Mobilians, Naniabas and Tohomes.

NANIPACNA. An aboriginal town or lo- cality believed to be found in the present Wilcox County. In April, 1560, a colony of several hundred people was established in the Indian town of this name. Although short lived, this was the first European colony in the Gulf States. From a close study of Da- vila Padilla's narrative of the De Luna expe- dition, it is believed that this Indian town was located on the east side of the Alabama River, in the upper part of Wilcox County, but possibly in the lower part of Dallas County. The narrator writes that Nanipacna was the largest Indian town that the Span- iards had discovered, having some eighty houses; and from some ruined buildings, they judged that it had been greater. The Indians told the Spaniards that "the town had once been famous for the number of its people and the splendid edifices according to the manner of the country, but that the Spaniards who had arrived there in former times had left it as it now was."

This town was certainly situated a long way out of the line of De Soto's march, and the latter part of the Indian's report that it had formerly been wasted by the Spaniards, if they referred to De Soto's army, was erro- neous.

Nanipacna, undoubtedly a Choctaw town, in correct Choctaw orthography being writ- ten Nanih pakna, meaning "hill top," or "top of the hill." This would indicate that this town, which was appropriated by the Spaniards as the site of their colony, was

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situated upon a high hill, or table-land. On the abandonment of the place, the narrator, in enumerating some of the articles and effects left there, mentions especially "abandoned merchandise of value, as iron ware."

REFERENCES .- Gulf States Historical Maga- zine, 1893-1894, vol. 2, pp. 130-131.

NANNACHAHAW. High hills in Choctaw County on the west side of the Tombigbee River. They are noted on Romans manu- script map, where the spelling is erreoneously Nana chacaw. The map represents them as two hills, and about 2 miles from the river. The location is probably identical with the American village of Ararat, a short distance from McCarthy's Ferry. The phrase is Choctaw, meaning "high hills," that is, Nanih, "hills," chahaw, "high." Romans refers to the location as follows: "In half an hour's time we saw very high hills, at a mile, or better, from the river, seemingly covered with pine timber; these hills the savages called Nanna chahaws."

REFERENCE .- Romans, Florida (1775), p. 328.

NANNAHUBBA. An island at the conflu- ence of the Tombigbee and Alabama, and opposite the high bluff, making at this point, the west bank of the Tombigbee. It is from the Choctaw words Nonih Vba, meaning, "the hill above." The aspiration of the "h" in "Nonih" being carried on to the following "v" of "Vba." There was a Choctaw village of the same name, situated on a hill, in the northern suburbs of the old Choctaw town of Mokalusha, in Nishoba County, Miss.

REFERENCES .- Manuscript data in Alabama De- partment of Archives and History; Mississippi Historical Society Publications, vol. 6, p. 432.

NANNE CHUFA. A noted hill in Wash- ington County, which stands exactly on the British and Choctaw boundary line of 1765. The line passes directly over its summit. It is referred to by Romans as "a certain sugar-loaf hill." It is situated on the east side of Taylor's creek, about a mile from its influx into Sinta Bogue. Correctly written it is Nanih achafa, meaning "lone hill." The name is noted on Romans manuscript map of 1772.

REFERENCE .- Romans, Florida (1775).

NASHVILLE, CHATTANOOGA AND ST. LOUIS RAILWAY. Organized January 24, 1848, under the title of the Nashville & Chat- tanooga Railroad Co., by authority of legis- lative acts, as follows: Tennessee, December 11, 1845; Georgia, December 29, 1847; Ala- bama, January 21, 1850; Kentucky, March 8, 1856; name changed in 1873 to the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway; mileage operated June 30, 1915-main track and branches, 1,284.86, side tracks, 482.53, total, 1,767.39; mileage operated in Alabama- main track and branches, 141.88, side tracks, 30.79, total, 172.67; capital stock authorized -common, $16,000,000, no preferred stock, actually issued, $15,984,493.75; shares, $100,

voting power, one vote a share; and funded debt, $10,122,000.

Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad .- Al- though the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad Co. received a charter in Alabama in 1850, it was not until 1867 that it began to operate a road within the State. Twelve miles of the line authorized by its Alabama charter, from the northeast corner of the State to Bridge- port, in Jackson County, was opened in 1867, and is now a part of the Jasper branch of the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway.

On February 4, 1846, the legislature passed a joint resolution authorizing the "Chatta- nooga Rail Road Company" to construct a railroad through the northern portion of Jack- son County, "subject to such rules, regula- tions and restrictions, as are now imposed upon the Montgomery and West Point Rail Road Company." Prior to the issuance of the charter in 1850, the name of the company projecting this road had been changed to the Nashville & Chattanooga Rail- road Co. The charter granted right-of-way through Jackson County and the right to build a bridge over the Tennessee River, with- in the limits of the county; reserved the right of connection for any road chartered in Alabama; prescribed the plans for the bridge over the Tennessee River so as to pre- vent interference with navigation; reserved the right to the State to tax the property of the company. On January 17, 1856, the charter was amended as to certain details of the plans for the bridge over the Tennessee River, which had been partially destroyed by fire. February 8, 1860, the charter was further amended so as to permit the con- struction of a branch road from the main line at or near Bridgeport to the Tennessee state line, in the direction of Jasper, Tenn.

Seven and one-half miles more of the Jasper branch, in Tennessee, was opened in 1877, and 512 miles additional in 1883.

Winchester Alabama Railroad. - On March 26, 1877, the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway Co. bought from the Memphis & Charleston Railroad Co. (q. v.) the property of the old Winchester & Ala- bama Railroad Co. The latter company was authorized, by an act of February 10, 1852, to construct a railroad from the Tennessee- Alabama line to the Tennessee River, by way of Huntsville, and down the valley of the Flint River, as an extension of its line in the State of Tennessee. It was given the privi- lege of crossing the road of the Memphis & Charleston. On January 25, 1856, the charter, which had been allowed to lapse, was revived by an act of the legislature, with an author- ized capital stock of $500,000, in shares of $25, with the privilege of increasing to $1,000,000; subscriptions made payable in money, labor, materials or supplies; tolls col- lectible as portions of the road were put in operation; two years allowed in which to be- gin construction and five in which to complete it. This revived charter was amended on De- cember 17, 1857, so as to authorize an exten- sion of the road south of the Tennessee River,

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History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume II, Part 64

Author: Owen, Thomas McAdory, 1866-1920; Owen, Marie (Bankhead) Mrs. 1869- Publication date: 1921 Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company Number of Pages: 724

Author: Owen, Thomas McAdory, 1866-1920; Owen, Marie (Bankhead) Mrs. 1869-
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 724