The library has two history events coming up!
Community Events – April 2024
April Movie Night: Tom & Huck
Movies are free and open to the public.
New Historical Markers for Butler and Stone Schools
On Friday, February 23, 2024, two new historical markers were dedicated in honor of Butler High School and Stone Middle School. The dedication ceremonies were the culmination of several years of work of the Butler/Stone alumni and faculty, in partnership with the Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society.
The first marker, placed in the “front yard” of Campus 805 dually honors the original Butler High building on the front and Stone Middle on the back of the double-sided marker. Mayor Tommy Battle was in attendance and spoke to the impact of the community built in and around the school, in addition to several alumni speakers.
The second marker, placed at 3401 Holmes Ave., honors the rebuilt Bulter High School. Noted for it’s “pod style” buildings, the site is now the home of the Rock Family Worship Center. For passersby, you can park in the Center’s parking lot and take the sidewalk up the hill towards Holmes Ave to see the marker. Speakers included Butler High alumni and staff.
Spring Meeting – March 10
Location: Auditorium, Downtown Huntsville Library (915 Monroe Street)
Time: 2:00-3:30 p.m.
For the Spring Meeting on March 10, we are exploring the role of Huntsville women in leadership, business, and research. In particular, we’ll look at the development and push for women’s rights through political, economic, and social means over the past 45 years.
Meet the Presenters
Charlotte Upton Miller
Alabama banner carrier in the 1978 Equal Rights Amendment march on Washington D.C.
Founder,
Little Light International (501c3)
Vicki Morris
President & Chair,
Women’s Business Council (HSV-MC Chamber of Commerce)
Founder,
Face to Face Marketing, LLC
Dwaynia
Wilkerson
Director,
Women’s Economic Development Council
Founder,
Prose & Pens
Amy Guerin
Coordinator, Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, UAH
Associate Professor,
Theatre Program, UAH
Co-Founder & Co-Artistic Director,
Huntsville Shakespeare
Photo credit: White Rabbit Studios
Meet the Panel Host
Dr. SueAnne Griffith
Assistant Professor,
Electrical and Computer Engineering, Auburn University (Samuel Ginn College of Engineering)
Creator, Researcher, & Host,
Lily Flagg’s Signal Podcast
Thank you to our sponsor for helping make this event happen!
Movie Nights in February and March
Limestone County Historical Society to host Saturn IB Rocket Presentation
When: Sunday, January 21 at 2:30 p.m.
Where: Rodgers Center of the First Presbyterian Church on the Square
112 South Jefferson St. Athens, AL 35611
Presentation: George Hardy will discuss the Saturn IB Rocket, which was recently brought down at the Alabama Welcome Center/Rest Stop.
Alabama Movie Night: Dec. 5
Join the Facebook event.
Madea visits relatives in Alabama for the holidays.
Character Bio:
Mabel “Madea” Simmons (nee Baker/Murphy)
Born in Louisiana, Madea is a tough, street-smart elderly Black woman. Her age varies in different movies and plays. She grew up in poverty, in a shotgun house with her parents and siblings. Madea has stated that although her family didn’t have much, they had love. In her formative years, she lived in Alabama and Georgia. She was a cheerleader in Atlanta during high school. She had children starting in her mid-teens. Madea has been jailed numerous time for different crimes, ranging from illegal gambling to attempted murder, to road rage. Despite her general temperament, she is seen time and again defending (and antagonizing) her family.
Tyler Perry, who plays Madea, said the character is the PG version of his mother and his aunt. Madea is his opportunity to pay homage to them. “She would beat the hell out of you but make sure the ambulance got there in time to make sure they could set your arm back because the love was there inside all of it.” (“Tyler Perry Transforms: From Madea To Family Man”. NPR. 2012-10-15.)
Actor, writer, producer, director:
Tyler Perry
Perry was born in 1969, in Louisiana. He has called his childhood a “living hell.” In his 20s, while watching the Oprah Winfrey Show, he heard someone describe the sometimes therapeutic effect the act of writing can have. The comment inspired him to apply himself to a writing career. He has since wrote and produced numerous stage plays, films, and tv series (1990s-2010s). In 2011, Forbes listed him as the highest-paid man in entertainment. Outside of his own productions, Perry has been cast in Hollywood films and done voice acting for animated films. Despite commercial success, his production have received criticism from critics and scholars who believe his films perpetuate negative or offensive portrayals of African Americans. Despite that, in 2020, Perry was included in Time’s list of the 100 most influential people and received the Governor’s Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Additionally, he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy Awards in 2021, and was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame the following year.
Guest speaker:
Kenneth Shipp
Shipp is a digital creator with experience reviewing films in several national film festivals. He is the Editorial Director of the platform Nerd Union, which reviews film, tv, video games, and table top games.
“‘Commander’ Shipp has had opinions on movies since he was a kid…even if that meant talking to himself. He loves tackling the issues involved with our modern blockbusters while still enjoying the deep dives into the films you may have glossed over.”
Winter Meeting Will Be Action Packed!
Upcoming Lecture
Sunday, December 10 at 2:00 PM
Location: North Huntsville Library, 3011 Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, AL 35810
“The First Metropolitan Area Without a Substandard House: The Huntsville Housing Authority and the Smoke of Progress,” presented by John O’Brien
The JRJ Award is an annual scholarship given to a student dedicated to Southern history. The 2023 recipient is Caroline Herron. Caroline is a former English and American History teacher turned homeschool mom of three who earned her MA in American History through the Gilder Lehrman Institute’s Master’s degree program at Gettysburg College in September, 2023. Her undergraduate degrees were from the University of Georgia in 2012 and 2013 in English and Education, respectively. She moved to Huntsville, AL in 2013 and into the Five Points historic district in 2018, and chose to write her Master’s thesis about the city she now calls home. Her thesis will be published in 2024 editions of the Historical Huntsville Review.
Enduring Voices – Women of the Tennessee Valley: 1861-1865
Nancy Rohr has completed her fifth book, Enduring Voices, and has graciously contributed it to the Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society for publication.
Copies of the book will be for sale at the December HMCHS meeting and Nancy will be there to provide autographs.
The books are also available at Harrison Brothers Hardware and on Amazon. The retail price is $29.95, but members can purchase a copy at the meeting for $20 (cash, check, or card).
Review of book below.
Book Review by John H. Allen (11/03/2023)
The American Civil War was cataclysmic and left no Southern life untouched. Enduring Voices – Women of the Tennessee Valley: 1861-1865 contains more than thirty accounts of north Alabama women during that time. It observes their everyday goings-on from different cities and landscapes, from poorest enslaved Black women to wealthiest plantation wives.
Although women comprised half the population, their stories have been overshadowed by hundreds of books about the battles. Now, these diaries, memoirs, and letters give us a doorway into the lives of these brave, resourceful women. These writers (young girls, in some cases) give us insights on home life, school, family, neighbors, and the dreaded enemy that give present-day readers a much-needed picture of daily life during wartime in north Alabama.
Huntsville author, Mary Ann Cruse, held strong political views, and wrote that any implication that African slave trade caused the war was to imply that tea floating in the Boston Harbor caused the Revolutionary War. The Civil War’s conclusion brought little relief for Black women; the odds of success were entirely against them. The entry for Virginia Clay, whose picture adorns the cover, is entirely fascinating and by itself, is worth the price of the book. Author Nancy Rohr is prolific in her journaling of history in the Tennessee Valley; Enduring Voices is her fifth book (she has also authored numerous articles). This intensely personal work of scholarship is a treasure to read and is an important addition to any Civil War archive.
Election of
2024-25
Board
At the December Meeting, the Nomination Committee will present a ballot of individuals for the 2024-2025 term. The floor will be open for further nominations during the meeting as well. Here is the ballot as it currently stands:
Officers:
President – Heather Adkins
1st Vice President – Arley McCormick
2nd Vice President – Daniel Rhodes
Treasurer – Cooper Murray
Recording Secretary – Sharon Lange
Corresponding Secretary – SueAnne Griffith
Executive Board:
Cait Monroe
William Hampton
Kyle Curtis
Susan McClamrock
Special Appointments:
Archivist – Deane Dayton
HOPE Coordinator – Amelia Parkes
Historical Review Editor – Arley McCormick
Marker Committee Chair – Alex Luttrell
Student Resource Officer – Daniel Rhodes
AAMU Representative – Matt Bowser
Past Presidents:
David Hitt
John Allen
Jacque Reeves
Ron Bledsoe
Joyce Smith
Gary Wicks
Past President Passes Away
HMCHS Past President and Former Madison County Sheriff Blake Dorning passed away on November 14, 2023, after a hard fought battle with cancer. The sheriff’s office provided the following description of Blake on their social media: “Sherriff Blake Dorning was a man of integrity, faith, honor, courage, and duty. But most of all, and at his very core, Blake was a man of compassion….” Sherriff Kevin Turner stated, “Sheriff Dorning will be remembered for his selfless service, devotion, and dedication to his family, fellow law enforcement, and community during his career, and will forever be a role model and example of professionalism in our agency….” The HMCHS Board is thankful for the time Blake spent in leadership of the Society. He shepherded the Society through the first years of the pandemic, adapting to its unexpected challenges. He provided wonderful connections in the community and interesting historical subjects for discussion. HMCHS wishes to express their condolences to the Dorning Family, on Blake’s passing.
Alabama Movie Night: Nov. 7
