Alabama's Local History Groups: Exploring, Preserving, and Sharing Alabama's Rich History

Local history organizations are tasked with ensuring that the oral and written history of a given county or city is preserved for future generations. The focuses of the various county and city historical organizations in Alabama are relatively diverse. Some groups emphasize genealogical and historical research, while others focus on quarterly publications containing old pictures and historical articles. In some communities, local history groups maintain museums while others choose to write and publish local history books, and some rescue and preserve historic buildings. No matter the emphasis, the work of local history groups contributes significantly to the story of the state of Alabama. Their efforts are to be applauded, especially considering the lack of public funding support in most of Alabama's sixty-seven counties. Given such limitations, local historians have found a number of creative methods to spark the public's interest in their endeavors.

In 2017 when the Alabama Bicentennial Commission launched Alabama 200, a three-year celebration leading up to the state's bicentennial, local history groups were afforded the opportunity to plan activities showcasing the unique history of their respective communities. Therefore, the bicentennial provides an opportunity to evaluate the "state" of Alabama's local history groups as they contribute to this celebratory environment. Drawing from a small selection of Alabama's many active organizations, this article will illustrate the many accomplishments that are possible when a group of determined people joins together with the single purpose of historical preservation.

Organized in 1923 in the Muscle Shoals district of Northwest Alabama, the Tennessee Valley Historical Society (TVHS) was active until 1939. After the 1939 death of Frank King, one of the original organizers and the first president of society, the group ceased meeting. In 1954 a group of interested locals decided to reinstate the TVHS. These hardworking individuals rolled up their sleeves and went to work. The re-energized group began by creating a small state park at the site of the historic LaGrange College, the first state-chartered college in Alabama. As the society's membership grew so did its contributions and dedication to preserving the area's history. So impressive were the accomplishments of the recharged TVHS, the Alabama Historical Commission awarded the group the Distinguished Service Award in 1970. In 1989 TVHS was recognized by the Alabama Historical Association (AHA) with its prestigious James Ray Kuykendall Award, presented biennially to a local history society for contributions to the preservation and commemoration of local and community history. Under the guidance of Dr. Kenneth Johnson, the society sponsored an annual publication, Historic Muscle Shoals, which eventually ran to seventeen volumes printed between 1973 and 2002.

The Tennessee Valley Historical Society's name implies that it is a regional organization dedicated to the entire area of the Tennessee River Valley; however, servicing the entire valley would be quite a challenge due to its land mass. Instead, the proximity of the University of North Alabama (UNA) affords the TVHS an opportunity to partner with the Department of History in accomplishing historical preservation goals for the Shoals area. The TVHS supports a scholarship awarded each year to high school seniors who plan to study history at UNA. The history faculty at UNA administers the applicant's exams based on American history questions. The scholarship program of the Tennessee Valley Historical Society remains one of its more popular projects. The society also collaborates with the history program at the University of North Alabama in recording oral history stories of the Shoals residents.

The Tennessee Valley Historical Society continues to make its presence known with quarterly meetings, open to members and non-members alike, featuring guest speakers who share their knowledge of the community's rich history. In addition, members submit articles to the local newspaper, place historical markers, sponsor trolley tours of the Shoals, and maintain an active presence online with a website and a Facebook page. Recently, TVHS participated in two projects affiliated with the centennial of World War I, and the group is working on events related to the Alabama 200 celebration.

The accomplishments...