Alabama Heritage

10/25/2025

Director Rebecca Minder and Editor Susan Reynolds visited the Kate Duncan Smith DAR School, which was the cover story for Issue 132. Purchase your copy here: https://www.alabamaheritage.com/magazine/back-issues/issues-131-140/issue-132-spring-2019/

10/24/2025

At Alabama Heritage, we pride ourselves on sharing the historical stories of Alabama that educate, inspire, and entertain. In 2025 we've highlighted a variety of stories that are often unknown to our readers, and sometimes even for our own staff!

As we prepare for the next issue of Alabama Heritage magazine, take a look at this year's covers! From haunting historic photos to story quilts and more, our covers represent how much we believe in our state's history. Which cover is your favorite from 2025? 🤔

📌 Learn more about the magazine ➡ https://bit.ly/3T3dix3

10/22/2025

Interested in leaf peeping? This guide has the best dates to few fall foliage throughout Alabama!

Discover the top spots to enjoy Alabama's fall foliage, including state parks, nature preserves, and scenic trails. Plan your autumn adventure today!

10/21/2025

☕ NEW EPISODE ALERT! ☕

In this episode of Coffee and History, independent researcher George Adair uncovers Alabama’s coal mining legacy—from convict labor and environmental battles to tragic mining disasters. We explore the devastating fire at Lucille Mines, the Bryce Hospital flooding incident, and the broader impact of coal mining on communities and landscapes. George also shares insights into his preservation work on the McMillan family homestead, the effects of fracking and longwall mining, and his upcoming research on river and harbor improvements in Tuscaloosa.

🎧Listen now ➡️ https://pod.link/1781290701
📖Subscribe to Alabama Heritage at alabamaheritage.com

Coffee & History: A Conversation with Alabama Heritage is brought to you in partnership with the Poarch Band Creek Indians

The University of Alabama

10/20/2025

We are so excited to celebrate ADAH’s anniversary next year! ADAH is one of our most important sources and provides so much to our state, and the world.

Next year, the Archives will celebrate 125 years of service to our state. Established under the leadership of Thomas M. Owen in 1901, it was the first state-funded, independently administered archival and historical agency in the nation. (It pre-dates the National Archives by 33 years!)

A new exhibit, now open on the Archives’ 1st floor, explores the history, mission, and work of the home of Alabama’s stories. Come check it out!

10/20/2025

Rebecca and Caroline are kicking off in Bossier City, Louisiana! We're looking forward to an amazing time learning, exploring, and making memories. 🎉 Have you visited Bossier City or the surrounding area? Share your favorite experiences in the comments ⬇️

10/17/2025

DYK today is National Pasta Day? Stemming back to ancient times, pasta originated in China before making its way into the Mediterranean during the Middle Ages. Although there's no direct tie to the history of pasta, Marketing Manager Caroline Gazzara-McKenzie has her own fun pasta story.

"One of my cat's name is Noodle, and he is truly a noodle. A good friend named his dog "Penny" but it sounded like "penne" so we had to ask if the dog's name was Noodle. It was not, but he's the reason our cat is named Noodle," she said.

Caroline's favorite food is anything pasta, with her hometown's local Chinese restaurant dubbing her the "Noodle Queen." Obviously, she loves pasta and shared one of her favorite dishes!

10/16/2025

In 1705, Yellow Fever was first recorded in modern-day Mobile. It vastly affected the lives of the community and region for nearly two hundred years. Throughout history, several Yellow Fever epidemics have taken hold of the area, resulting in countless deaths. But in 1839, Mobile citizens banded together to create the "Can't Get Away Club," for those who refused to leave the city.

The "Can't Get Away Club" provided financial assistance for Yellow Fever-related illnesses or death, created employment opportunities, and facilitating other necessities. It was disbanded around 1908, three years after the last confirmed case of Yellow Fever.

Read about the "Can't Get Away Club" in this blog by Addison Phelps ➡ http://bit.ly/46Tz1yS

10/15/2025

🔬🦀 NEW DISCOVERIES 🦀 🔬

Researchers at the University of Alabama have discovered 65-million-year-old crab and shrimp fossils from Lowndes County, Alabama, has yielded multiple species and genera new to science. One of the new crab species is named Costacopluma nicksabani, after University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban.

The Saban crab is the most abundant crab among the newly described decapod crustacean fauna from Lowndes County, Alabama. Most of the nearly 200 specimens are isolated carapaces (to which the long legs were attached) measuring up to 15 mm (0.6 inches) in width. Costacopluma nicksabani lived on or in the muddy sea floor. Specimens of the genus Costacopluma lived from 87–48 million years ago, but members of the same family, Retroplumidae, are still around today.

10/14/2025

☕ NEW EPISODE ALERT! ☕

In this episode of Coffee and History, we sit down with Dr. John Young—professor, historian, theologian, and lifelong Alabamian. From the Dust Cave excavation to the legacy of blues legend Johnny Shines, Dr. Young shares insights into Alabama’s rich cultural and religious history.

We also explore his work at Amridge University, his passion for teaching, and how his own childhood in Florence shaped his scholarly path.

🎧 Listen now ➡️ https://pod.link/1781290701
📖 Subscribe to Alabama Heritage at alabamaheritage.com

Coffee & History: A Conversation with Alabama Heritage is brought to you in partnership with the Poarch Band Creek Indians.

Amridge University

10/13/2025

🍂 Discover Alabama’s hidden stories in our Fall issue! From the quirky Museum of Wonder to the early settlers of Jones Valley, Issue 158 is packed with history, mystery, and Southern charm. 📖✨

Make sure you get a copy ➡ http://bit.ly/3IYUixY
Listen to the team talk about this issue ➡ https://bit.ly/4jySHMn

10/10/2025

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY

This Friday, we honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day by highlighting a powerful story from Alabama Heritage Issue 141 (Summer 2021): Chief Calvin McGhee and the Poarch Creek Renaissance
By Frye Galliard

In the mid-twentieth century, Chief Calvin McGhee led the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in a transformative era of advocacy—petitioning in Washington for land rights, fighting for equitable education, and helping draft The Declaration of Indian Purpose, a landmark document affirming Native identity and sovereignty.

🎧 Learn more about this legacy ➡️ alabamaheritage.com
📖 Purchase Issue 141 or subscribe today to explore this and other impactful stories.

This feature is shared in partnership with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.