A VERY Busy Week in Montgomery AL


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North America » United States » Alabama » Montgomery
May 24th 2016
Published: June 6th 2016
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I really enjoy staying in the Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds. The sites are spacious, the setting is serene and (with my half price senior rate) the price is right; however, there are few close enough to my tourist destinations to make them practical. I plan to use them a lot after I become less of a tourist and more of a squirrel watcher. Thus, I departed the Albany RV Resort in Albany GA on Wednesday, May 18, 2016 to move to the Gunter Hill Campground on R.E. (Bob) Woodruff Lake, a Corps of Engineers facility, near Montgomery AL (2013 Population: 201,332). The length and duration of this leg of The Great Adventurewas more to my liking – about 180 miles and 3 ½ hours – and had no gremlins in the offing.

The hourly weather forecast for Thursday was for a 70%!c(MISSING)hance of rain pretty much the entire day, so Uncle Larry did some housekeeping. I never saw one drop fall! Friday’s forecast was for overcast with little chance of rain, so I waited for the rush hour traffic to subside and headed for the Montgomery Area Visitor Center which is located in the former Montgomery Union Station and Trainshed. That
Numerous Display Cases House Davis’ Personal ArtifactsNumerous Display Cases House Davis’ Personal ArtifactsNumerous Display Cases House Davis’ Personal Artifacts

First White House of the Confederacy - Montgomery AL
landmark is interesting in its own right. After getting a very nice map which could serve as a walking guide, I walked over to talk to the lady representing Blake's Segway Tours. Normally, tours are scheduled and are 1, 2 or 3 hours in duration. She had another group scheduled but had time for a 1 or 2-hour tour. Something that’s been lingering on the old bucket list just got removed! I can’t really say it was fun, per se, but we covered as much ground in 2 hours as I could have walked in a full day. Additionally, the tour provided me with a great overview of the dozen or so attractions in the downtown area.

I had identified four attractions to visit on a “Schoolless Saturday” when parking is much less difficult and when (I learned on the Segway tour) parking meter enforcement is also suspended. My initial stop was at the First White House of the Confederacy which was the Executive Residence of President Jefferson Davis and his family during the short period the Confederate capitol was in Montgomery – February 1861 until late May 1861. At that time, the capital was moved to Richmond VA. The 1830s attraction is completely furnished with original period pieces from the 1850s and 1860s and includes many personal items of President and Mrs. Davis. Even without the Davis connection, this is one of the best attractions of its type I have seen in quite some time. With the Davis connection and the Davis artifacts, this attraction should make everybody’s A-list when in Montgomery.

My second stop was next door at the Museum of Alabama – the Alabama State Museum. The building also serves as the Department of Archives and History. The first floor has the Statuary Hall with busts of some famous Alabamans, and the third floor has a gallery of Alabama Portraits; but the meat is on the second floor. Four smaller exhibits contain a hands-on area for the small children and galleries highlighting “The First Alabamans,” “The Land of Alabama” and “Alabamans in the Great War.” About half the second floor is allocated to “Alabama Voices.” Significant coverage is given to Indian removal; the era of “The Cotton State (1814-1860);” secession, the Civil War and reconstruction; and “Mines, Mills, and Mules (1871-1929).” The museum architects did not avoid unsavory aspects of Alabama’s history, such as the terrorism wrought by the Ku Klux Klan and the
The Spiral Staircase Is Pretty CoolThe Spiral Staircase Is Pretty CoolThe Spiral Staircase Is Pretty Cool

Alabama State Capitol - Montgomery AL
passage of state and local laws to circumvent the implementation of civil rights for blacks, and did a yeoman’s job of presenting the material in a factual, straightforward manner.

Alabama has had five political capitals during its history. The first was the territorial capital in Saint Stephens in 1817, followed by the state convention in Huntsville in 1819, then the first "permanent" capital in Cahaba in 1820 after which it was moved to Tuscaloosa in 1826, and then, finally, coming to rest in Montgomery in 1846. The current structure is the state's fourth purpose-built capitol building, with the first at Cahaba, the second at Tuscaloosa, and the last two in Montgomery. The first capitol building in Montgomery, located where the current building stands, burned after only two years. The current building was completed in 1851, although additional wings were added over the course of the following 140 years. The Alabama State Capitol, listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the First Confederate Capitol, is located on Capitol Hill, originally called Goat Hill.

I found the Alabama State Capitol BUILDING to be quite ordinary, but the history is extraordinary. Indeed, this building has probably seen more history than any other capitol. While serving as the Confederate Capitol in 1861, the current capitol building witnessed the drafting of the Provisional Constitution of the Confederate States of America, which was drawn up in the Senate Chamber by the Montgomery Convention on February 4, 1861. The convention also adopted the Permanent Constitution here on March 11, 1861. Jump ahead 100 years. Two years after Governor George Wallace had taken office, an election he won based on his racist, “Segregation yesterday, segregation today, segregation forever!” rhetoric, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous "How Long, Not Long" speech on the steps of the Capitol after completion of the 54-mile Selma to Montgomery March on March 25, 1965. Our group was led by the Alabama State Historian which made for an extremely interesting tour. Highly recommended, if you can make it on a Saturday when guided tours are conducted. I will reserve comment on a self-guided tour.

‘Twas time for lunch so I made a stop at (oft mentioned by locals) Chris' Famous Hot Dogs. On May 1, 2016, Chris’ celebrated its 99th anniversary. According to the web site, “Founded in 1917, Chris' has served some historical and famous figures. Franklin D. Roosevelt would frequently ask for a box of the world famous hot dogs as his train stopped in the Montgomery train station. As would Harry Truman. Both Bush presidents have been served. Every Governor since our opening. Chris' catered for Elvis, even Whoopi Goldberg has eaten at Chris' Hot Dogs.” I figured they must be doin’ something right. I eat about a dozen hot dogs every five years or so, so don’t expect any kind of a critique from me. It was a hot dog with some very different sauce on it!

After lunch, I made my way to the Civil Rights Memorial Center, which actually is two entities - the Civil Rights Memorial and the Civil Rights Memorial Center. Yeah, I was confused also. The memorial itself is an open plaza adjacent to the memorial center, is open 24 hours a day and is inscribed with the names of individuals who lost their lives during the modern Civil Rights Movement – 1954 to 1968. The Memorial was designed by Maya Lin, the designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC. Water flows down a wall inscribed with a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and flows across the names of the slain.
Several Freedom Riders Were On Hand For The DaySeveral Freedom Riders Were On Hand For The DaySeveral Freedom Riders Were On Hand For The Day

Freedom Rides Museum - Montgomery AL
I’m sure there is a meaning behind the flowing water, but you’re on your own for that one. The Civil Rights Memorial Center has some of the history of the Civil Rights movement as well as highlights of some of the more contemporary struggles world-wide. Both are nice and should be on the list for those with 2-3 days in Montgomery.

My final stop of the day was at the Freedom Rides Museum. This museum is in the former Greyhound Bus Station and tells the story of how 21 young people – black and white, male and female, none of whom were older than 21 – helped change our nation’s history using nonviolent protest. They knew they might be met with violence when they stepped off of a bus at this station on May 20, 1961. They were. They had written out wills and said goodbye to loved ones. On the day of my visit, they were holding, you guessed it, a hootenanny! It actually was an anniversary celebration, and I had the distinct honor of meeting and talking to five of those Freedom Riders – all of whom are now well over the age of 21!

Very few attractions are open on Sunday and almost NOTHING is open on Sunday morning, so I set out for a drive through the Alabama countryside with stops at five historic county courthouses on the agenda, including the Lowndes County Courthouse (1858) in Hayneville AL, the Wilcox County Courthouse (1857) in Camden AL, the Perry County Courthouse (1856) in Marion AL, the Autauga County Courthouse (1906) in Prattville AL and the Elmore County Courthouse (1932) in Wetumpka AL. None of the courthouses is particularly significant architecturally, but their existence provided a great excuse to explore the Alabama countryside.

I returned in time to make a stop at the Hank Williams Museum in Montgomery. Hiram King "Hank" Williams (1923-1953) was an American singer-songwriter and musician and was regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century. Born in Mount Olive AL, Williams moved to Georgiana AL where he met Rufus Payne, a black street performer who gave him guitar lessons in exchange for meals or money. Payne, along with Roy Acuff and Ernest Tubb, had a major influence on Williams' later musical style. It was during this time that Williams informally changed his name to Hank, as
Carver’s First Love Was PaintingCarver’s First Love Was PaintingCarver’s First Love Was Painting

George Washington Carver Museum – Tuskegee AL
he had always fantasized about having the name "Hank." He moved to Montgomery where his music career began in 1937 when the producers of radio station WSFA hired him to perform and host a 15-minute program.

Williams was born with spina bifida occulta, a disorder of the spinal column, which gave him lifelong pain – a factor in his later abuse of alcohol and drugs. One placard in the museum suggests he might have been the victim of Marfan syndrome (MFS), a genetic disorder of connective tissue. People with Marfan syndrome tend to be tall and thin with long arms, legs, fingers and toes; and to have flexible joints and scoliosis. The most serious complications involve heart anomalies. Several years of alcoholism and prescription drug abuse led to his dismissal by WSFA and, later, by the Grand Ole Opry and severely damaged Williams' health. While being driven to a performance (the weather prevented air travel), Williams died in the back seat of his 1952 Baby Blue Cadillac on January 1, 1953 at the age of 29, from heart failure exacerbated by pills and alcohol.

In addition to Hank's 1952 Baby Blue Cadillac, there are over 35 showcases filled
Some Of Carver’s Laboratory EquipmentSome Of Carver’s Laboratory EquipmentSome Of Carver’s Laboratory Equipment

George Washington Carver Museum – Tuskegee AL
with personal artifacts including clothing, portraits, musical equipment, sheet music and song books, platinum and sterling records and awards and proclamations. For those who have been to the Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville TN; well, let’s be nice and warn you – don’t expect the same caliber attraction. This museum, essentially, is an artifact warehouse. Given that those who were alive when Williams was at his best are now in their eighties, I can only recommend this museum to the most diehard country music fan. Oh yes, you’ll have to take my word for it because photography is not allowed.

I had allocated an entire day to two attractions about a half hour from Montgomery. The first, Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site, is an icon in the annals of American education and was founded by Booker T. Washington and had George Washington Carver on its staff. Among its alumni is General Daniel "Chappie" James, America's first black four-star general. Two men, one dressed to the nines in a suit and tie while the other was dressed nicely in more casual clothes, were talking just outside the George Washington Carver Museum. I inquired whether my location was a legal parking spot. Assured that it was, I parked the truck and headed for the museum. As I approached the museum (which doubles as the National Park Service Visitor Center), a conversation ensued – go figure! A long story made short, I learned that the more casually dressed man works in the Tuskegee University admissions office and was giving the other man a tour of the campus. Spotting my “Vietnam Veteran” baseball cap, he asked when I was in country. I asked if he had been to the party whereupon he said not technically but asked if I had ever heard of an arc light.

">Operation Arc Light was the deployment of B-52 Stratofortresses as conventional bombers from bases in Guam to support ground combat operations in Vietnam. The B-52s were commonly flown in three-plane formations known as "cells." The full bomb load varied depending on the B-52 model, but the typical load amounted to ONE HUNDRED EIGHT 500 lb. bombs – yup, that’s 27 tons of “what did I do to deserve this” in each of the three B-52s. Releasing their bombs from high in the stratosphere, the B-52s could neither be seen nor heard from the ground. There is no way to describe it from miles away,
The Specimens On Display Are Nicely RestoredThe Specimens On Display Are Nicely RestoredThe Specimens On Display Are Nicely Restored

Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site (NPS) – Tuskegee AL
except to say it sounds like the rumbling of thunder in the distance. Having seen the aftermath, I can only imagine what it’s like up close and personal. The more casually dressed man confided that he had been an ordinance officer (or whatever those fellas who press the “bombs away” button are called) on a B-52 during most of the time I was in country and was always in fear of making an error and dropping the ordinance on friendly forces. I had never thought of it before, but that’s not the neurosurgeon making a mistake folks, that’s the neurosurgeon making 500 mistakes simultaneously. I was invited to join them for a museum tour. The George Washington Carver Museum is a nice overview of this phenomenal scientist’s accomplishments. Much of his research, including that on peanuts and sweet potatoes, is ongoing at Tuskegee University.

ASIDE: Most of my geriatric contemporaries have heard of Khe Sanh, a U.S. military post in the northwestern portion of Quảng Trị Province in South Vietnam. From January 21, 1968 – July 9, 1968, Khe Sanh was under siege by forces of the North Vietnamese Army. During that time period, the U.S.A.F. used B-52s to
The Link Trainer Was A Flight Simulator – Close The Door And The Hatch For Total Darkness And Instrument Flight TrainingThe Link Trainer Was A Flight Simulator – Close The Door And The Hatch For Total Darkness And Instrument Flight TrainingThe Link Trainer Was A Flight Simulator – Close The Door And The Hatch For Total Darkness And Instrument Flight Training

Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site (NPS) – Tuskegee AL
run arc light operations in support of the Marines at Khe Sanh. While I was Googling information on Operation Arc Light, I found an interesting video, the
">Battle for Khe Sanh. Although I spent most of my overseas time in Quảng Trị Province and was at Khe Sanh AFTER the siege, make no mistake, I WAS NOT at Khe Sanh DURING the siege. Timing is everything!

I have been aware of the basic information about the Tuskegee Airmen for most of my life; however, I had never really explored the nitty gritty of the legendary group. I managed to quench that thirst at the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site. The numbers are impressive – 1,578 total missions flown, 72 pilots who shot down 112 enemy aircraft, 66 pilots who were killed in action, 32 pilots who were taken prisoner of war and 13 pilots who were reported missing in action. That “story” I knew, but I was unaware of the “story” of working around Army regulations to effect segregation in the officers’ club(s).

Major General Frank O'Driscoll Hunter, commander of the First Air Force, insisted on strict social segregation of black and white officers in spite of the fact that Army regulations prohibited any public
The Ultimate Goal, A Fighter AircraftThe Ultimate Goal, A Fighter AircraftThe Ultimate Goal, A Fighter Aircraft

Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site (NPS) – Tuskegee AL
building on a military installation from being used "for the accommodation of any self-constituted special or exclusive group," thereby requiring officers' clubs be open to all officers regardless of race. Therefore, to satisfy his superiors (and perhaps himself), Colonel Robert Selway created two separate officers' clubs at Freeman Air Field in Indiana – Club Number One for use by "trainees" (all of whom were black) and Club Number Two for use by "instructors" (all of whom were white). Over two days, April 5-6, 1945, black pilots ignored orders and entered Club Number Two. A total of 61 officers were arrested on multiple occasions over the two days, including Second Lieutenants Coleman A. Young, the future mayor of Detroit MI, and Theodore M. Berry, the future mayor of Cincinnati OH.

Only three of those arrested were tried, two were acquitted and one was fined $150, suffered loss of rank and received a dishonorable discharge. In 1995, the convicted pilot received a full pardon, restoration of rank and a refund of his fine. Fortunately, somebody got the “story” before the actors had died and the “story” was lost. No blacks lived in the small community where I was raised in northern
The Marchers Stayed in Tent City While En Route To MontgomeryThe Marchers Stayed in Tent City While En Route To MontgomeryThe Marchers Stayed in Tent City While En Route To Montgomery

Selma To Montgomery Trail - Lowndes County Interpretive Center (NPS) - Hayneville AL
Illinois, so I never saw the racism that was rampant in many parts of the United States during my youth. I feel fortunate to be able to travel as I do so I can learn the “story” which I never saw firsthand.

Talk about a story, you ain’t seen nothin’ until you learn about Selma AL. The drive to Selma from Montgomery follows the Selma to Montgomery Trail. The three Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965 were part of the voting rights movement underway in Selma to highlight racial injustice in the South and to show the desire of African-American citizens to exercise their constitutional right to vote. The first march took place on March 7, 1965. In what became known as Bloody Sunday, state troopers and county possemen attacked the unarmed marchers with billy clubs and tear gas after they passed over the county line. The second march took place on March 9. Troopers, police, and marchers confronted each other at the county end of the bridge; however, when the troopers stepped aside to let the marchers pass, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. led the marchers back to the church. He was obeying a federal injunction while seeking protection from the
The Former Tent City Is Now A Park-Like Atmosphere …The Former Tent City Is Now A Park-Like Atmosphere …The Former Tent City Is Now A Park-Like Atmosphere …

Selma To Montgomery Trail - Lowndes County Interpretive Center (NPS) - Hayneville AL
federal courts for the march. That night, a group of white vigilantes beat and murdered a minister from Boston who had come to Selma to march with the second group.

Nationwide, protesters demanded protection for the Selma marchers and a new federal voting rights law to enable African Americans to register and vote without harassment. President Lyndon Johnson, whose administration had been working on a voting rights law, held an historic, nationally televised joint session of Congress on March 15 to ask for the bill's introduction and passage. With Governor Wallace refusing to protect the marchers and President Johnson committed to doing so, the third march started March 21, 1965. Protected by 2,000 soldiers of the U.S. Army, 1,900 federalized members of the Alabama National Guard and many FBI agents and Federal Marshals, the marchers averaged over 10 miles a day along U.S. Route 80, ironically known in Alabama as the "Jefferson Davis Highway." Fifty-four miles later, the marchers arrived in Montgomery on March 24 and at the Alabama State Capitol on March 25. With thousands of supporters having joined the campaign, 25,000 people entered the capital city that day in support of voting rights.

I had read
… With Placards Along The Walkways Providing Insight Into Life In Tent City… With Placards Along The Walkways Providing Insight Into Life In Tent City… With Placards Along The Walkways Providing Insight Into Life In Tent City

Selma To Montgomery Trail - Lowndes County Interpretive Center (NPS) - Hayneville AL
about the historic route and seen that there was a Lowndes County Interpretive Center (NPS) in Hayneville AL, but that didn’t mean a dagnab thing to me. As it turned out, I stumbled upon the facility as I was driving to Selma to get my feet planted at the Selma Interpretive Center (NPS) in Selma. Three National Park Service interpretive centers are in the works for the Selma to Montgomery Trail – the Lowndes County facility is located adjacent to one of the tent cities where the marchers stayed overnight. The Selma facility is in a storefront at the northwest end of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, site of “Bloody Sunday,” and, although still open for business, is currently undergoing renovation and expansion. The third is slated for Montgomery but is in the planning process at this point. Both interpretive centers provide a different focus and, therefore, are both worthy of a visit.

My next stop was the Slavery & Civil War Museum in Selma. It’s hard to provide a synopsis for the “off-the-beaten-path” attraction. First, it has no web site – I have no idea how I found it. Second, it has no regular hours – indeed, I had given up on the attraction
My Tour Guide Insisted I Take An Usie So I Wouldn’t Forget Her – I Doubt That Is Possible, Usie Or NotMy Tour Guide Insisted I Take An Usie So I Wouldn’t Forget Her – I Doubt That Is Possible, Usie Or NotMy Tour Guide Insisted I Take An Usie So I Wouldn’t Forget Her – I Doubt That Is Possible, Usie Or Not

Slavery & Civil War Museum - Selma AL
and was about to depart when a lady drove by who happens to be the museum curator who graciously opened the facility and provided me with a tour. Third, the facility is not about a series of artifacts that tell a story, but is about a story that is augmented by a small collection of artifacts. The story basically is that the exportation of Africans led to the loss of the African culture because of the prohibitions against the continuation of practicing customs, speaking the language, passing along historical information to progeny, etc. Fourth, my tour guide was one of the most self-promoting people I have ever met, but somehow she grew on me and I really began to embrace her by the end of the tour. Indeed, she had me Google her name on my smart phone during the tour and insisted I accept a tee shirt emblazoned with her name and likeness in return for a donation I made to the institution. I will recommend this attraction for those with adequate time and for those who are looking for the unusual. Good luck with finding the attraction manned – err, womanned!

My next stop was the National Voting Rights Museum & Institute
The Edmund Pettus Bridge From The Selma Side Of The BridgeThe Edmund Pettus Bridge From The Selma Side Of The BridgeThe Edmund Pettus Bridge From The Selma Side Of The Bridge

Across The Street From The Selma Interpretive Center - Selma AL
also in Selma but at the opposite end of the Edmund Pettus Bridge from downtown Selma. This top-shelf facility provides background to the civil rights movements of the 1960s. It acknowledges that, while many charismatic leaders were in the headlines, it was the sacrifice of the “foot soldiers” that got the job accomplished. It pays homage to the participants in “Bloody Sunday” and to those who marched to Montgomery weeks later. One finds a Women’s Suffrage Gallery, a Reconstruction Gallery and a Legal Gallery in addition to brief histories of several of the organizations active in the civil rights movement – Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), National Urban League (NUL), National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) – and early movements in four states which propelled the civil rights movement – The Greenwood (MS) Movement, The Saint Augustine (FL) Movement, The Albany (GA) Movement and The Selma (AL) Movement. This well done museum should be on everybody’s list while in Sema.

I had a VERY busy week in Montgomery and can’t recall a week in recent years where I have been exposed to so many learning opportunities of such a diverse nature. I escaped with minimal road rash on
Many Of The Foot Soldiers Are Honored With Footprint CastsMany Of The Foot Soldiers Are Honored With Footprint CastsMany Of The Foot Soldiers Are Honored With Footprint Casts

National Voting Rights Museum & Institute - Selma AL
my first encounter with (sing it Tim) “A Sedway Named Fu Manchu.” From the Confederate White House to the state capitol; from WW II pilots to 1965 Freedom Riders; from a speech on the capitol steps by Governor George Wallace to one by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; from a man who made hot dogs famous to an action that made a highway famous; from a renowned scientist to an eclectic woman who won my heart. Montgomery has a little bit of everything. I found the city safe and easy to navigate. Traffic was not a problem, but I avoid those times when I would be asking for congestion. There were attractions I had to forgo simply because time didn’t allow. If my (life-) time allows, I would like to return and engage in some more exploration.


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First White House of the Confederacy - Montgomery AL


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