Situated along the Coosa River, Etowah Countys history is intertwined with the twists and turns of this flowing water. And though the currents of the Coosa shift every day, some fixtures of the river cannot help but remain. It is said that famed riverboat captain James M. Elliott Jr. haunts the Coosas banks, still blasting the whistle from the Magnolia, his steam engine more than a century old. But the river isnt the only part of Etowah County that remains populated by spirits past. Join local author and ghost tour guide Mike Goodson on a chilling journey through Gadsden, Attalla and the rest of Etowah County as he recounts the haunted history of the region. This eerie collection offers the definitive guide to ghostly activity in Etowah County.
Etowah County, located in northeast Alabama, was formed in 1866 from parts of Marshall, Calhoun, St. Clair, DeKalb, Blount, and Cherokee Counties. Originally known as Baine, the area was named Etowah County in 1868. Although the smallest county in Alabama in land area, Etowah is rich in local history.
Since 1971, The Witches’ Almanac has been the source of fun, wisdom, trivial and magical lore for thousands of readers throughout the world. Modeled after the Old Farmer’s Almanac, it includes information related to the annual Moon calendar (weather forecasts and horoscopes), as well as legends, rituals, herbal secrets, interviews, and spells. Although it is an annual publication, only 15 percent of the content is time sensitive. The Witches’ Almanac is an accessible reference that appeals to anyone interested in folklore mythology and culture. It is also appealing to the Wiccan enthusiast.
Restless Spirits and Supernatural Thrills More than 300 bridges with eerie phenomenon that span space and time Across the country hundreds of bridges harbor some of the creepiest paranormal activity known to man. Invisible hands reach out and touch unsuspecting travelers. Residual ghosts haunt scenes of murders, accidents, hangings, and suicides. At some bridges a voice cries out in the darkness that sends a chill down the spine of anyone who hears it. Haunted Bridges tells the kinds of stories that are told in hushed tones around hearths and campfires as we ponder the unknown late into the night. The stories are at once mesmerizing, unique, and unexpectedly familiar, as if we all know deep down that fate keeps some spirits bound to earth. If you can endure the fear and you don’t look away, you will experience the dread and mystery of the unexplained. Cities and states are listed for 324 public locations so readers can look up specific bridges.
Amazing Alabama: A Potpourri of Fascinating Facts, Tall Tales and Storied Stories chronicles a brief history of the state, famous personages associated with Alabama, a discussion of state firsts, unique occurrences, antiquated laws and other fascinating topics.
The Guntersville Democrat was not the first newspaper to be published in Marshall County, but is the one most complete from the 19th Century. It was first published in October of 1880 by a Gadsden newspaperman, William M. Meeks. Over the years, it chronicled much of the early history of Marshall County. This second book in the series attempts to capture mentions of births, marriages, deaths and obituaries It also reproduces items of interest and importance in the development of the county--all with a full name index. In this volume you can find reports of the Marshall County Gold Mine, a haunted house, long lists of Confederate soldiers, the completion of the Tennessee and Coosa Railroad, and many other items of historical and genealogical significance. The early history of Marshall County is written on the pages of its newspapers. This book will be valuable to any student of the history and genealogy of Marshall County.
The 1930s were an unparalleled period in American history. Never before or since - and probably never again - has the gamut of human emotions swung so far, and so fast. On October 29, 1929, the stock market crashed and soon after, the nation of plenty was in turmoil and fast becoming a wasteland. No sacred institution was left untouched; banks failed, factories shut down, stores closed, and almost every business seemed paralyzed with economic stagnation. A generation raised in these conditions could not help but be changed by such foreboding circumstances. It was a period in which new trends of thought emerged in economic matters, social activity, and moral conduct - all leaving the pockmark of progress upon the nation's young. This book presents a revealing portrait of one man's life during the Depression. His particular story is derived from a specific location in the state of Alabama; however, it is an intimately familiar tale to anyone who survived that horrible economic period, and to younger generations who have allowed the stories to endure in their family lore.
Richard Drake has skillfully woven together the various strands of the Appalachian experience into a sweeping whole. Touching upon folk traditions, health care, the environment, higher education, the role of blacks and women, and much more, Drake offers a compelling social history of a unique American region. The Appalachian region, extending from Alabama in the South up to the Allegheny highlands of Pennsylvania, has historically been characterized by its largely rural populations, rich natural resources that have fueled industry in other parts of the country, and the strong and wild, undeveloped land. The rugged geography of the region allowed Native American societies, especially the Cherokee, to flourish. Early white settlers tended to favor a self-sufficient approach to farming, contrary to the land grabbing and plantation building going on elsewhere in the South. The growth of a market economy and competition from other agricultural areas of the country sparked an economic decline of the region's rural population at least as early as 1830. The Civil War and the sometimes hostile legislation of Reconstruction made life even more difficult for rural Appalachians. Recent history of the region is marked by the corporate exploitation of resources. Regional oil, gas, and coal had attracted some industry even before the Civil War, but the postwar years saw an immense expansion of American industry, nearly all of which relied heavily on Appalachian fossil fuels, particularly coal. What was initially a boon to the region eventually brought financial disaster to many mountain people as unsafe working conditions and strip mining ravaged the land and its inhabitants. A History of Appalachia also examines pockets of urbanization in Appalachia. Chemical, textile, and other industries have encouraged the development of urban areas. At the same time, radio, television, and the internet provide residents direct links to cultures from all over the world. The author looks at the process of urbanization as it belies commonly held notions about the region's rural character.
