{"title":"Alabama","description":"Discover our selection of local and specialist interest books on the state of Alabama.","products":[{"product_id":"abandoned-birmingham","title":"Abandoned Birmingham","description":"\u003cspan\u003eFounded in 1871 after the Civil War, Birmingham rapidly grew as an industrial enterprise due to the abundance of the three raw materials used in making steel—iron ore, coal, and limestone. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBirmingham's rapid growth was due to the booming iron and steel industries giving it the nickname “Magic City” and “Pittsburgh of the South.” \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe city was named after Birmingham, England, as a nod to the major industrial powerhouse. The iron and steel industries began to dry up by the early 1970s, leaving behind dozens of abandoned structures that now dot the city's landscape. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn the last several years, Birmingham has begun to experience a rebirth. Money has been invested in reconstructing the historic downtown area into a pedestrian-friendly mixed-use district. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbandoned Birmingham\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, photographer Leland Kent gives the reader an in-depth look at the forgotten buildings and factories throughout the city.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/leland-kent\"\u003eLeland Kent\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"Abandoned Union","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":21183229591634,"sku":"9781634990585","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634990585.jpg?v=1545330548"},{"product_id":"tuscaloosa-through-time","title":"Tuscaloosa Through Time","description":"Over its two hundred years of history, the city of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, has held a prominent position within the state, not only as home to the state's flagship university, but also taking turns as the State Capitol, as the location for the state mental health hospital, as the site of Civil War conflict, and as a Civil Rights landmark. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA locale marked by rapid growth at the time of its formal incorporation, today's Tuscaloosa replicates that rapid development—witnessing industrial and commercial growth, a rising population, and an expanding University. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYet residents of contemporary Tuscaloosa are never far from their history and forebears, for beautiful reminders of its past dot the city and lend to its grace and charms, while uglier aspects of that past lend to its self-awareness and point the way toward more enlightened and just self-governance. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIndeed, this rich and varied history claims for Tuscaloosa a compelling position in American memory.[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/serena-blount\"\u003eSerena Blount\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"America Through Time","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":21200390914130,"sku":"9781635000696","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781635000696.jpg?v=1545562600"},{"product_id":"abandoned-alabama","title":"Abandoned Alabama","description":"Abandoned structures are places that open the imagination and invite interpretation. Distressed wood and weathered remnants of human life are crossed by time and animal tracks, inviting one to picture what once was. Abandoned homes and buildings offer a un ique, distressed beauty. While often overlooked by passers - by, their skeletal remains act as the perfect subject for the lens of a camera, quietly waiting to be captured and shared. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbandoned Alabama\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e explores this haunting narrative through its display of photos by abandoned building photographer Jay Farrell. Readers are encouraged to explore the forgotten corners of the state, see the world through different eyes, and take the long road home.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/jay-farrell\"\u003eJay Farrell\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"Abandoned Union","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":21554884083794,"sku":"9781634991148","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634991148.jpg?v=1551824693"},{"product_id":"abandoned-alabama-dark-shadows-of-generations-past","title":"Abandoned Alabama: Dark Shadows of Generations Past","description":"Abandoned structures are places that open the imagination and invite interpretation. Distressed wood and weathered remnants of human life are crossed by time and animal tracks, inviting one to picture what once was. Abandoned homes and buildings offer a unique, distressed beauty. While often overlooked by passers-by, their skeletal remains act as the perfect subject for the lens of a camera, quietly waiting to be documented and shared. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbandoned Alabama: Dark Shadows of Generations Past\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e explores this haunting narrative and display of photos by urban explorer and photographer, Jay Farrell. In this volume, witness a brilliant contrast between bygone farmhouses of rural Alabama and the bone-chilling photos and narrative of a Tuscaloosa insane asylum. Readers are encouraged to explore the forgotten corners of the state, see the world through different eyes, and take the long road home.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/jay-farrell\"\u003eJay Farrell\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"Abandoned Union","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31755054448722,"sku":"9781634991612","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634991612.jpg?v=1578167533"},{"product_id":"abandoned-north-alabama","title":"Abandoned North Alabama","description":"Many towns in North Alabama operate on such a small budget that a single drought could fatally cripple much of their income. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA single devastating storm might damage a building beyond repair, but the cost of starting over and in some cases cleaning up becomes more fiscal trouble than the towns are able to spare. Anyone who has owned property in North Alabama can tell you that all it takes is one summer’s worth of neglect to turn a proudly displayed property into a mysterious shadow veiled by trees and vines. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThese places exist all around, but are often avoided because of the dangers that may be lurking inside. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbandoned North Alabama\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, photographer Mary Posey documents her journey inside some of North Alabama’s most bizarre and creepy discarded structures. She explores the stories of a military base that couldn’t maintain its funding, a train station with a hint of murder mystery, a juvenile detention center for girls that fought lawsuits for abuse until ultimately being shut down by a tornado, and houses left as if the owners just ran off in the middle of the night.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/mary-posey\"\u003eMary Posey\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"Abandoned Union","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":33053572792402,"sku":"9781634992459","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634992459.jpg?v=1603915987"},{"product_id":"underground-birmingham","title":"Underground Birmingham: Images from Birmingham’s Iron Ore Mines","description":"\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eUnderground Birmingham: Images from Birmingham’s Iron Ore Mines\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e takes the reader on a pictorial journey deep into the cold, dark and long abandoned mining tunnels that are now buried and hiding along the ridge of Birmingham’s Red Mountain. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRed Mountain iron ore is in the Clinton Formation, a geologic formation that runs from New York down into Alabama to the southern terminus of the Appalachian Mountains. The Birmingham iron ore mining district stretched 33 miles, extending from Trussville to Bessemer. The sixty-plus mines that operated here ranged from open-cut mines and drift mines to slope and shaft mines. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt was from these mine excavations that the red hematite iron ore was obtained, which drove 100 years of iron production in the “Magic City” of the South. Through these images, the viewer will see the rooms and passages where miners of all backgrounds spent much of their lives literally carving out a living for their families and to make their city successful. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJoin in on this photo tour to see where these people worked and some of the things they left behind.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/jeff-e-newman\"\u003eJeff E. Newman\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/josh-box\"\u003eJosh Box\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"Industrial Heritage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":33057150763090,"sku":"9781634992626","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634992626.jpg?v=1603998069"},{"product_id":"abandoned-coastal-defenses-of-alabama","title":"Abandoned Coastal Defenses of Alabama","description":"\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbandoned Coastal Defenses of Alabama\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e is a down-and-dirty guided tour through Fort Morgan and Fort Gaines, the retired guardians of Alabama’s Gulf Coast. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor nearly 200 years, these hauntingly beautiful Third System forts have stood stubbornly between the Yellowhammer State and a sometimes hostile world beyond. Pairing stunning original photography and vibrant prose, urban explorer Thomas Kenning recounts a blow-by-blow history of Forts Morgan and Gaines. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis sensitive camera work documents the grandeur and decline wrought by the passage of time, as well as the lasting damage sustained during the pitched Battle of Mobile Bay—one of the most iconic battles in U.S. naval history. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThreatened by a rising sea, disintegrating under the weight of centuries, Forts Morgan and Gaines have been named \"one of the nation's ten most endangered battle sites\" by the American Battlefield Trust. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbandoned Coastal Defenses of Alabama\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e offers an arresting snapshot of this waning moment in American history—documentary evidence of a rich past slipping inexorably into ruin.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/thomas-kenning\"\u003eThomas Kenning\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"Abandoned Union","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39317828108370,"sku":"9781634992831","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634992831.jpg?v=1617463317"},{"product_id":"abandoned-montgomery-ruins-of-the-confederate-capitol","title":"Abandoned Montgomery: Ruins of the Confederate Capitol","description":"\u003cspan\u003eMontgomery, Alabama, is the birthplace of the Confederacy and the site of many protests during the Civil Rights Movement. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA constant battleground of morals and politics, the city has been in a downward spiral for decades. Its buildings are a reminder of its storied, and in many ways, controversial past. David Bulit, a long-time photographer and historian, guides readers through the city’s lesser known history. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbandoned Montgomery\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e features the house on Goldthwaite, a mansion built for a U.S. marshal, located in what was once a wealthy and thriving neighborhood; the Grove Court Apartments, a complex built to fill the influx of people in the city following World War II; the Sayre Street School, a once historic school turned funeral home; Capitol City Dry Cleaners, part of a superfund site which contaminated part of the city’s groundwater; the town of Spectre, a movie set used for the movie Big Fish; and much more.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/david-bulit\"\u003eDavid Bulit\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"Abandoned Union","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39420016197714,"sku":"9781634992916","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634992916.jpg?v=1621533073"},{"product_id":"abandoned-wiregrass-the-deepest-south-s-lost-and-forgotten-places","title":"Abandoned Wiregrass: The Deepest South’s Lost and Forgotten Places","description":"Welcome to the Wiregrass, a place where abandoned doesn’t always mean vacant, and vacant doesn’t always mean empty. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNestled between Florida’s sugar-white beaches and the agriculturally rich Black Belt, there exists a land of endless peanut fields and high cotton. This is the deepest of the Deep South, Dixie’s last stand before accents and culture take on a decidedly Northern flavor along the Gulf Coast and Florida Peninsula. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNarrow asphalt ribbons wind through this region’s pine forests, passing through small farming communities that are fighting for survival in the global economy. The lingering aftershocks of the 2008 economic crisis and 2018’s Hurricane Michael still reverberate here. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThese pressures, along with an aging and declining population, have created a region where abandoned buildings are commonplace. These forgotten structures speak of dreams lost; from crumbling sharecropper shacks, to desolate main streets, to modern homes where the owners simply moved on. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTake a journey with award-winning author and photographer Brian Braden as he chronicles the slow-motion apocalypse of abandoned homes and businesses of the Wiregrass and also discovers a place of hope and transition, where citizens fight to revitalize their hometowns and preserve a rich cultural heritage.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/brian-l-braden\"\u003eBrian L. Braden\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"Abandoned Union","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39420038185042,"sku":"9781634992909","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634992909.jpg?v=1621533658"},{"product_id":"country-store-to-corner-market-alabama-louisiana-and-mississippi","title":"Country Store to Corner Market: Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi","description":"\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCountry Store to Corner Market: Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/em\u003eoffers an engaging and enlightening look at country stores from early dry goods stores to mom-and-pop groceries. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe book traces the history of stores on the rural roadside and neighborhood groceries in the city. It continues on to early supermarkets and the Piggly Wiggly. The unique and varied region stretches from the Gulf of Mexico and Deep South to the hill country in the north of each state. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCountry Store to Corner Market: Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e looks at the varied cultures in weaving a popular history from frontier times to the stores and markets of today. It is a story of people and their bonds to their homeplace and each other from cotton picking to New Orleans jazz. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThrough captioned photographs of storekeepers and customers, farmers and townspeople, this book emphasizes daily life from buying flour and sugar to visiting with neighbors while waiting for the morning mail. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCountry stores and corner markets were once the gathering place for everyone in the community. Pull up a chair and enjoy these touching and sometimes humorous glimpses into the lives of our ancestors when they were once young.\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/raymond-bial\"\u003eRaymond Bial\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"America Through Time","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39430668746834,"sku":"9781634993111","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634993111.jpg?v=1622129070"},{"product_id":"abandoned-alabama-descent-of-days-gone-by","title":"Abandoned Alabama: Descent of Days Gone By","description":"Leftover bones are everywhere. They are throughout our surrounding communities, towns, and cities. They are residual pieces of history and decay, of the days gone by. They can be found driving down backroads, walking down spooky alleyways, and investigating abandoned homes and businesses. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe are usually too busy with the hustle and bustle of everyday life to notice. Some, if not all, of these leftover bones will be treated as an eyesore or a nuisance and will eventually be destroyed without ever being documented by pen, paper, or photography. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDocumenting these remaining formations through her own eyes and a photo lens, the author and photographer of this book, April Wood Holdridge, invites you to join her as she tries to slow time enough for you to appreciate the magnificence of the descent of the days gone by.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/april-wood-holdridge\"\u003eApril Wood Holdridge\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"Abandoned Union","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39456337002578,"sku":"9781634993234","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634993234.jpg?v=1624186844"},{"product_id":"abandoned-alabama-exploring-the-heart-of-dixie","title":"Abandoned Alabama: Exploring the Heart of Dixie","description":"Abandoned photography captures the beauty in urban ruins left behind, giving the viewer an exhilarating look at our past. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith over 200 years of history, there is no shortage of fascinating abandoned places across Alabama. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbandoned Alabama: Exploring the Heart of Dixie\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, photographer and historian Leland Kent showcases eleven of his favorite abandoned locations from across the state. Among the locations are several forgotten historic homes, plus a one-of-a-kind mid-century masterpiece built by a famous architect. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDiscover the incredible history behind one of Alabama's oldest and most historic abandoned sites, Searcy Hospital, which has been closed since 2012. Each chapter gives a detailed narrative about these breathtaking places accompanied by stunning imagery. You can find more of Leland's work at \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.abandonedsoutheast.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ewww.abandonedsoutheast.com\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/leland-kent\"\u003eLeland Kent\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"Abandoned Union","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39674306297938,"sku":"9781634993562","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634993562.jpg?v=1636199764"},{"product_id":"abandoned-deep-south-lower-alabama","title":"Abandoned Deep South: Lower Alabama","description":"Alabama is a beautiful state with a tense history. The Deep South struggles with poverty, and this creates a plethora of abandonment issues. Cotton fields abound while farmhouses are in shambles. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe childhood home of a famous figure is long forgotten, with only a sign next to the road reading, \"Rosa Parks lived here.\" The mansion of a former FBI agent is left to decay in Alabama’s hot and humid climate. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTornados, neglect, and death can leave even the most prized properties crumbling beyond repair. There are many reasons as to why these properties are forgotten and quickly given back to nature. In Abandoned Deep South: Lower Alabama, explorer Eric Hammon discovers and uncovers LA (as some locals call Lower Alabama). \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe southern portion of the state is full of schools, funeral parlors, and plantation homes in disrepair. Overgrowth and debris sometimes keep these places out of sight and out of mind. The author seeks out these hidden gems and documents his finds.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/eric-hammon\"\u003eEric Hammon\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"Abandoned Union","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40100182523986,"sku":"9781634993968","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634993968.jpg?v=1660575414"},{"product_id":"abandoned-north-alabama-where-the-stories-ended","title":"Abandoned North Alabama: Where The Stories Ended","description":"Every factory ever built was because someone had a dream. Every business ever started was a person taking a risk. Every school ever built was done so with the intention of making a brighter future. Every church at one point was a testimony of someone’s faith. Every structure someone ever called “home” was once a shelter from the often intimidating outside world. Whether that person needed shelter from the weather, shelter from the dark, or shelter from other people, those four walls provided solace. Often, dreams die, risks lead to failure, faith waivers, and people outgrow their four walls or lose them to death, poverty, or the very weather from which they are meant to provide shelter. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbandoned North Alabama: Where the Stories Ended\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, photographer Robert Posey explores structures that have outlived the ambitions they were built to serve. Learn about businesses that failed even after decades of thriving. Walk through houses showing a time when racism was publicly accepted, phones were attached to walls, and children’s toys, left discarded, had no place for batteries. Join along on this journey to resurrect the stories that once filled these forgotten structures before nature erases forever their tales of the past.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/robert-posey\"\u003eRobert Posey\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"Abandoned Union","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40675618685010,"sku":"9781634994859","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/files\/9781634994859.jpg?v=1705060372"},{"product_id":"colorful-norfolk-southern","title":"The Colorful Norfolk Southern","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Norfolk Southern Railway, formed by the merger of the Norfolk \u0026amp; Western and Southern Railways in 1982, has been known since its inception for the black and white\/monochrome livery applied to its locomotives.\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile both of its predecessors once made use of more colorful hues on their motive power, by the 1970s both roads had turned to black paint, although the Southern also included a horizontal area of off-white in what was termed the “Tuxedo” paint scheme.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2012, the Norfolk Southern, led by its CEO Charles W. “Wick” Moorman, took to heart the suggestion of a young railroad enthusiast and launched the program that created 20 “Heritage” units, which utilized paint schemes from railroads that had formed the two predecessor roads. Some of these were, indeed, colorful. In subsequent years, this group of locomotives was joined by others that have liveries commemorating a variety of entities, which added to the colorful motive power fleet. In addition, it has also become increasingly common for locomotives from other railroads to operate on the NS and vice versa, adding doses of additional color to what otherwise would be rather somber-looking locomotive servicing facilities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/george-w-hamlin\"\u003eGeorge W. Hamlin\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Railways","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42093247594578,"sku":"9781634995443","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/files\/9781634995443.jpg?v=1752604714"},{"product_id":"the-ghosts-of-an-empire","title":"The Ghosts of an Empire: The History of the Alabama Fuel and Iron Company in St. Clair County","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eImagine working for a company that owns your house, your grocery store, your church, and even your children’s schools. That was the reality of hundreds of thousands of Americans during the early twentieth century. In a world of robber barons, Big Mules, and privately owned towns, choices were limited.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe biggest Mules of them all, the DeBardeleben family, held Alabama industry with iron fists. Deep in the coal mines of Acmar and Margaret in St. Clair County, Charles DeBardeleben was king. Fiercely anti-labor, DeBardeleben would line his towns with barbed wire, concrete guardhouses, searchlights, dynamite traps, and even machine gun nests. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWithin the fortresses, the company formed idyllic “workers’ paradises” where every facet of life was provided and controlled by management. As the wealth of black diamonds began to dry up, company towns quickly faded into obscurity and coal barons fell from power. Miners found themselves left in the cold.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe kingdom of Charles DeBardeleben was swallowed by pine trees and kudzu, lying dormant for seventy-five years until the history of this great empire was explored by St. Clair County’s native son.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/austin-stone\"\u003eAustin Stone\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Industrial Heritage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42227943931986,"sku":"9781634995955","price":28.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/files\/9781634995955.jpg?v=1764427358"},{"product_id":"abandoned-wiregrass","title":"Abandoned Wiregrass: Three Notch Road","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe War of 1812’s guns have been silent for a decade. General Jackson has broken the British Empire's influence on the American frontier, subdued the Creek Confederacy, and forced Spain to cede Florida.\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn emboldened America consolidates its hold on the Mississippi Territory. Like the ancient Romans, the Americans understand that roads are key to their continental ambitions. Enter Captain Daniel E. Burch, soldier, engineer, and frontiersman.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring the summer of 1824, Captain Burch constructed a road over 200 miles from Pensacola to Fort Mitchell through a tangled wilderness and Creek Territory. Undaunted, he completed, on time and budget, what would ultimately be known as the Three Notch Road. His accomplishment opened a frontier we call the Wiregrass.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYet, today’s Wiregrass is slowly emptying and aging, afflicted with the same population decline plaguing the rest of the U.S. Abandoned structures are commonplace in this verdant land which was once battled over by indigenous nations and empires.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRetrace Burch’s 1824 odyssey along today’s Three Notch Road, a contemporary photographic journey as seen through history’s lens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/brian-l-braden\"\u003eBrian L. Braden\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Abandoned Union","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42315524472914,"sku":"9781625451682","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/files\/9781625451682.jpg?v=1774618064"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.through-time.com\/collections\/alabama\/industrial-heritage.oembed","provider":"America Through Time","version":"1.0","type":"link"}