Page 8 - markers

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This program would not have been possible if it were not for the financial assistance received from the Madison County Commission, local municipalities, civic organizations, and private citizens. Two individuals prominent in securing funding for this project are the late James R. Record, former Madison County Commission Chairman, and Dr. Jimmy Wall, former Huntsville City Councilman. Recent funding from the current administrations of the City of Huntsville (Mayor Loretta Spencer) and Madison County (Commission Chairman Mike Gillespie) has enabled the society to continue this valuable program in the future. The city and county also provide the manpower to prepare sites and erect the markers. Mr. Mike Mahone and his crew with the Huntsville Department of Transportation have been very responsive in installing each city marker. The talented and dedicated members of the Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society Marker Committee also work closely with the current chairman of the Alabama Historical Association Marker Committee, Dr. Norwood A. Kerr, and the diverse and interesting people throughout the community who share an interest in preserving local history.
The Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society Marker Committee currently has approximately thirty proposed marker sites on its list awaiting funding and research. This list is constantly reviewed and revised. Each proposed site is categorized (church, school, cemetery, notable structure, notable site, notable event, early settlement), and then prioritized within each category based on national, statewide, or local historical significance; age; location; accessibility to the public; and availability of funding. Research then begins on the higher priority markers. Committee members research land transaction records, probate court orders, newspapers, and church and school documents to glean historical facts and to ensure the marker text is historically accurate. Once the text has been approved by the marker committee of the Huntsville - Madison County Historical Society, it is forwarded to the Alabama Historical Association Marker Committee. Upon final approval, a copy of the text is sent to the manufacturer, Sewah Studios, for inscribing on both sides of the marker face. After the marker arrives and is erected, an unveiling and dedication ceremony is usually held.
In 1995 in preparation for the publication of this book, the local marker committee began the task of locating, surveying, and photographing existing markers and historical sites. At the same time, committee members also began collecting old photographs of the sites. Ranee Pruitt of the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library assisted the committee in searching the photographic archives of the library’s Heritage Room. Committee members also collected additional information on each marker and located references for further study. We chose to include in this book all of the historical highway markers erected in Madison County since the program’s inception. Several of these markers have been destroyed over the years, and have not yet been replaced. Selected additional markers, plaques, and monuments, erected by other organizations, are also included in this publication because they were deemed significant, and there are no highway markers designating those sites. Following a brief history of Huntsville and Madison County, the reader will find a list of all markers and maps revealing their locations. Next, the complete text of each marker is presented, along with additional information and photographs of the site. This publication concludes with a bibliography of additional sources related to the markers and a complete index.