Before his death in 2020, Congressman John Lewis was an influential and respected politician and civil rights leader. On this episode of It Came from the Archives, we look back at John Lewis' life and early education in rural Alabama, years marked by discrimination but also extraordinary determination.
In today's day and age, you probably wouldn't ask your doctor for a loan, but in early 20th century Southern communities, doctors often doubled as entrepreneurs and merchants and kept running tabs for their patrons. One such doctor was Dr. Curtis Espy of Midland City, Alabama, whose handwritten business records are preserved in the Wiregrass Archives. Read the article: https://today.troy.edu/perspectives/it-came-from-the-archives-the-life-and-times-of-dr-espy/
We often say about old buildings, "If these walls could talk, the stories they'd tell." Of course, old Southern churches can't talk, but they do have stories to tell in their gables and stables and sanctuaries. Martha Dickson was listening. She has her own collection in the Wiregrass Archives and has compiled hundreds of photographs and histories of historic wooden churches in the Deep South. Today, on It Came from the Archives, the intersection of faith and architecture: stories told in wood and glass. https://today.troy.edu/perspectives/faith-through-history-churches/
Dothan native Johnny Mack Brown has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a mural in his hometown. But many outside of the Dothan area might not remember the football and film star. He was a standout on a legendary 1925 University of Alabama football team before they were even called the Crimson Tide. But it's a long jump from Tuscaloosa to Hollywood. Today, we take a closer look at the life of local legend, Johnny Mack Brown.
In Southern folklife the singing convention has a long and illustrious history. Always commercial ventures, they changed in scale as communication, printing, and travel technology expanded their market. In this episode, we explore one such convention that took place at the 1949 Houston County Fair Read Dr. Olliff's article: https://today.troy.edu/perspectives/it-came-from-the-archives-a-singing-convention-at-the-1949-houston-county-fair/
People in the Wiregrass have known about Bishop Cleaners since it opened in Dothan in 1947. But few know that in November 1945, its founder, Eustace E. Bishop, was one of the fastest men on the open sea. Read Dr. Olliff's article on Eustace Bishop and the USS Lake Champlain: https://today.troy.edu/perspectives/it-came-from-the-archives-dothan-man-was-among-fastest-on-the-open-sea/
The Dothan neighborhood of Southside looks nothing today like it did in 1958. Fortunately, a collection of photographs has survived the intervening decades (as well as a close encounter with a bonfire) to give us a glimpse of what the area looked like more than 65 years ago. These pictures are the only complete record available of this neighborhood before it was reshaped by urban renewal projects and might very well represent the last time any of these buildings were ever photographed. View the photograph collection here: www.troy.edu/about-us/dothan-ca…ventories/101.html Read Dr. Olliff's article: today.troy.edu/perspectives/it-c…eighborhood-1958/
During World War II, the skies over Great Britain were filled with too many German airplanes, and the weather was too inclement, for pilot-cadets to train safely. So they trained in colonies like India and South Africa, but they also trained in the US from June 1941 to March 1943. Dr. Olliff's Article: https://today.troy.edu/news/archives-raf-pilot-training/
At Dothan's first National Peanut Festival in 1938, 400 local people banded together to put on a historical pageant. The "Parade of the Years" told the story of Dothan's past and was attended by hundreds who paid a quarter in advance or a half-dollar at the gate to see the myths of their town’s heritage made flesh.
In this episode we explore three historic train wrecks that occurred in the Wiregrass and the archived photos that tell the story. See the photos from the Tom Solomon Collection for yourself! https://www.troy.edu/about-us/dothan-campus/wiregrass-archives/inventories/146.html Read Dr. Olliff's article for Troy Today here: https://today.troy.edu/news/langford-train-wreck/
Born in 1860 in Grangers Mill (now Henderson) in Pike County, Alabama, Charles Henderson became a wealthy businessman, a civic booster, an office holder, and an education proponent.
Join host Greg Phillips and historian Marty Olliff for a story of love, war, and heartbreak. Together they'll delve into the WWI letters of Irene Pierce and the soldiers who vied for her affection.
This time, Greg Phillips and Marty Olliff delve into the history of Dothan’s National Peanut Festival. Given the prominence of the festival, you might think that Dothan had a lifelong relationship with the peanut, but it turns out its first love was cotton. And if it wasn’t for a pesky little insect, that relationship might still be going strong today.
This time, Greg Phillips and Marty Olliff are talking about an Army Infantry Division newspaper, known as “The Dixie.” Recently, the Wiregrass Archives received a collection of this newspaper, which trains a lens on life in the southern 31st division of the Army.
Today, we’re tackling African American history in the Wiregrass Area, through the lens of one family in particular. In many ways, life for the Weems family in the mid-twentieth century was similar to that of other African-American families in Alabama, but in others, their experiences were extremely different.
In the inaugural episode of "It Came from the Archives", Host Greg Phillips sits down with Marty Olliff, Director of the Wiregrass Archives in Dothan, Alabama. Marty tells us the story of A.A. Wiley, who founded Troy University and would leave an imprint on the Wiregrass region.