Tuesday, January 20, 2009

The Will of Samuel Townsend, UA Digital Collections

During class Monday we had the opportunity to visit the Hoole Special Collections Library on the UA campus. This special library is not just a collection of old books, though. The folks at Hoole collect and manage pictures of artifacts, rare photos, correspondences, recordings and most anything else that can help tell about the past. They also manage the UA Libraries' Digital Collections

In this case, the library has maintained and photographed the will of Samuel Townsend, a plantation owner in Madison county in the mid 1800s. His lawyer, Septimus Cabaniss, drafted his will, which was very controversial at the time. 

The will, which called for certain of Townsend's slaves to manumitted out of the south, named those slaves as Townsend's heirs. There is speculation as to whether or not the slaves mentioned were Townsend's children. 

The collection also includes a deposition by Cabaniss about his role in establishing the estate and documents referring to the slaves' possible manumittance in Ohio. Wills like this one can help historians discover the common (or in this case, uncommon) practices of land-owners in the mid 19th century.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

New Publix opens with confidence


Even cold winds and the early morning temperatures couldn't keep a crowd  from gathering outside the doors of the Tuscaloosa area's newest Publix as employees and citizens celebrated the store's grand opening January 7. 

Store manager Kent Hunt welcomed the crowd into the store, inviting them in to see the progress.

"Me and my management staff and all of our associates here are here to take care of all of you," Hunt said. "Instead of welcoming us, we want to welcome you."

The new store, located on Highway 69 South and Southview, near Shelton State Community College, could face stiff competition. The nearby Winn Dixie store, also located on Highway 69, proved its staying power by surviving both a tornado years ago and the recent financial troubles of the well-known supermarket chain. A Food World on the same highway will also provide competition.

Hunt didn't seem concerned with anything but his own store.

"We want to be the best store in town," Hunt said. 

While the supermarket is not located within the city limits, it is within the Tuscaloosa Police Department's jurisdiction. With an approved annexation, the city would gain much-needed tax revenue from the store. 

Tuscaloosa mayor Walter Maddox, who did not attend the ceremony recommended improvements to the strip of property, which will also be home to a Hungry Howie's Pizza and Subs. 

"Grocery stores are the most stable producers of sales tax,” Maddox told The Tuscaloosa News in an earlier interview. “People don’t quit buying groceries.”