Tag Archives: 1930’s

Newly Online: Birmingham Barons Baseball Records

Part of the extensive Woodward Family Papers is a collection of documents pertaining to the Birmingham Barons minor league baseball team, owned by A. H. “Rick” Woodward. The team’s park, Rickwood Field, was named after him. Many of these records, … Continue reading

A Day in the Life: November 28

On this date, through the years… * 1860. Alabama. Hugh Davis laments the political tumult of his day, which in hindsight we recognize as the prelude to Civil War. Davis writes: “Revolution. Fire. Precipitation. Slaughter. How rapidly, how fearfully the … Continue reading

Chicago World’s Fair, 1933

The 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago, A Century of Progress, put the city in the spotlight for its centennial, while displaying the best of scientific progress as well as bringing the cultures of the world to Chicago. Click on any … Continue reading

Be Thankful for the Right to Vote

“A non-voter is not a half a citizen.” — Interview with H. D. Coke, 1984 Like Coke, many of the elderly African Americans interviewed for the Working Lives Oral History Project remember the struggle to register to vote during the … Continue reading

Life in the mines: The UMWA in Alabama

Last year for Labor Day, we shared a link to an interview with Cleatus and Louise Burns, about their experiences working in the coal mines and living in the mining camps in the first half of the 20th century, hazards … Continue reading

Tri-State Tornado

This week we take a look at one of the worst tornadoes in Alabama history.  This tornado outbreak, known as the Tri-State tornado killed over 250 Alabamians, injured more that 1500 others, and caused damages estimated at over $5 million.  … Continue reading

Working Lives Oral History Project

Our Digital Collections not only feature manuscripts and photographs, but also audio. One of our audio collections is the Working Lives Oral History Project. Funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, this project focuses on black … Continue reading

Newly Online: Elbert Nixdorf Letters

We have recently placed a small but interesting collection online, the Elbert Nixdorf Letters. Mr. Nixdorf served in the U. S. Army Special Services during World War II. This collection of letters contains correspondence with friends he made while overseas … Continue reading

Life in the mines: why we are grateful for unions

Why do we celebrate Labor Day? Because of the major changes and protections (such as 8-hour work days) developed by labor unions in the United States. The early days of union organization were tough. Listen to Cleatus and Louise Burns … Continue reading

Dating in the 20’s and 30’s: much like today?

Wonder what dating was like in the late 20’s and early 30’s? Read about it in the Haydn Neal Thompson Letters, now online.  Hayden was away at military school, and later, college, during 1924-1935.  This is a compilation of letters … Continue reading