1901-07-05]]> This is a newspaper article about Webb Coffee and his crop of wheat for the year 1872. According to Florence historian Lee Freeman: "Webb Coffee (ca. 1796-1881) was a slave of Gen. John Coffee (1772-1833) for many years before becoming the slave of the General’s son, Joshua (1832-1879), at Coffee's Hickory Hill Plantation on the modern Cloverdale Road. In 1874, Joshua Coffee testified in Webb’s Southern Claims Commission (a Federal court which awarded monetary damages to pro-Union Southerners for property and crops confiscated by the Union Army if they could prove they’d remained loyal) case that Webb had loyally supported the Union and had lost two mules and several bushels of corn, peaches and other foodstuffs, which were taken by the Union Army in July of 1863, and that Webb deserved to be reimbursed by the Federal Government. Unfortunately however Webb’s claim was denied. In his Southern Claims Commission application he states: "I resided 3 Miles North of Florence Ala. from the 11th of April 1861. On the 1st of June 1865 I was living on land rented from My former Master, Joshua Coffee. . . I did not change residence or business during the war." “Uncle” Webb Coffee died 12 April, 1881. His Florence Gazette Sat., April 16, 1881 obituary says: "Uncle Webb Coffee, a clever old colored man, one of our oldest citizens, died Tuesday night, of dropsy, aged about 85. He died where he had lived for about 60 years, at the old Coffee homestead.""]]> 1872-06-18]]> Florence historian Lee Freeman notes: "Wash Barnett, a black sharecropper on the Falk & Litten (Jewish merchants of Florence) farm in Colbert's Reserve (near the bend of the river, in West Lauderdale), brings the first bale of cotton into Florence."]]> 1872-09-10]]> This is a newspaper ad for W.W. Handy's shoe shop on Sixth Street in Tuscumbia, promoted as the "Leading Colored Shoe Shop."]]> 1901-05-01]]> This is a newspaper article about the grand opening of Bettie Hooks' beauty salon, Vogue House of Beauty.]]> 1985]]> This is a business directory from Tuscumbia in 1920. The African American businesses are denoted with an asterisk. ]]> 1920]]> RLPOLKTusc1920.2.jpg
RLPOLKTusc1920.3.jpg
RLPOLKTusc1920.4.jpg
RLPOLKTusc1920.5.jpg
RLPOLKTusc1920.6.jpg]]>
This is a business directory from Tuscumbia in 1913. The African American businesses are denoted with asterisks. ]]> 1913]]> RLPOLKTusc.2.jpg
RLPOLKTusc.3.jpg
RLPOLKTusc.4.jpg
RLPOLKTusc.5.jpg
RLPOLKTusc.6.jpg
RLPOLKTusc.7.jpg]]>
This is a newspaper ad for the Tri-Cities Theater, a black theater managed by H.L. Fields.]]> 1914-01-15]]> This is a newspaper advertisement for Thompson and Son Funeral Home, with photos of the staff.]]>