L&N Railroad employees attempted to apprehend an outlaw named Railroad Bill as he slept near the tracks, but failed after he opened fire and escaped into the woods. The incident spurred a large-scale manhunt and a series of firefights that caused the deaths of lawmen and misidentified suspects alike. While Railroad Bill’s true identity was never conclusively determined, the hunt ended on March 7, 1896 when lawmen gunned down a man identified as Bill McCoy in Atmore. Often portrayed as a “Robin Hood” character, Railroad Bill’s legacy continued through the years in a variety of cultural representations, including music, fiction and theater. Continue reading →

On this date in 1931, the Alabama Legislature confirmed Samuel Minturn Peck as Alabama’s first poet laureate. A native of Tuscaloosa, Peck studied languages and literature at Columbia University and published his first volume of poetry, Caps and Bells, in 1886, to great success. Known for simple, easy-to-understand poems in the style of vers de société, Peck published seven volumes of poetry, but never received critical acclaim. Many of Peck’s poems, including “The Grapevine Swing,” were set to music by various composers. Nominated for the position of poet laureate by the Alabama Writers Conclave, Peck served until his death in 1938. Continue reading →

Daimler AG rolled through another month with the top-selling luxury auto brand in the U.S. In addition to drawing more customers, Mercedes-Benz is getting buyers to pay more. Mercedes-Benz sold 24,522 cars and sport utility vehicles in the U.S. last month, a 6.9 percent increase from a year earlier. BMW AG’s namesake brand rose 0.3 percent to 22,558 and Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus line tumbled 21 percent to 18,338. Continue reading →

By Karim Shamsi-Basha Delanya Storey has quite the story. The senior at the Jefferson County International Baccalaureate (JCIB) School is one of six nominees for the inaugural National Speech and Debate Association’s Exemplary Student Service Award. Other nominees are from … Continue reading →

Ideas were poured out at the Daniel Building in downtown Birmingham Feb. 26 and, in the end, six of them will continue to flow closer to a $5,000 prize. FusionNextGen is seeking the next bright idea for Birmingham from teachers and students at Birmingham City Schools. Read all about the competition… Continue reading →

By Michael Tomberlin Alabama’s bicentennial is seen by officials as such a big deal, they plan to spend three years celebrating. At an event on the Capitol steps this morning, the state officially announced plans that will mark Alabama’s journey … Continue reading →

By Graydon RustAlabama 200 March 4, 1881 Author T.S. Stribling was born in Tennessee. Although raised in Tennessee, Stribling spent many of his boyhood summers in Lauderdale County and attended the University of North Alabama in Florence. The author of … Continue reading →