Queer Holy Union Ceremony, 1995
Marriage
Lesbian community
Tuscaloosa Lesbian Coalition
LGBTQ issues
On June 30, 1995, Tricia Lowery and Amanda Coupland held a Holy Union at the Presidential Pavilion on the University of Alabama campus.<br />The ceremony was held on their anniversary, four years after they began dating, and was the first event of its kind to be held on UA's campus.<br /><br />The two women were co-contributors to the Tuscaloosa Lesbian Coalition newsletter, a notable lesbian publication which ran from 1988-1996.
Summersell Center for Study of the South
June 30, 1995
Summersell Center for Study of the South
.png, 350 x 610 px
Photograph
2600
Tuscaloosa (AL)
Lorrie Memorial Lending Library, Tuscaloosa (AL)
Church libraries
LGBTQ life
Lesbian libraries
The Lorrie Memorial Lending Library is located in the Holt community. The library is owned by God’s House, an independent church. The library occupies a former post office on the property of the church. The 4,000-volume library was named for the librarian of Open Books, a library and bookstore formerly located in Huntsville, Alabama. <br /><br />The library contains collections intended to serve the needs of their community, such as books on a wide variety of religious topics, spiritual experiences, self-help, and LGBTQ fiction and nonfiction. The library is one of the largest lending libraries for LGBTQ fiction in the southeast.
Summersell Center for Study of the South
Summersell Center for Study of the South
Photograph
2599
Tuscaloosa (AL)
God's House, Tuscaloosa (AL)
Church
LGBTQ life
God's House<span> is an independent Christian congregation that believes that classism, racism, sexism, and other social discriminations do not belong in the </span>church<span>. </span>God’s House was established in August, 2002, and is served by two pastors, Rev. Helene Loper and Rev. Susan Lowe. <br /><br />The church occupied a rented space in Northport until it moved to its current location at 2400 Main Avenue in the Holt community in November, 2004. <br /><br />The church participates in local outreach by raising funds for a free medical clinic, support for people living with HIV/AIDS, and a food pantry. The church also attends local events such as Druid City Pride and has floats in the West Alabama Christmas Parade.
Summersell Center for Study of the South
Summersell Center for Study of the South
Photograph
2598
Holt (AL)
Tuscaloosa Lesbian Coalition T-Shirt
T-shirts
LGBTQ life
Tuscaloosa Lesbian Coalition
The picture depicts a red phoenix logo of the Tuscaloosa Lesbian Coalition on a lavender shirt. The Tuscaloosa Lesbian Coalition was a community-based production group formed in 1986 by Rose Gladney and Marcia Winter to support lesbian concerns and activities. The women-only social group published monthly newsletters, actively fundraised for the organization and other causes, and were dedicated to bringing popular lesbian artists and other lesbian cultural events to Tuscaloosa. TLC welcomed women of all races, ethnic background, classes, political and religious persuasions, and women who are differently abled or handicapped. TLC was an active organization in the lesbian community of Tuscaloosa that allowed for socialization and discussions of lesbian concerns and issues.
Summersell Center for Study of the South
Tuscaloosa Public Library
Photograph
2597
Tuscaloosa (AL)
Queer Holy Union Ceremony, 1995
Marriage
Lesbian community
LGBTQ issues
The photo depicts the ceremony of the Holy Union of Amanda and Tricia Coupland, after being together for four years. This holy union took place at the Presidential Pavilion at the University of Alabama on June 30, 1995, almost 20 years before gay marriage would be legalized across the country. <br /><br />The feeling of closeness multiplied for this couple as they “were getting married in (their) hearts instead of just for the legal aspects of it.”
Summersell Center for Study of the South
June 30, 1995
Summersell Center for Study of the South
Photograph
2596
Tuscaloosa (AL)
Tuscaloosa Country Club
Country clubs
The Tuscaloosa Country Club, organized in 1921 and constructed in 1922, had a nine-hole golf course.
It was not the first golf course in Tuscaloosa. The first was the Riverside Golf Course, located on what was once Queen City Park and which had nine holes, sand greens and was open to the public.
As more people took up golf, plans were made for a private golf course. The course was built off Sixth Street in the city's West End under the direction of Charles Hall, then golf pro at the Birmingham Country Club. F. G. Blair was the club's first president, R.E. Dunham, vice-president, and Frank Maxwell, secretary-treasurer.
Ten years later, a devastating tornado rampaged through Tuscaloosa County that left only the basement walls at the Tuscaloosa Country Club. The club then ran into financial difficulties and the mortgage was foreclosed.
In 1937, The country club rose again as the Country Club of Tuscaloosa with Hayse Tucker as the new president. In 1947, an additional nine holes were added.
In recent years the country club has experienced financial difficulties. In 2013, it was sold to TCC Acquisition Partners LLC. The new owners planned to do residential development on part of the country club property with plans to keep the club house and to maintain the 18-hole course at least temporarily.
Tuscaloosa News
Tuscaloosa News Archive
April 25, 1969, June 5, 2013
Betty Slowe (Description)
Newspaper
Tuscaloosa (AL)
K. O. Polio Program, 1963
Polio
Sabin Vaccine
A brochure issued in 1963 by the Tuscaloosa County Medical Society promoting mass immunization using the Sabin Vaccine. The Sabin Vaccine is taken orally on cube of sugar.
The brochure gives the dates and locations in Tuscaloosa County where the Sabin Vaccine will be distributed. Three rounds are need to combat the three different types of polio.
The Sabin Vaccine should be taken by all ages even if the person has had the Salk Vaccine shots. The Sabin Vaccine provides a more complete protection and prevents the transference of the polio virus from one person to another.
Tuscaloosa County Medical Society
Robert and Barbara Nicol
1963
Elizabeth Bradt (Description)
Document
2594
Tuscaloosa County (AL)
Fellowship Baptist Church
Churches
Fellopwship Baptist Church is located on the Gordo-Reform Road. It was established in 1832 and was constituted an orthodox Baptist church by the then Cahaba Asssociation on August 3, 1833. Originally located in the Hargrove Community, legendary tales report that the first building was of log structure with wooden shutter windows and a fireplace. <br /><br />On May 2, 1850, William and Suzannah Whittle sold the present church site to the Fellowship Church for $28.00 and a church was built on the site. It was a wooden structure, having shuttered windows, a wood-burning heater and using candlelight. In 1861, the church decided to organize a Sunday School and 76 members were present: 20 men, 28 women and 28 slaves. A balcony in the church was used for slaves to attend services.<br /><br />During the Civil War the church was open for Divine worship once each month. R.F. Hunnicutt and F.C. Johnston are recorded in the minutes of the church as being killed in action on May 15 and 16, 1864, during the battle of Resacca, Georgia, which was staged during Sherman's march to the sea.<br /><br />The present church was dedicated in December 1955, replacing the old building. A monument to Captain William Dollar, said to be a Revolutionary War soldier who had the first house in the community, is located in the church cemetery.
Betty Slowe
Betty Slowe
2022
Betty Slowe (Description)
JPG; Dimensions 480 x 640; Size 114 KB
Photograph
2593
Pickens County (AL)
William Dollar, d. 1862
Dollar, William, d. 1862
Cemeteries--Alabama
Revolutionary War
A monument for Captain William Dollar, said to have been a soldier in the Revolutionary War (undocumented) stands in the cemetery of Fellowship Baptist Church on Gordo-Reform Road. It Is said that the monument stands on land where Dollar had his home, the first home in the Fellowship Community. The monument, erected in 1920, reads:William Dollar Died 1852 In memory of an old Revolutionary Soldier.
Betty Slowe
Betty Slowe
2022
Betty Slowe (Description)
JPG; Dimensions 480 x 640; Size 177KB
Photograph
2592
Pickens County (AL)
Sand Mountain Meeting House Cemetery
Cemeteries--Alabama
The Sand Mountain Meeting House Cemetery was created on land donated by Nimrod Hendrick (1778-1862). Hendrick was a soldier in the War of 1812 and was given land in Duncanville, south of Tuscaloosa, for his service. The cemetery was abandoned and became overgrown until located by descendants of Hendrick and cleared of brush and the monuments cleaned in 2019. The cemetery was registered with the Alabama Historical Commission and the historical marker was placed there. The cemetery is located on Bear Creek Road.
Walter Dean
Walter Dean
2021
Betty Slowe (Description)
JPG; Dimensions 600 by 800; 381 KB
Photograph
2591
Tuscaloosa County (AL)