HISTORIC MARKERS IN TALLADEGA COUNTY
& OUR SISTER COUNTIES

“The Tremblin’ T”

Inscription:
"Seven Battle Stars
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

"World War II
☆ Iwo Jima Operation
☆ Okinawa Gunto Operation

"First of the 31 ship convoy with occupation troops
to dock at Yokohama on VJ Day, September 2, 1945

"Korean War
☆ 3rd Korean Winter
☆ Korea, Summer-Fall (1953)

"Vietnam War
☆ Vietnam Defense Campaign
☆ Vietnamese Counteroffensive Phase II
☆ Vietnamese Counteroffensive Phase III

"Commissioned October 31, 1944
Struck from Naval Register September 1, 1976

"Battle Cry
"The USS Talladega became a movie star as the ship was featured in the World War II film classic, Battle Cry. Four Marines pictured in Joe Rosenthal's famous flag-raising photograph debarked from USS Talladega (208) to climb Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima: Ira Hayes, Franklin Sousley, Harlon Block, Mike Strank. Others: John Bradley, Rene Gagnon"

Erected 2002.

Location. 33° 26.107′ N, 86° 6.184′ W. Marker is in Talladega, Alabama, in Talladega County. Marker is at the intersection of W. North Street and Court Square West, on the left when traveling west on W. North Street. Marker is near northwest corner of courthouse square.

Inscription:
"The City of Talladega was incorporated in 1835. Not long after the founding of Talladega, the Square became the town center. The Talladega Courthouse was built in 1836 and is the oldest courthouse in continuous use in Alabama. The courthouse survived a tornado on May 11, 1912 that destroyed the clock tower, and a fire on March 13, 1925 that severely damaged the structure. Following the fire, Chattanooga architect R. H. Hunt was hired to redesign the building. When it was rebuilt, the east and west entrances were enclosed and a Seth Thomas Clock was installed in the clock tower. Other buildings within the historic Talladega Courthouse Square include the original Henderson Drug Store (1847), the Isbell Bank (1869), the first City Hall (1892), the Kenwin Building (1900), the Federal Post Office (1912), and the Ritz Theatre (1936). Talladega Courthouse Square Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places."

Erected 2010 by The Alabama Tourism Department, The City of Talladega.

Location. 33° 26.125′ N, 86° 6.173′ W. Marker is in Talladega, Alabama, in Talladega County. Marker is on N. East Street.

Inscription:
"Site of U.S. Land Office for sale of lands ceded by Creek Indians, 1832. Early courts held here after Talladega County created. Named for Samuel W. Mardis, settled from Tennessee."

Erected 1953 by Alabama Historical Association.

Location. 33° 22.97′ N, 86° 9.363′ W. Marker is near Talladega, Alabama, in Talladega County. Marker is on Alabama Route 21 north of Mardisville Road (County Road 241), on the right when traveling north.

Inscription:
"Here Andrew Jackson led Tennessee Volunteers and friendly Indians to victory over hostile “Red Sticks.” This action rescued friendly Creeks besieged in Fort Leslie. Creek Indian War 1813 - 1814."

Erected 1953 by Alabama Historical Association.

Location. 33° 26.074′ N, 86° 6.176′ W. Marker is in Talladega, Alabama, in Talladega County. Marker is at the intersection of East Battle Street and Court Street North, on the right when traveling west on East Battle Street. Marker located on the grounds of the Talladega Courthouse.

Inscription:
"The Works Progress Administration (WPA), the Sylacauga community, and the state of Alabama, constructed this library in 1939. The building is the result of $16,588 from raised local funds including a $5000 donation for furnishings from the family of the late Gov. Braxton Bragg Comer, for whom the library is named. The WPA donated $11,391 and included labor and supplies. The city dedicated the new library on November 21. 1939, on March of Progress Day, a day set aside to celebrate city growth and accomplishments. Because of this centrally located library. twelve county library stations opened, with two locations being available to African-American library patrons. After the close of the WPA in 1943, American Legion Post No. 45 purchased a bookmobile to circulate among the county stations. The library is an excellent example of Moderne architecture and is distinguished by locally quarried Alabama marble. The WPA commonly used this architectural style when designing public buildings. The city rededicated the library as the Isabel Anderson Comer Museum and Arts Center on February 28, 1982. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places on September 5, 2005."

Erected 2019 by the City of Sylacauga.

Location. 33° 10.643′ N, 86° 15.048′ W. Marker is in Sylacauga, Alabama, in Talladega County. Marker is at the intersection of North Broadway Avenue (Alabama Route 21) and West 8th Street, on the left when traveling north on North Broadway Avenue.

Inscription:
"The district contains a collection of late-19th to mid-20th century commercial buildings representing over 60 years of Sylacauga's commercial history. On December 1, 1886, the Anniston and Atlantic Railroad became the first railroad to come through Sylacauga. As a result, the Marble City Land and Furnace Company purchased 300 acres of land where they plotted a new commercial district, located near the new railroad crossing at Broadway and Fourth Street. Known as New Town, this commercial district developed during the 1890s and with the expansion of the railroad, the prosperity of the 1890s brought 20 new commercial establishments to New Town. These businesses consisted of a hotel, livery stable, bank, blacksmith shop, saloon, hardware store, bakery, grocery store, barbershops, and drug stores. The core of the district is comprised of two blocks of North Broadway Avenue, originally named Broad Street, and three blocks of North Norton Avenue, which are bounded by First Street, Second Street, Third Street, and Anniston Avenue. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places on June 2, 2004"

Erected 2019 by the City of Sylacauga.

Location. 33° 10.159′ N, 86° 15.038′ W. Marker is in Sylacauga, Alabama, in Talladega County. Marker is at the intersection of North Broadway Avenue (Alabama Route 21) and East 1st Street, on the right when traveling north on North Broadway Avenue.

Inscription:
"The distinguished Joiner family lived here in an imposing mansion, demolished in 1970.
James H. Joiner: Pioneer in Talladega's progress while publisher, 1844-73, of one of Alabama's most influential newspapers - The Democratic Watchtower. George A. Joiner (son): Confederate naval officer, publisher, politician, educator, business, religious and fraternal leader.

"Jeanette Alabama Joiner (granddaughter): Educator. Manly R. Joiner (grandson): Mayor of Talladega - 1922-1926 and 1929-1935.

"Sarah Enfield Joiner (granddaughter): Educator and author. Nationally known for her book, Graded Lessons in Speech, used throughout the US in schools for the deaf."

Erected 1972 by The General John H. Forney Historical Society.

Location. 33° 26.532′ N, 86° 6.035′ W. Marker is in Talladega, Alabama, in Talladega County. Marker is on Brignola St, ¼ mile east of N East st (Alabama Highway 77). Marker sits in the current location of the Talladega AT&T Central Office.

Inscription:
"Presbyterian Church In The United States
"Originally conceived 1864 as a home for children of Confederate dead by Synod in session at Selma. Opened at Tuskegee 1868 - relocated in Talladega 1891. A haven for dependent youth of Alabama providing training, education, and worship in a Christian atmosphere."

Erected 1963 by Alabama Historical Association.

Location. 33° 26.04′ N, 86° 5.201′ W. Marker is in Talladega, Alabama, in Talladega County. Marker is on Ashland Highway (State Highway 77) east of Chaffee Street, on the right when traveling east.

Inscription:
"This spot is near site of first U.S. Land Office, Talladega County 1832."

Erected by Andrew Jackson Chapter D.A.R. Talladega.

Location. 33° 22.97′ N, 86° 9.365′ W. Marker is near Talladega, Alabama, in Talladega County. Marker is on Alabama Route 21 north of Mardisville Road (County Road 241), on the right when traveling north.

Inscription:
"By action of the Alabama Conference of The Methodist Episcopal Church, South in session at Talladega, December 13-18, 1854, Auburn University and Birmingham - Southern College were born. The delegation resolved to “have a college within the bounds of our Conference.” While the intent was to start a single college by and for the Methodist Church, intense rivalry between eastern and western sections of the state over the location of the school resulted in two institutions: the East Alabama Male College in Auburn and Southern University in Greensboro. Both schools were chartered by the state legislature in 1856, and both struggled to survive during the Civil War.

"The College at Auburn was transferred from the Church to the state in 1872, and it became the land-grant Agricultural & Mechanical College of Alabama. In 1899, its name was changed to the Alabama Polytechnic Institute and, in 1960, to Auburn University.

"Southern University at Greensboro merged with Birmingham College in 1918 to form Birmingham - Southern College, maintaining a church - related status from its beginning to the present."

Erected 2006 by Alabama Historical Association.

Location. 33° 25.962′ N, 86° 6.073′ W. Marker is in Talladega, Alabama, in Talladega County. Marker is at the intersection of South Street East (State Highway 77) and East Street South, on the right when traveling east on South Street East. Marker located on the grounds of the Talladega First United Methodist Church.

Inscription:
"This example of the world's purest white marble is 500 million years old, is 98 percent pure calcium carbonate, and weighs 29,000 pounds. This quality marble is found only in the Sylacauga area in a seam 32 miles long, 12 miles wide and 400 feet deep. This marble was donated by Georgia Marble Company and placed here by Conn Equipment Rental, the information plaque was done by Strickland Memorial, Inc."

Erected by Strickland Memorial, Inc.

Location. 33° 10.015′ N, 86° 15.115′ W. Marker is in Sylacauga, Alabama, in Talladega County. Marker is on South Norton Avenue south of West Fort Williams Street, on the right when traveling north. Located behind the Sylacauga Chamber of Commerce.

Inscription:
"After the incorporation of Sylacauga in 1838 came the establishment of this cemetery where for the next 75 years most of the citizens were buried-- many graves being now unmarked.

"In 1974-75 as a tribute to these past generations and a legacy for the future, restoration has been made through the efforts of the Historical Preservation Committee of the Sylacauga Beautification Council, Inc."

Location. 33° 10.047′ N, 86° 14.965′ W. Marker is in Sylacauga, Alabama, in Talladega County. Marker can be reached from East Ft. Williams Street east of North Broadway Avenue (Alabama Route 21), on the left when traveling east. Located just inside the cemetery.