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“TRIBUTE TO THE STATE OF ALABAMA” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1519-E1521 on July 25, 1997.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO THE STATE OF ALABAMA
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HON. EARL F. HILLIARD
of alabama
in the house of representatives
Thursday, July 24, 1997
Mr. HILLIARD. Mr. Speaker, one of the nation's most well kept secrets is the state of Alabama. Few people know of the wonderful splendors and rich history contained within this state. Staff writer James T. Yenckel, of the Washington Post, recently tapped into this secret and embarked upon a 700-mile exploration into northeastern Alabama. He wrote about his experiences in a June 15th article entitled ``Well, I've Come From Alabama With a Brand New Point of View: The State Has a Lot to Offer.'' In his article Yenckel recognizes the historical richness of Alabama, as well as glorifies its natural beauty.
The state of Alabama deserves great acclaim for its natural beauty. The state contains about 24 state parks and over 12 major rivers. Northern Alabama also lies on the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Yenckel discusses his visits to several of these state parks and national monuments. Among those included is Little River Canyon National Preserve, which offers a breathtaking drive along the rock-
filled canyon and a view of the waterfall which spills down the cliff side. Guntersville State Park is located in the northeastern corner of the state. Guntersville is a small town surrounded on three sides by the beautiful Lake Guntersville. Here travelers can enjoy swimming, fishing, hiking and golfing amount other things. Other parks, such as Desoto Caverns and the Talledega National Forest offer wonderful natural beauty which can only be property appreciated up close and personal.
From a historical standpoint, Alabama has done a wonderful job of preserving landmarks and monuments. Throughout Guntersville you may hike along the actual trails that the Cherokee Indians used when the land was theirs. Russell Cave is a giant cave carved into the side of a cliff. Thousands of years ago Indians used this cave to escape from the cold. There are human skeletal remains in this cave which date back more than 6,000 years. Yenckel mentions the visitor's center which displays tooth ornaments, bone needles, shell beads, and bone fishhooks, along with other artifacts. Along the same lines, visitors can encounter Horseshoe Bend National Military Park. This site contains the battlefield on which Andrew Jackson defeated the Creek Nation in 1814, and ensured himself a position as president of the United States.
The most profound historical significance in the state of Alabama lies in the history of the Civil Rights Movement. The state is developing a civil rights trail which would identify key sites and individuals associated with the movement. One of the nation's largest Civil Rights museums is the Civil Rights Institute located in Birmingham, Alabama. In central Alabama, visitors have the opportunity to visit historical Tuskegee Institute. Here, tourists learn of the lives of two men pivotal to African-American history, Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver. Both men devoted a large part of their lives toward the improvement of living and working conditions of rural southerners, especially blacks. The George Washington Carver Museum and the Oak's, the home of Washington when he served as president of Tuskegee, are both historic sites located on the campus of Tuskegee University. Tours and movies are used to enlighten visitors on the lives and works of these two great men.
As Yenckel discovered, it does not take long for Alabama to win the hearts of those who enter her borders. The people of Alabama are friendly and courteous. Tourists can enjoy fresh seafood from the Gulf of Mexico. The state offers a quiet alternative to your usual vacation spot. Fish on the banks of one of the many rivers and lakes in Alabama, or hike through the numerous forests enjoying the natural splendor, or party in the downtown area of the Magic City. Alabama has a little something for everyone!
I am including the Washington Post article for your reading pleasure. Well, I've Come From Alabama--With A Brand New Point of View: The State
Has A Lot To Offer
(By James T. Yenckel)
I was lost, plain and simple. Somewhere on the empty, scenic back roads of northeastern Alabama, I'd made a wrong turn. My map yielded no help, and I'd even lost my sense of direction. Then I spotted a delivery truck headed toward me, and I decided to flag the driver down to ask for directions. But he was slowing anyway, and as he pulled to a stop he asked, ``Where am I?'' I laughed and admitted I wanted to know the same myself. We joked briefly about our predicament, and then drove off in opposite directions.
Getting lost can be annoying and even frightening, but it's also comforting to find that America still offers odd nooks where getting lost remains possible. And Alabama definitely is one of them, as I discovered on a five-day driving trip last month through lovely lake and mountain country, stopping at several fascinating national historical sites.
Why Alabama? I doubt it has ever ranked high on many vacation lists--mine included, in part because of lingering memories of the angry clashes that marked the civil rights movement within the state. But I really wanted to put this past in the past and learn what the Alabama of today offers visitors. I often find that offbeat pocket of America--their local lore and geography--offer many more rewards than disappointments. Northeastern Alabama proved no exception.
Much of the landscape here is surprisingly mountainous--dotted with plentiful lakes that obviously attract a lot of fisherman. I saw them everywhere, casting from shore or putt-putting about in their small motorboats. One afternoon, I drove on the rim of the 35-mile-long Little River Canyon, a near-wilderness where waterfalls cascade down the cliffside into the splashing Little River. At one point, I watched a group of kayakers preparing to launch into the rapids. Recently made a national parkland, the canyon is one of the deepest east of the Mississippi.
My 700-mile itinerary took me to Russell Cave National Monument, where a short hike leads to two large limestone caverns in which archaeological digs have revealed human habitation dating back more than 8,000 years; to Horseshoe Bend National Military Park, the battlefield on which Andrew Jackson defeated the Creek Nation in 1814 and put himself on the road to the presidency; and to Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site, which honors Booker T. Washington, the predominantly black college's founding president, and George Washington Carver, its famed agricultural scientist.
Tuskegee made the news last month when President Clinton apologized on behalf of the American government for a misguided study there of untreated syphilis in black men that began in 1932 and continued for years. The historic site, however, highlights a more inspirational story out of the institute--one in which Washington and Carver dedicated their lives to improving the living conditions and surroundings of Southern farm and rural people.
The message is compelling, and I lingered on the campus for hours absorbing as much as I could. Perhaps its upbeat nature accounts for recent visitor statistics that put Tuskegee at the top of Alabama's list of most popular attractions, beating out even the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville. Regardless of the history, the campus is a pretty place of stately red-brick buildings and rolling, tree-shaded hills. Washington's imposing home, built by the institute's students and faculty, is open to tours.
From the outset, I found the quiet lake views and winding, wooded roads along my route appealing, and I quickly rearranged my plans to skirt Alabama's biggest cities and stick to the countryside. I spent three of my four nights on the road in two state park lodges, where my rooms--both quite reasonably priced at less than $65--provided pleasant lakeside panoramas. At sunset one evening, two geese waddled past my patio, trailing a string of goslings.
I tend to favor trendy restaurants with innovative menus, but in rural Alabama, I was out of luck. Nonetheless, I dined nicely on simple, old-fashioned Southern cooking--much of it fried: fried pork chops, fried shrimp and fried catfish, to be exact. I did opt for wine over the South's inevitable iced tea, however, which boosted the price of each dinner to about
$20, including tax and tip. This trip was definitely easy on the budget.
Eager as I was to visit a part of the country unknown to me, I still felt a certain trepidation. Alabama's sometimes brutal resistance to integration during the civil rights battles remains a vivid picture in my mind. Would I, a Northerner from the nation's capital, be unwelcome? One value of travel is that it exposes the foolishness of such fears. Everyone I met--without exception--proved friendly and helpful.
In the little lakeside town of Guntersville, I stood in line at the checkout counter at the local Foodland discussing spring allergies--a problem the woman in line in front of me, the sweet little gray-haired clerk and I discovered we shared. This has been a particularly bad spring, we agreed. And then, as the clerk handed me my sinus medication, she reached over the counter and patted the back of my hand in a most grandmotherly fashion. That spontaneous, sympathetic gesture instantly won my heart. I like the Alabamians I met.
Guntersville, a quiet little town wrapped on three sides by Lake Guntersville, was my first stop. About an hour's drive south from the Huntsville airport, it nestles in the rolling green foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. I'd booked two nights at the 100-room State Lodge at Lake Guntersville State Park, an appropriately woodsy structure of stone and timber perched on a high, forested bluff overlooking the lake. It made a pleasant spot from which to tour the surrounding countryside. And awaiting my return in the afternoon was a sandy swimming beach and woodland hiking trails that two centuries ago may have guided the Cherokee Indians whose land this once was.
My primary sightseeing goal in this corner of the state was Russell Cave National Monument, a relaxed two-hour drive northeast along the scenic west bank of Guntersville Lake and the Tennessee River, which feeds it. The monument's historical significance is reason enough to go, but the views are especially agreeable, too. Limestone cliffs, dripping in verdant foliage, soar above a tumbling stream that gushes from an underground spring and then, moments later, disappears into the deep, labyrinthine cavern adjacent to Russell Cave. The setting, at the end of a remote five-mile-long valley called Doran Cove, looks as if it has changed little over the ages.
Russell Cave itself is like a giant arched room, 26 feet high, carved into a cliffside. More than 8,500 years ago, bands of Indians began using the cave as shelter from the winter cold, according to archaeological studies. Human skeletal remains dating back more than 6,000 years have been found buried inside, and the monument's visitor center displays bear tooth ornaments, bone needles, shell beads, a bone fishhook and other artifacts uncovered there. Few sites anywhere in North America offer such a long record of occupancy.
Along with the history lessons, visitors are invited to climb the nature trail over Montague Mountain, which highlights the ecology of a typical Southeastern forest. The climb is steep, and signs warn to beware of rattlesnakes--I stomped noisily several times so as not to surprise any. But in May the wildflowers were in glorious bloom, and I appreciated the little informational signs pointing out beech, hickory, oak and other varieties of trees. The Indians used oak for their fires, the signs explained, and hickory for their spear shafts, because the branches grow straight.
En route back to Guntersville, I crossed the Tennessee River and headed for the Little River Canyon National Preserve, another national parkland located just east of the town of Fort Payne. Purchased by the National Park Service five years ago, the preserve still provides only a minimum of facilities. Nevertheless, the Canyon Rim Drive yields the sort of spectacular, rock-filled canyon vistas more often seen in the West. At several overlooks, soon to be paved, the roar of rushing water echoes from between the canyon walls. A waterfall here and there spills down the cliffside.
The canyon and its tumbling stream attract canoeists, kayakers and rafters, but the park service warns this is territory safely navigated only by the very experienced. Less adventurous visitors can splash in a stream pool at the just rebuilt Canyon Mouth Park, a picnic area at the southern tip of the preserve, where there is a sandy beach. Perhaps because the preserve is so little known yet, I had it almost to myself for the afternoon.
I had hoped to stay at the lodge at DeSoto State Park Resort, just north of the preserve, but a refurbishing project had been temporarily delayed, and the lodge wasn't yet open for the season. Ah well, I was quite content to spend a second night in my room with a view at Lake Guntersville State Park. This evening, I dined nicely on a heaping plate of deep-fried butterfly shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico. And, yes, I could manage a slice of pecan pie, heated and served with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Leaving Guntersville behind the following day, I drove south through Anniston to the Talladega National Forest, which is traced for 23 miles by the officially designated U.S. Forest Service Talladega Scenic Drive. A two-lane highway, it wiggles along the crest of Horseblock Mountain presenting splendid valley panoramas to the left and right, much like Shenandoah National Park's Skyline Drive in Virginia. Atop the ridge, Cheaha State Park Resort offers more woodsy lodgings with a view.
My particular interest on this leg of my trip, however, was Horseshoe Bend National Military Park, the now quiet, shady site of the bloody 1814 battle in which Andrew Jackson's militia army swept to easy victory over the defending Creek Nation. On this day, the battlefield, located south of the Talladega forest in the midst of rolling farmland, seemed altogether unmilitary. Instead of combatants, I came upon a large flock of wild turkeys.
The visitor center tells the story well. During the War of 1812, the Creek Nation, occupying much of what is now Georgia and Alabama, became divided over whether to fight the encroachment of white settlers or try to coexist with them. In the upheaval, the militant Creeks attacked Fort Mims, just north of Mobile, and killed 250 settlers; in response, Andrew Jackson called out the Tennessee militia. The Creeks gathered on a 100-acre peninsula formed by a horseshoe bend of the Tallapoosa River, fortifying the peninsula's open end with a log barricade.
Their strategy is easily understood and the geography readily viewed. The militants expected the river, encircling them on three sides, to provide protection behind them while they formed a strong defense of the log barricade. Jackson bombarded the barrier, but his quick victory came when his Cherokee allies--along with accommodating Creeks--crossed the Tallapoosa in canoes and attacked from the rear. The militants lost 800 of their force of 1,000; the Creeks were forced to cede 20 million acres of their ancestral lands to the U.S. government (out of which the state of Alabama was created in 1819)--and Jackson took a giant step forward on his road to the presidency.
A short driving tour and a nature trail loop onto the peninsula, passing a line of white stakes that mark the site of the barricade and approaching the river at several points. On the day I was there, the river, from 200 to 600 feet wide, flowed high, fast and muddy. Under similar conditions, I wondered, would Jackson's stealthy canoes have been able to maneuver across so successfully?
Although I had to drive an hour or so out of my way, I had been so pleased with my accommodations at Guntersville State Park that I headed farther to the south for the night to Lakepoint Resort State Park just north of Eufaula, where I enjoyed another room with a fine lake view. After an early dinner of barbecued pork ribs and lemon meringue pie, I strolled along the lakeshore watching a bright orange sunset. Some of the local folks had cast lines into the water. ``The crappie have been biting good here,'' an elderly fisherman informed me.
In today's world of seemingly unrelenting sleaze, I found that my spirit welcomed the noble stories of Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver, who dedicated their lives to improving the living and working conditions of rural Southerners--in large part black Southerners. The tales are told with dignity and respect at Tuskegee National Historic Site.
Born a slave, Washington became the founding president of Tuskegee Institute in 1881, literally building it from scratch. Located on the outskirts of the small farm community of Tuskegee, the campus has grown to a major complex occupying more than 5,000 acres and enrolling more than 5,000 students. Carver, also born a slave, was invited by Washington in 1896 to head the school's new agriculture department, bringing fame and honor to Tuskegee with his practical research. He developed countless profitable new uses for local crops, including peanuts.
The national historic site, a part of the campus, maintains the George Washington Carver Museum, which details the achievements of both men; the Oaks, Washington's home as president, where hourly escorted tours are offered; the graves of Washington and Carver, situated on a shady slope next to the Chapel; and a self-guided walking tour of 27 historic buildings.
In the museum, I was intrigued by the Agriculture School on Wheels, a large brown van that toured the Alabama countryside, bringing knowledge of new agricultural techniques to farmers who could not attend the institute. In the beginning, Carver got about in a horse-drawn carriage. At the Oaks, ranger Christine Biggers, the tour leader, noted that Washington always dined formally--and on campus during his tenure, student meals also were formal occasions. In this way, she said, the institute trained the young people in
``manners, social skills and personal hygiene.''
The visitor center at the museum presents two movies, one focusing on Washington and the other on Carver, and neither should be missed. Under Washington, as the movies point out, a major objective at Tuskegee was to train students in practical skills they could market in the rural South. As part of their instruction, they helped build the campus, which meant making the red bricks used there. But for a time this goal--and Washington himself--became a target of sharp dissent in the black community because, the critics argued, it (and he) slighted the students' intellectual growth.
As we stood on the porch of the Oaks after the tour, I asked Biggers, who is black, what today's students, a majority of whom are black, now think about Washington and his and Carver's work. She answered without a pause: ``They think what he did was great.'' I couldn't have asked for a more upbeat ending to my Alabama drive.
ALABAMA WAYS & MEANS
GETTING THERE: To explore northeastern Alabama, I flew into Huntsville and out of Montgomery. But to save on the cost of a rental car drop-off charge, you could easily plot a loop drive covering the same territory from either Huntsville, Birmingham or Montgomery--depending on which destination gives you the best air fare.
Huntsville is served from the Washington area by American, Delta, Northwest and US Airways. US Airways, which offers some nonstop commuter flights out of Washington National, currently is quoting a round-trip fare of $209, based on a 21-day advance purchase.
WHEN TO GO: Spring through fall. I enjoyed early May, because days were sunny and mild and I avoided the summer crowds.
WHERE TO STAY: In northeastern Alabama, four state parks--Lake Guntersville, DeSoto, Cheaha and Lakepoint--offer attractive, moderately priced and conveniently located accommodations in scenic settings. Depending on the resort, you can choose to stay in a hotel room, a chalet or a cabin.
Lake Guntersville and Lakepoint are lake parks with fishing, boating, tennis and a swimming beach. Lake Guntersville, the fanciest of the four, also boasts an 18-hole golf course. DeSoto and Cheaha are mountain parks, although Cheaha does feature a swimmable lake. All four parks operate swimming pools and other resortlike facilities.
Depending on the park, a hotel room for two ranges from $44 to $60 a night. For information or reservations, call 1-800-ALA-PARK (1-800-252-7275).
WHERE TO EAT: I ate breakfast and dinner daily in the park dining rooms. At Lake Guntersville and Lakepoint, where I stayed, the decor proved surprisingly elegant and the picture window views were great. Menus stuck to standard fare--steaks, chops, fried chicken, local fish and pasta--simply but tastily prepared. Wine and beer are available. A full meal with salad, dessert, two glasses of wine, tax and tip came to about $20 to $22 per person. A fully country breakfast (juice, two eggs, sausage, hash browns, toast, coffee), tax and tip included, was less than $6 per person.
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