Huntsville, AL 22 Apr 2014

We had originally came to Decatur, Alabama to search for genealogical records. Unfortunately, we discovered that the courthouse that would have contained those records burned in 1892 and all of the pertinent records were destroyed.  That left us with a bit of time on our hands, so we explored the area.  Nearby Huntsville was one of our destinations.

We had stayed in Twickenham for a week when they were in England, so were interested in why the name appeared so frequently around town.  It turns out, that the city was originally named Twickenham after the city in England.  Anti-British sentiment was, however, high at the time, so it was renamed Huntsville in honor of John Hunt, an early resident. 

Many wealthy plantation owners and merchants moved into the area and it grew quickly becoming Alabama's first capitol.  This building once housed the Huntsville Inn.  President James Monroe stayed here during a visit in 1819. 

This gorgeous woman was, perhaps, the most famous person ever to come from Huntsville.  Classic film fans will recognize her as Tallulah Bankhead.

This is the Schiffman Building where she was born here on January 31, 1902.  Her father, then city attorney, had a brilliant political career, but Tallulah's career on stage and screen was the stuff  of legends.

Perhaps, Huntsville's greatest claim to fame started here at the Redstone Army Arsenal.  After both the Navy and Air Force failed in their attempts to launch the first U.S. Satellite, the Army program, then under the direction of Dr. Werner Von Braun, succeeded in launching Explorers I and II before the space program was shifted to NASA.

The Nike-Hercules system, in which Ted worked during much of his time in the Army, was also developed here.

 Spectacularly visible, as we approached town, was the Huntsville Aerospace museum, adjacent to the Redstone Arsenal and the George C. Marshall Space
Flight Center.

 You would expect a town which housed a lot of highly intelligent people to have a vibrant arts community.  Of course, Huntsville is full of, well, rocket scientists, so this magnificent arts museum in a town of fewer than 200,000 is no great surprise.

 Sculptures such as his were common along the downtown streets.

Huntsville was a neat, clean town with many beautiful old homes.  It was a very pleasurable excursion.