The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-16
ANNIVERSARY IF STATES ADMISSION Alabama Became Part of United States December 4, 1879 A CONSTITUTION FRAMED Original Document Was Written at Huntsville Just Prior to Admis-
 sion-Short Sketch
 of State.

Montgomery, December 15.-(Special.)-
 Yesterday was the anniversary of the ad-
 mission of Alabama into the family of
 the nation. It occurred December IA 1Sl9
 The act of Congress is found on page eos,
 Vol. III, United Statutes at Large. The
 enabling act was passed March ?, 1sl9
 The original constitution was framed
 at Huntsville just prior to the time of
 admission.
 The following short sketch of the state
 is prepared by MT. Joel c. DuBose of
 Montgomery:
 While the explorations of Garay under
 direct command of Pineda in 1929, may
 have touched the present territory of
 Alabama, the expedition of Pamphilo de
 Narvaez, 152S to 1530, was probably the
 first to enter it's forests. With confident
 certainty is the conclusion that the
 coastal region of our state was traversed by Cabeza de Vaca and three companions, the only survivors of the storm wrecked vessels of De Nasvaez. A decade later,
 July 2, 1540. Hernando de Soto led his Spanish cavaliers upon Alabama soil in what is now the county of Cherokee. Passing down the river valleys he fought and vanquished the brave Tuskaloosa at Mauville on October IS, 1540-a battle pro- nounced the fiercest and greatest in the annals of Indian warfare. More than a hundred and fifty years of darkness then fell on the history of this section.
 Settled in 17o2.
 In 1702 Iberville settled Fort Louis de la Mobile at Twenty-seven Mile Bluff, on the Mobile river. Iberville died in 1706. A great river overflow submerged Fort Louis in 1709, and present site of Mobile. and removing to 1t his French and Indian subjects in Ill, he made 1t the capital of
 Louisiana and there inaugurated his won-
 derful colonization schemes which have
 made his name revered. In 1763 the treaty
 of Paris transferred to Great Britain the
 French possessions east of the Mississippi
 excepting New Orleans and the Isle Of Orleans. which were granted to Spain. Don
 Bernardo GalveZ. the young Spanish gov- ernor of Louisiana, took Mobile from the
 British on March IA, 17S0. and Pensacola.
 on March g, 17s1. The Independence of her
 American colonies wrung from England
 her possessions down to 31 degrees north latitude, and year later England gave to Spain a warrant of Florida on which Spain claimed the territory to 32 degrees 2s minutes north This created a long contest between Spain and the United States for the territory between the two parallels In 1913 Gen. Jamse Wilkinson captured Mobile, and transferred 1t per
 manently to the protection of the United States. The Creek war, beginning with the battle of Burnt Corn in 1913, left the bloody ma ssacres of Fort Mims and Sin ouefeld, was broken by the battles at Holy Ground and Horse Shoe Bend. and | decreed Indian removal to the west. thrush of Immigrants.
 Then began the thrush of immigrants. On March 1, 1877, Congress divided the
 Mississippi territory, and two days later organized the territory of Alabama. Will liam Wyatt Bibb, it's first governor, con-
 vened the legislature at St. Stephens on January 19, 1918, and again on November 2, ISIS. On March 2. 1S19. Congress passed
 the enabling act which permitted the peo- pie of Alabama territory to prepare a constitution for its admission into the
 union. At Huntsville. the next temporary capital, the original constitution was framed. and on December IA, 1879. Ala 1 bama became state in the union. Az
 ricultural interests were supreme. The state throve. Following secession fin 1861 came four years of war. with attendant horrors of death and disaster. But the tides of progress are again upon the state. Her minerals, her rich soil. her 1 timber, and her salubrious climate make i her an envied heritage of a strong, lib- l erty-loving people.