The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-12-14
THE BIRTHDAY OF ALABAMA
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

Alabama came into the American Union
on December II. 1879 lightweight years
age to-day. 1t had been a separate Terri
tory with its present boundaries for two
years, and at the time of its admission
had a population of $1,000. or about one
twentieth of the population Of Oklahoma
when that State was admitted last month.
Alabama now has more than two million
people. and ranks high as an agricultural
State. and as a mining and manufacture
ing community. Alabama's wealth of
iron and coal has been barely touched.
Her resources Of agriculture have not
been sounded. Her desire is now that
more people will come and help her claim
the prosperity which awaits the call of
labor.
Cut of from Mississippi Territory. hav-
ing been ruled by French, English. and
Spanish. the early history OF Alabama
is much the same as that of Mississippi.
II was after the Alabama communities
began TO have a separate existence, how
ever. that Mobile and the States gulf
ports were claimed from the Spanish, and
all European claims were not extinguish-
ed until the year Alabama came into the
Union, although the Spanish occupancy
had ceased six years before. Mobile was
founded in 1902 by Bienville. and is one
of the oldest towns on the gulf. AS a
British port In West Florida, 1t was
taken by the Spanish during the Ameri-
can revolution, and was in turn occupied
by the American army during the war OF
1872
In 1870 the people of the Baton Rouge
district. claiming that the Island of Or
leans was the only Territory east OF the
Mississippi, which Louisiana could con-
troll, set up a government under the name
of the State Of West Florida. The new
State applied for admission TO the Union
and set about 10 capture Mobile from the
Spanish. The attacking party was met
with a wagon loaded with liquors and fell
before the onslaught OF John Barleycorn.
Most OF them We're captured and many
were imprisoned in MORO Castle at Ha-
vana. President Madison refused to rec
Ognize the new State. and attached the
Baton Rouge district to the new State
Of Louisiana. soon TO be admitted 10 the
Union Afterward. in 1919, when Spain
sold East Florida to the United States
for S5.00000O and relinquished all claims
10 West Florida, Mississippi and Ala
bama saved enough of what might have
been the State Of West Florida 10 give
them an outlet to the Gulf OF Mexico
A popular tradition has it that the
word Alabama" means Here we rest"
i very pretty story is told Of the Indian
guide leading the pioneer Europeans into
the trackless wilderness. 10 halt at night
beside a beautiful stream. eXclaiming,
Here we rest" and giving that name 70
that land forever. AS a matter of fact.
linguists versed In Indian lore have found
that Alabama" was the name given 10 a
tribe related to the Creeks, and the word
means people who gather mulberries. "
The Creeks and all other Indians OF the
Muscogee blood made a great festival in
early summer when the corn began 10
ripen-the famous green corn dance. The
Alabamas alone. OF all the Southern In
dians. did not keep that feast. but made
their great annual celebration on the oc-
casion of the Tipening of the wild null
berries What is now the State of Ala
bama was the theater OF one of the blood
lest acts In the long tragedy Of warfare
between the whites and Indians in Amer
lea The greater portion of the State was
inhabited by Creeks, Chickasaws. and
Cherokees. The Mobilans were almost
annihilated by De Soto's cruel soldiers
and the remnant was absorbed by other
tribes.
The great Tecumseh. captain Of the
last great stand made by the red mer
against the encroaching whites. came tc
Alabama to stir up the Indians to war
He told them that If they did not take
the warpath and begin the determination
Of the whites a great earthquake would
come and they would be swallowed up
History abounds in strange tales. but
there is none stronger than that Tecum.
sehs prophecies were followed by the
great New Madrid earthquakes. which
changed the whole topography of what is
now Southeast Missouri, Northeast Ark
ansas. and West Tennessee. and causing
the formation of the famous Reelfoo
Lake. Then followed the massacre al
Fort Minis. the descent Of the Tennessee
ans under Andrew Jackson. and the bat
ties Of Taliadega and the Horseshoe
which broke the power OF the Creek con
federation forever.
But not all the Indians Of the early
days were superstitious They gave theil
trust to Alexander McGillivray and II
was he who made treaties with President
Washington. with French kings and
French repGhlics, and with Spanish mon
archs and Viceroys. and kept his wild saw
ages at peace with all these discordant
and pickering nations. McGillivray was
part French, part Spanish. part Scotch
hut mostly Creek. lie was educated II
Scotland and was one Of the foremost fig
ures in the diplomatic battles which in
VOWED the Lower Mississippi country a
the beginning Of our national life. Th'
control Of the mouth Of the Mississippi
and the Gulf ports is a question now blot
ted out from the memory Of Americans
but there was a time when the very eX
istence Of the nation depended upon II.
While Mobile Is by far the oldest tow
in Alabama, the English-speaking settle
ment OF the State grew up about st
Stephens and Huntsville. St. Stephens
IN the lower portion Of the State. wa
the Territorial capital Huntsville nov
thriving manufacturing city, was bull
by Ia big spring in 1895. The settlement
was made by John Hunt. a hardy Ten
nessee pioneer. and the town was name
for him. John Hunt was the grandfathe
OF John Hunt Morgan the Confederat
general whose raids into Kentucky an
Ohio were numbered with the most ex
citing Incidents OF the civil war.
The first constitutional convention me
ST Huntsville. Cahaba was made tn
first State capital. to be succeeded b
Tuscaloosa and then, in 1876 by Mont
gomery. The capitol building at Mont
gomery was destroyed by fire and tn
present capitol was built in 1880.