Tulips take over at American Village in Montevallo
This month’s cover on many of our magazines was taken last year during the Festival of Tulips, an annual event at the American Village in Montevallo. Tens of thousands of tulips, including 40 different varieties and blends, were planted in early December 2021 for this year’s floral show.
Of course, forecasting any kind of horticultural activity is a gamble when Mother Nature is in charge; as this issue was going to press, everyone was anxiously awaiting the blooming season. They generally start blooming in mid-February; the festival begins when at least 20 percent of the plants have bloomed and continues as long as the flowers are blooming.
Take a stroll through the field and pick tulips to take home, for $2 each (including flower and bulb). Bring your family, and don’t forget your camera! For the latest updates, follow the American Village page on Facebook or visit AmericanVillage.org.
State Archives releases Food for Thought series schedule
The Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH) has announced its 2022 schedule for the popular lunchtime lecture series, Food for Thought. Lectures are held at 12 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month. Programs are presented both in person at the Archives’ building in downtown Montgomery and via the Archives’ Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Among this year’s scheduled programs: March 17, “Leila Seton Wilder Edmundson: ‘Cotton Queen’ and Politician,” presented by John Allison; April 21, “Threads of Evidence: Investigating the Origin of a Confederate Flag Remnant,” by Ryan Blocker and Georgia Ann Hudson; May 19, “The Education of Julia Tutwiler: Training for Leadership,” by Paul M. Pruitt Jr.; and June 16, “The Invisible Histories Project,” by Joshua Burford.
For more information on these and other lectures, visit archives.alabama.gov or call 334-242-4364.
Whereville, Alabama
Identify and place this Alabama landmark and you could win $25! Winner is chosen at random from all correct entries. Multiple entries from the same person will be disqualified. Send your answer with your name, address and the name of your rural electric cooperative. The winner and answer will be announced in the April issue.
Submit by email: whereville@alabamaliving.coop, or by mail: Whereville, P.O. Box 244014, Montgomery, AL 36124.
Please help us! We need our readers to submit some landmarks for us to feature. Look for something unique, interesting and identifiable; if we run your photo, you’ll win $25!
February’s answer: The Wakefield Plantation at Furman, Ala, is a beautiful antebellum home built in a one-of-a-kind Steamboat Gothic style in the 1840s. The nearly 6,000 square feet of living area consists of 12 rooms and 12 fireplaces, and unique porches on all sides. John Gulley started construction of this home around 1840 and depleted his financial resources by the time it was completed seven years later. The construction cost was $12,000. The home – a private residence – will be featured during the annual Wilcox County Historical Association’s Tour of Homes on March 26; see more on Page 25. (Thanks to Rural SW Alabama for the photo and information.) The randomly drawn correct guess winner is Chesteen McWhorter of Cullman EC.
