[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 107 (Friday, July 25, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1519-E1521]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO THE STATE OF ALABAMA

                                 ______
                                 

                         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.

                [From the Washington Post, June 5, 1997]

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

[[Page E1520]]

     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

[[Page E1521]]

     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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