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Sheffield, 1875
The holdings of the Sheffield Land, Iron & Coal Company. Note the road that connects Florence with Tuscumbia has a side road that extends into Sheffield (no Jackson Highway back then!). Note also that there is a little town called "South Florence" around the foot of the old railroad bridge that carried pedestrian and automobile traffic on the lower deck.
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Sheffield, 1884
In 1889, streets east of Dover Avenue were re-platted to run at an angle of 45 degrees to the older streets.
Does anyone know if there is a "Riverside Park" down on the shore of the river under the bluff at the end of the hollow that separates Park Boulevard and The Standpipe at the head of Montgomery Avenue?
I got an answer to this question on Sunday, August 27, 2006:
Louis,
(As regards this) reference made to old maps of Sheffield and if
there was a Riverside Park below the bluff between Montgomery Avenue and
along Gordon Drive. When the Pickwick Dam was built, the lake
covered that park. Our present Riverfront Park is located west of
Alabama Avenue and extending about a half mile. This summer the new
splash pad was opened (the only one in the quad-cities). Also, a new
performing stage was built in time for the W. C. Handy Festival's Sunset
Serenade at the park. It was a gift from Lowe's of Muscle Shoals
(materials) and TVA, who furnished the carpenters. The city did not
have to pay anything for it. We will be having more musical programs
as well as family movies.
It is very exciting! Even though there is a financial crises, there
is still a silver lining.
Thanks for all the new information on the website.
Carole Driskell
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Sheffield, 1896
This is an interesting map that shows Sheffield as the largest developed municipality in the Quad-Cities area. Remember, Florence and Tuscumbia had largely agricultural economies. However, U.S. Census data gave the following population data:
| 1890 | 1900 | |
| Florence | 6012 | 6478 |
| Sheffield | 2731 | 3333 |
| Tuscumbia | 2491 | 2348 |
It looks like the area got a railroad by 1896, the Memphis & Charleston rail, but it passed through Tuscumbia, by-passing Sheffield. This map shows another township to the east of South Florence and north of Leighton in Section 17--looks like the name is "Alexander." It contained the Bainbridge Plantation, and I'll bet the Robert Trent Jones Trail courses at the Shoals are on that point in the bend of the river at the junction of South Florence and "Alexander." That'll be where the Saturday Reunion Breakfast will be located.