The Shoals
How places,
things got their names
By Jessica Otwell
Staff Writer, TimesDaily
Contributed by Barbara Laughlin South
What's behind a name? Here's how several locations, roads and structures in the Shoals were named:
George Colbert home at Colbert Ferry
Colbert County: Named after George Colbert, a Chickasaw Indian who ferried troops along the river.
Leopard Photo Caption
Lauderdale County: Named for Col. James Lauderdale, a soldier from Tennessee who died in the Battle of New Orleans.
Crane Photo Caption
Florence: Named after Florence, Italy, by Italian architect and draftsman Ferdinand Sannoner.
Shallows in the Shoals (Patton Island in the background)
Muscle Shoals: The Indian name "daqunahi" is translated "Mussel Place." Other attributions are that it takes "much muscle" to navigate through the rapids there, or the aerial view looks like a human muscle.
Sheffield: Named after the iron town in England.
Tuscumbia: In 1820, it was named Cold Water, and six months later, it was renamed Big Spring. In December 1822, it was changed to Tuscumbia after the Cherokee Indian chief, translated "Warrior Killer."
Bibb Graves Hall: Building at the University of North Allabama named after former Gov. Bibb Graves, who was in office 1927-31 and 1935-39.
Brooks High School, Killen: Mr. and Mrs. K.S. Brooks donated land for the school to be built in 1967.
Burell-Slater School, Florence: Where John Slater and the Burell American Missionary Association combined in May 1900.
Chisholm Road, Florence: Named after one of the early families in the region during the late 1700s.
Leighton: Formerly named "Crossroads," this community was named for William Leigh, born Oct. 4, 1790, for Masonic honors.
Cloverdale in Lauderdale County: Originally named Rawhide from Jonathan Paulk's tannery in the 1850s. Renamed in 1889 by residents for the clover found on roadsides and to sound more pleasant.
Cow Pen Road, Lauderdale County: Named after Cow Pen Creek, from the early settlers in 1818 who said it resembled the landscape of their former home in South Carolina.
Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital, Florence: Named in memory of Gen. John Coffee's granddaughter, Eliza, who died at a young age.
Hatch Boulevard, Sheffield: Named after one of the first families who settled in Sheffield.
Goose Shoals Bridge, Lauderdale County: Site of an old Indian village on Shoal Creek with swift rapids. Flocks of geese came annually and one goose stayed there year-round.
Hawk Pride Mountain, Colbert County: Named after the Pride family, who were some of the earliest settlers in the region.
Grassy, Lauderdale: Named after a school in the 1870s called Grassy School. Early residents named the school after the overabundance of grass surrounding it.
Gunwaleford Road: Named after a Civil War gunboat battle that took place in the area in 1863.
Howell Graves School, Muscle Shoals: Named after two real estate developers who built the school in the 1920s. The building now serves as the school board office.
John R Street, Muscle Shoals: Named after a street in Detroit.
L.E. Willson School, Sheffield: Named after the colonel who gave the land where the school was built in 1960.
Listerhill: Named for former U.S. Sen. Lister Hill, D-Ala., who served 1938-69.
Mars Hill Bible School: Founded by Theophilus Brown Larimore in 1871. It is named for a Biblical reference in Acts 17:22.
Mitchell Boulevard, Florence: Named after Probate Judge John J. Mitchell, who served from 1886-92 to 1899-1904.
Norton Auditorium: Building on UNA's campus named after former UNA President, E. B. Norton.
Rogersville: According to local tradition, it is named for a trader named Rogers who settled there in the 1820s.
Steenson Hollow, Muscle Shoals: Named after an early family who settled in the area.
Rogers School, Greenhill: Named after T.M. Rogers, a proprietor of Rogers Department Store, who gave the land for the school to be built.
St. Florian: Originally named Wilson Stand because it was on a plantation of John and Matthew Wilson. It was renamed in 1871 for the the patron saint of firefighters, Florian, and Florian Rasch, the man who donated the church bell there.
Southall Building, Florence: Contractor A.E. Holt named the building after local druggist Charles Southall.
Spring Park, Tuscumbia: Named for Spring Creek, which was earlier named Cold Water Creek.
Underwood, Lauderdale: Named for the family in the early 1900s that helped develop the community.
Waterloo: Believed to be named for a Napoleonic battle in Belgium. Some believe it could also be named for the streams, creeks and springs in the area.
Weeden School, Florence: Named after John D. Weeden, a real estate developer and son of Robert Patton, a former Alabama governor.
Wesleyan Hall: Building at UNA named after John Wesley because the school used to be named Florence Wesleyan University until the United Methodist Church gave the school to the state.
Wheeler Dam: Originally named Worthington Dam for John W. Worthington who helped complete construction of Wilson Dam. It was later renamed Wheeler Dam in 1936 for the Confederate Gen. Joseph Wheeler, who fought in the Spanish-American War and was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Wilson Park, Florence: Named after President Woodrow Wilson as was Wilson Dam.
Zip City: Named in the 1920s by resident Alonzo Parker, who used the name to describe the speed of cars along Chisholm Road.