FLORENCE-Florence/Lauderdale Tourism will host a special book signing and presentation by author Rickey Butch Walker in conjunction with the release of his latest book, “Cotton Was King.” The free event will take place November 18, 2017 at 1:00 pm at the Florence/Lauderdale Tourism Visitor Center in McFarland Park.
“Cotton Was King” was originally started by Dr. William L. McDonald. McDonald authored many books on local history, served on numerous historical boards and was the Florence City Historian for many years. He was also a dedicated Methodist minister, serving for over 30 years. After McDonald’s death in 2009, Bluewater Publications worked with the McDonald family to have Walker finish the work began by McDonald.
Throughout “Cotton Was King,” Walker showcases the important role that cotton played in history, especially for those Native Americans who first explored and used the area now known as Lauderdale County, Alabama before white settlers arrived. Along with stories of cotton and its impact, Walker also presents accounts of Native American Chief Doublehead and Chief George Colbert and the government corruption that preceded the Indian Removal. Subsequent sections of the book deal with early white settlements that depended on slavery, Lauderdale County plantations, family relationships, and pre-Civil War holdings. “Cotton Was King” would be a wonderful resource for anyone interested in the history of Lauderdale County or in plantation history.
To find out more about Rickey Butch Walker and his other publications, visit Bluewater Publications at www.BWPublications.com or purchase them online at www.amazon.com.
Contact Florence/Lauderdale Tourism for additional information on this and other events hosted at the Visitor Center at 256-740-4141.
Media Release/Randa Simpson
Manager, Media Relations
Florence/Lauderdale Tourism
