FLORENCE – Mayor Steve Holt and Bicentennial Committee Chair Pat Burney are pleased to announce the Bicentennial activities for the month of September. Native American heritage is indelibly imprinted in America and in Florence in particular. Names such as “Tuscumbia” and places such as the Indian Mound harken back to those roots.
It is probably safe to say that Florence and the Shoals would not exist if not for the Native Americans who lived here first. With that in mind, the City of Florence will focus on Native American heritage with Bicentennial celebrations during the month of September.
A speaker series is set for Sundays at 2 p.m. at the Florence Indian Mound Museum and the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library. Speakers will include Dr. Chris Haveman, Matt Gage, Shannon Keith and Anna Mullican.
The official celebratory event for Native American month will also be at the Indian Mound Museum from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sunday, September 30, followed by a lecture. The museum will be open to the public free of charge and will feature a native plant workshop, an archery demonstration, and hands-on activities for children.
There are also plans to host a traveling museum in conjunction with Dr. Carrie Barske and students from the University of North Alabama. In addition, area students will benefit from a Native American heritage educational resource packet distributed to all schools in Florence and Lauderdale County.
Here is the line-up for the month:
- Friday, September 7, 5:00-8:00 PM – FIRST FRIDAYS –Downtown Florence
- Sunday, September 9, 8:30 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. – First United Methodist Church 196th Birthday , “Building the Vision” Play by Brynda Musgrove
- Sunday, September 9, 2:00 PM – NATIVE AMERICAN PRESENTATION “Creek Indian Removal, the Tennessee River, and the Shoals,” by Dr. Chris Haveman, Asst. Prof., Un. of West Alabama, held at the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library
- Tuesday, September 11, 10:30 AM-1:30 PM – First Presbyterian Church, open archives and church tour
- Wednesday, September 12, 10:30 AM-1:30 PM – First United Methodist Church, open archives and church tour
- Thursday, September 13, 11:00 AM-1:00 PM – Tabernacle M.B. Church, church tour
- Friday, September 14, 11:00 AM – CANAL SYSTEM/WILSON DAM HISTORICAL MARKERS UNVEILING, McFarland Park
- Sunday, September 16, 2:00 PM – NATIVE AMERICAN PRESENTATION “Cherokee Occupation of North Alabama Pre-Removal” by Shannon Keith, Pres., Trail of Tears Assoc., AL Chapter, held at the Florence Indian Mound Museum
- Sunday, September 23, 2:00 PM – NATIVE AMERICAN PRESENTATION “Oakville Indian Mounds: Teaching Prehistory through Archelogy and Hands-On Activities” by Anna Mullican, Cultural Resource Specialist, Lawrence County Schools’ Indian Education Program, held at the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library
- Sunday, September 23, (Time TBD) – St. James M. B. Church, church anniversary event with music
- Wednesday, September 26, 10:30 AM-1:30 PM – First United Methodist Church, open archives and church tour
- Sunday, September 30, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM – NATIVE AMERICAN MONTH CELEBRATION, free of charge, featuring a native plant workshop, an archery demonstration, and hands-on activities for children at the Indian Mound Museum
- Sunday, September 30, 2:00 PM – NATIVE AMERICAN PRESENTATION “The Archaeology of the Tennessee River Valley” by Matthew Gage, Director, Office of Archeological Research, Un. of Alabama, held at the Florence Indian Mound Museum
For a full list of Florence Bicentennial events, visit: https://florence200.org
Bicentennial souvenir items are available for purchase online or at the Mayor’s Office, the Florence-Lauderdale Tourism Office in McFarland Park, and the Shoals Chamber of Commerce.
https://www.facebook.com/florencebicentennial/ or https://www.facebook.com/events/147567779233422/
Media Release/Sandra Morgan, Executive Assistant to the Mayor of Florence
