All aboard, next stop: Chase, Alabama, the home of the North Alabama Railroad Museum. Along the way, we'll be passing through a nationally-famous wholesale nursery, some weird telegraph code words, restored locomotives, a former mayor, some US Postal Service history, the tiny little train depot that could, and so. much. kudzu.

For more Huntsville, Alabama, history you can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @lilyflaggpodcast, and check out our website (with show transcripts) at lilyflaggpodcast.wordpress.com. You can also support the show monthly at patreon.com/lilyflaggpodcast

This episode is sponsored by WeAreHuntsville (wearehuntsville.com, @WeAreHuntsville on social)

It's the listener request episode! I've been encouraging listeners to submit local history questions these past few months, and in today's show I'm answering some of them. We'll be talking about a watercress salad themed party, an eccentric man's basement, road rage on Memorial Parkway (the autobahn of Huntsville), historic barns, and more!

For more Huntsville, Alabama, history you can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @lilyflaggpodcast, and check out our website (with show transcripts) at lilyflaggpodcast.wordpress.com.

This episode is sponsored by WeAreHuntsville (wearehuntsville.com, @WeAreHuntsville on social)

Downtown Huntsville has been home to numerous buildings over the years, including four courthouses in the middle of the square. From gilded eagles to Greek temples to wild animals on the square to the ultimate space-race era modernism, join me on a journey through the drama and design choices of the courthouses of Madison County, Alabama.

For more Huntsville, Alabama, history you can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @lilyflaggpodcast, and check out our website (with show transcripts) at lilyflaggpodcast.wordpress.com.

This episode is sponsored by WeAreHuntsville (wearehuntsville.com, @WeAreHuntsville on social)

In episode 12, I talked about Virginia McCormick's impact on the Huntsville community for the first three decades of the 1900s, but what I didn't get to discuss as much was her music.  Listening to, playing, and apparently writing music were hobbies of hers, as well as a part of her mental health treatment.  In this barely-an-episode-and-mostly-just-a-song, I'm sharing a sea shanty written by Virginia herself, as well as something I just learned about fish.  Tune in for a few minutes and enjoy the sweet, sweet jam that is "I'm Only a Bold Sailor Lad".

For more Huntsville, Alabama, history you can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @lilyflaggpodcast, and check out our website (with show transcripts) at lilyflaggpodcast.wordpress.com.  This episode is sponsored by WeAreHuntsville (wearehuntsville.com, @WeAreHuntsville on social)

She was an heiress, but her best known parties were open to some of the poorest citizens in town.  She was declared legally unable to manage her own interests and finances, but she was a renowned musician, respected community member, and well-loved friend to many.  Local legend calls her a recluse, but she was a frequent attendee to events she hosted.  She only lived in town for a few months a year, but her philanthropy made a lasting impact on Huntsville.

Her name?  Mary Virginia McCormick. 

I recently had the pleasure of traveling to Wisconsin to study some of the McCormick family archives and view primary sources about Virginia's life, including diaries, correspondences, and notes by her nursing staff.  Buckle in for an adventure in catchy songs, May Day celebrations, and donations towards healthcare equity as I share what I learned on my road trip to, in a way, meet Virginia.

For more Huntsville, Alabama, history you can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @lilyflaggpodcast, and check out our website (with show transcripts) at lilyflaggpodcast.wordpress.com.

This episode is sponsored by WeAreHuntsville (wearehuntsville.com, @WeAreHuntsville on social)

Though the city changed hands multiple times during the Civil War, there was no "battle" for Huntsville.  In April of 1862, American forces were able to walk right into town and take control, but how?  In today's mini-episode, we're talking Civil War diaries, Morse code, the importance of trains, and how one woman's actions impacted an entire town. 

For more Huntsville, Alabama, history you can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, follow us on Instagram at @lilyflaggpodcast, and check out our website (with show transcripts) at lilyflaggpodcast.wordpress.com.

This episode is sponsored by WeAreHuntsville (wearehuntsville.com, @WeAreHuntsville on social)

The Lily Flagg's Signal Preserving Huntsville History series is a collection of interviews with local historians, preservationists, storytellers, and other experts passionate about saving and sharing the history of Huntsville, Alabama.  In this episode, I had the pleasure of talking with Reagan Grimsley, Head of Archives, Special Collections, and Digital Initiatives at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH).  Join us for a conversation on archiving in the digital age, some of the cool stuff they have available for study, and how there's something for everyone (local historian or not) at the UAH archives!

Links referenced in the show:

Science Friday interview - https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/preserving-and-telling-space-history/

UAH Archives Homepage - https://libguides.uah.edu/archives

For more Huntsville, Alabama, history you can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, follow us on Instagram at @lilyflaggpodcast, and check out our blog at lilyflaggpodcast.wordpress.com.

In honor of the last month of the Huntsville Times's print editions, join me on a journey through the early 1900s newspaper business, a bizarre stone "wedding cake" style house, and Jacob Emory Pierce, the founder of the Times and the root of an impressive number of local legends, scandals, and court cases.

NOTE: I found a new source and thus more insight into Pierce's potential pettiness after putting out the original episode; this added info has been edited into the episode and begins at the 11:50 mark.  The show is otherwise unchanged from its original posting.

For more Huntsville, Alabama, history you can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, follow us on Instagram at @lilyflaggpodcast, and check out our website (with show transcripts) at lilyflaggpodcast.wordpress.com.

This episode is sponsored by WeAreHuntsville (wearehuntsville.com, @WeAreHuntsville on social)

What started as my quest to bust a local myth led to an even more interesting story of outlaws, betrayal, and a so-called "trial of the century" that could rival any episode of Perry Mason.  In this episode, we're going on an adventure through a Muscle Shoals robbery, an often-overshadowed sibling named Frank, newspapers fawning over a gang member's eye color, and the closest to "true crime podcasting" you'll get out of a show named after a historical cow.

For more Huntsville, Alabama, history you can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, follow us on Instagram at @lilyflaggpodcast, and check out our blog at lilyflaggpodcast.wordpress.com.

This episode is sponsored by WeAreHuntsville (wearehuntsville.com, @WeAreHuntsville on social)

There's no mode of transportation that brings up feelings of nostalgia quite like street cars, and good news: Huntsville had its own electric street car system for over three decades!  Hop on for a ride through local rail history, overly optimistic news articles, and one of the coolest parties the city has ever hosted.

For more Huntsville, Alabama, history you can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, follow us on Instagram at @lilyflaggpodcast, and check out our blog at lilyflaggpodcast.wordpress.com.

This episode is sponsored by WeAreHuntsville (wearehuntsville.com, @WeAreHuntsville on social)