Role on Tide

We made our way back north, stopping in the Montgomery area again, this time at Maxwell Gunter AFB.

This time we decided to see a bit more of the Montgomery history, visiting Old Alabama, the Tuskegee Airmen Museum, and the home of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

This is the best we could see the day we arrived, it said it was open, but it wasn't. The house itself is the parsonage for the ministers of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. The home was originally built around 1912, and had several ministers living in it that were advocates for civil rights. From 1947 to 1952, Dr. Vernon Johns, and Dr. Martin Luther King lived there from 1954 to 1960. This house had to be reconstructed after a bomb exploded in 1956, damaging part of the house. Dr. King, the man that he was, returned from a boycott meeting, and standing on the front porch calmed an angry crowd, averting violent aggression. The parsonage museum was closed as well.

We worked our way out of downtown, and headed over to Old Alabama. The property is a collection of early to mid-19th century homes and businesses. 

This is the starting point of your tour through old Alabama Town. It was known as the Lucas Tavern. The structure was built in 1818 and owned by to other families before the Lucas' bought it in 1821. It was a "dogtrot" style house used as a wayside hotel and tavern. The Lucas family once entertained the Marquis de Lafayette and his entourage as they traveled through Alabama. In case you have forgotten what a "dogtrot" style home looked liked like:

It is two separate rooms with a dog run through the middle. This is the Yancy "Dogtrot",  built circa 1850. The purpose of the opening between the rooms was to allow air flow during the summer months. This style dotted the rural landscape of Alabama. 

Another building on the property originally sat behind a prominent mansion in town, known as the Seibels-Ball-Lanier House. This carriage house is also circa 1850.

There were a few modification done to this carriage house to accommodate visitors.

The carriage is era specific, the restrooms and water fountain are new to the carriage house.

This tiny building built circa 1892 was the doctor's office for the folks living in the area. Dr. Duncan made house calls from this office, concocted medicines from this office as well. Dr. Duncan performed quite an array of duties during his tenure, which included: dentist, surgeon, pharmacist, and even veterinarian. His tenure lasted until 1938.

There is a posted tale about the yellow fever epidemic of 1897. The folks believed that the germs floated around more at night than day, so they built bonfires in the streets to stave off the germs. Mail from infected areas of the country were fumigated before they were delivered. One postal worker died from yellow fever, so people stopped touching letters from infected areas all together. How about tracking deaths for 1913:

The grounds also included a general store, print shop, a couple of homes, church, schoolhouse, and a cotton gin.

The cotton gins generally were only  operational during the cotton harvesting season, usually mid-August to mid-November. A wagon arriving at the mill generally carried about 1,500 pounds of cotton, breaking down to about 500 pounds of baled cotton lint, and 1,000 pounds of cotton seed. The gin crew consisted of 5 men plus a fireman to keep the boiler stoked, producing steam for the engine.

The gin can be broken down into 10 units, from raw product to packed product.

The wagon pulls onto the scales for weighing, a telescoping vacuum tube is used for "sucking" up the raw cotton. After the raw cotton is sucked up, it was sent to the separator.

The separator removed the cotton from the vacuum, also removed sand and large trash from the cotton, before it was sent to the distributor.

The distributor fed the seed cotton to each of the feeders equally, sending the excess to overflow.

The feeders removed sticks, small stones, and heavy foreign material. The feeders also fluffed the cotton, and fed the cotton at a controlled/adjustable rate to the full width gin.

The gin removed the hull and seeds. The hulls, or burs were part of the outer skin of the boll. or pod, which may have been caught during picking. It also passed lint to the lint flue.

The horseshoe looking section is the gin, the silver tubes are the lint flues.
The condenser removed air from the fibers and condensed the fibers into a solid "bat" of lint. This bat was sent to the press box and tamper.

The tamper keeps the lint pressed down in the press box as it arrives from the condenser. In the press box the cotton was now formed into a bale, and wire tied. From here it would have been put on ships and probably sent overseas.

The final phase in the operation is the seed handling equipment. This equipment removed the seeds from the gin house after they had been separated from the lint.

BREAK   BREAK

This next museum I was excited about, the Tuskegee Airman Museum. The last time we were through the area we did not have time to visit it. If you remember your history, these were the pilots that protected our bombers during most of WWII. 

Lets step back a few years before the the first cadets showed up. Tuskegee Institute was founded in 1881, by Booker T. Washington, operating out of a one-room church building. In 1940 Tuskegee Institute leased Kennedy Field to provide civilian pilot training (CPT), under the nationwide CPT program. Tuskegee's main campus provided all the pre-flight training. 1941 saw the first military cadets train at Kennedy Field while Moton Field was being constructed. 

Moton Field became the primary training for the African American

cadets on their way to service in the Army Air Corp (AAC).

As you can see from the map, the first 100 cadets came from all over the United States.

While these cadets were training at Moton Field, the AAC was building the new Tuskegee Army Air Field (TAAF). In November of 1941 the field saw its first cadets for primary flight training. This is what the airfield looks like today.

We walked from the parking area, down the path to the hangers. This is one of the FREE museums worth visiting. At the starting point there is a sign with approximately 60 names of African American inventors. Some of the inventions may not seem like much, but most of us use them today:

Door knob - Osbourne Dorsey - 1878

Breathing device/gas mask - Garrett Morgan - 1914

Egg Beater - Willis Johnson - 1884

Folding bed - Leonard C. Bailey  - 1899

Folding chair - Purdy & Sadgwar - 1889

Almanac - Benjamin Banneker - 1792

Air conditioning - Frederick M. Jones - 1942.

For those of us that have seen what racial prejudice looks like, it ain't nothing compared to the 1940s. The following was a statement made regarding black pilots: 

"The negro type has not the proper reflexes to make a first-class, fighter pilot... it is recommended that if and when a colored group is formed in the United States, it be retained for [coastal patrol] and a white fighter group be released for movement overseas". This statement was made regarding the efficiency of the 99th Fighter Squadron, in September 1943, by Maj. Gen. Edwin J. House, 12th Air Support Command.

These were just a few of the pilots that flew air support for our bombers. From May 1943 to July 1944 the 99th Fighter Squadron completed missions over North African, Sicily, and Italy. As a black squadron in a white command, they could only be replaced by another black squadron, creating morale issues. Despite morale issues, the 99th Fighter Squadron was awarded three Distinguished Unit Citations, and achieved a historical first, the surrender of an island solely through air power.

How did they accomplish their missions?

What did they accomplish once they climbed into their shiny aircraft:

This museum is interactive as well. In one of the hangers is the opportunity to pack a parachute. In 1941, parachute packing was

the responsibility of one woman, Alice Dungey Gray. The table was a special table with a smooth surface, so as not to damage the silk. As the cadet numbers grew, Alice required more assistance, and was provided two assistants. In the picture you see two parachutes, one packed, the other is for visitors to try and pack just like the sample.

Back to the the training of these future pilots. 

This would have been the office of the General Manager, George L. Washington. It was George's determination and vision that brought the Primary Flight Training program to Tuskegee. As the General Manager Mr. Washington hired and supervised flight instructors, airplane maintenance personnel, and other personnel required to ensure the cadets were properly housed and fed.

From this office, the Army Supervisor commanded Army operations at Moton Field. He supervised the performance of the contractor (Tuskegee Institute), and conducted flight checks which determined if a cadet would graduate.

The Army couldn't have functioned without those willing to push the papers. It is hard to see in any of the photos the fact that they accomplished their jobs without computers, printers, or cell phones. These folks made it all work by sharing phones, making copies using a mimeograph, and the use of typewriters.

While the cadets were in training, they were kept abreast of the war's progress. This is the War Room, where they were filled in on the war, and taught how to recognize various aircraft and ships. Because of the classified information, this room was locked during times it was not being used.

 This was the Cadet Waiting Room, where cadets waited for their opportunity to fly.

Like most machines, there is always a requirement for records. The Maintenance Record Room. The purpose of the records was to ensure that the planes were in proper working order for flying. This office was filled with women and enlisted men maintaining all the records. This was one of the offices where women were in charge. Mrs. George Allen was in charge of airplane maintenance records, and Registrar Ruby Washington maintained the records for cadet flying times.

A plane can't fly if it doesn't have the necessary parts, hence, the Supply Room. Originally Mr. Washington allocated 600 square feet for the supply room, but with such rapid growth in aircraft, a new building was constructed to house supplies.

Like any military installation, they all pretty much run on the stomachs of the workers, here was no different. In 1942 the Tea Room was constructed to service the civilians, military, and cadets.

 

Think you need a bag a chips to go, pull it off the rack. One of the cadets remembered seeing a young freckled girl in the Tea Room, it turned out to be a young Lena Horne.

The question is: who are the Tuskegee Airmen? Here is a quote from Col. Charles E. McGee, pilot, Tuskegee Airman, "They said we didn't have the intelligence, the demeanor, the courage to be combat pilots. They learned different. All we needed was a chance and training."

This was definitely a museum full of learning, and I would do it again. Now it's time prep for Huntsville, AL.

To Pensacola We Go

 The drive to Pensacola was a long and arduous hour and a half drive... nothing exciting happened.

I learned something about Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola when it comes to making future reservations. When I made our reservations I didn't pay attention to choices available, Maple Grove, Anchor Cove, or Battleship Row.  Maple Grove was on base, and the other two are located at the recreational area.

I did not choose the on base campground. The recreational area is a ways from the main base when heading to the commissary, and gas station.

As you can see, we had to make a decision on which way to turn... to the left was Battleship Row, and to the right was Anchor Cove. Give you a hint... we didn't turn left. Battleship Row was all 50A, water, and sewer (FHU). We learned that Anchor Cove was mostly 30A, with some 50A, water, and a dump station... and first come first serve.

Anchor Cove was probably the original campground, so the roads are a tad bit narrow, and sites are tight. The first site we tried to fit ourselves in didn't have the room to maneuver, so we found another site and got settled in.

I had to work around the trees on the sides, as well as in front as I was backing in. We started settling in and found a problem with the 30A electrical. I contacted the camp host and found out that there were a couple 50A sites still open... so off we went in hunt for the gold.

This was an end site, but it was not noisy.

The recreation area also had a marina where boats could be rented, or owners could launch their own boat, and there was plenty RV storage.

The first place we ventured out to was the Visitor Center. As usual, the place was full of advertisements, with a little description of the area. The Visitor Center is located on Emanuel Point, of Pensacola Bay. 

In 1559, the Spanish wanted to expand the empire, trying to establish a colony by sending a fleet of ships with 1,000 colonists, livestock, tools, and personal possessions. Unfortunately a hurricane wiped out the colony and the ships which were used as warehouses for material and food. Survivors were evacuated. The Spanish did not return to establish a new colony until 1698.

1992 part of the sunken fleet was discovered by archeologists with the state of Florida. 2006, another ship of the fleet was discovered by University of West Florida archeologists. Their finds included ceramic pottery, animal bones, stone cannon balls, and pieces of a suit of armor. The rest of the sunken fleet is still waiting to be found.

We strolled along the coastal wall, watching the fishermen.

This guy was not a bashful bird... he was waiting for the fishermen to fish so he could steal them. Talking with one of the fishermen, he explained to me the bird was even stealing their bait.

After we went through the Visitor Center, we headed to lunch, at a fairly famous eatery called McGuire's.

We were not afraid to spend money for lunch. Carol had a flight of their beers. Lunch portions were very large... and very good. There is a bit of history in this pub too. When it was opened in 1977, Molly signed her first dollar, and hung it behind the bar... the tradition cares on...

What you are looking at above Carol's head are dollar bills stabled to the ceiling... and they are on all the ceiling, and some walls throughout the dining portion of the pub. It is believed that there is over a million dollars. the server/waiter we had said that every year the money must be taken down and counted by an accountant, for tax purposes.

On base there was a opportunity to visit a couple of forts to visit. 

You see the fort? believe it or not you are standing at the bottom of the a fortified wall. Visitors must travel up the fortified wall to get a good picture of the forts... that's right forts. 

The first fort was built by the Spaniards in 1797 to protect the bay from the British, after they recaptured it from the British; that would be the fort called Spanish Water Battery.

Back in the days of this fort, there wasn't a whole lot to the fort in the way of creature comforts. Both of these forts experienced extreme deterioration after the Army abandoned the base in 1947. 1950 was a bad year for the Spanish Water Battery. A hard freeze caused the water battery's rifle gallery to collapse, and plants overgrew the structure. When the forts were turned over to the National Park Service, funding was acquired for restoration of the battery.

The portion above the doors is the rifle gallery. The doors are the entrances to the munition storage areas. The grassy area in the forefront is where cannons would have been mounted.

Each one of the half circles was a cannon.

Visitors need to walk through the upper fort to get to the battery... and it was an interesting walk. 

The light at the end of the tunnel is the entrance to the battery. 

The folks that accomplished the restoration did a very nice job when looking at the munition magazines.

Lets walk back up to Fort Barrancas. The fort was built in 1840s as one of four fortifications built to protect Pensacola Bay. Fort Barrancas was a "third system" fort.

FUN FACT: "first system" forts were constructed during the Revolutionary War, "second system" forts were constructed between 1789 and 1812, and the "third system" forts were constructed between 1816 and 1870.

This is the entrance to the fort, through a draw bridge. if you remember earlier I said that a hard freeze in 1950 damaged the battery... it damaged this fort as well, debris filled the tunnels and passageways. The same dollars they got to restore the battery, applied to this fort as well; again they did a fine job. Many of the "third system" forts

were built with a dry moat, but better known as a "killing field". All those openings are ports to fire rifles from. Walking across the draw bridge, visitors have the opportunity to see some fantastic workmanship. The workmanship we see today was done by men possibly using power tools, whereas the original workers only had hand tools. I found the enormity of the walls fascinating. Over six million bricks were used in thee construction of this fort. The walls

consist of the outer wall of brick, a sand barrier, and the inner wall. Walking through the corridors provides a window into the craftsmanship involved in creating such a fort. The arches within the corridors provides the best picture of the work required to make this fort strong. Some of the bricks are from the restoration process, but were done in the same manner as the original construction. The tool marks are from files.

Even the floors are brick, and due to water damage, are uneven in spots. 

it looks like an endless tunnel, but its not. Throughout the passages there are areas that cannons would have been placed, and herds of openings for men with rifles.

As with any fine fort, they had their magazines for stashing away ammunition. 

This is a look at a magazine with a flash... and without a flash.

Some of the passages appeared to be white-washed, but we later learned that it is actually a coating to protect the structure from further erosion. Walking down one of the passages we met up with one of the residents of the fort... not a ghost... a bat.

This fort was meant to do business when t came to protecting the bay. besides the cannons inside the fort for close-in action, there were cannons on the top of the fort so they could harass unwelcomed ships coming into the bay. These cannons were set up
to work in concert with the cannons located across the bay at the two other forts also protecting the bay.

Besides the fort on base, there is an air museum that is supposed to be pretty interesting, but we chose not to visit it this trip.

Along with all the forts in the area, we hit three Elk lodges. The one on the way to Fort Pickens is raised with a fantastic view of the bay... but the area was really really busy with vehicles everywhere.

Fort Pickens had a bit of history, from a deadly explosion to the detainment of Apaches prisoners. We will talk a little about the fort itself first. The fort is in more of a natural state of repair than our fort on the base. The original fort has outgrown its usefulness, as the brick walls just were not strong enough for

the newer artillery being used. The Army's answer around 1898, to the problem, was to built a fort within a fort, using concrete walls instead of brick. That was fine and dandy, but in June of 1899 the construction would be tested. The photo you are looking at is the result of a massive explosion in one of the gunpowder magazines, which ignited 8,000 pounds of gunpowder.

The explosion sent bricks and a 12 inch gun onto the parade grounds. The explosion was so great that it sent bricks flying across Pensacola Bay. Two soldiers were killed in the explosion. Imagine debris all over the parade grounds, and a huge 12 inch gun just tossed about. 

One of the upgrades the Army did was to add these huge rifled guns to the battery. These guns were capable of firing a 1,070 pound projectile 8 miles, then hiding behind the fortified walls.

This is what their launch pad looked like. The magazines for these massive guns are located under the gun mounts. The projectiles were so large that they were handled using elevators, and rails and crane systems.

The old fort was equipped with 15 inch Rodman "smooth' bore cannons. The barrel for this cannon weighs in at 50,000 pounds.

The rails allowed for 360 degree firing, but this cannon a never used in combat.

The area down here on Pensacola Bay is riddled with artillery batteries for the visiting. There is also a National Parks campground near Fort Pickens. After a stop at the Elk lodge we headed back to prepare for travel to Alabama.