Unusual facts and stories about Alabama.  From "Absolutely Alabama" by Marjie McGraw 
ISBN 1-887654-34-8  LOC: 97-66958

Premium Press America 1997 
P.O. Box 159015; Nashville, TN 37215  
phone (615) 256-8484 

 
 
 1. Bring your snake boots and watch where you step!  Alabama is the only state inhabitied by 
all four poisonous North American snakes: coral snake, water mocassin, rattlesnake and cop-
perhead. 

 2. According to Section 5 of the 1940 Code of Alabama, the state flag should measure 48 inches, 
with a one and one-half-inch border, making it a total of fifty-one inches square--the only square 
state flag in the Union.

Its citizens are cool, though. 

 3. Although Alabama has almost one million acres of recreational waters, there are no natural lakes
in the state.  However, four major artificial lakes--Guntersville, Wheeler, Martin and Weiss--have 
been created by damming the Tennessee, Tallapoosa and Coosa Rivers, respectively.

Don't say they don't give a damn.

 4. The state's highest point is Cheaha Mountain, a 2,407 foot peak in the Talladega Ridge.

Peak-ture that!

 5. Magnolia Springs is one of the few places that still has postal service by boat...
which makes it difficult--but not impossible--for dogs to chase the mailman.

 6. Legends say America was not discovered by Columbus but by Prince Madoc 
of Wales, who reportly sailed into Mobile Bay in 1170, more than 300 years prior
to the Spainard's discovery of the West Indies.  Although folk stories and recent 
archeological excavations support Madoc's date-of-arrival--old Roman coins, 
Welsh-speaking Indians, and forts resembling the old Forts of Wales--King James
I of England (1566-1625) pronounced the claim "Tudor Propaganda" in an effort 
to keep peace with Spain.

 7. Montgomery, laid out in 1817 by Andrew Dexter of Boston,
was formerly known as "New Philadelphia". Dexter was
ridiculed because he saved a prime spot of real estate for the
State Capitol building to be built, even though the state capital
was at that time located in Tuscaloosa. Thirty years later, he
was posthumously vindicated; Montgomery did indeed
become the state capital. 

Fortunately, he didn't have to pay a capital gains tax. 

 8. Alabamian James Marion Sims, M.D., (1813-1883) is consid-
ered to be the "Father of Modern Gynecology." It seems
Sims' statue stands in front of the State Capitol.

 9. Gadsden is home to the largest tire and tube manufacturing
plant in the world. The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
facility boasts 60 acres under one roof. 

No wonder the workers get tired.

10. Oh Solo Mio! 

The oldest solar research facility in the South-
east is located at the University of Alabama at Huntsville.