Progress

Progress Moving Madison forward

2019

A special publication of

Profile

Progress

FROM THE EDITOR

A look into Hartselle’s most influential

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Since moving here in November 2017, I have enjoyed witnessing firsthand the closeness of the tightly-knit community and getting to know some of the amazing people and places in Madison.

This year, we will celebrate the 200th birthday of the state we all call home, and the celebration coincides with the 150th birthday of our community.

How did Madison become the booming, thriving community we have today? Who and what led our city forward? What did Madison look like 150 years ago? These are the questions our editorial staff wanted to answer when we sat down to discuss this year’s Progress publication. Madison has changed through the years, but it’s the foundation upon which the community was founded more than a century ago that has stood the test of time, and that story is something we always want to celebrate.

In this issue of Madison Progress, we will take a look at photographs from the past and present; meet the founding family of Madison; visit with Jan Wells, the first president of the Chamber of Commerce and former mayor; take a look at how Redstone Arsenal came to be; and more. It is our wish that by looking at the past, we can see how far Madison has come since its inception and fully realize the potential for the future.

We hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane as much as we have and you continue to be part of Madison’s progress going forward.

FEATURES 4

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Madison Business Leader paves path

MAYOR RANDY GARRISON

Jack Clift reflects on life, love and family’s legacy

DEE DEE JONES

William Johnston leads Madison as first mayor

BETH EMERSON

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From mission control to the archives: John

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CHRISTY FERGUSON Rankin’s historic life

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COREY KRIEGER Then and Now

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Redstone Arsenal makes its mark

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JEROME WARD

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EDITORIAL REBEKAH MARTIN JONATHAN BRAGWELL KENDYL HOLLINGSWORTH ALISON JAMES

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DAXTON MAZE

MIKE SWAFFORD

CONTRIBUTORS GREGG PARKER RON PUCKETT BOB LABBE BILL AYCOCK JOSHUA BERRY SETH “SULLY” SULLIVAN DYLAN SCHRADER

MICHAEL HUDSON 50

MARKETING TORI WAITS

TOM SPARKS

PHOTOGRAPHER JOSHUA BERRY

ADMINISTRATIVE SIERRA JACKSON DANIEL HOLMES Madison Publications, LLC P.O. Box 859 Madison, AL 35758 Advertising Inquiries 256-772-6677

2018

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Progress Magazine is published annually by Madison Publications, LLC.

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BUSINESS LEADER PAVES PATH FOR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WRITTEN BY GREGG L. PARKER PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOSHUA BERRY AND CONTRIBUTED

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In 1998, a robust organization that served Madison’s business community transitioned to a national umbrella agency to deliver more comprehensive options.

Madison Business Association, the original group, changed its structure to become Madison Chamber of Commerce. Jan Wells was chosen as the chamber’s first director.

The push to establish a chamber of commerce centered on the influx of new residents in Madison. “When people (have) questions, they call a city’s chamber. That was the kernel of where we started,” Wells said. “We sent people to the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County to obtain information for Madison.

They had nothing.”

In 1986, the Wells family relocated from California to settle in Madison when John Wells accepted employment with Intergraph Corporation. “Our son and daughter attended Bob Jones and Madison Elementary (then K-8), respectively. Both schools were still part of Madison County Schools,” Jan said. Wells’ experience working with PTA and volunteering in her children’s schools accelerated

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her learning curve and civic involvement.

In 1989, she obtained her residential real estate license -- two years later, her broker’s license. “I began to build my career,” Wells said. “Growing up in a small family business environment, I had a solid understanding of the challenges of owning a small business.” When officials asked volunteers to promote Madison, “I jumped right in.”

Wells said an exploratory effort led to Madison Business Association’s founding in 1992. “The express intent was to promote the City of Madison and small businesses -- so key to its success,” she explained.

Tim Crowson originally led MBA operations. In January 1993, Sallie Wagner started working as managing director.

At first, the MBA “office” was set up in Wagner’s home -- but not for long. “I found donated office space in Madison Office Center on Madison Boulevard,” Wagner said. The chamber office next moved to donated space in Phoenix Center on Hughes Road and on Main Street in downtown Madison.

Photo contributed Jan Wells has served the City of Madison in many capacities, from PTA boards, the Chamber of Commerce and as mayor.

“Our first rental was at Madison Office Park behind Burger King. I arranged for our donated office in Hogan Family YMCA,” Wagner said.

Wagner was instrumental in coordinating Shop Madison First, the signature event for Madison professionals. Business owners and em-

Photo contributed Jan Wells takes the oath of office and becomes mayor of Madison. She served one term from 2000-2004.

Photo contributed Jan Wells pictured with Sen. Jeff Sessions.

ployees staffed dozens of booths to explain their goods and services and offer promotional souvenirs to visitors.

Churches and non-profit civic groups explained their respective organizations.

Assisted by volunteers, Wagner compiled the Madison Business Directory, newsletters and annual chamber magazine. MBA sponsored job fairs and hosted Taste of Madison, Monte Carlo Night and galas for business/volunteer of the year and Christmas.

Also for Christmas, the MBA co-founded Madison Christmas Parade and Breakfast With Santa to supply gifts to Head Start children.

Shop Madison First brought local businesses together with residents.

MBA members worked diligently to educate residents on benefits of spending their dollars inside Madison city limits.

The spending habit was -- and still is -- a win-win scenario for municipal coffers and the success of “mom-and-pop” shops,” Wells said.

our city,” Wells added. “The challenges of growth remain. The need remains for the chamber to assume a prominent role in supporting initiatives that will maintain our quality of life. Madison continues to be a wonderful place to ‘Spend a day, a week, a lifetime.’ Yep, we put that on a car tag for display on Madison cars.”

Among her accomplishments, she served as mayor of Madison from 20002004.

“Meeting new people and helping them turn houses into homes still makes me happy,” she said. “Settling into a new real estate home with Legend Realty in Madison has been a joy.

Throttling back a bit on career to enjoy time with family has been a blessing.”

“Life blessed me with a loving husband, a son and daughter, three compassionate, talented granddaughters, and many friends and family across the United States,” she said. “Life is good, and the future is bright.”

Keeping retail spending local wasn’t MBS’s only objective. “MBA members worked tirelessly to garner support for the 11-mil education tax that allowed Madison to launch its own highly successful school system in 1998,” Wells said. “Ultimately, the MBA was about education.”

Madison grew -- as did importance for businesses and residents to thrive.

Real estate agents welcomed new families to Madison, and people requested printed materials about the burgeoning community – but nothing was available.

“Most people moving to a new area automatically look to a Chamber of Commerce for information, not to a Business Association,” Wells said. “That basic need for information became the impetus for a name change from Madison Business Association to Madison Chamber of Commerce during the first quarter of 1998.

“Now 20 years later, the Madison Chamber has continued to grow with

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JACK CLIFT REFLECTS ON LIFE, LOVE AND FAMILY LEGACY IN MADISON WRITTEN BY KENDYL HOLLINGSWORTH PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOSHUA BERRY

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Madison would not be what it is today without the contributions of the farming families of long ago that decided to “plant their roots” in the area as many as 150 years ago.

Before Madison had even been incorporated, Alabama native John Henry Clift came to the area in 1850 to tend to his own farm and raise a family with his wife, Mary.

The Clift family farm, which has remained an unincorporated part of Madison County, expanded over the years to 550 acres, with several members of the family farming on the property.

Jack, who turned 100 last year, stands today as the living patriarch of the Clift family. Jack and his loving late wife, Lillian, had four children, and now have dozens of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The pair, who were together more than 70 years, shared a love story for the times.

The two met on the way to Anapolis, Maryland to attend football game between the Navy and his alma mater, Georgia Tech.

Jack Clift, 100, stands as the living patriarch of the Clift Family.

“She was just kind of a personality – just stood out,” Jack said.

Soon after, Jack asked Lillian for a date. The two married June 25,

1943 and Jack was sent overseas not even a year later.

Shortly after his departure, Lillian gave birth to their first child, Char-

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I’ve always told Mr. Clift I might have bought this property from him and his family, but it’s always going to be his farm.

-Louis Breland

Jack Clift, seated, and Louis Breland.

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lotte. The first time Jack saw his daughter, she was 18 months old.

He returned in November 1945 after the end of the war and was awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and the Air Medal for his service.

Lillian was an intelligent and independent working woman when Jack met her. Though she had never lived or worked on a farm, she willingly agreed to move to Madison with Jack so he could do what he loved – farming. “As soon as we got here, what (Lillian) didn’t know she learned – never complained.”

Their charming two-story white house at the intersection of Mill Road and Church Street was built

by Jack’s uncle in 1916 for the new principal of Madison School and was later occupied by some of the Clifts, though it was vacant again by 1946.

Jack and Lillian made that house into a home, and Jack still lives there to this day. “Everything you see in this house is characteristic of Lillian,” Jack noted.

Lillian filled the house with antiques, including a small chair owned

by Jack’s grandfather that she refinished. She was also a master at sewing and did everything from painting and wallpapering to gardening and mowing the grass at their home. In addition to taking care of the house and children, Lillian was a strong supporter of the PTA. “Whatever she did, she did it with enthusiasm and a smile,” Jack said. “She never looked at anything she did as a chore. She looked at it as a pleasure. I’ve never known her to be frustrated.”

After Charlotte came three more children: Jack, Jr., Kathleen and Anne.

Upon his return to Madison, Jack worked for Uncle Frank on the farm and continued to farm for as long as he was physically able. Jack and Lillian saved diligently over the next few years.

“Hard work and not much money did not make a bit of difference,” Jack said. “We were looking at something we liked to do, so I think we were wise. We didn’t look at the money. We looked at the way of life.”

By about 1947, they had saved a few thousand dollars with which they bought a good, “red” farm of about 500 acres around Huntsville.

Even after his uncle passed away, Jack continued to work on the farms from “daylight ’til dark” as many days as he could. “That’s just the way life was then, and I never minded work,” he said. “I liked working. I was strong and healthy, and I could do it.”

In 1965, Jack filled another role: commissioner for Madison. He and two others – one being Gordon Hughes – handled the numerous aspects of city

government as Madison’s city commission. Not seeking reelection after a first term, he shifted his focus back to the farm.

One issue that arose after Jack’s time in city government was the possible annexation of Madison into Huntsville. “Lillian and I, along with a lot of other people, thought we didn’t want that,” he said. “We wanted Madison to stay Madison.” Jack and Lillian were on the winning side of that battle.

Later on, Madison voted to raise the millage on property taxes to establish the Madison City school system, which has since proven to be one of Madison’s greatest assets. “That was really the final accomplishment for Madison to be what it has been able to grow into today – our own school system,” Jack said.

All three of the Clift daughters became schoolteachers and are now retired. Jack, Jr. followed in his father’s footsteps, joining the military and later returning to the area to farm.

Jack’s grandson, John, also caught the farming bug and runs the widely popular S&J Produce on Highway 72. Now retired, Anne regularly helps out at the stand as one of its friendly faces. Charlotte said S&J sells many tomatoes to a nearby Mexican restaurant and even wholesales produce in Birmingham. Produce that doesn’t get sold goes straight to the Downtown Rescue Mission. They also occasionally offer hayrides on the farm for children and their parents.

Before S&J came about, the Clift family left another visible mark on the city. In the late 1990s, 300 acres of family land was developed into one

of Madison’s most prominent neighborhoods: Clift’s Cove. The grandiose homes are a sight to see while driving down Hughes Road.

After Jack retired from farming, he and Lillian continued to stay involved in Madison.

Eventually Lillian’s years began to catch up with her, and her health began to decline.

Strong in their faith, Jack and Lillian recognized death is a natural part of life, and they discussed it often in their final years together. “A few days before, she was conscious and talking, smiling, laughing, knowing she was fixing to be with the Lord,” Jack said.

“I’d tell her how much I loved her, how much joy we had being together for 72 years.”

Lillian passed away peacefully with Jack by her side June 23, 2015, just two days shy of their 72nd wedding anniversary.

“I didn’t know how I’d react the moment she died, but she was laying in the bed, and I was sitting in the chair, and I was holding her hand,” Jack said. “She was getting weaker and weaker. Finally, she was looking right at me, and I was looking right at her.

She closed her eyes, and a little bit of her hand went cold. Right then, I was 100 percent at peace … That’s the way life is.”

That was a moment Jack said he will never forget. Though he misses Lillian “tremendously,” he keeps moving forward with the recognition they were blessed in this life “over and over and over.”

Jack quietly continues to pour his love into Madison to this day. He and Lillian were always big supporters of PROGRESS

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Madison’s First Baptist Church, the YMCA and cancer research.

As Madison continues to grow and change, the Clifts will enrich future generations of Madison for years to come. Before Lillian died, she and Jack had considered preserving their family farm forever. They quickly realized this was not feasible, though, and decided the best decision would be to have a say in how it is developed.

Over the course of the next few years, Jack will provide insight to the plans for a new multi-use development. The Clift Farm project, spearheaded by prominent developer Louis Breland – the same man behind Town Madison and the new baseball stadium – will transform the Clifts’ existing

550-acre farm into a new development to be enjoyed by families as they work to plant their own roots in the area.

“Naturally, I have mixed feelings sometimes – I’ve been farming so long and I miss it – but it’s just a fact of life, and I accept it, and I do think Lillian and I made the right decision,” Jack said.

Jack also said he is confident in Breland’s ability to carry out his vision of the “high-quality” development.

A balance between community and preservation, Clift Farm will allow its residents to “live, work, exercise, play and reflect” by combining modern amenities with the beauty and charm of nature, similar to what Jack enjoyed about spending those summers on the farm.

“I’ve always told Mr. Clift I might have bought this property from him and his family, but it’s always going to be his farm,” Breland said.

Jack said he continues to enjoy riding out on the farm any chance he gets and sharing some of his stories with Breland.

In addition, he said he thanks the Lord quite often for a rich life.

“I can’t imagine somebody having a life more blessed, more fortunate than I’ve had, and I recognize that,” Jack said.

For every “oh no,” there’s an “oh yeah.”

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Jack Clift with his caretaker Melisa Gooch.

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WILLIAM JOHNSTON LEADS MADISON AS FIRST MAYOR

WRITTEN BY GREGG L. PARKER PHOTOGRAPH CONTRIBUTED

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When people gather to visit or eat dinner in Madison, one topic that rarely arises during conversation is William R. Johnston.

What is Johnston’s “claim to fame” in the community of Madison? Did he own a huge tract of land? Did he work for the railroad?

Was he one of the town’s first physicians?

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No. However, Johnston played an important role in guiding the community’s future by serving as the first mayor of Madison.

Johnston was born circa 1830 in the Madison area. His parents were William and Elizabeth Johnston.

His father was born in 1785 in Virginia, and his mother was born in 1790 in North Carolina.

In 1827 the senior William Johnston purchased 80 acres of land, west of Indian Creek Road and north of Old Monrovia Road.

In 1831 he purchased 160 acres, east of Slaughter Road from the intersection with Carter Road and north to the Yancy Road intersection.

This parcel had been the former residence of pioneer William East, according to Madison historian and Madison150AL200 co-chair John P. Rankin.

The Johnston family’s neighbors were Richard Martin, father of George Washington Martin and Elijah Thomas Martin, all prominent figures in Madison’s history. At this property, the first Madison mayor grew up on his family’s farm.

The 1870 census listed the younger William Johnston, 40, with wife Sarah, 39, and their children 10-year-old Elizabeth, 5-year-old William C. and 1-year-old Maud, who were living “at house.” “They also had a black female domestic servant named Emeline, 15, living in their house,” Rankin said. Sarah’s occupation was listed as “keeping house,” and William’s was “retail dry goods merchant.”

During his lifetime, the first mayor purchased four parcels of land in the Madison area. “Two parcels comprised just over an acre in combination, located on the

west side of today’s Sullivan Street,” Rankin said.

Another small parcel, measuring 64 feet by 33 feet, was in the southwest corner of Madison’s original platted Lot 16, where John W. Cosby had lived beside the lot owned by Theodorick and Jane Clay. Townspeople soon nicknamed the parcel as “The Post Office Lot” because the first Madison Post Office was built there. Today, that location includes Buttermilk Alley’s southern end and Front Street’s northern side.

Johnston’s other lot in the old town center was original Lot 34 on Arnett Street’s northern side and Sullivan Street’s eastern side. Covering .85 of an acre, this site was most likely the location of William’s actual residence.

Oct. 25, 1869, Johnston was among the 29 men who submitted documents to Probate Judge Lewis M. Douglass of Madison County to incorporate the City of Madison. The document noted that “said Town has more than 100 and less than 3,000 inhabitants.”

The document stated “we the undersigned, being male inhabitants,” thus showing the era’s legal and social norm to exclude women in business transactions.

Concurrently, the court changed the town’s name from ‘Madison Station’ to ‘Madison.’ The city founders presented a “poll list” to elect one mayor and aldermen.

Johnston was chosen mayor. The aldermen were J.H. Bibb, G.W. Martin, G.R. Sullivan, W.B. Dunn, J.W. Bryant, T.J. Clay and J.A. Arnett.

The judge validated the men’s vote – as women also weren’t allowed to vote – for incorporation “for the purpose to ascertaining whether or not the citizens of Madison Station wish the town incorporated, certify that the thirty-five votes polled, thirty-three voted for incorporation. Two voted for no incorporation.”

“William must have passed away in July 1877 since his estate began probate proceedings Aug. 1 of that year, when he left his wife and minor children to settle his estate,” Rankin said.

Before month’s end in September 1877, the estate was settled, with the Probate Minute Book recording the exemptions for his widow and minor children.

Rankin said he hopes future research will determine Johnston’s gravesite, yet unknown.

ANDERSON BROTHERS CONTINUE HUGHES FAMILY LEGACY IN MADISON WRITTEN BY KENDYL HOLLINGSWORTH PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOSHUA BERRY

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Like the City of Madison, one of its founding families, the Hughes family, has a strong past, present and future to celebrate.Thousands of cars drive up and down Hughes Road each day, but how many of those drivers know of that family’s rich history?

The Hughes family planted roots in Madison in the mid19th century, and several of its members have played their own parts in shaping its future. See- Larry and Walt Anderson are descendants of Madison’s Hughes family who are still living and working in ing as the Hughes family owned Madison today. farmland on both sides of the road, it bears the family’s name and today is one of MadRankin’s research. In the early 1920s, Doc married Sarah ison’s primary thoroughfares.

Parham, and they had a daughter named Marion, who Driving down Hughes Road, one might notice a charmalso chose to build her life in Madison. Doc also owned ing, white, plantation-style house just north of Discovery and worked in the Humphrey-Hughes drugstore on Main Middle School. According to Madison County historian Street for about 50 years.

John Rankin, this house was built and owned by Edmund’s Larry and Walt Anderson are two Hughes family deson, John, in some of its earliest days. More than 100 years scendants who remain in the area and work behind the later, the house remains in the family. scenes to help keep Madison moving forward.

John and Laura had three sons, the oldest of whom beAs sons of the late Gene Anderson and Marion Hughes came a familiar name in Madison. George Walton Hughes Anderson, Larry and Walt have a wealth of fond memserved as a local pharmacist for several years and was ories of growing up in Madison when it was little more often called “Doc” by those who knew him, according to than a sleepy farming town.

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“When I was growing up, there wasn’t that many kids around,” Larry said. “A number of people – young families and all – had come back from World War II or the Korean War and went back to the farm, and they lived in the country.”

In Madison’s earliest days, it was known as a depot town that allowed trains to bring in farm products on a faster and less costly basis. The area continued to thrive primarily as an attractive location for farmers up until the past few decades, when Madison began to evolve into a hightech, government-oriented hub for businesses and military families.

Larry said a number of Hughes descendants were farmers as well, though as time went on, some of them owned and operated a few businesses in the downtown area. His grandfather, Doc, was one who did both.

In addition to selling its various products, the drugstore also served as a gathering spot for local farmers. “In the morning, they would come in and drink coffee and solve the ills of the world,” Larry said.

In addition to operating their businesses, both Doc and Gene also spent time serving Madison beyond their businesses. They held civic positions – each served terms as mayor of Madison, with Gene also serving as chairman of the city’s water board for more than two decades.

Larry filled the role of city attorney in the early 1980s and now serves on the Madison Station Historic Preservation Commission. Gordon Hughes, son of Larry and Walt’s great-uncle Robert Hughes, served as a commissioner for Madison in the 1960s. Gordon’s grandson, Donald Hughes Spencer, is well-known in Madison for his work as an attorney and serving the city in several other capacities. Other members of Larry and Walt’s extended family also filled many roles in the city over the years. “They’ve been involved in the area as long as they’ve been here,” Larry said.

In addition to running his hardware store, Gene Anderson developed properties. One of these is the Hughes Heights subdivision, east of Hughes Road. After purchasing the property in the 1950s, Gene sold the residential lots for the purpose of building homes on them.

“That’s the first time you could buy a house or a lot that wasn’t part of a farm,” Larry recalled. “Up until then, if you bought property out here, you had to buy a farm.”

The subdivision’s streets are all named after members of the family, with the exception of Ambrose Drive, which bears the name of the first homeowner on the street. The family streets include Anderson Circle, Marion Drive, Larry Drive, Walton Drive (after Walt) and Walton Road (after George Walton “Doc” Hughes).

“Daddy kind of always thought it was funny because he named Walton (Road) and Walton Drive, but he didn’t realize it was the corner of Walton and Walton,” Larry said with a laugh.

Now pouring much of their own focus into the downtown area, Larry and Walt both said they still remember the various shops, restaurants and offices that drew in the townsfolk way back when.

Near the railroad tracks, Larry said the two-story building used to have a hardware store downstairs and apartment units above. The Andersons lived in one of those apartments until Larry was almost 4 years old before moving into the house they built on Church Street.

With the hardware store, Gene Anderson had a furniture showroom. He also established a Western Auto store downtown in the late 1960s, according to Larry, in a Larry Anderson building that now houses the Old Black Bear brewery. Before the auto store, it was a grocery store run by a member of the Balch family.

Walt also recalled how “everybody knew everybody,” and just about everyone could be recognized by the cars they drove, like two local brothers who drove a late-1950s Chevy pick-up truck. “I’d be riding along in the truck with the window down, and I’d see their truck coming, so I’d throw my arm out and wave. Well, you’d see an arm come out each side. It looked like one big guy driving with both arms out the window.”

For many years, Walt and Larry owned their own restaurant downtown. At 208 Main Street, in a building that Larry said was rented out to various businesses over the years, the local Bandito Burrito attracted multitudes of hungry patrons for nearly 15 years before closing at the end of 2014. Other locations still exist in the county, but each Bandito has its own special flair that separates it from the rest. Old Black Bear’s popular taproom and dining area fills the old Madison location today.

When Larry served as city attorney, Madison had a population of about 5,000 people. Today, the population is nearing 50,000 and is projected to keep increasing, spelling a need for careful planning for both the city and its school system. Walt expressed a strong sense of faith in the future 18

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development of the city, and both he and Larry noted the plentiful conveniences residents are able to enjoy today that was brought about by growth.

“Madison grew up on us,” Walt said. “It was bound to happen when Huntsville grew into the mountain and there was open land out here. Development was easier, so it was coming this way … I’ve got conveniences here that weren’t here when we were growing up and when both of us had young families.”

Walt also said he appreciates the variety of restaurants Madison residents can enjoy today.

Though they no longer have Bandito Burrito to tend to, the brothers still spend their time investing in the continued development of downtown Madison, often working out of the building that used to house their grandfather’s drugstore. Some of this work includes renovating and restoring some of the older properties they own to prepare them for new life. “We’ll spend the rest of our working time developing the rest of downtown and trying to turn this into a viable area,” Walt said.

“I’d love to see it busy like it was before,” Larry added.

“That’s what I’m working toward. It will never be a mercantile area like it was, but our vision for it is to be a food and entertainment area.”

Both Larry and Walt said the City of Madison has done an excellent job in its efforts to make the area more pedestrian-friendly and in its partnership with business owners in both the preservation of the historic district and the development of some of the old, vacant properties. In 2018 the city also made extensive improvements to the Martin Street area, just south of Main Street. Walt expressed an appreciation for both the city and business owners “doing their part” to transform the downtown area into a hub of activity once again.

“It’s slow-going – that’s all right – (but) it’s moving,” he said. “It’s going to happen, and it’s going to be a really exciting area down here as it continues to grow. I’m pleased to be part of it.”

FROM MISSION CONTROL TO THE ARCHIVES: JOHN RANKIN’S HISTORIC LIFE WRITTEN BY DYLAN SCHRADER PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOSHUA BERRY

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After John Rankin retired in 1996, he dedicated his life to documenting and preserving history.

He has spent the past few years digitizing historical archives at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and the downtown Huntsville Library, and he estimates he has written all or parts of 17 different

John Rankin has a storied career as an engineer for decades and now a local historian.

historical-themed books, including the Madison entry in the “Images of America” series.

These, however, are not the only ways he has left his mark on history.

Rankin worked for most of his life as an electrical engineer, a career that took him all over the country – from Ames Research Center in

Mountain View, California, to Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and finally to Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. He worked on projects ranging from rockets to wind turbines, from the BART public train system in the San Francisco Bay Area to the International Space Station.

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“It’s a strange and weird career,” Rankin said about his time as an engineer. “There’s constant interruption, and you can’t make long-term plans. I traveled 80 percent of my time for 20 or 30 years.”

One highlight of Rankin’s career is having worked on every Apollo mission. His work brought him into contact with well-known figures of the Apollo program, like Dieter Grau. “I never ever asked for anybody’s autograph or vice versa,” Rankin said. “We all just worked together and had mutual interests in making the projects successful and safe. My kids grew up among astronauts’ kids. We were just neighbors.”

Rankin was in mission control on many of the Apollo missions, and that sometimes makes it difficult for him to appreciate popular culture representations of Apollo, like “Apollo 13.”

“It took until about two to three years ago for me to break down and watch ‘Apollo 13,’” Rankin said. “I could not look at it before. I had been in mission control on three different missions on Apollo, including that one.

“I don’t think anything in my life was more intense than worrying about them getting back home alive,” Rankin added. “We could hardly breathe, much less go home and eat and sleep.

Until we had them back on earth safely, we were giving it our all. So I just couldn’t watch a movie that made me relive that intensity.”

Rankin started researching history before he retired when he met Percy Keel, a postal worker, history buff and the first president of the Madison Station Historical Society. “He was about 10-20 years older than me, but I became his understudy,” Rankin said. “He 20

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had been a postman in this area most of his life, so he had worked all the routes around Madison. He knew where all the cemeteries were and all the old people. He would take me around, and we’d have conversations with the old people. I bought a little recorder and started recording them.” Rankin started an oral history series out of those recordings, and he only stopped because he lent his friend his recorder, and he never returned it.

Rankin said he was surprised at what people did not know about local history. Two of his favorite questions to ask during interviews were if they had ever heard of any murders happening in Madison, and if they knew of any famous people from the area.

All of them said no, and they were wrong on both counts.

“People always trusted their parents and grandparents told them everything they needed to know,” Rankin added, “and nobody could remember beyond that. History is fascinating. You hear about all these things that people alive today don’t have any idea about even though they’ve lived here all their lives, and I just got here.”

In 2007 Rankin started writing a series of articles for the Huntsville Times called “Vintage Vignettes.” Each vignette is about a historic family of Madison. The series ran for five years, until Rankin stopped writing them out of solidarity with the Huntsville Times staff writers when they were being laid off.

Rankin has also written, or collaborated in the writing of, several historical books. He has worked on the book committees for five northern Alabama counties: Madison, Marshall,

Rankin said he estimates he has more than two terabytes of historical information on his computer, mostly about Madison. He is pictured here studying old newspaper clippings.

Limestone, Lawrence and Morgan. He has taught genealogical research at the Huntsville Public Library, and he has edited five books and two movie scripts. “Whenever people ask me, I try to help,” Rankin said.

Rankin said he estimates he has more than two terabytes of historical information on his computer, mostly about Madison. He talks about his work in a casual tone that doesn’t quite let on the amount of time and effort he has put into his projects – “It’s not a bad hobby. It keeps me from fishing.”

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Madison

THEN...

In the 1990s, this strip of offices on Church Street was built to accommodate small businesses that opened due to Madison’s unprecedented population increase.

Hoyt Shelton worked as Madison’s barber for decades. Shelton’s Barber Shop was a popular gathering spot for the town’s men.

Burton’s Drug Store, Madison’s first pharmacy, opened in 1871 on Main Street.

Madison Gazebo on Front Street is reminiscent of a much slower, simple lifestyle in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

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J. M. Burton, from left, S. I. Hager, Mrs. S. I. Hager and Harvey Anderson stand at the entrance to Bank of Madison.

In earlier decades, Madison’s youngsters enjoyed trips downtown for a cool soft drink or ice cream cone from True’s Food Store.

...AND NOW

These Church Street businesses include a barber shop, hair salon, knitting supply store and insurance office.

Opie Balch Realty occupies the storefront at 106 Main Street where Shelton’s Barber Shop formerly was located.

Noble Passage Interiors at 204 and 202 Main Street is a full-service interior design shop that sells custom upholstery, window coverings, art, rugs, furniture, antiques and accessories, along with apparel and jewelry pieces.

The restored facade of Humphrey-Hughes Drug Company adds a nostalgic air to the downtown vibe.

Madison Gazebo was built in 1992 as a joint effort between Madison Street Festival and the City of Madison.

Old Black Bear Brewing Company at 212 Main Street offers an extensive line of craft beer, scrumptious meals and entertainment from live bands, weather permitting.

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REDSTONE ARSENAL MAKES ITS MARK WRITTEN BY BOB LABBE PHOTOGRAPHS CONTRIBUTED

R

U.S. Army Aviation and Missle Command at Redstone Arsenal.

Redstone Arsenal is home to a workforce of 43,000 – including active duty military, government-employed civilians and contractors – and is regarded as one of the most important facilities to the United States military, defense, other government agencies and NASA. According to studied profiles, the facility has an economic impact of more than $10 billion.

Originally inhabited by numerous American Indian tribes before being settled by Anglo farmers, the land became Redstone Arsenal in 1941 when the U.S. War Department purchased the land for development of manufactured chemicals

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during World War II. A plat map showed numerous owners of the land, including sharecroppers as well as small communities, such as Mullins Flat.

In May 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt issued a proclamation for the state of unlimited emergency as global tensions were escalating.

The Huntsville area was targeted as the location for a chemical shell assembly plant. The original locale of the new work was south of the Tennessee River, but this was rejected because a Corps of Engineers study indicated extensive land leveling and expensive prep work would be required. Instead, the Army chose

the current location in the southwestern sector of Huntsville.

Contracts were quickly signed to purchase the necessary land from the array of landowners. The initial tract was 160 acres, and the occupants of the acquired land were moved to other locations in the area. The old town of Huntsville, which was incorporated in 1811 and was actually Alabama’s first state capital, soon transformed into a bustling area of jobs and upgraded facilities.

The first civil service employees were hired for the new site in July 1941. They were a janitor, secretary and mail clerk.

“At one time what was known as Huntsville Arsenal was actually put up for sale, as the end of WWII brought a sort of standstill of any military production at the facility,” said retired Redstone chief historian Mike Baker.

“The government had no idea what would become of the facility and the land it occupied.”

In 1948 Maj. Gen. Holger N. Toftoy was transferred to the Huntsville area when the U.S. Army decided to consolidate its rocket and guided missile missions. Toftoy helped the government in its decision to relocate Dr. Wernher von Braun and his rocket team from Fort Bliss to Redstone Arsenal to make the locale the center of Army missile and rocket programs.

For much of the 1950 decade, scientists and notable technicians made Redstone Arsenal the hub of numerous missile programs, such as the Hercules, Jupiter, Hawk, Pershing and Redstone.

The mixture of the work in missile development and space exploration added to Redstone Arsenal’s importance.

“Huntsville began to grow due to the foundation laid in that decision, which soon led to the Army’s far-reaching way into space and the different missile programs,” said Baker. “All of that early work and decision-making opened the doors in so many ways and areas, including the offshoot that led to the formation of NASA.” Once the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s formation was announced in 1958, the workforce shifted to NASA, and officials soon erected Marshall Space Flight Center on much of the western side of the government land. With the incredible future NASA would soon build in the

Huntsville facility, the Army stood firm and remained on the land for numerous purposes, including the training of service members on the maintenance and operational works of advanced weapon systems. The defense portion of the U.S. government continued to increase through the years, and Redstone Arsenal today includes programs of the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Surrounding land incorporated by the City of Huntsville is home to many companies contracted by the government to provide specialized expertise for Arsenal projects and missions.

The move to combine the Huntsville and Redstone Arsenals paved the way for what is known today as home to one of the most important military installations in the world. The strong efforts of both Toftoy and Maj. Gen. John Medaris in those early years made a huge difference in what would come from the facility in later years.

If the Army had vacated the facility in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Redstone Arsenal would likely have become something of a “ghost town.”

Instead, the Huntsville area has experienced the growth of the Army, to NASA, to major defense operations on Redstone Arsenal.

In the 1960s, upon the major growth of the space program and the dedication to putting a man on the moon before the end of the decade, rocket-motor test stands were built on the facility. Day or night, the stands would roar from the rockets being tested to help the moon flight agenda. The Saturn V rocket that carried the first men to the moon in 1969 was based at those stands.

Redstone Arsenal groundbreaking in October 1941.

Redstone Arsenal workers during WWII.

Redstone Arsenal workers during WWII.

Two men lower the American flag at the arsenal headquarters in the 1940s.

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An aerial view of the arsenal.

During testing, surrounding communities could feel the power unleashed by the world’s most powerful rocket, hearing the roar and feeling the vibrations. Citzens filed hundreds of reports of damage to nearby properties, but the work continued – and would soon define the Huntsville community.

Monuments to those greatly responsible for Redstone Arsenal’s place in history include a plaque that stands in downtown Huntsville at Big Spring Park for Toftoy. The historical marker reads, “He will forever be enshrined in the hearts of local people as ‘Mr. Missile.’”

The United States and other countries across the world look to Redstone Arsenal and the diverse work researched and implemented on the installation to ensure their safety and defense against the enemy.

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The Huntsville Times announces an addition to Redstone Arsenal in November 1949.

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