Near Attalla in Etowah County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
William Lewis Moore
(April 28, 1927 - April 23, 1963)
Photographed by Deborah Spencer, August 17, 2025
1. William Lewis Moore Marker
Inscription.
William Lewis Moore was a white postal worker raised by grandparents in rural Mississippi. He was a Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) member who staged lone protests against racial segregation. He was assassinated at this location during a 400-mile protest march from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Jackson, Mississippi, where he intended to deliver a letter to Governor Ross Barnett supporting civil rights. Five unsuccessful attempts to complete Moore's march were made by civil rights activists. Hundreds, including actress Madeleine Sherwood, were arrested near Gadsden, jailed, and sentenced to six months hard labor for "Endangering the Customs and Morals of the People of Alabama." The sentences were ultimately vacated. Folk singer Phil Ochs wrote a song in Moore's honor. President John F. Kennedy called Moore's murder an "outrageous crime" and Alabama Governor Wallace said it was a "dastardly act."
William Lewis Moore was a white postal worker raised by
grandparents in rural Mississippi. He was a Congress of Racial
Equality (CORE) member who staged lone protests against racial
segregation. He was assassinated at this location during a 400-mile
protest march from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Jackson,
Mississippi, where he intended to deliver a letter to Governor Ross
Barnett supporting civil rights. Five unsuccessful attempts to
complete Moore's march were made by civil rights activists. Hundreds,
including actress Madeleine Sherwood, were arrested near Gadsden,
jailed, and sentenced to six months hard labor for "Endangering the
Customs and Morals of the People of Alabama." The sentences were
ultimately vacated. Folk singer Phil Ochs wrote a song in Moore's honor.
President John F. Kennedy called Moore's murder an
"outrageous crime" and Alabama Governor Wallace said
it was a "dastardly act."
Erected 2019 by Alabama Historical Association and Etowah County Commission.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Civil Rights.
Location. 34° 8.66′ N, 85° 57.878′ W.
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Marker is near Attalla, Alabama, in Etowah County. It is on U.S. 11 0.2 miles north of Stephens Rd, on the right when traveling north. Located about a mile and half north of where US Highway 11 crosses under Interstate 59 about 1/2 from Attalla to Collinsville. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4455 AL-7, Attalla AL 35954, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in North Alabama. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Also see . . . William Lewis Moore. Wikipedia (Submitted on August 22, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 22, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 17, 2025, by Deborah Spencer of Huntsville, Alabama. This page has been viewed 271 times since then and 130 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on August 17, 2025, by Deborah Spencer of Huntsville, Alabama. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.
