Red Bay in Franklin County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

Pride in Our Past, Faith in Our Future

Photographed by David J Gaines, February 28, 2011

1. Pride in Our Past, Faith in Our Future Marker - Side A

Inscription.
Side A
Red Bay is nestled in the northwest corner of the state in Franklin County. The oak trees, planted by the Garden Club in 1937, issue a Main Street welcome through the “tunnel of trees.” Originally inhabited by Chickasaw Indians in what was then part of the Mississippi Territory. Red Bay became home to settlers when the Illinois Central Railroad came through the area. Named for the rich red clay and abundance of bay trees, Red Bay officially became incorporated on July 17, 1907. The following year ushered in the first banking institution and businesses opened to serve this farming and lumber community at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Citizens worshipped in a brush arbor which became the site of the first school. Historic preservation and progressive leadership are reflective of the town’s spirit. Many ancestors of Red Bay’s founding fathers still reside in this thriving city with several home-grown industries including two Fortune 500 Companies.

Side B
The Red Bay Museum, Arts & Entertainment Center, Bay Tree Council for the Performing Arts, Cypress Cove Farm, and a school, hospital, churches, library, newspaper, radio/television, civic organizations and golf course blend past with present in providing an enhanced quality of life. Bear Creek Lakes, surrounding the place Native

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Americans once called home, are popular recreational areas. Holding sentinel to the north are Freedom Hills, fertile with folklore and lush southern forest. In 2007, Red Bay began its Centennial Celebration underneath a canopy of radiant crepe myrtles with the official proclamation during High Noon in the Park. The story unfolded through mini-celebrations, Founders Fest, and the Big Picnic 100th Birthday Party. A time capsule placed in Bay Tree Park and containing artifacts from the year of remembering, will be exhumed in 2058.

Erected 2010 by Alabama Tourism Department and the City of Red Bay.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Places. In addition, it is included in the Alabama Tourism Department, and the Time Capsules series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is July 1872.

Location. 34° 26.439′ N, 88° 8.557′ W. Marker is in Red Bay, Alabama, in Franklin County. It is on 4th Avenue SE, on the left when traveling west. Between 2nd and 3rd Streets. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Red Bay AL 35582, 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 territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Red Bay Ice and Gin Company (within shouting distance of this marker); Yarber Grist Mill (within shouting distance of this marker); Bay Theater

Pride in Our Past, Faith in Our Future Marker - Side B image. Click for full size.

Photographed by David J Gaines, February 28, 2011

2. Pride in Our Past, Faith in Our Future Marker - Side B

(within shouting distance of this marker); The Calaboose (within shouting distance of this marker); Red Bay School (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Red Bay Depot & Hotel (about 800 feet away); Mac McAnally (approx. 6.2 miles away in Mississippi); Carl Atwood Elliott (approx. 6.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Red Bay.