Jacksonville Public Library History Room

Maj. John Pelham Statue

Take a look at our HISTORY ROOM PHOTO ALBUM!
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The Jacksonville Public Library History Room contains books by Alabama authors, books about Jacksonville and surrounding areas and its residents, books about Alabama, historical items on loan from the Gen. John H. Forney Chapter of the UDC, local clubs' yearly scrapbooks, Jacksonville State University annuals, and a vertical file of local families and history. We now have The Jacksonville News from November 1936 to 1988 on microfilm! This is in addition to our hard copies from the 1990s. Or if you need a more recent article you can check out The Jacksonville News website. Their online archives span from fall 1998 to the present.

The Jacksonville Public Library is especially proud to house the Pelham Papers, a collection of original documents and research material (books, pamphlets, and periodical photocopies) focusing on the life and career of Major John Pelham and provided by the John Pelham Historical Association. Pelham was born and lived in Jacksonville before gaining fame as "The Gallant Pelham" in the War between the States. His grave marker is a prominent feature in the Jacksonville City Cemetery.

The History Room photo archives have gone digital. We have added digital copies of historical photos to our catalog and now you can view the photos at home. You can find the information on our catalog in two ways. You can do a simple word or phrase search to look for specific information or follow these directions for a complete listing:

From the Catalog, click on Power Search
Next to 'TYPE' choose 'History Room Photos' from the drop down menu
Click Search without entering search terms

Once you have found a Digital photo that you would like to see, click on Details to see the full record. You can click on the icon next to "A look inside" or click on "Catalog Record" and click on the link next to electronic access to view the photo. All information about the photos is accurate, to the best of our knowledge.

NOTE: The History Room is open by appointment only. In addition, some of the Pelham materials are stored off the premises. To avoid disappointment, visitors who wish to research or browse History Room materials will need to set up an appointment with the staff in advance. Appointments MUST be made at least 24 hours in advance; appointments are available from 9am to 5pm Tuesday through Friday.

Almost 100 years after the original dedication of the monument to

Lt. Col. John Pelham, it was rededicated at 2pm on

October 8, 2005. The marble statue, which was purchased

with money raised by the

Gen. John Forney chapter of the UDC, was originally dedicated on October 10, 1905. Many people came to the City Cemetery to

pay tribute, including members

of the John Pelham Historical Association, the UDC, and representatives from the city. At the conclusion of the ceremony, a cannon salute was fired by a Civil War re-enactment group from Alexandria, AL.

Click on photo to enlarge.

At the ceremony, president of the JPHA, Brett Bradshaw (far left) stands with Randolph Pelham Pickell (middle), a descendant of William Pelham (John's brother), Leon Vaupel (far right), a JPHA officer, and others who attended the ceremony.

photo courtesy of Brett Bradshaw