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Maj. John Pelham Statue

THE HISTORY ROOM IS OPEN BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

FROM 9AM TO 5PM TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

APPOINTMENTS MUST BE SET UP WITH THE LIBRARY

AT LEAST 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE SO STAFF MAY BE RESCHEDULED.

Take a look at our
HISTORY ROOM PHOTO ALBUM!
 
 
 
Alabama Virtual Library

City of Jacksonville


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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 on microfilm!  This is in addition to our hard copies from the last few years. 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.
**Some Peham materials are stored off site and permission to view and/or copy certian materials, like photographs, must be obtained by the John Pelham Historical Association.  

The History Room photo archives have gone digital!
We have added digital copies of  some of the identified 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 see if a photo on a specific person, place or event is availalbe or follow these directions for a complete listing:
  1. From the Catalog, click on Power Search -- located below the serach box
  2. On the left side of the screen look for the heading called 'TYPE' and click on the box next to it that says 'Any' to make a selection
  3. Choose 'History Room Photos' from the drop down menu
  4. Click' Search' without any other changes and you will now have a list of the photos that are available online.
  5. Click on the 'Details' button on the left of the title and choose 'Catalog Record' to see all the information available for the photo
  6. To see the actual photo, click on the link next to the last haeding called 'Electronic Access' -- or before you click 'Details' you can click on the icon that looks like a chain on the right side of each listing.
All information about the photos is accurate, to the best of our knowledge.
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

 

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