The Guntersville Democrat was not the first newspaper to be published in Marshall County, but is the one most complete from the 19th Century. It was first published in October of 1880 by a Gadsden newspaperman, William M. Meeks. Over the years, it chronicled much of the early history of Marshall County. This second book in the series attempts to capture mentions of births, marriages, deaths and obituaries It also reproduces items of interest and importance in the development of the county--all with a full name index. In this volume you can find the complete "Sword of Bushwhacker Johnston" by Rev. M.E. Johnston-- a thrilling first person account of the actions of guerrilla fighters operating in the Tennessee Valley during the Civil War. Also O.D. Street's account of the first 100 years of Marshall County's existence-and much more. The early history of Marshall County is written on the pages of its newspapers. This book will be valuable to any student of the history and genealogy of Marshall County.

"After careful study of all sources for two years, the authors are of the opinion that [their Kennamer] forefathers were of High Dutch descent and lived in Holland near where that State borders with present-day Germany. ... They came to this country before the Revolutionary War and settled in the Carolinas."--Page 13. Some later went to Alabama. "Hans Kennamer, with a large family, and his eldest son, Jacob, who was married, came to the Cove and settled among the Indians in 1798, or not later than 1805. This place is now know as Kennamer Cove. ... The records of Madison County, Alabama, show that Samuel, Stephen and Jacob Kennamer bought land in that county in 1809. ... It is a well-known fact that the sons of Hans Kennamer settled ... in the western part of Jackson County, the eastern part of Madison County, and the northern part of Marshall County. David and Abram resided in Madison County, while John Kennamer lived at the place wher Paint Rock, Alabama, now is. ... Hans Kennamer died and was buried in Pisgah Cemetery, in Kennamer Cove, Alabama."--Page 14-15. Nothing is know of his wife. Son Jacob Kennemer (ca. 1776-1856) " ... moved from Alabama to Giles County, Tennessee where he acquired ... land of Sugar Creek. ... He was married twice, but the names of his wives could not be ascertained. He was buried on Anderson Creek, in Lauderdale County, Alabama, near Foster's Mill."--P. 17-18. Also includes Kennamer, Kennemore, Canamore, Kennemur, Kennemer, Kenimer families of Georgia. Descendants and relatives lived in Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, California, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Missouri, Iowa, Georgia and elsewhere

Richard Drake has skillfully woven together the various strands of the Appalachian experience into a sweeping whole. Touching upon folk traditions, health care, the environment, higher education, the role of blacks and women, and much more, Drake offers a compelling social history of a unique American region. The Appalachian region, extending from Alabama in the South up to the Allegheny highlands of Pennsylvania, has historically been characterized by its largely rural populations, rich natural resources that have fueled industry in other parts of the country, and the strong and wild, undeveloped land. The rugged geography of the region allowed Native American societies, especially the Cherokee, to flourish. Early white settlers tended to favor a self-sufficient approach to farming, contrary to the land grabbing and plantation building going on elsewhere in the South. The growth of a market economy and competition from other agricultural areas of the country sparked an economic decline of the region's rural population at least as early as 1830. The Civil War and the sometimes hostile legislation of Reconstruction made life even more difficult for rural Appalachians. Recent history of the region is marked by the corporate exploitation of resources. Regional oil, gas, and coal had attracted some industry even before the Civil War, but the postwar years saw an immense expansion of American industry, nearly all of which relied heavily on Appalachian fossil fuels, particularly coal. What was initially a boon to the region eventually brought financial disaster to many mountain people as unsafe working conditions and strip mining ravaged the land and its inhabitants. A History of Appalachia also examines pockets of urbanization in Appalachia. Chemical, textile, and other industries have encouraged the development of urban areas. At the same time, radio, television, and the internet provide residents direct links to cultures from all over the world. The author looks at the process of urbanization as it belies commonly held notions about the region's rural character.

Contains stories behind over 300 of the place names of Huntsville and Madison County, Alabama -- streets and roads, buildings, parks, mountains and streams, schools, and more. This edition of the book is specially issued in time for Alabama's bicentennial in 2019. From these stories, the 200-year history of the area emerges.