Transportation in Alabama
Alabama’s history and development are in large part a result of the evolution of transportation in the state.
With its hundreds of miles of rivers and streams, water transport was the most significant means of travel
during the territorial period and early statehood. Railroad construction began in 1832, and by the mid-nineteenth century,
rail travel and transport had changed the face of Alabama’s economy and cultural landscape, spurring civic, agricultural,
and industrial development. Modern road construction and the rise of military and civil aviation brought more
commerce and people to the state in the twentieth century industry, and Alabama’s aerospace industry helped
humankind reach outer space and land on the Moon.
Aerospace Industry http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1802
Aerospace is one of the largest industrial groups in Alabama and, along with the automotive and biotechnology…
Alabama Coastal Birding Trail http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1164
Every autumn, millions of birds leave North America and cross the Gulf of Mexico to spend the winter…
Alabama Railroads http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-2390
The history of Alabama and the development of its railroads are deeply intertwined. Beginning with the…
Alabama Scenic River Trail (ASRT) http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-3029
The Alabama Scenic River Trail (ASRT) is the longest recreational water trail in any single state in…
Bernard Romans http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1074
Surveyor, artist, naturalist, and author Bernard Romans (ca. 1720-ca. 1783) recorded Alabama’s coastline…
Canoeing and Kayaking in Alabama http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1457
Alabama’s numerous and varied waterways offer canoeists and kayakers of all skill levels opportunities…
Federal Road in Alabama http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-2999
Originally designated as a postal route through the Indian frontier, the Federal Road, which stretched…
Fort Rucker http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-2165
Fort Rucker, a 64,000-acre base in Coffee and Dale counties, is Alabama’s largest military installation…
Gandy Dancer Work Song Tradition http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1220
“Gandy dancers” was a nickname for railroad section gangs in the days before modern mechanized track…
Guntersville Dam and Lake http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-2621
Guntersville Dam, one of three hydroelectric dams on the Tennessee River in north Alabama, is located…
Historic Chattahoochee Commission (HCC) http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1492
The Historic Chattahoochee Commission (HCC), headquartered in Eufaula, was a joint effort between the…
Historic Origins of Alabama’s Boundaries http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1602
Alabama’s complex boundaries reflect the rich history of the state. Diverse events from 1663 to…
Horace King http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1245
Horace King (1807-1885) was the most respected bridge-builder in Alabama, Georgia, and northeastern Mississippi…
Horses in Alabama http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1733
Horses were an essential part of the early settlement of Alabama, providing labor, transportation, and…
John Hollis Bankhead http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1495
In addition to serving as a soldier, a state legislator, and a prison warden, John Hollis Bankhead (1842-1920)…
Jupiter C http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-3173
The Jupiter C was a liquid-fuel rocket developed by the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) in Huntsville…
Lake Martin and Thomas Wesley Martin Dam http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1190
Created by the construction of the Thomas Wesley Martin Dam, Lake Martin (not to be confused with Logan…
Lay Dam and Lake http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1904
Lay Dam, located in Chilton and Coosa counties near the town of Clanton, was the first hydroelectric…
Lewis Smith Dam and Lake http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1888
Lewis Smith Lake was created in 1961 by the Alabama Power Company as a result of the company’s construction…
Marshall Space Flight Center http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1047
George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has been the heart of the U.S. space program since its…
Maxwell Air Force Base and Gunter Annex http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1337
Since its founding in 1918, Maxwell Air Force Base has evolved into one of the most unique military bases…
Mitchell Dam and Lake http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-2026
Mitchell Lake and Dam are located in Coosa and Chilton counties on the Coosa River. The dam was constructed…
Mules http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1851
For much of its history, Alabama was mainly an agricultural state where many farm tasks were powered…
Natchez Trace http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-2037
The Natchez Trace is a prehistoric route that extended 440 miles from Nashville, Tennessee, through Alabama…
North Alabama Birding Trail http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-2398
The North Alabama Birding Trail (NABT) is not an actual physical trail; rather it is made up of 50 individual…
River Systems and Watersheds of Alabama http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1627
Alabama’s river drainages and abundant water resources are one of the state’s most distinctive…
Southern Literary Trail http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-3380
The Southern Literary Trail is the only tri-state literary trail in the United States, organized by collaborators…
Southern Museum of Flight http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1501
The Southern Museum of Flight, located in Birmingham, is the Southeast’s largest civilian aviation …
Steamboats in Alabama http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1803
Because its entry into the Union coincided with the beginning of the steam era and a period of rapid …
Tennessee Valley Authority in Alabama (TVA) http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-2380
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is the nation’s largest public power company and a world-renowned…
Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-2365
The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway is a 234-mile system of canals, locks, and dams that connect the Tennessee…
U.S. Space & Rocket Center http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1570
The U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville serves as the state’s museum and archive dedicated…
Weiss Dam and Lake http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-2019
Weiss Dam, near Leesburg in Cherokee County, was the first dam built as part of an Alabama Power Company…
Wilson Dam and Reservoir http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-3268
Wilson Dam, located on the Tennessee River between Colbert and Lauderdale counties near Muscle Shoals,…
Wright Brothers Flying School http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1364
In the spring of 1910, aviation pioneers Wilbur and Orville Wright opened the nation’s first civilian…
Source: http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/s-143
Author: Kirill Shrayber, Ph.D.