Heritage Forums at Landmark Park

(DOTHAN) If you have an interest in history, Landmark Park is the place to be each Sunday afternoon during the month of July. Our annual Heritage Forum series will feature guest speakers presenting programs on state and local history. The forums will be presented in the Interpretive Center Auditorium at 3 p.m. and are free with paid gate admission (adults, $4; kids, $3; members, free). Refreshments will follow each session. Sponsored by Wells Fargo. Continuing Education/ Professional Development credits will be granted.

July 8: Dothan’s Real Devil MakeS A Third Presented by Dr. Alan Belsches, professor of English at Troy University Dothan. Presentation on Douglas Field Bailey’s novel Devil Makes A Third, a 1948 fictional account of the founding of Dothan, featuring Bailey’s uncle Buck, one of Dothan’s early mayors and the man responsible for building the Dothan Opera House.

July 15: Exploring Big Mama Thornton: Blues Legend of the Wiregrass Presented by Ms. Queen Ali, student, and Dr. Jeneve Brooks professor of Sociology at Troy University Dothan. This presentation explores the unique contributions of Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton, the Ariton-born blues singer who first recorded “Hound Dog” (made famous by Elvis) and later wrote and recorded “Ball n’ Chain,” (popularized by Janis Joplin). It will include a discussion of Big Mama’s noted self-taught virtuosity on various instruments and will also feature performance video clips of this famous blues legend of the Wiregrass.

July 22: Confederate Alabama Women and Religion Presented by Dr. Jennifer Trevino, lecturer in History at Troy Montgomery. This presentation explores the Civil War lives of a group of literate Alabama women who developed a sense of Confederate identity that relied heavily upon antebellum ideals and religious beliefs, which in turn became a central element of their Confederate identity.

July 29: After Removal—The Creek Nation Today Presented by Mr. Walter Gowan. Gowan is a retired history teacher from Benjamin High School in Alexander City. He is a Creek descendent who has traced Creek history into Oklahoma and into the present day.

Landmark Park, home of the Alabama Agricultural Museum, is a 135-acre historical and natural science park located on U.S. Highway 431 North in Dothan, Ala. For more information, contact the park at 334-794-3452.