Saturday, June 30, 2007

Decatur AL


This week took my on an over night trip to final a new CVS in Moulton AL.
I stayed at the Decatur AL Holiday Inn with a wonderful view of the Tennessee River!
Nestled in the Tennessee River Valley, the city of Decatur boasts a rich and colorful history. Originally a river crossing for settlers west of the Appalachian Mountains, the town became known as Decatur on June 16, 1820. A few years later, in 1826, the Alabama Legislature incorporated the City of Decatur. Settlers were drawn to the community at this time by its fertile river valley soil and relatively easy river access to other cities.
The Civil War brought with it a host of changes to the city. Because of its railroad, Decatur was of strategic importance during the war and therefore changed hands several times as the opposing armies struggled to control the all-important railroad. By the war's end the city had suffered complete devastation, with all but three buildings burned to the ground.
During the early 1900's Decatur was a major city in Alabama, with a population between 7,000 and 8,000. At this time, many new homes were constructed and civic improvements were made as the city focused on providing a superior quality of life for its citizens. In 1919 a livery stable was renovated to become the Princess Theater and in 1929 Decatur's first traffic lights were installed. Downtown Decatur was the place to be on weekend evenings, with movies, ice cream parlors, and live theater and musical performances all providing a social outlet.

2 comments:

Shelley said...

What a nice post. I live in Decatur & it's nice to hear that visitors love it as well as I do. Thanks!

Shelley C

Ralph Sarc said...

You are very welcome. I was there again last week and stayed at the Holiday Inn on the river. It is a great town.

Ralph.