The Semmes Heritage Park
  • Mission
  • History
  • Blog
  • Contact

Announcement

6/18/2019

0 Comments

 
​Great News!
Alumni & Friends of Semmes School, Inc. /aka Semmes Heritage Park is in the process of revising and updating the original Scrapbook of Memories that was published in the fall of 1996, now out of print.

The goal is to have the new book, Semmes Scrapbook of Memories 2019 Legacy for the Future published and ready for sale by December, 2019. Great Christmas Present!

This new book contains stories from the Past of Semmes, those now in the present, and gives a glimpse into the future. Just imagine what you see today, will become tomorrow’s history!

Thank You to those who have been willing to share stories, and donate items making it possible for museum displays and our archives to continue to grow for future generations.

New Members are welcome!  Check out our Face book page-Semmes Heritage Park.  Just a reminder, we are all volunteers!
 
This is the new book cover that was created by
  Dr. Philippe Oszuscik
Picture
0 Comments

Rusty Glover-People of Semmes

6/18/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Rusty Glover-Teacher-Leader- Senator, Legislator

Rusty (Benjamin Nash Glover III) was born April 17, 1966 in Mobile.  He graduated from B.C. Rain High School.  He attended Faulkner State Community College and The University of South Alabama earning a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education, M.A. in History and a M. Ed. in Secondary Education.
He is a retired high school teacher, having taught history for twenty five years at Mary G. Montgomery High School located in Semmes.  
He has written a book, “A Treasure Chest of Hidden History.”  This book was born out of the love of history and the desire to ignite curiosity and a love of history in his students. The book is a collection of, “Fun Facts and Serious Episodes That You May Have Missed In Your American History Class.” The presentation style is unique in that after each entry, credit is given to the source making it possible for the reader to do further research.  It truly is a treasure that will peak your interest in history. 
Here is just one of those tidbits: The world’s first completely electric streetcar was running the streets of Montgomery in 1886.
Salmond, John A., The Conscience of a lawyer: Clifford J. Durr and American Civil Liberties, 1899-1975. Tuscaloosa: The University of Alabama Press, 1990, p5.
Political  Experience
  • Alabama State House of Representatives from 2002-2006,
  • Alabama State Senate, District 34, 2006-2018
  • Candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Alabama 2018
Organizational Memberships
  • Member of MARC,
  • Gideons International
  • Alabama Eagle Forum,
  • Alabama Republican Assembly
  • Christian Educators of America
  •  Mobile County Republican Century Club
  • National Rifle Association
  • National Right to Life
  • University of South Alabama Alumni Association
  • Wilmer Baptist Church.
Rusty lives in Semmes.  He is married to Connie Lawshe Glover. They have two daughters Kellie and Katie, one son-in law John McGraw, and Grandson Beau Monroe McGraw. 

A man of Character committed to promoting family values, education, and freedom for the betterment of all.
0 Comments

Semmes honor park

6/17/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
The first City of Semmes Park, Semmes Honor Park, is a park to honor all veterans, was founded under the leadership of Mayor Judy Hale.  Mayor Hale was the first mayor of the City of Semmes.

The beautiful landscaped Park is located south of Moffett Road at 4100 Wulff Road East, in the heart of Semmes. The park has an Amphitheater that is used for memorial services and other community activities.  Comfortable benches provide a peaceful quiet place to sit and reflect upon the great freedoms we enjoy.

American Patriotism has always been an important part of life in Semmes. There are numerous active and retired military that call Semmes home.  Mary G. Montgomery High School has an excellent ROTC program.


Listed below is a small representation of the many veterans that have served beginning in the War of 1812.

War of 1812 -Indian Creek War in Florida
Samuel Vickers was born in 1792 and lived in the Lott Road and McCrary Rd. vicinity near Box Road and fought in the Indian Creek War in Florida, and the War of 1812.

American Civil War

Perry W. Allen joined Company 1, 21st Alabama Volunteers and was in the Battle of Corinth and Farmington, the Siege of Fort Morgan. He was taken prisoner and sent to New Orleans for two months when he was transferred to Elmira Prison for 9 months. He was paroled June 15, 1865 returning to Semmes (Albritton Precinct) and marrying Tempy Malinda Pierce on December 7, 1865. He died in Semmes on January 10, 1911 and was buried in his Confederate Gray to honor his old comrades in Allentown Cemetery.

World War I

Harry Felton Poole
John A. Lowery (Killed in Action)
Clarence Hartsock-(Wounded)
Dr. Leonard T. Lane-Army Medical Corp.
Dual R. Tanner

World War II

Pollard Family -Five Sons
Air Force- James (Jack) Pollard
Army- Posey (Pete)
Navy-Hiram Pollard, Edward Pollard, Thad Pollard

Dodd Family-Five Sons
Air Force-Steve Dodd
Army- Bill Dodd, John Dodd
Navy-Paul Dodd
Marines-Joe Dodd
 
 
Sources
Scrapbook of Memories, 1996
Betsy Dodd-Dodd Family Nursery History
 
 
 
 
 
 

0 Comments

Plantsman of Semmes

6/4/2019

0 Comments

 
Tom Dodd Jr.  May 4, 1915-May 7, 2009​
Picture
       
    Tom Dodd Jr. is known worldwide for his many contributions to the Nursery Industry.  He developed new propagation methods and introduced new plants into the trade. Many of the plants commonly used in southern landscapes originated through the careful research and development by Tom.

      He was especially fond of plants that were native to the southeast. However, Tom took many trips all over the world to other climates similar to the southeast in order to introduce something special to the industry. Many times the research plants would end up in the homes of friends, pastors or coaches homes all around the region.
     A trip to Auburn University will reveal hundreds, if not thousands of plants all around the campus given to them by Tom Dodd Nurseries. Over the years the nursery generously donated countless plants to universities, schools, churches and gardens all over the United States. A great legacy of Tom Dodd Nursery is all the beautiful plants that were grown in Semmes and donated or sold far and wide.
     Numerous honors have been bestowed on Tom Dodd, Jr. Among these are the Jackson Dawson Medal from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, the Garden Club of America Medal of Honor, He was an Honorary Fellow of Mobile College, Received the D. Todd Gresham Award of the American Magnolia Society, and is in the American Nurserymen Hall of Fame.  
​      He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Auburn University.  During  World War II five of his brothers were serving in the military and he was  needed at home to work on the family nursery.
       Another interesting story about his college education concerns that his first year of college was at Spring Hill College. Money was short, but the family being farmers had made plenty of cane syrup so he asked could he trade buckets of syrup for his tuition and so he did. 
       Tom Dodd nursery has been operated by four generations of the Dodd family until it was sold in 2004 to Jack/John Williams who kept the family name.
 
Elizabeth Betsy Dodd- Daughter,
Auburn University College of Agriculture Directory
 

 



0 Comments

Zero G Flight-People of Semmes

6/2/2019

0 Comments

 
        Floating around in 1966 Raymond Byrd, a 1959 Semmes High School Graduate experiences weightless flight in a  Zero-G flight, a parabolic flight experiment.
       In 1961 the President of the United States, John F.  Kennedy announced the goal to be the first  nation to land a man on the moon and bring him safely home.  The Space Race was on.  Much research and development  had to take place to accomplish this goal.
       The Naval Aerospace Medical Institute (NAMI) in Pensacola Florida was doing  research under the direction of  Dr. Ashton Graybiel.  Studies on the effects of weightlessness and acceleration on human balance, spatial orientation, physiology and performance helped prepare America's astronauts for manned space flights.
        Raymond became a research team  member under the team leader of Dr. Earl F. Miller II, Team leader of the Physiological Optics Branch, in 1966 through 1972 participating with  parabolic flight experiments to create short periods of weightlessness. 
        Apollo 11 Astronauts, and many others; Such as Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and Michael Collins   participated in these research projects in Pensacola prior to spaceflight.

 
Picture

                                          Raymond Byrd

0 Comments

    Semmes​

    Preserving  our History
     Looking to the Future
    ​Jeanette Lyles Byrd

    ​Be sure to check out the archives!

    Picture

    Archives

    January 2023
    November 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Mission
  • History
  • Blog
  • Contact