The Vagabond

By Danny Crownover Back in the old days, hundreds of horses and mules were sold in downtown Gadsden by auction. Most of the animals were driven through...

By Danny Crownover One of the most welcome new items ever printed by a local newspaper was the official prediction the Alabama Steel & Wire Company,...

By Danny Crownover Etowah County’s first courthouse in 1870 was a small red brick building of colonial design featuring four immense white pillars in...

By Danny Crownover In 1900, there was a local story about the famous belled buzzard that attracted attention in every section of the South. J.M. (Billy)...

By Danny Crownover The Etowah Rifles volunteer military unit was mustered into service on July 4, 1883, with Judge John Harold Disque as captain. Members...

By Danny Crownover Having recently read The Vagabond’s account concerning the burning of the Dwight Inn in Alabama City back in 1900, many readers wished...

By Danny Crownover While driving through this area recently, The Vagabond was struck by the fact that so few crows were to be seen anywhere. In the good...

By Danny Crownover On September 1, 1900, the only hotel until recent times to be built in Alabama City, the Dwight Inn, caught fire at 1 a.m. in the morning,...

By Danny Crownover In May of 1900, the City of Gadsden did itself proud by hosting the annual convention of the volunteer firemen from Georgia and Alabama....

By Danny Crownover In 1902, John L. Burnett introduced a bill in the U.S. Congress which, if passed, would authorize R.R. Ashbury and Associates to use...