Tom's Wall

We enjoyed a great night's sleep last night, probably due to passing into the Central Time Zone, and picking up an hour that we didn't know what to do with! This morning we decided to catch a few more things in the area, and the first was the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. This is devoted to those native Alabamans that have "made it" in the music industry, and also honors the producers and studios that make the music possible.

The two-track recording equipment is pretty primitive by today's standards!

SUN Records is arguably one of the most famous labels in the music industry.

Considered to be the first Rock and Roll album, "Rocket 88" by the Kings of Rhythm Band in 1951 is a genuine classic. BB King asked the band to come to Memphis for a recording session. Having only one car, they tied their equipment to the roof, where the amplifier promptly fell off, bursting it's speaker cone. Not being able to have it repaired in time for the session, they stuffed newspaper in the amplifier and went to work. With the guitar laying down a distorted, fuzzy boogie rhythm, a spectacular saxophone solo, and over-the-top piano playing, the song sounded like no other ever recorded and became a number one hit on the R and B charts in June, 1951. Accidents will happen!

The group Wee Willie had a logo that we liked. Formed in Memphis in the '60's, Wet Willie was a proponent of Southern Rock. One of their hits was "Grits ain't Groceries".

Jimmy Buffet was born in Pascagoula, Mississippi, but grew up in nearby Mobile, Alabama, so he's considered a "local boy"! This is his favorite jumpsuit, given to him by Red Adair, of oil well fire control fame.

Hank Williams is represented by one of his stage suits.

One of EmmyLou Harris' dresses:

And Alabama's tour bus:

Needing to have some lunch and regain a bit of perspective, we headed to downtown Tuscumbia for a look at the birthplace of one of the town's most famous residents, Helen Keller.

At this point, it was early afternoon, so we looked for something else to do. We're glad we did.

Few people have heard of Tom's Wall, but it is a memorial to a young Yuchi girl who was part of the Removal Act of the 1830's that moved Native Americans from the southeast to Oklahoma.  This teenage girl lived near the Singing (Tennessee) River. This young girl, along with her sister, were discovered by Army personnel and forced to walk to Oklahoma. She listened for singing waters in her new surroundings and found none. Convinced she would die if she stayed, she escaped and spent five years walking back to Alabama. The journey was extremely difficult, however she returned to her singing river.

In the 1980's, Tom Hendrix, her great great grandson, visited the Yuchi people and had her journals translated, and after hearing her stories decided to build a memorial to her. Over 35 years later, we had the pleasure to meet Tom Hendrix.

Now 87, Tom remembers the first stone he set in his awesome wall. When he started building the meandering wall on his property just off the Natchez Trace Parkway, he weighed his empty pickup down at the cotton gin, then went to the Singing River and loaded up a level load of stones. Re-weighing the truck he noted that he had 900 pounds of stones. He kept track of the trips over the years, and calculates that there is 8.5 million pounds of stone in the wall!

Millions of stones, each handled three times by Tom (at the river, when he unloaded the truck, and then again when he placed the stone on the wall) form the largest un-mortared rock wall in the United States and the largest memorial to a Native American woman. Each stone represents a single step of this girl's epic journey and is an emotional, inspiring tribute to one man's dedication to his ancestors.

Tom says he has worn out three pickups, twenty-two wheelbarrows, 2,700 pairs of gloves, three dogs, and himself!

The Wall of Grandmothers is formed from water-worn stones gathered from the area and contributed by Native Americans still living in Oklahoma. It represents the tremendous wisdom held by our Grandmothers.

Tom has created reflective nooks in his memorial, a place to contemplate on wisdom, dedication, gratitude, and heartbreak.

After lifting almost 27 million pounds of stones over 35 years, Tom can bask in the knowledge that his creation will last hundreds of years. He has his great-great-grandmothers journals, her government identification from the Trail of Tears, and so can prove his ancestors journey.

Donna purchased his story in book form when she heard that all profits go to benefit Yuchi children in Oklahoma and help them maintain a connection with their heritage.

Thank you, Tom, for sharing with us.