POWERGRAMS

On Aug. 11, 1959, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a proclamation establishing Horseshoe Bend as Alabama's first and only national military park. "The military park would never have been approved by Congress if Tom Martin, of Alabama Power, had not been a student of Alabama history," said Leah Atkins, author of "Developed for the Service of Alabama," the history of Alabama Power. "He was determined to get congressional approval for the military park." Martin was company president from 1920-49, chairman of the board of directors until his death in 1964 and led the effort to make Horseshoe Bend a national park. Working with Martin were Tallapoosa County friends C.J. "Jack" Coley and Thomas Russell, Alabama's U.S. Sens. Lister Hill and John Sparkman, and U.S. Rep. Albert Rains. The bicentennial of the historic battle of Horseshoe Bend was recently commemorated with a series of events, which Alabama Power Archivist Bill Tharpe said was "a moving experience for everyone in attendance." Visitors and dignitaries were joined by more than 250 Muskogean Creeks from Oklahoma who honored their kin who fought and died in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, he said. Many attending the services wore traditional or ceremonial dress, and parts of the proceedings were conducted in the Muskogean language. "Speakers spoke of the significance of the battle, describing it as a turning point for both Native American culture and the young American nation," Tharpe said. "One of the Creek participants said he could feel the spirits of the brave warriors and soldiers who fought at the Horseshoe in the breezes blowing through the trees and ruffling the flags that morning." The 2,040-acre Horseshoe Bend National Military Park is in the northeastern corner of Tallapoosa County along the Tallapoosa River. The area was called Cholocco Litabixbee ("Horse's Flat Foot") by the Creeks. Leading up to the battle on March 27, 1814, there were bloody skirmishes between Native American tribes and the settlers. A band of Upper Creeks, known as the Red Sticks, made a stand at Cholocco Litabixbee. Gen. Andrew Jackson's force took the stronghold within a day, capturing about 350 Upper Creek women and children and killing more than 700 warriors. The Treaty of Fort Jackson ended the Creek War of 1813-1814, forcing the surrender of nearly 23 million acres to the United States. That opened the area to settlers and five years later Alabama became a state. Jackson's victory affected the United States' campaign for sovereignty abroad. British forces had been supplying the Creeks with weapons as a tactic for maintaining a hold on the United States, while diplomats from both countries were negotiating peace in Belgium. With its final strategy exhausted, Great Britain signed the Treaty of Ghent on Dec. 24, 1814, ending the War of 1812. The historical significance of the Battle of Horseshoe Bend was crucial in Martin's bid for congressional approval in 1956 of the national military park. "Martin hired European researchers to comb the archives for primary sources and gathered all the historical information he could on the battle at the bend," Atkins said. During the early 20th century, the newly formed Alabama Power Company was considering two locations for dams on the Tallapoosa River. One of the proposed locations, on the Upper Tallapoosa, would have flooded the Horseshoe Bend battle site. Martin recognized the significance of the location and, at his urging, a site north of Cherokee Bluffs was chosen for Martin Dam. The dam was built to twice the planned height to avoid the need for a second dam. "Internal evidence indicates that Alabama Power took the license on the Upper Tallapoosa site so another company would not license the site and flood Horseshoe Bend," Atkins said. Alabama Power donated about 560 acres for the park, which opened on March 27, 1964, the sesquicentennial of the battle. By Erin Harney Horseshoe Bend 200th anniversary revives Martin's role in national park HISTORY 5 Tharpe reads historic marker at park. Muskogean Creeks honored those who fought in Battle of Horseshoe Bend. 2014 New Teacher Grants • Sara Arsman, McDonnell Elementary – Athens State University • Annette Chambers, Oliver Elementary – Troy University • Kristan Etheridge, Griggs Elementary – University of South Alabama • Kristin Flannagan, Deshler High – University of North Alabama • Jake Green, Piedmont High – Jacksonville State University • Christopher Johnson, Davis-Emerson Middle – University of Alabama • Ella Johnson, Marbury High – Auburn University at Montgomery • Shannon Lee, Clanton Elementary – University of Montevallo • Loryn Lemberg, Buckhorn High – University of Alabama in Huntsville • Nicole Mitchell, W.F. Burns Middle – Auburn University • Reginald Pearson, Westlawn Middle – Alabama A&M University • Bobby Jay Sparks, Payne Elementary – Alabama State University • Alvin Wiggins, Jerry Lee Faine Elementary – Troy (Dothan Campus).

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