Historical Sites

Historical Sites

The Guntersville Dam
Completed on January 16, 1939, it marked the greatest event in Marshall County history. During this era, the Tennessee Valley area was small and unprogressive, but with the dam came commerce. In later years, Guntersville was the acknowledged grain port center of the Southeast. Commercial and sport fishing also increased with the additional water area. It also enabled Marshall County and surrounding areas access to low cost electricity. Lake Guntersville has a maximum width of 2.5 miles, 962 miles of shoreline with 69,100 acres of water.
The area below the dam offers unique opportunities for bird watching, day hiking and caving. An easy one-mile loop trail leads by a cave used during the Civil War to mine saltpeter, a basic ingredient of gunpowder. Tours inside of the dam are no longer available. Advanced reservations for the pavilion (seats 158) can be made by calling our toll-free number, 866-494-7186.

Whole Backstage Theatre
The newly renovated Whole Backstage Theatre, Marshall County's Community Theatre for over 30 years, has produced a wide range of quality shows. It is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization. It is the only community theatre in Marshall County Alabama and exists solely through the generous support of its patrons. For more information call: 256-582-SHOW or visit their website.

Snead State Community College & Museum
    Classes at the Boaz Academy opened in 1899 with 70 children. It was started by the Methodist Episcopal Church and worked under the auspices of the Marshall County School Administration. The first graduating class was commenced in 1907 with 7 girls and 1 boy.
    Snead Junior College was chartered in 1939 and offered its first degree as a B.S. in Agriculture. Also, in 1936 Snead had become the first junior college in Alabama to have a course of study for elementary teachers approved by the State Dept. of Education. Snead was accredited in 1941 by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.     In 1922 the school name was changed to Snead State Community College and its purpose was changed also when the school met qualifications for offering technical and occupational courses related to industry needs.
    The museum contains historical information on Snead Seminary & Snead College, a rock collection from all over the world, and a large collection of gospel music memorabilia. Hours: M-Tu 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m., W 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Snead State Community College was recognized in 1998 as a historic district by the Alabama Register of Landmark and Heritage. For more information call: 256-593-5120 or visit their website.

Guntersville Train Depot
Restoration of the Depot was a project initiated by the Guntersville Historical Society. In 1996 CSX Transportation gave the City of Guntersville the depot and a small amount of surrounding land. The restored depot was officially opened and dedicated on December 3, 2000. The depot is operated as a part of the Guntersville Museum through the efforts of the Guntersville Historical Society. For more information call: 256-571-7597

Trail of Tears
A portion of the “Trail of Tears” is located in Marshall County. The route travels Alabama Hwy 75 in Albertville to U.S. Hwy 431 in Guntersville where the Cherokee and Creek Indians were loaded on to barges and shipped west.

The Guntersville Museum and Cultural Center
    NEW LOCATION! Many Indians inhabited the Guntersville area until well after 1836, when Marshall county was formed. They were primarily Cherokees. Gunter's Landing had been a site of harmony and cooperation among Indians and whites since the late 1700's. Ironically, it became a port of embarkation for shipping Indians to the West. The museum has dedicated a gallery to local Indian history, in memory of the Cherokee and Creek Indians who were evicted from their homes and forced to travel the "Trail of Tears".
    The War Room presents artifacts and depicts life in Guntersville during times of war. In 1861 Marshall County sent men to join the confederacy and on July 29, 1862 Guntersville was shelled from the Tennessee River. Eventually only seven buildings were left standing and the effects of the Civil War lasted into the 20th century.
    Gunter's Landing became a major port on the Tennessee River and many of the town's activities centered around the steamers that navigated the river for over a hundred years and well after the turn of the century. The River Room shows many interesting photographs and artifacts of this era down to recent times. For more information call: 256-571-7597

Albertville Pre-Civil War Cemetery
This burial ground dating from before the Civil War features rows of white marble and granite headstones. Inscriptions on the stones tell fascinating stories about the people buried there. For more information call: 256-878-3821

The Arab Historic Village
In cooperation with the City of Arab, The Arab Historical Society is developing the Historic Complex in the City Park as a tribute to the pioneering people who settled and built this area into the prosperous, community-spirited place it is today.
Development of the Complex was started in 1991 as a Centennial project of The Historical Society. At the present time, six of the 8-10 buildings are completed. They are furnished with items from 1880 through the 1940's. For more information call: 256-586-3866

Albertville Depot
The former L&N caboose pictured below can be viewed at the depot behind the Albertville Chamber of Commerce. However it is not open for tours.

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