COMMUNITY PROFILE
Mayor: Lawrence F. Haygood
City Manager: Ulysees Robert (temporary)
Address: 101 Fonville Street Tuskegee, AL
Phone: (334) 720-0517
Tuskegee was incorporated in 1843. The momentum that occurred during the rest of the 1800’s established the city’s reputation as an educational powerhouse.
Tuskegee has wisely preserved its history while simultaneously preparing for the years ahead. Today it still has old world charm, with a city center dominated by the town square. There you will find a serene park surrounded by quaint storefronts and people who exude genuine southern hospitality. The future will usher in a new era of progress and prosperity that will include healthy nurturing of tourism by business and government leaders along with friendly overtures to tourists accentuated by a welcoming spirit.
Home to Tuskegee University, this city is located 40 miles east of Montgomery, which is the state capitol.
Tuskegee is also “the cradle of Black aviation” in America and was the training ground of the famous Tuskegee Airmen whose legacy is well preserved at a museum-like facility located at Moton Field Airport.Moton Field is both a historical treasure and a functioning airport.
As an airport, it is a service-centered facility that offers quality amenities. Moton Field Municipal Airport is owned by the City of Tuskegee and is located only three miles from the city’s downtown. Airport management ensures that pilots have what they need including a lighted runway, GPS approach, aircraft detaining and painting, hangar and tie down service, pilot’s lounge and snooze comforts, Internet access, executive conference room, concierge services and FAA certified mechanical and flight training. The runway is slightly more than 5,000 feet and is large enough to accommodate jet planes.
As the state of Alabama targets new sectors for job growth, Moton Field positions the region favorably for aviation related economic opportunities.
As a historical treasure, Moton Field has a sterling pedigree. It is named after Robert Russa Moton, the second president of Tuskegee Institute, (now Tuskegee University). Moton provided academic support for the Tuskegee Airmen training program.
Citizens in Tuskegee can be proud of this city’s contribution to American history, education, architecture, agriculture, civil rights, entertainment and of course; military service and aviation. And as we think about Tuskegee in the context of
historical significance and natural resources, it is clear this city has a great tourism experience to offer visitors
Mayor: Willie Mae Powell
Town Clerk: George Davis
Address: 2427 Old Federal Road, Shorter, AL 36075
Phone: (334) 727-9190
Shorter is a relatively young town that is blessed with prime real estate. Incorporated in 1984, Shorter is located near Interstate 85 and U.S Highway 80 in Macon County. Shorter is 15 minutes from the Shoppes at Eastchase, 20 minutes from downtown Montgomery and 35 minutes from Auburn.
And Shorter has many strong points including leaders who recognize their town’s strategic merits.
Exit 22 is a gateway into Macon County off Interstate 85 and this exit in Shorter has been transformed into a vibrant commercial sector. Love’s Travel Center attracts a constant flow of cars where drivers pump gas and shop at the convenience store. This is juxtaposed to a steady stream of trucks moving in and out of the service center where truck drivers get their tires checked, oil changed and tanks filled up. Travelers also can refuel their bodies with food purchased at Subway and McDonald’s restaurants, which are inside Love’s Travel Center.
Across the street from this bustling pit stop, Popeyes offers the New Orleans style foods that made this restaurant famous. And right next door, Burger King has expanded fast food options for the local community and traffic headed to other destinations.
Shorter is also home base for the Korean industrial companies, Hanon and LogisAll, which service automotive manufacturers around the world.
To accommodate these businesses and also in anticipation of more industrial growth, Shorter officials secured funding for water system improvements that include a 300,000-gallon water tank and expanded water lines throughout the town.
In addition to an ample water supply system, Shorter negotiated with Southeast Alabama Gas, which invested $2.4 million to bring industrial and residential natural gas to downtown Shorter and the industrial park. This achievement opened Shorter’s Technology Park to new opportunities with companies and offered residents the advantages of natural gas.
In 2019, developers began working on a new subdivision in Shorter that will ultimately feature 17 homes.
Mayor: Tommy Miller
Town Clerk: Barbara Inman
Address: 76 West Main Street, Notasulga, AL 36866
Phone: (334) 257-1454
Notasulga is located in north-central Macon County and outhwestern Lee County in the east-central part of Alabama. Most of the town is located in Macon
County. The name means “many teeth” in Muskogean, the language of the Creek
Indians.
Initially, the area that now encompasses Notasulga was named Moore’s Cross Roads, after early settler Amos Moore. Moore purchased land in the area in the early 1840s and began advertising lots for sale in “a town called Notasulga,” probably after a nearby creek by that name. Settlers soon began moving to the area and by 1843, the town had its first post office, with Amos Moore as the first postmaster. The Montgomery-West Point Railroad connected Notasulga to the wider world when it came through in 1844.
During the Civil War, Camp Watts, where conscripted soldiers trained and also had a supply depot and hospital, was located in Notasulga. Confederate and Union graves once marked by headstones have now been lost and the site is on private land.
State Highway 14 runs west-northeast through the town. State Highway 81 runs south from the center of town and intersects Interstate Highway 85 approximately five miles from town.
A drive through Notasulga is a scenic experience with sights that will include abundant farmland as well as a downtown business district. Businesses are located throughout Notasulga.
Whippoorwill Vineyards started with a dream. A hard-working Macon County family owned a large tract of land they wanted to convert to a revenue generating business. The idea for a winery emerged after Tim Watkins read an article in Progressive Farmer’s magazine.
Elmer’s a restaurant in Notasulga, serves traditional southern foods. King Brothers Pecans sells cracked pecans, candied pecans and more. Turner Hats is a source for western, straw and other hat styles.
Author Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) was born in Notasulga. Each year, the town hosts an event called Discover Notasulga.
Portions of this article were written by James P. Kaetz for the Encyclopedia of Alabama
Mayor: Rheba Knox
Address:1660 AL. Hwy 49, Tuskegee,AL.36083
Phone: 334-727-2111
Franklin is a rural town in Macon County with a rich history encompassing agriculture, education and ethnic diversity
The Creek Indians had long been cultivating lands in this area, producing crops of maize, squash and beans (the Three Sisters), and tobacco, used primarily for ritual purposes.
Residents established Franklin School by the 1890s. The school’s original water source was a spring near the buildings. A well was later dug in the front yard of the school, with a hand pump to get water. Heat was provided by a wood-burning potbelly stove. Each student brought a stick of wood every morning to burn in the stove.
The Franklin School closed in 1942 and its 75 to 80 students transferred to Tuskegee schools.
In the mid-20th century, musician Hank Williams Sr. often performed at dances at the community center. Upon Franklin’s incorporation in 1977, the town began using the community center building as the town hall. In May 2019, the Town of Franklin began building a new town hall with completion expected in November.
Harris Barrett School was built in 1903 for African-American elementary school students. Bricks made by students of the Tuskegee Normal School (now Tuskegee University), were used to construct the school building under the direction of Booker T. Washington. Both Harris Barrett School and the Tuskegee Institute played a major role in education and agriculture in the Franklin community. Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver were both active in farming in Franklin and assisted farmers both black and white.
The name of the former elementary school is another interesting historical gem.
Harris Barrett was among the earliest African-Americans to hold a powerful position in the U.S. banking industry. Based in Virginia, he responded to a request from Booker T. Washington concerning funds for the proposed elementary school. The banker delivered and the school founders reciprocated by naming the school in honor of its benefactor, Harris Barrett.
The Harris Barrett School is now a museum. Built during a bygone era, historical artifacts are well preserved and on display. And you also will find tributes to aerospace engineering involving African-Americans, prompting supporters to
declare the school’s history is from “the slave ship to the space ships.”
Harris Barrett School is located at the corner of County Road 27 and County Road 36.
