October 9, 2025 at 6:30 pm
Discover the untold story of Huntsville, Alabama, during one of the most turbulent chapters in American history in Cathy Knowles’ speech, Huntsville in the Civil War. This presentation will reveal how the city became a strategic point of contention, shaped by military occupation, divided loyalties, and local resilience. You’ll hear about the experiences of soldiers and civilians alike, uncovering personal accounts that bring the era to life. We will explore how Huntsville’s role in the war influenced both its immediate survival and its long-term growth. Join us on October 9th, at 6:30 PM to gain a deeper understanding of how this Southern city with Northern-leanings was forever changed by the Civil War.
Catherine L. Knowles considers herself an unlikely author. As a child she often skipped school, preferring adventure to the classroom. She discovered early on that you cannot pirate a Tennessee River dock and use it to float to the beach.
The inspiration for Knowles’s ideas come from watching the waters of the Tennessee flow past her home in Huntsville, where she and her architect husband live with Sugar, their spoiled-rotten rescued dog.
Caught up in her husband’s quest to rebuild the small abandoned town of Taylorsville a half-mile from their home, Knowles found herself deep in the library archives researching the region’s history from 1900 to 1926. A woman who once skipped history class became hooked on the past, and her imagination of what it was like to live in this remarkable period of Alabama’s history.
