Cannon Balls Redux – If The Horseshoe Fits

Jim Casey the TOCC TV reporter goes live walkabout in downtown Huntsville yet again. This time I started at the Calhoun House historic marker at the corner of Greene Street and Eustis Avenue where the last live stream in this series left off. But first, a second look at the Episcopal Church of the Nativity and it’s origins and then a review of the trial of Frank James, older brother of infamous outlaw Jesse James, that took place when the Calhoun House was utilized as a Federal Courthouse.

Digging into more historic facts it turns out the Calhoun House was named for an infamous slave trader, Meredith Calhoun, who owned the estate by virtue of his marriage to a local girl, Mary Smith, who was the granddaughter of Judge Smith who owned the estate to begin with. Calhoun and his bride didn’t spend much time in Huntsville instead traveling in Europe and France before eventually moving to Louisiana where he owned Sugar plantations, as many as 1100 slaves, and according to some reports was known for cruelty to the slaves who worked the plantations.

When the Calhoun House was used for the trial of Frank James who was acquitted of robbery, one of his attorney’s was Leroy Pope Walker, the first Secretary of War for the Confederacy who is credited with giving the word to fire the first shots on Fort Sumter starting the Civil war. He was also the grandson of Leroy Pope, the “father” of Huntsville who settled on Echols Hill in 1809 eventually building his estate “Poplar Grove.”

In 1813 Leroy Pope entertained a visit by none other than Andrew Jackson, who would later become the 7th president of the United States, when he was enroute to the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. This live walkabout ends at the corner of Lincoln Street and Holmes Avenue where another historic marker indicates the area where Andrew Jackson’s army camped out during the journey.

Other scenes in this walkabout include the First United Methodist Church where accounts say the basement was used by federal forces during the Civil War to stable their horses. The original Church was “accidentally” burned down in 1864 by the federal forces. Further down the street I passed by the historic Huntsville Times building and a new benchmark Dollar General store before reaching the campground for Andrew Jackson’s army in October of 1813.

Watch the video for more commentary and information, and to see all the historic scenes in this remarkably small half-mile stretch in downtown Huntsville, Alabama.

©2020 – Jim Casey

Nearby Links
Cannon Balls Redux Series

Cannon Balls Redux – If The Horseshoe Fits

Episcopal Church of the Nativity in downtown Huntsville

Jim Casey goes live walkabout again in downtown Huntsville starting at the Calhoun House historic marker where the last walkabout in this series left off. Watch the video for more commentary and information, and to see all the historic scenes in this remarkably small half-mile stretch in downtown Huntsville, Alabama.

Cannon Balls Redux – WAR!

Calhoun House in downtown Huntsville

This live walkabout in downtown Huntsville features Huntsville’s renown Spite House, Maria Howard Weeden, a desperado named Frank James the older brother of Jesse James no less, and the first Confederate Secretary of War Leroy Pope Walker who gave the word to fire upon Fort Sumter starting the Civil War. Advertisement



Cannon Balls Redux – Network Tv – A Sign Of The Times

Mainstream media satellite trucks counting the minutes in 2005 awaiting Eric Rudolph to appear at the Federal Courthouse in downtown Huntsville.

This live-stream walkabout is, in a lot of ways, about the transition of media, all media, from print and broadcast TV, to Internet digital. It’s also about Huntsville events and landmarks past, present and future, and a man whose elevator didn’t quite reach the top.

Cannon Ball Run Redux

Jim Casey goes live walkabout in downtown Huntsville this time returning to the scene of many seemingly unconnected events that deserve to be revisited.



2016.05.16 The Tribe Has Spoken …So Long Uncle Bamy

2016.05.16 2016.05.16 The Tribe Has Spoken …So Long Uncle Bamy

Huntsville City Depot Transportation Bus Station Complex Maps

Alternative Text

After reviewing all the information available, it turns out that the current Huntsville City Transportation Bus Station is built immediately on top of the original Huntsville Train Shops that were built around 1860. In fact, it seems highly likely that the digital time and temperature display located in the center of the bus terminal awning, is just about exactly in the center of the original turntable location. The point of impact of the Lee High School Bus, when it fell from the sky like a bomb, is also marked on these maps. Check it out.