Home of Tuskegee University and the Tuskegee Airmen - Tuskegee, AL
Posted by: 
xptwo
N 32° 24.173 W 085° 43.812
16S E 619416 N 3585802
There are several welcome signs in Tuskegee. This one is located west of town on U.S. Highway 80.
Waymark Code: WMFTX1
Location: Alabama, United States
Date Posted: 12/01/2012
Views: 2
This sign by the City of Tuskegee, Alabama, is located on West Martin Luther King Highway (U.S. Highway 80), west of Tuskegee. The nearest intersection is Pleasant Springs Drive (County Road 51). The sign proudly proclaims the City of Tuskegee to be "Home of Tuskegee University and the Tuskegee Airmen."
There are several waymarks in the Tuskegee area. As one would expect, many of them deal with these two aspects of their history. As the city notes on the sign, Tuskegee is best known for Tuskegee University and the Tuskegee Airmen. There are two National Park Service Historic Sites where one can learn about each of them.
The sign incorporates elements of the city's history. The center graphic shows American bombers being escorted by P-51 Mustangs flown by the Tuskegee Airmen. The sweet potatos and peanuts represent the work done by Professor George Washington Carver at Tuskegee University.
The following history is from the city's web site at (
visit link)
"Tuskegee was founded and laid out in 1833 by General Thomas Simpson Woodward who fought in the Indian Wars under Andrew Jackson. It was probably named after an Indian tribe, the Taskigis, living in this section, General Woodward built the first home in town. It was partially destroyed by fire and rebuilt by Mr. William Campbell. The first home on the square was built by Mr. James Dent. Tuskegee was the home of the Taskigis, Channuanugee, Chehaws and Tallassee Indian tribes.
The City was incorporated in 1843. A local newspaper, the Tuskegee News, was first published in April, 1865. Many noted men and women of national and international fame attended educational institutions in Tuskegee. The first law school in Alabama was located in Tuskegee. The Baptist College for Women in 1848; the Tuskegee Female College (later moved to Montgomery as Huntingdon College) in 1856; Tuskegee Military Institute for Boys; and Park High School for Boys were among the early schools that flourished before the public schools were established in 1898. Even today Tuskegee ranks fifth from the top of cities in Alabama having the highest percentage of college graduates. Macon County ranks fourth of the counties in the state with respect to having highest percentage of college graduates.
The City is located in east-central Alabama and is 40 miles east of Montgomery, the State Capitol. It is the geographic county seat with a population of slightly over 11,000. It is the largest community and one of four incorporated towns in a predominantly rural county. The City has a council-manager form of government with elections being held every four (4) years. This is the first term of the council-manager form of government with a representative chosen from districts 1, 2, and 3, at-large and a Mayor. Mr. Alfred J. Davis is the first City Manager and has been serving in this capacity since March 2005. The Manager is selected by the Mayor and Council to serve as the Chief Executive Officer."