Greater Alabama Council Historical Markers

There are a number of registered historical markers designating various landmarks in the Greater Alabama Council.

Camp Winnataska

In 1997, the Alabama Historical Association placed a marker near the camp gates.

• “Dr. Elwyn Ballard, Commissioner of Boy Scouts in Birmingham, and his wife, Florence Aye Ballard, discovered this site in 1914, and became vital forces in the founding and growth of the camp. Boy Scouts and Boys Club members from the area first camped here in tents in 1916. Through Dr. Ballard, the Interdenominational Birmingham Sunday School Association acquired the camp in 1918 and offered sessions not only for boys but for girls as well - the first organization-sponsored camping for girls in Alabama and among the first in the South. Daniel Ray Price, Executive Secretary of the Association, directed the camp from 1922-1957. Rosa V. Strickland, educator and church leader, served as girls camp director 1919-1954. Winnataska early received national recognition for excellence of staff, facilities, and programs."

Camp Quick

The first Boy Scout camp in the Huntsville area, Camp Quick, opened officially in 1925. It was announced on April 19, 1925, in the Huntsville Times, then given an initial inspection by National Council (led by Dr. E. E. McDonald of New York) on April 29th. Camp would be re-inspected before it opened that summer. The camp grounds were leased to the BSA for 99 years.

There's a historical marker on Walker Lane in Madison County, just west of the Flint River, that pins down the location of his land.

• Side 1: On this site, inventor and early aviation pioneer William LaFayette Quick and his sons designed and built the first airplane to be flown in the State of Alabama. Construction began in 1900. Awaiting an engine, it took nearly eight years to complete. Quick's "Flying Machine" was among the first monoplanes to be flown in the United States when it went airborne on its first and only flight in April, 1908, in a pasture 1/2 mile northwest of here, across the Flint River. Restored, it is now on display at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.

• Side 2: Quick's mid-wing monoplane was made of wood harvested on the homeplace and cut in his sawmill and metal forged in his blacksmith shop. The design included an upright pilot position, fuselage-mounted engine, direct-drive propeller, three-wheel landing gear, and steerable tail wheel. On its only flight it sustained damage to its right wing and gear upon landing. Quick learned from this experience and designed an "Improved Flying Machine" which he patented in 1912. It included other unique features such as retractable landing gear, folding wings, ornithopter method of thrust propulsion, wing warp, and pitch control.

Camp Westmoreland

• There are several markers on the property at Camp Westmoreland.

Frank Spain Scout Reservation

• There is a marker outside the main gate at Camp Sequoyah.