Our Last Stockton Trivia Question!

Happy Halloween! We hope you've enjoyed our Stockton trivia series on the blog these last few weeks as much as we have. Hopefully you've learned something new about the rich history of this very unique little community and have a deeper understanding of why it should be designated a Landmark District by Amendment 3. Today's trivia question isn't very spooky, but you may be surprised by the answer!

Question: Which 3 major European nations have at one time called Stockton home?

The answer will be posted on the blog tomorrow along with a re-cap of our past trivia questions. Have a safe and happy Halloween!

The Final Week

This is it. The final week of our campaign is here! It has been a beautiful, fall day here in Stockton but we are certainly keeping everyone in the Northeast in our thoughts and prayers as Hurricane Sandy arrives tonight. We are all too familiar with hurricanes in this neck of the woods.

We still need your help in these final 8 days! The biggest thing you can do for Stockton and our campaign is to spend some time this week at your computer emailing your contacts, posting the link to our blog on your Facebook page, finding various organizations to email, and utilizing the Internet in any other ways to inform Alabama voters to vote YES for Stockton Landmark District, Amendment 3. If you've already emailed your contacts but it's been a few weeks, send them another reminder just before the election. We want voting YES for Amendment 3 to be on everyone's minds as the enter the polls on November 6th!

I am including links below to several Stockton Landmark District fliers that you can attach to your emails and distribute. Thanks for taking a few minutes to send these out!

Why Should I Vote Yes for Amendment 3?

Stockton Landmark District Poster

An Email about the Stockton Landmark District

Remember the address for this blog is stocktonlandmarkdistrict.blogspot.com. Put a link to it in your Facebook status.

This is a link to Stockton Landmark District's Facebook page. Make sure that you have liked us and suggest our page to your Facebook friends.

Setting the Record Straight: The Truth about Amend. 3

This week, our Stockton Landmark District Q&A is devoted to debunking some common misconceptions and misinformation that seems to be swirling about concerning Amendment 3. Amendments are confusing in general and while ours is short, some folks may find it hard to believe it is as straightforward as it seems. Things like that just don't happen in politics. Where's the catch you ask? Guess what, there is no catch! Really, there isn't. And here's why:

-NO effects on taxes- Amendment 3 has absolutely NOTHING to do with money or taxes. Absolutely nothing.

-NO zoning or restrictions on land use- This is important to understand. Many people are familiar with other historic districts that impose restrictions and limit property owner rights. The Stockton Landmark District does NOT do this. You can paint your house any color you want, you can buy and sell property as you see fit. No board or any other governing body will oversee the District. Absolutely NOTHING about our lives and property in Stockton changes. Absolutely nothing.

-Stockton CAN be annexed or re-incorporated in the future. Amendment 3 does NOT permanently prevent annexation by another municipality. It simply gives Stockton's residents the right to vote on annexation, re-incorporation, or keeping things just like they are. Amendment 3 draws a barrier of protection around Stockton and prevents our residents from waking up one morning and learning that Stockton no longer exists. This scenario can happen without this legislation in place.

-Amendment 3 does NOT affect anyone or any place in Alabama except for Stockton and it has NO impact on our way of life in Stockton, it just protects it. It asks nothing of our residents and places no restrictions on them. It just gives us the long treasured right to vote. That's it! No strings attached. No bait and switch.

If you have any questions or concerns about Amendment 3, please do not hesitate to comment below or email us at stocktonlandmarkdistrict@gmail.com. The last thing we want is a misinformed voter to vote "no" when they would have voted "yes" had they had all the facts. Thanks for sharing this post with others! It's an important one.

Tuesday's Trivia Answer

Tuesday's Trivia Question Answered!

Question: This beautiful and rare flower is native to Stockton. It was first documented by William Bartram during his travels through the area in 1775. Can you name it?

                        


Answer: The Evening Primrose, also known as Oenothera Grandiflora. In 1775, William Bartram who was commissioned as the the King of England's Botanist to the colonies spent a week in Stockton at Major Robert Farmar's plantation on the Tensaw River. He collected and sketched specimens of native vegetation in the area. He identified  this beautiful flower that grows along the river and our roadsides. This plant is very rare and was thought to be extinct for many years until botanists re-discovered it growing here in Stockton. The Evening Primrose is sought because it is an extremely primitive species, highly useful in the study of plant evolution. Oil from its seeds is also said to have health benefits. Seeds from Stockton's Primrose have been sent to the King's Botanical Garden in England, the University of Cologne, Germany, and the University of Michigan. This flower only blooms for a very short period of time, just a few hours. There are stories of Stockton's young men going door to door serenading girls and bringing them bouquets of Primroses. 

Stockton is unique not only for its rich history and heritage but also for its natural resources and stunning flora and fauna. Please vote YES for Amendment 3 and help us preserve this special place!

Stockton in National News!

We have been so excited by the way our grassroots campaign for Amendment 3 and the Stockton Landmark District has grown over the past few months. But what a surprise to learn that our AP article was running in Wednesday's edition of USA Today! And in the first section! Needless to say we bought out all the copies at our local grocery store. You can view the story on their website here. This is HUGE for Stockton to have this kind of coverage. It is a testament to the fact that people across Alabama and the entire U.S. care about history and small towns like ours. They care about giving residents a voice in the future of their community and that's exactly what Amendment 3 will do. This is a great boost for our campaign in these final weeks!

We have been getting some great media coverage across the Alabama. A BIG thanks to Larry at WWNT 1450 AM Talk Radio in Dothan for letting us speak on his program this morning. We are so appreciative of the support of his listeners!

Thanks so much to all of you for supporting us and helping us on the home stretch. Stockton is truly deserving of this kind of attention!

12 Days!

We've passed the 2 week mark, the home stretch is officially here!  At 8am tomorrow, Lynn, Georgene, and Georgia Ann will be interviewed on WWNT 1450 AM News Talk Radio in Dothan, explaining the Stockton Landmark District and Amendment 3. You can listen to the interview live through the station's website. We are excited to have this opportunity to reach more Alabama voters!

Check out today's trivia question:

Question: This beautiful and rare flower is native to Stockton. It was first documented by William Bartram during his travels through the area in 1775. Can you name it?

Stockton is Famous!

We are SO excited to wake up this morning and see this fantastic article written by Phillip Rawls at the Associated Press running in numerous state and local newspapers, both online and in print. It is even in some papers around the country! This is huge for the campaign for Amendment 3 and the Stockton Landmark District and probably one of the biggest accomplishments of our statewide campaign tour. With Stockton's population being less than 500, telling almost 3 million Alabama voters to vote YES for Amendment 3 is incredibly overwhelming. This article has greatly amplified the voices of our residents and we hope this will be the extra push we need to win on Nov. 6th!

All this media coverage has led to big increase in blog readership this week which is great news! Please keep sharing a link to the site with your friends and family. We have one important weekly Q&A below. With just about 2 weeks to go, we need your help. Thank you SO much for continuing to support Stockton and Amendment 3!

Question: I support Amendment 3 and the Stockton Landmark District. What can I do to help?

Answer: 

1) Email, Facebook, and the Internet. These are probably our most valuable tools in these final weeks. Email all of your contacts links to our blog. Search for emails of club or organization leaders across the state and email them. Share a link to the blog on your Facebook. Like Stockton Landmark District on Facebook. Search for news articles across the state that detail the amendments and leave a comment encouraging voters to vote yes for Amendment 3. Social media is critical to this campaign and can spread our message to a large number of voters. 

2) Talk to people. Bring Amendment 3 up in conversation, mention it in meetings and appointments. Talk about it at the grocery store, with friends, at club meetings, at church. Speak to as many groups as you can.

3) Write letters to any publications across the state. The more we are mentioned in the media the better.

4) On Nov. 6th, we need volunteers to stand at various polling locations around the county. They will be holding signs and asking voters to consider voting YES for Amendment 3. We will be covering the morning from 7-8:30am and the evening from 4:30-7pm. If you would like to help us on election day please email us at stocktonlandmarkdistrict@gmail.com.

The Answer!

Trivia Tuesday

Question: Many people do not know that Stockton was once an incorporated town. Do you know what year it was officially incorporated?

Answer: Joshua Kennedy built one of Alabama's first sawmills in Stockton in 1811. The timber industry became the life blood of Stockton and by the 1830s, it had become a very prosperous town of considerable importance, second in size to Mobile! Kennedy began the process of incorporation but died before it was completed. His son-in-law, William Kitchen, carried out Kennedy's dream and the "Town of Stockton" was officially incorporated in 1839. Streets were laid out and a post office was established. Residents could travel to Mobile by a daily steamboat and the Stagecoach made 2 stops in Stockton on its way to Montgomery. It was a lively town, having three of four large stores, three or four hotels, several saloons, a barber shop, a ten-pen alley, and a number of gambling dens. It is unclear at what point Stockton lost its incorporation, most likely when local industry and transportation changed and Stockton's commercial importance diminished. 

It is possible that at some point in the future the residents of Stockton may want to re-incorporate. The protection that Amendment 3 will offer Stockton will be crucial if our residents ever pursue this possibility. Our legislators worked to write Amendment 3 for Stockton because of its unique history and its previous incorporation. Kennedy, Kitchen, and many other early fathers of Stockton were working well over 100 years ago to promote Stockton and protect it for future generations. Creating the Stockton Landmark District under Amendment 3 will honor the life's work of our ancestors and allow Stockton's citizens to continue to direct the future of this community as they have done for generations. Please vote YES! 

William Kitchen

Trivia Tuesday!

Exactly 3 weeks to go until Election Day! What an important day for our nation, state, county, and our little town of Stockton. We need your continued support as we race to the finish line. Every vote really does count, please keep getting the word out around Alabama about Amendment 3! Trivia Tuesday returns today. Test your knowledge with our Stockton history question and leave your answer in the comment section below.

Question: Many people do not know that Stockton was once an incorporated town. Do you know what year it was officially incorporated?

Check the blog tomorrow evening for the answer!

Q&A Friday on Monday

Ok, so it's not really Friday (sorry to break the news) but since the campaign tour last week bumped our weekly blog features we are playing catch up with our Friday Stockton Landmark District Q&A today. Trivia Tuesday will return tomorrow. Just about 3 weeks to go! The finish line is in sight and we need your help in these final weeks to tell as many Alabama voters as possible why they should vote YES for Amendment 3 on November 6th. Keep sharing the link to the blog, we will be updating it more frequently as the election approaches. Have a great week, ya'll!

Question 1: Why is it important that Amendment 3 passes on November 6th? Why not just wait until if and when a neighboring municipality attempts to annex Stockton?

Answer: Remember the old Ben Franklin quote, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?" Amendment 3 simply puts in place a protective barrier around Stockton. It is a precautionary step that will be so valuable to our residents if and when another municipality proposes annexation. As the law stands today, a larger municipality can annex unincorporated areas without a vote from the area's residents as long as the Alabama Legislature approves it. If this happens,  the annexed community's only recourse is to fight the annexation in court which can be very costly not to mention extremely long and tenuous. Ft. Morgan, located at the very bottom of Baldwin County, has been in a legal battle with its neighbor, Gulf Shores for years over the same issue. Another example in Baldwin County is the Malbis Plantation. This area located just down from the Eastern Shore Center in Spanish Fort was a very integral part of Greek history and culture in South Alabama. It has been completely annexed into Spanish Fort and Daphne. Newcomers to the area and younger people do not even know that there was a Malbis. They just see a pretty Greek Orthodox church and a few big houses along the road on their way into Daphne. What a devastating scenario this would be for Stockton, the oldest community in the county. 

We need to act now to give our residents a vote in the future. Amendment 3 is our best shot. Please vote YES on November 6th!

Question 2: Which party supports Amendment 3? Is this a partisan issue?

Answer: The Stockton Landmark District is a completely non-partisan issue and is not backed by any party. Amendment 3 is supported by Alabama voters from all party affiliations and independents. We visited numerous Democratic and Republican Headquarters on our statewide campaign tour last week and overwhelmingly the consensus from both parties was, "this amendment just makes sense." Amendment 3 isn't really about politics. It is about preserving the history and heritage of Stockton and giving residents, many who can trace their roots back over 200 years in the community, a vote. No one wants to wake up one morning to find that the town their families have called home for generations is no longer on the map. Visit Why Should I Vote Yes? for more info.

Landmarkers Return!

It was a strange feeling this morning, not waking up and heading out the door to stop at every newspaper and campaign headquarters between here and the next town. In 3 days we covered 965 miles, stopping at 35 places around Alabama. We visited 12 restaurants and stores, 5 newspapers, 2 television stations, 1 radio station, 4 Democratic Headquarters, 8 Republican Headquarters, 1 Chamber of Commerce, 1 Junior League, and gave 1 interview with the Associated Press. We feel pretty good about what we accomplished in just a  few short days. We have a GREAT state. Every single person we spoke with was receptive to learning about Amendment 3. People are confused by most of the amendments. If they aren't from that area, oftentimes they just don't vote. When we explained to them about what Amendment 3 will do for Stockton, the response was "that just makes sense." People appreciate history and the importance of preserving an area and giving its citizens the chance to vote on its future. We returned from our trip feeling energized about our state and the election on November 6th.

Here is just a brief re-cap of each day and finally some photos!

Day 1 (Stockton--Florence): I'll be honest, at first the idea of just going up to strangers in restaurants was a little intimidating. We weren't sure exactly the best approach for this tour so we just jumped in. Day 1 was about getting our feet wet. The more people we spoke with and the more positive feedback we received, the easier it it became to tell anyone who would listen why they should vote YES for Amendment 3. We drove from Stockton to Florence taking only the back roads. In Tuscumbia, we met Tori Bailey at WZZA radio, the "The Soul of the Shoals" and she provided us with some excellent advice and contact information for some very influential folks in Montgomery. Another BIG thank you to her!

 Our Place, Evergreen, AL

AJ's Restaurant, Monroeville, AL

 JJ's Bait & Tackle, Monroeville, AL

Thomasville Times, Thomasville, AL

 Demopolis, AL

Tuscaloosa County, Republican Headquarters, Tuscaloosa, AL

Tuscaloosa, AL

 WZZA Radio "Soul of the Shoals" Tuscumbia, AL

Day 2 (Florence--Auburn): By day 2, we were getting into the groove and realized that we needed to talk to people who could really amplify our 3 voices. We focused on Republican and Democratic Headquarters (this is a completely non-partisan issue), newspapers, and TV stations. We really felt good about these stops and met many helpful Editors and other folks. The Chamber of Commerce in Decatur was extremely helpful and welcoming to us. We are excited to be mentioned in their upcoming newsletter!

Times Daily, Florence, AL

Morgan County Chamber of Commerce, Decatur, AL

Decatur Daily, Decatur, AL

WHNT 19 News, Huntsville, AL

Democratic Headquarters, Huntsville, AL

Democratic Headquarters, Huntsville, AL

Day 3 (Auburn--Stockton): By Day 3, it seemed like all roads led to Montgomery so we focused our final day of the tour in and around the State Capitol. Andy Powell at the Gadsden Times had given us a contact at the Associated Press which resulted in a great meeting and interview. We hope this will lead to bigger publicity for Amendment 3. We also were given the names of some influential political leaders who are sharing our information with their parties and organizations. We returned to Stockton in the early evening tired but VERY encouraged about the election and the wonderful people of our State!

Associated Press, Montgomery, AL

Montogomery County Republican Headquarters, Montgomery, AL

Alabama Democratic Party State Headquarters, Montgomery, AL

Again, we want to thank every one who we met during our state tour for giving us a few minutes out of their day. We hope they will help us inform their communities about the Stockton Landmark District and Amendment 3.  We greatly appreciate and need their support!

We have just a few more weeks to go before November 6th. Please keep helping us inform voters across the state to support the Stockton Landmark Distric, Amendment 3 and not to ignore it! Thanks for following our blog and sharing it with others! 

Day 2!

Well here we are, another 13 stops down and finally here in Auburn! Gale really hit a home run with tonight's accommodations at Fountainview Mansion, such a perfect way to end an incredibly successful day! I'm keeping it short tonight with just a quick recap of today's stops. Wow, we have met so many wonderful people and are overwhelmed by their support for Amendment 3! Tomorrow we are setting our sights on Montgomery. Look for a much lengthier post with photos once we return to Stockton tomorrow evening. Until then, keep on helping us spread the word about Stockton, and thanks so much for following our travels!

Florence: Lauderdale Co. Republican HQ, Times Daily Newspaper Decatur: Chamber of Commerce, Republican HQ, Decatur Daily Newspaper, City Cafe, Curry's Restaurant Huntsville: WHNT 19 News Station,  Democratic HQ, Republican HQ, Fox 54 News Station Gadsden: Gadsden Times Newspaper, Republican HQ

Campaign Tour Day 1

Greetings from the road! We are settled into our hotel in Florence, AL (we HIGHLY recommend the Residence Inn here) and are really looking forward to a good night's rest. Whew, today has been a whirlwind but it has been such a successful day. We have been to restaurants, bait and tackle shops, Democratic headquarters, Republican headquarters, local newspapers, and even a radio station on our trek northward- 14 stops total! Stockton Landmark District fliers and signs are now sprinkled through western Alabama. We spoke to almost 100 folks along the way today and hope that they will tell their communities about the Stockton Landmark District and Amendment #3. Thanks so much to all of them for the warm welcome and for giving us a few minutes out of their day. I had planned to post photos but my iPad is not cooperating. I will post a few on the Facebook page and try to get them on the blog soon. I've listed today's stops along with links to their websites or other information. We will be traveling across the top of the state tomorrow and begin heading south, ending up in Auburn tomorrow evening. Look out for another post then and also watch the Facebook page for updates from the road. Sweet dreams!

Evergreen: Conecuh Sausage Company, Our Place Restaurant Monroeville: Huddle House, AJ's Restaurant, J&J Bait & Tackle Thomasville: Thomasville Times, People's Corner Restaurant, Gaston's Grill Demopolis: Demopolis Times, Mr G's Restaurant Tuscaloosa: Republican Headquarters Russellville: Republican Headquarters, Democratic Headquarters Tuscumbia: WZZA Radio "Soul of the Shoals"- A BIG thank you to Tori Bailey, General Manager of the station, for the great advice and support!

Friday Q&A

It's Friday again, folks and maybe, just maybe it's starting to feel a little like fall in Stockton which means Nov. 6th is just around the corner- 1 month from tomorrow to be exact! There is still plenty of time left to inform Alabama voters why they should vote YES for Amendment 3. We've updated a few things on the blog today and added some new tabs located above this post. Take a minute to explore them. We've also added some new photos. Check out our weekly Q&A about the Stockton Landmark District below. Have a great weekend ya'll!

Question 1: If Amendment 3 passes on Nov. 6th, will the Stockton Landmark District place restrictions on how we can use our land in Stockton and/or re-zone our community? Is this amendment going to require me to pay more taxes?

Answer: NO! Amendment 3 will do none of these things. Unfortunately, many voters are conditioned to think state amendments are going to place restrictions or call for more money. Our amendment does none of that. It actually provides our residents with increased freedom. As a Landmark District, residents will vote if another municipality attempts to annex Stockton into its borders. We do not have this freedom today. As for what you do with your land in Stockton, that is entirely up to you. This amendment has not affect on your rights as a property owner. 


Question 2: Why doesn't Stockton just incorporate?

Answer: Stockton actually was incorporated in the 1830s. At that time, it was second in size to Mobile and was a thriving river town. At the present, Stockton doesn't have a commercial base for such a venture. As the community continues to grow, re-incorporation could become a possibility. If Amendment 3 passes next month, it will protect Stockton and place it in a better position for incorporation in the future. Of course, this would only happen if the citizens of Stockton choose to do so.  

The Answer!

Trivia Tuesday Question: What was the original name given to Stockton by its earliest settlers in the mid 1700s?

The Answer: In early history, Stockton and the area to its north was referred to as "Tensa." It was named for the Taensa Indian tribe whose principal village was located in the area. There have been many spellings and variations of the "Taensa" tribe from Taensa, Tensa, Tensau, and finally Tensaw. The community north of Stockton is known as Tensaw today. Prior to the withdrawal of the French around 1765, there were a number of settlers living along the riverbanks in addition to the Taensa Indians. 

The Tensaw settlement, of which Stockton was apart, was settled long before Baldwin county or other communities in our area were established. This fact is lost on most who pass through our sleepy little community today. People have called Stockton home for well over 200 years and many of our residents can trace their ancestry back to its early settlers. Our history and heritage entitles us to have a say in our future. Amendment 3 will ensure that we will! Please vote yes for Stockton!

We also wanted to share with you a few photos from the re-opening of Live Oak Landing on Tuesday. This Landing was such an important part of Stockton for many years and it has been closed to the public for the last decade. We are thrilled that the county has made this beautiful place accessible to us again. Stockton hasn't been the same without it. Welcome back Live Oak!

SLD Trivia Tuesday!

Just to keep things fun these last few weeks before November 6th and to share some fun facts about our community, every Tuesday we are going to ask a trivia question about Stockton on the blog! Comment below with your guesses or email them to stocktonlandmarkdistrict@gmail.com. We will reveal the answer tomorrow evening!

Question: What was the original name given to Stockton by its earliest settlers in the mid 1700s?

Any guesses?

P.S. We just discovered that a few of our tabs linking to the Facebook pages and a history of Stockton were not functioning properly- problem solved! Please explore the additional links to resources on the blog. Much more information and photos coming soon! Thanks so much for continuing to share our site with your contacts around Alabama! Every vote really does count!