32-Cotton to Rockets

Receive a fascinating overview of North Alabama’s industrial history, from early transportation on the Tennessee River to the modern era of rocketry. Learn how unnavigable waterways around Muscle Shoals led to the construction of canals, including the Indian Creek Canal that once floated cotton from Big Spring Park in Huntsville to the Tennessee River. Discover how early railroads transformed trade and fueled the region’s cotton economy, and trace the path forward to Redstone Arsenal and the rise of rocketry as a driving force for North Alabama’s growth.