He has written eight books, mostly about Alabama history.
He served for over 30 years with the City of Mobile’s Historic Development Department, retiring last year.
He was the “writer about writers” for the Sunday Mobile Press-Register with a weekly column on local authors.
Now, John Sledge has been hired as the newly-created historian-in-residence of the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of America, located on Mobile’s waterfront.
Sledge’s books include two that are exactly on point for his new position:
The Mobile River
The Gulf of Mexico: A Maritime History
Information of Sledge’s books and ordering available are here.
The National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of America opened in 2015. It is a non-profit interactive museum dedicated to the maritime heritage and culture of the Gulf of America, formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico. The 120,000-square-foot museum is located on the riverfront in downtown Mobile. It is designed to look as if it were a Gulf-going ship. It features interactive exhibits, simulators, theaters, artifact displays, and memorabilia displayed throughout multiple “decks" inside a full-sized replica of a container ship. It also features a museum store and several event venues.
Because the technology behind container ships had originated in Mobile and had a dramatic impact on the shipping and maritime industries, the board of directors decided to put a full-sized replica of a container ship inside the museum.
The history of the Gulf, which Sledge will shepherd in the new position, is a geographic, economic, business, and employment story. No wonder they established a historian-in-residence.
Jim ‘Zig’ Zeigler writes about Alabama’s people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at ZeiglerElderCare@yahoo.com.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
