Alabama timezone history
Jules Descartes
descartes.jules at gmail.com
Tue Sep 6 18:59:54 UTC 2011
I have started reviewing pre-1970 US timezone history.
The information is so complex that it is best approached state by state.
I have started alphabetically with Alabama, but will probably continue with
some mixture like
- most populous states first
- simplest states first
For Alabama history my first draft proposes ten zones. This is more detailed
than Shanks, wo distinguished seven areas.
It is only a first step. Newspaper archive research (sadly) reveals that
there are far more complex details involved in a
complete history, and many questions about extension of zones can probably
never be answered because there are not enough precise records.
I have made a map, together with the help of colleagues, and uploaded it to
wikimedia, as I am not sure whether image files
work in this mailing list. Certainly we save bandwidth, as in the old times.
License question: For now I have decided to place my work under the widest
possible Creative Commons. This differs from the Public Domain license only
in so far, as sources need to be quoted. Aside of that the use of the
information is free, also within commercial projects of any kind.
Please check and proof read the proposed zones. I am a bad typist.
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# Alabama timezone history
# compiled by Jules Descartes September 2011
# published under Creative Commons license
# http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en
# Sources:
# Curran and Taylor, World Daylight Saving Time
# Doris Cahse Doane, Time changes in the USA (quoted as DCD)
# Thomas Shanks, American Atlas, various editions (quoted as Shanks)
# Newspaper archives accessible via Internet
#
# We propose 10 zones files, but this is only a first approximation. Newspaper
# archives show in many cases that the information given by DCD and Shanks is
# incomplete and often incorrect.
# Further research will most likely lead to different zone extensions and the
# need to have more zones to make the necessary history distinctions.
# visual map posted to Wikimedia
# http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alabama_countyseats_tzhistory.jpg
#
# Mobile is 3rd largest city after Montgomery and Birmingham, which both
# have special zones. Mobile is representing the largest part (about 90%) of
# Alabama's timezone history. It is located at 88w03 = -5:52:12
#
# We need a rule for war time 1941 in all of Alabama except Phenix zone
# Rule NAME FROM TO TYPE IN ON AT SAVE LETTER
Rule Alabama 1941 only - Jul 21 0:01 1:00 W
Rule Alabama 1941 only - Oct 1 0:01 0 S
# and rules for DST in Madison county 1958-1960
Rule Madison 1958 1960 - Apr lastSun 2:00 1:00 D
Rule Madison 1958 only - Oct 25 2:00 0 S
Rule Madison 1959 1960 - Sep lastSun 2:00 0 S
#
# Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL]
Zone America/Alabama/Mobile -5:52:12 - LMT 1883 Nov 18 12:07:48
-6:00 US C%sT 1920
-6:00 Alabama C%sT 1942
-6:00 US C%sT
# Madison county has DST in the years 1958, 1959, 1960
# This is zone 2 in the Alabama county map.
# Shanks lists five locations in Madison county not following DST in these
# years, but his county assignments of Taluca, Swancott, Slaughter Landing,
# Maple Hill seem wrong. Elkwood is in Madison, but we do not follow Shanks
# for it unless proof comes forward.
# Zone is named after it largest town and county seat Huntsville at 86w35
# Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL]
Zone America/Alabama/Huntsville -5:46:20 - LMT 1883 Nov 18 12:13:40
-6:00 US C%sT 1920
-6:00 Alabama C%sT 1942
-6:00 US C%sT 1958
-6:00 Madison C%sT 1967
-6:00 US C%sT
# Northern part of Morgan county around Decatur had DST in 1958, like Madison.
# Sources: DCD, Shanks, Newspaper reports
# This is zone 3 in Alabama county map.
# This is only a small part of the county, Shanks lists 23 towns. Two of his
# towns are in Limestone county, we do not follow Shanks for those: Decatur
# Junction ist not a populated place, only a railway junction in the middle of
# a rive bridge, Athens-Limestone hospital is in the middle of Athens,
# Limestone county seat, which did surely not have DST.
# Shanks gives 0:01 as change time, we follow Madison county, not Shanks.
# Short DST experiment in 1940, which was ended by public vote.
# Zone is named after largest town participating, Decatur at 86w59
# Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL]
Zone America/Alabama/Decatur -5:47:56 - LMT 1883 Nov 18 12:12:04
-6:00 US C%sT 1920
-6:00 - CST 1940 May 5 02:00
-5:00 - CDT 1940 Jun 9 0
-6:00 Alabama C%sT 1942
-6:00 US C%sT 1958
-6:00 Madison C%sT 1959
-6:00 US C%sT
# Montgomery (state capital) with surroundings, part of Montgomery county
# and Elmore county had DST in 1935 and 1940.
# This is zone 4 in Alabama county map.
# Newspaper The Tuscaloosa News of 1935 May 17 reports under the title
# 'Mongomery to go on daylight saving time' this: '...daylight saving time
# should go into effect tomorrow midnight and remain in effect until
# Sept. 14'. Midnight in common usage indicated the end of the day, which makes
# the begin May 19 0:00 and the end Sept. 15 0:00, both Sunday mornings.
# Curran & Talyor, DCD and Shanks have May 18 00:01 and Sept. 02 00:01;
# we go with the newspaper source.
# For 1940, DST was ordered by governor Dixon to begin May 5 02:00 and last
# until Sept 29 03:00 (Tuscaloosa News Apr 30, 1935). Few parts
# of the state followed, see zones 4 and 6 on the map. The citizens soon got
# tired of DST and returned to CST at different dates, see below. 'Montgomery
# returnd to CST on August 12 earlier today' according to The Florence Times
# ed. Aug. 12. We assume 02:00. Shanks has Apr 28 to Sept. 29, we follow
# newspaper reports.
# Zone is named after largest town participating, Montgomery at 86w18
#
# Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL]
Zone America/Alabama/Montgomery -5:45:12 - LMT 1883 Nov 18 12:14:48
-6:00 US C%sT 1920
-6:00 - CST 1935 Apr 19 0
-5:00 - CDT 1935 Sep 15 0
-6:00 - CST 1940 May 5 02:00
-5:00 - CDT 1940 Aug 12 02:00
-6:00 Alabama C%sT 1942
-6:00 US C%sT
# Chambers and Lee county had DST in 1966.
# This is zone 5 in Alabama county map.
# Sources DCD and Shanks have most communities in Chambers and Lee county, the
# Fort Tucker area in Dale county and a few towns in Macon county follow the
# federal DST in 1966. We use Chicago rule for 1966.
# Zone is named after largest town in Chambers, Auburn at 85w29
#
# Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL]
Zone America/Alabama/Auburn -5:41:56 - LMT 1883 Nov 18 12:18:04
-6:00 US C%sT 1920
-6:00 Alabama C%sT 1942
-6:00 US C%sT 1966
-6:00 Chicago C%sT 1967
-6:00 US C%sT
# Zone 6 on Alabama county map:
# Governor Dixon tried ordering DST in 1940, but aside of the Montgomery area
# (see above) only a few areas of the state followed. Shanks has a large part
# of Tuscaloosa county, the area around the state's largest city Birmingham in
# Jefferson and Shelby county, part of Etowah and Calhoun county, and gives
# April 20 to Sep 29. As quoted above, the begin date was one week later May 5.
#
# According to various newspaper reports more parts of the states, those with
# larger cities and towns, took part, among them Talladega (in same county),
# Athens in Limestone county, Decatur and Hartselle in Morgan county,
# Tuskegee in Macon county, Cullman in Cullman.
# The large city of Mobile did not take part, nor did most rural
# areas. About the extension of the following around the towns Tuskegee,
# Athens and Talladega we have no precise data. The map marks an assumed
# range.
#
# Newspapers report that various parts ended DST rather soon.
# The governor gave up DST in August, see zone Montgomery above. Gadsen,
# Birmingham, Anniston, Talladega and Birmingham are reported to have stayed
# on until the originally proclaimed duration.
# Towns with Early endings get extra zones:
# Decatur and Hartselle Sunday June 9.
# Athens June 5 ('on the ballot day June 4 before the vote count was
# completed' according to Florence Times Daily of June 6).
# Tuscaloosa August 10 (Tuscaloosa News of August 4).
#
# Zone is named after largest town in state, Birmingham at 86w48
#
# Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL]
Zone America/Alabama/Birmingham -5:47:12 - LMT 1883 Nov 18 12:12:48
-6:00 US C%sT 1920
-6:00 - CST 1940 May 5 02:00
-5:00 - CDT 1940 Sep 29 03:00
-6:00 Alabama C%sT 1942
-6:00 US C%sT
# Eastern part of state around Phenix adopted EST in 1941, following
# nearby Columbus, GA. All of Russell county, part of Lee county, following
# Shanks and DCD.
# Tuscaloosa News of Sept 23 reports that Phenix went to EST 'when Georgia
# changed from CST to EST some time ago'. The change in GA is complicated,
# Shanks and DCD give Mar 23 for Columbus, we stay with them.
# The same newspaper article says Phenix City stayed with EST when the parts
# of Alabama which were on DST went back to CST on Sep 23, but that the rest
# of Russell county except Phenix City went with the other parts of Alabama.
# We stay with Shanks here, as this county is later certainly on EST and
# we lack other information about a change date.
# In 1943 Columbus GA went from EWT to CWT, and according to Shanks Phenix
# followed. This seems logical, as the argument for Phenix following EST
# is that many inhabitants work in Columbus.
# This is zone 7 in Alabama county map.
# Zone is named after largest town participating, Phenix City at 85w0
#
# Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL]
Zone America/Alabama/Phenix -5:40:00 - LMT 1883 Nov 18 12:20:00
-6:00 US C%sT 1941 Mar 23 12:00
-5:00 US E%sT 1943 Feb 14 02:00
-5:00 - CWT 1945 Sep 30 02:00
-5:00 US E%sT
# Zone 8 for Tuscaloosa DST in 1940 with early ending, see comment above at
# zone Birmingham. Follow Shankls in the assumption that whole county went
# with county seat.
#
# Zone is named after county seat Tuscaloosa at 87w34
#
# Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL]
Zone America/Alabama/Tuscaloosa -5:50:16 - LMT 1883 Nov 18 12:09:44
-6:00 US C%sT 1920
-6:00 - CST 1940 May 5 02:00
-5:00 - CDT 1940 Aug 10 0
-6:00 Alabama C%sT 1942
-6:00 US C%sT
# Zone 9 for Athens, Limstone county, DST in 1940 with early ending,
# see comment above at zone Birmingham. Extent around Athens is not known,
# zone drawing in county map is hypothetical border. Possibly whole county
# should be added.
#
# Zone is named after Limestone county seat Athens at 86w58
#
# Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL]
Zone America/Alabama/Athens -5:47:52 - LMT 1883 Nov 18 12:12:08
-6:00 US C%sT 1920
-6:00 - CST 1940 May 5 02:00
-5:00 - CDT 1940 Jun 5 0
-6:00 Alabama C%sT 1942
-6:00 US C%sT
# Zone 10 for Hartselle, Morgan county, DST in 1940 with early ending,
# see comment above at zone Birmingham. Extent around Hartselle is not known,
# zone drawing in county map is hypothetical border.
# Hartselle went like Decatur in 1940, but needs separate zone because it did
# (according to Shanks) not have DST in 1958 like Decatur.
#
# Zone is named after Hartselle at 86w56
#
# Zone NAME GMTOFF RULES FORMAT [UNTIL]
Zone America/Alabama/Hartselle -5:47:44 - LMT 1883 Nov 18 12:12:16
-6:00 US C%sT 1920
-6:00 - CST 1940 May 5 02:00
-5:00 - CDT 1940 Jun 9 0
-6:00 Alabama C%sT 1942
-6:00 US C%sT
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