The Alabama Dept. of Archives and History collects and preserves records and artifacts that document the history of the state. Prior to 1981 the dept. maintained numerous vertical files that were created by various divisions within the dept. The subjects and content of these vertical files were determined by countless individuals employed by the dept. from ca. 1920 to 1981. This artificial series consists of newspaper clippings of the regular feature column by Walter Overton. Overton was born in Tex. ca. 1893. His childhood was divided between Tex. and Baldwin County, Ala., where he eventually settled as an adult. An artist as well as a writer, Overton studied at the Art Students League in New York and in Italy and France during the 1920s. He supported himself by working as a newspaper illustrator and by painting water colors. For 37 years Overton produced a regular feature, "Southland Sketches," exclusively for the Mobile Press Register except for two years during World War II. This feature, which consisted of sketches and descriptions of Gulf Coast oddities and attractions, had originated in other newspapers three years prior to its exclusive run in the Press Register. Overton also began a feature called "Let's Talk About Alabama" in 1942 for the Mobile newspaper. In 1950 the artist published Southland Sketch Book, a collection of the newspaper features, followed by a sequel in 1963, Southland Sketches, Book II. He continued to produce the column until his death on 1976 Mar. 20.
