This feature originally ran in our Community Matters magazine.
Before Cullman was known for its manufacturers and industries, most of the county relied on agriculture. For many families, farming was more than a way of life and something they heavily depended on. Things began to change in the 1950s when a group of local businessmen, later called the Flying Fifty, took bold action to bring new jobs to Cullman.
Even though they were called The Flying Fifty, the group actually had about 47 or 48 members. They got their name because they were willing to fly out of town to look for new industries for Cullman, which was unusual for a small Alabama community back then.
The story began when Dr. Leroy Bledsoe learned that people from King Edward Cigar Company were passing through Cullman on their way to Mississippi to look for a place to build a new factory. After his wife told him the news, Dr. Bledsoe reached out to local businessman Roy Drinkard. In just a few hours, community leaders came up with a plan.
The next day, 47 men paid their own way to travel to Jacksonville, Florida, to meet with executives of King Edward Cigar Company. With help from Alabama Governor Jim Folsom, the group rented a ballroom at the Hotel Mayflower and invited the company’s board of directors to lunch.
At the meeting, Cullman’s representatives explained why the cigar factory should come to their city. They convinced the company leaders to visit Cullman and take a closer look at the proposal. To make the project happen, the community needed money to buy land for the factory and to support future efforts to attract new businesses. So, local leaders put up a small building on the courthouse lawn, which people started calling the “Cigar Shack.”
The fundraising campaign soon involved the whole county. Local radio stations stopped their usual shows and broadcasted from the shack while volunteers made phone calls. People from all over Cullman County gave what they could, from children’s pocket change to bigger donations from businesses and community leaders. In just a few days, they raised over $83,000.
Their hard work paid off. King Edward Cigar Company chose Cullman for its new factory, bringing hundreds of jobs and new opportunities beyond farming. For many people, this was the start of a new chapter for the local economy.
Although the group never traveled together as a whole again, many members kept working to bring new businesses to Cullman for years. Many Flying Fifty members later joined Industrial Development boards and Chamber of Commerce committees, continuing their efforts to boost the local economy. Their wives also played a key part by welcoming visiting business prospects into their homes and helping show off the community.
Today, many people know the name “Flying Fifty” from the hotel, but fewer know the story behind it. The group’s legacy lives on in the industries, businesses and jobs that came to Cullman because of their work.
The Flying Fifty Hotel is located at 515 Fourth St. SW in Cullman. Find it online at www.theflyingfifty.com.
