Situated along the meandering Tennessee River at the base of the foothills of the Appalachians is a region ablaze with beauty, bustling activity, and a rich heritage. Indian mounds, visible around the countryside, stand testament to prehistoric Native Americans who first view the mighty Muscle Shoals on the Tennessee River. “The Shoals,” as the area has come to be called, takes its name from this shallow and rocky stretch of River, over which swift water fell. A cluster of distinctive cities, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, Tuscumbia, and neighboring Florence, grew to create a diverse tapestry against which history is still unfolding.