On this day in 1914, Joe Louis Barrow was born near LaFayette in Chambers County. One of Joe Louis’ cousins later remembered that “Joe could holler loud as a wildcat.” Despite his healthy lungs, there were few indications from his childhood that Joe Louis would become one of the world’s greatest boxers.
In 1926, the family moved to Detroit. It was there that he began boxing and dropped “Barrow” from his name. He dedicated himself to the sport and earned a reputation as a tough opponent in the ring, but an amiable man outside of it.
On June 27, 1935 local papers announced Primo Carnera’s defeat at the gloved hands of the “Brown Bomber.” Another paper reported that after his stunning win, his mother Lillie was “the proudest woman in the world.”
Joe Louis became the world heavyweight champion on June 22, 1937. He held the title for 12 years, longer than anyone before or since. Louis became a hero to Americans, both black and white, and quietly worked to improve race relations.
Joe Louis passed away in 1981 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery in honor of his service during World War II. Louis enlisted in the Army, and although he didn’t enter the battlefield, he fought in exhibition matches. He also personally donated nearly $100,000 in 1942 to military causes.
A number of years after Joe Louis’ death, a group of Chambers County residents wished to highlight the famous boxer’s connection to the county with a local landmark.
In February 2010, an eight-foot bronze statue of the “Brown Bomber” was unveiled on the west side of Chambers County Courthouse in LaFayette. Created by noted Mobile sculptor Casey Downing, Jr., the statue is mounted on a base of Alabama red granite. Area residents raised some $60,000 for the statue, and the unveiling ceremony brought one of the largest crowds in LaFayette history to the celebration.
To learn more about Chambers County history, please visit Cobb Memorial Archives.
Cobb Memorial Archives 