Coming up with drawings for the counties were easy for some, but harder for others, according to Murray.

“I started with the Encyclopedia of Alabama and read everything about that county that I could find along with the National Register of Historic Places,” Murray said. “Some of the difficult counties, I went straight to the National Register and found out what buildings were historic and what buildings the county had put a lot of resources in to taking care of it. I use all of those resources and when I was stumped I tried to find somebody that I knew that was either from that county or had lived there or worked there.”

Writing vs. drawing

Murray said she prefers drawing over writing.

“I’ve always loved to draw,” Murray said. “Drawing just helps that creative outlet for me. I never really thought I was going to write much copy in this book, but I really found the need to explain what I was drawing.”

Murray said it is great that her book is coming out during the state’s bicentennial, which is celebrating Alabama places this year.

She said she wants to make her book a companion piece for fourth graders learning about Alabama history.