Along a country road next to a muffler shop and a cemetery is the 40,000-square-foot Unclaimed Baggage store, filled with all the items that never made it home from vacation. Shoes, samurai swords, iPods, even lingerie, all available for 20 to 80 percent off.Scottsboro, tucked into the farthest northeastern corner of Alabama, offers far more than rich history lessons. While it is the home of the famous Scottsboro Boys case, a landmark legal battle that led to changes in how trials are conducted, the city is also a great place to look for lost treasure.
The famous Unclaimed Baggage Center sells anything and everything that might be found in abandoned or lost luggage that this destination shopping experience buys up from airlines.
SMALL TOWN, BIG PRECEDENT
Scottsboro, which was incorporated in 1870 and has a population of just under 15,000, sits at the tail end of the Appalachian Mountains, next to the Tennessee River and Lake Guntersville. For outdoor enthusiasts, the city has much to offer. Fishing, camping and waterfront activities abound. But it is most well known for its prominent place in U.S. legal history.
In 1931, nine African-American men were accused of raping two white women and sentenced to death without effective legal representation. The case, which ended up going to the Supreme Court twice, established that all criminal defendants are entitled to adequate attorneys.