The Deshler Female Institute was named in memory of Brigadier General James Deshler. The original buildings were destroyed by a tornado on November 22, 1874. The buildings were rebuilt in 1875. The Institute closed in 1917 due to lack of funding & remained predominantly empty until 1924, when the city tore down the old building to build a new one which became Deshler High School. The Institute was centrally located in Tuscumbia, Alabama and surrounded by Main Street, Dickson Street, Second and Third Streets.