I hear it said on a daily basis, that there is nothing here for the kids to do. Well Laurie Farms has solved that dilemma for folks in this part of the world. For the next few weekends there is indeed something for them to do.
Laurie Farms will be hosting a Corn Maze and much more.
Starting September 30, and every Saturday from 10:00 AM till 6:00 PM, and every Sunday from 1:00 PM till 6:00 they will be open. There are also some spaces open for school field trips as well during the week.
As I ramble across this country, I run into some of all kinds of interesting things and people. I am forever amazed at the ingenuity of the people around us. It seems like around every turn there is something new and exciting to see and another encounter that is better than the last.
I see all kinds of things out there to look at and experience. Today I encountered something new and fresh for the area of Monroe County, Alabama.
I drove down to below Uriah, Alabama and visited Laurie Farms. I had communicated with George Laurie concerning him putting on a Corn Maze this year. Immediately when he told me what he was planning I had to see for myself. As always nosey me had to know what, when, why, and how.
I scheduled with George to be there this afternoon to get a grand tour. I was literally awestruck when I saw. I almost, could not, believe what I was looking at. I honestly do not know what I was expecting but I sure wasn’t expecting what I found. All I could say was WOW.
George told me when we talked earlier in the week that he was hosting a Corn Maze. I had heard of a Corn Maze before, but I thought of a Corn Maze as something that somebody had gone out in a cornfield and pulled up corn plants in a certain pattern or something. I had no clue even how you made such a thing.
George explained to me that they had been able to get a precision planter that they found a corn maze somewhere and downloaded it and took it to a chemical company and they made a program and put it on an SD Card and then put that in the controller for the planter and it planted the seed where they needed to be planted to make the maze. They had to double plant so that the rows were at different angles.
That alone intrigued me. But then we went on past the field and lo and behold I saw this incredible amount of different stuff out there. Most of it hand built, but with incredible workmanship. There are games and rides and so many things to do.
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Under the shed there are these large tubes that will be a slide into a pit of shelled corn. There are these wooden sawhorses with a wooden cow head on them that the kids can throw a hula hoop over the head like a cowboy ropes a cow. There are these hand pumps with a white trough that travels a distance that will be a duck race.
There are these large round tubes out there that are called Human Hamster Wheels. There are Tether Ball games. Tug of War Games and Basketball Throw games are there. There is a Barrell Train ride, and a Hayride.
There will be sodas, and hamburgers, and hotdogs, and sausage dogs.
There is a dozen or so picnic tables, but seating will be limited so folks will need to bring lawn chairs to sit in.
There will be no coolers allowed and there will be no pets allowed.
There are pallets of pumpkins for sale also of various sizes and colors.
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There is a probably a whole lot more that I didn’t even pick up on and ask about.
I came down to see Laurie Farms Corn Maze expecting to just see a field of corn with a maze through it. I left shaking my head at how nice all the stuff they had looked. George said that they had been working on this project since last December. It is amazing how much stuff they have built and the quality of workmanship in the things they have.
All I can say is there is now something for your kids to do here for the next few weeks so do not hesitate to support these folks who have gone to great lengths to bring this to this area.
A few months ago, I friended a guy by the name of Demp Bell on Facebook. I started to notice him always mentioning something called Cornwallis 1828 at Braggs, AL. The more I saw him share the more intrigued I became with this place. I was having trouble figuring out exactly what did he have going on there.
A few days ago, I finally messaged him and got him to tell me about this place. The more he shared the more intrigued I became. I knew that I had to see this place and learn about it.
First off, anybody that knows me, and anything about me, knows that if it has anything to do with history and photography, I am all in. My passions in life are photography, history, and traveling. Normally I end up tying the three together into one package. This place from what I could ascertain talking to Demp had it all.
I was obligated last week to go out on one more of my Ramblings over in the Eastern part of the state. We decided that I would visit this week. I got up bright and early this morning and headed to Braggs, AL. to meet Demp and see this place called Cornwallis 1828.
I met Demp and he gave me the tour. It is a fascinating, magical, beautiful place.
So, exactly what is Cornwallis 1828 you are asking by now, I am sure.
It was the homestead of Peter N. Bragg who was a Revolutionary War Soldier.
It is a place that is a work in progress to start off with. It is being set up to have an authentic 1828 homestead to be toured. It will have trails for kids on field trips to visit and have reenactors in the dress of the period who will tell stories of how thigs were and about the characters they portray. A place where teachers can bring kids and they can get their hands dirty.
It is also a place with an incredible amount of wildlife of the native species of the area. It has birds, birds, birds. Because of that fact there will be Birding tours offered to groups. That will be an opportunity to photograph some incredible species of birds. Depending on the season there will be opportunities that will put a bird photographer in hog heaven. Or should I say in birdie heaven maybe.
The photo opportunities here are limitless, depending on the season. Flowers of numerous varieties grow wild. Various other plants that are not flowering but are beautiful are here. Maybe even some varieties that have not even been named or in colors that are not anywhere else. It appears to be that special.
Then on top of that there is this beautiful creek that flows through the property that has incredible numbers of fossils in it. There will be tours for that also. Groups will be able to come in and look for fossils and photograph them also.
There are lakes for fishing, and trails for hiking. There are numerous other opportunities for one to see and there are other additions on the way to continue to make Cornwallis 1828 an even more fun and magical place to visit.
I absolutely know that I will visit this place many times in the future and share the experience of the incredible things it has to offer for years to come.
The U.S. has a lot of little, small towns with really, unusual names. Some of them even border on the bizarre I would guess you would say. I have been through a few in my time and have heard of many more that I honestly have not taken time to research to see if they really exist. I know in Northern Monroe County, AL. there is Hybart which is named after the family who was the first postmaster there. Then there is Scratch Ankle, it is out from Franklin, AL. There is also Burnt Corn which is on the Old Federal Road on the Eastern Side of Monroe County and is also the County Line. Burnt Corn actually is divided by the road. One side is in Monroe County and one side of the road is Conecuh County.
I have written blogs onFranklin, Burnt Corn, and on Hybart. At some time in the future, I will probably write one on Scratch Ankle.
I have heard of a town named Smut Eye for years but honestly, I never took time to see if it actually did exist, and I surely had never been there that I remember anyway.
As I was planning out a trip a month or so ago, I ran across the name on the map. Immediately I was enthused. I marked that one on my list. I just had to go to Smut Eye. I was not sure what I would find. Pretty much any of these little towns that I visit is a surprise. “Kind of like a box of chocolates.” You never know till you get there and see. I just had to go to Smut Eye if for no other reason than to say, “Hey I have been to Smut Eye, Alabama before.
According to various sources online it is an unincorporated community in Bullock County, Alabama. Various sources say that it got its name from the soot on people’s faces that hung around the Blacksmith Shop. I am sure there are several renditions of that story concerning the Blacksmith Shop. There is an in-depth story or two on that subject and much more information online at http://www.smuteye.com/history-smuteye.htm.
As with most very small communities scattered across the country, time has not been good to the structures there. It was getting on over in the afternoon when I got there, and it was going to be the last stop for me for the afternoon. I had dawdled for too long in other places. I was staying the night all the way over at Bluff Creek on the Georgia line. I was not nearly as far East as I had intended to be by that time of the afternoon.
I did not have time to look for long, but I did see a couple of old buildings and I took a few pictures.
As I sat back for the night after I had been there, I could only think what Smut Eye might have been like a hundred years ago. Although I have not seen pictures of it, nor do I know where it was located, in my mind’s eye I started to visualize what the blacksmith shop might have looked like. I pondered on the mental picture that I painted of it. The horses and mules that would come in to be shod. Quite possibly there would be oxen that would be shod as well. There would have been wagons quite possibly that would have had to have wheels repaired on. There would have been plows to sharpen and possibly other things needing repaired on the plow stocks. I stopped and focused on the shop itself. There would have been a forge to heat metal with. There would have been an anvil to hammer out things on to shape them. There would have been a vise mounted on a post somewhere most likely in an open area of the shop. There would have been numerous other tools sitting around as well.
Because of writings I read about the place I stopped and started thinking about the people coming in and hanging out. It quite possibly would have been a gathering place that the men of the community would have used when they were not working in the fields or, doing other farm work. Possibly a place that they might gather if they brought their wives and daughters to the store. The men and boys might have meandered over to there to wait and socialize.
Too many years have come and gone. For those that are associated with the place locally there are I am sure, some memories that have been handed down by the generations. In the not-too-distant future, even the numbers of those that have heard the stories will dwindle down, until they are remembered no more.
Smut Eye Alabama, another small town in the U. S. that has been bypassed with progress, or from the perspective of some like myself destroyed by a false progress that so many deem as good.
One thing is for sure. I can truthfully say. I have been to Smut Eye, Alabama.
Traveling to do this blogging and photography is a learning experience for me. I have always loved to travel but, to try to cover the state in a methodical way is new to me. It is a total learning experience.
A major obstacle I needed to overcome was a cost-effective way to spend the night. Since covering the distance, I need to cover on a trip entails one or more nights away from home at the time. I needed something cheap and comfortable. Because of the heat and eventually the cold, I really do not want to camp in my tent and sleep on the ground, in a sleeping bag, on an air mattress. If my wife goes with me that is a strict NO on her part as well.
I have researched the possibility of getting a smaller motorhome. We have a Class A motorhome that is very comfortable but for the purpose I have currently, it is not practical. It is just too big and expensive to operate.
I am researching buying a smaller motorhome and might soon go to that method of traveling. The small motorhome will be more comfortable and is not off the table in the future.
This has all led me to research taking a minivan and modifying the inside to make it comfortable to sleep in. I chose the Dodge Caravan because it comes with a well recommended history of reliability and economy compared to some others. Because of the Stow and Go seating it is easier to set up than some of the others.
I will say in my opinion, now that I have been using it, I think it is awesome. Again staying with it is still a study in action.
The reflectix insulation material that I cut to fit the windows gives incredible insulation and privacy. I installed a bed that the frame slides in and out and a tri-fold foam mattress thus the bed can slide in together and make a couch if need be. Most of the time however I never fold it.
The bed is high enough off the floor that it allows storage underneath it. The reflectix panels cut to fit the windows and windshield tuck underneath the mattress when not needed and for travel.
The Air Conditioner I installed keeps it comfortable to sleep on the hottest of nights. What I did for AC was to purchase a 110-volt portable stand-alone AC unit. After researching I figured out that there are two different ones. One has just an exhaust hose for the hot air off the condenser to be exhausted. There is another one that has two hoses. On that type of unit one hose brings in outside air to the condenser coil and the other one blows the hot air back out. Then the air inside is circulated by a fan inside the unit. Doing that the hot air is removed. With the single hose unit the air is pulled from inside the room or in this case the van, and if you remove the air it has to be replaced some way so that means it pulls air in from the outside through whatever cracks or holes you have that it can get in. The information I found said the single hose was not nearly as efficient as the dual hose unit. That is why I went with the dual hose unit. I made a transition piece that the hoses attach to that fits in the driver’s side back window which raises and lowers by a switch in the drivers door on my Caravan.
When I park for the night, it takes a few minutes to set up but no longer really than to set up a tent or even another kind of camper and, it works really well. I move both front seats completely forward. Then turn the AC unit around and connect the hoses which store under the bed along with the transition piece for travel. Then I connect them to the transition piece. Then close the side door, pull the transition piece into the window where it fits in the top. Raise the window up to make it tight and the AC is ready to turn on.
A large power cord runs inside the van from the rear underneath the tailgate that supplies power for whatever needs power inside. I then plug that cord into a multi outlet plug on a large cord that plugs into the power outlet supplying shore power to the van, normally at a campground. The other outlets work for appliances to make coffee or what ever else.
I use a small rechargeable lantern that hangs in the coat hook on either side of the van for a light and it works perfect. It can be moved from side if needed and has three different light levels.
If I choose to sit inside which, I have been doing as hot as it has been. I can sit on the bed and place pillows behind my back and use my computer to type or sort pictures, or read, very comfortably.
One issue I faced has been keeping things cool like food and water. With everything in the van there is no room for a large cooler. The first trip I tried two small coolers with Frozen Ice Packs that you put in the freezer and then after they freeze you put them in the cooler. In the other cooler we froze some water bottles and put in it. This worked somewhat but by the second day it was not working so well.
Next trip we tried freezing several more water bottles and putting them in one cooler and just using some frozen bottles in the other one as well. This worked pretty good, but it still entailed dealing with having to freezing water. Freeze too much of it and it does not thaw out quick enough to drink. Freeze not enough and you have hot water or other stuff spoiling in the coolers.
A few weeks ago while surfing the web I happened up on a small 12 volt refrigerator. Now first off, I thought it was a 12-volt cooler of the type that heat or cool. Normally they are called thermoelectric coolers which are capable of cooling 40 degrees below the ambient temperature. I guess under ideal conditions this might be a good deal. I had tried a couple of different ones of that type in the past, for different applications, and they did not work for me.
As I continued to read, I discovered this one was a true refrigerator with a compressor. The more I read the more interested I became.
One more thing I will interject here is that I have a power station. It is a rechargeable device that is about the size of a car battery. It is made by a company called Bluetti. It is the model EB3A. This little rechargeable box has 12-volt power outlets on it. It has USB outlets on it to charge devices. It has a wireless phone charger on top so you can lay a phone on top of it and charge it. It also has 2, 110-volt power outlets on it. I have a small coffee maker and have used it to make two pots of coffee on a charge believe it or not. It has a USB-C plug that I can charge my laptop from without the 110-volt power cord and it will charge my drone controller as well. It is not powerful enough on the 110-volt to run the AC unit but does many other things.
The little refrigerator will plug into the power station and run about 5 to 6 hours continuously. With the compressor cycling off and on it could run 8 to 12 hours or more easily if the refrigerator is where it is relatively cool so that it does not cycle on much, I don’t know how long it could run on a charge but quite a while.
The power station will charge from a cigarette lighter power port in the van when the van is running, as well as from a 110-volt cord when plugged into shore power. It also has the capability of charging from solar panels if I needed it to. Utilizing solar it would literally run the little fridge indefinitely I honestly believe.
On the last trip I ran, I had 36° water and food the entire trip. The power station never pulled down. In fact it was at 100% charge when I stopped for the night to camp. I just connected the refrigerator to 110-volts for the night and reconnected to the power station the next morning.
I have been staying at campgrounds where I have power. A senior citizen with the Senior Card can stay at the Government campgrounds for half price. In most places in Alabama that ends up being $13 to $14 a night. That is not a bad deal beings you have electricity, a clean nice place to take a shower, and it is normally peaceful and safe.
I normally just use a small coffee maker to make coffee. I have not been cooking because I have been on a diet (I was able to lose 60 pounds) but will probably either put in a very small microwave or a small toaster oven or griddle or both that will store underneath the bed.
My goal with this setup is not for a camping experience so much as a comfortable place to sleep, get something simple and fast to eat, and then be able to breakdown and leave as fast and easy, and economical, as possible.
As I continue with my projects, I will need to travel further distances from home and stay away longer. Traveling alone the van is great. Traveling with two of us it will be crowded for several days at the time.
I am sure that there are numerous things I will still learn on this little setup. I have stayed several nights in the van now and hope to continue to stay in it a while yet anyway.
I see people on YouTube that live in them lengthy amounts of time but don’t think I want to go to that level. It is however a great way to do my thing documenting these places in our great and beautiful land.
As I have said already, I have thought seriously about staying with the van and I have weighted getting a Class B or Class C motorhome. There are pros and cons to all. Time will tell as to whether I stay with the minivan or go to a motorhome. Regardless of the fact. The minivan is a good way of traveling.
If anybody has any questions leave me a message or comment and I will gladly answer you back.
The day started out as normal for me. This was going to be my fourth trip out in my quest to visit all 67 counties in my 67th year. This time I went north up I-65 and got off at Ft. Deposit and then worked north before I started East towards the Georgia line.
I made several stops and looked at various things and took numerous photos. Just like a normal day out there doing what I do. Searching, always searching. Most times not sure what for but I guess anybody that likes photography and writing blogs they are looking and might be uncertain on what they are looking for but when they see it they know.
Today it was getting up in the day when I made it to Union Springs AL. As I normally do when I get to a town like that I ride through and look to try to form a game plan on which direction I want to go on foot. I made a pass through and then parked on one end of the main drag and poured a cup of coffee out of my thermos and reached in my little refrigerator and got a half of a foot long sandwich that my wife and made for me and ate lunch. After I finished my coffee and most of the sandwich, I put the rest in the fridge and got my camera and my phone and set out.
Normally I walk and look and take photos. I kind of get in my own world and although I normally am very situationally aware of what is going on around me, I rarely interact with anybody.
I do this for several reasons. First of all, in today’s society it seems that if you speak to the wrong stranger first to open a conversation many times folks will look at you like you are weird. Many go so far as to describe you as being creepy. Secondly if you know me, you know, that I could get into a conversation with a total stranger at a gas pump 500 miles from home and talk 30 minutes.
Trying to cover as much ground as is needed with no more time than can be allotted that takes too much time. I normally eat on the go, and don’t stop for much. Walk through, look at the angles on buildings and take my shots. Sometimes the buildings across the street are ideal to photograph and numerous things are better on the side I am on. When I get to one end I turn around cross the street and do it again coming back.
I normally do not take photos with people or cars in them if possible. In fact, sometimes I have waited several minutes to take a photo or even passed on one and came back to keep from it.
Stan “Chilly Cooks”
An inspiration.
Here is one that is doing something about the issues at hand in this world by mentoring young people in his community.
As I walked up one side, I noticed a building across the street that had writing at the top that said Chilly’s ICE Cool Band. It was a neat building with a porch cover out over the sidewalk. Sitting under the cover was a guy. I wanted to take a photo of it but I would not take the shot because there was a guy there.
As I walked to the other end of town and crossed the street. I was walking back towards that building. I was taking different shots of the buildings and trying to stay focused. When I got back to that building the guy was still there. As I was walking by, I nodded, and he was smiling.
As I approached I had noticed a School Bus with Chilly’s ICE COOL Band painted on the side.
That was this man. Then and there is where I met Stan “Chilly” Cooks. Immediately I had to know what Chilly’s ICE Cool Band was all about. He asked me where I was from, and I told him. He said I know where that is. I have played music there.
He said come in and let me show you what I have here. I walked in the door not having a clue what I was about to see.
That is when I realized for sure that this was special.
You see there are people all over that complain about the issues they see in the world but never do anything about them. Chilly is one of those people that sees an issue and instead of complaining about it he is doing something about it.
Chili’s ICE Cool Band is a free after school program for kids. He has music instruments of numerous kinds in this room. He has a full sixed school bus, that has Chilly’s ICE Cool Band on the side.
Here is a man that brings kids from 6 to 18 years old in the afternoon and does a free music program with them with instruments provided.
The interesting thing thought is he is not just teaching them music. He is teaching them so much more. The music is from what I see just a tool to get them to come with excitement. He has rules that they are expected to adhere to.
Even ICE has meaning. ICE is a acronym for Integrity, Communication, ad Execution.
He even has them recite a pledge. I was blown away.
Chili’s Pledge goes like this.
I pledge to honor and uphold all rules of Chilly ICE Cool Band. To always give my best effort everything I do. To study hard, to play hard, exercise hard, perform hard, to respect my elders at home, and when out and about, and to always remain ICE Cool throughout.
We visited for a few minutes after he showed me the place and told me about it. I left and went on my way. To be honest he made my day. He was so uplifting and positive to talk to.
I can see how he would be a magnate to young people and definitely appeared to me to be a positive influence to the kids of his community.
I would say that Chilly’s ICE Cool Band would definitely be a game changer for many kids in Union Springs, AL.
Here is a man that takes music and uses it to be a role model to youth. I can’t say enough. I definitely will not forget this man nor this program any time soon.
Chilly Cook it was definitely a pleasure to meet you. I pray that your program touches the lives of thousands of children and makes a ripple effect on your community.
Clayton has been the county seat of Barbour County since 1834. Barbour County was created from parts of Pike County and Louisville was chosen as the county seat. One year later an 11-member commission was formed to determine a new site for the county seat. After selecting a site in the geographic center of the county in 1834, county leaders christened the town Clayton in honor of Judge Augustine Smith Clayton, a U.S. representative from Athens, Georgia. The town was incorporated by an act of the Alabama Legislature on December 21, 1841.
Like I do on almost every little town I have had opportunity to visit I drove into town and passed through looking to see where I wanted to start. I do this because there are normally so many options to look at and I am normally limited. I normally leave home and try to take a swath across the state from wherever on I-65 East to the Georgia State Line. I have on the past three trips across spent a night in a campground in the area. Then I covered more area the next day and then went home. On this particular afternoon, I arrived in Clayton around 1:30 PM. Knowing I had a lot to see and a short time to see it I parked my van and hit the streets with my camera.
I had seen pictures of things in Clayton and had people on my Social Media group that had shared about it.
I had also read that it had once been a flourishing town with many stores and various other businesses over the decades past.
One of the first and more impressive things I saw as I walked along was an impressive mural. It clearly depicted much of the beauty and history of Clayton. It was, in my opinion well thought out. The designers and artist involved did a great job making a positive influence on this historic little Southern Town.
Another interesting sight was the Octagon House.
According to the historical marker beside the house, between 1859-1861. It was built by Benjamin Franklin Petty who was a carriage and furniture merchant. Mr. Petty was a native of New York and was a pioneer settler of Clayton. The Octagon House was patterned after the design made popular by Orson S. Fowler’s Book, A Home For All.
This is indeed a beautiful house that has stood the test of time. It is beautiful and definitely a show piece. Thankfully it appears to be well preserved and can be admired by future generations.
Another interesting find in Clayton was the Clayton Presbyterian Church. The sign out front stated that it was built in 1871. This is indeed a beautiful old building that has stood the test of time. It appears to be fairly well, maintained outside. I am sure that when it was built that it was a marvel of its time in this part of the world. As I stood in front of it, questions came to mind. I wondered how long it had been active? I wondered how many people had attended church services there when it was in its prime? I wondered how many years it had been since it was filled? I also wondered if it was active in some way even to this date?
One more treasure of the past of this like thousands of others in small towns in America struggling to just survive from being reclaimed by nature, wondering how many more generations will care to keep it maintained and standing.
As I always do I search for old churches, particularly those built either pre-1900 or early 1900’s. There is just something about then that intrigues me. I see them all over the Southland as I travel.
Another beautiful one is in Clayton. It is the Grace Episcopal Church. This old church according to the historical marker out front was completed on February 26, 1876. It is a Gothic Revival Style building
There are numerous other buildings left in Clayton that are kept up better or should I say have been freshly had a face lift of some sort. Such as the blue building here. I was told on social media that the right side of this one was the Ford Tractor Dealer.
Now as to every other small town I have been in on this journey across our beautiful state I want to bring this to attention. Actually, for me any ways it is the most important. It is one of the primary purposes of this endeavor. This part is not to bring shame or bring condemnation on Clayton nor any other small town I visit. It is to bring front and center the plight that Rural America is in.
Clayton, like all that I have been in has suffered. It has lost so much. Like every small town I know of there are empty buildings that are literally deteriorating around us. They all have a story. Many served for decades. Many were dreams that lived a lifetime and the proprietors’ retired or passed away. They all tell a story.
As with many of the small towns that I visit and share photos of on social media, Clayton has had and I hope continues to have many others that reminisce of times past. It warms my heart to see people share their stories of growing up there and of the thigns of the past the bring good memories to them. It does sadden me however many times when others that have not been to these towns see photos of them and it hurts them like it does me to see what has happened to the small towns of our childhoods.
As always, thank you for reading and following my ramblings and please feel free to leave comments.
Now Saturday is a rest day for me at this point in my life. I always joke and tell people since I am pretty much retired that, “I’m so lazy that if I got an award for being lazy, I would have to send somebody after it.”
My wife wasn’t feeling well because of a tooth situation so we had been hanging out at the house all day. She is like me in a sense. She can only sit in the house and do nothing for so long. Then, she has got to get up and get out and do something.
Finally, I asked her, did she want to go take a ride in the Jeep. She said well I don’t think my tooth will hurt any worse riding than it will sitting so I got my camera, a bottle of water, and a cup of coffee, and out the door we headed.
Just me my wife and our dog. We loaded in the Jeep and rode out and filled up with gas and headed out.
Now you have to understand something. Going for a ride in the Jeep in our part of the world is not a hard decision. Where, we end up going however, can be kind of a challenge. It is kind of like a couple that has been married for a lot of years trying to figure out where to eat supper. It is all good but where we want to go is just an elusive idea.
I started making my way out of Monroeville and for whatever I headed out towards Drewery AL. There are many dirt roads out that way and many times when we go ride on a whim we go out that way and hit the dirt roads.
For whatever reason I did not take one of the dirt roads but kept riding on the pavement. I was about halfway between Bermuda, and Burnt Corn when it hit me. I want to go to Burnt corn and take some photos. I haven’t taken any photos there in quite some time.
For whatever reason, Burnt Corn is one of those places that folks never get tired of taking pictures at. I honestly don’t remember the first time I took photos there, but I know that there are pictures hanging on people’s walls of the Methodist Church there that I took with a Canon AE-1 back in the 1980’s. I have taken photos there numerous times since.
Burnt Corn Methodist Church, an Icon of South Alabama.
Sadly, I don’t have many of the photos left that I took so many years ago with 35mm film cameras. I took hundreds if not thousands of them. I honesty do not know how many times I took photos of the churches and such at Burnt Corn.
Today however, is a new day and I decided that today was the day I was going to go back in and shoot some photos of Burnt Corn again, like I have done numerous times before.
We drove up in front of the Bethany Baptist Church and I parked off the side of the road and got out. There is normally not a major traffic congestion issue in Burnt Corn so as long as you are not parked in the road you are good to go.
Historic Bethany Baptist Church Built in 1874.
I took several shots of Bethany Baptist from several directions. As I was standing there taking photos and admiring it and how nice the paint looked, my mind went back to some time ago. I remembered another time I was taking photos of it and it had gotten in bad condition and needed painting. I had shared the photos on social media, not even thinking about how it looked.
I guess I have taken so many photos of so many little towns with buildings in bad shape that it just didn’t make much of an impression on me. The reason I didn’t think is I take photos by the hundreds of things that are in bad condition, and personally I had no ties to it other than I went to a few services there in the late 1970’s.
It did however cause a lot of people who saw it to take notice real fast. Before long there were numerous people contacting me and wanting to look at more of my pictures of it. Then a group got together and started raising funds and within weeks it was being painted.
It actually felt good to stand there and look at it and make photos of it with a nice paint job on it. The cemetery did need some attention but everything else was in great shape as far as I was concerned.
I then walked down the road with my camera and took a few shots of the Methodist Church. I have never been inside of the Methodist Church. I know that it has been an icon of our part of the world as with most things in Burnt Corn for decades. I know that like I mentioned early on I took photos of it in the 1980’s and enlarged some of them to 11X14’s and sold several of them.
I have heard many stories of that church, and how it came to be there, and how it came close to being torn down years ago, and so forth. What the stories are, and how they go, I am not sure, so I am not going to try to share them today, but it is a beautiful old church, and is a land mark that is recognized by many people all over the country.
Then I walked back and got in the Jeep with my wife and our little dog who were patiently waiting on me to do what I was doing.
I pulled up and parked the Jeep at the edge of the road near the Big Store. It was there that I remembered the house that sits out in the woods beside the Big Store. I shot a few photos of it. As I stood there wondering the history of that house. I honestly do not remember anything about it. In fact, I honestly for whatever reason, did not even realize it was there until a year or so ago. I had passed it hundreds, if not thousands of times, and for whatever reason had not paid it attention. I guess my attention had always been focused on the store or other buildings.
I then backed up and shot a few shots of the Big Store from different angles. Yet again I started to reminisce. I remember when I was probably seven or eight years old my father and I went in the store. That would have been there first time I remembered going in. I remembered it like it was yesterday. I remembered that my father had a horse that Mr. Lowery had used. Now I do not know the story as to details but, I know he used him more than one time. I think that they had horses and might have had folks from out of town come in and needed an extra horse to ride. Anyway, he had a horse that was an excellent saddle horse, and Mr. Lowery had used him more than once. I know one time they came over to Hybart and got him and one time we carried him over.
Then I backed out and started taking photos of the other buildings one by one. They are like stepping back in time. The histories of the rest I do not know. I know one is known as the old Barber Shop Building. There are others that are identified by many for the purposes they served over the years. Since I do not remember on some and on others, I never knew to start with. I won’t even try to define them nor their purposes throughout the decades.
Then there is the Coca-Cola advertisement building. Over the years since it was painted, I honestly think that Burnt Corn is known more for that building than even the Methodist Church. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen photos of that building. I am not sure when the advertisement was painted nor who painted it but I know it is a well-known sight in the South.
I walked the street and took photos one at the time and then proceeded to walk back to the Jeep once again. As I was walking back to the Jeep I thought about the fact that one more unique thing about Burnt Corn is that it is on the Monroe, Conecuh, County line. The Big Store, and the Bethany Baptist Church, The Barber Shop, and the building with the Coke sign are in Monroe County. The Methodist Church and the other buildings on that side of the road are in Conecuh County. The road dividing the counties here is actually the Old Federal Road.
With that thought sliding around in my mind I got in the Jeep, and we drove on.
Burnt Corn is a town full of history. It is much the same it has been for the last century, and hopefully it will continue to be maintained and remain the same for another century. There will always be those like me to walk through on a lazy Saturday afternoon and take photos of and reminisce and wonder about it. If it is not maintained, at least myself and many like me will have photo records of it for the decades to come.
If you have not been there you need to go. It is a magical special place.
As those of you that have followed me on Facebook and other means know that I am working on several projects. One being get a drone video of as many standing Forest Fire Lookout Towers that are still standing in Alabama as I can. Another project that I want to accomplish is to visit all 67 counties in Alabama. In those counties I like to document the buildings left standing that probably won’t be a decade from now. I also like to document as many churches as I can that I see. Most times it is the old country whitewashed ones standing out and away, but many of the others as well. Of course, I will photograph anything interesting, different, or historical.
As I say more times than not when I write, I photograph the decay of our beloved Southland not to point an accusing finger nor degrade any local areas but rather to bring awareness to what has happened, and the damage done.
As is true with many I run into it bothers me to see what has happened to our great beautiful land. I try to shy away from politics and finger pointing as to the issues and rather to just show what has happened and allow those that see to make their own determinations.
I know all of this sounds redundant, but I feel that it needs to be said over and over.
Another decade and much of what we see in whatever forms of decay won’t be standing at all.
On this particular, trip my goal as to travel East from I-65 to the Georgia state line taking a zig zagging route pretty much North of Al. Hwy 10. This was to be my third trip across on this venture. The previous two trips had been across at lower levels with me working across one day, spending the night on the East side and working back West the second day.
As I was planning a recent Ramble, I was looking at my maps. I was trying to make a determination on what route I wanted to take. As the paths across move northward it requires more driving over the same areas already covered to get to the starting point so to speak.
For whatever reason my eyes settled on Fort Deposit. I have been through what we all know as Fort Deposit on I-65 hundreds of times in my lifetime. I however, cannot say that I have ever visited the town of Fort Deposit other than many years ago I went to the Calico Fort Arts and Craft show a couple of different times.
For whatever reason I honestly thought the town itself was on the East side of I-65 and not the West.
As my eyes settled on Ft. Deposit I started to settle on a route there taking the back roads. On this route I found Mt. Willing where a Fire Tower is still standing that I did not have photos of, so I could check something else off the list of things I Was working on. I actually wrote about that in an earlier post. https://jacksonsramblings.com/mt-willing-lookout-tower/.
Now as I drove the route up, and shot photos of various things, primarily old churches on the way up, and got the Fire Tower shots done, I made it to Fort Deposit.
According to Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Deposit,_Alabama
Since 1890 it has been the largest town in Lowndes County, AL. According to the information on Wikipedia it grew from 2000 to 2010 but then declined between 2010 and 2020. I would venture to say from the appearance I saw it is declining sharply since 2020. I have no way of knowing that for sure and I honestly hope something changes to reverse that.
Reportedly the town sits on 5.6 square miles.
Fort Deposit was named for the fort built there under orders of General Andrew Jackson. It was a supply fort that was built to supply soldiers during the times of the Creek Indian Wars. It was incorporated February 13, 1891. It also is supposed to be the highest point between Montgomery, AL. and New Orleans, LA.
Again this information came from Wikipedia and is referenced there is anybody chooses to source it all out.
Now as I arrived in Fort Deposit I was not certain what I would see. From experience of traveling small old towns, I figured there would be some buildings that were vacant and in various stages of decay. Sadly, very seldom do I visit an older Southern Town do I not see that.
The very first thing I saw upon entering town was a gathering of people. Curious I slowed down and realized that it was a food giveaway. There were trailers with pallets of food that was being distributed. There was a line of cars with folks waiting in line to get food. This is a sight that is all too common across the country. I did not take time to even estimate how many cars there were nor how many people but I know that the length of the line was incredible to me. This added to my thoughts of how depressed our beloved Southland has become.
I rode around and took various pictures of the various places in town. This is a town that has suffered immensely. A once bustling beautiful town that is like hundreds if not thousands more across America that are nothing more than rotting down buildings.
I say it every time I go into a town like this it breaks my heart. As I have seen on the various trips I have taken in the past and would see on this trip these towns are everywhere as I will write in blog posts to come.
Stores, post office buildings, doctor’s offices, churches, and many homes. So many times just sitting there deteriorating.
Many times, you can identify the place by the sign or remnants of a sign that is there still. Other times there is no sign and if a local does not fill you in you have no way of knowing what was there. Clothing stores, mom and pop grocery stores, all closed up.
Overlooking the town there was a beautiful painted water tank. That is a sign of hope. It is a thing of beauty. As always that is still a sign of the future. I also saw numerous houses well kept up in the residential areas of town. That is a positive as well. Although the businesses were forced to close fortunately people are still able to. Live there.
One beautiful thing to me was this beautiful church building. I hope somebody will chime and with comments and tell me all about it. It looks to me like it is going through some sort of renovation, which I think is awesome.
I saw other positive things here. There were other churches that were still kept. Even though there were many buildings that were empty or just there, there was life still in this town which I am glad to see.
Like so many of our southern neighbors this town will most probably be here many years to come and somehow I would not doubt it coming back to something of its former glory one day.
As always it was a pleasure to visit Fort Deposit, Alabama and hopefully I will see it again in the not too distant future and hopefully there will be signs of growth and comeback that are evident to all.
As most people know Forest Fire Lookouts is actually what got all of this started. Sort of.
I have been working on getting drone videos and pictures of them for years now. As most of you know it is my desire to document every one left standing in the State of Alabama. From the best of my estimation there are about 75 left.
Also to the best of my knowledge there have been only 4 that are South of US hwy 80 and West of I-65 that I have not been able to get to.
Two of those are behind gates and I have not successfully gotten the opportunity to get them. I just found out about one only a few weeks ago. That one is actually in the very Southern and Western most part of Mobile County. The fourth one has been up at Mt. Willing in Southern Lowndes County.
I have actually left home to get to Mt. Willing and for whatever reason never got there. You might say for me it has been elusive. I could not figure out exactly how to get to it even from the road. Now days so many roads that are few years ago were considered public roads are no longer open.
This morning I was coming across the area heading to Ft. Deposit and lo and behold I looked at my map and there was the pin for Mt. Willing Lookout Tower. I was going to be the closest to it I remember being.
I started looking at the maps as best I could trying to figure it out. Obviously when I needed it the most I did not have enough cell signal to figure it all out on the maps. I could figure out that I was not too far from it but could not figure out how to get to it.
Then all of a sudden as I was looking off in the distance I could see it. There was a short distance across a clear cut but was like a window I would say that the tree line broke and I could see it off in the distance from the road.
Now I hold a current FAA Part 107 certificate to fly drones. I knew I could fly it but I needed to be able to maintain visual line of sight. I stood there and looked and looked trying to decide. Finally I decided to give it a try. I knew it was a stretch but if I could not hold sight I could just return the drone and give up till I figure out a better way.
I parked beside the road. Laid the landing pad out, started the drone and controller, and calibrated the compass on it, and took off. It was bright. It was hard to see the controller in the sunlight. I could see the drone all the way.
One issue you have flying towers that far out is determining how close to the tower you really are. You are looking at a tiny screen in bright sunlight. Looking at the drone itself that far away it is just a dot basically and it is hard to look at two objects and determine exactly how far apart the really are.
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At a thousand feet out or so it is hard to determine if. You are 50 feet away or you are about to hit it. My drone has obstacle avoidance in it. I brought it in to where the obstacle avoidance started reading the distance. I was able to get some decent photos and a short video of it.
Because of fear of losing sight of my drone I was not able to get as clear nor crisp pictures nor video as I do most towers. I was thankful though to get that one in the books as done.
The following information comes from the National Historical Lookout Registry:
The Mount Willing Lookout Tower in Lowndes County dates to 1936. The 100′ Aermotor MC-39 steel tower with 7’x7′ cab was built by CCC Company 4434, which was also a junior African-American unit.
Mt. Willing is: # 857 on the US Registry and #36 on the Alabama Registry.
It is located:
32°04’22.5″N 86°43’07.1″W
32.072903, -86.718627
I am thankful that I finally found it and got to take some pictures of it. I like to get closer and I like to make better photos. I will make a video when I get time. I actually have several I need to make videos of that I have taken the videos but not taken time to edit and put them up.
Information in National Historic Registry states: “This 100′ Aermotor MC-39 tower with 7’x7′ cab was built by the Alabama Forestry Commission in 1960. It has been decommissioned and is now owned by Rebecca Taylor and Dr. Lindsey Roberts.”
History is an incredible thing. Many of us take it personally to know all that there is to know about those things from our past.
Up till probably a year ago I did not know that Cane Creek Methodist Church at Chance Al existed, or should I say did not remember it existed.
Now in years past I had been to that part of the world and had ridden numerous back roads in and around it. I am sure that I had at some time passed it probably just oblivious to it. I am sure that I had seen it in fact but for whatever reason it never stuck.
About that time, I ran across a distant cousin of mine on Social Media and we were talking about our relatives from the past. Her grandfather and my grandmother were brother and sister.
Knowing that I rambled backroads taking photos of old churches and such she asked me if I possibly had any photos of the Old Cane Creek Methodist Church. At that point it clicked.
My Grandmother Ruby Bradford Knight was born in that part of the world in 1908. She had told me many stories of her early childhood living in that area. Now I can’t tell you for sure that she ever mentioned Cane Creek Methodist Church, but her family apparently were Methodist or she identified as Methodist although she never went to church that I knew of.
My great-grandmother and my grandmother’s brothers and sisters left the Chance area when my grandmother was 8 years old. That would have been 1916 apparently. She never mentioned the month or season of the year that I can remember anyway. Not totally sure of the circumstances under which they left.
They were according to her version of the story traveling with an oxcart hauling their possessions that they brought with them. Their destination was Vredenburgh, Al. I have heard her recap numerous times the fact that they traveled to the ferry which apparently would have been at Lower Peachtree.
One interesting thing about the story is that they spent the night at what was known as the King Plantation Mansion. This was a large Antebellum house that stood in that area. In the 1960’s it was dismantled and moved to Uriah, Al where it stands to this date. They spent the night there at the end of their first day of travel. They then left early and crossed the ferry with the oxcart.
She never mentioned, that I remember hearing how long it took them to get to Vredenburgh. I would think that they would have had to spend one more night between the ferry and Vredenburgh but I do not know for sure.
Anyway, back to Cane Creek Methodist Church. I am sure that there is a rich history of this old church as there is for most of the ones build throughout the US in the late 1800’s. From the design of it I would venture to say it was probably built mid to late 1800’s but that is only a guess.
At the time of this writing I have not found anybody that has that history and I can only hope that possibly somebody reading this will come forward and give me that information because I would love to have it and possibly even write another blog post on it.
Like I mentioned earlier my cousin mentioned me getting a picture of it. So, I went and found it and got a few photos of it. The day I went there was logging equipment parked all around it where a logging crew was cutting timber there, so it was hard to get good shots of it but I was able to get a few.
I had been planning to make a trip back into that part of the world in the not-too-distant future to get some more pictures of it. Hopefully this time there would be nothing around to interfere with good angles.
About a week ago I saw some photos on social media of it. I was shocked. A storm had come through and it had been blown off the blocks and severely damaged. I knew then that I had to go through and get some shots of it before it was gone.
This particular morning, I got up and headed out to Chance.
I rounded the curve and saw it and it hurt me to see it. I pulled up and got my camera out and walked to various angles and took a few shots of it.
As I stood there pondering over the dilemma that was present for this old church my mind went back in time.
I started to think of all of the families and friends that had been there many years ago. I could visualize the men, women, boys, and girls coming and going. First, they would have come probably on wagons or riding horses. Possibly with Oxcarts or mules pulling them. Then I started to think, wonder when the first cars possibly came?
As I walked to a different angle I started to think about the dinners on the ground. I pictured in my mind an outdoor table with fried chicken, and vegetables, and biscuits, and cornbread. I almost giggled as I pictured a washtub with sweet tea in it and a dipper to fill the glasses.
As I walked back to the Jeep to get ready to leave, I started to focus my mind back to reality. This might be the last time I would ever see this old church. It was definitely the best condition, as bad is it was, that I would ever see it in.
Like so many others here is one more that is about to be gone forever. A place that was community. A place where fellowship occurred. Where couples met. Where they were married. Where children were dedicated. A place of refuge. A place that was once held of high prominence that was now a fast-fading memory that the future generations would not even know existed.
It was a sad day that unfortunately for myself and many others like myself I will see played out hundreds of times in the future as I see old churches like this one that are slowly but surely being reclaimed by the earth back to the ground to be remembered no more.
Anybody that knows me knows I love history and interesting stories.
As always when I get the opportunity to get out and ramble I do so. Recently I went up to the New Hope Church at Natchez.
New Hope Church
est. 1855
Now I have been to the New Hope Church many times. I have friends who have relatives buried there. It is an old historical church that I just love to visit and photograph.
New Hope church
I have walked the cemetery many times and have recounted the stories of those that I knew that are now long gone.
Over on the far end kind of alone I saw a cross shaped marker standing alone. I immediately remembered what it was. It is the grave of The Bear Man.
Now understand something, at the writing of this I am 66 years old and I have heard the story of the Bear Man all of my life. I have heard it told different ways. Normally because it was told by different people just like I am sure that my version differs from others who tell it.
As I was reflecting on what I remembered, and I discussed it with my uncle Rickey House in Beatrice who is a walking history book. I also looked in the Centennial Edition of the Monroe Journal. I found a brief encounter of the story in the 1969 edition.
I knew the name of the bear but not the other names mentioned in the Centennial.
The names I will mention are from the Centennial. The rest of the story is pretty much as I remembered it from numerous others, I have heard tell it.
It is a unique story that in all probability no other communities in the entire US could duplicate.
As I have said earlier, I have heard several different renditions of this story. After reading the account in the Centennial I was able to see where the different versions might have come from.
For some reason in some accounts Buena Vista always comes up. In fact I have run into people over the years that would try to figure out where at Buena Vista the grave was. On more than one occasion I have heard that he was buried at Buena Vista.
Anyway here is what I was able to come up with on this story.
All accounts I have heard that identified the man in any way would say he was a Frenchman. Apparently, this man came into Buena Vista leading his bear. The Teacher one Professor Claude Hardy paid him to have the bear perform for the school children at Buena Vista. He would take a little boy’s hat and put it on the bear’s head, and he would stand on his hind legs and walk around and dance. Then after that he would have him climb a tree.
Upon leaving Buena Vista he proceeded on to Natchez with the bear.
Now from here once again variations come in. According to some sources he was performing for children there. From others no mention is made of performing there.
Regardless of that fact at Natchez the bear attacked the Frenchman. Some sources say that somebody was killing hogs and the smell of the blood upset the bear and he started towards the smell and when the Frenchman tried to restrain him, he attacked. Others I have heard say he was performing for children at the school at Natchez. I am not sure and probably nobody else is totally sure now.
The Centennial says that he threw him to the ground and was literally trying to eat him alive. That leads me to believe that something like the smell of fresh blood might have been involved.
Numerous different sources say that he was screaming the bears name calling him “Jimbo” and begging him to stop. More than one says that you could hear him screaming for a distance the words Jimbo, stop, please stop.
It is not clear exactly when but according to the Centennial after the bear killed the Frenchman, a local man named Jim Reeves killed the bear with his rifle.
Again, I have heard discrepancies in the story on this part but some sources say that the locals buried the man and the bear in the cemetery. Other sources I have heard said just the man and did not mention the bear.
Since nobody knew the man’s name they just always called him The Bear Man.
Now I do not know with 100 percent certainty what nor who is buried in the cemetery where the cross marker is. I however do know that there is a marker in the cemetery with the name The Bear Man on it and all sources I know of today agree that this is where he is buried.
The article in the Centennial puts it as happening in 1891 or 92. I have always heard it said as some time before 1900 or in the 1890’s.
As I said at the beginning this is a story that I remember hearing told from childhood. Some of the people I have heard tell it would have been born in the early 1900’s so the story was not that many decades old from when they heard it however, I am not sure if they heard if directly from somebody that was a witness.
One thing for sure it indeed had to have happened and that is a pretty close rendition of how it did happen.
A few weeks ago a good friend of mine messaged me and asked me if I would be interested in doing an over night kayak trip.
Now understand something up front.
Kayaking has been something that I wanted to do for years. I. had been watching these guys and gals having the times of their lives floating. I always had a reason not to buy a kayak and go. One of the main reasons was that I weighted too much to be comfortable in one. About a year ago I told my wife that I was going to lose some weight and get a kayak and that is what I did. I set out in earnest to lose weight in late September of 2022. I bought a kayak used in November. I had taken it to the lake and tried it out and made a trip in late December with a close friend. Then earlier this year I had made a couple more trips.
I had been an avid camper years ago. Over the years I had not camped primitive much and then it got to never doing it. I had gotten to the point that my equipment had either gotten in such bad shape that I had either gotten rid of it or thrown it away.
I bought more equipment over the past few months and a few weeks ago I actually went on an overnight at a local campground just to make sure I had what I needed, and it was going to work.
With all of that said, when I got the message, wild horses could not have stopped me from going. I was as excited as a fat kid in a Candy Store. I could not wait.
I went out the day before and made sure that I had everything packed I would need and loaded it on my kayak a couple of times to just make sure that it fit properly.
The morning finally came around. David my friend messaged me and said that we could ride together, and he would pick me up about 6:45 AM. I was awake by 4:30. When he got to my house, we loaded it up and we were off.
We made our way across US 84 to the Bellville Community and then down to the Castleberry. It was a clear beautiful morning, not cold and not hot. Just right in every way. We saw cattle and even a large coyote in the fields and pastures along the way.
We got there and soon others were getting there. When everybody finally got there the guys loaded up and took the vehicles to the takeout point and then had a ride back to where the boats were.
There was a total of nine of us. Me my friend David and a couple I knew from social media. I was later to find out that all were some really, great guys.
We set out mid-morning and traveled for a couple of hours or more and found a large sandbar and stopped and set up camp.
Then for the remainder of the afternoon we just hung out and rested and visited and had an incredible time doing nothing. Just a laid-back time to unwind and get acquainted with new friends. I met some guys that by the time we parted ways made me feel like I had known them a lifetime. We sat in the shade for a while and then set up camp. Then we took chairs out and sat in the cold creek water cooling off. Finally, we got out and ate and then sat by the “Cave Man TV”. (Campfire). It was just a great time.
It was a colder than normal night and although not unbearable it did get chilly or for me it did anyway.
Up the next morning and another pot of that awesome percolated coffee on the creek bank that was as good as it gets. Personally, I do not think coffee gets any better than when it is made in a percolator on a propane stove on the creek or riverbank.
Another time of visiting and then four of us set out to finish. The other five had decided that they were going to wait another day and then come down.
We traveled the remaining distance in a few hours without incidence and loaded up and took one detour and went to Brewton and had an incredible milkshake and then went home.
Looking back on this trip I know I am hooked. I literally can’t wait for the next trip. Great times, great friends. I met some guys that I have no doubt I will see again and paddle with again.
