December 2013 & January 2014
Bed & Breakfasts First Lady of Flight Rogers Bros. Store Learning to Earn & much more
Rodeo Champ
Dedicated teen finds sporting success
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Features and Articles Discover
The Essence of St. Clair COVER STORY
Walters Farms
Family’s legacy farm becomes beautiful place for the Big Day
Page 44
Teen rodeo star Page 8
Lofty Tales
‘First Lady of Flight’
Page 18
Unusual Art
Decorated hay bales an inspiration
Page 30
Traveling the Backroads
Ragland Brick Company Page 34
Phoenix Energy blazing the way Page 56
Business News
Page 57
CEFA: Learning to Earn Page 66
Monkey’s Uncle
Driving downtown revitalization Page 70
Rogers Bros. Grocery
St. Clair’s B&B inns Page 76
Steeped in stories and history Page 84
Cover photo courtesy of J. Messer Photography December 2013 & January 2014
www.discoverstclair.com
Writers AND Photographers Carol Pappas
Graham Hadley
Carol Pappas is editor and publisher of Discover The Essence of St. Clair Magazine. A newspaper veteran, she retired as editor and publisher of The Daily Home, St. Clair Times and Lakeside Magazine to start her own multimedia company. She has been published in various newspapers and magazines, won dozens of writing awards in features, news and commentary and was named Distinguished Alabama Community Journalist at Auburn University for 2011.
Graham Hadley is the managing editor and designer for Discover The Essence of St. Clair Magazine and also manages the magazine website. Along with Carol Pappas, he left The Daily Home as managing editor to become vice president of the Creative Division of Partners by Design multimedia company. An Auburn journalism graduate, Hadley also served as the news editor for The Rome News Tribune in Rome,Ga.
Jerry C. Smith Jerry C. Smith’s interest in photography and writing go back to his teen years. He has produced numerous articles, stories and photographs for local websites and regional newspapers and magazines, including the St. Clair County News, Sand Mountain Living, and Old Tennessee Valley. His photos have appeared in books, on national public television, in local art displays and have captured prizes in various contests. A retired business machine technician and Birmingham native, Jerry now lives near Pell City. He recently published two books: Uniquely St. Clair and Growing Up In The Magic City.
Tina Tidmore Tina Tidmore was the editor and publisher of the Clay News newspaper for more than seven years. In 2009, she started a freelance career writing news articles, managing websites, writing advocacy letters, designing and giving PowerPoint presentations, writing business plans and providing a variety of other communications services. She has won state writing awards for her news articles, website management and speech writing. She also has given presentations about social media management after natural disasters because of her work for the city of Clay after the Jan. 23, 2012 tornado. She is a member of the National Federation of Press Women and is serving her second term as the Alabama Media Professionals vice president of professional development.
Mike Callahan Mike Callahan is a freelance photographer who resides on Logan Martin Lake in Pell City. He specializes in commercial, nature and family photography. Mike’s work has been published in Outdoor Alabama Magazine, Alabama Trucking Association and Alabama Concrete Industries magazines. Publishing his work to the internet frequently, he has won many honors for pictures of the day.
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Elaine Miller Elaine Hobson Miller is a freelance writer with a B.A. in Journalism from Samford University. She was the first female to cover Birmingham City Hall for the Birmingham Post-Herald, where she worked as reporter, food editor and features writer. A former editor of Birmingham Home & Garden magazine and staff writer for Birmingham magazine, she has written for a variety of local, regional and national publications.
Leigh Pritchett
For more than 25 years, Leigh Pritchett has been involved in the publishing industry. She was employed for more than a decade by The Gadsden Times. During that time, she held various positions, including reporter, copy editor, Lifestyle writer and Lifestyle editor. Since the 1990s, she has been a freelance writer. Her work has been published in online and print venues, such as the statewide newspaper, The Alabama Baptist.
Matthew Pope Matthew Pope, a Pell City native, is a loan officer at Metro Bank in Pell City. He is a photography enthusiast who enjoys portrait, landscape, sports and family photography. He is very active in the community with involvement in several civic and volunteer organizations. He is a graduate of the University of Alabama where he earned a B.A. in Communication.
Wallace Bromberg Jr. Wally was born in Birmingham. He graduated from Mountain Brook High School in 1973, and went on to Auburn University where he graduated in 1976 with his BA in History and minors in German and Education. Wally’s skills in photography blossomed during college. Upon graduation, he entered his father’s business, National Woodworks, Inc. After a 30-year career, he decided to dust off his camera skills and pursue photography full time.
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
From the Editor
Passion for our stories It is odd the way content planning works for a magazine. There generally seems to be a common thread that runs through almost every story. This edition is no different. It’s evangelical in nature — the central figures in our stories having such a passion about what they do, they want to spread the message. And they do so in such a compelling way. Such is the case with a 15-year-old rodeo champ from Odenville. Put a rope in his hand, and his passion for the sport is evident. Or take the Ragland couple who have turned their working farm into a spectacular wedding event venue. Their belief in their ability to turn it into a success story has their life savings invested there. And St. Clair’s newest industry, Phoenix Energy, has quite a messenger. He will quickly tell you, converting vehicles to natural gas is not just a job for him. It’s his passion. We share their passion — maybe not in the same way about the same things — but we share a passion to tell their stories. Theirs and many more await in this edition of Discover. Come discover them along with us as we share more stories about the essence of St. Clair.
J. Messer Photography
Carol Pappas Editor and Publisher
Discover The Essence of St. Clair
December 2013 & January 2014 • Vol. 15 • www.discoverstclair.com
Carol Pappas • Editor and Publisher Graham Hadley • Managing Editor and Designer Brandon Wynn • Director of Online Services Mike Callahan • Photography Arthur Phillips • Advertising
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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Cody shows off his header skills in the family’s practice arena.
8
There’s
no reining him in St. Clair teen finds life in rodeo Story by Graham Hadley Photos by Graham Hadley and Dr. Shawn Stubbs For one St. Clair teen, the rodeo is worth giving up football and baseball for. It’s worth giving up weekends, afternoons and most free time in between. In fact, John-Cody Dale Stubbs’ Xbox has been broken for several years now … and he doesn’t miss it a bit. Instead, the 15-year-old freshman at Briarwood Christian has a whole host of things he would rather be doing — bull riding, chute dogging (steer wrestling), goat tying and, his absolute favorite, team calf roping, among other rodeo events. Cody looks like a natural on the back of his horse as he practices in the ring his father built on their property by their house in St. Clair County, and that innate talent and hard work are already paying off. He has been bringing in awards at competitions at both the state and national levels in calf roping and other events and sees no end in sight. Row after row of winning buckles lined the dining-room table in front of Cody as he pointed to his favorite — a sportsmanship award — one of the few buckles he does not wear to keep it pristine.
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Rodeo
Cody Stubbs — Breakaway Calf Roping, National Finals, Gallup, New Mexico, 2013
His father, Dale, who is a retired firefighter and contractor, is quick to clarify that the sportsmanship award is not a “participation” award, but one of the top recognitions that is carefully considered by the judges. “When he first won it, I thought it was a consolation prize, but they told me it was a big deal — that the vote for Cody had been unanimous,” he said. Dale said he was not surprised that Cody had won it, but the behavior necessary to acquire the much-prized award is a common thread in the rodeo community. “That’s the way rodeo kids are. They are really good kids who have spent a lot of time with their family and are well raised,” he said. Cody has also won several saddles and some money from his competitions. Though he is very competitive and doing well now, he hopes to one day get a bigger piece of the winnings, which he says can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Dedication to the sport
Dale was not exaggerating when he said rodeo kids spend a lot of time with their families. In addition to normal family time, they spend most weekends and parts of the week traveling to various competitions, some just down the road, some in places like New Mexico and Oklahoma. In fact, Cody and his Dad were gearing
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This practice dummy was given to Cody by one of his sponsors to help him hone his skills.
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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Rodeo
Out of all of his buckles, the one he received for sportsmanship is Cody’s favorite.
up to leave for another trip the day after his interview for Discover — they had been in Oklahoma the weekend before. And where many traveling competitive athletes can fly to their destinations, Cody usually rides his own horses at each event, so those trips, both near and far, are on the road with the horses and all their support gear along for the ride. In addition to competition road trips, Cody’s school is almost an hour from where he practices. A normal weekday afternoon sees Dale picking up Cody from Briarwood, driving to get something to eat, then he practices roping until around 9 p.m. every day. When he gets home, he has to take care of his horses and gear and many days, help get the RV packed and ready to hit the road to another show. If he has any free time from all of that, Cody also has to train a new colt for riding. “He ropes almost all weekends, so it is a six-day-a-week job,” said his mother, Dr. Shawn Stubbs. And though he has missed some school for competitions, Cody also has his sights set on being a veterinarian one day, so his education is very important, too. He gets his homework done sitting in the truck on the way to practice. They plan on returning from an upcoming trip early in the morning and heading straight from the airport to get the aspiring animal doctor to school on time. “You have to love it to do it,” Cody said.
From bull-riding to team roping
For all his dedication and the growing stack of awards — 18 buckles and several saddles — Cody has only been competing for a relatively short time. “I have been doing this two and a half to three years,” he said. “I grew up around horses and animals. One day we went to Tractor Supply in Moody. There was a flier for a youth rodeo. I wanted to try bull riding. I also signed up for chute dogging.” The first event was a win for Cody, just not the way he expected. “I did pretty good at steer wrestling, but got bucked off bull riding. “That was at Dusty Bottoms Rodeo in Sterrett. I noticed they gave away saddles for the most points. I realized I would have to do roping and horse events to win and started training in roping,” he said. His mother was in the process of purchasing a horse from Wil and Rodney Sanders in Ardmore, and Dale said he was impressed by their operation.
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Cody Stubbs Chute Dogging Alabama State Champion at National Finals, Gallup, New Mexico, 2013
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“They were so nice. We asked about roping lessons for Cody.” Then Cody “stole” his mother’s new horse to use for roping and riding, Dale joked. Cody was working hard and competing and doing well, but he was not winning the events like he wanted to, so the Stubbs turned to Kenny Ellison from Calera. “He has been helping me lately with my roping and riding,” Cody said. Dale said he cold-called Ellison. “He is a very good guy. He took Cody in. Cody was roping really well but not winning. I called Kenny out of the blue. He did not know us.” He has made a big difference for Cody in the arena. “That’s just the way people in this sport are. The will help a kid out,” Dale said.
Gaining ground
Cody has been doing so well at a variety of events that he is starting to find sponsors — one of which is flying him out to Las Vegas and paying all his expenses there so he can do some product promotion and exhibition riding and roping. RopeSmart has not only given Cody some much-needed equipment like practice steers and special wraps for the saddle horn, Cody got to rope with the owner at the national finals. Standard Process does not do direct sponsorships for Cody, but they do help by providing some of the feed and other supplies for the horses. Locally, he gets a lot of support from Jodie’s Harness & Tack. Dale said he could not say enough about the help and advice they get from the local business, located in the famous stacked-rock building on the outskirts of Odenville. But the winning and everything that goes with it did not happen all at once. Many of the events Cody attends just focus on team calf roping, where he is usually the header, or steer wrestling. There are many levels and many different events to
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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Rodeo Cody shows off his roping skills in the practice arena on his family’s property in St. Clair County.
Dusty Bottoms Rodeo, 2012
Bullriding-Alabama Junior Rodeo 16
AJRA Finals Pensacola, 2013
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
Alabama Junior High School Finals, 2013
master for rodeo competition. It was a lot to learn. In team calf roping, as header “I catch the head of the steer (with a rope from horseback) and turn it for my heeler, who catches the back two feet,” Cody said. “I also heel, where I catch the back two feet and get a dally and stretch the steer out.” Aside from just liking roping, Cody said it is also his favorite sport because you can do it all your life — he sees ropers in their 80s at some events. Other rodeo events — particularly bull riding — are more physical and more dangerous. For bull riding “you draw your bull. They load him into a bucking chute. You have a bull rope. I wear a helmet, vest, chaps, a special leather glove to hold the rope and big spurs to get a better grip with,” he said. The goal is to stay on for eight seconds “I have gotten a lot better. I cover the ride — eight seconds — most of the time now,” he said. Chute dogging — also called steer wrestling — is another sport Cody excels at but also takes its physical toll. Cody once had a gate not open right and ended up with a knee injury that day. “Rodeo officials load the steer into a bucking chute. I get in there with it, get my arm around the steer’s neck and give a nod — the gate opens. You can’t touch the steer’s horns until you cross a line 8 feet from the chute. Then you grab the horns and use a certain technique to get the steer on the ground as fast as you can,” Cody said. That event is the one that drew Cody to the state championship and is part of a national organization. “That is what I went to New Mexico for,” Cody said. His broad talent has opened many doors for him competitively. And once he started winning, Cody turned all his attention to roping and other rodeo events. “He used to play baseball and football. He gave them up for this. He said, ‘Dad, I want to rope,’” Dale said. For Cody, he sees two things in his future — “I would really like to get better. Go professional after (his parents emphatically agreed with this), after I graduate from vet school.” l
For more photos of Cody at competition and videos of the rising rodeo star in action, check out his story online at discoverstclair.com.
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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Nancy in fighter cockpit, courtesy Southern Museum of Flight
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
Lofty Tales
Alabama’s ‘First Lady’ of flight Story by Jerry Smith Submitted photos In 1929, a 9-year-old Birmingham girl named Nancy Batson had a special Christmas wish. She wanted a flight suit, pilot helmet and goggles. The eventual fulfillment of this young lady’s dream of becoming a pilot set a pattern for a lifetime of excitement and service to country, starting during an era when women were expected to have vastly different aspirations. Born in 1920 to an affluent family in the old Norwood district of Birmingham, Nancy fell in love with aviation at an age when most little girls were still playing with dolls. As a 7-year-old, her parents took her to watch Charles Lindbergh as he walked from a car into Boutwell Auditorium. Nancy was enthralled. According to Sarah Byrn Rickman in her book, Nancy Batson Crews—Alabama’s First Lady of Flight, Nancy loved to pretend her bicycle was a biplane, imagining it to have wings. Her favorite clothes were jodhpurs, jacket, boots, and a white silk scarf, as worn by all serious aviators of that day. Clearly, Nancy Batson was born to fly, and everyone knew it, including her parents. She attended Norwood Elementary, spent her summers at St. Clair’s Camp Winnataska and graduated from Ramsay High School in 1937. Afterward, she attended the University of Alabama, where, in her own words, she “… majored in Southern Belle.” George C. Wallace was a classmate and dance partner. While at UA, she also met Paul Crews, the man whom she would marry several years later. At the university, she became involved in the Civilian Pilot Training Program. Nancy soloed on March 20, 1940, got her private pilot’s license about three months later and began an aviation career that would earn her a place among the Greatest Generation. Her father bought her a used Piper J-4 Cub Coupe for about $1,200, instead of another, cheaper J-3 they had looked at which was in really poor condition. In Nancy’s words, “I didn’t ask for that plane. … Daddy decided that that was the airplane he was going to buy
WAFS with Stearman PT-17’s, Nancy 3rd from left, courtesy Crews Family
Display at Southern Museum of Flight
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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Lofty Tales
WASPs with Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, Nancy left, courtesy Crews family
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me. ... I’m 20 years old and a senior in college. Other girls had automobiles. I had an airplane.” After graduation, Nancy spent a lot of time around Birmingham Airport and joined the newly-formed Civil Air Patrol in 1941. All the while she was flying at every opportunity, building up logbook hours for the future. She got her commercial license in 1942 and began charging people a dollar apiece for rides in her J-4. After being refused an instructor’s job in a local flight school because she was a woman, Nancy went to Miami and took a job as an airport control tower operator, but quickly became bored with it. She then got an instructor job at Miami’s Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Institute, where she trained Army Air Corps flying cadets. But Nancy wanted to do bigger things with her life. She heard that a new wartime ferrying operation was being formed that had a women’s squadron. They flew brand-new airplanes from factories all over the country to seaports to be loaded onto ships for the war overseas. In true Nancy-Batson fashion, she didn’t even wait for a confirmation. She just boarded a train for the group’s headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, and presented herself to Nancy Love, the squadron’s leader. In Rickman’s words, “Nancy Love watched as a tall, very attractive blonde — dressed in a stylish brown herringbone suit, small matching hat, and brown leather, high-heel pumps — entered her office.” Within minutes, Love had gotten Nancy accepted and set her up for a physical and flight test the next morning. She easily aced both tests and became a member of WAFS, Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron. Since WAFS was not officially a part of the U.S. military, Love had her girls fitted for uniforms she’d designed herself, although each had to pay for her own.
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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Lofty Tales At first, they ferried PT19 primary trainers and Piper Cubs to training bases. Eventually, the WAFS transitioned to more sophisticated combat aircraft, flying everything from bombers to the mighty P-51 Mustang, the most fearsome fighter plane ever built. There was a name change, too. WAFS became part of WASP, Women Air Force Service Pilots, complete with new blue uniforms. Most warplanes were designed around male pilots, but the WASP ladies substituted determination for brute strength and made any adjustments necessary to complete their missions. One really petite WASP had a set of wooden blocks made so her feet could reach the rudder pedals. Several WASPs were lost to training and ferrying accidents, and many more had close calls, including Nancy. She once spent a chilling two hours trying to force a balky nosewheel down on a Lockheed P-38 Lightning that also had engine trouble. Most planes flown by WASPs were brand new from the factory, their first flight test being the ferry journey itself. These valiant ladies had to deal with really scary, sometimes lifethreatening problems on a regular basis. According to Rickman, there was no such thing as a schedule. They flew whatever needed flying to wherever it needed to go, often coastto-coast. There was a war on, and thousands of planes were being built very quickly. Nancy learned and mastered more than 22 military aircraft types, many of them high-performance fighters with more than 2,000 horsepower. One of her advanced instructors was a future U.S. senator, Barry Goldwater. In spite of all they had done for the war effort, the government still insisted WAFS/ WASP was not military and refused any and all benefits, such as insurance, death benefits, hospitalization, pensions, etc. In fact, they were not even accorded an American flag for their casket if they died while serving. Many a bitter Congressional battle was fought over these issues, but WASP remained disenfranchised for the duration of the war. When all was said and done, they were simply told to go home, as if their valiant service had never existed. Just after a farewell party on their final night on the base, the Officers Club caught fire. They had spent many off-duty hours there during their 27 months of service to WASP. Rickman tells what happened next: “Nancy Batson watched the building go down in flames. She wondered if she was watching her future burn with it. Her passion — her need to fly those hot airplanes — would have to be channeled elsewhere. ... A modern-day Scarlett O’Hara, a heroine of a different war and a different time in history, Nancy would think about her future
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Nancy’s official WAFS portrait, 1942-3, courtesy Crews family
Nancy, left, and Christine BealKaplan, the Flying Grannies, courtesy Chris Beal-Kaplan
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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Lofty Tales Nancy climbing into Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, courtesy IWASM Teresa James collection
later — when she got home to Alabama.” “Let it burn,” she hollered, and added a rebel yell. “Let it burn!” Once home, Nancy languished in relatively tame pursuits for a while, not even wanting to fly. She became particularly desolate when a close friend who was serving in China was killed in action while flying his four-engine transport over the “Hump” in Burma (now known as Myanmar). In 1946, Nancy’s college friend, Paul Crews came home from the war, and they were quietly married in the Batson home. Paul and Nancy lived in several places over the next 15 years. When the Korean War started, Paul, a reservist, went back into service in Gen. Hap Arnold’s brand-new U.S. Air Force. They lived at Warner Robbins airbase in Georgia, then Washington D.C., and finally settled in Anaheim, California, near Disneyland. The Crews also started their family — two sons and a daughter. Not long after arriving in California, Paul quit the Air Force and joined his former general at Northrop Aviation. Nancy, meanwhile, had not flown a plane in more than 10 years, but after attending a WASP reunion, she found a renewed interest in flying. Finally, after taking a joy ride at Palm Springs Airport, she was reborn as a pilot. Quoting Rickman: “Though she was a typical 1950s stay-at-home mom when the boys were young, by 1960 that homemaker mantle no longer sat well on her shoulders. Inside,
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Nancy entering Beechcraft King-Air as co-pilot, courtesy Christine Beal-Kaplan
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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BOAT SHOW Over 175 boats in stock Jan 9th thru Jan19th, 8-5 she was still a pursuit pilot. ... Her temporarily dormant inner drive was returning. ... Nancy knew she was cut out for something more than a domestic life and prowess on the golf course.” Flying high … again Once restarted, she pursued her new flying career with a passion. Nancy already had 1,224 hours in her logbook from ferrying military aircraft. She quickly re-earned her elapsed private pilot’s license at a local airport. While building airtime toward advanced ratings, she also flew as copilot in the Powder Puff Derby, a cross-country air race for female pilots. By the end of 1965, she had updated her commercial and certified-flight-instructor ratings. While working as an instructor at Hawthorne Airport, she gave her 14-year-old son Radford his first flying lessons. After returning home later from Vietnam, Rad went on to become a successful commercial pilot. Paul’s health began to fail during these years, so he took a lesser job at Northrop and began helping Nancy further her own flying career. In 1969, Nancy and Paul bought a new Piper Super-Cub, and she began using it to tow gliders into the air, often as many as 60 a day. “It worked out great,” Nancy said. “I was back in a tail dragger (aircraft with tail wheel instead of nose wheel), and I was in hog heaven.” She flew this plane solo in the 1969 Powder Puff Derby, which ended in Washington D.C. The flyers were invited to the White House to meet the Nixons. While in California, she also mastered glider-flying in her new Schweizer sailplane, often being towed into the air by her own Super Cub. In 1977, Paul succumbed to complications of diabetes. By 1981, due to a bewildering chain of events and heartaches much too complex to delineate here, Nancy found herself back home in Alabama. Rickman relates, “For Nancy, the move meant starting over. ... She was sixty-one years old. ... The Alabama she returned to was nothing like the Alabama she had left in 1950. Nancy began to rebuild her life.” Rebuilding life in Odenville The Batson family owned a huge tract of farmland near Odenville that had lain idle for many years. Nancy had driven her RV back home to Alabama, crammed with everything she wanted to keep from California. She lived in the RV next to the farmhouse where she and Paul had first lived as a couple, while trying to figure out the best usage of their land. Nancy joined a real estate firm and got her license. A few of their land holdings were sold to local people so Nancy could concentrate on a huge 80-acre tract that was the main part of their estate left by the death of her parents. She sold her beloved Super Cub to raise enough money to buy out the other heirs, then bought a partly-finished garage structure in foreclosure, right at the edge of the estate property. She moved her RV there while this building was being finished. After moving into her new home, Nancy sold the RV and began a period of hotplate and microwave austerity as she worked on what would become her crowning achievement, Lake Country Estates. Using local laborers and craftsmen, she developed one lot at a time. By 1992, Lake Country Estates was thriving. She dabbled a bit in aviation, hung out with pilot friends and the Birmingham Aero Club and served on the St. Clair Airport Authority. She loved to hangar-bum,
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
25
Lofty Tales
Nancy, top left, and other WASPs plotting a cross-country ferry flight, courtesy Southern Museum of Flight
and occasionally visited the Four Seasons ultralight flying field at Cool Springs, where this writer first met her. (To my shame, I was still a kid at age 40, and wasted too much valuable time flying my plane rather than chatting with this remarkable lady. And now, some 30 years later, I find myself trying hard to compose a fitting story that could have been mine for the asking back then). Pilot Ed Stringfellow tells of the time Nancy visited his hangar at Pell City Airport. She had used building materials from Ed’s Mid-South Lumber Company for some of her Estate houses. Shortly after dark, he invited her to go flying with him in his AT-6 trainer, a big, beefy tandem-seater with a powerful radial engine. Ed said, “Here she was, in her late 60s, and hadn’t flown a T-6 since the 1940s, yet she flew loops and other precision maneuvers, in moonlight no less, like she had just done it the day before.” Stringfellow also related a story from the old days, when a future premier Alabama aviator named Joe Shannon was stationed with the Army Air Corps at Key Field in Meridian, Miss.
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Nancy had landed there in a twin-engine A-20 bomber she was ferrying to Savannah that needed a few essential repairs. Both Shannon and a mechanic were dazzled when a beautiful, long-haired blonde climbed down from the cockpit. After checking out her plane, Shannon asked the mechanic how long repairs would take. “Depends,“ he replied, “how long do you want her to stay here?” A lasting legacy Jim Griffin, director of Southern Museum of Flight, first met Nancy at Pell City Airport. He had noticed a landing light way off in the distance, heading straight for the airport. This was unusual because the weather was practically unflyable due to high, gusting winds that had grounded everyone else. As the plane got closer, he watched as treacherous gusts threw it all over the sky, its pilot struggling to maintain control. Despite vicious crosswinds, the Super Cub touched down perfectly, first on one main wheel, then both, exactly as one
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
27
Lofty Tales
Nancy and her Mooney Mite at Southern Museum of Flight should land a tail dragger in such conditions. He was amazed when a 60-something lady pilot climbed out of the cockpit. When he praised her great landing under such awful conditions, she replied, “Aw, it wasn’t all that bad.” Former Pell City Mayor and Judge Bill Hereford remembers Nancy as highly intelligent, yet easy to talk with and full of determination in everything she did. “One of the first things you noticed about Nancy Crews was her steely-gray eyes. They looked right at you and understood everything they saw, and yet she was never intimidating — just an honest, dynamic lady who always knew exactly what she wanted to accomplish.” Christine Beal-Kaplan, herself a veteran pilot and aircraft mechanic, was one of Nancy’s best friends in St. Clair County. She once drove through Lake Country Estates while telling of some of their adventures while she was helping Nancy put that project together. Although 79 years old, Nancy flew more than 80 hours as co-pilot with Chris on some of her charter runs in a Beechcraft King-Air. Sadly, Chris passed away recently, taking with her a vast store of anecdotes and memories of Nancy. On January 14, 2000, Nancy Batson Crews fell into a coma after months of battling cancer and slipped peacefully away at
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age 80. In Mrs. Rickman’s book, son Paul Crews Jr. said, “She wanted to die in her sleep, and be worth a million dollars. … By the time she died — in her own bed — she was worth more than a million when you figure the land value.” She had indeed fulfilled her own prophecy. Stringfellow recalls that he and some other pilots were supposed to perform a low, missing-man fly-over pass in Piper Cubs as Nancy was being laid to rest at Elmwood Cemetery, but the fog was almost to ground level, making the flight impossible. However, a huge airliner passed overhead at precisely the right time, making her graveside service complete. Nancy was inducted into the prestigious Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame in 2004. Birmingham’s Southern Museum of Flight has a display case full of her belongings and memorabilia. Museum director Jim Griffin is particularly proud of that memorial, having known her personally. Nancy had accumulated more than 4,000 hours of flight time in her logbook, which is on display at the museum. But, perhaps most fitting, wherever vintage pilots or Odenville folks gather to reminisce, sooner or later Nancy Batson Crews’ name will be spoken. l
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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Unusual Art
A Great Inspiration 30
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
Story by Carol Pappas Photos by Matthew Pope Past photos courtesy of Jamie Truitt Perhaps it’s the honk of a car horn accompanied by a neighborly wave and a smiling face behind the wheel. Perhaps it’s a stranger’s knock at the door to say, “Thank you.” Or the note tucked inside the ear of a bunny rabbit fashioned from hay, spray paint and water noodles. Whatever the motivation, the seasonal work of art using a hay bale as the canvas on U.S. 231 South in Cropwell has become a source of inspiration — not only for those passing by, but for the artist herself. The tradition began three years ago, when Jamie Truitt’s mother moved into her Cropwell home with husband Don. The wide-open field out front, facing the heavily traveled U.S. 231, seemed the perfect spot for a decorated hay bale, traditionally a fall custom. “I always wanted a hay bale decorated,” said Ann Arnett. She asked her artistic daughter if she could decorate it. “She took off with that.” The first was at Halloween, and it was not planned beyond that. But the reaction from people was so great, it continued. Christmas, Easter, back to school, Jamie’s daughter KatieAnn’s birthday and, of course, the holiday that started it all — Halloween — all find thousands of passersby turning their heads toward the open field. And their smiles aren’t far behind. The creativity behind it starts with a simple pencil sketch. By the end, water noodles become ears for an Easter bunny or birthday candles on a cupcake. Landscaping fabric turns into the wings of a giant bat. Chicken wire and mesh become the tools of her work. Pumpkins, a spider, a Christmas present, a clown and countless other ideas go from paper to straw courtesy of imagination, artistic ability and a generous gift of the hay bale itself from Jacob Mitchell. “Tons of spray paint” transform her hay bale canvas into whimsical works of art and a gift to strangers and neighbors passing by each day. “People have stopped,” Jamie said. “They get out of their car and walk over. They say it makes them smile. It brightens up their dreary ride going to work.” Two little boys whose mother is a friend of Jamie’s were overheard betting on what the next hay bale would include. One predicted a smiley face. Imagine the excitement of those little boys on their ride to school when that smiley face actually appeared. Stories of that hay bale and its impact abound. One passerby left a note saying they were very thankful for her doing it. “They were going through a rough situation, passed by (and spotted the Easter bunny), and it elevated their mood.” People have left donations, had their photo made there or pulled up just to say thank you. “I’ve seen parents and kids pictures with it on Facebook,” Jamie said. One person even offered her a job doing a portrait. But when times grew tough for Jamie, who was hospitalized for eight weeks, the familiar source of inspiration faded, much to the disappointment of her growing community of followers. Suddenly, it appeared decorated one day as a rainbow with a sign and a simple message, “Praying for Ms. Jamie.” It was the handiwork of neighbors Jeannette and Anthony Harmon. “I just cried over that one,” Arnett said. They took a picture
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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Unusual Art
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
of it, made a copy and taped it up in Jamie’s hospital room. It became a symbol of inspiration to her, brightening what had become an especially bad day for her. And the inspiration to get better continued. As she moved from hospital to hospital, the constant was that picture and the sentiment behind it. After her recovery, when people met her and realized she was the source of the hay bale and the prayers, they would tell her, “You’re the Ms. Jamie we’ve been praying for!” Or, “Because of that hay bale, you’re on our prayer list.” For Jamie, the hay bale is a reciprocal gift. “It is good to have a reason to do the hay bale. It’s more our pleasure of doing it. Being sick, it gives me an area to focus on other than my health problems. In the way it brightens their day, their comments brighten my day back.” And the smiles it inevitably evokes simply add to the magic of the gift. Just ask Katie-Ann: “It’s all good.” l
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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Traveling the
BACKROADS
Millions of Bricks Ragland Brick Plant, East End, in earlier days
A business gamble a century ago paid off for Ragland company 34
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
Story and photos by Jerry Smith Submitted photos Imagine a line of bricks, placed end to end, stretching from Ragland, Alabama, to Orlando, Florida. It’s the year 1909. You’re the head of a little coal-fired brick and pottery plant in Ragland, and you have an order in hand for that many bricks, more than 4 million of them. In a bold move that would establish Wilpicoba Clay Works as a real player, manager and co-owner C.H. Pittman shut the plant down and spent around $15,000 on replacing old equipment with a new continuous-drying kiln. It was a huge sum in those days and a huge gamble as well. It paid off. Quoting St. Clair historian Rubye Sisson in her book, From Trout Creek To Ragland, “In less than a year, Mr. Pittman bought out the other shareholders for about eighty thousand dollars. The plant, at that time, was one of the most complete brick plants in the South, manufacturing a superior grade of both paving and building bricks. ... The plant, under (Pittman’s) leadership, expanded to a capacity of 25,000 paving and 50,000 building bricks per day.” During its one 100-plus years of operation, Wilpicoba Clay Works has had many names and owners — among them, Ragland Brick Company, Alphons Custodis Chimney Construction Company, Ragland Block Company and Ragland Clay Products. According to Sisson , Wilpicoba is an acronym of the company’s original stockholders’ names: Wilkinson, Pittman, Colcord and Bancker, all from Atlanta. The plant’s original site was bought from a well-known St. Clair entrepreneur, Watt T. Brown, for whom Wattsville was named. The company began life across Highway 144 from its present location. A hill, later known as Brickyard Mountain, was purchased by Wilpicoba from local landowner Allen Greene, and a new industry sprang up that would play a significant role in the development of Ragland and St. Clair County. Mrs. Sisson describes Wilpicoba’s process: “The block bricks first manufactured at the plant were made on a pressing machine and weighed about 9 pounds after being burned. They were first air-dried; then placed in “jug kilns” (also known as “beehive kilns”) to be burned. These kilns used wood and coal during the burning process. Power generated by a steam engine turned the machinery.” Air-drying soon gave way to the continuous-drying kiln, and production skyrocketed. But there was a price to pay. The entire operation was ferociously hot and fraught with heavy labor. Even worse, there was no drinking water on site. According to Sisson: “One man was hired to carry water to the workers from a large spring on the mountainside. He wore a yoke across his shoulders from which hung two buckets of water. He moved along the line of workers, letting each drink from a gourd dipper. A lot of water was needed, as the workers sweated profusely. Salt tablets were issued with the water to replace the salt lost in perspiration.” A Coal City resident, Lewis St. John, tells of his father, Clyde James St. John, who worked there during the 1930s, when these ovens were still coal-fired and ran continuously 24-7, 365 days a year. According to Lewis, his father had to use two double-edged razor blades when shaving because the intense heat baked and curled his whiskers so badly they wore out both blades. He said the bricks they made in those days, unlike modern
Sawdust processor, view 2
versions, were hand-molded and, once fired, would not absorb water. They were also a bit larger than later versions and had the company name molded in raised letters on the mortar face of each brick. The Depression and beyond The Depression years were as tough for the brickyard as for most other companies of that era. Sisson tells of those days: “The plant was closed from about 1930 to 1934. During those years, (Superintendent) Jesse R. McKibben and a night watchman were the only regular workers. However, occasional orders for bricks would be received. “… McKibben would wait, if possible, until Sunday to load the bricks so that the laid-off workers who were farming could do the work. The bricks were loaded by hand, one hundred at a time, on wheelbarrows, rolled to railroad cars and unloaded. The workers were paid 2 cents a load ... as contract work. (Daily) workers in the plant were paid 75 cents a day.” According to Lewis, his dad worked with German POWs during World War II. These prisoners were quartered in railcars, eight to 10 to a car. The demand for bricks was huge in those years.
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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Traveling the
Many thousands of Ragland bricks were used to build ammo plants at Brecon, near Talladega, and other defense works as far away as the country of Morocco. Farmers such as his father were given time off for harvest but were expected back at the plant as soon as their crops were finished. After the war was over, Ragland bricks were shipped all over Europe for rebuilding devastated cities in war-torn areas such as England and Germany, becoming a known brand on at least two continents. The original brick plant burned in 1948, and a new modernized facility was established across Highway 144, at its present site. Among other important changes, the old “jug kilns” and coal-fired ovens were abandoned in favor of a more efficient gas-fired version. But it was still hellishly hot work. Bricks are made from ground-up shale of several distinct colors from on-site quarries. The grinding is done in “pug mills,” which use various methods to turn the coarse shale into a fine grit. It’s then mixed with water and forced through an extrusion nozzle, much in the manner of toothpaste from a tube, producing a continuous, rectangular strip of material that is sliced by automatic equipment into brick sizes. The fresh bricks are first heat-dried in a cooler part of the kiln to drive out remaining moisture and prepare them for firing. Then they proceed into the hottest part for several days of baking at very high temperatures to harden and cure. Basically, it’s like making pottery. In fact, pottery was among the original Wilpicoba products. Ragland resident Macey England, now 82 years old, worked at the brick plant from the early 1950s until 1996. He tells that summer temperatures near the ovens were often so hot that the metal studs on his denim overalls made little blisters everywhere they touched skin — so hot they kept a 5-gallon bucket of water for soaking work boots so their soles wouldn’t melt on the kiln floor. A brick kiln is about as close to Dante’s Inferno as one can find. It’s more than a football field long and even at the “cool” end, where fired bricks exit after days of baking, the heat is still withering. Peering into this portal, one can see a terrific blaze raging somewhere in the first half of the tunnel. The structure itself is made of firerefractory brick inside, red brick outside. Macey tells of special, breadbox-sized hatches along the kiln’s sides that were opened to remove bricks fallen from conveyor cars, so they would not derail the
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BACKROADS
Ragland Flood from burst dam at Borders Lake, mid 1900’s (this is not the brick plant)
Embossed molded Ragland Block, courtesy Janney Furnace Museum
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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Traveling the
BACKROADS
Manual offloading of finished bricks onto skids
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
Assistant plant supervisor Thomas Dunlap in clay quarry, JCS photo
DON’T LET LEG PAIN AND SWELLING PUT A CRAMP IN YOUR PLANS! next car. This was done with special hooks on long metal poles while reaching in through a sizzling wall of flame. But Macey said it could be much worse when a cart overturned or derailed. When that happened, there was no choice but to shut the furnace down and let it cool off, a process that took a couple of days. Then workers had to go in as soon as the residual heat became bearable to remove the obstructions, using brute strength which quickly waned in the heat. They sometimes lost their voices temporarily due to throat-burn. A brick kiln of that era took almost a week to cool off and then reheat to operating temperature — very hard on the company’s bottom line. During natural gas shortage events, Macey tells that workers had to remove entire gas burner assemblies and replace them with oil burners. This was often done while the kilns were still hot in order to not waste valuable fuel for re-heating When asked how workers stood the heavy labor and heat, Macey replied, “It was a job for real men, and we took pride in it. The company treated us right, and we always had food on our tables. Maybe not steak, but it sure filled our bellies and kept us healthy.” As for recreation, Macey says there were no ball teams, bowling leagues or anything of that sort. “We would have been too tired anyway,” he explains, “and most of us spent our spare time farming.” But there were always the little things, like putting on a huge pot of black-eyed peas and iron skillets of cornbread in the morning, then sharing them with other workers and office personnel at lunch. He hastened to add that these were NOT cooked in the kiln. Macey’s work career was spent entirely at the brick plant, where he started as a general helper, then a brick stacker, and eventually worked in plant and equipment maintenance. He was soon promoted to foreman of maintenance, where he was allowed to wear the coveted blue hat of management personnel. From there, he became supervisor of the entire brick plant. “Working at the plant was a tough job, but a good one,” he said. “The brick plant was very important to all of us and to the city of Ragland as well.” Ragland’s history speaks well of men like Macey England and others and the brick company itself. Macey explains that there was very little turnover, despite the rigors of the job. Even after more than 10 years of service, he
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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Traveling the
BACKROADS AL144 from Trout Creek in Ragland ca. 1930’s. Current RCP plant to left at tracks
still had the lowest seniority in the whole plant. When asked if they ever had fun on the job, Macey replied, “Not much. We needed our energy for work and to stay alert so we didn’t get hurt. No horseplay was allowed because of the danger involved.” But he added, “Of course, there was the time when we fed a stray dog some loaf bread soaked in Canadian Mist and got him drunk, but we might not ought to tell that.” Kiln fuels brick-making, local economy The brick plant and its neighboring sister industry, National Cement Company, were vital contributors to the growing economy of Ragland and served the country well during its times of need. Known today as Ragland Clay Products LLC, that tradition continues. It’s now owned by Geoff Dunlap, who made many bold improvements to boost productivity, to make an even better product, and to utilize alternative fuel technology. Assistant plant supervisor Thomas Dunlap is especially passionate about brick-making: “I feel almost like an artist. We make some of the world’s finest bricks here, in any color you want. You can use them for making magnificent buildings that will last at least 200 years. Brick structures stay put. If the Coliseum in Rome had been built of wood and vinyl siding, we’d have never heard of it.” Ragland Clay is much changed from the old Wilpicoba days, with automatic machinery doing much of the heavy, dangerous labor. The plant has been modernized with several million dollars worth of cutting-edge technology. The 300-foot-long kiln can now
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Bricks in kiln interior, seen through access port
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
proud to be headquartered in st. clair county.
Traveling the
BACKROADS Ragland Brick, aerial view
be fired with processed sawdust during gas shortages. Its stateof-the-art sawdust processor is a huge array of silos, dryers, conveyors and stokers. The kiln’s heat is recycled by being diverted to the drying portion of the kiln or to the sawdust processor. Yet some things stay the same because that’s the nature of the industry. The kiln’s interior is still infernally hot, but bricks take much less time to cure than before. Finished bricks are still stacked on skids by hand. Fallen bricks still have to be pulled from blazing access ports on the side of the kiln using long metal hooks. It will always be hard, hot labor, although each worker is now far more productive for the same amount of work. Geoff explains, “It’s still a job that will make a man of you. Some of our best workers are ex-Marines.” Thomas is especially proud of their coloring processes. “We can make bricks in any color you want, even some that don’t yet exist. Amazingly, nearly all those colors come from the same dark blue shale. The secret is what you do with it inside the oven. That’s what makes our bricks superior.” According to Thomas, it takes about a week and a half to make one brick, from dirt in their on-site quarry to the finished brick stacked on a skid for shipping. Geoff explains that his goal when buying the plant in 1996 was to make it both big enough and small enough to survive every vagary of the economy. It would certainly seem he was successful. Each tram car that goes into the kiln carries from 3,000 to 3,900 “green” bricks, with a yearly production capacity in excess of 20 million. And, as a father-and son-team, Geoff and Thomas Dunlap are proud of each and every one. They’re from a whole family of brick makers. Clay is in their blood. l For more information about the company and its products, see www.raglandclay.com For more on Watt T. Brown, see DISCOVER Oct/Nov 2012, in Back Issues at discoverstclair.com.
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Assistan plant supervisor Thomas Dunlap inspects ground clay
Continuous brick material extruder
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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Walters Farms a beautiful place for the Big Day
Katie and Bryce Hunt 44
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
J. Messer Photography
Story by Tina Tidmore and Carol Pappas Photos by Mike Callahan and Jessica Messer Weddings and farms may seem like an unlikely union, but Joe and Deloma Walters hope brides and grooms-to-be will find them their perfect match. On their 400-acre, second-generation family farm just outside Ragland, couples are now saying, “I do” against the backdrop of a picturesque green hayfield and arbor overlooking the gently flowing waters of the Coosa River. And a huge, rustic barn — all built just for them — has become the ideal place for weddings large and small. The drive from the main road meanders around the farm’s pastures. Black cows wander about in the openness, unfazed, as if they don’t mind sharing the scenery. Pass by the old barn, through the woods, and there it is — the wedding barn. “Guests say the drive in is like an adventure,” Deloma shared. It has been quite a journey for Joe and Deloma, too. Walters Farms opened as a wedding venue in April, breathing new life into their family farm where cotton once reigned. They needed a way to supplement the farm’s income to be able to maintain the sprawling acreage. Transforming it into a wedding-event venue was an idea inspired by a caterer friend of Deloma’s. It was Deloma’s idea to build a wedding barn, and in time, her husband came to see how wedding bells, beautiful country scenery and mooing cows might make a successful combination. “We hope that will be the drawing card — the novelty of it,” said Deloma. So, with their savings, a loan and an entrepreneurial spirit, the Walters built a wedding and events barn that is drawing couples from near and far. “Our goal was to build a true barn,” said Deloma, explaining why she is allowing it to weather naturally. They started with 19th-century styles and emerged with exactly what she had imagined. With 2,880 square feet of floor space and 29-foot ceilings, festive celebrations past and future are easy to imagine. “We can accommodate 1,000 people here, easy,” she said, pointing to a 10-acre field below situated along the Walters’ impressive one mile of Coosa River waterfront. It seems fitting that the first wedding to
An arbor son Scotty made of vines from the farm frames the perfect “I-do” spot.
Tables dressed in white welcome guests.
Guests gather outside before reception.
Walters Farms
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be held at the family farm bought in 1945 by Joe’s parents, J.B. and Catherine Walters, and his uncle, Clyde Green, was family. The wedding of son Scotty and fiancé Nicole was the inaugural ceremony and celebration. They chose April 27 as their wedding date, which stemmed from how the couple met. Scotty had bought a home in Pell City that was damaged by one of the deadly tornadoes that ripped through the historic district on April 27, 2011. And the restoration of it played a key role in bringing the couple together. It was the prospect of that wedding that hastened the Walters’ timeline for their new venture. “It was coincidental that our son had recently gotten engaged and shared that he wanted to get married on the farm,” Deloma recalled. “Originally, they were considering a tent, but after we decided to go forward with building the barn, we did it with a vengeance when we realized that we would be able to have it finished or very close to finished in time for their wedding. Once we told them, then we really had to push.”
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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Celebrating the newlyweds J. Messer Photography
J. Messer Photography
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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Walters Farms
The vows Since the first Walters Farms wedding, they have been marketing the business through a website, a Facebook page and a booth at the Southern Bridal Show. But Deloma said most of their bookings come from references from satisfied customers. In October, UAB School of Medicine students Katie Marchiony and Bryce Hunt had their wedding at Walters Farms. Katie had two prerequisites for her wedding venue, according to her mother, Mazie Marchiony. She wanted a pretty, outdoor setting, and, she wanted to get married within four months. Her criteria considerably narrowed the options in central Alabama. But someone at the hospital had attended a previous wedding at Walters Farms and told Hunt about it.
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The reception
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
J. Messer Photography
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Walters Farms
One of the rooms at Catherine House, where brides and bridesmaids dress Natural setting for wedding-party photo
“She’s bent over backwards to assist and offer suggestions,” the busy mother-of-the bride said about Deloma, just days before the wedding. “It is so well done — spared no detail — and everything is landscaped.” Marchiony said the contract was very thorough, so she knew exactly what she was getting. Another advantage to Walters Farms, compared to another outdoor venue the Marchionys considered, is that the barn provides protection in case it rains on that all-important day. For Katie and Bryce, the weather on Oct. 19 was as perfect as the venue they chose. Framed by an enormous arbor made of bent twigs and vines, they exchanged vows in the field atop the river bank overlooking the water. Guests filled white chairs lining each side of the natural, green-grass aisle and the hint of a seasonal change in color came from the towering trees all around them. At dusk, the barn illuminated the nighttime sky with miniature lights strung inside and out. Round tables draped with white tablecloths and an eyepleasing buffet welcomed guests to an experience they won’t soon forget.
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
A brief history Expect Something Special This Holiday Season We’re more than a package store Wishing you the happiest of holidays this Christmas and New Year. Remember we carry all your favorite brands and offer a wide gift selection.
From waltersfarmsweddings.com
Walters Farms has been in the family since 1945. It was purchased by Joe’s dad, J.B. Walters; his mom, Catherine Walters; and J.B.’s uncle, Clyde Green. They raised cotton for years but much later raised beef cattle. In the early years while they were still acquiring neighboring parcels, they lived in an old farmhouse that was already there. They lived off the land, raised a big garden; got fresh milk directly from the cow; and, during season, hunted wild game, rabbits, squirrel, quail and deer. About 1958 they built the brick home that is now called the Catherine House, which is used for the brides and bridesmaids. Catherine passed away in 1996, but J.B. continued to enjoy the farm until his death in October of 2011. Until he had a stroke only a few months before his death, he made many, many trips riding over the farm. When he found a problem, he was quick to let Joe know what needed to be fixed. In 2003, most of the fields had more weeds than grass and many of the fences were in total disrepair. That is when their son, Joe, along with his wife, Deloma, decided to rebuild and refurbish the farm and start a purebred Black Angus cattle business. It took many months and a lot of hard work, but now the fields are abundant with green grass for grazing and for cutting hay. As with any farm, it is an ongoing process, always a fence to mend, fertilizer to put out, and weeds to kill. It is a labor of love for Joe and Deloma just as it was for Catherine and J.B. The hope is that their two sons, Jason and Scotty, along with their wives Lara and Nicole, will continue to preserve and protect the family farm for J.B. and Catherine’s great grandchildren. There are only the two great granddaughters for now, Anne Frances and Catherine, daughters of Jason and Lara.
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Walters Farms Deloma and Joe Walters
J. Messer Photography
What you need to know • An open house at Walters Farms is slated for Dec. 14, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Everyone, including the curious, are welcome. You do not have to be getting married to come. • Located at 2405 Woods Bend Road, Ragland, Ala. 35131 • Free use of 400 acres for engagement photos for booked couples • Parking for guests is very close to the barn • All wheelchair-accessible facilities • 2,880 square feet of floor space • 29-foot ceilings in the barn • Additional 1,200-square-foot building with restrooms, large kitchen and 15-foot ceilings • Separate, fully furnished house for the bride and bridesmaids to use for dressing with kitchen, full bathroom and linens • For more information on Walters Farms, go to www.waltersfarmsweddings.com or call 205-470-9515 52
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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Katie ready to toss bouquet 54
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
J. Messer Photography
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Deloma said weddings at Walters Farms already have run the gamut of styles. From short pants to black tie, from cowboy boots to flip flops, the barn’s comfortable and relaxed atmosphere lends itself to any type of fashion and affair. “We love the farm anyway, but we feel a special sense of joy each time the barn doors open to reveal a new bride as she walks down the rock steps toward the arbor overlooking the river,” Deloma said. “It is a special place for us, and to be able to share it with others on such an important day is extremely rewarding.” It has become a new day for this farming relic. The older generation gradually passed away. Catherine Walters died in 1996, followed by Joe’s father in 2011. In the early 2000s, the farm had gone into disrepair with weeds and broken fences, but in 2003, Joe set his sights on bringing it back to a functioning farm. It may not be what he envisioned back then, nor what Catherine and J.B. might have had in mind when they bought it just after World War II. But the new memories he and Deloma are helping couples create are as special as the place itself. “I think we have created the most unique wedding venue in all of central Alabama,” Deloma said, “and it is just going to get better as we add amenities.” She calls Walters Farms a labor of love — “just as it was for Catherine and J.B.” l
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See more photos online at discoverstclair.com. Special thanks to Jessica Messer and J. Messer Photography, jessicamesser.com DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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Business News Ken and Matt Hyde
56 • DISCOVER The EssenceDISCOVER of St. Clair The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2013
By Carol Pappas Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr.
Phoenix Energy Leading the Way in emerging industry Give Matt Hyde a few minutes, and he’ll likely convert you to the positives of alternative energy as easily as his company converts cars and trucks into using natural gas. It’s not just a job to him. It’s his passion. “It makes it easier when you love what you do,” he said, just days after Phoenix Energy cut the ribbon on its new home in Pell City. An Alabama leader in converting vehicles to run on compressed natural gas, the company moved its headquarters and 13 employees from Jefferson County to St. Clair with an eye toward the future. St. Clair Economic Development Council officials “were there from step one. They really wanted us to come. They were a great liaison,” he said. “Phoenix Energy, as a leader in the alternative fuel industry, is a company with great growth potential,” according to Jason Roberts, Project Manager for the EDC. “We are happy to have them as part of St. Clair County’s industrial community.” Now settled into its 14,400-square-foot building on Lewis Lake Road, Phoenix Energy is moving toward that growth potential. As Hyde, the company’s operations director, points out, at $2 a gallon, “every time you fill up, it’s a return on your investment.” Phoenix Energy was created in 2004, and it has come a long way in a short time. Hyde’s father, Ken, became majority owner of the company after he retired from Alabama Gas Co. It was a natural fit. He had been working with Alabama Gas’ fleet of natural gas vehicles since 1978. Today, Phoenix has grown from two employees to 13 and works with customers throughout the Southeast, converting vehicles to compressed natural gas usage. The up-front cost to convert a vehicle is between $6,000 and $12,000, depending on driving habits. Over a 10-year period, he estimated the savings in gasoline and oil changes alone can amount to $40,000. On top of savings, it is cleaner energy, so the vehicle lasts longer, and the resale value is better, he said. The barriers to growth of this emerging industry are convenience — there are only seven natural gas fueling stations in Alabama, for instance — and getting companies comfortable with the idea. Frito Lay and Waste Management are two of the more recognizable
The ‘brain box’
Compressor
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • August & September 2013 The Essence of St. Clair • 57 DISCOVER
Business Directory
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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Business News Phoenix Energy
Cylinder fits neatly under rear truck frame
names who are not only comfortable with the concept of using compressed natural gas as their fuel source, they have embraced it. This past summer, Frito Lay opened its first compressed natural gas refueling station in Wisconsin and is expected to build seven others across the country. In a statement from the company about the fleet conversion, Frito Lay officials said its 208 compressed natural gas vehicles will translate into the elimination of 7,863 metric tons of carbon emissions, which is equal to 1,125 cars annually. It is a viable alternative for other fleets of large companies, municipalities and school districts. But refueling stations are needed along major corridors so that they can have access to natural gas, Hyde said. Phoenix will have its own refueling station open to the public within the next year, Hyde said. “It’s a logical fuel source
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
Part of the gas distribution system under the hood.
Business Directory
Business News Phoenix Energy
Head technician Harold White 62
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
Brad Farris
for America right now. It’s abundant, and it’s cheap.” America imports $1.7 billion a day worth of petroleum. By his figures, America could have paid off the national debt in seven years by converting to natural gas as an alternative fuel. The natural gas cylinder can be mounted in the bed of a pickup truck, under its rear frame or in the trunk of a car. A “brain box” is located in the engine that tells which fuel is in the fuel tank — gas or natural gas — and it can switch between fuels without interruption. Personal compressor units are available at an investment of $4,900 to $7,100, so the user can refuel at home as well. When he sits in traffic, his own truck converted to natural gas, “I feel like I’m doing my part — doing something good for my country. I have the power to do something good for this country, and it’s natural gas,” he said. “It functions like gas. It’s 85 percent cleaner for the environment, and you’re saving money. It’s a win-win.” While it will take time for universal acceptance, Hyde likens it to another automobile visionary. “Henry Ford didn’t build the first car based on gas stations.” l
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
Story by Carol Pappas Photos by Wallace Bromberg In a classroom turned board room on the eastern edge of Birmingham, a dozen or so construction-industry executives from around the state gathered on a Tuesday morning to discuss their future. It is a future that looks a bit bleak for them right now, but bright for prospective employees — if they only knew, understood and embraced what could lie ahead for them. That’s the mission of Construction Education Foundation of Alabama — to not only raise awareness about rewarding careers in fields like electrical, HVAC, carpentry, plumbing, pipefitting and welding, but to provide the training to get students into those careers. It was with that idea in mind that Associated Builders and Contractors of Alabama, Alabama Associated General Contractors and the Alabama Concrete Industries Association, the state’s three largest construction trade organizations, came together to found CEFA to offer nationally certified education opportunities to reverse the trend of a dwindling trained workforce. It is a chronic problem faced by companies across Alabama, including that of CEFA board Chairman John Garrison, president and CEO of Pell City-based Garrison Steel. He knows the problem firsthand. He sees it every day in a pool of applicants — or lack of them — at his own company. The CEFA board of directors gathered around him on this particular day to share his concern. They see it as a growing threat to the future of their industries, and they are finding ways to turn this harmful trend around. They see CEFA as a viable bridge between a potential workforce and a goodpaying career through intensive training, using nationally accredited curriculum. “When a student gets out of it, he knows what he’s doing,” Garrison said. The plus is that the certification is mobile. He can take that certification earned in Alabama and put it to work for him in the marketplace anywhere in the country. Byron McCain, president of CEFA, explained that for too long, education in Alabama had a mantra: “College, college, college. Now, they’re saying college and careers.” He uses charts and graphs to illustrate, but the net result over decades has been a workforce gap where too many students headed down a path toward a four-year
From left, Byron McCain and John Garrison
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Business News CEFA
Byron McCain explains training opportunities.
college when the majority of jobs simply require advanced training. In 1950, 20 percent of the jobs required a four-year degree. In 2000, a four-year degree requirement was still at 20 percent. In that same time frame, though, the need for skilled labor more than tripled from 20 percent to 65 percent. With odds like those, it should be easy to envision that the quickest way to a $50,000 salary just might run through CEFA. Recognizing the needs and the rewards, public education is beginning to move in the same direction. In its Plan 2020, the focus is “Every Child a Graduate — Every Graduate Prepared for College/Work/Adulthood in the 21st Century.” And McCain sees that as a good sign for the industries he represents. “There are unbelievable careers that don’t come with college debt,” McCain said. “It is critical we get to the counselors. We’re losing a lot of people at 18 starting down a college path. The industry isn’t as generational as it used to be.” The aim is to help give people “meaningful employment,” said Garrison. Through its training program, CEFA can put them on the path to that goal with good-paying careers awaiting them when they finish. Scholarships are available, as is assistance with job placement. They can even go to work early if they have the potential. “If they have the right desire, if they’re the real deal and are serious about getting through the program,” Garrison said companies can go ahead and hire them while going through the program. They can earn their way toward a career. For example, McCain said, “There are opportunities for a 50-year-old to get a job and train at the same time.” And
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CEFA is:
• Located at 6700 Oporto Madrid Blvd., Birmingham, AL 35206. • Owned by the industry. • Certified by NCCER. • A Go Build Alabama training site. • A training site for electrical, carpentry, pipefitting, HVAC, welding, ironworking, sheet metal and plumbing careers. For more about CEFA, go to: www.cefatradetraining.com
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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companies are looking for young people out of high school in whom they can invest for the long term. Twenty weeks of training are required before CEFA can refer them to a company. The full training is 58 weeks. “We’re at 70 percent capacity,” said Evans Dunn of Dunn Construction, who does asphalt paving. “We’ve got to get demand there. We struggle to get good people.” “It’s a struggle every day,” said John Payne of Brasfield & Gorrie. “We’re suffering a labor shortage.” But a good wage rate and benefits equals opportunity, he said. “Consistent growth allows us to invest in a kid,” added Allen McCain of Bright Future Electric. And that’s why these industry leaders are coming together and getting involved in getting the message out about initiatives like Go Build Alabama and using CEFA as a site for craft and apprenticeship training. They know the benefits. Journeyman electricians can earn between $42,000 and $72,000 annually. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning, HVAC, professionals in an entry-level apprentice or technician position start out at $10 to $12 per hour and advance with their skill sets. An experienced professional can earn more than $65,000 per year. A welder can make $40,000 to $60,000 a year with the right knowledge and experience. Average annual wage for an experienced carpenter is more than $45,000. An experienced plumber can earn $47,750 plus. The higher the training and experience, the higher the salary can go, which is a win-win for all involved, these leaders say. And they’re not the only ones. “When you get serious about supporting yourself and your family,” said student Chris Rodgers, “CEFA offers the fastest way I know to learn how to earn.” l For more images from the CEFA project, check out the story online at discoverstclair.com
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Monkey’s Uncle A key piece in the downtown revitalization puzzle
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
Story by Jane Newton Henry Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr. Some people talk about downtown revitalization. For Tim Jennings and Michael Dyer, they simply put it into action. To their credit are four upscale shops in downtown Leeds that are luring tourists to town and revitalizing the historic downtown district. Shop owners Dyer and Jennings, who had previously worked as wholesale gift salesmen, entered the retail business more than 10 years ago, first with a booth in the interiors mart at Birmingham’s Pepper Place and then with the Monkey’s Uncle gift store in downtown Leeds. Ever since, Dyer and Jennings have worked tirelessly to revitalize the downtown Leeds area. They had high hopes for Leeds 10 years ago when they opened their first store. “We thought other retailers would soon open art galleries and restaurants in downtown Leeds, but it didn’t happen.” Dyer said. “We feel like we have pretty much turned this block around, but we haven’t seen very many new retailers in the area, which is surprising, because rents are very reasonable here.” He said he still hopes that other retail shops will open downtown. “With additional retail establishments, downtown Leeds — with its quaint small-town atmosphere — could become a destination, like some of the other unique small towns in Alabama,” he said. “Leeds could be another Fairhope.” They purchased their first building in the 8000 block of Parkway Drive in 2002 and opened the store following year. Named the Monkey’s Uncle because Dyer collects all manner of monkeys — from stuffed monkeys to paintings of them — the store carries a large selection of items, including fragrances, jewelry and ladies accessories as well as collegiate gifts, birthday and anniversary gifts, and tableware. A bridal registry is also available. After operating the store for about five years, Dyer and Jennings began opening additional shops nearby. In 2008, the Monkey’s Uncle Christmas Shoppe opened in the next block. “Leeds didn’t have a Christmas Shoppe,” Jennings said, “and we were selling so many Christmas items at the Monkey’s Uncle that we needed another place to put them.” The Christmas Shoppe carries an assortment of Christmas-themed décor and gift items, including small and large trees, ornaments, foods, plates, platters and door hangers. The store also stocks holiday items for football fans. For the first few years, the Christmas Shoppe was open only during the holiday season and moved among whatever vacant buildings Dyer and Jennings rented from year to year. In 2012, it
Tim Jennings, left, and Michael Dyer in Christmas Shoppe
Unique gifts are their hallmark.
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Monkey’s Uncle
Monkey Tails Baby Emporium was born out of need for baby shop. moved to a permanent location two doors down from the gift store. This year, the store has been open since mid-summer. The owners plan keep it open year-round from now on and hope to add gardening items to the inventory during the first half of each year. The Monkey Tails baby emporium opened in 2009 because of a large demand for baby gifts among Monkey’s Uncle customers. Originally located just a few doors down, the baby store has since moved into a large room at the back of the gift store. Monkey Tails sells baby gifts, clothing and much more. It offers registries for baby showers and teas, and has become one of the more exclusive baby stores in the Birmingham area. The newest offering in the Monkey’s Uncle empire is Monkey See/Monkey Décor, a home décor shop located between the gift store and the Christmas Shoppe. “We carry smaller home décor items, including lamps, pictures and accessories, that customers can take home in their cars,” Dyer said. “Decorators are beginning to learn about the store. We hope that its name is intriguing enough to draw people in. It’s a new store, and we expect it will take a little while for people to find us.” Where the unique is common Dyer said they look for unique things to buy for their stores, which sets them apart from the competition. “Whether in the gift store or the home décor store, customers comment that our items, such as lamps, for
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Guest of honor at Christmas Shoppe
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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example, are the most unusual that they have ever seen,” he said. “We buy a lot of merchandise for our stores,” he added. “If we like something, we’ll buy 10 of them instead of just one or two. That way, if a customer wants six of one item, we’ll have it.” Jennings said customers often comment about how much merchandise is in the stores. “Michael knows how to display the items so that they are appealing to customers, even though we have a lot of different items,” he said. “When a customer comes in, it takes quite a while to see everything. People seem to enjoy just looking and browsing, especially in the Christmas Shoppe.” The Monkey’s Uncle stores also provide traditional small-town services to their customers, such as free gift wrapping and carrying packages to customers’ cars. “We have a lot of customers from outside the Leeds area,” Jennings said. “We have quite a few who come from St. Clair County — Pell City, Springville, Odenville — to see what we’re about.” The stores also have customers from Birmingham and other parts of Alabama as well as from the Atlanta area and as far away as Texas.
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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Staying active in the community Dyer and Jennings believe in staying active in the Leeds community and have been recognized for their efforts to reinvigorate the downtown area. The Monkey’s Uncle was named Business of the Year in 2005 by the Leeds Area Chamber of Commerce. In 2009, Dyer and Jennings were among nine outstanding retailers statewide recognized as Retailers of the Year by the Alabama Retail Association. They received the Gold Award in the “annual sales less than $1 million” category. Sandra McGuire, executive director of the Leeds Area Chamber of Commerce, nominated them for Retailer of the Year. She said in her nomination that the Leeds Farmers Market was entirely Tim Jennings’ idea. He asked for the Chamber’s support, and he took it and ran with it. With Dyer’s help, Jennings contacted local farmers and growers, and the farmers market was born. Their ongoing work in the Leeds community includes sponsoring the Leeds Elementary School jump-rope team and promoting the Leeds High School football, cheerleading and band programs. The store owners also participate in the state of Alabama’s Adopt-A-Highway Program. Jennings serves on the Leeds Commercial Development Board. He is a member of the board of directors of Leeds Scenic Byway and serves on the Leeds Fall Festival Planning Committee. Dyer is a board member of the Leeds Historical Society and Leeds Area Chamber of Commerce and is a past board member of the Leeds Arts Council. “Leeds is a small town, but it has a great deal to offer through our stores,” Dyer said. “They are a great reason to come to Leeds for the day and shop.” l For more information about the stores, see their website at monkeysunclegifts.com.
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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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St. Clair’s B&B Inns: Sleep by the water, in a barn or on an airstrip Story by Elaine Hobson Miller Photos by Mike Callahan and Wallace Bromberg Jr. You can take your boat, your airplane or your horse along when you stay at some of St. Clair County’s bed-and-breakfast inns. Treasure Island Bed & Breakfast faces the waters of Logan Martin Lake in Cropwell, Sky Country Lodge overlooks a grassy airstrip in Ashville, and right up the road from Sky Country is Wadsworth Farm Horse Hotel. Each fills a niche that makes it unusual, and in one case, unique, among Alabama’s boutique motels. Specializing in honeymoons, anniversary celebrations and other romantic getaways, Cropwell’s Treasure Island Bed and Breakfast Inn has a commanding view of Logan Martin Lake on the Coosa River. Innkeepers Lilly and Earl Hardy purchased the house 16 years ago with the express purpose of starting a B&B. “Originally, it was a bungalow with four small bedrooms and three bathrooms,” says Lilly, who cooks breakfast for her guests. “The second owner built a whole new section that included a new kitchen, a bedroom and a bath, and the expansion of the living room.” Treasure Island has four guest rooms, each sleeping two people. The two downstairs rooms share a bath, while the two upstairs rooms have private baths. All rooms come with fluffy bathrobes. The most popular room is the Anniversary Suite, which features a large bathroom with whirlpool tub,
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Sky Country Lodge DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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St. Clair’s B&B Inns 5-foot-by-5-foot glass-enclosed shower and a toilet/ bidet combination. It has its own water heater to keep the tub’s water hot. The Hardys serve a full breakfast with a menu that varies daily. Lilly’s list includes cheese omelets, bacon or sausage and country biscuits, raspberry crepes, fresh strawberry Belgian waffles, Eggs Benedict, assorted fresh fruits and juices, freshly ground coffee, hot tea and milk. Breakfast is served in the dining room, which has a spectacular morning view of the lake. Homemade cookies or brownies tempt the palate from the countertop, beside a Flavia fusion coffee/tea/ cappuccino maker for guests’ enjoyment. The kitchen and dining area are adjacent to the common area in the great room, which features a large-screen plasma TV with plenty of comfortable seating to enjoy the lake view. The downstairs common area has another television, seating and exercise equipment. Guests have visited from Switzerland, Germany, Norway, England, Egypt, and all regions of the United States. They usually find Treasure Island via the Internet, www.treasureislandbedandbreakfast. com, and many are now repeat customers. They often invite the Hardys to visit them in their own homes, and send post cards of the places they visit. “We get to travel the world through these people,” Earl says. Summer is the busiest time of the year, with more guests during the week than any other season. Occupancy is sporadic the rest of the year. “In October, we were really busy, though,” Lilly says. “And we’re always full during the Talladega races.” Guests like to paddle around the lake on the Hardys’ kayak. If they stay three nights, they get a pontoon ride. Or they can bring their own boats and tie up at one of the inn’s two docks. They can sit in the rocking chairs on the upper deck or lower patio or in the swing that’s closer to the lake. In the summer, they can watch the colorful sail boats floating by. In the fall, the trees surrounding the inn put on their own show of color. “I enjoy meeting people,” says Earl, the bivocational pastor of Beulah Baptist Church in Sterrett. “It’s almost like ‘Cheers’ on TV, where everybody has a story, and I enjoy hearing their stories.” Lilly likes making people feel comfortable, and she sees the inn as a ministry, too. “Sometimes people tell us their problems, and we listen and often pray with them,” she says. “People who go to B&Bs are more social than those who go to hotels and motels.” Drop in at this B&B by air At Sky Country Lodge on Ashville’s Slasham Road, Greg and Cora Koontz host flight students in a bed-and-breakfast setting. Their two private guest rooms face the grass runway that is the base for Greg’s aerobatic school. “Students can mix serious aerobatic instruction with the peace and quiet of our country setting,” says Greg.
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The view from Treasure Island
The great room
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St. Clair’s B&B Inns Each room has a private bath, and one has a private entrance. The other has a whirlpool tub. Guests can enjoy breakfast facing the runway each morning and relax by the fire in the great room on cool evenings. Greg does all the cooking because his wife has another full-time job. His website, www.skycountrylodge.com, includes a link to his recipe for Campfire Beans, which he often serves during his annual open house and barbecue. “When we first opened, we tried to offer a real spread for breakfast, but we found that people would eat more than they normally do and would get sick quicker,” Greg says. “We deal with motion sickness, and even though these are experienced pilots, they may get sick because there is more motion than they usually experience. So now we talk to people the night before about what they would like for breakfast, and we encourage them to eat what they would normally eat.” Choices include cold cereal, oatmeal, eggs with bacon or sausage and grits, biscuits, toast and bagels. Learning about the school and lodge from the Internet and from Greg’s air shows, guests arrive from all parts of the United States and around the world, including Spain, Portugal, Germany, South Africa, Argentina and the Philippines. Greg trains about 75 to 80 pilots a year at his home base, and all stay at Sky Country Lodge. While he used to price the rooms separately, Greg now charges a flat rate of about $700 per day for room, board and flying instructions. His courses run for two days, but people coming from Europe and South America usually stay four or five days to get the most out of their longdistance traveling. “I have the only aerobatic school with a B&B on a private grass air strip that I know of,” says Greg, who opened Sky Country Lodge in 2005.
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Porch overlooks Sky Country runway, pond
A view from inside lodge
Guest room at Sky Country Lodge
Breakfast is served by Julie Wadsworth
A hotel for horses Horsewoman and watercolor artist Julie Wadsworth is the innkeeper at Wadsworth Farm Horse Hotel, where equestrians can stop for the night while trailering their horses through Alabama. Her 30-acre farm is divided into six grassy paddocks with a 40-meter dressage arena, a large round pen, a show barn that has six 12-footby-12-foot stalls with rubber mats and fans, and an indoor wash room. Human accommodations include a 10-foot-by-12-foot guest room and private bath at the front of the barn, where guests can sleep near their horses. The guest room has a queen bed, and there’s a microwave oven and coffee maker in the office and common room across the hallway. Julie offers free wi-fi, and charges $50 per night for two people. For an additional $10 per person, extras can sleep on a fold-out couch in the office. She also has three electric and water hook ups for $20 a night, and campers have access to another bathroom with a shower in the barn. “Usually the trail riders are going some place to camp and they’ll sleep in their RVs (horse trailers with living quarters), while the show people going to competitions will choose the guest room,” says Julie. People who spend the night with her usually are headed northeast on I-20/59 from Texas or Oklahoma, or southwest from north of the Mason-Dixon Line. “I had a young guy from Argentina who drove from New York to Texas with eight polo ponies on a stock trailer,” she says. “Those were tired ponies! People from Florida also stop on their way to the Midwest.” Julie hires someone to keep the guest room clean, but she cleans the stalls herself. She doesn’t serve breakfast because it would require a health certification and a special culinary test. However, she will occasionally provide muffins for her guests, to go along with their morning coffee. “When kids are going to rodeos or other competitions, whole families will come,” she says. “We had a family like this from Oklahoma going to Perry, Georgia. A guy and his wife going to Chickamauga for a re-enactment were interesting. Their horses
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St. Clair’s B&B Inns
A view of the land
have been in several movies, including the one Daniel Day-Lewis rode in a scene from Lincoln. She hosted some riders who were doing an endurance ride at Talladega National Forest. It was supposed to be a three-day, 50-75-100 mile event going on Friday through Sunday. But it was held during the recent shutdown of the federal government, and after the first two days, rangers closed the park, leaving many riders stranded. “A woman veterinarian from Maryland had done the 50-mile ride and won the 75-mile event before the park closed,” Julie says. She sometimes gets as many as two guests a week in the summer, but only one or two per month during the winter. In the three years she has been open, she has probably hosted 80 to 90 guests. They find her through the Internet, where she’s registered with www.horsemotel.com and www.horsetrip.com. Both sites list horse motels by state and provide links to her own website, www.alhorsehotel.com. “I enjoy doing this because I’m living vicariously through the adventures of my guests,” Julie says. l
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The main house at Wadsworth Farm Horse Hotel
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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Rogers Bros. Grocery Steeped in history and stories
From left, Jackie Amos, Frances Herndon and Jewel Barrett with Dwight Rogers.
Story by Leigh Pritchett Photos by Mike Callahan If walls could talk, oh the stories they would tell. This would especially be true for Rogers Brothers Grocery, a store that drew customers for nearly 60 years. While its block walls could detail almost six decades of Chandler Mountain life, some lumber used in its fixtures could expound on a world war. Hoover Rogers, whose brothers W.F. and H.M. Rogers established the business, described the store as a sort of community meeting place. “A lot of time, people would come sit and talk,” Hoover said. “It was just a country store. It was the only store on Chandler Mountain at that time.” The store opened in the spring of 1948. St. Clair County 42, which passes in front of the store, was only a dirt road then. Dwight Rogers, son of W.F. Rogers, said some lumber used for
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the store’s shelving came from Camp Sibert, a World War II military installation in Etowah and St. Clair counties. Grocery items and other goods — such as feed, seed and fertilizer — were available at the store. “We sold what people needed,” Dwight said. Six days a week, the store was open from 7 a.m. to sometime around 7 p.m. “If things got quiet around dark, we’d close (early),” Dwight said. However, if an individual needed an item while the store was closed, one of the Rogers would fetch it. Dwight said they tried to do what they could to keep people from having to travel off the mountain to get what they needed. Basically, the only days the store was closed were Thanksgivings, Christmases and Sundays. Dwight explained that his grandfather, V.S. Rogers, donated nearby land for a school and Chandler Mountain Baptist Church. The Rogers honored the church by being closed on Sundays. As a 5- or 6-year-old boy, Dwight was fascinated with the gas
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
pumps at the front of the store. He remembers that a handle was cranked to dispense gasoline into a chamber atop the gas pump to measure each customer’s purchase. “It might have been 5 gallons for a dollar at the time,” Dwight recalled. That was in the 1950s, when Coca-Colas and large Baby Ruth candy bars sold for a nickel apiece. Jars of “penny candy” made it easier to satisfy a sweet tooth at a time when money was hard to come by, Dwight said. By age 10, Dwight’s duties included running errands, gathering customer orders and making deliveries, among other things. “We traded on credit a whole lot,” Dwight continued. The store offered it to help customers, many of whom were tenant farmers. The tenant farmers bought on account until they received payment for their crops, which might be five or six months later. Nonetheless, paying debts seemed to be important to folks. “As long as they were able, they’d try to come and pay you,” Dwight said. One popular place in Rogers Brothers Grocery — especially on a rainy or cold day — was at the checkerboard in front of the round Warm Morning heater. “Probably 10 or 12 people that lived up here on the mountain did the checker playing,” Dwight said. Two would strike up a game and another person would challenge the winner. Someone else would want to play the victor of the next game and so on and so forth. Sometimes, there were two checkerboards in play at once, Dwight said. “They’d sit there all day and play checkers,” recalled Hoover. Rogers Brothers Grocery was also the destination for anyone planning to fish at Chandler Mountain Lake. Dwight said the store was the collection site for the $1 fee to fish all day. After a day at the lake, fishermen often would return to the store to have a photo snapped with their prize catch. Dwight still has pictures of proud sportsmen holding up a 9or 10-pound bass, 4-pound crappy or a 20-pound catfish. The store just naturally seemed to be a place for people to visit with each other, discuss issues or “just shoot the breeze,” as the saying goes. “You could stop in, and other people would be around,” said Hoover. If Rogers Brothers Grocery lacked anything that other stores of that era had, it would have been a “liar’s bench” out front. But that did not matter, according to Hoover. “All the lying went on inside,” he said with a chuckle. Many a story was told at that store — tales of growing up on Chandler Mountain, of hunting, of bootlegging relatives and of inquiring revenuers. “Back in the ’50s, 70 to 80 percent of the people on Chandler Mountain were from North Georgia,” Dwight said. In some cases, their moonshining activities were the reason they had to leave that state. One of the big stories from the 1970s was about the guy who snagged a bear. According to Dwight, the bear had been making a nuisance of itself by robbing a man’s beehives. The man shot and wounded the bear, which wandered back into the woods. Some hunters soon came upon the bear, which had died by then. Subsequently, the bear ended up being taken to Rogers Brothers Grocery. “That was a Sunday,” Dwight recalled.
Dwight Rogers cleans peanuts. Even though the store was closed, some of the Rogers family came to the building and put the bear in a cooler that was outside the front door. The next day, there was a sizable crowd of people from near and far, wanting a glimpse of the bear. “Nobody had ever seen a bear (living in this region),” Dwight said. “That was the big story around for a while.” The furry beast was later mounted and put on display at Chandler Mountain Community Center, Dwight noted. One recent Saturday, in the shade of a magnolia tree beside the store, Dwight spread old photos and newspaper clippings across the hood of a truck. As he picked up each reminder, he told a visitor about the people in the snapshots and the events that had taken place. Holding one particular clipping, Dwight explained that it was a photo of his father, W.F. “You would have liked him,” he told the visitor. “Everybody liked him. My Dad was the same to everybody.” W.F. and H.M. were partners in the grocery store until a farming accident 21 years ago claimed W.F.’s life. “When Dad died, Mother (Dessie Rogers) stayed here in the store with (H.M.),” said Dwight, who helped them while also being a truck farmer. In fact, Dessie and H.M. did not close the business until one of them was older than 90 and the other was not far behind. Both have since passed away. For eight or nine years now, the hand-crank adding machine has been quiet, the wooden rocker unoccupied and the roll of
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Rogers Bros. Grocery butcher paper untouched. Though idle for years, the oldtimey drink cooler looks ready to render glass-bottled sodas so chilly that they have flecks of ice in them. Boxes of Wolverine boots, a straw hat, fishing tackle, work gloves and overalls — both plain and striped — silently convey much about the history of the store and its patrons. They are all things that would bring back memories for Ellen Jenkins of Chandler Mountain, who said she visited the store pretty much all her life. “Mostly what I remember was the overalls, the old drink machine, wood-burning heater,” said Jenkins. For Joann “Jody” Gilliland, memories of the store not only are fond, but also warm in a very literal sense. As a child, she and others boarded the school bus at the store. In the winter, they stayed close to the potbellied heater until the bus’ arrival. While they waited and warmed themselves, they heard people share stories about all sorts of adventures. In the afternoons, the bus returned Jody to the store, where she might get a Moon Pie and soda. She enjoyed spending those times with Dessie and W.F., her aunt and uncle. “It was a fun place, full of country smells,” said Jody, who is secretary and ministerial assistant at Chandler Mountain Baptist Church. Even though the store no longer is in business, it still generates interest and draws people to it. It is not uncommon for motorists to stop there for one reason or another. This day was no different. While Dwight was showing his collection of photos and clippings, an out-of-state vehicle arrived at the store. Out came traveler Jackie Amos of Canton, Ga., along with her mother, Frances Herndon, also of Canton, and Frances’s sister, Jewel Barrett of Glen Burnie, Md. They asked Dwight where to find “the Dover place.” Jackie explained that, as a young girl, she visited her Uncle Jim and Aunt Sophie Dover during the summers. “Mrs. Sophie was a good wine maker,” stated Hoover. “Yeah, they had grapevines growing on the side of the house,” Jackie added. “Uncle Jim made walking sticks too.” Jackie reminisced about the long days of doing various chores at the Dovers’, which culminated in a chance to go to Rogers Brothers Grocery for a snack. “That was the highlight of the day, to get to walk from there to here to get a Coca-Cola and pack of crackers. When you’re little, that’s all you think about,” Jackie said. As the group exchanged stories and outlined family trees, an ironic discovery was made: Some of Frances and Jewel’s relatives are actually kinsmen of some of Dwight’s relatives. As the ladies turned to get into their vehicle, Frances remarked, “I never thought I’d meet up with somebody I was kin to.” “Me neither,” replied Jewel. l
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Inside the store, the vintage Coke cooler, grocery scale and wood-burning stove are reminders of the old business.
DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • December 2013 & January 2014
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