History Focus - Barbour County Tourism Guide

RESOURCE GUIDE

Barbour County...The Home of Alabama Governors Map of the Governors’ Trail Scenic Byway One of the Best Hunting and Fishing Spots in Alabama Historic Homes and Profound History

Barbour County Commission Barbour County, Alabama K. Earl Gilmore Chairman District 4 Henry Franklin District 1

Patricia H. Ivey Vice-Chairman District 6

Frank Straughn District 2

Fred M. Cooper District 5

Frances Person-Crews Trip Horne District 3 District 7

1 Court Square Clayton, Alabama 36016 (334) 775-3203

BARBOUR COUNTY, ALABAMA

TALE OF TWO COUNTY COURTHOUSES

Barbour County Courthouse in Clayton

Two courthouses – one county. Barbour County is one of six Alabama counties where two courthouses exist within the county. Other counties in the state also operate satellite courthouse facilities.

Barbour County was established on the busiest single day in Alabama’s history when counties were created on December 18, 1832.

Due to land cessions from the Choctaw, Cherokee and Creek Indians, the Alabama Legislature established 10 new counties on that one day.

When Barbour County was created, its territory came from Pike County and the Creek Indian lands. On January 11, 1833, the Legislature provided for the organization of the county. Any office holders living in the portion of Pike County transferred to the new Barbour County. They served in office until the end of their terms. The Legislature directed the sheriff to hold an election in February 1833 for additional officers needed.

The Legislature appointed an 11-person commission to select the site for the county seat. The commission also was mandated that until a centralized seat of justice was selected, courts would be held at Louisville, the former county seat of Pike County. The first circuit court in Barbour County convened at Louisville on March 25, 1833, with Judge Anderson Crenshaw presiding. The next court was set for September 23, 1833 also at Louisville but it adjourned to meet the next day at Clayton. The judge did not appear for this first scheduled court session in Clayton so the first circuit court held in Clayton took place in March 1834 with Judge Crenshaw presiding.

A “suitable house” was provided by the citizens for holding court in Clayton. The courthouse was 20 feet square and constructed of round pine logs. It had one small window and one door at the southeast end of the building.

While Clayton was the legislatively mandated and centrally located county seat of Barbour County, another town was settled around 1832. On March 1, 1833 a post office was established at this small village overlooking the Chattahoochee River. The village was called Irwinton in honor of Gen. William Irwin, an early pioneer and legislator from Henry County. In 1843 the name of Irwinton was changed to Eufaula, the name of the former Indian village that had been located a few miles to the north.

The 1833 log courthouse in Clayton was replaced in 1854 with a new courthouse that was built at a cost of $9,695. It was constructed in the classical style. In 1924 the building was remodeled and expanded.

Barbour County Courthouse in Eufaula

Wings were added to the structure. The courthouse was razed and a new modern structure was then built. The contract was awarded on November 1, 1960 to construct a new courthouse in Clayton. The building that exists today in downtown Clayton was constructed of limestone, granite and brick.

In the 1870s there was interest in moving the county seat to Eufaula. Instead of removing the county seat from the geographical center of the county, Barbour County leaders reached a compromise. A courthouse would be built in Eufaula for the convenience of its citizens. The City of Eufaula would furnish the land and the Barbour County Board of Revenue would construct the building. By agreement, the city would have control of municipal offices in the building.

The original courthouse in Eufaula was built in 1877. By November 1922, the city hall/courthouse in Eufaula needed to be replaced because the state fire marshal declared the structure unsafe.

In 1923 the City of Eufaula appropriated $15,000 toward construction costs of a new building on the same site. The Barbour County Board of Revenue, now named the County Commission, awarded a building contract in the amount of $34,958.52 as well as a heating system contract.

The new courthouse was completed in October 1924 at the same time that the courthouse in Clayton was remodeled and expanded. By 1975 the shared facilities in Eufaula were no longer adequate for use by the city and the county. The county purchased the city’s half interest for $100,000. The agreement allowed the city to retain offices in the courthouse until a new city hall could be built. The new Eufaula City Hall was completed in 1976 and the Eufaula courthouse was then occupied solely by the county and the courts. Both courthouses were renovated in 1986.

A law that was passed on February 12, 1879 established court venues in the county. Under the law, the first week of any term of Circuit Court in Barbour County would be held in Clayton. The second week of the term would be held in Eufaula. The Circuit Clerk was directed to maintain an office in each location. Also, a dividing line was made in the county between survey ranges 27 and 28.

Criminal and civil matters arising west of the line would be heard in Clayton while those arising east of the line would be heard in Eufaula.

This arrangement still exists today with courts being held in both Clayton and Eufaula.

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QUICK FACTS

BARBOUR COUNTY, AL

EUFAULA, AL Pupulation: 12,943 Location: Eufaula is in southeast Alabama on the Georgia border. The city sits on the west bank of Walter F. George Lake, an impoundment of the Chattahoochee River.

Climate: 215 sunshine days Average relative humidity: 76% Rain: 50 inches annually Snow: Rare Cost of Living: Below average Housing cost: The average sales price of homes in Barbour County was $138,436 according to the Eufaula Multiple Listing Service.

CLIO, AL Population: 1,399 Barbour County

LOUISVILLE, AL Population: 519 Barbour County

Location: Clio is a rural community located in southwestern Barbour County. Clio is 17 miles from Clayton and 35 miles from Eufaula. It is the birthplace of former Alabama governor George C. Wallace, as well as Baseball Hall of Fame athlete and Atlanta Braves broadcaster, Don Sutton and Birmingham business tycoon, Elton Stephens.

Climate: 212 sunshine days Average relative humidity: 74% Rain: 52.2inches annually Snow: Rare Cost of Living: Below average Housing cost: Mean prices in 2011 for all housing units in Clio was $114,902 According to City-Data.com

Location: Louisville is located in western Barbour County. It is 10 miles southwest of Clayton, the county seat, and 6 miles northeast of Clio. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.8 miles, all of it land.

Climate: 214 sunshine days Rain: 52.2inches annually Snow: Rare Cost of Living: Below average Housing cost: Median price of homes in Louisville is $133,200 according to Zillow

Mural Art in Clio, AL

Shorter Mansion in Eufaula

Old Louisville School Building

CLAYTON, AL Pupulation: 3,008 Location: Clayton is in southeast Alabama. It is about 22 miles west of Eufaula. It is the native home of acting Alabama governor and two-term Lieutenant Governor Jere Beasley and Sate Senator Billy Beasley.

Climate: 212 sunshine days Average relative humidity: 74% Rain: 52 inches annually Snow: Rare Cost of Living: Below average Housing cost: Mean prices in 2011 for all housing units in Clayton was $120,612 According to City-Data.com

Octagon House in Clayton, AL

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BAKER HILL, AL Population: 278 Barbour County Location: Baker Hill is southwest of Eufaula. Although it existed as an unincorporated village since before 1860, the town was officially incorporated in 1997.

Climate: 220 sunshine days Average relative humidity: 74% Rain: 50 inches annually Snow: Rare Cost of Living: Below average Housing cost: Mean prices in 2011 for all housing units in Baker Hill was $85,396 According to City-Data.com

Keystone Poultry Plant in Baker Hill

BLUE SPRINGS, AL Population: 96 Barbour County Location: Blue Springs is located in Barbour County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.9 miles, all of it land. Blue Springs State Park is a 103-acre property along the West Fork Choctawhatchee River near the center of town. It features a spring pool, campground, playground areas and picnicking.

Climate: 214 sunshine days Rain: 52.8 inches annually Snow: Rare Cost of Living: Below average Housing cost: Median price of homes in Blue Springs is $105,065 according to City-Data.com

Blue Springs Natural Spring Pool

Contents

2015

A Big Year in Barbour County A spirit of Jubilation will prevail during the 50th anniversary of the Eufaula Pilgrimage. Since 1965, Eufaula has presented tours of its antebellum homes along with an engaging schedule of relevant things-to-do.

In Clayton there is cause for Celebration involving the 100th year the Parish family has owned and published The Clayton Record newspaper. The current owner and publisher, Rebecca Parish Beasley has nurtured the newspaper so well, the Alabama Press Association recently honored her with a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her exceptional work.

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TALE OF TWO COURTHOUSES

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QUICK FACTS

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CITY OF CLAYTON, ALABAMA

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UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

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BLUE SPRINGS, ALABAMA

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EUFAULA HERITAGE ASSOCIATION GOVERNORS’ TRAIL SCENIC BYWAY

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MAP OF GOVERNORS’ TRAIL

And throughout the Black Belt region, which includes Barbour County, Recreation will be the star attraction when the Alabama Black Belt Adventure Association hosts the 2015 convention of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association at Lakepoint Resort in Eufaula.

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EXPERIENCE EUFAULA, ALABAMA

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CLIO, ALABAMA

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WELCOME TO LOUISVILLE, ALABAMA

To stir up your appetite for the Barbour County tourism experience, we feature in-depth coverage of Barbour County people, places and projects throughout the pages of this tourism resource guide, ending with a bonus section dedicated to the Jubilation, Celebration and Recreation that make 2015 so special in Barbour County.

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If you live in Alabama consider driving to Barbour County. If you live in another state, add Barbour County to your list of interesting places to visit when you come to Alabama. Make the trip now, in 2015 or at anytime. You are guaranteed to enjoy the special brand of southern charm and gracious hospitality that is offered in Barbour County.

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A CELEBRATION IN BAKER HILL SHARING OUR GREAT OUTDOORS

PUBLISHER

Noah Anthony Hopkins

CHIEF WRITER

Karin Grant Hopkins

GRAPHIC DESIGN/PHOTOGRAPHY Noah Anthony Hopkins

SPECIAL THANKS TO: Alabama State Senator William “Billy” Beasley Barbour County Commission Commissioner Pat Ivey City of Clayton, Alabama Mayor Rebecca P. Beasley Eufaula Barbour County Chamber of Commerce Eufaula Heritage Association Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association Evelyn Pelfrey Jack Pelfrey Ann Bowden Marilyn Bennett All Advertisers

The Barbour County Tourism Resource Guide is produced by: Community Tourism Network, Inc. 608 Dibble Street Tuskegee, Alabama 36083 334.725.8496 tourismresource@gmail.com

THE COVER A photograph of Lake Eufaula with the ERnEsT VAndiVER CAusEwAY leading to Georgetown, Georgia on the other side of the lake.

www.tourismresource.org Copyright 2014 No portion of this publication may be reprinted or copied unless written permission is given by the publisher

Clayton, Alabama

A Quaint, Historical Town

Clayton Presbyterian Church Established 1873

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layton, Alabama, located in the geographical center of Barbour County, is a quaint beautiful town where historical sites, shopping and recreational opportunities await you.

Discover Clayton where you can visit the country’s only Whiskey Bottle Tombstone in the Clayton Cemetery and leave a little change under the cap. The uniqueness

Clayton Cemetery is the old Town Bell that was relocated from Town Square and was used to alert the townspeople about a fire in town.

Filled with antebellum architecture, Clayton offers visitors the opportunity to step back in time. Clayton is the home to the only antebellum octagonal shaped house which is owned by the City of Clayton and used for public functions.

Also of historic interest is the renovated building that

Octagon House

of the tombstone is included in Ripley’s “Believe It or Not.” The legend is that the wife of the deceased threatened to mark his gravesite with a whiskey bottle if he didn’t stop drinking. Obviously, he did not quit and she fulfilled her promises. Also strategically positioned in the

once served as the Central of Georgia Depot which is now used for Clayton’s Municipal Complex. Built in 1889, the building once thrived as a busy freight and passenger center. Historic sites listed on the National 5

ClAyTOn, Alabama (con’t)

Clayton City Hall

Register of Historic Places that are unique structures include the Grace Episcopal Church and the Clayton Presbyterian Church.

There’s an abundance of outdoor recreational opportunities available. The 20,000 acre refuge on the Barbour County Wildlife Management Area beckons visitors who want to hunt or catch the big fish at the Barbour County State Lake. Camping areas, picnic pavilions and public fishing and hunting are available within minutes of downtown Clayton.

While you are in Clayton, take time to browse our wonderful shops where you get hometown, friendly service. Walk the downtown streets of Clayton where you

Grace Episcopal Church

Town and County Library

Old Town Bell

Barbour County State Lake

will find a Christmas store filled with collectibles and other gift items as well as antique shops and home cooking at several restaurants.

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For information on your visit to Clayton, please contact Clayton City Hall at 334-775-9176.

Up Close and Personal In Clayton, Alabama

By Karin Hopkins

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riving through Barbour County is a sensory feast. The lush green landscape is the perfect backdrop for Mother Nature’s symphony of sounds.

Barbour County is also tied to rich Alabama history. It is the home base of eight Alabama governors, seven men and one woman whose journey to the top job in state government routed through Barbour County.

Blessed with an abundance of natural resources, this area is also brimming with Southern hospitality and quaint charm.

Clayton and Eufaula — a neighboring large town, anchor Barbour County on the east and west offering a variety of amenities.

Downtown Clayton

Clayton is the County Seat of Barbour County, where official county business is transacted. Clayton also offers specialty retail shopping and down-home dining. All over the community there is a sweet nostalgia, scenting the air like the fragrance of blossoming magnolia trees.

Rebecca Beasley has a lifetime of precious memories about life in Clayton. She also exemplifies the values, character and self-esteem the community emphasized to children.

In elementary school, Rebecca Beasley won her first pageant title.

She was Little Miss Clayton. As a teenager, she wore the Miss Clayton sash and crown. And though extracurricular activities were encouraged, academics were the real priority. “Our families instilled that in us — to get an education. It was not if Rebecca Parish as Miss Clayton I was going to college, it was where.”

At Troy University, she earned an undergraduate degree in English and advanced to the University of Alabama for a Master’s degree in Communications/Journalism. This training is right in line with one of the jobs she maintains today, editor and publisher of the local newspaper, The Clayton Record.

She says this newspaper has been a family-owned business for generations. “My grandparents owned it and my mother was their only surviving child. It will be 100 years in 2015 of being in the same family.”

As a young child, she spent a lot of time at the newspaper office and has a firsthand perspective on the dramatic changes within the publishing industry. “I grew up in it. I used to sit at the presses. I remember the hot metal and the musical rhythm of the equipment.” That part of her world is now relegated to the past. The familiar sounds were silenced with the advent of computer technology.

When you look at her life, it is obvious that the nurturing, training and motivating paid off. Today, Rebecca Beasley is a community leader in many respects. In addition to running the newspaper, she is also the Mayor of the City of Clayton. Prior to this position, she served on the Clayton City Council. She is married to State Senator Billy Beasley.

Rebecca Parish

(Senior Year Photographs)

Jeanetta Britt

Rebecca Beasley is guided by the character and moral fiber that was instilled in her. This is what impressed Jeanetta Britt, a high school classmate, who shares much in common with Rebecca Beasley.

Jeanetta also was raised in Clayton. She, too, is from a hardworking family with strong traditional values. “She was always so smart,” says Rebecca who adds, “I was envious of Jeanetta because she was so smart. I knew her parents, too.

They were in business in Clayton.”

The business owned by Jeanetta’s father was a neighborhood grocery store. But Jeanetta was surrounded by relatives who simply defied the norm. Her uncle owned a dry cleaning business. Her grandfather w a s a high school principal. Her mother and aunts were teachers. Every summer the family vacationed in Newport News, Virginia where her enterprising parents generated revenue by operating beach concessions on Bay Shore Beach. As an aspiring entrepreneur, her father used to say, “If you put enough quarters together, eventually they’ll add up to something.”

She says during her childhood, most families worked hard to survive. “When I went to Fisk (University), I realized after my first Economics class that I was from a town that was probably below the poverty line. But I never thought of it because there was so much love.”

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Up Close and Personal (Con’t) Continuing to describe living conditions she said, “A lot of people were sharecroppers. They picked cotton. Some kids didn’t come to school until October, after the cotton season was over. And they weren’t picking their own cotton, they were picking for others. And so everybody had to work together as a community to survive.”

If Jeanetta did not focus on the struggle, she clearly saw the fortitude. “Black people were very proud, honorable and dignified.

Even though some didn’t speak well, and couldn’t read or write, we worked together a n d h a d g r e a t pride in our accomplishments as a community. Most of the families I knew were raising their children to pursue a better life.”

Jeanetta was expected to succeed, Jeanetta - Senior graduation and she did. She earned an under- picture graduate degree at Fisk University and a Master’s degree at the University of Michigan. At the time of her retirement in 2007, she was Chief of Staff for Dallas Area Rapid Transit, an organization with a $3 billion capital budget and a $250 million operating budget. She has traveled all over the world and is also an award-winning author who has published several novels and books of poetry.

These two women share common bonds related to faith, family and community. They are also connected to a turning point in Barbour County history. They were fellow students at the high school in Clayton during the first year of public school integration. Jeanetta says, “It was an intense period of transition. But to be honest, I don’t have graphic memories of that time. I was too excited about leaving home and going to college.”

Rebecca has a similar opinion saying, “I didn’t think much about it, reason being we grew up in this small town together. I think the media made a lot more about it than we did. And when I think about it today, had it not happened, I would not have gotten to know Jeanetta like I know her. To me, integration broadened my circle of friends.”

These days, Rebecca and Jeanetta Mayor Beasley and Jeanetta standing stand shoulder to shoulder along with in front of the Mayor’s office other stakeholders in Clayton investing in the town’s stability and growth. They share mutual respect and admiration for each other and enthusiasm for the community.

Jeanetta says, “There is a delightful atmosphere here. It’s sunny, bright, peaceful and calm. The people are courteous and kind. We specialize in Southern hospitality, a n d w e h a v e m a n y o u t d o o r activities — boating, hunting, camping and fishing. This is big bass country for sure.”

“Clayton is a special place with wonderful people,” says

Rebecca who also appreciates the spirit of collaboration. “We come together whenever there is a need. We’re here for each other and I think that’s what small towns are all about.”

Since Jeanetta returned home in 2007, she has been active with a non-profit organization she established called Twelve Stones Community Development Corporation, which sponsors two community gardens. Additionally, she is engaged in youth advocacy efforts, which are intended “to rekindle the intergenerational conversation.”

And she has her own ideas about strategic planning for Barbour County. “Eufaula has a signature personality with its antebellum Jeanetta at the Twelve Stones homes, and Clayton has its own Communitly Garden site special kind of energy, too,” says Jeanetta.

Rebecca has been a part of that energy in Clayton through efforts such as a downtown revitalization project and creation of Peanut Butter Park playground and walking trail. Jeanetta Britt is a staunch ally. Through the gardens, located in Eufaula and Clayton, fruits and vegetables take root along with compassion, generosity and old-fashioned crossgenerational connecting.

At harvest time, everybody can pick produce from the gardens, essentially getting free, fresh food.

In 2012, Rebecca and Jeanetta teamed up for a Mayor Beasley and Jeanetta discussing plans for special project called “A next upcoming events in Clayton Taste of Clayton Healthy Style,” which transformed city streets into a gourmet experience and fun center. The event created a festive atmosphere for an awards affair honoring volunteers, donors and supporters of the gardens’ program.

Through this event, children, parents and senior citizens were brought together to learn about food and nutrition. Then they prepared, cooked and shared a meal for a noble goal as Jeanetta explains. “Senior citizens are lonely. Children are often deprived of grandparents’ wisdom. So if we can get them together maybe they can benefit from each other. Children today watch television or play video games. That does not teach them values or build character.”

This is a slice of country that is geographically beautiful, historically profound and heartwarmingly inspiring.

COnTACT inFORMATiOn: Rebecca Beasley E-mail: beccabeasley@bellsouth.net

Jeanetta Britt E-mail: brittbooks@msn.com

Clayton Drug Co. Court Square Floral and Gifts

“Friendly Family Service” We accept all major RX insurance cards and Medicare Part D

We Offer Rx Discount Cards Owned & Operated by William “Billy” Beasley Pharmacist and Alabama State Senator and Gerald Jowers Pharmacist

Gifts for All Seasons We carry a large selection of Collectibles Jim Shore and Willow Tree ornaments and figurines Santas, Angels and Snowmen Wind Chimes Picture Frames Dayspring Cards for All Seasons Floral Arrangements (Silk & Fresh Flowers)

Handbags, Jewelry and Fashion Items Kitchen Decor Call or Visit Us TODAY!

23 Court Square • Clayton, Alabama 36016 • 334-775-3442

A Town Called

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n Barbour County's smallest town is what the local weekly newspaper publisher calls "one of the county's best kept secrets:" Blue Springs State Park.

Entrance to Blue Springs State Park

The centerpiece of the Town of Blue Springs on Alabama Highway 10, the 103-acre park was built around a natural spring that gushes up 3,600 gallons of cool, clean water per minute. At a year-round temperature of 68 degrees, the crystal-clear pools surrounding the spring have for decades been a welcomed respite for locals and tourists alike on Southeast Alabama's hot summer days.

In a memoir simply titled "Blue Springs" by retired dentist Dr. Wayne McLaughlin about his hometown, he describes how his maternal grandfather knew the potential value of the natural spring that suddenly surfaced on his land. Grandpa Joseph Thomas Eugene Whigham "knew that his spring was by far the largest ever to appear in that area, and he knew he must quickly do everything he could to keep it from moving," McLaughlin wrote.

Whigham dredged around the spring, creating two pools, which were eventually walled-in with concrete.

"When the walls were in place and the bottoms of the pools were completely clear of mud and debris, he covered the bottoms of both pools with a layer of pure white sand, perhaps six to eight inches thick," McLaughlin wrote. That sand remains as the flooring of the pools to this day.

Blue Springs State Park, now operated by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, is open all year from 7:00 A.M. until sundown and there are two great restaurants nearby. Hagler's Barbeque is across the street from the park office and Sam's World's Best Hamburgers is less than a mile west of the park.

"If you are looking for a place to slow down and enjoy some peace and quiet, this is it!" states the website OutdoorAlabama.com. The dual octagonal sandybottomed pools are connected by a spillway, says the website. "Once over the spillway, kids can search for critters among the rocks in the shallows before it flows into the west fork of the Choctawhatchee River."

There is a pond for fishing, paths for bike-riding, grassy areas for ball games and excellent camping facilities with rental campers available. "Fifty modern campsites, seven of which have sewer hook-up, are each outfitted with a picnic table and grill," says the website. "Visitors can tent-camp in the modern and primitive areas. A bathhouse and play areas are conveniently located in the campground." There are also large covered pavilions you can rent and an abundance of picnic sites.

One of several picnic areas

Blue Springs Pool

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A recent visitor to Blue Springs State Park posted this comment on TripAdvisor.com: "Icy cold water bubbling up and forming a large pool in which you can swim. Too deep for non- swimmers... Lots of nice picnic tables and grassy areas.� Blue Springs is about six miles east of Clio.

1-800-697-3226

eufaula

Heritage association

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hen it comes to tourism…Eufaula thinks big, acts big and delivers big results. This city in Barbour County is blessed with an impressive number of antebellum homes, which are the nucleus of a homegrown tourism stimulus program.

The program is an excellent example of what happens when people band together for a common goal. At a time when historic houses were being torn down in the name of progress or falling apart from neglect, concerned residents took matters into their own hands. Their first effort involved the Shorter Mansion, built in 1884 by Eli Sims Shorter, later owned and occupied by Shorter descendants until 1959 when the last resident moved due to health problems. In 1965, The Shorter Mansion was purchased at an auction for $33,000.

“The house next door had just been lost. It was demolished and replaced by apartments,” says Pam Snead, executive director of the Eufaula Heritage Association, which is an outgrowth of efforts to save Shorter Mansion. She adds, ‘It is a wonderful feeling every day to walk into a beautiful place that was built when cotton was king.”

Shorter Mansion

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Eufaula Heritage Association Phone: 888.383.2852 Phone: 334.687.3793 E-mail: eufaulaheritageassoc@eufaula.rr.com Website: www.eufaulapilgrimage.com

Eufaula…The Prettiest Little Town in the South The Eufaula Heritage Association uses the Shorter Mansion as its headquarters. With a two person staff plus a large number of volunteers the association does an outstanding job of preserving historic Eufaula.

Organizing and promoting the annual Pilgrimage and Christmas Tour, added in 2006, is the work of this highly productive organization.

Shorter Mansion is both an aesthetic treasure and functional resource.

It serves as a museum, social and cultural center, frequently used by the people of Eufaula and residents of other communities in Barbour County.

The antebellum home with a stately Greek Revival design can be rented for weddings, parties, meetings and other events.

It took significant financial investments to transform Shorter Mansion and today it is a magnificent tribute to preservation. The restoration project was also the catalyst for tourism-based economic development.

Shorter Mansion is among several homes featured during the Eufaula Pilgrimage held each spring. The main attraction is the tour of antebellum homes but the list of things to do extends far beyond these nostalgic treasures.

The schedule of activities also includes an art show with artworks for sale, antique car show, tour of gardens, tales from the tomb, candlelight tours, hosts dressed in antebellum period clothing, live music performances in each historic home and a Civil War tribute presented by Kolb’s Battery.

In 2013, Keith Langham was the guest speaker at the Eufaula Pilgrimage luncheon and lecture, a popular activity on the Pilgrimage schedule.

Langham, a famous interior designer, built a business with a stellar roster of clients including Jackie Kennedy. Organizers chose another winner for guest speaker at the 2014 luncheon and lecture. They selected James Farmer, an acclaimed designer, chef and gardener.

This once-a-year event is a tradition for many visitors but Eufaula is a perpetual paradise.

For anyone who loves water recreation and 50th Anniversary leisure, there is Lake Eufaula. Known as “The Eufaula Pilgrimage Bass Capital of the World,” this natural resource 2015 offers many amenities including Lakepoint Resort State Park, camping, fishing, boating, swimming, golfing, hiking, horseback riding and biking.

If you have never been to Eufaula, treat yourself to a visit during the special events seasons. You can also come back to experience the special brand of Southern hospitality that is always present.

If you have been to this charming city, you are probably already a repeat guest who falls in love with Eufaula each time you visit. You may also share the opinion of locals who describe the community as “…the prettiest little town in the South. I’m not sure who said it first, but it’s been said so many times. Why…I reckon it must be true.”

SHORTER MANSION HOME OF THE ANNUAL EUFAULA PILGRIMAGE HOURS - MONDAY - SATURDAY 10 AM - 4PM CST 1-888-383-2852 13

Barbour County Governors’ Trail Scenic Byway

by Jack & Evelyn Pelfrey

While beautiful Lake Eufaula is an outdoorsman’s para- assassination attempt during his third presidential campaign. dise proclaimed the “Big Bass Capital of the World,” it is not From Clayton, Governors’ Trail turns east on SR-30 to the county’s only claim to fame. Barbour County holds the US-431 in Eufaula, and then north to the famous Shorter distinction of having been home to more Alabama governors Mansion - the northernmost point of the Trail and the than any other county. Six of Alabama’s elected governors centerpiece of Eufaula’s Seth Lore and Irwinton Historic hail from Barbour County, and two other Barbour District, which has over 700 structures listed on the National Countians who were elected Lt. Governor served briefly as Register of Historic Places. Shorter Mansion houses the governor. Historians and political aficionados have long Eufaula Historical Museum containing a section that honors wondered how a rural county came to be such a fertile polit- the six Barbour Countians elected governor. ical incubator sending so many governors to Montgomery.

Elsewhere in Eufaula, travelers can visit the Shorter The Barbour County Governors’ Trail seeks to help answer Family Cemetery where Alabama’s Civil War governor, John those questions by acquainting Gill Shorter, is interred. Governors visitors with many of the local Alabama Governors from Barbour County who lived in Eufaula also include venues where these leaders William Dorsey Jelks who, as lived, learned and worked on president of the state senate in John Gill Shorter (1861-1863) their way to the state capitol.

1901, presided over the Alabama William Dorsey Jelks (1901-1907) Governors’ Trail’s southernConstitutional Convention and Braxton Bragg Comer (1907-1911) most point is Clio, birthplace and greatly influenced the adoption of Charles S. McDowell in 1924* childhood h o m e o f G e o r g e a new state constitution. Braxton Chauncey M. Sparks (1943-1947) C . Wallace, Alabama’s only Bragg Comer, a long-time Jelks George Corley Wallace (1963-1967, four-term governor. Perhaps ally and colleague, followed Jelks 1971-1979 and 1983-1987) best known for his stand against into the governor’s office. integration in the early 1960s Chauncey M. Sparks was a lawyer, Lurleen B. Wallace (1967-1968) (which he recanted and judge and state legislator for many Jere L. Beasley in 1972* apologized for in the 1970s), *elected Lt. Governor and served briefly as governor years before being elected goverWallace was a tireless advocate nor. Interpretive markers have for states’ rights and mounted four presidential campaigns been placed at the homes of these former governors as well based on that platform. At the intersection of SR-10 and as other sites of interest.

SR-51 you will see the 80-foot long and 24-foot tall mural And at day’s end, after a journey of discovery along the featuring Wallace making a campaign speech from the back 36-mile Barbour County Governors’ Trail, visitors will find of a flatbed trailer. The first historic mural in Barbour ample lodging and dining opportunities in Eufaula. Visit County, it was dedicated in 2002 and depicts a century of www.eufaulachamber.com for information on hotels and Clio’s history. restaurants.

Traveling north on SR-51, just beyond the Clio city limits is Pea River Presbyterian Church and Cemetery. Built by Barbour County Governors’ Trail Council, inc.

Scotch-Irish settlers in 1823, it’s one of the oldest in the area and several members of the Wallace family are interred there.

The Barbour County Governors’ Trail was designated a A few miles further north on Governors’ Trail is the Town of state scenic byway in 2000 with the passage of the Alabama Louisville, the first county seat of Barbour County; and a few the Beautiful Act and a Joint Resolution sponsored by then miles east of Hobdy’s Bridge, site of the last Indian battle in State Rep. Billy Beasley, brother of former Lt. Gov. Jere Alabama.

Beasley. The Barbour County Governors’ Trail Council, Inc. Another ten miles north is the Town of Clayton, the county (BCGTC) was incorporated in 2005. Since its founding, the seat since 1833 and home for several years to George C. BCGTC has commissioned a Corridor Management Plan; Wallace and his wife Lurleen B. Wallace. Because the developed an inventory of over 70 sites of interest; placed Alabama Constitution prevented George from running for a interpretive markers at seventeen sites along the Trail; and second consecutive term in 1966, Lurleen mounted a produced an original play entitled “Wallace-The Clayton successful gubernatorial campaign and took office in 1967 Years.” The BCGTC is currently developing a new brochure with her husband as her “most trusted advisor.” Clayton is with a map and information on a number of sites along the also the hometown of Lt. Governor Jere L. Beasley (1971- Trail. Future plans include the placement of more 1979), who served as governor for a short time in 1972 while interpretive markers and registering sites in geocaching lists.

George Wallace recovered from wounds suffered in an

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BARBOUR COUNTY, ALABAMA

Quick List 1. Clio Historic District 2. Clio Town Mural 3. Old Barbour County High School/ George Wallace Heritage Association 4. George Wallace Residence Site 5. Pea River Presbyterian Church & Cemetery 6. Louisville Historic District 7. Old Louisville High School 51

8. Hobdy’s Bridge 9. Blue Springs State Park 10. Clayton Historic District

Clayton

239

11 13

16

11. Governors’ Trail Interpretive Center

15

53

12. Barbour County Courthouse 13. Governor Wallace Law Office/Hotel

14

8

14. Memorial Hall

6

130

Louisville

15. George & Lurleen Wallace Home Site

51 7

16. Octagon House 17. Eufaula’s Seth Lore & Irwinton Historic District 18. Shorter Mansion 19. Shorter Family Cemetery

Clio

20. Fendall Hall

1

21. Kolb-Sparks-Irby House

2

22. McDowell-Askew House 23. William Dorsey Jelks House Site

5

4 3

131

10

53

Blue Springs

24. Governors’ Park 51

9

BARBOUR COUNTY, ALABAMA

431

82

24 12 10

30

John Gill Shorter 1861-1863

William Dorsey Jelks 1901-1907

Braxton Bragg Comer 1907-1911

Charles S. McDowell 1924*

Chauncey M. Sparks 1943-1947

George Corley Wallace 1963-1967, 1971-1979, 1983-1987

Eufaula

17

18 23 20 22 19 21

431

131

Baker Hill

Lurleen B. Wallace 1967-1968

Jere L. Beasley 1972*

*elected Lt. Governor and served briefly as governor

Governors’ Trail Scenic Byway

EuFaula BankErs association Farmers Exchange Bank

Eufaula Division

Expect Excellence

T

o foster the quintessential southern charm Eufaula displays today, the town traveled a very colorful history. The tale begins as the story of America does - with the Indians - and a very peculiar name. Few see "Eufaula" and say "you-fall-uh," as they should. One can imagine this was particularly true in 1823 when a group of Georgia men in search of fertile land for crops, descended upon a Creek Indian Tribe called "the Eufaulas." The "Eufaulas," one of three tribes of the Muscogee Nation living among the bluffs, had been inhabiting the area now known as St. Francis Point for nearly 100 years. Soon, however, they were sharing the land with the men from Georgia, who organized a settlement on the bluffs and adopted the Indian name, "Eufaula."

Around this same time General William Irwin, a hero from the War of 1814, was granted several thousand acres of land in neighboring Henry County.

Through his political connections, Irwin established the first steamboat wharf along the bluffs of Eufaula, as well as the first post office, which set the foundation for the town's rise to prominence as a center of trade. In appreciation, the town was renamed "Irwinton" in 1833.

The wharf, combined with the opening of the Federal Road, brought an influx of white settlers into the area.

The swelling population of settlers slowly crept farther and farther into Indian land, ultimately leading to the bloody Creek Indian War. Irwinton's Indian inhabitants fled the settlement in 1832, ceding their land rights with the Treaty of Cusseta, and traveled along the Trail of Tears to their new home in Eufaula, Oklahoma.

History, fishing, golfing and historic homes are some of the attractions that make people want to visit and live in Eufaula

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In 1832 Barbour County was incorporated. Two years later Captain Seth Lore began developing a downtown area with three and four-story establishments along Broad Street. In his honor, the four main north-south avenues through downtown were named "Livingston," "Orange," "Randolph," and "Eufaula," which spells out L-O-R-E. In the midst of a thriving economy in 1843, Eufaula suffered from a constant misdirection of mail to Irwinton, Georgia. The postal confusion was unsuitable for a center of trade such as Irwinton, Alabama, so it was decided that the town would reclaim its former name, Eufaula.

During this prosperous time, thousands of bails of cotton, alongside peanuts and numerous items of trade, were shipped down the Chattahoochee from Eufaula to ports as far away as New York and Liverpool. When the steamboats returned, they carried with them fine marble and exquisite furniture for the growing prosperity within Eufaula. Rather than building on plantations, Eufaula families chose to erect magnificent Greek Revival, Italianate, and Victorian homes on broad, tree lined boulevards. Many of these homes can still be visited today due to a fortunate turn of events during the Civil War. As the issue of slavery boiled temperaments in the early 1860's, Eufaulian John Gill Shorter was serving as governor of Alabama. The locals advocated secession, forming a politically powerful group of secessionists called the "Eufaula Regency." Simultaneously, six companies of soldiers from throughout Barbour County marched as far away as Virginia to fight for the south.

Then, on April 29, 1865, a messenger on horseback galloped into town with the news that General Benjamin H. Grierson, backed by 4,000 Union soldiers, was marching towards Eufaula from Clayton. The approaching troops could only have one intention - to ransack Eufaula. In a twist of fate, river traffic simultaneously delivered the news that Johnston had surrendered to Sherman, and Lee had surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Courthouse.

Mayor Dr. C.J. Pope and other prominent citizens swiftly organized a welcoming party to intercept the General's march on College Hill under the veil of a white flag of truce. With the war over, the Union troops marched peacefully through town and across the bridge to Georgetown, Georgia. Popular legend is that several Eufaulians whistled and sang songs of Dixie as the troops paraded by. As a safety precaution, the mayor invited the General and his staff to dinner. Due to the fortunate timing and quick action by local officials, Eufaula's treasures were spared from the torches of the Union troops.

However, the history would not have been preserved

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for today without the formation of the Eufaula Heritage Association in 1965. After several homes were demolished to construct apartment buildings, the association formed and collectively purchased Shorter Mansion at auction, thereafter using the mansion as headquarters for both the Association and the annual Eufaula Pilgrimage. A museum honoring Alabama's six governors who hailed from Barbour County, along with Admiral Thomas Moorer, a former Joint Chiefs of Staff, is located in the second story of the mansion. Today the Seth Lore/Irwinton Historic District remains the largest historic district in East Alabama and the second largest in the state. More than 700 structures are recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.

The 1960's also witnessed the formation of another influential aspect of Eufaula culture - the lake. In 1963 the Army Corps of Engineers created Walter F. George Lake, better known as Lake Eufaula, behind the lock and dam at Fort Gaines, Georgia. With a new attraction, combined with growing tourism and industry, Eufaula experienced steady growth.

Today the little town nestled on the bluff is recognized as a lure for the fisherman and the avid outdoorsman, and as a historical jewel with an unparalleled collection of antebellum homes and landmarks.

By Ann Bowden

I

CLIO, ALABAmA

t is important that the people who live in small, rural towns in the Deep South work to preserve the historical landmarks that remind citizens of the glory days of the past. These landmarks also tell everyone else that small towns contributed to the greatness of this nation.

I cite as an example my hometown — Clio, Alabama located in Barbour County. In the heart of downtown, there is a grassy plot of land surrounded by a beautiful wrought iron fence. Accenting the fence are brick pillars topped with vintage lanterns. The fence has a stately presence and is a reminder of the time it served sentry duty for a grand home.

In 2008, this house burned to the ground and the fence was all that survived. The property is historically significant because it was the family residence of Governor George C. Wallace, Sr. who lived there as a child. The house meant so much to Governor Wallace that he wanted the same design for a home in Montgomery, according to a book written by his son George Wallace, Jr. entitled “Governor George Wallace, The Man You Never Knew by The Man Who Knew Him Best.”

the salesmen would visit the shops and stores in town. Today, this structure is a private residence.

Across the street was the depot where the train made a stop every day. The jobbers and drummers came to Clio on the train, making the depot a very busy place. It was a hub linking Clio to the rest of the country. This depot was recently purchased by a citizen and is being restored.

On the same street as the former hotel is the boyhood home of another successful Clio native. The name Elton Bryson Stephens is well known and highly respected in his adopted city — Birmingham. Stephens established his corporate headquarters in Birmingham and used his initials to form the name of his company. EBSCO Industries, Inc. has international reach, is the parent company to more than 30 businesses and reported sales of $2.4 billion in 2013.

This Clio native could be called the grandfather of the reborn Alabama Symphony Orchestra. In 1995, Elton B. Stephens was asked to help reverse the fortunes of the bankrupt symphony organization. He agreed, partially motivated by his wife’s love of classical music.

He initiated a $15 million campaign to restore the symphony, and a mere two years after he started the effort, on September 11, 1997, the orchestra performed its first concert at the Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center, a venue Elton B. Stephens named for his wife.

Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center in Birmingham, AL

Also, there is an elegant, white two-story structure in the northern section of Clio. During a bygone era, it was used as a hotel, patronized by hundreds of visitors. Most of the guests were jobbers or drummers (as salesmen were known at one time in history). They spent the night at the hotel and in the morning, 21

CLIO, ALABAMA (con’t) With all of his big successes in Birmingham, Elton B. Stephens never forgot his hometown. He gave more than $100,000 to restore the high school in Clio and his foundation has given generously to Clio for many years.

On the southern end of Clio there is a house that is reminiscent of scenes depicted in the movie “Gone With the Wind.” Today, it is a private residence. But when this house was built, people came from all over to see it.

Judge Huey Lee’s House

There was not another house like this anywhere nearby. It took three years to build under the direction of the owner, Judge Huey Lee. His son McDowell Lee served as mayor of Clio and went on to become the longest serving Secretary of the Alabama Senate in state history. The City Hall in Clio is named for McDowell Lee. The school building, where many young people were equipped with the knowledge and skills to meet the challenges

Finally, there is an unusual landmark that borders the town hall. It is a street that is unusually wide and short. It is named for Don Sutton, who was born in Clio. Sutton, a former major league baseball player is also in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and a national sportscaster, recalls simpler times when he and his peers played baseball with truly modest equipment. A Clio mom would mold rags and strings into clumps that Sutton and his playmates would smack with their bats.

My own grandmother was a trailblazing businesswoman.

Her name was Carrie Shehane and she owned a lot of property in Clio. She started earning money by picking peas and selling them to customers. She eventually opened a café and grocery store on the property now occupied by Clio City Hall.

Clio’s story is a mix of wealth and power, simplicity and humility. Those who know the story love to share it and welcome visitors who can appreciate the town’s history and its history-makers.

Ann Bowden Historian & Author

By Karin Hopkins

George C. Wallace Heritage Building

of a changing world, still stands in mint condition. This building has been restored and is maintained by the George C. Wallace Heritage Association.

Members of the association think of themselves first as Barbour County alumni. This building, which was the first high school in Barbour County was built because Clio was able to raise the $10,000 needed for construction. In 1961, the school was vandalized. Members of the association restored it and transformed it into a mini-museum dedicated to veterans, teachers, Governor George C. Wallace and Dr. T.S. Jackson, a doctor who served Clio with his time and money for more than 50 years. The former school building also houses the Elton B. Stephens Library.

22

If anybody knows the history of Clio, it’s Ann Bowden. Born and raised here, she is also related to some of the town’s pioneering trailblazers. Additionally, she either knew or has studied other noteworthy individuals along with places and events that are significant to Clio’s past.

She remembers when Clio was thriving with all the amenities that support a comfortable quality of life including five churches filled to capacity every Sunday.

This former English teacher has worked in Alabama and Georgia. After retiring she settled in the home that has been in her family for more than 100 years. During her youth, Clio blessed her with strong roots and wings. Now in her mature years, it is her cozy nest.

She relishes her role as Clio’s historian and has written a trilogy entitled “Hold Onto the Memories.” In her own words, Ann describes her book this way. “…Section One warms your heart…Section Two makes you laugh and Section Three inspires you to be a better friend or family member.

The book evokes a full range of emotions. The innocence of first love and the heartbreak of broken connections, memorable people who transcended the ordinary and ties that bind through family and friend relationships, are aspects that make this story a mirror of the human experience. Whether in conversation or literature, Ann Bowden shares with honesty, joy and enthusiasm.

LOUISVILLE, ALABAMA

L

ouisville, Alabama, located on Alabama Highway 51 just south of Clayton, is one of the oldest towns in Southeast Alabama. It is a small town with a story that reflects American spirit, values and priorities, dating back to 1817 when it was a part of the Alabama Territory.

Daniel Lewis, one of the earliest settlers named the settlement “Louisville” after the first capital of Georgia, his old hometown. It has also been spelled “Lewisville” after Lewis himself. He built the first store (trading post) and house near the spring in the wooded area across from where the Old Louisville School stands today. By 1818 there were two stores and by 1820 there were four stores, several houses and a Methodist brush arbor along the ridge behind and near the springs.

During the years 1822-1827 as the “seat of government” for Pike County, the town experienced a healthy growth. The early Pike courthouse was built of logs and stood near the present location of the Old Courthouse historic marker. At least 12 stores along with the courthouse

made Louisville a center of activity. Frontier lawyers and judges traveled to this far outpost near the Indian territory. The little town also had several physicians. It is believed that the Doctor’s Office now located next door to the Old Louisville School was the original medical post.

A weekly horse mail delivery served the county seat.

Here pioneer settlers eager to worship God built a brush arbor first up the hill from where the Old Courthouse historic marker stands today. A log building soon replaced the brush arbor and the Louisville Methodist Church was formed about 1820, according to Methodist records. It is recognized as the oldest church in Barbour County. Today the church is located on Main Street, Highway 51, south of downtown Louisville next to the cemetery.

Other settlers in or near Louisville were Baptists. In 1824 Bethlehem Baptist Church was constituted first at Monticello and then at its present location just three miles north of Louisville on old Highway 51. It is the oldest Baptist Church in Barbour County. In 1896 nine members from Bethlehem Church established Louisville Baptist Church located on Main Street within the town limits of Louisville.

Both the Bethlehem Church cemetery and the Louisville cemetery contain the graves of many of the area’s earliest settlers and prominent citizens. There are several Revolutionary War soldiers’ graves as well as Confederate soldiers’ and officers’ graves.

There were many Scot and Scotch-Irish settlers in the Louisville area who were predominantly from North Carolina. These people organized the Pea River Presbyterian Church in 1823. A historic marker is located in front of the church. The area near the church was called “Little Scotland.”

In 1832 when Barbour County was created partly from Indian territory and partly from lands in the eastern portion of Pike County, a commission appointed by the Legislature was to select the county seat – the site being Clayton. The Legislature further mandated that until a suitable seat of justice could be built, court would be held in Louisville, the former county seat of Pike County. The first circuit court of Barbour County convened at Louisville on March 25, 1833 with Judge Anderson Crenshaw presiding. Harrell Hobdy was sheriff. The old log Pike County courthouse then served as the first courthouse of Barbour County as noted on the historic marker.

In March of 1837 the last Indian battle of Alabama took 23

LOUISVILLE, ALABAMA, con’t

place near Hobdy’s Bridge located on the Louisville-Monticello Highway on Pea River. An Alabama historic marker is near this battle site.

In 1888 the Central of Georgia Railroad built by Italian immigrants came to Louisville. Most of the original town moved up Main Street to be near the new depot and railroad tracks. Louisville then became a busy shipping point.

The town was incorporated that same year and governed by a mayor and five councilmen. G.W. Little was the first mayor.

Old Louisvill School

Louisville has always been proud of its schools. The Louisville Academy, established about 1845, was one of the first schools in Barbour County. After the War Between the States it became the Louisville Male and Female High School. A Tanyard Branch School was also in the original town. Later Louisville High School was formed in 1875. In 1914-1916, local people with local funds constructed the two-story brick building. Today this beautiful two story red brick school building, known as the Old Louisville School, has seen both public and private school activities and is now used for public functions. The McEachern Auditorium is the venue for returning classmates and faculty of the school who enjoy an annual reunion reminiscing and catching up on each other’s lives.

Many of the by-gone days of Louisville have been captured in a collection of pictures displayed on the walls of Farmers Exchange Bank in downtown Louisville.

Louisville also is the native home of New York Best Selling author, Jean Sasson, who never forgets being reared in a small town as she travels the world meeting with high powered or everyday people. Her motto is: “I care about people. When I see injustice, I have to jump in.”

That is just what she has done by jumping into situations to which other people would have turned their backs.

Her trilogy on a Saudi Arabian princess she befriended hit bookstores like a storm, selling copies all over the world.

The novels fell on the heels of her first book, The Rape of Kuwait, revealing to those in the free world how life is for a woman “behind the veil.”

24

Her book “Growing Up Bin Laden” was a must read after the main character’s father, Osama Bin Laden was killed.

While in Louisville, it is a treat to visit businesses that buy and sell pecans in all forms including pecan delicacies. Louisville is also blessed with two major lumber companies that supply lumber specialty items such as landscape timbers and deck building materials to some of the largest home improvement businesses in the United States. The beautiful forests in the Louisville area are a hunter’s paradise with Governors’ Trail Senic Byway Marker deer, turkeys, and other wildlife. Lake Eufaula is nearby offering water recreation including great fishing.

This quaint small town with a big heart has treasures awaiting any tourist who travels along the Barbour County Governors’ Trail Scenic Byway. Take time to visit Louisville and enjoy the hospitality, heritage and history.

Community Tourism Network, Inc.

TOURISM DEVELOPMEN T IS OUR GAME We Help Small Towns and Cities Identify and Profit from their Tourism Assets

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334.725.8496 or Visit www.tourismresource.org tourismresource@gmail.com Community Tourism Network, Inc.

A Celebration in...

Baker Hill, Alabama Annual Chicken Festival

A

The annual Baker Hill Chicken Festival delights residents and tourists with parades and other activities

Baker Hill Mayor Aaron Grubbs distributing gifts to children

Keystone Foods, which is an international conglomerate, owns and operates the chicken processing plant in Baker Hill as well as plants in other U.S. cities, and foreign markets including Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East

t the turn of the 21st century, if the good folks of Baker Hill along SR 131 had decided to organize an annual chicken festival, the other people in Barbour County might have shaken their heads in disbelief - especially when they serve free chicken and there's no cover charge.

But since a chicken processing plant opened in Baker Hill in 1998, it has become the largest employer in the county, and the Chicken Festival in Baker Hill that was launched in 2010 makes perfect sense. A Keystone Foods facility, the plant donates the chicken for the festival and the rest is funded by the town. "We wanted to give the community something back," said Baker Hill Town Councilman Otis Banks. The festival has a Halloween theme and is always held sometime in October.

Keystone Foods in Baker Hill does so much more than simply employ people. Because they control the chickengrowing process from start to finish, they need farmers who can invest in chicken houses, and there are plenty of those - farmers and chicken houses - in mostly rural Barbour County.

The chicken industry has single-handedly diversified the business of agriculture in the county.

Safely processing quality chicken products for the worldwide market requires multi-millions of gallons of water, and Keystone built a $3.5 million wastewater treatment wetlands with 16 cells on 221 acres adjacent to the Baker Hill facility.

The wetlands are an environmentally friendly water treatment process that attracts water fowl to the county, so birdwatchers should keep their binoculars handy.

The Baker Hill chicken processing plant is one of 54 Keystone Foods facilities in North America, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. "Through our international footprint," says their website KeystoneFoods.com, "and in cooperation with our parent company, the Marfrig Group, we provide fresh and frozen protein products to our customers worldwide."

Although the Baker Hill plant is limited to chicken processing, Keystone Foods headquartered in Pennsylvania supplies beef, fish, poultry and pork products to the global food service industry. But chicken is what's on the menu at the Baker Hill Chicken Festival and if you want to go, just call Baker Hill Town Hall, (334) 616-6888, and ask those nice folks which weekend in October they've decided to hold their event.

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SHARING OUR GREAT OUTDOORS WITH THE WORLD With an annual economic impact of nearly $1 billion, hunting and fishing in Alabama’s Black Belt is big business.

The Black Belt is Alabama’s top region for hunting and fishing and also ranks as one of the best places in the nation for these sports. As one of the 23 counties in the Alabama Black Belt region, Barbour County is among the most blessed regarding natural resources.

Alabama’s Black Belt gets its name from the dirt – a rich, dark, loamy soil stretching in a wide band across the south-central region of Alabama. This fertile earth produces incredibly lush vegetation for animal and fish habitat. These natural attributes provide a diversity of sportsman activities such as hunting for white-tailed deer, wild turkey, quail, dove, duck, and wild boar hog. And, since our seasons are long and bag limits generous in comparison to most other states, we are truly a sportsman’s paradise. The many rivers, streams and private lakes, along with the mild, Southern climate allow fishing for lunker bass and slab crappie almost year-round, making this area ideal for national tournaments.

Promoting the region’s hunting and fishing industry and the many other outdoor recreational and tourism opportunities is the mission of the Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association (ALBBAA). Since its founding almost five years ago, the organization has worked aggressively to help grow this industry and foster economic development by promoting the natural resources and unique cultural assets found in abundance throughout the region.

The marketing efforts are widespread and directed towards external audiences beyond the region and state.

Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association collectively brings together more than 50 hunting and fishing lodges (many are located in Barbour County) servicing the serious sportsman as well as thousands of acres of public lands across the region to lure outdoorsmen and their much-needed dollars to the Black Belt.

Also, close working relationships and collaboration with state agencies along with the region’s Chambers of Commerce and other multi-county tourism organizations are a critical component to the success of branding the region as a premier outdoor destination. Recently, the Eufaula/ Barbour County Chamber of Commerce, the City of Eufaula, and Lakepoint State Park partnered with ALBBAA to lure the 2015 convention of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association. This will direct a national spotlight on the natural resources and outdoor activities in the Black Belt, especially fishing for lunker bass on Lake Eufaula.

27

Con’t Just as advertising is an effective marketing strategy for reaching an outdoor audience, earned media is the most economical method of branding the region. This includes TV, radio, newsprint, and outdoor focused publications. All year long, at ALBBAA’s invitation, outdoor journalists experience what the region has to offer: Sometimes one-on-one and at other times in group settings such as the newly organized Cast ‘n’ Blast – South event. The end results are articles that have been endorsed by a third party, which weighs heavier on the credibility scale in the eyes of the consumer than paid advertising. These media events provide the perfect opportunity to work in cooperation with outdoor product related companies such as game calls and decoys, lures, ammo, firearms, boats, apparel, and others associated with the outdoor industry.

ALBBAA publishes a twice-a-month online newsletter that highlights stories and events in the Black Belt and is distributed to nearly 130,000 people in the Southeast. The website, www.alabamablackbeltadventures.org, is growing in popularity and features news articles and press releases, an events calendar, a photo library, information on commercial lodges, birding trails, the RTJ Golf Trail, State Parks and camp grounds, the Alabama Scenic River Trail, hotels, historical sites, attractions, arts and musical events, nature centers, zoos, and public hunting and fishing areas in the region. There is also information about the various hunting seasons in Alabama and how and where to obtain hunting and fishing licenses.

ALBBAA’s Board of Directors recently endorsed the designation of Alabama’s Black Belt as a National Heritage Area being sought by the Black Belt Heritage Area organization. This coveted title will bring more national attention and economic development to a region rich in historical sites, cultural diversity, natural resources and talented citizens.

In conclusion, the Black Belt region is about much more than just hunting and fishing. It offers an abundance of outdoor recreation that doesn’t require a gun or a fishing reel.

From horseback riding and hiking, to canoeing and whitewater rafting, from cycling to boating, from birding and wildlife observation, to rustic camping and State Parks, to historical and heritage sightseeing, the Black Belt offers plenty of fun-filled outdoor adventures for people of all ages and interests. And promoting these assets is the core mission of the Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association.

For more information on Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association visit our website www.alabamablackbeltadventures.org or contact Director Pam Swanner at 334-649-3788.

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2015

2015 2015

2015 2015 JUBILATION

2015 CELEBRATION

2015

2015

RECREATION 2015

2015

2015 2015

2015

2015

Jubilation

2015

50th Anniversary Eufaula Pilgrimage

For Information, Call: 888.383.2852 • 334.687.3793 • eufaulaheritageassoc@eufaula.rr.com • www.eufaulapilgrimage.com

The Clayton Record

Bill Gammell

Pearle Gammell

Bertie and Tom Parish

Rebecca Parish Beasley

In February 2014, Rebecca Beasley, publisher and editor of The Clayton Record was awarded awarded The The American Alabama Press Association 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award was

Recreation 2015 Big Year for Barbour County & City of Eufaula & Lakepoint Hosting the 2015 Convention of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association Recreation • Hunting • Fishing

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334-687-5001 347 S. Eufaula Ave • Eufaula, AL 36027

City of

Clayton Barbour County Seat Clayton, the county seat of Barbour County, is located geographically in the center of the county. The town was located at the headwaters of the Pea and Choctawhatchee rivers on the historic road from Hobdy’s Bridge over the Pea River to Eufaula on the Chattahoochee River. By 1818 there were a few settlers in the area around Clayton but settlement began in earnest around 1823. The town was named for Augustine S. Clayton, a Georgia jurist and congressman. Clayton became the county seat of Barbour County in 1833 and was laid out on a central courthouse square plan. The first Circuit Court was held in Clayton on September 23 1833. The Clayton post office was established in September 1835 with John F. Keener as postmaster. Clayton, with a population of 200 was incorporated on December 21, 1841 by the Alabama Legislature. Its first mayor after incorporation was John Jackson. Clayton has a rich history with four places listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Clayton is also known for the Whiskey Bottle Tombstone, once featured in Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Rebecca Parish Beasley, Mayor Alex Moses - Mayor Pro tem Charles Beasley - Councilperson Alice Hudson - Councilperson Sherry Seals - Councilperson Buddy Weston - Councilperson Lisa Beasley - Clerk Norean Kennedy - Assistant Clerk Jamey Williams - Police Chief Paul Gulledge - Fire and Rescue Chief Darrell Byrd - Sanitation Supervisor

Clayton, Alabama 36016 • 45 Reed Avenue • 334.775.9176

WE’RE PROUD TO HELP A COUNTY WITH A RICH PAST LOOK FORWARD TO AN EVEN RICHER FUTURE.

From the Alabama Bass Trail to the historic antebellum homes, Barbour County is a unique place.

At Alabama Power we’re honored to work with the people here to not only preserve the past but also to pave the way for the future. By helping to create economic development initiatives and energy efficiency solutions we’re making our great state even better. AlabamaPower.com

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