Good Life Magazine Marshall County Winter 2024

MARSHALL COUNTY

The Reed family home lights up the night sky during the holidays.

The local gophers object

The voice of Marshall County: dominating the radio waves for three generations of Jacksons WINTER 2024 | COMPLIMENTARY

Jonathan Ballew brings his love for wings and burgers to Arab’s Main Street

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Welcome

T

he years go by, the seasons change, and apparently your favorite team’s head football coach does too. 2024 Hudson Shelton began with some solemn Publisher news for those who wear crimson and white, and it did not help that it coincided with an ice Armageddon that had us all

bundled and layered up inside. Fear not, because as the ice thaws and we dig ourselves out of our bunkers, spring blooms and warmer weather are right around the corner. If you picked up this winter issue of Good Life on one of your excursions out into the elements, hopefully you are now in front of fire with a warm cup of your beverage of choice. Take a peek inside our pages to find some warm recipes from Tiffany English at Morgan House Delicatessen, or a good North Alabama getaway

to look forward to during the months ahead. You will read about a house you have surely seen before winding down Sunset Drive during Christmas time, and a new restaurant in Arab that has local tastebuds watering. People often think of summer on the lake when they think of Marshall County, but fun can be found across the county for all ages during the winter months as well. Thank you for picking up a copy, and please enjoy winter in Marshall County!

Contributors

Rishon Hanners Rishon spent a day tagging along with Tiffany English to pick her brain on what it is that makes her recipes so delicious.

David Myers

David scoped out a new spot in Arab that use to be the spot of one of his old favorites. The new one does not disappoint.

Vol. 10 No. 4

Copyright 2023. Published quarterly

8 WINTER 2024 | COMPLIMENTARY

Deb Laslie

Deb sends over book reviews quicker than I can publish them. “Sorry, I just love to read.”

Steve Maze

Steve recollects an old story of Christmastime at Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley, told by his step-mother, Dee Presley.

Hudson B. Shelton Publisher/editor | 256-345-2968 Hudson.goodlifemagazine@gmail.com

Gunter the Cat

Gunter took a trip to his old stomping grounds at Errol Allen Park to see his long-lost alley buddies. He was happy to get back home.

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Inside 12 | Good Fun

A new year calls for new adventures to be discovered across Marshall County

18 | Good People

The Jackson family knows a thing or two about radios. And the people of Marshall County are lucky to have them

24 | Good Reads

These two novels will make you want to curl up in front of a fire and forget the cold

26 | Good Cooking

Tiffany English shares the recipes that have her customers coming back over and over again

34 | Good Getaway

Bankhead National Forest is a short drive away, but delivers a full day of recreational activities

38 | Good Living

Whit and Kali Reed know a thing or two about decorating for Christmas.

Just don’t call them the Griswolds

45 | Good Eats

L’ Rancho opens its doors to the people of Arab in an old local favorite spot on Main

48 | Christmas at Graceland The King of Rock N’ Roll decked the halls for Christmas. His stepmother, Dee, was along for the ride

51 | Out and About On the cover | A view of Lake Guntersville on the coldest day of the year. Photo by Hudson Shelton This page | Sailing weather is just around the corner.

Photo by Hudson Shelton

10 WINTER 2024 | COMPLIMENTARY

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Good Fun

MARSHALL COUNTY

s t n Ev e

• January 19-21, 26-28, & February 2-4, 2024 Bald Eagle Awareness Weekends Lake Guntersville State Park is holding its 38th annual Bald Eagle Awareness event during three weekends January and February.

Awareness weekends feature live bird demonstrations and programs provided by notable speakers, guided safaris for viewing eagles in their natural habitat, all while surrounded by the natural beauty of the mountains around the lake.

The state park offers a wide variety 12 WINTER 2024 | COMPLIMENTARY

of packages during your stay at the park depending on length of stay and number of guests in your party.

These weekends fill quickly, so be sure to book your reservation online ahead of time at reserve.alapark. com/lake-guntersville • April 3, 2024 Deadline for Arab Chamber International Trip In October 2024 the Arab Chamber of Commerce will be hosting an international trip to Europe to explore the beautiful lands of Switzerland,

Austria and Bavaria in Germany.

Highlights of the trip include the cities of Bern, Lucerne, Innsbruck, Salzburg, and other stops along the Austrian Alps. The deadline to register for this 10 day trip that includes 13 meals, is April 3rd. The trip costs $4,000 for a double and $4,300 for a single, but additional options to extend your stay, or switch hotel accommodations along the way might impact those prices.

For more information on this trip, please contact Jynnah Mooney at the Arab Chamber by phone at 256586-3138, or by email at jmooney@ arab-chamber.org. Participate in the optional yodeling demonstration and you just might come back able to teach all the rest of us a thing or two.

• February 10, 2024 6th Annual Valentine Ball This event is a semi-formal/ formal, family-fun event from 5-7:30 P.M. in the Arab High School auxiliary gym. Enjoy music, dancing and a catered meal for the cost of $65 for a legal guardian and one child. Registration is limited to the first 150 and no late registrations will be accepted.

Forms can be found at https:// forms.gle/3WbwW8CCPghVh3rv8 and you can email Jamie. missmarshallcounty@gmail.com for more information.

• February 8, 2024 Valentines Wine and Chocolate Pairing Swing by the Southern General located at 101 N Main St in Arab for some sweetheart sips and chocolate bliss to kick off the Valentine’s Day festivities. At 6, 7 and 8 P.M. on the 8th, wine and chocolate pairings will be explained, and the chance to learn how to impress your Valentine’s palette ahead of the 14th. Tickets can be found at www.linktr.ee/ sg256 . Be sure to bring a friend!

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• February-March Arab Public Library weekly events The Arab Public Library puts on several different programs each month for participants of all ages to come and enjoy books and some time with fellow book worms. The

library’s Bring Your Own Book Club (BYOB) is held the fourth Monday of every month from 6-7 P.M. in the special collections room of the building. For children, the library puts on its Stitches in the Stacks: Kids Edition on the first Tuesday

of each month at 4 P.M, and the fourth Friday of every month at 10 A.M. This is a time for kids to get creative and immerse themselves in a learning environment. For more information, call the library at 256586-3366.

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• Every Friday Pickleball in the Arab ROC Come join the sporting craze that everybody is talking about if you have not already, PICKLEBALL! Each Friday at the Arab rec center, players of all skill sets are invited to pick up a paddle and start dinking from 12:30-2:30 P.M. and from 6-8 P.M. Use this as an opportunity to find your doubles partner for upcoming summer tournaments and always remember the wise words “I dink, therefore I am!”

Don’t let hip or knee pain keep you from what you love.

• February 16-18, 22-25th, 2024 The Lion in Winter presented

by The Whole Backstage Theatre Throughout the month of February, the Whole Backstage Theatre and Sonny Lewis present the performance “The Lion in Winter.”

Directed by Johnny Brewer, the performance is based on the life of King Henry II, who ruled over England and Ireland during the twelfth century and concerns a number of fictional events that take place during a Christmas feast Henry II throws for the new King of France. All show times are 7 P.M. except Sundays at 2 P.M. General admission tickets

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can be purchased starting February 1st. This superb cast is sure to do this comedic drama about the universality of family disfunction justice.

• April 20 & 21st Art on the Lake This annual event sponsored by the Twenty-First Century Club of Guntersville, showcases artwork from local craftsmen of all trades from across the southeast. The Guntersville

Recreation Center at 1500 Sunset Drive in Guntersville is transformed into an art market for the weekend that also includes food vendors, outdoor games and rides, and a bake shop. Admission is only $2 to stroll through the arts, and what

better place to do that than right on the lake’s shore? This event benefits a scholarship program for local high school graduates, and is sure to be fun for the entire family. More information can be found at http://www. artonthelake-guntersville.com.

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Services are provided via telephone by licensed mental health professionals who recommend the most appropriate mental health resources.

PIRC is available seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

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Call for mental health resources.

• April 27th, 2024 Albertville Brewfest Get excited for the fourth annual Albertville Brewfest from 4-8 P.M. held in downtown Albertville in conjunction with the city’s downtown block party. This event is put on by the Alabama Beer Promotions, which also holds beer fests in Gadsden, Guntersville and Fort Payne throughout the year.

The event features over 30 different breweries and over 150 different beers, so you’re sure to find a beer that fits your liking. The event will also include live music, food trucks, and other vendors in and around the downtown farmer’s market. For more information please email Justin Quarles at bamabeerpromos@gmail.com.

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Good People

5 questions

The Jacksons:

the voice of Marshall County for three generations

Story and photos

by Hudson Shelton

I

f you have listened to the radio in your car or in your home at any time over the last 70 years, odds are you have heard the voice of or listened to a show programmed by somebody with the last name Jackson. Since WGSV radio was established in 1950, three generations of Jacksons and their spouses have contributed in some form or fashion to maintaining the operations of the radio station. It now broadcasts on WTWX 95.9 FM and WGSV 1270 AM frequencies seven days a week. The Guntersville Broadcasting Company and the Jackson family have been there for the ups, downs and wild rollercoaster rides that often accompany being on the air during a live talk show radio broadcast, and they wouldn’t have it any other way.

When entering the station’s entrance today, you will find Kerry Jackson and his wife Susan Jackson, their son Blake and Kerry’s mother, Sylvia (Susie) Jackson all working behind the scenes.

Radio has been in the Jackson blood

Sylvia (Susie) Jackson.

18 WINTER 2024 | COMPLIMENTARY

since Kerry’s father, former Guntersville councilman and mayor (1969-72) Lavell Jackson, ran a radio repair business out of the back of his father’s general store in Douglas. The original founders of the station in 1950 were in desperate need of an engineer who knew the ins and outs of the equipment, and all it took was one call to Lavell and he was on board.

After joining the radio station in 1950, Lavell slowly began accumulating bits

of stock in the company until becoming its sole proprietor in 1969. During the early years of the station, Kerry Jackson was just a young kid, but spent every chance he could with his father down at the station soaking up all sorts of information. Kerry had an interest in the engineering side of things, but unlike his father, he also envisioned himself being an on-air voice and programming his own shows. In 1969, Kerry got his chance

COMPLIMENTARY | WINTER 2024

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ready for the next day’s programming.

I never felt pressured to join my father in the business, but he definitely played a major role in my decision. Before I had a driver’s license I would ride my motorcycle up to the station and join him as he explained a lot of the engineering and mechanical intricacies of the equipment we used in the early days.

When I came on in ’68 the Beatles were all the rage, and everybody was listening to the top 40 station. That is when I knew I wanted to also work on the on-air side of things at the station. My dad gave me an hour to play whatever records I wanted to.

That was a very instrumental time in my life, and one I look back on quite fondly.

Kerry and Blake stand in front of the entrance to the station. when Lavell gave him an hour of air time all to himself. Fast forward fifty-six years, and Kerry is still a full-time employee.

Susie worked at the station also alongside her husband Lavell since its early days, answering phones from listeners and selling on-air advertising space, and also a constant presence in the building. Susan handles many of the administrative and billing duties, and hits the road to handle advertisers in person. Blake always dreamed of joining his father at the station following his graduation from Auburn University.

He did exactly that, filling the shoes of longtime local sports broadcaster Bill Yancy and programming shows that focus on Guntersville football and basketball, Auburn football and basketball, and Braves baseball all summer long. It takes a village to become the voice of Marshall County.

After sitting down for a conversation with Kerry, it is obvious he is proud of the legacy his family has created at the station, and hopes that it continues for generations to come. He would be the first to tell you that even when times seem slow, there is never a dull moment for him because it is what he loves doing. Even if he does not know it, when Kerry tells stories,, they help illustrate how important a role the Jacksons have played in the Marshall County community for the last 74 years.

20 WINTER 2024 | COMPLIMENTARY

KERRY JACKSON – 5 Questions

1.

Have you always had a love for radio? Did your dad encourage you to join him at the station when you ultimately decided to?

For as long as I can remember, I have been surrounded by all things radio. In the early days of the station it was on all day, but had to sign off at night. That’s when I would go and join my dad as he tinkered with equipment and got everything

2.

What does your day in and day out look like now?

I still run an hour-long program each morning that is a call-in swap shop where people can share the time and location of upcoming yard sales or anything else they believe listeners might be interested in. It is very enjoyable because there is a sense of community among the listeners, and we have regulars that call in and their personalities really dictate the direction of the show. The show started off as a place where people could call and ask about everyday issues like how to fix something broken in your home, or where to take something that might be trash to you, but is another man’s treasure. We had somebody one time try to sell an air guitar

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Kerry with his wife Susan in front of the stations wall of prized records. over the air and had to shut that down.

Besides my show, I also come in early and make sure everything from our nationally syndicated shows is ready for the day.

3.

What are some of the most memorable moments from your time at the station?

Almost every big event you can name from the last 55 years, I have been here for at the station. I remember being at the station when we landed on the moon in 1969, and I even remember the chaos at the station the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. For major events like those, we deferred to our national partners to present that news, but we were there listening in real time.

Looking out our front window brings me back to a time when we could see the boat races every year before they moved the location. We would have a live show announcing the results of the races and other promotional events going on in town. I always long for the stir those events would create up at the station.

4.

Howmuch have the engineering and broadcasting sides of the business changed over the years?

We still have the original mixing console in the back of the building that was used for the first station sign-on in 1950, along with every record we have 22 WINTER 2024 | COMPLIMENTARY

ever owned. Everything is digitalized now and program editing can all be done online. All of our music and programs are downloaded online, so of course we do not use any of the old records or CD’s that we once had to manually insert into the mixing consoles. A lot of the engineering processes are streamlined, but I do miss the old days when we had to physically cut sheets of music with a razor blade, even if it was more time consuming.

Whereas now we can broadcast on our frequencies 24/7, we once were required to sign-off at nighttime to avoid interfering with other signals. One time while we were signed off, my dad went over the air and asked for anybody listening to call us.

We got a call from Ontario, Canada!

5.

What is it you love most about Marshall County and its people?

I was born and raised here, and being at this station for so long has given me an opportunity to meet folks from all walks of life that I would not have met otherwise.

Listen to one of my shows and when somebody calls in, you will hear why I love this place. Every time is something new, and you always have to stay on your toes around here. Just watch out for the ones trying to sell you an air guitar.

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Good Reads

O

Harvey Comes Home

by Colleen Nelson

nce in a while, we discover a book that will takes our minds off the everyday stresses of life and reassures us that there is, indeed, goodness all around us. Such a book is Harvey Comes Home by Collene Nelson, beautifully illustrated by Tara Anderson. While this is book might be intended for young readers, the young-at-heart will also enjoy the story within a story. Harvey is a West Highland Terrier who, one day, travels too far from home and his beloved owner Maggie.

Austin, the grandson of “Harvey sighs. He feels the maintenance manager the man pat his head, at Brayside Retirement stroking the space Villa discovers Harvey between his ears. His shivering behind a potted hands fall heavily and plant near the entrance.

Bedraggled, hungry and lack the vigor of a exhausted, Harvey is younger person’s, but welcomed into this new the knobby fingers know world of sounds, scents how to get in the space and fascinating people as just under his ear and Austin “sort-of” searches on the side of his neck, for his true owner.

This is a story of respect just the way someone and learning to listen else used to. The memory (something we all need to bursts into his head for re-learn!). It’s a story of only a second and then old and new love, and has disappears. Without a mystery within the story! smells to connect his You will be charmed by this wonderful read-aloud. And past and his present, the who doesn’t love a great someone flutters away.” dog story!

24 WINTER 2024 | COMPLIMENTARY

“

The Lincoln Highway

by Amor Towles

June, 1954, eighteen-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the juvenile work farm where he has just served fifteen months for involuntary manslaughter.” And so begins our ten-day journey with Emmett and the people in his life, both good and bad. Amor Towles, in his wonderful book The Lincoln Highway has given me some of the best story-telling I’ve had in quite a while. I do not regret the lost sleep, nor the chores left undone “[Emmett] knew in the because I truly couldn’t strongest of terms that put this book down. his whole life was ahead Stories within stories are of him and he knew always fascinating. The that he needed to care character of our country for his brother. He knew at that time comes to life. And what a life! too that he had been Emmett’s plan for he and an agent of misfortune his younger brother Billy rather than its author. to seek out their longBut he didn’t agree that lost mother in California his debt had been paid are shoved aside when in full.” former “juvie” pals Duchess and Woolly arrive. And then there’s Ulysses. “He fought in the war like the Great Ulysses and now must wander for ten years until he’s reunited with his wife and son. But you needn’t worry. We’re not friends yet.

We’re just getting acquainted.” I look forward to re-reading this book, and I rarely re-read. This is a masterful piece of story-telling. Get ready for a great trip on The Lincoln Highway.

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Good Cooking

She prayed and got more than she ever dreamed:

TIFFANY ENGLISH

OF MORGAN HOUSE DELICATESSEN

Story and photos

by Rishon Hanners

T

iffany worked for a dentist office for 26 years. She started when she was 17 years-old being taught how to assist the dentist and use the dental instruments.

“A lady had to go on maternity leave and she assisted the doctor. It was like I was the next warm body, ‘here ya go.’, I was 18 at that time.

I assisted the doctor with fillings and crowns and everything that he would do.”

26 WINTER 2024 | COMPLIMENTARY

Tiffany poses with some of her favorite homemade desserts in front of Morgan House Delicatessen’s freshly painted logo.

She assisted the doctor for 4 years and then transferred to the front desk and that is the position she held for the duration of her time there. She worked with one other dentist office before getting a job in insurance which she had to drive to Huntsville for.

“Driving to Huntsville, I was extremely tired. I had to be there at 6:30 in the morning and I was burned

out. When I quit that job I just sat on my couch and cried because I didn’t know what I was going to do. All I had ever known was working at a dentist office. It would have been so easy to go back to doing that.”

Tiffany had never worked in a restaurant and had never run a cash register. She didn’t know anything more than what she had done since

TURNIP GREEN SOUP

she was a teenager, and she found herself in a terrible slump. She knew she wanted to make something, sell something, be creative, and not go back to a job that she had to clock-in to.

“I decided one day that there was more. I didn’t know what it was, but there was more and I wanted to do it.

I just started scrolling on Pinterest one day and there was a picture of a macaron, and I thought, ‘I could

make this.’ I decided to start selling macarons.”

In the spring of 2022, she took the leap and invested the money on the equipment she needed and the time to figure out the technique and recipe that worked the best.

“There’s a billion different recipes, and before I knew it I was making about 4000-5000 cookies a month, but it took me at least 50 batches before I knew I had gotten it just right.”

Ingredients: ∙ 1 can turnip greens ∙ 1 can petite diced tomatoes 4 cans great northern beans 1 pack polish sausage, sliced 2 x 32 oz beef broth *shredded chicken, optional Preparation: Mix ingredients and simmer for 1 hour.

Serve with crackers or cornbread.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

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HASHBROWN CASSEROLE Ingredients: ∙ 2 lbs. Shredded hash browns, thawed salt/ pepper to taste ∙1 6 oz sour cream ∙ 1 can cream of Chicken ∙ 1 stick melted butter ∙ 16 oz shredded cheese, divided Preparation: Mix salt, pepper, sour cream, cream of chick, butter, 8 oz cheese.

Add hashbrowns and mix.

Pour into a greases 9x13 dish and top with remaining 8 oz cheese. Bake at 350° for 1 hour covered, 20 mins. uncovered.

28 WINTER 2024 | COMPLIMENTARY

It turned into a true labor of passion and drive. Tiffany dedicated all of her time to not only making and decorating custom orders of macarons, but perfecting them in a way that the community was a buzz about her cookies. Some of her most popular flavors being red velvet, pistachio, Little Debbie Christmas Tree, and S’mores.

“No joke, I would stand in my kitchen from sunup to sun down

making cookies. I would decorate them however people wanted. I filled an order for the Albertville High School Prom and they wanted 300 cookies with hand drawn decorations.

It was a lot of work.”

She wanted to be able to sell her cookies outside of cottage law and found a commissary kitchen space to work out of. That means that her cookie business was legitimate and inspected by the health department.

DEVILED EGGS

That’s when the ball really got rolling for her unexpectedly.

“That’s when I started making pimento cheese and chicken salad. I just put it out on Facebook, ‘I’m making pimento cheese, would anyone be interested?’. I honestly didn’t know, and before I knew it I was selling 40 lbs. a week.”

Tiffany’s pimento cheese recipe is inspired by one of her and her family’s favorite restaurants located in Savannah, GA.

“We love Savannah, and we came home from one of our trips and we were just craving what we had had. So I just started putting things together that I felt tasted like that pimento cheese, so I tweaked it and worked on it until I felt like I got it right. You know how you just take several recipes and then you just make what you want. I just came up with what I thought tasted amazing.”

Ingredients: ∙ 6 hard boiled eggs ∙ 3 tbsp mayo ∙ 1 tsp mustard ∙ salt & pepper to taste Preparation: Cut eggs in half & Remove yolk.

Press or mash yolk with a fork adding mustard, mayo, salt and pepper. Use a spoon to add back a portion of the yolk mixture to the egg white half.

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GRANNY’S CHOCOLATE CAKE Ingredients: ∙ 2 cups self-rising flour 2 cups sugar ∙1 tsp baking soda ∙ 1⁄2 cup buttermilk ∙ 2 eggs ∙ 1 tbsp vanilla In sauce pan bring to boil: ∙ 1 stick butter ∙1 cup water ∙ 6 tbsp. cocoa Preparation: Mix together the dry ingredients.

Combine butter, water, and cocoa in a sauce pan and bring 30 WINTER 2024 | COMPLIMENTARY

to a boil. Pour butter, water and cocoa mixture over flour and sugar mixture. Add buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla and mix. Pour into greased 9x13. Bake 350° for 20-30 mins.

Topping: 1 stick butter.

6 tbsp. sweet milk 4 tbsp Cocoa 1 lb. powdered sugar 1 tsp vanilla Combine butter, milk, and cocoa in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add sifted powdered sugar and vanilla.

Mix well. Pour over hot cake

Next thing Tiffany knew, she was taking her pimento cheese to family get togethers and friends’ parties and it became the dish that people requested, and expected, that she bring.

“They would say, ‘If Tiffany’s coming she has to bring the cheese!’. Or if I didn’t bring it they would go to the store to get the ingredients for me to make it.

People that say they don’t even

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Bake in a greased 8x8 baking dish at 450° until light brown. About 15-20 mins.

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Tiffany is all smiles while she checks a patron out at the register.

By the looks of his smile, he’s a satisfied customer! like pimento cheese are buying it. I guess they haven’t had good pimento cheese until now.”

Needless to say her pimento cheese and chicken salad was a hit not only with her friends and family but within the community. Her simple posts on Facebook to see if people would purchase the products if she made them generated more business than she thought possible.

“I was meeting 50-60 people a day, three times a week at the Walgreens parking lot to drop off orders. It was insane. I realized it was getting bigger than me and I had to figure something out.”

She turned again to Facebook and her community, but this time asking for help. She posted that she was 32 WINTER 2024 | COMPLIMENTARY

looking for somewhere affordable to rent in order to set up her business to be able to sell food to the public, and not have to meet people in parking lots.

“I prayed. I just knew that there was something more and I prayed for God to bring me whatever it was.

I was just looking for a small space where people could come pick up their food. I wasn’t even really looking for an eat-in restaurant or to make sandwiches. That’s why I say I prayed for something and it just happened.”

The wife of one of the owners of Alabama Firearms Academy in Boaz reached out to Tiffany for a meeting and within a couple of weeks they were in the door getting Morgan House Deli put together.

“My grandparents were Morgan’s and I loved my grandparents so much. I spent every waking minute with them as a child. They lived next door to us, and I was always in the kitchen with my grandmother.

Anything she could teach me I just soaked it up.”

One of the most memorable recipes Tiffany made with her grandmother were her buttermilk biscuits, which they serve at the deli with some of their soups. She will also take special orders for them.

“I couldn’t see over the counter so she would pull a chair up for me to stand on. She would just hand me a spoon and say, ‘here, stir this,’ and, ‘wipe the bottom of that when you pick it up.’. You know, little things

the counter to order their food. Food makes people happy.

How many people get to say they get to go to their job every day and make hundreds of people happy? It’s very humbling and rewarding.”

Morgan House is available to book for special events after hours and they also do catering. Some catering offers include homemade cheesecakes, macarons, and her famous and customized grazing boards, which you can find examples of on the Facebook page.

A couple other special promotions they run are 10% discount for members of the Alabama Firearms Academy, Boaz City employees also get a 10% discount, and Firefighters and Police Officers eat for free on Wednesdays.

“It’s just my way of saying thank you.”

Facebook: @tiffanyenglish Phone: (256) 302-7718 Morgan House is open Tues-Sat 10 am - 3 pm Located inside Alabama Firearms Academy Good Life Magazine

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that I now tell other people when I am teaching them how to do stuff in the kitchen.”

Unlike her grandmother who loved to follow recipes and had an extensive recipe collection, everything that Tiffany and her crew make at Morgan House are completely original creations. Produced and approved on taste alone.

“There is not anything I serve that I do not like. If I don’t have a taste for it I feel like I can’t make it. I won’t put out something that I think is not good.”

Even the 1000 Island sauce on the Reuben that is on the menu at the deli is a completely homemade, original recipe. Because Tiffany does not like any 1000 island dressing on the market she came up with her own.

Everything is made fresh daily and she does not skimp on the quality of the ingredients that she uses.

“My husband tells me that I have a gift but I don’t see it that way. I just feel like it’s normal and that everybody can cook or can create something from nothing, like things you just have in your refrigerator.”

Tiffany’s success, and the opening of Morgan House, has been a whirlwind. It was within one year’s time that she had the idea to start making macarons to the deli physically opening its doors. It has been a year filled with hard work, growing pains, and some sacrifice, but Tiffany feels like she is finally doing something that brings her joy.

“Everybody loves it. It’s fun and it’s exciting. People congregate here and socialize before even coming up to

Good Getaways

Bankhead National Forest

North Alabama’s very own Shangri-La!

34 WINTER 2024 | COMPLIMENTARY

Photos and story

by Hudson Shelton

T

here are not many places in the United States where you can hop in your car, drive less than an hour, and find yourself in a scene that feels like a land before time. For residents of Marshall County and other counties around North Alabama, the William B. Bankhead National Forest is just that. During the dog days of spring and summer when the heat is almost inescapable, 180,000 acres of cold springs, shaded canyons, and cascading waterfalls is music to all ears.

Situated in northwestern Alabama and encompassing parts of Lawrence, Winston, and Franklin Counties, Bankhead National Forest is one of four national forests in the state of Alabama.

The forest was established in 1918 with an initial acreage of 66,000, but throughout the last century has grown in size and gained additional legal protections. Of its now 180,000 acres, the crown jewel of the forest is the Sipsey Wilderness, a 25,000 acre oasis situated almost perfectly in the center of the forest.

Becoming the first designated wilderness area east of the Mississippi

River in 1975, Sipsey Wilderness is the largest and most visited wilderness area in Alabama. And for good reason. Also known as the ‘land of 1,000 waterfalls,” breathtaking scenery can be found at every turn. It was because of this, and the temperature on the thermometer approaching triple digits during one of those dog days of last summer, we darted for Bankhead.

My twin brother, William, and I made the decision to enter Bankhead from the northern part of the forest, in Moulton, and head south from there.

We had been to the forest as young kids, but over time had forgotten many of the main landmarks and place names that we had once visited. This was an opportunity for a brand new adventure, and with over 90 miles of COMPLIMENTARY | WINTER 2024

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recreational trails designated for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and ATVs, and six recreational areas designated for camping, fishing, and swimming, the adventures are endless.

We took a slight detour off State Route 33 to visit our first waterfall of the day, Kinlock Falls. Not far from the road, Kinlock Falls is a 25-foot-wide, 20-foot-tall cascade that can be viewed from several different perspectives. One from high on top of a bluff that has been weathered over time by the falls’ consistent flow, and another from the trailhead at the base of the waterfall. We went with a third option and took in the first-hand views going over the actual falls themselves. After the short trip down nature’s waterslide, you’re dumped in a chilly pool of water. Given the fact that at 36 WINTER 2024 | COMPLIMENTARY

The Sipsey Fork of the Black Warrior River is Alabama’s only Wild and Scenic River, meaning it has outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values and is in a free-flowing condition for the enjoyment of present and future generations. From the picnic area, there are several paths to access the river. Many people like to float or canoe the river, but the current was strong enough after the rain from the day before that we could just wade in, lean back, and go with the flow.

All it took was a short time in Bankhead for me and William to feel a sense of appreciation for the natural world that sits right on our back doorstep. As our adventure winded to a close, we found ourselves inside the imposing walls of Kinlock Shelter, a site that had been used this point it was the hottest part of the day, this was a muchneeded respite from the heat.

We followed a promising looking trail that led away from the base of the falls that was quickly surrounded on both sides by tall limestone canyons. Waterfall after waterfall, too many to count and ranging in all different sizes, poured over the edges of the bluffs until their streams met the flow of the larger creek below. After a swim and a hike, it was time to eat. We hopped in the car and made our way to the Sipsey River Picnic Area.

Pro

for thousands of years by Native American tribes for solstice and sunrise rituals. The last rays of sun were hitting the top of the towering edges of the shelter and I could not help but to feel small in that moment. After some time of introspection and quiet solace, William turned to me and said, “this is our very own Shangri-La!” Bankhead National Forest is a fantastic getaway for nearly any age, and every adventure seeker can find something to fill their appetite within the boundaries of the forest. Please be sure to practice the principles of “Leave No Trace” by respecting the wildlife and properly disposing of any waste brought into the wilderness area. What are you waiting for? Carpe diem!

Good Life Magazine

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38 WINTER 2024 | COMPLIMENTARY

Good Living

The Reed ’s home takes center stage for the holidays

COMPLIMENTARY | WINTER 2024

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Photo by Caroline Trotter

Photos and story

by Hudson Shelton

C

onsider yourself forewarned. If you ever enter into a Christmas light contest with the home of Kali and Whit Reed, you’ll be up against seasoned veterans who are not afraid to go bigger and brighter. Kali encourages a little friendly competition among neighbors, though, as there is nothing she enjoys more than the joy that a neighborhood full of Christmas décor brings to the holiday season. As you wind along 40 WINTER 2024 | COMPLIMENTARY

Sunset Drive between the end of November and early January and peer behind Guntersville Middle School, it does not take long to realize that when Kali Reed says, “I just simply love Christmas!”, she really means it.

Whit was born and raised in Guntersville and has owned the home since 2010. It was not until he attended a wedding where Kali was working as a planner that the two met and he convinced her to get married and move in. “I have officially called this home since 2018, which is also when

the Christmas décor started making an appearance,” she says with a grin.

Whit didn’t realize when she asked for permission and he said, “Just stick to the traditional white lights,” that he also needed to put a limit on the amount of lights Kali was envisioning.

Five winters in, Kali keeps finding excuses to add an additional strand of lights here, and another one over there.

“It’s a process that keeps building on itself that will never stop!”

What started in 2018 as a simple garland over the door and a few

strands laid over the tops of their front bushes, has evolved over the years to cover nearly every bit of landscaping around their home. “We used to get so frustrated with something as simple as the garland over the front entrance that we knew we had to bring in some outside help if the two of us really wanted to make our vision come true,” Kali said as Whit silently nodded in the background. “We wouldn’t last a year doing this all ourselves.” Kali takes credit for the interior décor, but when it comes to the massive undertaking the COMPLIMENTARY | WINTER 2024

41

outside lights require, they call in the professionals.

This is the third season that the Reeds have called on Nick Hall of Holiday Lighting Solutions in Huntsville to make sure the finishing touches meet Kali’s precise expectations. “They bring in the right ladders to get to the tops of the crepe myrtles, and by this point know exactly how many lights they need for each portion of the yard.” Kali reiterates that what takes Nick and his crew a couple hours, would take the two of them weeks to perfect. She also mentions that the flowers adorning the mailbox and front porch garland are curated by Rodney’s Flower Shop in Guntersville.

“We’re not there yet, but hopefully these two can start contributing to the set up at some point,” Whit jokes as he peers down at the pair’s two young daughters Aline (2) and Maleigh (1) as they run circles around the living room.

Kali grew up in Melbourne, Florida as part of a family that obsessed over Christmas. As a child growing up in 42 WINTER 2024 | COMPLIMENTARY

the 80’s she fondly recalls piling into her family car for rides to check out the local light shows. “I grew up on a street where every home could have been the home in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and my mother is definitely the inspiration behind my love for Christmas.”

Throughout her life, Kali has collected objects of décor that are sentimental and hold a special place in her heart. She has several ornaments from her late grandmother that invoke happy memories, as well as things she incorporated in her décor from her parents’ home in Melbourne. She says that of everything she has inherited over the years, perhaps her favorite comes from Whit’s side of the family.

Sitting prominently in the front room of their home is a beautiful snow village that was passed down from Whit’s late great aunt, Jean Benefield. “I absolutely love it because they thought of me when it came time to divvy up some pieces of her collection. Due to size constraints within the house and the

constant mayhem that goes along with two toddlers and two cats (Boo and Remy), only a fifth of the snow village is displayed. “Hopefully one day we can put the entire village together in one place the way she did for the holidays at her home.”

Kali tries not to get too excited as Christmas approaches, but when the day on the calendar is the Friday after Thanksgiving, the boxes come out of storage and the madness begins. “My birthday is November 23rd, so I always use that as my bargaining chip to light the fire under Whit to get started on the heavy lifting. I like to have everything organized and ready to go for the first time the chord goes into the outlet to light it up.” It has not been verified, but once the electricity starts pumping through those chords, it’s a safe bet you could see the Reed’s beams of light from outer space; or maybe it’s the car lights from the traffic that starts building to get a first glance at this year’s show.

The Reed’s home is located in a perfect spot for community events, so

Her snow village is one of Kali’s most sentimental pieces of decor. Look close enough and you’ll see your favorite coffee shop. when it comes time to take down the lights there is a sense of sadness, but at least they can look forward to the July 4th fireworks show, and of course, their year round unobstructed views of the lake. “We would love for this to be our forever home, but we might one day outgrow it. Until then, we are always going to have our lights up,” Whit reassures when asked if they could ever imagine leaving. Kali’s answer to the question was that she would move immediately if there was a neighborhood decked out in Christmas spirit in Guntersville like the one she grew up in in Melbourne. “That would be my dream. Sign me up!”

The Reeds are convinced that the light shows they remember fondly from their childhood car rides are a thing of the past. “It may have been my childlike wonder for the lights, but I don’t feel like it is the same as it always COMPLIMENTARY | WINTER 2024

43

was before. The spirit is still there, but for me a lot of the spirit comes from the process of decorating,” Kali says. They hope to inspire the next generation of homeowners by carrying the baton and continuing their long held Christmas traditions.

So far, the Reeds have not run in to any objections to their light show besides a curious case of sabotage from a pesky neighbor. A family of gofers that shares the property with the Reeds is apparently so fed up with lights interrupting their sleep that they have been strategically gnawing on the light chords in hard to reach places. “They have been a pain for the last couple of years, but as far as human neighbors go, and drawing a reference from the movie Christmas Vacation, we have not experienced any neighbors like Margot and Todd like the Griswolds had to.”

Be sure to check out what surprises Kali and Whit have up there sleeves next Christmas, and bah humbug to those pesky gofers!

Good Life Magazine

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MARSHALL COUNTY 44 WINTER 2024 | COMPLIMENTARY

L ’ Rancho –

Story by David Myers Photos by Hudson Shelton

L

’Rancho has been an Arab Main Street fixture since opening its doors in 1944 as a burger joint. Over the years it became an icon, serving breakfast and lunch to locals and passers-through with a good hometown and country approach.

Now, the restaurant has transformed to a

Good Eats

Marshall County’s oldest café is now its newest. And it’s an excellent one!

superb eatery serving lunch and dinner to patrons from Marshall and neighboring counties, receiving praise along the way.

Rose and I visited L’Rancho with, I have to admit, a level of anticipation and sentiment.

Not only were we excited about having this lunch and dinner option on Main Street,

but we had heard good reports from diners who had been there. We had to give it a try.

The café’s appearance, inside and out, remains remarkably similar to tradition.

Rose and I have always loved the L’Rancho setting and we were happy to find the same unique and homey ambiance we’ve COMPLIMENTARY | WINTER 2024

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Jonathan Ballew mans his station behind the service window as customers anticipate a satisfying meal.

46 WINTER 2024 | COMPLIMENTARY

always enjoyed. There are a few changes, though, and I do believe for the better. For instance, from the moment we opened our car doors on Main Street, the enticing aroma of smoked beef and pork greeted us and transformed our stroll down Main Street to a pursuit of a full bellies. And, my friends, that’s what we discovered.

We had the good fortune of spending lunchtime with proprietors Jonathan and Caelin (Light) Ballew and they handwalked us through the enticing menu listings. Jonathan runs the kitchen and constantly experiments with variations to enhance his offerings. He started us with a plate of his ‘Tumbleweeds.’ These are hand-breaded onion rings served with two of his sauces: a mustard aioli sauce and a house made buttermilk ranch. The onion rings were perfect; light, crispy and with a hint of sweetness (perhaps from the onion itself). I almost want to declare, as I often do, the sauces to be the stars of the dish. Nothing out of the bottle here. Each was the result of tweaking the flavor to perfection.

L’Rancho’s hours are: Lunch: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM Dinner: Monday, Friday and Saturday 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM See y’all there.

Moving on, we inquired about his most popular menu items. There was no hesitation.

“Wings and burgers.”

And there on his menu, in the middle of an impressive listing of burgers and fries, stood the ‘Porker.’

“The Porker: House-made smoked BBQ, double cheeseburger, BBQ sauce, queso.”

“It’s our most popular.”

We went for it. One thing I liked about the Porker was that that the abundant pulled pork that fell off of the sandwich provided an excellent sampling of the L’Rancho’s meat used to build the “Porker Plates.” Almost like getting two plates in one. The pulled pork was outstanding, as good as any I’ve had. L’Rancho also offers ribs, and I thought the plate of ribs we sampled was of championship quality.

The burgers are made from handformed beef patties and are served with fries. The listing is impressive: The Standard, The Cowboy, The Porker, The Longhorn and the Outlaw. Let your imagination run wild.

We’re always in the mood for wings.

Most folks are. Here are the wing flavors offered on Main Street, Arab: BBQ Honey Mustard, Buffalo Stupid Hot, L’Rancho Dry Ranch, Honey Sriracha, Lemon Pepper, Liquid Gold and Smokey Joe. I’m sorry, I can’t pick a favorite. Every flavor we tried was delicious. Keep in mind that each flavor is the result of meticulous development

by Jonathan and his kitchen staff. And if anyone is wondering, several brands of cold beer are available at the restaurant – making the wings an even better selection.

As I scan the menu, I come to a list of sandwiches that looks fantastic and is where I’ll have to focus on my next visit.

The four chicken breast offerings are mouth-watering and I’ll be coming face to face with one of these soon. There’s also a BLT and BBQ sandwich I hope to tackle in the near future. If that wasn’t enough, I was handed a menu of ‘Specialty Salads’ that tempt me to the core.

Tip: Do not skip dessert. The madefrom-scratch banana pudding is superior and special.

I love this place. The food, atmosphere and ambience, as well as the 41 N Main Street location is representative of what I’d consider a North Alabama café to be. Our visit to L’Rancho was a treat.

Good Life Magazine COMPLIMENTARY | WINTER 2024

47

Christmas at Graceland

Story by Steve Maze

C

hristmas is an exciting time of the year steeped in tradition … putting up a tree, exchanging gifts, church plays, Christmas parades, holiday parties, eating dinner with your family, etc. Like most traditions, they rarely change from year to year.

As a child, I often wondered how “rich” people celebrated Christmas. Did they observe the same rituals that us ordinary folks followed, or did their holiday have a lot more glitz and glamour?

Little did I know that I would one day gain insight as to how one of the richest people in the world spent his Christmas holidays.

I was fortunate to get to know Dee Stanley Presley in 2002, when I wrote an article about her for Yesterday’s Memories magazine, and she told me about Christmas with Elvis, and Christmas at Graceland.

48 WINTER 2024 | COMPLIMENTARY

Dee married Elvis Presley’s dad, Vernon, after his first wife, Gladys, passed away. The couple chose Huntsville, Alabama, for a quiet and simple marriage ceremony on July 3, 1960.

Not only did Dee’s brother and sisterin-law, Richard and Edith Neely, reside in Huntsville, Dee was familiar with the Rocket City since her first husband had been stationed at Redstone Arsenal years earlier. During that time, she made many new friends by occasionally working as a nurse’s aid at Huntsville Hospital and attending the Lincoln Church of Christ.

After the wedding, the newlyweds and Dee’s three sons from her previous marriage moved into Elvis’s palatial estate in Memphis that he christened Graceland.

The family would spend two Christmases at Graceland until the new house that she and Vernon were building was completed.

Elvis might have given the Reeds some competition when it comes to Christmas decorations at Graceland.

“Christmas was Elvis’s favorite time of the year,” Dee said. “He would come off the road at Thanksgiving and stay until the first of the year. The decorations would already be up when Elvis arrived at Graceland. Vernon hired a man named Mr. Coleman to put them up each year. He had to start early because it took about a month to get everything done.”

Elvis pictured with his step-mom Dee, his father Vernon, and his step-brother David Stanley.

While Graceland was considered hallowed ground by Elvis fans and was impressive throughout the year, the home took on its own magical feeling during the holiday season.

The nearly 14-acre estate resembled a winter wonderland when Elvis’s bus drove through the front gates.

The brilliant lights lining the house, pool area, driveway and life-size nativity scene cast a colorful blue aura across the entire estate. Lighting on the many outdoor trees took on the appearance of twinkling stars shimmering in the cool night air. An invisible breath of the Christmas season overtook Elvis’s fans as they gazed through the entrance gates.

The only item not fully decorated was the main Christmas tree in the dining room.

Except for the lights, the Christmas tree was bare. Although there were several beautifully adorned trees throughout the house, the main tree was special and would not be taken down each year until Elvis’s birthday on January 8.

“We decorated it around the first of December,” said Dee. “It was a family thing.

“Elvis’s grandmother, Minnie Mae, lived at Graceland. My boys would bring in Mother Presley’s rocking chair and she would sit with her snuff can near the tree.

“Elvis would only place an ornament or two on the tree when we first moved in, but after Lisa Marie was born, he would add more ornaments. Vernon even dressed up like Santa Claus after Lisa Marie’s arrival.”

With the tree decorated, the dining room took on a beauty all to itself. The reflection from the flashing tree lights bounced off the large dining room mirror and crystal chandelier to create a multicolored spectrum of Christmas. It was though someone had taken a handful of sparkling gems and tossed them throughout the room.

In addition to decorating the main tree, Elvis also enjoyed doing something else around the first of December. He loved giving to others and his generosity was hardly a secret.

Elvis gave new cars, jewelry and other items to family members and friends, and even folks he didn’t know.

Most people, however, probably do not realize how generous Elvis was to charities.

Elvis would have Vernon, who handled most of his son’s business affairs, send checks to orphanages, nursing homes, the Salvation Army and others.

The Presley Christmas season was celebrated with a series of parties, which began the first week of December when Elvis had a get together for his close friends.

It’s hard to imagine that Elvis Presley would need to hire an entertainer for the event, but that’s exactly what he did.

Musician Tony Barasso, who was very popular in the Memphis area, would mill around the guests while playing Christmas carols on his accordion.

Christmas Eve was designated as the time to exchange gifts at Graceland.

“Elvis handed out the presents,” Dee states. “He especially enjoyed handing out the gifts he had gotten for someone. He loved giving others presents and watching them open them.”

Of course, Elvis was very generous to family members when it came to gift giving.

“He gave me my first fur coat,” Dee said.

“He also gave me a diamond watch and other jewelry.”

Elvis famously loved Cadillacs. He once gave a shiny pink one to his mother, but he ultimately ended up driving it because she never had a legal driver’s license.

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A room in Graceland showcases the spirit Elvis’ beloved home took on during the holidays.

Although it was probably difficult for Elvis not to turn Graceland into his daughter’s personalized version of the North Pole, she received many common gifts that were on other little girl’s wish list.

“I remember Lisa Marie getting things like dolls, a dollhouse and all kinds of stuffed animals,” Dee said. “One Christmas he got her a fur coat, but Priscilla put it away because she was so young.”

So what did everyone get the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll for Christmas?

“Vernon and I once gave Elvis a jade ring, which was funny since he had so much jewelry,” Dee laughed. “Naturally, it was hard to get him anything. We usually settled on things like monogrammed satin pajamas or bed sheets.”

Later, on Christmas Eve evening, Elvis would have a party for family members, friends and the fan club president. It was only then that the guests would see Graceland in all its Christmas splendor.

Upon entering the home, they encountered two rows of gorgeous poinsettias lined up and down the staircase.

The abounding red and green colors from the flowers created a beautiful kaleidoscope when mixed with the colorful draperies adorning the walls.

The Presley family ate their Christmas Day meal together and entertained more guests later in the evening. With his fame 50 WINTER 2024 | COMPLIMENTARY

and money, you might think that some type of exotic food would be served at Graceland.

“Elvis enjoyed the same type food that most families serve at Christmas,” states Dee. “We had turkey and dressing with all the trimmings. He loved ham as well, so we had that at times.

“Elvis also asked me to say grace before we ate. He told me that he respected my Christian faith, and I know that he was sincere in what he said. If I happened to walk into a room where someone was telling an off color joke, he would tell them to stop.”

So what did ‘The King’ prefer to eat between holiday parties? Most all of us have heard about the famous fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches, but as it turns out, Elvis ate what most Southern folks like to eat.

“He loved fried pork chops, fried crisp bacon, black-eyed peas, hamburgers and things like that,” Dee said. “He did not like seafood. In fact, Priscilla and I could not even eat a tuna sandwich when he was home.”

Elvis employed several cooks over the years to prepare meals at Graceland, the most notable being Alberta, who was there while Elvis’s mother was still alive.

“Of course, all of us cooked some,” Dee explained. “Elvis had one special cook

for the day shift and another for the night shift. When he was home they had to have someone cook around the clock.

“They weren’t cooking just for Elvis, but for his entourage and all the guests that stopped by. Priscilla pretty much put a stop to that when she arrived. Vernon was glad since it seemed that a lot of people thought Graceland was their personal restaurant.”

So what was Dee’s most memorable Christmas at Graceland?

“My first Christmas in 1960 was the most memorable for me,” said Dee. “Graceland was like stepping into a winter wonderland after living on military bases with my ex-husband. I remember one time that Elvis and my three sons built a bonfire and spent the night building a giant snowman and sledding around Graceland.

“Really, every day was Christmas. Elvis bought my boys many gifts, even though he had already bought them several presents when we arrived earlier that year. I was very appreciative of what he did for us, but I didn’t want my boys to have too much and lose their priorities.”

But Dee’s most memorable Christmas wasn’t necessarily the happiest one.

“The happiest Christmas was when Vernon and I and moved into our own home after it was completed in 1962,” Dee says. “My three boys were somewhat confined at Graceland. Other kids couldn’t really come over and play with them, even though we had a few birthday parties there.”

Elvis would come over to Dee and Vernon’s home for Christmas parties and, of course, they still participated in festivities held at Graceland during the holidays.

Decorating a tree, exchanging gifts – though they were more extravagant – and sharing the season with friends through holiday parties were important to Elvis Presley.

But the most important tradition was sharing the Christmas meal with his family.

It seems to me that Elvis Presley enjoyed the same basic Christmas traditions that the rest of us do.

Which leads me to believe that maybe “rich” doesn’t have anything to do with money, but rather the traditions we follow.

Good Life Magazine

Out and About

I

recently came across this map of Marshall County from the year 1900, and after looking at it for a bit it got me thinking about what times would have been like back in the day. In a little over a century’s time, the county we see on this map has transformed tenfold, and it is not bold to say it would be almost unrecognizable today. The obvious transformation would be from the damning of the Tennessee River to create the enormous Lake Guntersville. What before was a perilous journey through shoals and rapids by boat, is now a breeze for barges and recreational boats. Several caves on this map that were carved over millennia are now submerged under the waters of the Tennessee for eternity.

Another point of interest on this map are the still prominent distinctions between Indian Trails. Just a decade before the first cars would have driven into Marshall County, people living in 1900 would have used these primitive trails to get from place to place as efficiently as possible. General Jackson’s Trail is shown on this map, which he

and his men traveled down to Horse Shoe Bend to root out the Creeks, along with a band of Cherokee warriors. The legendary Davy Crockett also traveled this path back in the day along with his biographer John Abbot, who described the area like this, “Upon the banks of a beautiful mountain stream there was a wide plateau, carpeted with renowned blue grass, as verdant and soft as could be found in any gentleman’s park. There was no underbrush. The trees were two or three yards apart, composing a luxurious overhanging canopy of green leaves, more beautiful than art could possibly create.”

If you look at where Guntersville is located along the banks of the river, you will see a cabin called “Edward Gunter’s Res.”, which is the spot where Edward Gunter, son of John Gunter, operated a business ferrying people from one bank to the other. Edward was also a member of General Jackson’s band of troops and was injured in the fight at Horse Shoe Bend.

Try to pinpoint where it is on this map you call home. Are the names still the same? Have any landmarks such as streams disappeared? Go back in time and go out and about in the year 1900.

Good Life Magazine COMPLIMENTARY | WINTER 2024

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