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Alpine Bay

Resurrecting the lakeside golf resort

Story Elaine Hobson Miller
Photos by Richard Rybka
Photos contributed by Tony Parton

Goldenrods, a golf cart and a vision. That’s what led Tony Parton down the path, literally and figuratively, to the development of Alpine Bay Golf Course.

Parton lives in East Winds, a subdivision near the course, which first opened in 1972 as Point Aquarius. It’s situated along the southern shore of Logan Martin Lake in Alpine, a small community in Talladega County. Parton was a member there for 15 years prior to its closing in 2014. But he never dreamed he would one day buy that dead course and bring it back to life. Enter the goldenrod and golf cart.

“It was January 3, 2015, and my wife, Jan, and I rode our golf cart through a path in the woods behind our house and came out on the 8th green. It was covered in goldenrods,” says Parton, who retired in 2010 from the federal prison system.

He pulled up some of the weeds and wondered what the green would look like without them. The next day, he returned on his John Deere zero-turn mower and took a crack at clearing the weeds that used to be Alabama’s state flower.

“I started in the center of the green,” he recalls. “The deck was set as high as it would go. By day’s end the mower deck was at its lowest.” What he saw after the mowing was potential. “It showed me there was hope,” he says. “I called the Realtor and made an offer. He turned it down, but I stayed in touch with him.”

An auction in June of 2015 brought a high bid of $120,000, which apparently wasn’t enough to net a sale. Parton didn’t participate in the auction but called the Realtor in August of the same year with another offer. It, too, was turned down. “Then in October, the Realtor called and asked if my offer was still good,” Parton says. “I met with him and gave him some earnest money.”

Parton didn’t want to risk his life savings, so he enlisted Mark Calhoun, a friend who lives near the course at Water’s Edge, to go in with him on the venture. They decided if they could raise half a million dollars they could open the golf course debt-free. “I figured 100 shares at $5,000 per share,” he says. “But 23 invested and we raised $525,000.” They formed an LLC, which actually owns the property. He and Mark have roughly a fourth interest each.

It took about five months to whip the course into playable shape. That included more mowing, fertilizing and getting at the roots of those pesky goldenrods. Parton and his wife, Jan, along with fellow investors Calhoun, Ray Ferguson and Percy Jennings, used claw hammers to pull them up so the weeds wouldn’t return.

That left big holes that needed to be filled. There was a large pile of sand on the property, but Parton had no way to move it. Enter Frank Hall, who wanted to put $5,000 into the venture. “He said he had something else we needed, an old tractor with a bucket and cutter and a tandem-axle (dually) truck with a dump bed,” Parton says. “We traded him two shares for them. I went to his house and got them.” They opened the gates on July 1, 2016.

A New Vision

Parton and his investors believe Alpine Bay Golf Course has a lot going for it, starting with its designer. The 6,518-yard, par-72 championship layout was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., namesake of Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. It’s a links course, meaning it does not make a turn at the clubhouse after nine holes. In fact, Number Nine is as far away from the clubhouse as you can get and still be on the property. Normally a beverage cart runs on Fridays, holidays and weekends for folks who want a break at that point.

Original plans for Point Aquarius called for two golf courses, but the second closed after a short time. Parton and his investors didn’t buy that section of land. Managing the 144-acre property they own, which includes the golf course, practice range, putting green and small clubhouse, is a full-time job for Parton, but he finds it very rewarding. “All those people who left have come back, and we’re growing,” he says. “We have about 140 members.”

The small clubhouse has a grill that sells a variety of sandwiches and a modest pro shop that has the essentials for golfers, like tees and shoes. “Shawn Reider, who worked with the previous owners, was our pro when we opened,” Parton says. “I brought him back because I knew nothing about running a golf course. He was a big asset, but he developed brain cancer and died. We don’t have a pro right now.”

Hundreds of empty lots surround the course, and they’re owned by individuals all over the United States. Only one house was ever built overlooking the greens, and it burned down. Parton would love to see someone develop those lots.

“Since we opened, neither Mark, nor me and my wife have gotten any money from it, and we’ve paid no dividends to investors,” he says. “Every penny that comes in goes right back into the course.”

Speaking of money, it costs a lot to run a golf course. It will take $750,000 to replace the outdated manual irrigation system. Last July they had to dig up the invasive Zoysia grass and put in Bermuda – at several thousand dollars per green. They bought custom-made tarps to cover all the greens during freezing weather – at $1,000 each.

“We had 18 tarps but had to order another one this morning because one was stolen last night,” Parton says on the January day of this interview. “Ironically, it won’t do anybody any good, won’t protect anything from wet weather because it has holes in it to let the water through. I wish I could be there when whoever stole it finds that out after a rainy night!” Chemicals (for fertilizer) are his biggest costs, however. “This is nothing but a glorified sod farm.”

The price of a basic membership is $1,200 per year plus a $20 cart fee per game. Unlimited membership costs $3,000 per year but includes cart fees. That isn’t enough to handle all the costs of running a golf course, though, so Parton is always brainstorming ways to bring in extra revenue.

“We have members-only events, like a (February 2023) dinner with live entertainment,” he said. “We encourage people to come and eat breakfast or lunch before tee-time, then have a snack after their game. We have lots of tournaments scheduled. I can get people together and organize events that people will enjoy.”

One of the highlights of his time redeveloping the course came in 2021 when Parton got to play golf with Robert Trent Jones Jr., eldest son of the course designer. Junior and his son, Trent, were in Birmingham for an Architectural Summit near Birmingham staged by Golfweek magazine. They were at Alpine because Golfweek scheduled a day there. This was the first time for either Jones Jr. or Trent to visit the course that Jones Sr. had designed a half-century earlier.

Ray Ferguson, one of the original investors, is maintenance supervisor. He has been involved with the golf course since it opened as Point Aquarius in 1982. “Our goal when we started was to get it up and running,” he says. “Someone had been looking at the property to put a trailer park here.”

Two shepherd-type dogs showed up one day and started following some of the golfers around. Dubbed Bogey and Birdie, they quickly became the course’s mascots. Bogey (the male) died recently, but Birdie (the female) is still there. “Bogey used to follow me home when I’d play golf. He’d stay the night, go back to the course next day,” Parton says.

Inside the clubhouse, Percy Jennings works in the modest pro shop. “I helped dig up the goldenrods with claw hammers and a 5-gallon bucket,” Jennings says. “We sat on our haunches and pulled them up.” He pauses to call out the names of the next players, telling them it’s their tee-time. He staggers the times so as not to crowd the greens.

Probably eight to 10 men are hanging out at the clubhouse today, either awaiting their turns or relaxing after their rounds. There are white-haired men in khakis, golf shirts and ball caps, some with white sunscreen on their noses, cheeks and chins, as if headed for the beach. Younger men in their 30s and 40s enjoy a beer or one of Bogey’s Grille’s famous cheeseburgers. Boisterous laughter erupts now and then, as friends tell tall tales about their golf scores.

Bogey’s is also a full-service bar with your favorite adult beverages. The Grille also serves breakfast sandwiches and plates, hot dogs, chicken fingers and chicken salad. It’s open Tuesdays through Sundays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. You don’t have to play golf to eat there, either. One of the regulars, Bill Camp, 87, drops by at least once a week for a large hamburger, even though he no longer plays. Lester Drummer is 93 and an honorary member. He may shoot a few balls, but mostly fishes in the pond at the back of the clubhouse.

Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, Tony and a “few” of his friends tee off. There aren’t but 26 of them today, but on a warm and sunny summer day, that number goes out the roof. “Last week there were 36 of us,” Ray Ferguson says. “We eat and play golf.”

Parton says he doesn’t have any goals going forward, because he has already achieved what he wanted: To get the golf course opened and people playing there again. He just hopes the former “ghost town,” as he calls it, grows and people continue to enjoy it.

“God is in this,” he says. “I feel like He called us to do it, because this community (Alpine) needs this golf course.”

Remember when: Easonville

A look inside the Mansion of the Valley

Story by Roxann Edsall
Photos by Richard Rybka

If walls could talk, the stately 18-room lakeside home would speak volumes. Once called the “Mansion of the Valley,” it was well known in the community of Easonville and was home, at one point or another, to several of the community’s most prominent families.

It stood in the heart of Easonville, a busy farming community on the outskirts of its big sister, “Pell City.” But by the 1950s, people in Easonville began to hear rumblings of something in the works that was to change them forever.

John Abbott with picture of grandfather’s store

In June of 1954, then President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed into law legislation that paved the way for dams to be built along the Coosa River for the purpose of producing hydroelectric power.

Construction on the second of those dams began in 1960 and would be called Logan Martin, after William Logan Martin Jr., a circuit court judge, Alabama’s attorney general and attorney for Alabama Power Company. The resulting impounding of the Coosa River would form the 15,263-acre reservoir known as Logan Martin Lake.

The “Mansion of the Valley” is one of just a handful of homes still in existence today that survived the onslaught of water that consumed the sleepy community of Easonville. Known now as the Maddox-Abbott home, it only survived by being moved, as many were in that day. Unlike most of the others, though, its only movement was up. To keep it safe from the coming waters, workers raised it by two and a half feet and skirted the bottom with brick.

“My earliest memory of this house was as a young kid at Easonville Methodist Church,” says current owner John Abbott. “We’d be going home, and I’d ask my dad to drive us through the driveway here because it looked haunted. I was scared to go up there on my bicycle.”

It was not haunted then, nor is it now, reports Abbott. It is, however, filled with some fairly fierce-looking creatures. An avid game hunter, Abbott has filled the rooms with trophies from his various exotic hunts and has stories to tell about each of the mounts, like the bear that leans out over the sofa in the living room, teeth bared. Coming out from behind a waterfall, that one, he tells, almost got him.

Beautiful millwork highlights the craftsmanship of the historic home. Currently configured as a four bedroom, five bath home, it features a reading room, formal living room, a formal dining room, office, kitchen and a large porch facing the waters of Logan Martin Lake.

The home is filled with antiques, which Abbott admits to having hated as a youth. “My mother made me sand them and get them ready for her to refinish,” he recalls. “It was a lot of work.”

The Maddox-Abbott home was built by William Notley Maddox for his new bride, Minerva, and was completed in 1914. It would have been completed earlier had it not been for Maddox’s generosity and his support for the local Methodist church. Those facts were revealed to Abbott many years later by a writer whose own grandfather helped Maddox build the house with pieces from a mail-order house kit.

Easonville Methodist was building a new church at that time, and Maddox, a church trustee, gave the building team all the support beams that were in his house kit. He had to reorder those beams in order to begin construction of his home.

Abbott bought the house 25 years ago, in part, because he had always been interested in its historical significance and beauty, but also because of the history it shares with his ancestors. Among the other dozen or so owners was another Abbott, a distant relative. Robert Edgar Abbott and his wife, Eliza, owned the home for several years before selling to the J.L. Manning family in 1928. Other Easonville notables to own the “Mansion of the Valley” were G.W. Ingram, Kathleen Gholston and Loyze and Mavis Roper.

Kathleen Gholston was an Easonville schoolteacher who owned the house when John Abbott was just a boy. During that time, she closed in the two sleeping porches and outfitted them as rental apartments. Abbott’s uncle, William Abbott, rented one of those apartments while building his home in Birmingham. Gholston eventually sold her home when talk of the impounding of the Coosa River began.

She sold the house to the Ropers, who continued renting it out. Among their tenants was Abbott’s uncle, Ludford Harmon. Abbott visited the mansion in the ’70s when his Uncle Ludford used it as the venue for the wedding of his daughter, Abbott’s cousin Vivian.

John Abbott has lived in the Pell City area all of his life. He has seen a lot of history being made around him. He watched with curiosity as the community of Easonville was displaced and dismantled to make way for the impending flood of water. His father, J.D. Abbott, bought the Easonville school building and tore it down to save the lumber to use in his homebuilding business.

“I was about 13 or 14 going to school in Pell City,” recalls Abbott. “I remember my dad and Charles Abbott, Pick Cosper and Booky Fraim moved a lot of dirt, building up places for Easonville homes to be moved to and to make places to build new ones.”

The home that he grew up in was moved to one of those built up lots in what is now Rock Inn Estates. His grandmother Abbott’s house was also built up to bring it high enough to withstand the rising water. The home of his maternal grandmother is no longer standing but was on the property that is now being developed as Easonville Park subdivision.

The Maddox-Abbott home is not the first meeting of the two families. The same Maddox who built the home Abbott now owns also built the cotton gin that Abbott’s uncle, Ludford Harmon, bought and had to move before the floodwaters came.

As a business owner for most of his adult life, Abbott understands the sense of loss the landowners and business owners felt when they had the choice to make of moving their buildings or selling out.

But, he adds, they did eventually see that property values went up as the water came up.

As he sits on his screened-in porch, looking out at boats going by, he knows the sacrifices that were made that allow him to continue to enjoy this old home – this piece of history that no longer sits in a valley, but that stands proudly on the edge of the waters of beautiful Logan Martin Lake.

Water up in April

Alabama Power ready to boost water levels on Logan Martin, Neely Henry

Story by Paul South
Staff Photos

ForCarl Wallace, there are signs—both on and off the lake – telling him a change is coming and that the waters will rise.

The arrival of Daylight Savings Time – this year on March 12 – means longer afternoons and a break in cabin fever for folks longing to get out. Homeowners race to finish boathouse, dock and shoreline repairs.

And – like blossoming buds and sprouting trees – social media springs to life with chatter about the rising waters. Boat dealer and marina traffic heats up, as does the weather. Shorts and T-shirts replace sweaters and sweatshirts.

“All of a sudden, you have an extra hour in the evening – it has warmed up a bit – and people will long to get out,” Wallace says.

This year, the anticipation is even more heightened since residents got their first sampling of higher water when the winter pool was raised to 462 feet instead of the 460 feet since its beginnings in the mid-1960s.

Come April 16, the lake will begin its seasonal rise with only three feet to go to summer pool – expected by May 1. The drawdown is expected to begin Oct. 1.

And since Alabama weather is, well, Alabama weather, with shorts and Tshirts becoming appropriate apparel here and there throughout the winter months, the extra two feet has meant an increase in year-round boating. But unofficially, lake season seems to kick off in a big way around Memorial Day weekend.

There’s a flurry of activity up and down the lake between now and the water’s rise. Boat and seawall repairs, dock building and improvements and general sprucing up with landscaping projects are all part of the pre-lake season mix.

An important note: Property owners interested in performing shoreline maintenance projects must get a permit from Alabama Power through its Shoreline Management Office at 205-472-0481 before starting any project.

Increased debris may come with rising waters, so groups like the Logan Martin Lake Protection Association and Renew Our Rivers go to work, cleaning up the waters.

Why the fluctuation?

Twice a year – each Spring and Fall – Alabama Power Company adjusts water levels in Logan Martin and Neely Henry lakes to prepare for Alabama’s rainy seasons.

Full pool for Logan Martin is 465 feet and for Neely Henry, it’s 508 feet. Neely Henry’s level only fluctuates about a foot.

Neely Henry is a storage lake, and levels don’t fluctuate much

The electric utility operates two kinds of lakes – “Run of River” and “Storage.” Logan Martin and Neely Henry are storage reservoirs, which serve two purposes.

“Run of river projects discharge essentially the same amount of water that flows into them. This type of operation gives them a fairly consistent lake level year-round. These lakes were not designed with flood control as a specific project purpose,” according to Alabama Power Spokesperson Alyson Tucker.

“Alternatively, ‘storage’ projects like Neely Henry and Logan Martin provide seasonal storage, having different summer and winter pool levels and are drawn down late fall into the winter to provide a means of managing and storing winter/spring rains. These operations provide a measure of protection against downstream flooding during high flow events. These storage projects normally have their levels returned to summer pool levels during the spring timeframe. Water stored in these storage lakes can also help mitigate some impacts of drought by providing a limited source of water for use when it is scarce, such as during drought periods.”

The operating levels, managed by Alabama Power are determined by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in what’s called the Guide

The Guide remains the same throughout the summer months. In fall and early winter, the Guide declines to make room for normal winter and spring flood flows. In general, the operating guide provides the guidance needed for both flood control operations and daily water management decisions.

Environmental impact on flora and fauna is “minimal,” Alabama Power officials say.

“Alabama Power works in concert with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to maintain stable or slightly rising water levels during the spring to support fish spawning when conditions allow. Due to higher and more stable water levels in the winter,” the company says, there has been an increase in aquatic vegetation on these lakes in recent years.

Lake levels vary depending on conditions.

And lakefront businesses and watercraft merchants will likely see their bottom lines rise along with the water levels.

For lake residents, the rising lake levels generate more than electricity. The lake will see a sizable increase in traffic from pontoons, fishing and ski boats and personal watercraft. Wallace, who writes the social media blog, Lake Ramblings, put it like this: “Lake lovers love toys.”

It won’t be too long before this is an every weekend scene at Pirate Island

A dammed good time

Logan Martin and Neely Henry lakes were part of a construction project to further develop the Coosa River in the late 1950s and early 60s. The area of the Logan Martin reservoir is 15,263 acres with 275 miles of shoreline.

Neely Henry Reservoir has an area of 11,200 acres and 339 miles of shoreline, according to Alabama Power.

Neely Henry Dam was built in 1966, and Logan Martin, in 1964.

Since that time, for water enthusiasts on both lakes, it has been (as a lake festival Tshirt once proclaimed) “a dammed good time.”

A shout out to all the ‘lakelifers’

I’m a ‘lifer,’ too!

One of my favorite things to do on Saturday mornings is grabbing a cup of coffee and reading Carl Wallace’s Lake Ramblings on Facebook. Back when we launched our magazine in May 2021, we did a story on him, rightly dubbing him Logan Martin’s Aristotle. (Logan Martin’s Aristotle – LakeLife 24/7 Magazine (lakelife247magazine.com) After all, he’s part philosopher, part ponderer, part storyteller and all around good guy who helps bring our lake community together.

It seemed only fitting that we would launch our new publication, LakeLife 24/7®, with a story on Carl because what he capsulizes every Saturday morning with his column is what our magazine is all about — lakelife in all its forms.

He alerts his ‘lake family’ to events up and down the lake, gives shout outs to good deeds and describes in myriad ways how lucky we are to be living the lakelife.

And that’s precisely the aim of our magazine – to bring ‘lakelifers’ all together with the tie that binds us all – that body of water we call home, or visit, or play on, or just dream about. We added the 24/7 part to the name to underscore the conclusion that there’s only one thing better than lakelife, and that’s lakelife 24/7.

With a shout out to Carl, let’s take a look at what LakeLife 24/7® has to offer in this issue. This time of year may be a little slow on the lake, but not for anglers like Zeke Gossett, our very own bass pro and fishing guide. He not only tells you where to fish on Logan Martin and Neely Henry lakes in March and April, he tells you how to fish and what bait to use. Listen to Zeke, and you’ll be pulling in the bass like a pro.

Ready for some fun? Downtown Gadsden is the place to be in March and April. On March 18, check out the St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl from 3-9. Downtown’s after-hours hot spots are ready to serve and to treat you to prizes and discounts, too.

Like history? Check out the Mansion of the Valley, one of the few surviving homes of the town of Easonville, the community razed when Logan Martin Dam was built to create Logan Martin Lake.

How about modern-day data? For the first time since it opened in 1965, Logan Martin didn’t descend all the way down to winter pool, giving boaters, anglers and lake residents an extra two feet this winter. Let’s explore the result and what it means for the time that lies ahead for the lake.

And if inspiring stories are your style, peruse how a retired federal corrections worker was able to resurrect an historic golf course and ready it for a new era in Alpine Bay.

There’s plenty more in this issue of LakeLife 24/7®. Turn the page and discover lakelife along with us!

Carol Pappas,

Editor and Publisher

In the Kitchen January 2023

Cooking with the Johnsons on Logan Martin Lake

Story by Gigi Hood
Photos by Kelsey Bain
Submitted Photos

Life is a puzzle, and we put the pieces together as our journey unfolds. Sometimes we wonder where we came from, or question ourselves as to where we’re going, and sometimes we find it hard to remember all the places we’ve ever been. From day to day, we never know who we might meet or where and when the puzzle might end.

There is no too large or too small, but there is a dream that needs to be addressed and built that makes it just right.

Such is the case with Gib Johnson and his wife, Lori Hedvig Johnson, who have built their dream home on Logan Martin Lake. Lori is originally from Alexander City, and Gib is a true “Carolina-Blue-Blooded Tar Heel,” who was raised in Salisbury, NC, a small city between Charlotte and Greensboro.

Prior to fulfilling their dream of living on the water’s edge, the Johnsons lived in the Hoover and Pelham areas of Birmingham. Gib had grown up on High Rock Lake in North Carolina, where he spent much of his time, boating, skiing and sailing. “I was and still have been an all-around water/lake lover for as far back as I can remember, and when Lori and I married, we bought a lot, dock and boat at Smith Lake, and I introduced her to life on and around the water; she embraced it, just as I had, and that was the beginning of our dream of one day having a house on the water.”

As much as they enjoyed Smith Lake, “we knew it was not logistically possible for us to live there permanently and make a daily commute back and forth to Birmingham. So, we started looking at Logan Martin Lake, since it is the closet body of water to Birmingham.”

Gib is the managing partner of Zuriel Technology Group, LLC, which is based in Birmingham. Founded in 2015, the business is an Information Technology Managed Services Company that provides IT support to companies across the southeastern area of the U.S. Lori also works at Zuriel as Financial Controller.

After investigating lot possibilities, Gib was excited to find four suitable lakefront properties at Charter Landing Estates, where building had not yet begun. He was disappointed when he found that his search had been to no avail. All the properties had been sold, and the owners already had their future building plans outlined. Knowing they had to start over looking at lots was discouraging, but a “miracle” happened on Thanksgiving Day in 2020 that put their plans back on track.

“I answered the ringing phone,” Gib said, “and there was a voice on the other end telling me that Lot 12 was available for purchase because the owners had bought a new home and decided not to build at Charter Landing. The gentleman asked me if we might still be interested in buying the lot. Our answer was a quick ‘yes!’, and Lori and I postponed our Thanksgiving dinner as we proceeded to make a deal to purchase the lot that day. What a special Thanksgiving that was.”

Next came the step of deciding on plans for their building adventure. Accepting the help and recommendation from one of their friends, they met with architect Mark Tidwell of Tidwell & Associates and hired him to lead them through the task of putting together the version of their vision for their dream house.

Once the design process was approved, they then began the search for who was considered to be the best builder in the area. George Crain of George Crain Homebuilders was the name that kept coming up, and they knew that he was the builder they wanted. According to Gib, “George had other ideas. He was close to retirement and was not planning to build any more homes. Thankfully, we were able to convince him to take on our project, and he agreed. We were thrilled with his professionalism and expertise, and we will always be thankful that he was the man behind making our dream come true.”

Working together, Gib and Lori teamed up on the décor. Together they agreed that they wanted the style of their home to be “Modern Farmhouse.” The result of their time, effort and imagination is a delightful mixture of old and new, comfort and enjoyment of day-to-day living for both their family and their guests.

Priorities were lake view, room for visitors, location in Pell City, private quarters for their visitors on the downstairs level and making sure that all guest rooms had a lake view and the kitchen area.

“To us, the kitchen does not mean the appliances and the immediate area we are cooking in,” Lori explained. “Yes, it is the place food is prepared, but it’s so much more than that for us. We want our kitchen to be warm, inviting and a gathering place. Our plan was to leave it openly connected with our adjoining living spaces. We did plan our area for convenient preparation, while making sure we had plenty of space to comfortably and enjoyably cook together while still being a part of what was going on around us.”

Gib and Lori chose not to have a formal dining room, but rather, stayed with their Farmhouse style. They purchased a taller than usual, long table with bench seating at the end of the kitchen that overlooks the lake. It easily seats 10 people and provides the perfect place for easy conversation and fun gatherings at mealtimes. A granite bar on the backside of the island also provides chairs for more casual eating or an overflow place for more guests.

After an extensive search, Lori found a tile that she just had to have. Originally it was only going to be used for the backsplash of the kitchen. “I was so excited to find that tile, that I decided to decorate my kitchen around it and bought it on the spot,” she said.

“Then, after seeing how the backsplash turned out, I decided I wanted to carry it to the top,” she said. “But then when I decided to extend it, of course, I needed more tile. However, that was when things were in short supply and my original supplier could not get any more. He told me that he was sorry, but the backsplash would have to suffice. Not wanting to dash the look that I had created in my mind’s eye, I searched all over and after combining inventory from four different places, I was able to piece together the entire wall and complete the kitchen to my liking.”

The house furnishings that are a blend of “Modern Farmhouse” mixed with “Modern Elegance” complement one another. Heirloom antiques, inherited from Gib’s father, hold special meaning. His father was a CPA by trade, but his real passion was collecting antiques. “We were able to keep some of his collections, but unfortunately we had to part with many beautiful pieces because there just wasn’t enough room for them,” Gib explained. “The ones we kept blended well with our modern furnishings. Together they are both beautiful to look at and enjoy and of course, very special because they were my Dad’s.”

Among the antiques they did keep and still cherish is a 4-poster bed that is believed to have been used by the actress, Bette Davis, in her New York City apartment. Other artifacts include various Chippendale pieces, one of which is a Chippendale Bar Set that Gib claims as his favorite piece. Lori is partial to the Ming Dynasty Vase as her special item.

Aside from their furnishings, there are a few other special places in the house. There is a full gym, which would be the pride of any exercise guru and is a necessity for daily exercise in their lives. Lori grew up very athletic and was a successful amateur triathlete for six years. She no longer competes in triathlons, but still likes to walk and run as well as do Yoga.

After her work and workouts are through, Lori’s therapy room, consisting of a tanning bed, red light therapy and room to meditate, are a perfect place for her to decompress. Being the “do it yourselfer,” Gib’s special room is his indoor workshop, accessible from both the interior and exterior of the home and complete with an organized place for all his tools and room to work on his projects.

Additional amenities of the home also include a tiered theatre room and a gorgeous swimming pool that Lori and Gib designed, plus an impressive porch on which to entertain as well as watch the sunrises, sunsets and lake activities. And of course, the home wouldn’t be complete without a large yard, pier, boat dock and all the water toys anyone needs for having fun.

During the building process, the Homeowners Association of Charter Landing Estates offered six other lots for sale, and Gib and Lori purchased their second lot. They decided that after retirement (or maybe before) they would build a spec house. “Eventually, we intend to build on the second lot. But for now, we’re taking a rest.”

They agree that it has been a long road to finding and completing their dream home. “We moved once, thinking we wanted to downsize after our four children left the nest,” Lori said. “But when everyone returned home for the holidays with their spouses and friends plus other family members, our downsizing didn’t work because it was bumper-to-bumper people.”

After that experience, Lori and Gib decided to try the ultimate experience – building. “Along the way, there were plenty of ups and downs, frustrations, general craziness. Looking back, it was tedious, maddening and just plain fun building and furnishing our dream,” Lori said.

Would they do it again? “No, not willingly,” Gib replied, “but then again, never say never.” They survived the journey, put all the pieces of the puzzle together, and hope that this will be their forever home.

Gib’s BEST Blackened Chicken Alfredo

Ingredients

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 Tbsp – Blackening Seasoning
2 Tbsp – Olive Oil
12 ounce – Fettucine Pasta
6 Tbsp – Butter
1 Tbsp – Minced Garlic
1 1/2 cup – Heavy Whipping Cream
1 1/2 cup – Grated Parmesan Cheese

Blackening seasoning

1 Tbsp – Paprika or Smoked Paprika
2 Tbsp – Salt
1 Tbsp – Garlic Salt
1 Tbsp – Parsley (optional to taste)
1 Tbsp – Onion Powder
2 Tbsp – Black Pepper
2 Tsp – Cayenne Pepper
1 Tbsp – Oregano

Combine all ingredients together in a small bowl and store in an air tight container.

Preparing the chicken

Cut the chicken breasts into bite sized pieces. Coat all sides of the chicken with blackening seasoning. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat. Place Olive Oil in the skillet. When the oil is hot, add the chicken breasts to the skillet.

Cook the chicken for approximately 5 minutes on each side …until each side is brown. Transfer the chicken to a separate plate and cover with foil to keep it warm.

Preparing the Pasta

Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package. Remove from cooktop and strain the pasta

Preparing the Alfredo Sauce

Add the butter and the garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes on LOW heat…until the butter is melted and the garlic is fragrant. Whisk in the heavy whipping cream. Cook – while whisking – for approximately 3-5 minutes until the cream is heated through. Stir in the parmesan cheese and allow the cheese to heat until it is melted in.. Add the blackened chicken and whisk it in so the chicken soaks up the Alfredo flavoring.

Finishing steps to serve

Toss the pasta with the homemade blackened chicken and Alfredo sauce. Serve immediately while warm and enjoy!

Bourbon, Honey and Brown Sugar Salmon

Ingredients

Salmon 2 large pieces (can be domestic or wild caught) Domestic is less fishy
Bourbon (your favorite) (1 Jigger)
Honey 3 Tbsp
Brown Sugar 2 Tbsp
Lemon Pepper 1/4 Tsp
Butter 2 Tsp
Salt and Pepper Sprinkle to Taste

Preparing the Fish

Pre-heat oven to 375. Combine bourbon, honey and brown sugar.

Wash Salmon Thoroughly . Spray the pan, dish or grill rack you are cooking on with non-stick spray. Melt Butter and Brush on Both Sides of Salmon. Salt and Pepper both sides. Sprinkle Lemon Butter.

Pour bourbon, honey and brown sugar on both sides. Cook for 6-8 minutes (turning half way through). Make sure Salmon reaches 165 internal temperature.

Remove and serve with broccoli florets or asparagus spears and long grain wild rice or risotto or pasta. Garnish with Parsley red peppers.

Lori’s Party Chicken

Ingredients

4 to 6 boneless chicken breasts
2 to 4 Slices of center cut bacon
2 x 6oz Packs of chipped beef (if you cannot find “chipped beef”, the beef in packs where the sandwich meat is (the cheap stuff), it works great too
1 x 16 oz sour cream
2 x regular size Campbell’s “cream of mushroom” soup (or 1 family size)
Salt and pepper to season
2 Cups Long grain rice (cook separately)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Wash your chicken (always), set aside Get a glass casserole dish. A 9 x 13 is preferable. Take the chipped beef and chop them into little squares – you want to make sure the chipped/chopped beef pieces cover the entire bottom of casserole dish. Put cleaned/washed chicken on top of chipped beef and put a little salt and pepper on top.

Take 2 or 3 slices of bacon and stretch them, place on top of the chicken. Combine your sour cream and cream of mushroom soup in a separate bowl, add about 1/2 can of water, stir until blended. Once blended, pour over chicken, covering entirely.

Place in oven and cook for 2.5 – 3 hours (slow cooking on low heat makes chicken most tender). If you don’t have that much time, cook at 350 degrees but at least 2.5 hours.

Keep an eye on it as it cooks and stir regularly after about an hour and a half. If it looks dry, poor a little water in and stir.

Rice

Just follow directions. Remember long grain is best but you have to do the measurements just right and it takes 20 minutes (worth it though). A little trick on long grain – use a liquid measure for water and solid measuring cup for rice. I always put a LITTLE more rice just to make sure it’s not runny. This usually makes the rice perfect. Or use Uncle Ben’s instant rice.

Spring Mix Salad with Fetta, Almond Slivers and Strawberry Vinagaret

Bag of fresh spring mix salad (or romaine mix). Top with slivered almonds. Add fetta, optional. Top with a strawberry or raspberry vinaigrette. If you can’t find strawberry, any sweet vinaigrette will do!

Bread

Serve some Sister Schubert rolls (pan kind) with meal. Enjoy!

Museum of Pell City

Community project set to open early 2023

When the ribbon is officially cut on Museum of Pell City in coming weeks, the community will welcome a museum that is believed to have the potential to exceed the expectations of cities of comparable size.

It features an extensive, local exhibit tracing Pell City’s steps from mill town to global marketplace and the scores of people, places and events making its history in between.

“This museum represents a group of people whose love of history and preservation of it never wavered along the way despite the twists and turns of the road to get here. Its opening will be an historic day for our community because of their perseverance,” said Museum President Carol Pappas.

The museum is an impressive blend of the city’s history and the state’s history all under one roof – a 4,000 square foot suite on the second floor of the Pell City Municipal Complex.

Making Alabama, the state’s bicentennial exhibit awarded to Museum of Pell City by Alabama Humanities Alliance, showcases Alabama’s 200 years of statehood and beyond. Within that exhibit are artifacts and little-known nuggets of Pell City history weaved into the story that unfolds.

Volunteer help is essential to success. Max Jolley and Nick Olivastri lend a hand.

Just like the whistle that sounded at the turn of the 20^th century signaling the beginning of shifts at Avondale Mills – Pell City Manufacturing in its early days – the museum will have its own replica of that whistle at the entrance to the local exhibit, signifying the start of a new day.

Museum cases, made possible through gifts from citizens, are full of artifacts that bring the stories and photos of Pell City history to life. Hundreds of old photos are accessed on computer tablets for each period of history. A simple swipe across the screen reveals photo after photo of the days that were.

An interior room has been built to house music history, art and sports, and the national impact of Pell Citians on all three.

Another section tells the story of service with organizations and individuals dedicating themselves in public service, military and civic arenas.

The exhibit housed for years in the county courthouse is featured as well as the places where memories were made – hangouts like the Rexall Drugs, Skad’s, Jill’s and Dairy Queen.

Alabama Power Foundation partnered with the museum on a project to build a working dam model to take visitors behind the scenes of Logan Martin Dam and the impact it has had on the region. A $45,000 grant from the Foundation made the stunning exhibit possible as well as other aspects of the museum.

Pell City is no longer a mill town, and a Global Marketplace section reflects exactly that – the evolution of Pell City as a player on the world stage in business.

The centerpiece of the museum is a Living History Studio, which will be used to record and produce oral history videos designed to capture recollections of events, people and places in the history of the community. Much of it was made possible through a $25,000 grant from the Pell City Rotary Community Foundation Endowment. “That grant will enable us to achieve so many of the goals we have for this ongoing program.”

A mobile video team of experienced videographers and interviewers is being dispatched on location for those who cannot travel. In addition, a special project involving veterans of three wars – World War II, Korean and Vietnam – is making use of a partnership between the museum and the Col. Robert L. Howard State Veterans Home in Pell City. A nearly $9,000 major grant from Alabama Humanities Alliance is the catalyst for the launch of the veterans program.

A control room adjacent to the studio is planned as a working classroom for students to not only develop an appreciation for history through work with these oral histories but to develop skills in video production, audio, lighting, interviewing and research.

Gigi Hood and Lori Junkins install foam panels to help soundproof Living History Studio

Museum First Vice President Deanna Lawley is spearheading the Living History program. “Since 1968, when my husband, Barnett, brought me to Pell City, I have been enriched by tales of an agricultural area with a Mayberry-paced town where everyone set their watch by the mill whistle. How quickly it began to transform with the damming of a river,” she said.

“We are losing the voices that make you smile, laugh, cry or reflect with their wonderful stories. Our goal is to have a living museum; the oral histories will provide that feeling before more are silenced.”

Videos will be preserved, the audio transcribed and word searchable for research, and they can be accessed by the public and for use in the classroom. “What a wonderful opportunity we have to not only preserve the memories of eye witnesses to history but to share them to educate and engage audiences,” Pappas said.

Vision being realized

Museum of Pell City was a vision long before this suite became its home. That vision took many forms. The late Mary Mays, long known as an advocate for historic preservation, spearheaded a movement to place museum cases full of artifacts in the county courthouse in Pell City.

Others worked toward restoring the Mays House in Cropwell. Still others created April Walking Tours of historic downtown Pell City.

Another group brought the Smithsonian and Alabama Humanities Alliance exhibit, The Way We Worked, to Pell City in 2014 at the Center for Education and Performing Arts, CEPA, and created an impressive local history exhibit. That display, melded with the Smithsonian’s exhibition saw more than 7,000 people tour during its six-week stay.

That exhibition is widely viewed as the spark, the tipping point that caught fire and convinced a grassroots group that Pell City could indeed have its own museum. “So many people who toured that exhibition approached us about establishing a museum,” said Pam Foote, who served as project director of The Way We Worked and is now second vice president of the nonprofit that created the museum. “It was gratifying, yes, but it also represented a huge hill to climb.”

There was no place to house it. How could a single exhibit grow into a museum?

So, Foote and Lawley, co-chairs of the 2014 event, along with Pappas asked the city to store it, realizing it could be the nucleus of a museum. For seven years, it remained intact in the basement of the municipal complex while they pushed for a home.

There was talk of locating it in the long vacant administrative building, the single structure still standing on the Avondale Mills property, and that course was pursued for a few years.

After the Pell City Library moved into its new quarters in the municipal complex, that vacant building was seen as a temporary solution on location. The group pursued its prospects as well.

Then, Councilman Jay Jenkins had an idea in 2021, and his ‘what if’ turned into the museum’s home – two floors up from its storage in the municipal complex. The museum occupies a massive suite on the second floor.

“The city has been a terrific supporter of this museum,” Pappas said. “We couldn’t ask for better partners than the mayor, city manager and council. They provided us the space, infrastructure support and best of all, moral support for this project. Without them, we never would have made it this far.”

Pappas had high praise for the community and the support it has shown in rallying around the museum opening. “I cannot say enough about our volunteers. They are the linchpin in all of this – small jobs, large jobs and everything from fetching and toting to building and painting – holding it all together and making it happen. Our board had to create and establish this museum from the ground up, and they deserve a debt of thanks for stepping up to volunteer to steer this ship.”

As with any major project, funding is critical. “This museum would not have been possible without the financial support of so many people and organizations. When we say grassroots, we mean it. Over the past year, tens of thousands of dollars have poured into our treasury from ‘seed money’ by business people to sizable grants from civic, business, governmental and cultural organizations to wide-ranging individual contributions, memorials and social media fundraisers,” Pappas said.

Substantial additional support has come from the St. Clair County Commission, retired state Senator Jim McClendon and Congressman Mike Rogers. “Our sincere thanks goes to our elected leadership for their commitment to this project,” Pappas said.

Our Museum 100 – the 100 founding members who gave $100 – shows the strength of what can happen when they work together to raise $10,000 in a community like ours. That’s what it has been about all along and will be in the future – making history together.”

After the public ceremony officially cutting the ribbon, plans call for the museum to be open Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and by special appointment for groups.

Boo Bash a Logan Martin treat

Plans already in the works for 2023

Story by Paul South
Submitted Photos

It was a dark and rainy October night.

Traveling by boat, young trick-or-treaters in costumes and life jackets, catch candy bars and bubblegum in nets usually reserved for snagging catfish and bass.

Meanwhile, their parents bob for miniature bottles of booze or sip salty margaritas.

Instead of chasing bones, Dachshunds are dressed in skeleton costumes. Halloween revelers of all ages chat and giggle and get acquainted with lakeside neighbors they may never have met.

Piers and their people, each with a theme, rock Halloween with their own individual party.

For one spooky evening – Halloween 2.0, if you will – a sliver of the seemingly divided world comes together.

Welcome to Boo Bash.

The inaugural autumn event is the brainchild of Kelli Lasseter, Sonya Hubbard and a band of lakefront merry pranksters. The seed of an idea – probably a pumpkin seed – took root in a summer conversation on a pontoon boat and sprouted on social media.

“We were talking about how fun it might be, since the water levels are going to be higher, to have a pier-to-pier trick-or-treat event,” Lasseter says. “So, the next morning I put the idea on Facebook and well, it just took off from there.”

Boo Bash isn’t a philanthropic or business venture – though some lakefront businesses were involved. Boo Bash was all about old-fashioned fun with a twist.

Lasseter moved to Logan Martin from a Leeds neighborhood where Halloween was “huge.” But until Boo Bash, lake life didn’t mean a steady stream of little ghosts, goblins, princesses and pirates. But it turned out Boo Bash was about more than decorated docks and trick-or-treat.

“The weekend of the event was incredible. People hosted Boo Bash-themed gatherings for family, friends, and in some cases, the entire community. Our wonderful local businesses offered Boo Bash specials for people of all ages. The whole weekend was filled with so much joy. It’s kinda overwhelming to think about now,” Lasseter says.

“Overwhelmingly people said the thing they loved most about the event was that it brought people closer together and it fostered community on Logan Martin Lake. I couldn’t agree more.”

Despite soggy skies, enough homeowners to fill a haunted Transylvanian castle festooned their piers for All Hallows Eve.

“We estimate 45 – 50 host piers participated the day of the event. We had 73 sign-ups, but some had to withdraw in advance of the event due to illness, weather and low water levels,” Lasseter says.

Two restaurants and six marinas, 30 to 40 boats and one personal watercraft braved the elements to welcome between 100 and 130 “dock-or-treaters” of all ages. Between five and 10 furry, four-legged friends joined the fun.

“It was just incredible to see the amount of time, effort and resources everyone put into making Boo Bash such a great event. The people of Logan Martin Lake are very special, and their commitment to Boo Bash is just one example of many that shows how much this community cares about others,” Lasseter said.

Some of the dock decorators – including Angie Murchison’s family and Carl and Marcia “Mar” (cq) Wallace – jumped into the festivities with both feet – or in the case of two members of the Murchison family, four feet.

The Wallaces, with the help of Tim and Shannon Atchenson, won “Best Pier” by viewer’s choice. Other viewer’s choice awards included Mar Wallace and Peggy Boyd for “Halloween Spirit,” and Pier 59 and Angie Murchison for “Cheesiest Pier.” All participating piers received “Honorable Mentions.”

The two family dachshunds, Petey and Beanie, joined by a pack of blow-up skeleton wiener dogs, got in on the fun and inspired their kid-friendly theme – Howl-O-Weenie. One of the family pets had a small cowboy saddled up on her back.

But a neighbor and the Murchison’s two grandsons, ages six and two, sparked the family’s involvement. The Murchisons have called the lake their home for 25 years. Friends made up the family’s “Boo Crew.”

“When you live on the lake, there are unique things that come with living on the lake,” Murchison says. “I wanted (my grandsons) to experience this coming by boat to trick or treat … I wanted to do it for them … It was so, so fun.”

A side note: the Murchisons live on a dead-end road. In their quarter-century on the lake, Halloween 2022 was first the time trick-or-treaters ever visited the family.

In a time when the country is still battling COVID-19, a political divide and a culture where folks may not even know their neighbors, events like Boo Bash are important. Emergence from two years of coronavirus cloister helped fuel Boo Bash buzz. Social distancing was still in play.

“Actually, I had a new neighbor, and because she saw us participating, she actually joined in at the last minute. So that kind of made me feel like I could reach out and have something in common with her, something to talk about so I could get to know her a little bit,” Murchison says. She had another positive connection with a neighbor through the Boo Bash Facebook page.

The Wallaces hosted Hall-O Rita, celebrating the season serving the Mexican adult beverage for grownups and candy for the kids. Sixty adults, 30 kids and three dogs visited the Wallace boathouse.

A retired engineer, Wallace pens the popular “Lake Ramblings” blog about people, places and events on Logan Martin.

Thanks to social media, Wallace says, Boo Bash took on “a life of its own.”

“It appealed to a lot of different demographics. It was a common goal kind of thing, happening in a season where generally speaking, there’s not a lot going on and lo and behold, it involved children. It just blew up.”

The Murchisons and their “Boo Crew” are already planning their theme for Boo Bash 2023. As for 2022’s event, Angie Murchison summed it up this way:

“It was a great way to enjoy the holiday season in a way that only relates to the lake.”

Only time will tell what Boo Bash 2022 meant to the lake community, Wallace says. But it touches on a need in a 50-mile-long lake community that loves a reason to come together.

“But that being said, my prediction is we’re going to look back and see this as the start of something really, really big … I think next year is going to be unreal.”

Wallace’s takeaway from the first Boo Bash highlights perhaps the greatest treat of all for Logan Martin friends and neighbors.

“I think if you give the lake community an opportunity to come together face to face, they’ll take it every time,” he says. “Everybody that came to our dock, they were just bursting with smiles.”

Catchin’ the Coosa January 2023

Pro fishing tips with Zeke Gossett

Logan Martin

Logan Martin in the winter can be your best chance to catch the biggest bass in the lake. The water temperatures usually vary this time of year, but here are a few ways I approach Logan Martin to catch the bass of the year and maybe a lifetime!

Typically, when you read any article on fishing in the winter, it’s going to include fishing deep most of the time. I am not saying you cannot catch fish deep on Logan Martin in the winter, but usually a lot of my bigger fish come out of shallow water in the winter. This is especially true if the weather is in a warming trend.

Normally, I’m still going to start around on the main river. There are a couple things I look for in order to feel like I’m fishing the most productive waters. First, there must be some type of baitfish in the area. Second, I’m looking for more vertical structure this time of year.

The baitfish change daily on what part of the water column they may use. Vertical structure allows fish to move up and down easily with the baitfish. A couple examples of this might be deeper docks or steep river banks with rock and laydowns.

A few of my favorite bait this time of the year are a flat-sided crank bait, a spinnerbait and jig. I will throw some type of red or crawfish color pattern on the crank bait. This is one of the better baits to use if the water is colder than 60 degrees.

The flat-sided crankbait is a great way to get those fish to react in cold water. If the water has a little stain to it, a spinnerbait can be a deadly on warmer days.

Usually, the spinnerbait works best slow-rolling it on the bottom. I’ll typically use a ½-ounce spinnerbait with a single Colorado as the blade. The type of jig I use is dependent upon water color. If the water is dirty, I will flip a black and blue jig. If the water is clear, I’ll stick with the more natural colors, like green pumpkin.

A jig is a great way to get really big bites this time of year. In January and February, it’s the size, not the number. Those months are not the best for catching numbers of fish, but if you bundle up and brave the elements, you could possibly catch some of the biggest fish in the lake.

Neely Henry

Neely Henry historically is one of the better lakes on the Coosa for winter time fishing. Why? It sets up really well for wintertime fishing.

Neely Henry is full of rip rap banks and vertical bluff walls in certain sections of the lake. This allows bass to move up and down with ease with changes in the weather and in water temp.

Neely Henry also has a lot of docks and flat clay points. These two choices are also great wintertime hot spots.

On the rip rap, I usually first reach for a square bill crank bait. I keep colors fairly simple. Either I’ll throw a red or some sort of shad pattern. Boat positioning is a big key to success with the crankbait as well. I will hug the boat fairly tight to the bank and make repeated parallel casts. This allows me to cover more water efficiently and keep my bait in the strike zone longer.

My next bait choice is a jerkbait. A jerkbait can be a real good fish catcher if the water is a little clear. I’ll fish a jerkbait around clay points and deeper docks in creeks. Another great bait at Neely Henry is a jig.

The jig probably ranks up there as one of my favorite baits at Neely Henry. The reason I like the jig is because I can fish it around any type of structure. It doesn’t matter – rock, docks or wood. If the water is below 60 degrees, a jig will always be in the back of my mind when fishing Neely Henry.

These two months, January and February, can be when Neely Henry shines the brightest all year. So, don’t fail to go and give some of this a try.

Zeke Gossett of Zeke Gossett Fishing grew up on the Coosa River and Logan Martin Lake. He is a former collegiate champion and is now a professional angler on the B.A.S.S. tour circuit and is a fishing guide. Learn more about Zeke at: zekegossettfishing.com.

Alabama Fishing Show

Coming to the Venue at Coosa Landing this March

Shelia Bunch’s work revolves around all things fishing, but the Tennessee businesswoman doesn’t have time to enjoy the pastime herself. She’s too busy running the show – literally.

Now Bunch, who has organized the East Tennessee Fishing Show and Expo for the past 14 years, is bringing the inaugural Alabama Fishing Show and Expo to Gadsden March 10-12 at The Venue at Coosa Landing. She’s hoping the lure of hundreds of vendors from all over the country, prizes and pro angler seminars will reel in fishing enthusiasts from all over Alabama and beyond.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for the past two or three years, but then COVID struck,” she said. “There’s no fishing shows in Alabama, there’s only boat shows,” she said. “There’s a big difference between fishing shows and boat shows.”

From fishing poles to kayaks, everything is on display

When Bunch decided to take her show on the road, she considered Georgia and South Carolina before deciding Alabama was the perfect fit. “You guys have some of the greatest fishing talent in Alabama, you’ve got great lakes, and so many great fishing tournaments,” she said.

After taking over the show that had been held in the Knoxville area for 30 years but was struggling, Bunch vowed to make it bigger and better than ever before. Since then, the Tennessee event has grown to include more than 300 vendors from all over the country and Canada. Visitors from 12 states have attended, searching for gear for both salt and freshwater fishing.

“Our goal is to provide a family-friendly fishing event for everyone who has a passion for fishing,” she said. “We focus only on the fishing industry. You’re only going to see fishing boats here. We have tackle vendors with products you’ll never be able to see anywhere else. It’s exciting to pull all this together.”

So far, local vendors, as well as some from Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Indiana, Virginia, Arkansas, Florida, Arkansas and Louisiana have committed to Alabama’s show. Bunch said many more will register over the next few months, offering everything from boats, tackle, custom lures, rods, reels, clothing, electronics, fishing accessories and more.

Second Career

In her former life, Bunch owned a hair salon. “It’s a different type of work for sure,” she said before adding that she’s had plenty of experience helping out in her husband Curtis’ boat dealership. She also loves a challenge. “I’m great at planning events, I’m very organized, and I’m fair,” she said. “At first, the vendors did not like having some little short woman come in and tell everybody what to do. But over the years, I’ve been very open-minded, and they’ve really supported me.”

That’s because Bunch offers them a lot of support, as well. “I believe in small business,” she said. “We have everything from big-name vendors to small-name vendors, and some get their start at our show. I do my best to support their products because they need a chance to build their business like everybody else.”

One of Bunch’s favorite things about the show is that it gives families a chance to build memories. “We have so many people come in and say they remember when their grandfather took them to a fishing show,” she said. “If you want anything to do with fishing, this is where you come to. If you don’t fish, by the time you leave, you’ll wish you did, or you’ll have plans to start.” l

Remember When: Currents of History

Pieces of our past remain on the Coosa River

Story by Roxann Edsall
Photos by Mackenzie Free
Submitted Photos

For most of us, life along the Coosa River is pretty peaceful. Whether we’re headed out to wet a line or just cruise around in the pontoon boat, we probably don’t think much about the bold warriors and soldiers who needed this water to survive. Nor do we envision the battles that took place near the water’s edge. Few reminders of those battles remain today.

Control of waterways and water crossings was a prize to be won in many skirmishes, as was the case in 1864 in the Battle of Ten Islands. The engagement ended badly for the Confederate troops when, vastly outnumbered by the Union forces, they tried valiantly to keep the opposing forces from crossing the Coosa River at the Ten Islands Ford.

Today, the importance of this battle is commemorated at Ten Islands Historical Park in Ragland. A historical marker looking out over the water just north of Neely Henry Dam reminds observers of the history made there.

Union General William Sherman had ordered Major General Lovell Rousseau to lead a raid into Alabama with the mission of destroying the railroad that connected Montgomery to Opelika. If he could destroy that section of rail, he could disrupt the supplies to the Confederate army.

His secondary mission, Rousseau was told, was to destroy any ironworks or furnaces that made weapons along his route.

On the Confederate side, Brigadier General James H. Clanton and a cavalry of 300 were charged with protecting both Janney Furnace and nearby Cane Creek Furnace and keeping Rousseau and his band of 2,300 raiders from crossing the Coosa River. Rousseau’s raiders persevered and were able to defeat Clanton’s men. Having found out the location of the two furnaces, Rousseau sent a detail to destroy them both.

“Rousseau picked Captain Ed Ruger and told him to burn down Janney Furnace and any buildings that supported it,” tells Janney Museum Director Tom Norton, describing events leading up to the attack. “After he burned the place down, he wrapped the small chimney in dynamite and blew it up, too.”

The raiders destroyed the Cane Creek Furnace, but only destroyed the infrastructure of the Janney Furnace. What remains today is what didn’t get burned or blown up. That they didn’t completely destroy the stone structure supports the theory that the Janney Furnace was not fully functional at the time of the attack.

The furnace had just been constructed and was likely not quite ready for production. What businessman Alfred Janney had built, hoping to produce 15 tons of pig iron per day, likely did not have a chance to support the Confederate war effort at all.

That theory would later be supported in a 2006 study of Janney’s 50-foot high remaining stone structure. Jacksonville State University Professor Emeritus Dr. Harry Holstein led a study of the ground in and around the hearth.

“We didn’t find any evidence of charring or burning on the bricks,” said Holstein. “That, coupled with not finding any slag or sand on the casting floor, indicated that it was highly unlikely that the furnace had ever produced any pig iron at all.”

After being destroyed by Rousseau’s Raiders, anything left at the Janney Furnace was hauled away or sold for scrap. In the 140 years that followed, the stone structure was nearly reclaimed by the earth. When Calhoun County Commissioner Eli Henderson helped to establish the Janney restoration project, the furnace was so hidden by overgrowth, that it could barely be seen.

“It was really covered with vines, kudzu, poison ivy and pine trees,” said Holstein. “Eli Henderson really pushed the effort to reclaim the furnace and highlight the history that was made there.”

It since has been cleaned up and is now able to be seen at the site of the Janney Furnace Museum on Janney Road in Ohatchee. A monument erected on the site pays homage to local soldiers who died in the Civil War. Visitors can also see a one-room log cabin like one that would have been in the Janney Furnace workers village.

The Daniels House was built in 1843 and was heavily damaged in a deadly tornado in 2011. It was disassembled and moved five miles to its location near the furnace.

Commissioner Henderson was also a champion in the effort to save another local piece of history. Barely five miles from the Janney Furnace is the site of a military fort that was instrumental in the Creek Indian War of 1813-14. It is overgrown by weeds and woods and all but lost to history now.

Less than a mile from Henry Neely Dam, a simple engraved rock now commemorates the significance of Fort Strother, the first military installation ever built in what is now Alabama.

The Battle of Tallushatchee and the Battle of Talladega might have ended very differently had it not been for this fort built by General Andrew Jackson in 1813. Shawnee Chief Tecumseh was rallying tribes to resist the expansion of the United States into Native American lands.

Ten Islands historic marker overlooking water

General Jackson was sent to Alabama to stop Chief Tecumseh’s warriors who were intent on driving out the frontier settlers there.

On a hill overlooking the Coosa, just past the Ten Island Ford, he built Fort Strother, a supply base and forward command post that served to support the efforts in America’s battle with the Creek faction known as the Red Sticks. From this base, he planned to launch attacks against nearby Red Stick villages.

One such attack took place Nov. 3, 1813, when Jackson sent Brigadier General John Coffee and 900 of his troops 10 miles southeast of the fort to destroy the Creek village of Tallushatchee.

Among those troops was a well-known frontiersman named Davy Crockett, serving in the Tennessee militia. By the end of the day, nearly 200 Creek had fallen at the hands of the American force, which logged it as their first military victory of the war.

Six days later, General Jackson marched from Fort Strother to Talladega to help Coffee win the Battle of Talladega. The two wins at Tallushatchee and Talladega caused considerable casualties for the Red Sticks, which set up for an American victory at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in Tallapoosa County the following March.

After General Jackson marched on toward New Orleans to defend the city in 1814, the fort was abandoned and fell into disrepair.

Archaeologists from Jacksonville State and the University of Alabama have studied the site, as recently as 1999, revealing hundreds of artifacts. Using ground-penetrating radar (GPR), the team noted the location of at least 60 pinch-toed coffins aligned in military fashion.

“There are actually 80 marble headstones sitting somewhere in Ragland, last I knew,” said Holstein. “Local historians had raised the money to purchase headstones for those soldiers buried there. But the restoration never got off the ground. You can’t just identify the graves and then not protect the cemetery.”

Despite the fort being listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, proposals to have it reclaimed and rebuilt have proven too costly and, so far, not a high priority.

Today, what remains of the fort is hidden in dense woods, along with the unmarked graves of soldiers who died there. The campaign to reclaim the fort seems to have died with the passing of its champion, Henderson, in 2020.

These relics of war, some well preserved and others shrouded in the growth of years of neglect, sit as a reminder that our waters have not always been a place of peace and tranquility. Our comfortable homes and businesses are built on the bravery of those who walked these shorelines before us. l

Editor’s Note: You can learn more at the Janney Furnace Museum in Ohatchee. www.janneyfurnace.org