What began as a class project of Leadership Pell City over 20 years ago has transformed into one of the biggest events of the year â Hometown Block Party.
Now presented by the Greater Pell City Chamber of Commerce, the block party has grown into an event that annually draws thousands to downtown Pell City to a free, outdoor festival featuring live music â all genres â food, games, vendors of all types and a whole lot of fun.
Held the first Saturday in June, this yearâs event is set for June 4 from 3 to 9 p.m. and will stretch all around the courthouse square plus side streets in a party atmosphere that gets better every year.
The mission and vision of the block party has never wavered from its beginnings. Itâs only gotten better. Its aim is to draw people downtown for all kinds of festivities with neighbors meeting neighbors, reminiscent of neighborhood block parties of years gone by.
Though the entertainment schedule is still being finalized, Chamber Director Urainah Glidewell says a crowd favorite, the WingNuts, are a go. âPeople love them,â she says. They play oldies from the 60s and 70s.
Another favorite, Kudzu, is also on tap. âWeâll be showcasing a lot of local talent,â says Glidewell. âThis is a typical neighborhood together. Itâs just a great time for people to come out and have a good time. Kick back and listen to some good music.â
Three stages for live music will be set up at various street corners, so if you have one type of music you like better than the other, just keep strolling. Youâll hear it.
Folks also will have a choice from a wide variety of vendors, offering everything from food, clothing and jewelry to turtles and lizards.
âIt wouldnât be the block party without the turtle man,â laughed Glidewell. âHe comes every year.â She says he sells his critters in a variety of sizes.
Just walking down the street during the festival is an experience unto itself. âThe aroma from all the food cooking is wonderful â cheesecake, cookies, barbecue, sausage,â she says, naming a few on the menu.
An annual feature of the Pell City block party is the car show. Entry fee is $10 a car. Part of the proceeds will go this year to Mileena Painter, a local girl who is battling leukemia. Entrants can sign up as late as the day of event.
Story by Linda Long LakeLife 24/7 Archive photos Submitted photos
When the dogwoods bloom, and tulips and daffodils compete for color, you know itâs springtime in the South. You also know itâs party time in Pell City!
The traditional must-attend event of the year is just weeks away, Logan Martin LakeFest and Boat Show, the Southeastâs largest in-water boat show, May 20 â May 22 at Lakeside Park.
And why not? Where else can you be filled with music, carnival food, more music, barbecue and what some call the best crab cakes anywhere around? And you just might go home with a brand-new boat.
According to LakeFest Eric Housh, who organizes the annual event with Justin Hogeland, some 35,000 folks are expected to attend this year, up from 5,000 at the first one 12 years ago.
And theyâll be coming by boat or car â maybe on foot â lawn chairs, kids and pets in tow.
âYeah,â laughed Housh, âa guy brought a pet snake one year. But mostly, we get dogs. Itâs the biggest party on the lake â one of those events thatâs family friendly and pet friendly.â
Housh says while the three-day festival offers something for everyone, the boats are by far the biggest draw. Seven boat dealers are showcasing their products this year with everything thing from bass boats to pontoons, tritoons and personal watercrafts.
âThe boats are in the water,â said Housh. âPeople can actually test drive them on the lake, something they canât do at dealerships. Of course, our presenting sponsor is Americaâs First Federal Credit Union, so theyâre on site with their equipment. If somebody finds a boat they really like, they can finance it right there and basically go home a boat owner.â
Housh applauds all the eventâs corporate sponsors saying, âWeâve been really blessed in these 12 years with a core group of sponsors who, from day one, believed in this event and the community and who worked to support it. Having that level of commitment from the corporate partners makes putting on an event like LakeFest so much easier, the fact that weâre able to keep it free. We always said we wanted something that would not only enhance the community but also give back to it.â
And they have â through the impressive event itself and through the tens of thousands of dollars the parent organization, Logan Martin Charity Foundation, has given to nonprofits throughout the community and to improve the park. A pavilion at the park in memory of Jerry Woods, one of the original founders and visionaries of LakeFest, and additional boat slips are courtesy of the groupâs foundation.
 Housh also gave kudos to the City of Pell City for its support. âHaving Lakeside Park as the venue and having the support of the city really helped us grow the event. Itâs been phenomenal. The city has always been great to us, and weâve enjoyed their support.â
This year, some 50 vendors will offer their wares at LakeFest. All services or products must be targeted to lake living or relevant to the lake lifestyle. Preference is given to businesses that are headquartered or primarily operate in the Logan Martin Lake area.
âWeâre expanding the vendor area this year,â said Housh. âWe donât want to exclude anybody who wants to be a part of the event, but we are kind of selective in terms of the kind of vendors we allow down there.â
They have moved the parking area to allow for a lot of green spaces, kids area, access to the splash pad and a lot of areas of interest all weekend long.
On the concert-sized main stage, live music is featured all weekend long as well as all kinds of giveaways. Headlining the 2022 edition is a free concert Saturday night at 7 by country music star Tyler Farr.
As is tradition, on Friday night, around 8 p.m., fireworks light up the sky over Logan Martin Lake with a spectacular show dedicated to veterans, and Col. Robert L. Howard State Veterans Home residents are special guests for the show.
Despite having a day job, Housh says the reason he volunteers his time and energy to LakeFest is simple. âI love it. I love the lake. I grew up on this lake skiing and boating and fishing. Iâve always had a passion for it.â
And by the looks of the size of the crowds that flock there each year, they do, too.
Editorâs Note:Follow LakeFest on Facebook and Instagram. Check loganmartinlakefest.com for updates to scheduling.
LakeFest Schedule
May 20: 2:00 PM â 9:00 PM
8 am â 1 pm: Vendor Setup
2 pm: LakeFest open to the public
2 pm â 9pm: Beginning GIVEAWAYS on the hour, EVERY HOUR!
4pm â 9 pm: Live music on the TRACKER OFF ROAD stage
Soon after dark (estimated around 8 pm): FIREWORKS show honoring veterans from the Colonel Robert L. Howard State Veterans Home
9 pm: LakeFest closes for the evening
May 21: 10:00 AM â 9:00 PM
7 am â 9:30 am Vendor Setup
10 am: LakeFest Day 2 Open!
11 am â 9 pm: GIVEAWAYS on the hour, EVERY HOUR
12 pm â 9 pm: Live music on the TRACKER OUTDOORS stage
7 pm: FREE CONCERT Featuring Country Superstar TYLER FARR
9 pm: LakeFest closes for the evening
May 22: Noon â 5:00 PM
12 pm âLakeFest Day 3 Open!
12 pm â 5 pm: Giveaways on the hour, EVERY HOUR
1 pm â 4 pm: Live music on the TRACKER OUTDOORS stage
5 pm: LakeFest 2022 ends!
There will be raffle giveaways every hour on the hour that LakeFest is open.
Pandemic nudge sets wheel in motion for local artist
Story by Roxann Edsall Photos by Meghan Frondorf
Breathing in the essence of her vision, she throws the clay onto the wheel, carefully aiming for the center. Extending her slim hands, she enfolds the clay as it spins and bends to her will. The clay seems to take on a life of its own as it sways to her touch.
Fingers pinching and pressing, the artist patiently pushes and directs the medium to the perfect form and extension. The duet spins and sways until, finally pleased with the performance, the artist ends the dance. Removing the cup, she sets her delicate partner on the shelf to dry.
Logan Martin resident and potter Virna Settle has done this carefully choreographed dance many times over the past two years and has produced hundreds of pottery pieces, some of which have been commissioned by those who have seen her work.
While she still sells many of her pieces on Facebook, her handiwork has also been featured at Fish Market restaurant in Birmingham. Because of that exposure, sheâs recently been asked to provide pieces for Nichols Nook Coffee Shop in Springville.
Settle has learned from one of the best. Her mentor and teacher is internationally-renowned potter, Tena Payne, owner of Leeds-based Earthborn Pottery. Payneâs works may be seen at some of the most famous spots across the country, including the Bellagio Resort and Casino, Caesars Palace, and Peche Restaurant in New Orleans. Birmingham top chef Chris Hastings (Hot and Hot Fish Club) used her serving pieces when he won Food Networkâs âIron Chef America.â
A journey of discovery
Originally from Manila, Philippines, Settle spent quite a few years in the restaurant business herself before discovering her other artistic gifts. She moved to the Birmingham area in 1993 and spent several years running two Birmingham restaurants, La Dolce Vita and Amore Ristorante Italiano with a former partner.
It was at La Dolce Vita that she met Harold, a Birmingham cardiologist, who would later become her husband. He and his first wife were frequent customers before he lost her to pancreatic cancer in 2010.
The two were married at their Cropwell home in the spring of 2012. Three years into their marriage, Virna discovered a talent for art after attending a painting party with friends. âI went to the party and painted a fish,â she says. âI loved it, so I took classes for five years to learn more.â
What she learned, along with her natural talent, brought her success as a painter. Paintings she hasnât sold hang on her walls or sit in her small art studio. Harold wishes she would spend more time painting, but she has found her greater love in pottery. âI encourage her,â he says. âSheâs really good. I love the way she blends her colors.â
Just two years ago, she didnât know a thing about pottery. Her interest in pottery was a blessing that came out of the pandemic. In the spring of 2020, she was visiting with her sister and a friend by video chat when the subject of dinner came up.
A discussion of fish and ways to prepare it led the friend to suggest that Virna get a Palayok, a traditional Philippine clay pot used to steam fish. After that call, she got on her computer and looked up where she could take classes in pottery so she could make her own Palayok. She found those classes nearby at Earthborn Pottery.
Throwing the clay onto the pottery wheel, she says, is not as easy as you may think. âIt took more than a year for me to learn to center the clay properly,â admits Settle. âIf you donât get it right in the center, it will wobble, and thatâs not good.â Itâs the throwing part, she adds, that locked in her love of the craft.
âWhen you throw the pottery, you can see it come together and be something,â she explains. The process and how the clay transforms is what she loves. From her masonry arch back porch, she doesnât have to look far for inspiration for her work. The earthy tones and muted blues and greens mimic the expansive lawn that leads out to the waters of Logan Martin Lake. She throws her pottery from that spot, just a few steps from her backyard paradise.
Itâs the perfect spot for creating beauty. Ironically, Settle does not like perfection in her work. Itâs the rustic imperfection, the asymmetry, that makes a piece right for her. Her pieces are all unique in design and color, true one-of-a-kind art. Her plates have curved and often rippled edges, though not evenly so. The colorations are deep and earthy.
The urge to learn more and different styles of pottery design is driving her to travel more. Sheâs checked out pottery in North Carolina recently and says she wants to continue to learn more about other styles. European design is an interest, so she hopes to travel there soon.
Meanwhile, she waits on projects at various stages of drying, firing or painting. Pottery is not for the impatient. Smaller pieces can dry in two to four days, but larger pieces, like the commissioned berry bowl on the shelf, can take two weeks to reach the leather-hard stage.
When they reach that stage, the bottoms are trimmed and waxed. Then she paints, waits for it to dry, then fires in her kiln. Then thereâs the glaze and another firing. And, she understands that at any stage the piece can break, and she will have to start the process again at the wheel. Embrace the process, the imperfection and the patience. Practicing those steps, Settle hopes one day to see her pottery on the worldwide stage. For now, she is content with the process, at the wheel, one dance at a time.
Reeling in a brighter future for Lincoln and region
Story by Carol Pappas Submitted photos
Rising from the banks of a main channel stretch of Logan Martin Lake in the small city of Lincoln lies the future of an entire region.
Thatâs what officials see in the reflection of a massive investment taking root on 100 acres adjacent to Lincolnâs Landing, a 40-acre fishing park quickly becoming a destination point in its own right. Couple it with Anglerâs Pointe, the $30-million residential, recreation and entertainment community now under construction next door, and together, they become a destination spot from all kinds of points inside and well beyond Alabamaâs borders.
McCaig & Griffin, a lakeside and commercial development company based in Lincoln, is creating an exclusive waterfront resort with a mix of cottages, RV lots, a swimming pool, an amphitheater-anchored entertainment district of food trucks, arts and crafts and other vendors plus a stage and seating for performances. Dubbed The Yard, the entertainment district is the centerpiece of the project.
McCaig & Griffin CEO DeLane Griffin calls it a return to typically Southern hospitality, reminiscent of families and friends gathering in the back yard while children played and the adults enjoyed the fellowship of their neighbors.
âIt will be a relaxed environment,â he said, a place to get away from âthe chaos that is the rest of the world and make it disappear for a little while. Thatâs what I see in my mind â a return to true Southern hospitality.â
Just next door, Lincolnâs Landing, features a world class tournament fishing park, pavilions, a 10-boat launch into the main channel and a boardwalk with fishing piers and boat slips. Plenty of parking accommodates the crowds. Coming in the next phase is a swimming beach. When complete, the park will be a venue for reunions, weddings, get-togethers and other celebrations.
The vision began when the City of Lincoln was considering the 40 acres where the fishing park is now. âWe talked about the fishing park and what they wanted, and it became apparent what they were going to need â places for people to stay, something for the families of anglers and recreation,â recalled Griffin.
He and his partners own other lake developments in the area â River Bay, Waterfront and Blue Eye communities, where they have made vast improvements to enhance them for residents.
As the vision for Anglerâs Pointe began to take shape, âwe saw it as a community, a resort to serve everyone, not just the fishermen,â he said.
In March, the Lincoln City Council approved rezoning for the property, and creation of plots and appraisals followed. Model cottages are being built now for pre-sale.
Anglerâs Pointe will be developed in two phases. Phase I is one- and two-bedroom cottages, 800 to 1,000 square feet â and covered RV lots plus the entertainment district. Phase II is a continuation of the cottages and RV lots. It will become a resort with all the amenities and aesthetics of lake life. In total, there will be 118 RV spots and 203 cottages.
âPeople from all over the country will be coming to fish here, and weâre not even touching the surface of realizing what it will be,â Griffin said. âThis will be a destination point that draws people here.â
Lincoln Mayor Lew Watson couldnât agree more. âWe built the park with the idea to attract more business at the same time,â he said. Anglerâs Pointe is âthe perfect complement to Lincolnâs Landing. Itâs designed to support it. It takes care of lodging needs for people to enjoy the lake. It will bring more people in, attract more business and reinforce Lincolnâs Landing.â
The mayor said he could not have envisioned a better neighbor to the cityâs development, which has already exceeded expectations. âWe had no idea we would be booking this many tournaments, he said, noting that they have already landed bookings as far ahead as 2024.
And the vision that included more business, like hotels and sit-down restaurants is indeed beginning to have a ripple effect from Lincolnâs Landing and Anglerâs Pointe, the mayor said.
âWe are beginning to get some attention in that area â a good sign of the efforts.â Likening it to fishing, Watson reasoned, âYou have to have good bait. Weâre seeing the cork bobbling now, and weâre getting some nibbles.â
Councilman Joey Callahan called the area a âtransformation to a recreational family environment that is an asset to the city. Itâs a place people can come to on Logan Martin, buy a cabin to rent or stay the weekend. Itâs huge for Lincoln and for the whole area.â
Itâs bigger than Lincoln, he said. âSpending has a regional impact. We benefit from each other.â
Echoing the sentiment, Councilman Brandon Tate, in whose district the developments lie, called it an asset for the entire county and the state of Alabama. In the short term, âitâs already making a huge impact. Thereâs lots of interest and people coming in.â
Long term, he sees more good things ahead. Pointing to the developments side by side, he expressed gratitude to Griffin and his company for âseeing the vision and planning a premier, luxuryâ destination to go with it. âWeâre excited to see this happening next to our world-class facility.â
An added benefit, he noted, is a local company undertaking the investment. Griffin has a proven track record in the area, and his experience and understanding will serve the development and the city well. âDeLane and his team are perfect for this. The vision is there, and they will be mirroring what weâre trying to do out there.â
Looking toward the future, Tate said, âLincoln was already on the map in my mind. This definitely puts it up there with everybody else.â
âDeLane is a visionary,â said Councilwoman Jennie Jones. âThat man amazes me.â She, too, sees the future in a brighter light because of Lincolnâs Landing and Anglerâs Pointe. There may be other attractions nearby, like Talladega Superspeedway and Barber Motorsports Park, but fishing is a sport that lasts all year long. The impact will be felt throughout the year, too, she said.
âThe citizens will benefit,â Jones added, explaining that restaurants and hotels and tourism dollars will follow to meet the needs of anglers. Easy access from Interstate 20 is a plus, and observers should see a sizable economic impact on the entire area. âIâm excited about it. Very excited.â
Robinson eyes the cityâs new lake neighborhood as a âwin, win, win. This is a win for everybody. It complements the park in such a way that fishermen can stay a stoneâs throw away from the park. They can keep their boat in the water and donât have to launch again.â
As for Anglerâs Pointe, âthey are just steps away from an attraction to support it.â It checks the boxes for lodging and entertainment needs, and golf cart trails illustrate the close connection between the two developments.
The design of the cabins and RV sites complement Lincolnâs Landing, Robinson said. âItâs a no-brainer that the city would support it. It is only going to complement what we have.â
Kayak, canoe or float your way down some of the most scenic waterways in the region
Story by Graham Hadley LakeLife Magazine archive photos Submitted photos
As warmer weather rolls into Alabama, and the lake levels rise, people take to the water on Logan Martin and Neely Henry lakes in droves â ski boats, houseboats, pontoons, tritoons and personal watercraft become common sights.
But for those looking for a quieter time on the water, many turn to myriad creeks and streams that feed the Coosa River. And the boats of choice for many are human powered â canoes, kayaks and paddle boards. Sometimes, you donât even need a kayak or canoe â a good inflatable float and a lazy day drifting along the currents is a great way to pass the time.
Whether you are just looking for a great way to get around and get some exercise, cruise parts of the Coosa and its tributaries not accessible to power boats, or even take part in competitive fishing tournaments â the options are endless.
A number of businesses have cropped up over the past few years that cater specifically to the paddle and float crowd, providing rental boats and equipment and transportation for you and your paddle-craft to some of the most beautiful parts of the lakes and streams.
Several things to keep in mind â many of the businesses that cater to the paddle-and-float crowd are seasonal and affected by everything from the weather to high demand, so it is always a good idea to call ahead and make reservations.
And like anything involving the water, make sure you have all the safety gear you need â life preservers in particular. Other important items to have on your gear list include waterproof cases for cellphones, coolers and containers for food, proper footwear and clothing (and maybe a dry change of both for afterwards).
All of the businesses can help get you outfitted properly and answer any questions you may have. If you donât own what you need, they can usually rent it to you â and in some cases it is provided at no additional cost with your boat rental.
Many of these businesses have multiple access and takeout points on the water, depending on how long you want to be out and what kinds of boating you are looking for, from lazy winding rivers to a variety of whitewater excitement.
Yak tha Creek
Located in Ashville, Yak tha Creek specializes in renting kayaks on Canoe Creek and providing drop-ins and transportation for people with their own gear. Canoe Creek is rapidly becoming one of the most popular destinations for kayakers, with miles of beautiful nature to be seen all around.
You can find Yak tha Creek on the side of the U.S. Highway 231 at the bridges near the downtown square in Ashville. The business works on a reservation basis, and access to the water is dependent on the time of the year, weather conditions and water levels. Aside from the rental fees, there are nominal fees for transporting your own boat and getting it in the water.
The best way to keep up with water conditions and availability is on their Facebook page. They can be contacted by phone at 205-612-2292.
Like most of the paddle and float rental and transportation companies, there is a waiver requirement.
Voted as one of the best kayak companies in St. Clair County by Discover St. Clair Magazineâs readers, Yak tha Creek continues to be a big tourism draw for the region.
Big Canoe Creek Outfitters
Another business that offers kayaking, plus camping and concerts, Big Canoe Creek Outfitters is located at 6545 Alabama Highway 23 in Springville.
They offer single and double kayak rentals and can shuttle your boat to the water for you.
Big Canoe Creek Outfitters is getting ready for the 2022 season, expecting to open in early May â weather permitting. You can keep up with hours and events and water conditions on their Facebook page or call 205-427-3989.
In addition to their kayak business, they have campsites on the property and play host to some great outdoor music events.
Big Canoe Creek is becoming one of the more popular destination points, so checking on availability, especially holidays and weekends, is a must.
Big Wills Outfitters
Big Wills is a full-service kayak and canoe outfitter that also offers rentals on Big Wills Creek, which feeds into Neely Henry.
Located at 2881 Wesson Gap Road, Attalla, they offer single and two-seat kayak and canoe rentals and can shuttle your own boat to the water as well.
Off season, October through March, is by appointment â on their website, bigwillsoutfitters.com, and on their Facebook page with information about rental availability and water conditions as well as information on some of the kayaks and other gear they sell. They can be reached by phone at 256-538-3226.
When the weather is right, and the water is perfect, demand for rental kayaks can be high, so they recommend calling ahead for availability and reservations.
And when it comes time to buy your own boat, for fishing or just fun, they are more than happy to make sure you get exactly the right kayak or canoe to meet your needs.
Floating Fun
Floating Fun gives you access to Choccolocco Creek, another beautiful stretch of water that feeds into the Coosa River and Logan Martin Lake.
Located in Oxford, Floating Fun specializes in tube floats down the creek, with multiple exits available.
They say you can âexpect rocky shoals, some quick currents, remote beauty, and an enjoyable tubing experience.â
They have a minimum two-person, two-tube rental requirement. You start the float at their business, located at 1741 Priebes Mill Road in Oxford. They pick you up at one of the take-outs and return you to the business. While walk-ons are accepted based on tube availability, they strongly recommend making reservations â two days ahead for weekends and holidays, and they have a minimum age requirement of 5 years old.
For all the rules and any questions about availability, reservations, refunds and rainchecks, Floating Fun has a comprehensive website, floatingfun.net. They are a seasonal operation, opening the first Thursday in May and generally running through the middle of October.
They provide special cooler tubes that can carry 50 pounds of food and gear.
Choccolocco Kayak
For those looking to paddle on Choccolocco Creek, Choccolocco Kayak offers a great one-and-a-half to two-hour trip.
Also located in Oxford, Choccolocco Kayak takes you to their put-in near Cider Ridge Golf Club. The takeout is at the kayak rental facility, located across from Choccolocco Park entrance at Leon Smith Parkway and Boiling Springs Road intersection.
You can rent single and tandem kayaks (along with all the necessary gear like paddles and life jackets) or bring your own kayak. You must be at least 18 years old to rent kayaks and be at least 8 to paddle your own kayak. Children younger than 8 have to be in a tandem kayak with an adult.
Like most similar businesses, they are open seasonally and operation hours can be affected by the weather, water levels and demand. They recommend calling or texting to 256-835-7821 for additional information. They also have a Facebook page with updates on special hours, last launch times and other information.
Talladega Creek Resort
Talladega Creek is a long, lazy river that flows through much of Talladega County and offers some beautiful natural scenery. Talladega Creek Resort has campgrounds and cabins at their headquarters at 760 Lake Whitland Drive, Talladega, in addition to kayaking and tubing.
Again, the business is seasonal and dependent on water levels and weather. They require at least 24-hour notice for kayak reservations. You can rent kayaks, tubes and cooler tubes, and they have all the other gear you might need for a day on the creek. And, of course, you can bring your own gear and pay the launch fee.
They ask that you drop off all your passengers and coolers and other equipment at their launch site, 100 Cedar Springs Road, Munford, to wait while you come to the main campground office to pay and park. They will then shuttle you to from the campground to meet up with your group. Takeout is at the campgrounds.
The resort has a variety of beautiful rental cabins on the property and RV and camping spaces for people who want to make a weekend â or longer â of it. There is a two-night minimum on cabin rentals from April until November and on holidays. Single-night reservations are available during the off season. They are also a pet-friendly business.
You can find out more about their rules, hours and rates on their website, talladegacreekside.com. Their phone number is 256-362-9053 and prefer to be contacted by text. You can also follow them on Facebook for the latest updates on hours and water conditions.
GadRock
Looking for some open-water paddling on the Coosa? GadRock, located in Gadsden, is a large indoor climbing facility that also offers stand-up paddleboarding, complete with special tours Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Paddleboarding is growing in popularity and is more suitable for the calm of the lakes because, unlike canoes and kayaks, you stand on what is essentially a large surfboard and paddle your way across the water. In addition to being a great way to see the shoreline areas of the lake, its also a great way to exercise.
GadRock, 1403 Rainbow Drive, can be found online at climbgadrock.com and on their Facebook page. You can reach them by phone 256-312-8185.
Itâs finally here â the long-awaited arrival of spring on the lake. While any day on the lake is a day well spent, thereâs something about the days of early spring, when winterâs hues of grays and browns give way to a palette of greens and a mosaic of vibrant colors forming a stunning backdrop to the water. Itâs picture perfect.
The waterâs up. The boats are out. Hooks and bobbers are in. And the evidence of pure enjoyment can be spotted â and heard â all around.
Itâs that reawakening of activities on and around our lakes and river that tends to bring smiles a little more, a little faster and a whole lot easier.
As people head outdoors, so do events throughout the lakes region. In April, First Friday started back in downtown Gadsden, bringing thousands to its streets along the river for fun, food, music and shopping. LakeFest, the Southeastâs largest in-water boat show and festival is back at Pell City Lakeside Park, a much anticipated, much-enjoyed event on Logan Martin each year.
Pell City Chamber of Commerceâs Hometown Block Party gets under way downtown June 4 with bands, food vendors, games for the kids and plenty of shopping awaiting.
Perhaps youâd like a little more adventure. The tributaries of Logan Martin and Neely Henry have just the ticket with floating, kayaking, tubing and canoeing opportunities at places like Talladega Creek Resort, Choccolocco Kayak, Big Wills Outfitters, Big Canoe Creek Outfitters and Yak the Creek.
You can read all about these places and activities in LakeLife 24/7 MagazineÂź, but as usual, thereâs more. Step inside the kitchen of a Logan Martin couple as they talk about their life on the lake and share a recipe or two from their very own kitchen. Itâs a story youâll savor and recipes youâll save.
Step way back in time with Remember When, our signature historic piece set on what is now Logan Martin or Neely Henry. This one takes you all the way back to the days when Native Americans roamed these lands, rivers and creeks. Ten Islands on Neely Henry is also tales of Andrew Jackson, the Civil War and ferry boat travel.
Move on to present day and see signs of the future emerging in Lincoln on the banks of Logan Martin Lake. First, it was Lincolnâs Landing fishing park making more than a splash. Itâs luring thousands of anglers and outdoor enthusiasts its way as well as hundreds of fishing tournaments â bookings well into 2024 already.
Now comes Anglerâs Pointe, creating the perfect complement â a massive resort of RVs, cottages, entertainment, shopping and dining. Model cottages being built on the over 100 acres adjacent to the park already are drawing attention, and the development is seen as a game changer for Lincoln, Logan Martin and the entire region.
Of course, thatâs not all youâll find in this issue of LakeLife 24/7Âź. Turn the page and discover it all with us.
Story by Carol Pappas Photos courtesy of Downtown Gadsden Inc.
Sometimes, the best laid business plans are the ones you never intended.
Just ask Kay Moore, executive director of Downtown Gadsden Inc. Fourteen years after First Friday kicked off, thousands of people from all over the Southeast now make downtown Gadsden their destination point on the first Friday of each month from April to October from 6 to 9 p.m.
Downtown blocks close on those Friday afternoons to make way for food trucks, musical entertainment, performers, cars, cars and more cars. And where those attractions set up shop â up and down Broad Street and beyond â crowds have followed. âItâs not exactly what we planned when we started it,â Moore said. âIt may not be what it started out to be, but it probably is what it is supposed to be.â
It would be hard to argue with that conclusion. Six to eight thousand people from all over the Southeast head to downtown Gadsden for the car show alone. Add to that more throngs from the city and surrounding region, and what it has become is one huge success story by any measure.
The motive was to get downtown Gadsden discovered or rediscovered. Like countless other places, downtown was once the thriving heart of any city. But malls and big box stores lured shoppers and diners elsewhere, and downtowns paid the price.
Determined to bring their downtown back from the brink, a handful of visionaries in Gadsden saw the potential for a rebound and set out to make it happen.
The forerunner was Sylvia Smith, who was looking for ways to attract customers to her Stone Market on Court Street. She started having entertainment and other attractions spaced up to the 400 block, and it started spreading from there to Broad Street.
Two years later, the doll shop owner, who had friends in the car show circuit, helped introduce the car show to First Fridays, the engine that drives the successes that followed. âIt has exploded since then,â Moore said. âItâs what put Gadsden on the map.â
Cars of all makes and models â old, new, vintage â line the streets. Passersby stroll through, pausing to get a better look at one that catches their eye. Food vendors handle the overflow of hungry attendees from local restaurants, cafes, bars and pizza joints. The local eateries alone canât handle the growing crowds, so food vendors are the only non-local vendors allowed in.
Thereâs plenty more than cars and food. Like music? Take your pick. Thereâs gospel, rock, easy listening, jazz and country performers strategically placed throughout downtown. âYou walk down the street, and you hear what you want to hear,â Moore said, referencing the variety.
But the centerpiece of it all is still the motive â downtown shopping and dining. âIt has a huge economic impact on merchants,â she noted. âThey may not ring the cash register that night, but they come back.â It is not unusual to hear merchants recount how their business increased in the days that follow. âThe next Saturday, they may come from Birmingham, Huntsville or Centre. They come back because of something they saw at First Friday.â
It’s seen as a return to a time of building relationships with the people you do business with, coming back to the cityâs heart and discovering its soul. Itâs a return to a nostalgic, main street experience.
While it may be tempting to order online, thatâs the âeasy way out,â Moore explained. âWe want people to remember that weâre here â check out our gift shops and restaurants.â
With a nod to Downtown Gadsdenâs tag line, itâs âsmall town, small shops, big treasures and great tastesâ all rolled into one stroll down main street. âYouâll find something you didnât know you needed,â Moore said. âI promise you that.â
Editorâs Note:First Friday returns April 1 at 6 p.m. For more information, go to: downtowngadsden.com
Story by Elaine Hobson Miller Photos by Graham Hadley Submitted photos
Whatâs in a name? When itâs attached to a place, it often gives a hint of its history. Take Coal City, for example. You might think it is or was a coal-mining town. And youâd be right. Later, a guy tried to change its name to Wattsville, and thereâs a story behind that. In the beginning, however, it was called Broken Arrow, after the creek by the same name. And that name recalls its Native American origins, and even connects you with Broken Arrow, Okla.
According to legend, a Native American brave shot a deer in the area and in the animalâs death throes, it broke the braveâs arrow. When he saw the broken arrow, he yelled, âTheitka,â (or Thle Teka, depending upon which source youâre reading). That meant âBroken Arrowâ in his language. Thus, that area became known as Broken Arrow.
Actually, the areaâs Native American heritage goes back a few thousand years, according to Rusty Jessup, amateur historian and mayor of nearby Riverside. âMost archeologists believe there was a very large Native American settlement in the area of Broken Arrow Creek, where it goes into the Coosa River,â Jessup says. âWe think it was 1,000 to 1,200 B.C. Iâve talked to some people who say it was one of the largest settlements at that time, with as many as 10,0000 to 15,000 people who lived at that intersection over a span of 200 to 300 years.â
As far as Jessup knows, no Native American burial grounds have been discovered in the area, but there could have been some that went underwater when the Coosa River was dammed to form Logan Martin Lake in 1965. âThereâs good fishing there. It always was one of the cleaner tributaries into the Coosa, but also one of the shallow ones,â he says. âYou canât navigate a long way on Broken Arrow Creek.â
Fast forward to the founding of Broken Arrow, Okla. That Tulsa suburb was established in 1902 by a Creek tribe that was moved to Oklahoma from Broken Arrow in St. Clair County, Ala.
The brave, whose cry became the name of the creek, may have been part of a mixed band of settlers and friendly Native Americans hunting on the land of the areaâs first white settler. John Bolton arrived in the 1820s. According to a Feb. 21, 1974, St. Clair Observer newspaper story by Mattie Lou Teague Crow, Bolton followed an Native American trail which ran from the Creek village of Cataula (Ashville) to Cropwell.
He established a homestead at the intersection of another Native American trail running from the Coosa River to todayâs Friendship community. Boltonâs log cabin was approximately where Old Coal City Road crosses Alabama Highway 144 today. The area became known as Boltonâs Crossroads. Again, the history is in the name.
In 1839, Broken Arrow Post Office was established in the home of its first postmaster, Francis Barnes Walker. Before that, area residents walked or rode over Backbone Mountain to Ashville to get their mail. Walker held his post until the Civil War began.
Long before the Civil War, though, an Englishman named William Gould discovered coal in the area. âThe small amount he mined was hauled by wagon six miles to the Coosa River, and from there it was floated to Selma or Wetumpka by flatboat,â wrote Mrs. Crow in her book, History of St. Clair County. He formed Ragland Mines Company in 1854 and owned other coal lands in Shelby County.
Eventually, four major mines were formed in the area: Dirty Dozen, Coal City, Broken Arrow and Marion. Mrs. Crow reports that some 600 to 700 miners worked at Coal City, often on overtime. At some point, other seams were dug at Rutille, Klondike, Cross-Eyed Seven, Glen Mines and Boozer.
After the Civil War, a gentleman named George Washington Daugdrill (one source spells it âDaughdrilleâ) moved his family from Demopolis. Although he had lost most of his fortune during the war, he scraped together enough cash and credit to buy land and invest in the mining business at Broken Arrow.
When the Daugdrills moved into their log cabin, they brought the rosewood and mahogany furniture they had purchased when they lived in France. Julia August Daugdrill also brought her piano and harp, entertaining settlers with Bach and Beethoven when they visited the cabin.
During the years that it was a rip-roaring mining town, the community had a big warehouse, barber shops, a commissary, a livery stable, a number of stores, a pool hall, a city hall and jail, and at least one hotel. An unattributed, typed paragraph with the date, March 12, 1884, appears in the Coal City vertical file at the Pell City Public Library. It states that the âBroken Arrow Hotel, (of) which Mr. John Laney is Proprietor, is second to no hotel in the county. This place (Coal City) has nine stores, two saloons, three physicians, two saw and grist mills with the best black-smith in the state.â
Apparently, the area had its bloody side, too. A Letter to the Editor of the Southern Aegis, printed July 15, 1885, bemoans the lawlessness of the area. It mentions a man killing the cook at the Broken Arrow Hotel, and says the proprietor of the place, âwhile drunk,â shot at another man a couple of weeks later. âIt is a violation of law to sell liquor here,â the anonymous letter writer says. âYet one John Lany openly sells it and in all above shooting scrapes, liquor was the foundation.â The writer mentions other shootings, along with gambling, and wondered why laws go unenforced in the area.
In 1883, the Daugdrill family sold its mining interest to John Postell, who built the East and West Railroad to haul the coal out. The E&W was a narrow-gauge affair that ran from Cartersville and Cedartown, Ga., to Broken Arrow. Seaboard Air Line Railroad eventually bought Postellâs rail lines as part of its new system that ran from Birmingham to Atlanta and points beyond and converted it to broad gauge tracks.
Another anonymous writer of a Southern Aegis article dated July 27, 1887, saysthat the timber around Broken Arrow was plentiful and equal to any. âSawmills are eating their way into the forests, and St. Clair timber is transformed into handsome residences, factories, etc.,â the article states.
The Aeigis writer brags on the number of acres of timbered pine lands in the area and says there were about a dozen mills along the line of the Georgia Pacific Railroad and the E&W Railroad, within seven miles of Broken Arrow. âTheir aggregate output exceeds in value of $1,000 per day, probably $1,500 per day,â he writes.
Some of the areaâs timber probably went into its churches, homes and businesses, such as Harkeyâs Chapel, a Methodist church that began as a log building in 1830. It was named after its first pastor, the Rev. David Harkey. Another early church was Broken Arrow Baptist, established in 1890, and Refuge Baptist, 1860.Each of those churches are still meeting today, albeit in more modern structures. The Daugdrills donated land for the Broken Arrow Cemetery, which is now across the road from the church. The first burial was their infant grandson, âLittle Jimâ Daugdrill.
Another major player in the coal mining industry was Watt T. Brown, who had extensive land holdings in St. Clair County. He reorganized the Ragland Coal Company in 1896.But it wasnât until early 1929 that Brown began a series of name changes, a feat that sticks in the craws of many old-timers who live in Coal City today. He managed to get the Coal City Post Office changed to the Wattsville Post Office. Soon afterward, the Seaboard Railroad changed the name of its station, and a state geologist re-designated the coalfield as Wattsville Coal Basin.
Nevertheless, most older residents of the area, and some younger ones, too, still cringe at the name âWattsville.â They say the town doesnât exist, except in the names of a post office, a volunteer fire department and a church or two. âTechnically, there is no Wattsville,â says Amber Michael, office manager of the Wattsville Water Authority. âThere are post office boxes, but thatâs the only place you can get mail labeled Wattsville.â An internet search turns up evidence of Wattsville being a separate community from Coal City, but if theyâre separate, they run together and maybe overlap at some point.
Two iron-ore mines opened in Coal City in the early 1900s, bringing more people into the area. Coke ovens were built somewhere near the Edward Layton homesite and Shiloh Baptist Church, according to Mattie Lou Teague Crow. They belched âevil-smelling, lung-choking black smoke,â she says.
Some sources say John Postell changed the townâs name from Broken Arrow to Coal City in the late 1800s, while others say it was unofficially called that as far back as the 1850s. Either way, it wasnât until 1910 that the town, comprising a mile radius from the old Broken Arrow Bridge (St. Clair 234), was officially incorporated. Wattsville was never incorporated, and Coal City later became an unincorporated hamlet again.
The Wattsville/Coal City communities had a succession of eight schools, according to Jerry Smith in the October 2012 issue of LakeLifeâs sister magazine, Discover the Essence of St. Clair. The first few met in various buildings and went by several names. The first Coal City School, built on a hilltop in 1919, taught all 12 grades. Its last graduation was held in 1929.
After that, Smith says, Coal City School, also known as Rabbit Hop, served only elementary grades until it burned in 1951. The last Coal City School building is on U.S. 231 near Shirleyâs Mainline Barbecue, where it houses the St. Clair County Head Start program.
Coal City schools produced some major sportsmen, including Eddie Martin of the New York Yankees, Darrell Pratt of the Detroit Tigers, and Clyde Warren, a 1925 All-American for Auburn University.
Electricity came to Coal City/Wattsville in the 1930s, when the only fully paved roads in the entire county were U.S. 78 through Pell City and U.S. 411 through Ashville. According to one source, the mines started drying up around 1915, with the last one shutting down in 1919. But another source says that Watt T. Brown operated a coal mine on Popeâs Chapel Road in 1919 or 1920.
âAll of Coal City was tar and gravel (roads) until five years ago,â says Walter Callahan, manager of the Pleasant Valley Quick Stop. âOriginally they were just dirt roads. Now theyâre paved with asphalt.â
Callahan, 70, remembers swimming in the Mining Hole, a seemingly bottomless pit that filled with water over the years after the mines closed. It was located off Highway 144, one block north of Broken Arrow Creek. âAs kids weâd jump into the Hole with a big rock to see how far down we could sink,â he says. âBut we never got past 17 feet before dropping the rocks. It was ice cold at that depth, even in the heat of summer.â
The Mining Hole has been on private property for several years, according to Callahan. He says when the hole was being drained so it could be filled in, several old cars were found at the bottom. Folks figured they had been stolen, stripped and dumped into the hole.
On a recent tour of the area, Callahan, whose family settled there in 1827, pointed out various places of interest. âMy grandad, Alma Reid Alverson, farmed 20 acres just across the street from the Quick Stop, and my Uncle Tom Barber had 50 acres on the hill just before you get to Broken Arrow Church. Much of it was planted in watermelons that he gave away. Folks would stop and ask whether they could pick a few melons, and heâd say, âSure, just donât crush any.ââ
Callahan motions toward the former home of Roy and Helen Pope, still in the Pope family, on Depot Street. âThey had cows and everybody got their milk from them in the 1940s, 1950s and into the 1960s,â he says. He stops at a little hole in the ground called Arnold Springs. He says itâs one of two springs in the area that have never run dry. âPeople brought their water jugs and filled them here,â he says. âLots of watercress grew around it.â
Pleasant Grove Baptist Church (formerly Possum Trot Baptist, which is what many old-timers still call it), also on Depot Street, is bordered on one side by Police Camp Road. âIt used to end at a police shooting range,â Callahan explains. âItâs on private property now.â He remembers traveling down nearby Sugar Farms Road about a mile, then having to cross through a swamp. âThere was no bridge, you literally drove through a swamp,â he says.
The concrete bridge crossing Broken Arrow Creek on Refuge Road (St. Clair 234), just off Center Star Road (St. Clair 45), is still known as Broken Arrow Bridge. Before it was paved, it was made of railroad cross ties. âThere was a big hole on one side, and you had to drive right through the center to keep your tires out of it,â Callahan says. âWhen I was six or seven, my mom took me fishing right beside that bridge. I remember she caught a nice mud catfish that she cooked for dinner.â
On Old Coal City Road, about half a mile before it reachesI-20, are the remains of the original Coal City Water Works. All thatâs left are a small, red building that looks like a backyard shed, a small pond and some pipes. Across the road is Florida Street, named after Stovall Florida, who had a sawmill there in the 1940s. âHis was the only business in the area during the Depression,â Callahan says.
There was an area bootlegger in Callahanâs younger days, when St. Clair was still a dry county. He lived on what is now Stone Road, which turns off U.S. 231 South across from the present Wattsville Free Will Baptist Church and meanders behind C & R Feed & Supply. âAs long as you could drive a car to his place, you could get a six-pack of beer for $3.50,â Callahan says. âHeâd meet you at your car, then walk back and hand it to you. He also had moonshine.â
And what of Broken Arrow Creek? Although no one seems to know where this five-mile-long stream begins, it ends at the Coosa River, next door to and just below where Broken Arrow Creek Road dead ends. Russell and Shane Locklear are building their parents a house on that promontory and can point out the creekâs mouth from their yard.
âThere used to be a restaurant down there by the mouth of the creek, but it has been turned into a lake home,â Russell says. His friend, John Barry, says the restaurant was known as The Cafe, and operated in the 1950s and 1960s. âIt was at the end of River Ranch Road,â Barry says.
Locklear says the fishing is good on Broken Arrow Creek. âIt has been listed among the top ten crappie-fishing places for last 10 years,â he says.
Bass fishing is good there, too, says Zeke Gossett, a rookie pro B.A.S.S tour member and a fishing guide. âBroken Arrow Creek, located just above historic Lock 4, is filled with stump flats and shoreline grass during summer pool,â he says. âIt provides both deep and shallow water for fish to live in. It generally holds fish year âround but my best experiences in Broken Arrow have come in late summer/early fall.â He says the back portion of the creek water usually stays a little cooler in the late summer months, which attracts baitfish along with the bass as well.
Arrowhead searching used to be profitable along the Coosa near the mouth of Broken Arrow Creek, according to collector Roger Pateof Pell City.
âI moved here in 1970 and started hunting the creek, walking the riverbank and creek bank and crappie fishing,â says Pate. âNative Americans in summertime used to come off the hills and places and would live on the river because it was a good food source. They ate the mussels, and you could sometimes find piles of the shells. Sometimes you could find some artifacts, too.â
Pate says he doesnât see the mussel shells or arrowheads much anymore, though. âYou have to wait until wintertime when they let the water down,â he says. âWhen it rains and gets real cold, ice forms and rain washes the ice and dirt away. But youâre now walking in other peopleâs footprints, so hunting isnât as good as it used to be.â
The coal mines may be gone, the train depot demolished, the arrowhead hunting just a memory. But Broken Arrow Creek is still fishable, and Coal City isnât going away. Itâs worth the time to drive some back roads and try to picture how things used to be.
That means that when Logan Martin Lake begins its seasonal rise in April from winter level to summer pool of 465 feet, it wonât return to its traditional winter level of 460 feet come December. Instead, the lake will remain at 462 feet during the winter from now on, giving residents and lake enthusiasts two extra feet and in a number of cases, year-round access to the lake.
Lisa Martindale, Reservoir Management manager at Alabama the decision means that residents who spend time on those lakes will enjoy higher water levels beginning in winter 2022-2023.
Thatâs welcome news to residents like John Junkins of Pell City, whose boatlift is a few inches shy of enabling him to launch his boat from December to early April. âI canât wait,â he said. âYou know how the weather is in Alabama. We could wear shorts on Christmas Day, and it would have been awesome to be able to take a pontoon cruise. We are ecstatic about this decision.â
So is Eric Mackey of Mackey Docks. âI will love a higher level of water as it will make the lake more usable for more people with shallow water. I wished they kept it full pool nine months and drained it to winter level three months, but that is my opinion.â
For his pier-building business, it means âwe will be able to access more sites with a barge now with higher water levels.â
And then, thereâs the aesthetics of it all. âThe lake will even look better than when itâs low and you can only see dry lake beds,â Mackey said.
Itâs welcome news for residents up and down the lake who had been lobbying for it for years. During the Coosa relicensing process, there were overwhelming requests by stakeholders to increase the winter pool levels at Weiss, Neely Henry, and Logan Martin for recreational purposes. Alabama Power worked with the FERC and the US Army Corp of Engineers to incorporate these requests, a spokesman for the company said.
Through engineering studies, Alabama Power made the determination that with operational changes, the lakes could be operated at the higher winter pool elevations, and the US Army Corp of Engineers agreed.
Neely Henry is a bit different. It has had a higher level for years. Neely Henry once had a three-foot fluctuation from summer to winter pool, but studies showed that with operational changes, the lake could be operated at the higher winter pool elevation and the US Army Corp of Engineers agreed.
Neely Henry operated under a variance with the USACE for many years allowing for a 1-foot fluctuation between summer and winter and during the USACE Water Control Manual Updates in 2015, the rule curve with the 1-foot fluctuation between summer and winter pool for Neely Henry was incorporated.
The months of March and April can be the most fun months of the year on Logan Martin. Fish are on the move, staging and getting ready to spawn or they are already spawning.
Fishing staging areas for bass on Logan Martin this time of year are the keys to success. These areas include points leading into spawning flats, shallow brush and docks. These are all great places to start your search.
I keep my approach simple when targeting these areas. My main three baits are a jig, a jerk bait and bladed jig. If the water is still on the cooler (50 to 60 degrees) side, I will target points with a jerk bait and a bladed jig. These two baits allow me to cover water until I find some active fish.
Once I feel like Iâm around some active fish, I will usually reach for the jig in order to pick up a couple more bites I might have missed with the other two baits.
If the water is on the warmer side (60 to 70 degrees), I will start fishing into pockets with shallow docks and brush with the jig.
Most of the time these fish are getting ready to go on the bed and are feeding up. Fishing the conditions are important for these two months.
If you are not getting bites, keep moving!
Neely HenryÂ
My approach to Neely Henry will differ a little from Logan Martin this time of year. My main three baits will stay the same, but I will add a swim jig to the mix during March and April.
I will still target points leading into pockets and fishing docks. I fish these docks with the bladed jig and jig. When targeting points, I will fish these with a jerk bait.
Where I bring the swim into play is in the grass that lines the banks of Neely Henry. The grass usually starts growing again around the end of March.
If the water is on a warming trend (60 to 70 degrees), I will fish the grass, targeting those fish getting ready to spawn with a swim jig.
Again, fish the conditions, and you will have success on Neely Henry during these two months.
Editorâs Note: 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: zekegossettfising.com