Whopper of a success at Gadsden’s Venue at Coosa Landing
You can imagine an ear-to-ear smile as Shelia Bunch recounts by telephone her first ever Alabama Fishing Show & Expo.
Held in March at The Venue at Coosa Landing, the show brought in vendors from across the Southeast with wares ranging from rods and reels to lures and lines to boats and everything else perfect for the water.
Bunch is a veteran of these shows, having presented the East Tennessee Fishing Show for the past 30 years. But the Alabama one was new.
In its Gadsden debut, it drew more than 100 vendors and a crowd attendance of over 6,500. “We ran out of space” for vendors before the show even began, which required “thinking outside the box,” she said. Tents were installed outside, making room for even more products.
“Everybody really worked together,” she said, noting that the city, her team and even the vendors joined the effort to make the inaugural show a success.
When a major storm threatened one day, vendors shared or gave away space to accommodate the move inside. “It was wonderful.”
The question she got most often throughout the weekend confirmed a success story in the making: “Are you coming back next year?” Of course, her answer was a quick, “yes.”
“It ended up being a really good thing. I was about as perfect as it possibly could go this year,” she said. “It ended up being great.”
As for next year, additional features are already under discussion, including Crappie vendors, a kids’ fishing tournament and more food vendors.
“We’re going to make it an even better event for next year for everybody,” she said. Save the date – March 8-10, 2024.
Story by Paul South Photos by Graham Hadley Submitted photos
Unless you’re the whale-obsessed Captain Ahab, a soldier in the biblical Egyptian army chasing Moses and the Israelites, or a champagne-sipping passenger aboard the RMS Titanic, this one thing is true: On the water, there’s never a bad day.
For locals and visitors to the Coosa River towns of Southside and Gadsden, two new boat landings are making life on the river even better. And city officials see the landings as yet another economic engine countywide.
First stop: Coosa Landing
First-term Gadsden Mayor Craig Ford had just finished lunch at Harp and Clover, when he met a Mississippi family posing for pictures outside the restaurant.
“What brings y’all to Gadsden?,” he asked. Their answer surprised him.
“This is our vacation. We love mountains and the river, and you guys have got both.”
The Venue at Coosa Landing
Ford’s reaction?
“Wow. And here I’ve taken it for granted all these years.”
Coosa Landing is a cornerstone of redevelopment of Gadsden’s stretch of the river. A new landing may not seem like much but consider this: The Coosa attracts 32 fishing tournaments annually.
“To have that river, Coosa Landing is one of the biggest economic drivers we’ve got,” Ford said. “The development of Coosa Landing is kind of that center point for us as we start to develop that area around Coosa Landing. We have The Venue that’s continually being developed. We still have about 15,000 square feet of working space that’s still available.”
The Venue at Coosa Landing, a massive meeting and event center, was built in 2018, the same year that Coosa Landing opened, and regularly draws thousands of visitors for its events.
Just across the way, Coosa Landing boasts a four-lane boat launch, piers, parking for 125 trucks/boat trailers, an overflow parking area, a bait shop and the nearby Riverwalk Trail, which connects the Landing to a nearby Buffalo Wild Wings and an ideal stroll by the river.
The city hopes to add gas pumps at the Landing for boaters to refuel.
The Landing has hosted and co-sponsored national fishing tournaments on the B.A.S.S., Women’s Bass Fishing Association, Crappie USA tours and local and state tournaments.
But the Landing is part of a larger vision for Gadsden.
The city hopes to relocate City Hall and is trying to attract a boutique hotel, condominiums and more retail to the Landing side of the river. The city also envisions connecting the Gadsden Convention Center and new hotel with a pedestrian bridge.
“That would attract visitors from Coosa Landing as well,” Ford predicted. “I think once we get that type of development going, we’re actually going to be looking at trying to push more down toward across from the (Gadsden) Mall to develop behind the Arby’s there with some land that we own to build a city harbor that will bring in entertainment, bars and restaurants.
He reasons that the effort will “get people like the fishermen who come into Coosa Landing and into Gadsden to make it more of a tourist-type thing. Not only are you coming in here to fish, but we’re going to give you things to do at night while you’re not fishing.”
For Ford, the effort is “sort of a growth package” that will not only drive tourism but will grow Gadsden’s population. We think it will bring more people to live in Gadsden, because people like to live where they play,” he says. “The river is a big economic driver for us,” Ford said.
He sees the landing as a cornerstone of Gadsden’s transformation. “The people elected us to create jobs, improve the (Noccalula) Falls and develop the river,” Ford said. “Those are the things they elected us to do. And that’s the focus for the next four years at least.”
And Ford’s long-term vision for Gadsden’s stretch of the Coosa?
“At the end of the day, you’re going to see a lot more greenspace. You’re going to see the banks of the Coosa be a lot more inviting, not just for boaters, but for anyone who wants to hang out by the river.”
The city is also working with the Birmingham-based Orchestra Partners to bring development that will attract downtown shoppers toward the Coosa.
The anticipated result? “You won’t recognize the city in eight to 10 years.”
All aboard for Southside
When Mayor Dana Snyder and the city council took office in 2020, one of their top priorities was further developing Southside Landing.
In May 2022, the Landing officially opened. It was the vision of Southside’s previous mayor, Wally Burns, and had been in the works since 2016.
Mayor Snyder and the City Council embraced this vision and worked to expand on his concept by including an all-inclusive park and playground, which has proven to be an important asset for the community.
Playground and Restaurant at Southside Landing
Southside Landing features a boardwalk, boat launches, playground, outside dining, picnic areas and some of the most stunning scenery/views anywhere. Southside Landing has truly been a community effort, the mayor said, noting that a significant number of local businesses and clubs have contributed to this growing success story.
“Although the original plans called for a bait shack to be located at Southside Landing, the City Council and I felt like a restaurant in that building would be a better fit for our community,” she says. “In October 2022, we were fortunate to have Blackstone Bait Shack, a popular locally-owned pizza restaurant, open for business in this location. Blackstone has provided both an economic development boost and an oasis for hungry locals and visitors.”
They provide outside dining, featuring beautiful views of the Coosa River and the surrounding landscape, and they are considering outside entertainment during the summer months. “It’s no surprise how popular Southside Landing has become,” Mayor Snyder said, “and we look forward to building on and expanding this beautiful recreational area.”
Various events have already taken place at Southside Landing with many more events in the planning stages. “In December 2020, prior to the official opening of Southside Landing, the Christmas Boat Parade was brought to our end of the Coosa River. We had over 200 vehicles parked there when it was just a gravel parking lot to enjoy the boat parade. So, it was easy to surmise that once the paving, playground and boardwalk were completed, this would be a favorite location for both our community and visitors.”
“Southside Landing has already hosted numerous fishing tournaments, Sunset Suppers, Dinner and a Movie and our annual Christmas Boat Parades with great success,” she said. “These have proven to be favorites of not only our local community but of people from outside our city and county.”
Kinsley Aulsbrook of Rainbow City on the swings at Southside (Photo courtesy of her mom)
And more events are expected to come. “Outdoor recreation is not only important for tourism, but it is a huge draw for both potential residents and businesses,” Snyder said.
“Recreation is one of the number one things that makes people want to move to the city because there are things outdoors that they can do,” Snyder says. “Number two, when businesses are looking to move into a city, they also look at recreational opportunities.”
Of all of Etowah County’s incorporated cities and towns, Southside boasts the most riverfront property on the Coosa – more than 31 miles, Snyder said.
“I believe we are ‘The Loveliest Village on the Coosa,’ Snyder says. “Just the Landing fitting into our long-range plan, I believe it is the gateway to our city. I believe when people come there, they see that. When we advertise for movie nights there, our Christmas Boat Parade, the fishing tournaments, just the different events that are planned there, I just believe we are drawing people from outside the city and the county.”
She adds, “They’re going to come here. They’re going to see what we’re like. They’re going to hopefully want to come back and visit.”
To make that happen, Southside has collaborated with its neighbors – Rainbow City and the Neely Henry Lake Association – for “Dinner and a Movie” nights on the riverfront. Imagine families cuddled on blankets watching classics like Jaws, while munching on Blackstone’s pizza or food truck fare.
Food trucks also come to the Landing for popular “Sunset Suppers.”
Southside Landing is seen as the “first step” in the city’s long-range plan. Those plans include items like new gateway signs for the city to long-range objectives, like a zoning overlay for the Alabama Highway 77 Corridor. Farther into the future, officials eye the development of a city center.
There also are long-range plans for new parks and sports facilities. Other riverfront possibilities include a new recreational vehicle park.
The future looks bright in terms of future development at the Landing. Restaurant/retail spaces, perhaps even an amphitheater may one day call Southside’s slice of the riverbank home. The city recently purchased the “land between the two bridges” – Little Bridge and the Coosa River span – in hopes of getting a new river bridge. If the state builds a new river bridge at the site of the current span, the parcel between the bridges could be linked to Southside Landing.
“Southside Landing is not only a valuable asset to our community, it is the gateway to our city. We see how busy it is and as word spreads and improvements are made, I believe that it will be an even greater marketing tool for our city,” said Mayor Snyder. “If you have witnessed the beauty of a sunset at Southside Landing, then you have experienced the serenity, beauty and pulse of our wonderful city.”
Snyder summed up the importance of Southside Landing to the city’s future. She views it not as the culmination of a plan, but ushering in a new era. “That’s the beginning of our story there.”
So, pick out your best ‘green,’ gather a few friends and head to downtown Gadsden for the Second Annual St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl Saturday, March 18, from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.
It’s a giant party, stretching across block after block of downtown Gadsden where 18 bars and restaurants are hosting the party, inviting one and all to sample their fare and benefit from specials, discounts and prizes.
Gadsden’s only rooftop bar, a perch overlooking the river with a stunning view of the sunset at Jake’s Music Room, will be open and welcoming party goers as well.
The popular pub crawl Tshirts will be on sale on Court Street, and bands will be playing outside some of the bars and restaurants, giving all of downtown a festive atmosphere to revel in the celebration of Ireland’s patron saint.
The pub crawl is held each year on the closest Saturday to St. Patrick’s Day and is a Downtown Gadsden Inc.-sponsored event aimed at bringing people together downtown to experience what the restaurants, cafes, pizza places and bars have to offer.
Kay Moore, director of Downtown Gadsden Inc., anticipates a “big year” for the festivities, encouraging ‘crawlers’ to take advantage of what all these downtown businesses have in store for the celebration. It’s an evening to savor tasty meals and appetizers, enjoy your favorite libations, soft drinks, coffees, lattes and more. And it’s a time for camaraderie with old friends and new ones you’ll meet.
You don’t need a four-leaf clover to count yourself lucky to be a part of it – Irish or not.
Downtown Gadsden’s signature event returns, building bigger and better traditions
Story by Carol Pappas Submitted Photos
Just like an old friend you haven’t seen in a bit, Downtown Gadsden’s First Friday is back and ready to pick up the conversation – and the fun – where it left off in October.
No shortage of live music
First Friday returns April 7 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., building on what began with one small business in 2006 to a full-blown tradition that attracts people from multiple states from April to October each year.
“We’re looking forward to another great year,” said Downtown Gadsden Director Kay Moore. From the classic car show to the entertainment, downtown Gadsden becomes a destination point each month for this free, family event.
Broad Street, downtown’s main street, is closed to automobile traffic on First Friday, and food vendors to handle the overflow crowds set up shop in the 400 block. On 2nd, 3rd, 4th and possibly the 600 block, entertainment plays to diverse audiences. “We have jazz, R & B, rock ‘n roll, bluegrass, line dancing, the cowboy church band – a little bit of everything for everybody,” Moore said.
If one block doesn’t quite fit your musical tastes, “just keep walking,” she suggested. “You’ll hear something you like in the next block.”
As has been the custom with First Friday, the classic car show is a huge draw that attracts thousands of car enthusiasts from all points in Alabama and throughout the Southeast. And it just keeps getting bigger and better every year.
Organizations like Main Street Alabama and Main Street America have taken notice of Gadsden’s successful efforts to bring people back to downtown. Gadsden’s many honors include Top 10 awards for its promotional activities.
“We remind people we have a good downtown,” Moore said. “It’s the heartbeat of the community,” stressing that efforts reach well beyond First Friday. Promotions and events – from a chili cookoff to a St. Patrick’s Day pub crawl – ensure that downtown merchants benefit from the increased activity drawing prospective customers their way on a regular basis.
“They like coming to our downtown,” she said.
Vintage cars on display
Downtown Gadsden Inc. efforts don’t stop there, though. The organization is involved in beautifying and revitalizing the downtown area. The Pittman Theatre stage is being expanded and the ceiling is being dropped to improve its ability to host concerts.
Downtown Gadsden has entered into a public-private partnership with Walnut Gallery and Gadsden Museum of Art, leveraging its own $10,000 grant into a larger pool of $25,000 to place an 18-foot kinetic wind sculpture on the corner of 1st and Broad Streets. Just a short distance from the river and recognizing the water’s roots in Gadsden’s history, the sculpture resembles a fish with parts moving with the breeze.
“We’re really, really excited” about the sculpture coming and what the future holds for downtown, Moore said. There is no shortage of “great ideas” from the new mayor and administration that can be part of the planning that lies ahead.
“There’s a lot going on in Gadsden this year,” she added. First Friday and all the rest have been “a huge success for our downtown merchants and everybody else.”
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.
Logan Martin Dam
“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.”
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
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.
Forth Strother monument
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
For every chili recipe, there’s a cook who thinks his or hers is the best. That’s why the members of Downtown Gadsden Inc. look forward to hosting a friendly competition each year. Because when it comes to dishing out bragging rights, they just can’t resist stirring the pot.
“We open it up to people who think they have the best chili and invite them to come and prove it,” Kay Moore said of the 15th Annual Downtown Gadsden Chili Cook-off. Set for February 4, the contest promises to be one of the hottest events in town. “It’s all about having fun and camaraderie, being downtown and enjoying a lot of good chili,” said Moore, director of Downtown Gadsden, Inc., which organizes the event. In past years, they’ve had about 35 entries and crowds ranging from 700 to 1,000 have gathered to treat their taste buds.
Visitors line the streets to get a taste of the competition.
“We ask the cookers to bring enough to feed a bunch of people,” she said, adding that there’s a $40 entry fee for the cooking teams and anyone can enter the competition. “We’ve had people enter from Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Huntsville and as far away as Kentucky,” she said.
Whether your tastes run from mild to spicy or you prefer the traditional variety, white chicken chili or vegetarian chili, you’re sure to find a batch you love. The judges, however, seem to have a “type.”
“We have all different kinds of chili but for some reason, it’s your good old fashioned regular chili that always wins,” said Moore, adding that the competition is judged blindly. “We have runners who take the chili to the judges and each cup is marked with only a number on the bottom.”
Winning recipe
2022 Chili Cook-off winners
Jeff Martin and his fellow cookers seem to have cracked the code. His team, Dowdy’s Office Equipment, has won the competition the last three years, and he believes they have taken top honors five of the last seven. “We always use the same recipe,” Martin said of his team, which consists of his business partner Lewis Couch and friends David Couch and Ross Hudak. “It’s a recipe we’ve had for 25 years. I think somebody stole it from somebody else.”
Their chili is so good, in fact, that Ted Gentry, a founding member of the band, “Alabama,” bought the rights to the recipe last year. The chili is the menu headliner for Gentry’s Blue Ribbon Chili Wagon that’s often parked at the Alabama Fan Club and Museum in Fort Payne.
“Apparently he went all over the state looking for the best chili,” Martin said. The fact that Gentry has the rights doesn’t mean that the Dowdy crew is out of the running this year, though. “The only provision is that we still get to use it in the chili contest,” he said.
Although the winners earn some prize money and a Crowd Favorite is chosen, as well, the event is mostly a fun way for the community to get together and raise funds to support downtown projects. “Our job is to continue the growth of downtown while keeping our historical heritage,” Moore said. “A downtown of any small town is the heartbeat of the community.”
Story by Scottie Vickery Photos by Mackenzie Free Submitted Photos
Everything in Amy and Derrick Heckman’s Ashville home tells a story.
The handrail going up the steps was original to the Teague Mercantile building on the town square and was hand-hewn from longleaf pine before the Civil War. A cabinet is filled with family quilts made by Amy’s great-grandmother and her sisters. There’s a snapping turtle shell that held a place of honor in Derrick’s family’s lake cabin in Texas, and the collapsible cup her great-grandfather took into the coal mines will always have a special place in Amy’s heart.
“Everything in this house has some special meaning,” Amy said. “It may not have a lot of value, but it’s all precious to us.”
Amy and Derrick said turning the abandoned log cabin into their dream home has been a labor of love.
The Heckmans share a love for making old things new again, and the log cabin they bought on Neely Henry Lake’s Canoe Creek is no exception. It’s been a work in progress for years, but both say it’s been well worth the time and elbow grease they’ve invested. “It’s been one project after another, but it’s been a labor of love,” Amy said.
Their appreciation of family and Ashville history is evident all over the 2-bedroom, 2-bath cabin, and the kitchen and dining room areas are no exception. A 1940s Chambers stove from Derrick’s grandparents’ house takes center stage in the kitchen, and they use it every day. A collection of cast iron skillets from Amy’s great-grandmother and other family members hangs nearby.
They rescued the kitchen table from a nearby old dogtrot house that was slated for demolition and took the piece to a carwash in an effort to pressure wash motor oil stains off before finishing the table with linseed oil. An antique dough bowl filled with rolling pins passed down through the generations rests on top, and a light fixture they made from an old ladder, party lights and muscadine and supplejack vines from the yard, hangs above it.
“We’ve both lived a simplistic lifestyle, whether by choice or circumstance,” Derrick said. “When I was growing up if you needed something, you built it. We try to find old stuff and fix it.”
Cabin sweet cabin
The Heckmans had been house-hunting for about seven years when they stumbled across the log cabin, tucked at the end of a quiet street off Highway 411. They already had a home on Canoe Creek but they wanted more house, less land and deeper water so they could build a boathouse.
When they found the cabin, it was clear that no one had lived there for a while. They were intrigued, so they left a note on the door for the owner. A month later, the phone rang. “It was basically a home to animals,” Amy said. “There were all kinds of wildlife living in it, but it had good bones, and we saw what it could be. We’ve just about gotten it to that place.”
It’s taken a lot of work. They salvaged the kitchen and dining room floors and a claw foot tub, “but other than that, we redid everything,” she said, adding that they first saw the house and property they’ve named Canoe Cove in 2014, bought it in 2015 and moved there in 2017. “It took us that long to get it to where we could live in it. The general footprint is the same, but there is not a piece of that house that was not changed in some way.”
The first thing on the agenda was building a stone fireplace. “When we first bought the house, the very first thing we said to each other was, ‘How can you have a log cabin without a fireplace?’ There was a wood stove, but no fireplace,” she said.
Derrick’s grandfather knew a good bit about construction, so he had learned a lot about building growing up, and a friend taught him to lay the rock. “I’ve learned skills by watching people and just doing it,” he said. “When I was a kid, I could come up with an idea to build something. Sometimes it was by trial and error, but eventually I came up with something that worked.”
Those skills came in handy for their biggest project – building an outdoor pavilion, complete with an outdoor kitchen and a ‘Cracker Barrel fireplace.’ “She kept telling me all she wanted was a Cracker Barrel fireplace, so I went (into the restaurant) with a tape measure,” he said.
They built the pavilion from lumber they milled on the property – the lot was so wooded you couldn’t see the water. Derrick also used the lumber to build the 14-foot table and four Adirondack chairs, as well as the boathouse they added in 2020.
Two cooks, two kitchens
His pride and joy, though, is the outdoor kitchen, complete with a smoker that can handle 30 butts, a deep fryer, grill and flat top.
“We both like cooking, but he’s a natural cook,” Amy said. “There’s no recipe ever followed; no measuring involved. I’m just the opposite.” They often share the cooking duties, Derrick said, and they each take a kitchen. “She cooks the indoor part of the meal, and I cook the outdoor part,” he said and laughed. “I cook anything that might stink up the house. Amy likes pumpkin spice and if it doesn’t smell like pumpkin spice in here, she ain’t happy.”
They use this 1940s Chambers stove from Derrick’s grandparents’ house every day.
Although Amy has been known to find ideas online, it’s no surprise that they also use a lot of recipes handed down from family members. She uses a 1950s cookie press to make her grandmother’s cheese straws, and her spaghetti sauce is a favorite. “It’s very good, but it still never tastes as good as I remember hers being,” Amy said.
They love cooking for family and friends, and as a result, their house is a gathering spot during the holidays. At Thanksgiving, they usually have 12 to 16 guests, and Derrick smokes a turkey while Amy handles many of the sides. “I’ve promised Amy a freight elevator to make it easier to haul stuff inside and out for meals,” Derrick said.
Although it’s usually warm enough at Thanksgiving to eat under the pavilion, there was one memorable year when they ate inside. “We were all sitting at the table, and we looked out the window and there were 20 turkeys standing out in the front yard looking at us while we ate our Thanksgiving turkey,” Derrick said. “It was crazy.”
Much of what they cook is what they’ve grown, caught or hunted. “You don’t have to go far around here to find something to eat,” Derrick said. “If it’s not in the garden, it’s at the boathouse. We’re pretty self-sufficient.”
Their freezer is full of fish, which they enjoy grilled, fried and blackened, as well as venison. “I haven’t bought red meat in 15 years,” Amy said. “Derrick is known for his (venison) burgers. They’re delicious.”
The gardens – there are several – are another source of sustenance. “I grew up gardening; it came naturally to me,” Derrick said. “And Amy loves canning, so we make a good pair.”
Thanks to their teamwork, they enjoy a variety of homegrown fruits and vegetables throughout the year. In addition to blueberries and blackberries, their bounty includes figs, corn, cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, squash, strawberries, pumpkin, black-eyed peas, watermelon and purple pole beans. “Everything we have around here, we use,” Amy said.
Leaving the rat race early
So, when do they have time to do it all? It’s been a lot easier since they retired. Derrick retired from the Alabama Forestry Commission in 2017 at age 49, and Amy left the St. Clair County Probate Office in 2019 when she was 47.
“When I was a kid and started working, the first thing my parents told me was if you save 20 or 25 cents out of every dollar you make, you can retire at 50,” Derrick said. “I wasn’t rebellious; I was one of those people who believed my parents. When you start early, you learn to live off that 80 cents and you don’t miss the other 20.”
Amy followed suit not long after they began dating in 2007, and early retirement has given them the freedom to work on the house, tend their gardens, enjoy their time on the lake and indulge their love of of Americana.
“We go picking,” Amy said. “We love collecting things, and it all seems to find a place.” They didn’t have to go far to find many of their treasures. The mantle on the pavilion fireplace was a central beam from under the old Cason-Tipton House, for example, and several finds came from historic buildings they have owned.
In addition to the handrail from Teague Mercantile, a building they owned for about 15 years before selling it earlier this year, the Heckmans salvaged a wood stove from the original Ashville Savings Bank that they owned for a while, as well. It has a place of honor in the loft, which is home to Amy’s library.
“I’m a huge reader, and I asked for my own library,” she said. “I wanted a place for my books. It just makes me happy to come up here.”
The same can be said for the house as a whole. Amy and Derrick love knowing they created their home, filled with memories from generations of love, together. “We wanted it to be cozy and comfortable, but we wanted it to have character, as well,” she said. “A lot of things we have belonged to family, and we wouldn’t trade anything for it. We’d both rather have something old than new any day.”
Blackened Catfish
Large catfish filets (Use filets from 2- or 3-pound catfish. Caught fresh is best!)
Fire-n-Smoke Fish Monger seasoning
Zatarain’s ground cayenne pepper
Olive oil or Pam spray
Pepper jelly
Rinse filets with water. Lightly sprinkle with Fish Monger seasoning and cayenne pepper (lightly, the pepper is powerful.)
Let marinate in refrigerator for 3-4 hours. Heat a cast iron skillet or flat top on high. Lightly sprinkle filets with olive oil or Pam spray. Lay filets in skillet or on flat top and cover with a lid. (This is crucial. I use a pot lid.)
Brown until golden; it usually has blackened edges. (This takes practice.) Serve on a bed of shrimp and grits, rice, etouffee or jambalaya. Drizzle with pepper jelly to finish. Enjoy!
Blueberry Pecan Sour Cream Cake
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup plus over-filled ½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
2 cups blueberries
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
½ cup pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour bundt pan.
In mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in sour cream and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to batter until just blended. Fold in blueberries. Spoon half the batter into pan.
Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Sprinkle ½ mixture over batter. Spoon remaining batter on top and then sprinkle remaining pecan mixture.
Bake 1 hour and 20 minutes. (Cooking times may vary depending on oven.)
Shrimp and Grits
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup uncooked quick cook grits
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 tbsp butter
2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp parsley
6 green onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Bring broth to boil. Stir in grits. Cook, stirring occasionally 5-7 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat, stir in salt and next 3 ingredients. Set aside and keep warm.
Cook bacon and remove from pan. Cook shrimp in same pan 3 minutes or until almost pink. Add lemon juice and next four ingredients and cook 3 minutes. Stir in crumbled bacon.
Spoon grits onto plate or bowl and top with shrimp mixture.
Corn and Black Bean Salsa
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
3 cups fresh, frozen or canned corn kernels
2 cans black beans, drained
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cumin
1 cup diced fresh or canned tomatoes
½ cup red onion
1 jalapeño
3 tbsp lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
Cook corn in skillet until slightly charred. Add salt and cumin.
Combine remaining ingredients, add corn, stir and enjoy!
Summer 2022 garnered much interest for Neely Henry Lake, with a full house of supportive participants hitting the water for Neely Henry Lake Association’s Poker Run. While boaters soaked in the sun and crossed their fingers for a royal flush, the event served as an exceptionally successful fundraiser for local and neighboring communities.
Grabbing a playing card
Original founding NHLA board member and officer Hap Bryant inspired the poker run, designing the idea from his past as a motorcycle rider. Bryant and his fellow bikers often participated in poker runs – racing to designated stops and collecting cards along the way – with the hopes of ending the route with a winning hand.
While Bryant never dissuaded a victory, he expressed that the true joy the event produced came from the camaraderie he and the other bike-enthusiasts shared. Although Bryant himself has since passed away, the NHLA’s own poker run channeled his joviality into planning its event, dedicating the fundraiser in his memory.
The poker run mirrored Bryant’s bike design, replacing motorcycles with boats. NHLA’s event committee – alongside board members Randy Elrod, Stace Beecham and Hugh Stump, led the effort. They established five points up and down Neely Henry Lake, positioning greeters at each stop to give boaters the opportunity to select a card.
The race was not timed, with the mentality that boaters could leisurely cruise from one point to another, enjoying a peaceful and fun day on the lake.
“We strive to communicate to the public how important our lake is – environmentally and economically,” said NHLA President Dave Tumlin, describing how the poker run reinforced the association’s mission. “Our mission is to preserve, protect and improve life on the Coosa River. With such a great turnout, I learned how much our communities love and appreciate our lake, and how in working as a team, we can help introduce even more people to the joy and pleasure of spending time on a clean and safe lake.”
Over 150 dedicated members and families, who all share a common focus to protect and preserve the natural asset in Neely Henry Lake and surrounding waterways, comprise NHLA’s membership.
On a mission
The organization sponsors and co-sponsors several local projects throughout the year. The poker run supported the association’s Annual Christmas Boat Parade, an event it created and a collaborative effort with Downtown Gadsden, Inc. It integrates the parade with First Friday and the city’s tree lighting.
The association also coordinates with Southside and Rainbow City to promote parades for both municipalities, generating more and more spectators each year, gathering crowds looking forward to the countless twinkling lights, music and holiday festivities.
Most recently, the association partnered with Rainbow City and Southside to debut “Dinner and a Movie” at the new Southside marina, which supported Southside Elementary School. Families flocked to the waterfront property, with 800 attendees – both on land and boat – grabbing snacks from local food vendors as they watched the iconic classic, Jaws.
Studying the course
“At our bimonthly meetings, we have expert speakers that help communicate various subjects, including environmental importance, safety and history of the lake,” said Tumlin, discussing the significance of supporting these projects. “Recent speakers have talked on a major fish study going on, with changes to shoreline construction rules and other similar topics. Three years ago, with support from Greater Gadsden Area Tourism, we had Jacksonville State University complete an economic impact study of Neely Henry Lake on Etowah County. The results were startling. The study found that Neely Henry Lake had annual economic activity of $523,731,618 to Etowah County! If you add in Calhoun and St. Clair counties, the annual activity number is $570,663,991!”
The association partners with Alabama Power each year to build and deploy fish habitats in various locations on the lake, while supporting the Renew Our Rivers project alongside frequent educational programs geared toward improving the quality and appreciation of the lake.
In October, in collaboration with Alabama Power, the association will build 100 “spider blocks,” long-lasting structures that attract bait and game fish, to promote the sport at a world-class level. Though in years past the structures were deployed out of Rainbow City Landing and River Rocks Landing, this year, the association will build out of Greensport Marina on Neely Henry’s St. Clair side.
While the association commits itself to treasuring the enrichment and value the lake and local waterways generates for its community, opportunities such as the poker run arise as an outlet of support to fulfill its mission. It’s a purpose that those affiliated with the association strive to preserve, not only for themselves, but for the future of the beloved place they call home.
“Our team is fully committed to the future of Neely Henry Lake,” said Tumlin. “We hope that the actions we take, be it education on the environment, improving the quality of water and habitat or helping us all to better appreciate our lake, will allow our kids and grandkids to enjoy this magnificent natural asset for many decades to come.”
