Horton Mill Bridge, Blount County, Alabama

34° 0'28.64"N
86°26'53.89"W
About 39 miles northeast of Birmingham

Covered bridges are icons of touristy kitsch. I still want to visit every one. Our goal on this trip was to visit the three in Blount County. This is the only one we found. (We weren't trying very hard because it was pouring rain!)

This bridge was originally built in 1894 by Thurman Horton to allow the residents of Sand Mountain to access his store and mill. As I sit fussing about a website taking 3 seconds to load, it's difficult to relate to those customers stuck on the other side of the Little Warrior River waiting for the ford to be passable to get some coffee or sugar. The completion of Mr. Horton's bridge must have been as exciting as the opening of a new mall.

The bridge was rebuilt in 1934 slightly upstream from the original and restored in 1974. It is 220 feet long and is the highest covered bridge over water in the U.S. It's right off of Highway 75, is well marked, and has a picnic area.

Alabama has 11 covered bridges which are designated in a Covered Bridge Trail. We will definitely be following the trail, although probably in chunks rather than all at once! There is also a collection of covered bridges, including this one, on Google Earth.

Oak Mountain Tunnel, Leeds, Alabama: Haunted by John Henry?

33°31'2.07"N
86°32'47.41"W
About 15 miles east of Birmingham

While researching Calcis, Alabama, I came across excerpts from the journal of E. L. Voyles, a road superintendent for the Seaboard Air Line Railroad during the first half of the twentieth century. He claimed that trains passing through the Oak (Mountain) Tunnel would blow their steam whistles to honor John Henry, who, many believe, died at this tunnel after his race with the steam driver.
According to Dr. John Garst, from the University of Georgia, reliable eye witness accounts indicate that the famous contest took place on Thursday, September 20, 1887 near where the southeast portal was under construction. Other researchers believe the contest took place at the Big Bend Tunnel in West Virginia, where a statue honors the legendary railroad worker. Dr. Scott Nelson, from the College of William and Mary, has written a book, Steel Drivin' Man, that places the events at Lewis Tunnel, in Virginia on the same rail line east of the Big Bend Tunnel. (I had no idea that there were scholarly and territorial battles mildly raging about a folksong. I have always put the John Henry legend in the same genre as stories about Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill, not needing a basis in fact to enjoy the story.)

The Oak Mountain Tunnel is just south of Leeds, Alabama along Highway 25. We had to park at the base of a cell tower and scramble through the woods to get to the northwest portal. (Not every vehicle could maneuver the very steep drive to the tower. My Honda Element almost got stuck trying to turn around at the bottom. For once on our adventures, cell phone coverage was excellent: my boss called as I tried to find a graceful route back out of the railroad cut.)

The cut is narrow, so we noted the wide spots we could retreat to in case of train. The tunnel is wet, but well-maintained. Even though Mr. Voyles said numerous railroad employees "had strange feelings between Oak Signal and the tunnel portal" and "most Central Engineers believed that John’s ghost haunted Oak Tunnel," we did not see or feel any ghostly presence on a warm, sunny spring day. It's easy to imagine better results on a misty moonlit night. We wanted to explore the other portal for the steel rod that supposedly is left from the race, but weren't brave (stupid!) enough to venture through the tunnel. We will attempt to gain access to that side by road on our next visit.

Little River Canyon, Alabama

34°21'8.18"N
85°40'27.52"W
About 86 miles NE of Birmingham

We happened on Little River Canyon by accident a decade or so ago while on a Sunday drive to Desoto State Park. The canyon's beauty took our breath away. We couldn't believe we'd never heard of it. Our visit on a misty Sunday morning last fall was a sweet end to a few days on Lookout Mountain.

The National Park Service has remedied the potholes, crumbling cement, and wrecked cars on the cliff that slightly soured our first impression. We met a friendly photographer at Little River Falls near the north end of the reserve. He showed us his portfolio, including a bob cat he'd seen on the canyon rim. In summer the falls is crowded with swimmers.

I heard a rumor that large alligator gar can be seen swimming in the pools below. I have checked at every overlook on every visit, with no success. We did see some deer, turkeys, and many other birds. We spent some time watching doves (or pigeons?) swirling off the cliffs into a few wispy cloudlets.

At one of the overlooks we were puzzled by crime scene tape strung among the trees. Later we read that a pickup truck with a body had been spotted on the cliff below that morning. That makes our enjoyment of the scenery seem frivolous somehow.

There are picnic tables at several spots along the main road. There is a hiking trail to the bottom of the canyon which we have never ventured on. The Little River is very popular for kayaking.

Update 04-18-2007: An article by Jennifer Bacchus indicates that Jacksonville State will build a field school in the park that would be "a place where students and professors could study and do experiments, a lab facility with offices for the park officials and room for visitors to learn about Little River Canyon and the ecology of Northeast Alabama."

Train Depot, Stevenson, Alabama

34°52'7.00"N
85°50'22.00"W
About 107 miles NE of Birmingham

Prompted by an entry in Alabama Off the Beaten Path, we visited Stevenson on our way to Russell Cave. The depot houses a museum of local history that we spent an enjoyable hour browsing through. The attendant graciously narrated our tour through each room, bringing the culture of the area alive. She explained that the stuffed eagle was electrocuted just outside of town and that the Christmas tree of kitchen gadgets stayed up year round because it turned out to be the best way to display them. She also showed us the Christmas decorations she was sorting through, explaining how she'd stretched the museum's meager budget at after-Christmas sales. My favorite exhibit was the room hung with a long series of class photos from the high school. Each included the staff, so I watched the secretary and principal as they aged and the students documented the march of fashion.

Next to the depot is the former hotel, currently hosting city offices. Only the truly exhausted must have slept well so few inches away from the tracks.

Stevenson Depot Days are held every year in June. And the depot is decorated annually for the winter holidays.

When we go back, we will look for Fort Harker and Little Brick.

Bibb County Glades, Alabama

33° 3'33.03"N
87° 2'4.14"W
About 35 miles southwest of Birmingham

Have you ever seen a U-Haul truck with the Alabama pink root graphic? It depicts a unique biological community along the Little Cahaba River discovered in 1992 by biologist Jim Allison. These dolomite glades are home to many rare plants, eight of which grow nowhere else in the world. The Nature Conservancy's Nancy Stiles Freeland Bibb County Glades Preserve encompasses 480 acres of the Ketona glade ecosystem and the remains of the Brighthope Furnace. It is a short walk from the gate across the entrance road to the river, which is a nice spot for a picnic. (There are no facilities.)

Brighthope (or Little Cahaba) Furnace was built by William Phineas Browne to provide iron for the Confederacy. It was destroyed by the Union army. Dr. James Day was kind enough to provide us with a copy of his doctoral thesis "'Diamonds in the Rough': A History of Alabama's Cahaba Coal Field," which recounts Mr. & Mrs. Browne's struggles to develop their coal and iron businesses. Rhonda Ellison's book, Bibb County, Alabama: The First Hundred Years, gives a description of the dam and furnace site (pg 101). We will try to find evidence of both on our next visit.

Birmingham Museum of Art, Alabama

I'm always amazed at how many residents of Birmingham and Alabama (and probably anywhere) are unaware of the myriad places in their neighborhood that are worth visiting. Natives tend to stick to the familiar. Transplants moan about being in a cultural backwater. Recently we did our Showcase Recital at Boutwell Auditorium. We gave directions using the Birmingham Museum of Art as a landmark--and many didn't know the place. What a shame! The Birmingham Museum of Art is definitely a regional treasure. It has a world-class Wedgewood collection, which prompted my then 5-year-old son to comment that this museum had "way too many dishes". He was soon won back by the display of samurai weaponry.
Personally, I am fascinated by native American quillworking. Before Europeans traded for beads, native American women used dyed porcupine quills to decorate clothing. BMA has some nice examples--I think better even than the Denver art museum.
We usually plan our visits around the special exhibitions. The museum is open every day except Monday and a few holidays. Admission is free, with a donation box at the entrance. Parking is free (after validation) in the museum's lot off of 21st Street.

Natural Bridge, Alabama

34 deg 5' 24.47" N
87 deg 36' 54.26"W
About 60 miles northwest of Birmingham

Natural Bridge is a delightful little town with an unofficial population of 28. Natural Bridge Park surprised us with its beauty. Admission of $2.50 per person is collected in a gift shop full of classic souvenirs. Past the artesian water fountains and the rock formation resembling an Indian face is a trail to the natural bridge. The trail continues under the bridge and for perhaps half a mile along the rocks to a beautiful falls. This park would be a refreshing place for a picnic during the summer heat and must be spectacular in the fall.

Crenelated Water Tower, Marvel, Alabama

33 deg 8' 49.95"N
87 deg 0' 7.47"W
About 28 miles southwest of Birmingham

Marvel was a mining town in the Cahaba coal fields. Roden Coal Company operated there from the early 1900's until the 1950's. Although many people still live in the town, this water tower is a striking remnant of more prosperous times. The top is crenelated and a ladder angles out of one of the windows, which must require more acrobatics to climb than I'd be willing to do at that height. I've never seen a concrete water tower before and I would like to know how it was constructed. MSHA has a photo of the mine's surface plant with a note that there was an explosion on October 22, 1916 that killed 18 miners.
Next time we visit Marvel, we'll look for the mine ruins.

Peach Water Tower, Clanton, Alabama

32 deg 53' 11.56"N
86 deg 37' 32.29"W
About 45 miles south of Birmingham

I almost didn't post this because the water tower is such an obvious landmark while traveling Interstate 65. But slow travelers might be interested in getting a closer look. We found the 'peach' looming over an expanse of bare dirt that was almost the same color. It made a striking contrast to the summer blue sky. According to Roadside America, it is 120 feet high, holds 500,000 gallons, and was constructed in 1992. There is a peach-themed restaurant close by, but we did not eat there. Based on signage, I suspect local peaches are also available in season.

Sprott, Alabama

32 deg 40' 36"N
87 deg 13' 17"W
About 60 miles southwest of Birmingham

A crossroads with an abandoned store which was the subject of this Depression era photo in the Library of Congress. The store was open as recently as 1996 (photos). There is also a barn with farm equipment and another building that I would love to know the purpose of:


I wanted to see Sprott because the name always figures prominently during the coverage of tornado outbreaks. When I planned our outing to visit Sprott, I thought we would buy some lunch there. We should have brought our own!

These and more of our Sprott photos here.

Beaunit Rayon Factory, Childersberg, Alabama

33 deg 22' 29.3''N
86 deg 19' 58.9"W
5.8 miles north of Childersburg on Hwy 235

This abandoned factory is on the edge of the Alabama Army Ammunition Plant.
It's a Superfund site. It's for sale. Search here using a minimum square footage of 600,000 to see a property description and an areal view.
There's an endangered (private) cemetery adjoining the property.

I was surprised to find that Beaunit was (is?) a subsidiary of my husband's employer, El Paso Corp.

Calcis, Alabama

33°25'35.05"N 86°25'52.91"W
About 22 miles southeast of Birmingham.

A small community presumably named after the limestone quarried nearby. This stone was used in construction of the Logan Martin Dam. The abandoned Justice store stands at the crossroads. Next door, an old house with gingerbread decoration is being restored.




Some history here.
Photos here.
Seen through the store window: