Wilcox County gets prominent mention in new book about Alabama

Reedy Press recently sent me a copy of Mary Johns Wilson’s new book, “100 Things To Do In Alabama Before You Die,” and it should come as no surprise that Wilcox County is prominently mentioned in this book.

Between the covers of this outstanding 176-page book, which was released on Oct. 15, Wilson sets out to define “the 100 must-see attractions and sites” in Alabama. “From beaches and mountains to big cities and charming small towns, there is so much to discover in Alabama, whether you’ve lived here your entire life or are just driving through,” Wilson said. “With the state’s bicentennial almost here, I hope this book will encourage folks to celebrate the big anniversary by creating their own adventures to places they didn’t know about before.”

In her chapter on bucket list-worthy cultural and historical sites in Alabama, Wilson encourages readers to visit the Gee’s Bend Quilters Collective and to ride the Gee’s Bend Ferry.

“Each item created by the women of the Gee’s Bend Quilters Collective tells a story of perseverance in not only the desire to capture the American Dream but also the even greater desire to be seen as equal citizens,” Wilson said. “Gee’s Bend is a rural community in Wilcox County, surrounded on three sides by the Alabama River and populated mostly by descendants of slaves. In 1962, residents took a 15-minute ferry ride into Camden, the county seat, and marched for their right to vote. Following the march, county leaders thwarted the civil rights efforts by suspending ferry service to Gee’s Bend. It left residents isolated with only one way to get to town – a two-hour car ride.”

Wilson notes that Gee’s Bend residents were resourceful, and this quality ultimately propelled them into the national spotlight.

“The women started quilting bees and gained national acclaim for their artful quilt designs,” Wilson said. “In the following decades, the quilts of Gee’s Bend were displayed in Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. The women of Gee’s Bend continue to create and sell their quilts today through the Gee’s Bend Quilters Collective, which opened in 2003.”

Wilson also encourages visitors to Wilcox County to “experience an extra piece of history” by riding the Gee’s Bend Ferry to the Gee’s Bend Quilters Collective. She notes that ferry service was restored in 2006 and provides directions to the ferry terminal on County Road 29 at Boykin.

The information above is just a taste of what you’ll find in Wilson’s book, which also includes numerous other “must see” sites that are a short drive from Wilcox County. Wilson notes that if you were to visit every place or attend every event listed in her book, you would end up visiting 52 of Alabama’s 67 counties, nearly the entire state.

Wilson, a native of Kentucky, has lived in Alabama since 2009 and was uniquely situated to write this book. Working for the Alabama Farmers Federation, she has traveled extensively around the state. She is also the co-host of “Simply Southern TV,” a 30-minute rural television show that airs on Sunday mornings around the state.

“My work with the TV show and with the Alabama Farmers Federation has given me the chance to meet the wonderful people of Alabama while exploring every corner of this great state,” she said. “I hate to pass a historic marker without reading it. Hopefully, all those little tidbits of information I’ve gathered over my decade living here will help readers enjoy their travels through the Heart of Dixie.”

In the end, I highly recommend that you pick up a copy of Wilson’s new book. Not only does it include information about Wilcox County, but it also features a wide variety of other places and events that you’ll want to check out. For more information about the book, visit www.100thingsalabama.com.