Little remains from the heyday of Wilcox County's Neenah community

I was out riding around the other day and found myself in the southeastern part of Wilcox County, not far from the old fire tower at Fatama. On a whim, I turned down County Road 51, which runs for about seven miles from State Highway 265 to Rosebud on State Highway 10. It had rained earlier that day, so I just eased along as the blacktop gave way to a well-traveled dirt road.

A little farther down the road, something to my left caught my eye, and I backed up for a better look. It was a sign that read “Rest in Peace, Jordan Cemetery, Neenah, Alabama, Restored August 2013.” Not having anywhere in particular to be at the time, I pulled over with an eye towards taking a closer look.

This cemetery is unique for a couple of reasons. It contains scores of old graves, but they are spread around into several different areas, with the oldest graves seemingly at the back of the property. This cemetery also seems to be, at least partially, surrounded by a trench or ditch, which I presume was dug long ago to help drain water away from the graveyard.

I couldn’t help but wonder if there had been a church here years and years ago. My feeling is that there probably was a church there at some point, but I saw no sign of it during my visit to the cemetery the other day. Perhaps the church was located somewhere else along the road.

I eventually made my way back to my truck, and as I backed out into the road, I was reminded that I was smackdab in the middle of the old Neenah community. I’d read about this community before and knew that it was once a bustling place with many residents. In fact, sources say there was a post office at Neenah between 1902 and 1955.

Later, when I checked “Places Names in Alabama” by Virginia O. Foscue, I learned that Neenah’s name is said to have been derived from the phonetic spelling of the given name of a woman named Nina Olinsky, who once lived in the area. Whatever became of Nina Olinsky? Was this her maiden name? Is she buried somewhere in or around the old community that bears some form of her name?

As I continued east on County Road 51, I couldn’t help but ponder what the old community must have looked like. If it had a post office, it probably also had a sizeable country store and more than likely had a school. No doubt the woods along County Road 51 contain the remnants of old homeplaces once occupied by the long-dead residents of Neenah.

My travels eventually took me over Pursley Creek, and a little later I emerged onto Highway 10 at Rosebud. There, I was reminded of the old ghost stories about that community’s infamous “Dancing Skulls.” But that is a tale for another day.

Before I close out, I feel I should say that if you ever get the itch to venture down County Road 51 to see the old Jordan Cemetery for yourself, I suggest that you go during dry weather. I encountered several big mud holes in my truck the day that I went, and I was glad that I wasn’t in a vehicle with low ground clearance. More than once, I just gave it the gas and hoped for the best.

In the end, please let me hear from you if you know anything more about the history of the old Neenah community. Also, if anyone knows what happened to Nina Olinsky, please let me know. It would be interesting to know what became of the lady whose name is still so closely attached to one of the county’s oldest communities.