Wilcox County's Arlington community grew up around old Mobile & B'ham Railroad station

The old Arlington Mercantile store.

Last Friday afternoon, I found myself out riding around in western Wilcox County, doing a little exploring and enjoying the sunny weather. My travels took me north up State Highway 5 through Pine Hill and points beyond. Between Kimbrough and Lamison, I came to the County Road 32 crossroads, where I turned west towards the Arlington community.

Those of you familiar with Arlington will know that it’s one of the most unique communities in all of Wilcox County. According to “Place Names in Alabama” by Virginia O. Foscue, the community grew up around a Mobile & Birmingham Railroad station. A post office was established there in 1887, and the community was named for the Virginia home of Robert E. Lee, commanding general of the Confederate army during the War Between the States.

Some of you may remember that back in September I wrote about an old Masonic lodge that was once located at Arlington. That lodge was originally located in the Clifton community but was moved to Arlington in 1893, when it changed its name to Arlington Lodge No. 272. That lodge closed in 1903 and on Friday I wanted to see if anything remained of the old lodge building.

On my way down County Road 32, I pulled over at the Arlington United Methodist Church, a church that I’ve heard much about over the years but had never seen in person. Sources say that this beautiful old church was built in 1887 by George Lynch, who owned a lumber mill at Kimbrough. The church’s belfry, Sunday school rooms, fellowship hall and stained-glass windows were added at various different times over the years.

While there, I spent a few minutes exploring the cemetery located adjacent to the church. Just eye-balling it, I’d say this cemetery contains between 150 and 200 graves. The oldest grave that I saw belonged to Mary Ellen Rikard Nettles, who died at the age of 29 in 1879.

I eventually got back in my truck and continued deeper into Arlington. Not far down the road, I pulled into the parking lot of the community’s post office, which traces its roots to 1887. I actually had a bill to mail, so I killed two birds with one stone by going inside and dropping it down the outgoing mail shoot.

A little farther down the road, I came to the T-junction where County Road 11 runs into County Road 32. Most maps show this as being “downtown” Arlington, so I pulled over for a closer look at the old buildings in this area. One building in particular stood out – the old Arlington Mercantile store – which still bears a rusty, old sign advertising “Cold Beverages-Snacks-Groceries.” This old store appears to have been closed for some time, so one is left to wonder just how long it’s been out of operation.

My map showed that if I continued west on County Road 32, I would enter Marengo County just a few miles down the road. With that in mind, I turned around and headed east back towards State Highway 5. On my way out of Arlington, I took my time and tried to imagine what this bustling railroad town must have looked like in its heyday.

In the end, I was unable to find the old Masonic lodge building, so chances are it was torn down years ago. If anyone in the reading audience knows where it was located, please let me know. Someone in the reading audience may even have a photo of the old lodge.

Also, let me hear from you if you know anything more about the history of the Arlington community. I’m especially interested in any old ghost stories, local legends and Indian lore from this area. Please pass along what you know, so that we can document this information for the generations to come.