There is much to be seen in the old railroad town of Catherine, Alabama

Old store and post office at Catherine, Alabama.

Catherine is a railroad community located along State Highway 5 in northwest Wilcox County, just east of the county’s border with Marengo County. According to “Place Names in Alabama” by Virginia O. Foscue, the community was named for the wife of a Southern Railroad official. The Catherine post office, which is still in operation today, was first established in 1888.

I found myself passing through Catherine the other day and decided to take a few minutes to explore this old railroad town. My first stop was the Catherine Cemetery, located off Richards Drive, not far from the post office. It was cold and windy, but that didn’t stop me from getting out of my warm truck for a look around this old cemetery.

Those of you who have been to this cemetery before will know that it contains about 120 graves. As I walked among the headstones there, the oldest grave that I saw belonged to James A. Kimbrough. According to his broken headstone, he was born in Wilcox County in 1837 and passed away at the age of 63 in 1900.

Eventually, I climbed back into the warm cab of my truck and drove over to the post office, which is located in a modern, brick building that fronts on State Highway 5. In the parking lot, I talked with a friendly UPS deliveryman and then poked my head inside the post office for a quick word with the nice lady tending the counter. As I walked back to my truck, I could not help but wonder what Catherine’s first post office must have looked like.

From there, I traveled down State Highway 5 and made a brief stop at the Salem Baptist Church, which also has an adjoining cemetery. This church features two front doors, an old church design which harkens back to a Shaker custom in which men used one door and women used the other. According to the building’s cornerstone, this church was established in 1950 when the Rev. J.H. Stuard was pastor.

Leaving this church behind, I crossed over the railroad tracks and made my way down County Road 38, where you’ll find the Catherine Presbyterian Church and the Catherine Baptist Church. These churches are unique in that they are located next door to one another, less than 100 yards apart, with just a small yard between the two. These churches were also both founded around the same time, each in the year 1890.

Both churches also have a belfry, and you can actually see the old iron bell atop the Presbyterian church. The Baptist church belfry is enclosed, protecting its bell from the weather. One notable feature of the Baptist church is the bell-pull rope that hangs down from a small hole in the front porch ceiling, and one can only wonder as to how many hands over the years have pulled on this rope to call worshipers to this stately, country church.

On my way out of town, I stopped to look at an old store building located near the railroad tracks at the intersection of County Road 38 and State Highway 5. An old, faded Coca-Cola sign hangs on one side of the building, and this sign features a mostly-forgotten cartoon character known as the “Sprite Boy.” This character appeared in Coca-Cola advertisements between 1942 and 1958, which indicates that the old sign at Catherine is at least 63 years old.

I’ve also been told that this old store once served as Catherine’s post office. This makes sense because the store is located a short walk from the railroad tracks, where no doubt trains once picked up and delivered mail for the town’s residents. In fact, the wood box where residents once dropped off their out-going mail is still located on the store’s front porch.

Eventually, I headed home, and as Catherine disappeared in my rearview mirror, I could not help but think about Catherine’s place in Wilcox County history. If anyone in the reading audience knows more about the history of this community (especially the full name of the woman it’s named after), its churches and the old store mentioned above, please let me know. I’m especially interested in any old ghost stories, local legends and Indian lore associated with Catherine, so if you know of anything along those lines, please let me hear from you.