What's the creepiest place in Wilcox County, Alabama?

Spirit cage at Harris Hill Cemetery.

A few days ago, I ran across an interesting article online titled “The Creepiest Places To Visit In Every State.” Published by the travel website, Thrillist.com, this article listed state-by-state the creepiest places to visit from sea to shining sea during the Halloween season. As you might imagine, the list included some of the most famous cemeteries, haunted hotels and abandoned mental hospitals in the country.

According to the article, the creepiest place in Alabama is the Maple Hill Cemetery in Huntsville. Here’s what Thrillist.com writer Andy Kryza had to say about that spooky graveyard:

“Oh, sure, the actual cemetery here is creepy and all, but it's the playground that'll really get you. In 1985, somebody decided to open a playground adjacent to Huntsville's oldest cemetery, presumably to give the children of mourning parents some respite. Instead, it appears that the resident ghosts are the ones enjoying it most: people report seeing orbs of light going down the slide and unoccupied swings moving, accompanied by disembodied giggles. Adding to the eeriness, some locals believe the victims of a rash of child murders in the '60s were buried nearby, their spirits now having eternal playdates with the cemetery's official residents.”

I have been to Huntsville many times and have been hearing about the Maple Hill Cemetery for years, but I have never actually been there. However, I have visited many cemeteries in our part of the state, including more than I can count in Wilcox County. Some of those would rank high among the creepiest places that I’ve ever been.

No disrespect to the people buried there, but I would say the creepiest Wilcox County cemetery that I’ve been to is the old Harris Hill Cemetery, which is located in the woods northeast of Oak Hill. The last time that I visited this cemetery was in January 2018 when my young son and I were out doing a little exploring. It had snowed a few days before, and I remember that we had to get out of the truck and walk up the dirt lane to the cemetery so that we wouldn’t get stuck in the mud.

When we reached the end of the lane and the thick woods opened up to reveal the cemetery, I was struck by how much of it was hidden by yellow, winter-deadened grass. I was also shocked by how many coffins, many of them modern, were exposed and partially open. I presume that these coffins weren’t buried in vaults and rainfall over the years had caused them to rise through the soil to the surface. Why some of them were open, I do not know.

This cemetery also contains a rare “spirit cage,” one of the few that I’ve encountered in Wilcox County. This “spirit cage” consisted of a chain link fence supported by eight metal posts. The top of each post was painted with light blue “haint paint,” which is believed to keep ghosts inside the “cage.” In all, about 10 graves were enclosed within this “spirit cage,” including members of the Young and Pettway families.

I am not one to scare easily, but something about this cemetery set me on edge almost immediately. It’s remote and secluded, and as soon as I arrived, I wanted to leave. We lingered there just long enough for a brief look around and to snap a few photos. Then we got the heck out of there.

In the end, if you’d like to read the entire article on Thrillist.com, visit www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/most-haunted-places-in-america. I’m also preparing my annual list of “Spookiest Places in Wilcox County” for publication later this month, so if you know of a spooky place that you’d like to tell me about, please let me hear from you.

The Evergreen Courant's News Flashback for Oct. 13, 2020

21 YEARS AGO

OCT. 14, 1999

The Evergreen Orpheus Club began its 92^nd year on Oct. 6 with a meeting in the home of Mrs. John Law Robinson with Ms. Melissa Robinson as co-hostess. There were 13 members and two visitors present. Vice president, Mrs. Joe Morrison, presided in the absence of the president, Mrs. H.H. Birkhead.

Wilton Edwards Fields Jr., 104, of Brewton died Fri., Oct. 8, at West Gate Village in Brewton. Funeral services were held Sun., Oct. 10, from the chapel of Cope Funeral Home with the Rev. Clifford Dixon officiating. Burial was in New Haven Cemetery.

Jessie M. Roberson, a native of Evergreen, was nominated to be a member of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) by President Bill Clinton on Sept. 24, 1999.
The DNFSB was established in 1988 as an amendment to the Atomic Energy establishment within the Executive Branch. The DNFSB is responsible for independent, external oversight of all activities in the Department of Energy’s nuclear weapons complex affecting nuclear health and safety.

Lane Hadlock, tax manager of Trus Joist MacMillan, approached the Conecuh County Commission with a plan to make 170 acres, owned by the Industrial Development Board, into an industrial park at the commission meeting held Monday. The commission decided to make a decision on the issue at a later date, in order to give Hadlock time to discuss it with the town of Castleberry.

45 YEARS AGO
OCT. 10, 1974

Evergreen weather observer Earl Windham reported no rain between Sept. 30 and Oct. 6. Windham reported a high of 82 degrees on Sept. 30 and lows of 43 degrees on Sept. 3 and Sept. 4.

Area writers on program in Birmingham: Two writers from this area, Ruth Lanier Hester and Riley N. Kelly, attended the National Poetry Day program at the Museum of Fine Arts in Birmingham last Thursday, Oct. 3.
Kelly was a featured speaker on the program and Ruth Hester read her 1974 prize-winning poetry. Both were among 12 to receive long-stemmed red roses and among the 16 chosen by Mary B. Ward, Alabama Poet Laureate Emeritus, as luncheon guests at The Club, Birmingham’s most exclusive, atop Red Mountain overlooking the city.

The historical Antioch Primitive Baptist Church at the County Lake was constructed in the days when pegs were used instead of nails as you can see above. The church has been torn down and will be replaced by a modern building.

PV2 Patricia A. Hutchison, first woman to join the local Alabama National Guard unit, recently returned from a three-month tour of active duty. She is a clerk typist in the local unit, Det. 2, 778^th Maint. Co.

Biloxi, Miss. – Airman Christopher P. Mininger, son of Mr. and Mrs. Darwin Mininger of 207 Pecan St., Evergreen, Ala., has graduated at Keesler AFB, Miss., from the Air Training Command’s basic course for electronic specialist. Airman Mininger is a 1972 graduate of Evergreen High School.

63 YEARS AGO
OCT. 11, 1956

Ground was broken Sunday morning for the Sunday School Annex to the Education Building at the Evergreen Methodist Church.
The first spade of ground was moved by Fred Wright, who has been Superintendent of Education for the past 17 years and was assistant superintendent for four years prior to becoming superintendent.

Two Jailed Here Tuesday Following 100 mph Chase: Fred Myles of Ackworth, Ga. is being held in Conecuh County Jail on charges of driving while intoxicated, leaving the scene of an accident and possibly charges of car theft. A woman companion, Foy Reynolds, age 28, alias Foy Brady, of Summerville, Ga. is being held for investigation.
Myles was captured after a 100 mile an hour chase by Highway Patrolman Wallace Jackson. According to Jackson, the car driven by Myles sideswiped a truck at the north end of Travis Bridge, and Myles left the scene of the accident, attempting to escape. Jackson spotted Myles about three miles outside Evergreen, and gave chase to Evergreen and on out the Brooklyn Road at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour, to a point near the old drive-in theatre, where Myles was apprehended.
The truck was driven by E.E. Holland of Anniston and it was only damaged slightly.
A check with Georgia authorities revealed that the car driven by Myles had been reported as stolen Sunday night from H.G. Self of Summerville, Ga. Myles was working for Self, a contractor.

71 YEARS AGO
OCT. 13, 1949

Respected Negro Man Dies Tuesday P.M. – R.L. “Raz” Philyaw, age 63, esteemed Negro citizen of this city, died at a Greenville hospital Tuesday afternoon following a brief illness. He was taken violently ill Monday and rushed to the hospital.
“Raz,” as he was familiarly known to the people of this community, was respected by citizens of both races. He was a hardworking, thrifty Negro, and was regarded as one of the best farmers in the county. Through his industry and thrift, he had accumulated considerable property. He was a leader among the people of his race in religious, educational and civic movements.

GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATED: On Sept. 27, 1949, Dr. and Mrs. J.W. Hagood celebrated their 50^th anniversary. All their children came to spend the weekend with them, the first time they had all been together in 25 years.
Rev. James J. Hagood, oldest brother of Dr. Hagood, from Tallapoosa, Ga., also helped to celebrate this joyous occasion. He performed the ceremony 50 years ago.

Master Sgt. F.B. Brantley returned last week from Munich, Germany where he has been on duty for the past six months.

Friends of Mrs. R.Z. Wells will be glad to know that she is up and able to get out again after being confined to her bed with burns on her face and arms caused by a gas stove.

94 YEARS AGO
OCT. 13, 1926

COURANT PUBLICATION DAY CHANGED TO THURSDAY: Beginning with the next issue, The Courant will be published on Thursdays instead of Wednesday as heretofore. This issue will also mark the beginning of a new publication year, which will be the thirty-second.
It is believed by the management that the change of publication from Wednesday to Thursdays will prove of mutual benefit to all concerned. It is our desire to serve our readers and advertising patrons in the most acceptable and beneficial way possible. After careful consideration, we believe this change is necessary. We trust that it will meet with the approval of our people.
We shall go to press early Thursday morning, thus enabling us to have all papers in the mail by 12 o’clock, in time to get off on both north and south bound mails, which pass in the afternoon.
All copy for advertising and reading matter should be sent in as early as it’s available and by no means later than Wednesday noon. We urgently request that our correspondents and advertisers help us by getting in their copy as early as possible, in order that we take care of them and not be so rushed the last few hours.

The McKenzie-Evergreen Highway is nearing completion. Finishing touches are being added and gravel is being put down on the portion that is to receive gravel surface. The greater portion of the highway has a sand-clay surface, there being about one mile next to Evergreen which will be graveled. The road is a fine specimen of highway construction and is quite a contribution to State’s chain of highways. The work was done by M.M. Bentley Construction Co.

The Evergreen Courant's Sports Flashback for Oct. 12, 2020

21 YEARS AGO
OCT. 14, 1999

Opp Wins Cat Fight: The Opp Bobcats celebrated homecoming with a 21-7 lead over the Hillcrest Jaguars last Friday night.
Tailback Brandy Brannan rushed for two touchdowns and quarterback Alan Burgess hit flanker Willie Wilkerson with a 41-yard strike to account for the ‘Cats third score.
Charlie Vaughn added the three extra points for Opp.
Hillcrest scored a late touchdown and added the extra point to cut the final margin to 21-7.
Hillcrest comes home to Brooks Stadium this Friday night to take on perennial power T.R. Miller of Brewton. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

Sparta Warriors lose to EA Cougars: The Sparta Academy Warriors lost to the Escambia Academy Cougars this past Friday night in Canoe. The Warriors played one of their best games of the year but came up one point short as Escambia Academy came out ahead with a score of 15-14.
David Bush was the leading rusher for the Warriors with 72 yards on 10 carries and one touchdown. He was followed by John McKenzie with 23 yards on 10 carries, Kyle Johnston with 12 yards on nine carries, Jared Brogden with 30 yards on six carries and one touchdown, and Rusty Salter with 10 yards on four carries.
McKenzie completed two of his seven pass attempts for 43 yards. Brogden had one reception for six yards, and Justin Tranum had one reception for 37 yards.

33 YEARS AGO
OCT. 8, 1987

The Conecuh County High Blue Devils increased their record to 4-2 after defeating the McKenzie Tigers 14-13 Fri., Oct. 2.
In the second quarter with 11:51 remaining on the clock, McKenzie running back Tony Cobb scored a touchdown. Robert Shufford kicked the extra point giving McKenzie a 7-0 lead.
The score remained 7-0 until the third quarter when Blue Devil quarterback Greg Blair scored from the one-yard line with 9:33 left. The PAT failed making the score 7-6 McKenzie.
With 9:05 left in the fourth quarter Conecuh County High School running back Derrick Richardson scored around left end. Michael Sanders ran in the two-point conversion, making the score Conecuh County 14, McKenzie 7.

The Evergreen Aggies evened their record at 3-3 and won their first area game last Friday night with an easy 36-14 win over the W.S. Neal Blue Eagles.
(A host of Evergreen players put points on the board that night, including Tony Simpson, who scored on a 62-yard run. Willie Gill blocked a punt, and Jerry Stroud scooped it up and returned it 19 yards for a touchdown. James Harvey completed a scoring pass to Steve Cunningham on the ensuing two-point conversion play. Cunningham went on to score again on a 14-yard run. Richard Byrd followed that with a 43-yard touchdown run. Harvey and Byrd capped off the scoring when Harvey completed a 34-yard touchdown pass to Byrd late in the game. Russell Meeks kicked four extra points.)

46 YEARS AGO
OCT. 10, 1974

Stallworth is ‘Back of Week’ – Albert Stallworth of the Evergreen High School Aggies was named “Back of the Week” in last Thursday’s edition of The Montgomery Advertiser.
Albert won the honor for his outstanding performance in leading the Aggies to victory over Georgiana on Sept. 27. He rushed for 276 yards on 27 carries, over 10 yards per try, and scored four touchdowns.

Warriors whip Wilcox 38-6: The Sparta Academy Warriors scored in every period as they rolled over Wilcox Academy, 38-6, in Camden last Friday night.
Sam Skipper put Sparta out front when he scampered 61 yards for a score in the first quarter and then ran in the extra points. Bobby Johnson sped 24 yards for another first period score and Bruce Hutcheson plunged over for the extra points to make it 16-0 at the quarter.
Walker Scott broke loose for 21 yards in the second period and then drove across for the extra points to make it 24-0 at halftime. Skipper got his second of the night in the third period on a 10-yard run and Eddie Hooks kicked it to 31-0.
Joe Andrews passed to Johnson for 20 yards and final Warrior score and Hooks kicked it to 38-6.

The Evergreen Aggies defeated the Greenville Tigers 12-6 in overtime Friday night.
(Top players for Evergreen in that game included Walter Bullock, Darris Champion and Mike Faulkner.)

63 YEARS AGO
OCT. 10, 1957

The scheduled game between Greenville and Evergreen Friday night has been postponed. Evergreen Coach Wendell Hart said this morning that he has asked for the postponement, and Greenville Coach Luke Whetstone had agreed to it.
The game has been rescheduled, tentatively, for Wednesday night, Nov. 27, the night before Thanksgiving. It will be played in Greenville.

Cliff Harper

The Evergreen coach said he asked for the postponement because of the flu epidemic which has hit Evergreen High School. The Aggie squad has been crippled by the disease. Hart said he had about 15 players out with flu.
Tuesday there were only 14 boys out for practice, and Hart and Assistant Coach Jeff Moorer decided to ask Greenville to put off the game.
Hart said that even if his players recovered from the illness by Friday night they would not be in physical condition to play.
Earlier this week Cliff Harper, executive secretary of the Alabama High School Athletic Association, announced that the association had extended the deadline for season closing. Harper said that high schools will have until the first week of December to play games, an extension of a week.

71 YEARS AGO
OCT. 13, 1949

The Evergreen High School Aggies moved smoothly to their third win of the season in Frisco City last Friday night, downing the Whippets by a 25 to 0 count. The rugged Aggie line, ably backed by Jim Ryan and Jack Cunningham, continued the sparkling defensive play it has shown this season and maintained its unscored on record.
(Other top Evergreen players in that game included James Barlow, Dickey Bozeman, Shelton Craig, Gwynn Daniels, Bertie Hassel, Ed Hooks, Bruce Johnson, Guerry Moorer, Jeff Moorer, Gillis Morgan, Douglas Potts, Max Pope, John Greel Ralls, Cleveland Robinson, Bobby “Pistol Pete” Wells and Franklin Williamson. Wendell Hart was Evergreen’s head coach.)

The Repton High Bulldogs swapped touchdowns with Walnut Hill High Eagles in Walnut Hill Friday afternoon as the teams tied 13 to 13.
Ralph Lancaster scored in the first quarter and the point was added to put the Bulldogs out in front 7-0. Walnut Hill countered with a score following the kickoff and added the point to knot the count at 7-7. Marvin Rowland scored in the third quarter as the Bulldogs went back in front 13-7, but Walnut Hill quickly added their final marker and the game ended 13-13.

The Lyeffion High Yellow Jackets and Beatrice High School battled to a 7-7 draw here last Thursday night in Brooks Stadium.
(Top Lyeffion players in that game included Billy Booker, Carl Burt, Billy Cook, Miller Dees and Melvin Traweek.)

Old newspaper excerpts from The Monroe Journal newspaper of Monroe County, Alabama

21 YEARS AGO
OCT. 14, 1999

Lights, camera, action: Visitors to Peterman may be having their people get with other people to do lunch. A film crew is in the small Monroe County community shooting a western titled “Mi Amigo.” The film is written, produced and directed by Milton Brown of Mobile. In addition to local actors and extras, the film includes well-known talent such as country/Tejano/pop entertainer Freddy Fender. Fender plays a singing bartender.

J.F. Shields’ Panthers got a career effort from junior fullback Corey Johnson Friday to claim its first area football championship since 1996.
Johnson piled up 250 yards rushing on 30 carries in Red Level to spark the 26-9 win over the Red Level Tigers in a penalty-riddled battle. On defense, the Panthers were led by Theagus Nettles’ 17 tackles.
(Other standout Shields players in that game included Cedric Marshall, Cory Stallworth and Michael Stallworth. Melvin Pete was head coach at Shields that season.)

Final delivery: Elray Copeland of Whatley delivered his first letter more than 30 years ago. The career letter carrier retired after 31 years and two months on the job. During his career, he worked at Gosport, where he ran the store and post office, Millry, Grove Hill and Monroeville. Though his last day at work was Tuesday, Copeland won’t officially retire until his annual leave runs out, Oct. 22.

Monroeville Mayor Anne Farish joined Monroeville Kiwanis Club president Ross Davidson and the Mockingbird Court to open the annual Kiwanis-Monroe County Fair. The fair will run through Saturday at the Monroe County Coliseum.

46 YEARS AGO
OCT. 10, 1974

New Excel pastor: The Rev. Kenneth Hester, new pastor of Excel Church of the Nazarene, is shown with his family: wife Linda and sons Kevin, 9, Keith, 11, and Kent, 12. The Hesters moved to Excel from Perry, Ga., where he was pastor of Perry First Church of the Nazarene.

Vols outclass Evangel: The Monroe Academy Volunteers rolled on to their sixth consecutive victory of the 1974 season last Saturday night with a 77-8 victory over outclassed Evangel Christian Academy of Mobile.
The Vols scored almost every time they had the ball, and it seemed that they could have scored much more had it not been for heavy substitution by Coach Mac Champion.
The Vols let up in the second half of play after taking a 65-0 lead to the locker room at halftime.
The game gave the huge Monroe Academy crowd a look at the future as Coach Champion sent the first offensive and defensive teams to the dressing rooms with five minutes to go in the half.
(Standout MA players in that game included Alan Jaye, Chuck Lambert, Jimmy Lambert, Hudson Lazenby, Keith Pugh, James Sales, Ricky Stinson and Melvin Wilson.)

Stewart gets award: Frank M. Stewart of Vredenburgh, one of 11 winners of the Alabama Wildlife Federation Governor’s Achievement Awards, accepts his award from Mrs. George C. Wallace at the recent annual meeting of the federation. Stewart received the Forest Conservationist of the Year Award.

70 YEARS AGO
OCT. 13, 1949

Mr. and Mrs. A.C. Lee and Misses Alice and Nelle Lee were recent guests of their sister, Mrs. Hershel Conner of Eufaula. They were called to Graceville, Fla. to the funeral of Mr. Lee’s sister. Miss Nelle Lee returned to New York by plane last Sunday.

Excel High ‘Slips And Slides’ To 6-0 Victory Over McKenzie On Wet Field: Playing in a virtual “sea of mud” after a downpour had drenched the field just prior to the game, Excel High slipped and skidded its way to a 6-0 win over McKenzie High at the Monroeville athletic field Saturday night.
Both teams found footing slippery and especially was it difficult for the backs to cut back. Once on their way, they were forced to continue in a straight line.
(Top Excel players in that game included Curtis Jordan, Nelson Moseley, Tobin Myrick and Gerald Skipper.)

Pfc. Robert K. Ryland of the U.S. Air Force has arrived at Eilson Field, Fairbanks, Alaska, where he is stationed as a crew member of the “Frigid Midget” B-29. Pfc. Ryland is the son of Mrs. Gladys Ryland of Monroeville.

Large Lot In Monroeville Is Bought By Stallworth: B.H. Stallworth Sr. of Monroeville, Wednesday morning purchased the vacant lot reaching from the Lindsey building to the corner of the block on the north side of the square for an undisclosed sum. The lot was purchased from Hugh Dickson, former owner. According to the new owner, the land will be subdivided into lots and sold for business or residential building. The land involved in the transaction has a street frontage of 214 feet and is 200 feet deep.

96 YEARS AGO
OCT. 9, 1924

WOODMEN OF THE WORLD UNVEILING: Unveiling ceremonies will be conducted in the Mt. Pisgah cemetery, Jones Mill, on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 19, at three o’clock at which time the monument erected to the memory of the late Len Hicks will be unveiled. Members of the Society will be in attendance from the camps at Belleville, Evergreen, Castleberry, Lenox, Excel, Bermuda, Jones Mill and Repton. The public is cordially invited to be present.

MONROE WILL BE WELL REPRESENTED AT REUNION: The following ladies have been appointed to represent George W. Foster Camp No. 104 at the State Reunion of Confederate Veterans at Mobile on Oct. 22-23: Mrs. J.W. Rutherford, chaperone; Miss Marion McDuffie, sponsor; Misses Maibeth Crook, Fannie Lane Emmons, Bessie Lee Marriott and Lillie Mae Crook, maids. – F.S. Dailey, Commander; J.L. Marshall, Adjutant.

Prof. J.J. Binford, principal of the Excel Schools, was here Monday. He reports a fine enrollment in each department and school work progressing satisfactorily.

Mr. Thomas Forbes of Selma, representative of the International Harvester Co., was here this week on business.

Prof. J.A. York, who submitted to an operation for appendicitis at the Turbeville sanitarium, Century, returned home Sunday and his many friends are glad to know he is on the road to recovery.

Mr. J.D. Roquemore, a prominent lawyer of Montgomery, was in attendance upon the circuit court the first of the week.

120 YEARS AGO
OCT. 11, 1900

Materials are being placed on the ground for the erection of a commodious school building at Kempville.

H.E. Hudson has opened a store at Monroe, making the third mercantile house doing business at that place.

Drs. F.S. Dailey of Kempville and J.W. Rutherford of Franklin were here Wednesday to attend the meeting of the County Medical Society.

Mr. Miller Rutherford dropped in Tuesday and renewed his subscription to The Journal for the 25^th consecutive year. May his shadow never grow smaller.

Mr. W.S. Bowden, who operates a gin at Jones Mill, met with a painful accident last Thursday. While attempting to regulate the gin, his sleeve was caught in the saws and his right arm so badly lacerated as to necessitate amputation. Drs. Busey and Bizzelle attended him and the operation was successfully performed. Although suffering severely from the double shock of the injury and operation, our latest information is that Mr. Bowden’s condition is improving.

The double daily mail service between Monroeville and the railroad station began Monday and the patrons of the local post office are much pleased with the improvement. Daily papers are now received regularly on the day of publication and the dispatch of other matter greatly facilitated.

Following light rains the latter part of last week, there was a drop of several degrees in temperature Sunday, and for several days the weather has been quite fall-like, making fires and overcoats decidedly comfortable.

George Singleton tells of repairs to clock damaged in famous South Carolina earthquake

(For decades, local historian and paranormal investigator George “Buster” Singleton published a weekly newspaper column called “Somewhere in Time.” The column below, which was titled “Clock broken in 1878 is repaired in Monroe County” was originally published in the Jan. 18, 1973 edition of The Monroe Journal in Monroeville, Ala.)

Damage from famous Charleston earthquake.

Tommy Chandler of Peterman repairs and builds clocks. He has worked on many kinds since he started tinkering on them as a hobby some years back. But Tommy’s hobby has grown into a small business which is beginning to occupy more and more of his idle time.

I visited Tommy’s clock repair shop one afternoon recently. I had on old clock that I wanted repaired and he was recommended to me for the job. As I was looking over the various clocks and watches that he was repairing and building, I noticed this particular clock that was different from all the rest.

“There’s a good story behind that one,” Tommy said. I stated that I was always interested in a good story, and asked him to relate to me the information. I was told that the clock belonged to Wilbert “Pick” Pickens of Monroeville, so we decided then and there to contact “Pick” and get the first-hand information about the odd old timepiece.

“My mother-in-law gave me the clock,” stated “Pick.” “The clock was sitting on her family’s mantle in Charleston, S.C. when the city was hit by an earthquake. This happened around 1878. The quake was so severe that it shook the clock off the mantle, breaking it to pieces. Sometimes later the pieces were picked up and placed in a large fruit jar. Here the clock stayed for almost 100 years, during which the jar and its contents, found its way south to Monroe County.”

When “Pick” decided to try and get the clock repaired, he contacted Tommy about the job. Over the years, some of the pieces had been removed from the jar and lost. These pieces had to be remade. New weights had to be molded from lead. This was not an easy task because no one knew the size and shape of the weights. Tommy secured the help of Bartow Lloyd of Mexia, who also makes clocks. Between the two, they melted and shaped the correct size weights that would make the clock run.

Many hours have been spent in putting together this unique clock. Only a person with an unlimited amount of patience would tackle such a task. Tommy Chandler has the patience and skill to accomplish this.

As I stated before, this clock is not an ordinary one. With the exception of one gear and the lead weights, the complete works are made out of wood. So everything had to be whittled to precision, as one might say.

[This story also included a photo taken by Singleton that carried the following caption: Wilbert Pickens and Tommy Chandler are shown with an old clock which was broken into many pieces during an earthquake in 1878. The clock was given to Pickens, and Chandler restored it for him. Some new pieces even had to be made as some were lost before it was given to Pickens.]

(Singleton, the author of the 1991 book “Of Foxfire and Phantom Soldiers,” passed away at the age of 79 on July 19, 2007. A longtime resident of Monroeville, he was born to Vincent William Singleton and Frances Cornelia Faile Singleton, during a late-night thunderstorm, on Dec. 14, 1927 in Marengo County, graduated from Sweet Water High School in 1946, served as a U.S. Marine paratrooper in the Korean War, worked as a riverboat deckhand, lived for a time among Apache Indians, moved to Monroe County on June 28, 1964 and served as the administrator of the Monroeville National Guard unit from June 28, 1964 to Dec. 14, 1987. He was promoted from the enlisted ranks to warrant officer in May 1972. For years, Singleton’s columns, titled “Monroe County history – Did you know?” and “Somewhere in Time” appeared in The Monroe Journal, and he wrote a lengthy series of articles about Monroe County that appeared in Alabama Life magazine. It’s believed that his first column appeared in the March 25, 1971 edition of The Monroe Journal. He is buried in Pineville Cemetery in Monroeville. The column above and all of Singleton’s other columns are available to the public through the microfilm records at the Monroe County Public Library in Monroeville. Singleton’s columns are presented here each week for research and scholarship purposes and as part of an effort to keep his work and memory alive.)

Eli McMorn and the Strange Case of Kill Devil Hill – Part Ten

For the first time in our bizarre interview, Tommy Lawson, the lone survivor of a mysterious 1988 Halloween incident that left five teens dead, was on the verge of showing real emotion. He’d just told his version of what happened that singular night, and his green eyes watered thinly as he fought back bitter tears. His face was a twisted mask, and he sniffed once as he tried to regain his composure.

I pretended to review the Sheriff’s Department report of the weird incident. It was in a brittle manila folder spread out before me on the dirty metal table between the two of us. The plain black and white clock high on the wall behind Lawson said that it was almost five o’clock. We didn’t have much time left. Soon it would be supper time at the Haines Island mental institution.

In Lawson’s version of this strange story, a 12-year-old hunter shot him with a bow and arrow. The boy’s name was Willie Goss, and he told investigators that he thought he’d shot a deer. The boy, who vanished without a trace two years later while playing in an abandoned gravel pit, claimed that he’d shot a large buck with a big rack of antlers.

When the deer hit the fog-shrouded ground, the boy ran to get his father, a man named Bill Goss, who sat on the tailgate of his truck, smoking a long-stem pipe and eyeing the woodline for any deer that might step out into the dirt road. The boy and his father returned for the deer Willie shot, but instead they found Lawson unconscious with an arrow sticking out of his chest. At first, because of all the blood, Bill thought Lawson was dead, but he knew enough first aid from Vietnam to tell that there was still some life left in the wounded teenager.

These were the days before cell phones, so Bill and Willie half-carried, half-dragged Lawson to their beat up truck and drove to the nearest landline phone, which happened to be on the ground floor of an old Masonic hall a few miles away. They called for an ambulance and the Sheriff’s Department. At the time, all parties involved had no idea what had happened the night before atop Kill Devil Hill, that is, except for Lawson who was too out of it to tell anyone about it.

I glanced back up at Lawson. “You OK?” I asked. He nodded, but looked far from okay. I could see beads of sweat on the back of his hand, atop the black widow spider tattoo that seemed to move with life whenever Lawson wiggled his fingers.

“What happened after the ambulance and deputies arrived?”

“I remember being loaded into the ambulance,” he said. “It was freezing in the back of the ambulance. Very cold.”

Although he was sweating, Lawson shuddered with the memory of that ambulance ride.

“Next thing I remember is waking up in a hospital bed at Claiborne City Hospital,” he continued. “I didn’t know where I was at first, what day it was or what time. It was night outside, but because of a street light I could see the wall of the building next door. A minute or so after I came to, I saw a shadow play across that wall. I began to scream. The thing that I saw had legs and arms like a man but horns like a buck.”

(All rights reserved. This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.)

 

Little remains from the heyday of the old Zeru community in Conecuh County, Alabama

If you look at old Conecuh County maps, you’ll see the names of many old and forgotten communities that once held a prominent place in people’s lives. One such place is the old Zeru community, which sat close to the Conecuh-Escambia county line, about 14 miles southeast of Evergreen.

Johnsonville Fire Station near old Zeru community.

Last Thursday morning, I was examining one such map at the newspaper office in Evergreen, and I couldn’t honestly say that I’d ever been to “downtown” Zeru before. Was there anything in this area today, maybe the remnants of an old store, post office or school?

With this in mind, I climbed in my truck and struck off down Bruner Avenue, which becomes County Road 29 when you pass out of the Evergreen city limits. I followed County Road 29 down through Jay Villa and eventually came to Johnsonville. I then turned east on County Road 6 and then down a dirt road called Ridge Court.

According to my map, I was then in “downtown” Zeru, which was once large enough to have its own post office. In fact, sources say that there was a post office there between 1893 and 1908. Today, aside from a few modern houses, nothing remains to remind travelers of what Zeru was like in its heyday.

On the way back to Evergreen, I pulled over for a closer look at Johnsonville’s new fire station. The last time I was down this way, the old fire station had been totally destroyed by the Presidents Day Tornado of 2016. That powerful tornado ripped through Johnsonville and destroyed the community’s fire station and damaged a number of homes in the area.

The old fire station, a metal building built to withstand high winds, was lifted off its foundation by the tornado and came to rest in the wood line, 80 to 100 yards behind its foundation. I remember Johnsonville Fire Chief Frank Jones, who lives about a quarter of a mile from the fire station, telling me that he heard the tornado when it passed through.

“Once it died down, I stepped out on my front porch to look around and when I looked toward the fire station, my first thought was ‘Who pulled the fire trucks out of the station?’”

Jones said he went to investigate only to learn that no one had moved the fire trucks. Instead, to his surprise, the fire station building had been blown away, leaving the trucks out in the open.

In drastic contrast to the night of the tornado, all was quite in Johnsonville last Thursday morning. The entire time I was down there, I don’t think I even passed another car, and the only signs of life that I saw were a few yellow butterflies and a large brown dog trotting along in the grass beside the road.

Oddly, when I first saw the dog, I thought it was carrying a big magnolia leaf in its mouth, but when I got closer, I could see that it was actually carrying a big, dirty piece of concrete. Why and to where this dog was carrying this rock, I could not say. I just shook my head and kept on driving.

I made one last stop before returning to Evergreen. Once back on County Road 29, I couldn’t help but pull over for a closer look at the old Asa Johnston house. This old-timey dogtrot house was built for Johnston in 1842 by Connecticut native Ezra Plumb. This house was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in 1993 and to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.

In the end, if you ever get the itch to take a nice leisurely ride out in the county, it would be hard to beat the drive from Evergreen to Zeru. While there’s not much left of that old community, there is still much to see in the 14-mile stretch of road between there and the county seat. Who knows? You might even figure out where that dog was going with its piece of concrete.