Weather: low 74 degrees, high 98 degrees, clear in the morning, partly cloudy in the afternoon
Since we didn't have much to do today, we decided to take a drive over to Pickens County, which is west of Coker next to the Mississippi state line. Pickens County is about as rural as a county can get, with small towns and no industry to speak of except some logging. The county is probably one of the lowest in per capita income in the state.
We headed northwest on US 82 and the first town we came to was Gordo. After driving through the downtown area, which reminded us of some of the smaller towns in Texas, we took Alabama 86 west to Carollton, the county seat of Pickens County. This has to be the smallest county seat that we have seen. There was the old courthouse, and a square around the courthouse with some old buildings. That was about it.
The original courthouse was burned by Union troops in 1865. The replacement courthouse was supposedly burned by a freedman (former slave) in 1875. Allegedly, while the freedman was being held in the courthouse, the image of his face was imprinted on a courthouse window by the flash of a lightning bolt. The current courthouse was built in 1876.
This is the view of the courthouse as you drive west on Alabama 86.
These statues are in the front of the courthouse, and commemorate the sacrifices made by the men and women who supported the Confederacy, as well as the people who served in The Spanish-American War and World War I.
This is the courtroom on the second floor. Can you imagine how uncomfortable this room was before air conditioning?
We continued west from Carrolton on 86 to Pickensville, which is an intersection. There is a nice Corp of Engineers campground on the Tombigbee Waterway. The campground has 176 spaces, and is the perfect place to go for people looking for fishing and a slow pace. The Visitor's Center is impressive, and resembles an 1800 plantation house. The hostess said the Corp had tried to copy the original as much as possible, and I have to say they succeeded. Below is a picture of the visitor's center.
After leaving Pickensville, we headed back to Coker. Along the way, we saw a water tower with a shape unlike anything we have seen before. Can you imagine what a drunk would think if he saw the water tower below in a flash of lightning at night?
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - Carrollton, Alabama - Home Of The Face In The Window
Not all who wander are lost.
1 comment:
I heard Michelle Obama was going around and ramming her HUMMER (Painted in Black Panther livery) into Confederate Civil War Memorials and set fire to the Governor's Mansion in Texas! AND THIS IS TRUE: I GOT AN EMAIL ABOUT IT - She is playing for ZIMBABWE in the Beijing Olympics on their Sharpshooting, Archery, Basketball and synchronized swimming Teams! Her Synchronized Swimming Partner is none other than WINNIE MANDELA, Anita Hill AND The Dixie Chicks!
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