I thought that also. Fairhope WAS founded as a utopian type commune. I guess though it wasn’t actually called Utopia.
Saara Causey
Bethel was originally Utopia.
The Covington Shoe Store in Ariton mentioned in the article was owned by my Grandfather –John Dixon Covington. He used shoe repair equipment that had been saved from his father’s store in Elba after the Elba flood. Dixon, as he was called, had taught school before opening his shoe store. His father was John Anderson Covington.
Great article crammed with interesting history! Is that Lake at Ariton on the old Christmas City property?
Sarah Cherry Dansby
That lake must be a private lake in Ariton. Christmas City is no longer open. At one time it was for sale, but there is no activity on the location now. I have lived in Ariton my entire life, we have very a very good public school, but nothing much to the city.
Glenda Rutherford
Thank you for this interesting piece about SE Alabama! I grew up in Ozark and loved seeing this…..and learning a few things!
William G. Bates
An extremely interesting article particularly since I have numerous ancestral relatives, particularly in the Abbyville, Henry area, the Ozark/Newton area and the Wicksburg and jellico community now in Houston Co which was served by the Newton P.O. Names in these area are: Shirley, Price, Reynolds and Brannons along with several other spousal families.
I just wish there could be an article similar to this about the Wicksburg and Jellico Community (only Jellico exists today on the map) because this is the area my Great Grandfather resided from about 1900 until his death about 1936. It is also the area where my maternal grandmother was born, raised before she eloped with my maternal grandfather just following the end of WW II, granddad was under draft recall, he missed the first boat load because of having to travel to Pensacola shanks mare.
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Fairhope
I thought that also. Fairhope WAS founded as a utopian type commune. I guess though it wasn’t actually called Utopia.
Bethel was originally Utopia.
The Covington Shoe Store in Ariton mentioned in the article was owned by my Grandfather –John Dixon Covington. He used shoe repair equipment that had been saved from his father’s store in Elba after the Elba flood. Dixon, as he was called, had taught school before opening his shoe store. His father was John Anderson Covington.
Great article crammed with interesting history! Is that Lake at Ariton on the old Christmas City property?
That lake must be a private lake in Ariton. Christmas City is no longer open. At one time it was for sale, but there is no activity on the location now. I have lived in Ariton my entire life, we have very a very good public school, but nothing much to the city.
Thank you for this interesting piece about SE Alabama! I grew up in Ozark and loved seeing this…..and learning a few things!
An extremely interesting article particularly since I have numerous ancestral relatives, particularly in the Abbyville, Henry area, the Ozark/Newton area and the Wicksburg and jellico community now in Houston Co which was served by the Newton P.O. Names in these area are: Shirley, Price, Reynolds and Brannons along with several other spousal families.
I just wish there could be an article similar to this about the Wicksburg and Jellico Community (only Jellico exists today on the map) because this is the area my Great Grandfather resided from about 1900 until his death about 1936. It is also the area where my maternal grandmother was born, raised before she eloped with my maternal grandfather just following the end of WW II, granddad was under draft recall, he missed the first boat load because of having to travel to Pensacola shanks mare.
Yeah Utopia!
WatersEdge is my little Utopia in Alabama.
I opened a craft store in Ozark in the old Sherer’s Drive In building in 1989. I have passed that bridge a thousand times.
Note that Bethel is a biblical term meaning “Beautiful Place”. For those who do not know.
My grandfather was a Cherry, his great grandmother a Dean. His family was from Ariton, she lived in Rocky Head.
Drove by today. Always wonder what that bridge could tells us.
Candace Phillips Penn
Love Little Ariton!