It has become an annual tradition at Museum of Pell City each November as it seeks to honor, preserve and promote its military history in Salute to Veterans Nov. 7.
Now in its third year, the museum is redesigning and expanding its military exhibit space, increasing its focus on more modern-day wars and conflicts and adding an impressive interactive display – a fighter jet simulator. It will open Nov. 7, kicking off with a special reception at 10 a.m. in the banquet room of the Municipal Complex below the museum.
Existing military displays getting redesign
Headlining the event will be St. Clair County District Attorney Lyle Harmon, a veteran helicopter pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Much of our exhibit space to this point has been on earlier wars – World War I and II, Korean and Vietnam,” said President Carol Pappas. “What we wanted to do is provide a more comprehensive picture of our military history – bringing in more photographs and artifacts from the Persian Gulf War and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. We have so many veterans from those conflicts in our community, and we wanted a way to preserve and share their stories.”
One of the centerpieces of the new exhibit will be photos and artifacts from the estate of Admiral Dennis Brooks, who served as Commander of the Joint Forces in the Persian Gulf. His long and storied career includes a visit aboard his ship from then President Ronald Reagan. His flight jacket as a fighter jet pilot in earlier days is on display among many other artifacts.
“We’ll have oral histories from his son, Mark Brooks, who also served as a fighter jet pilot and rose to the rank of …, who relates his father’s stories of achievement, sacrifice and the principles that guided him. We have other veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, who share their own story, all of which will be presented in our own documentary,” Pappas said.
Challenge coin memento given to veterans at inaugural salute
“An examination of this era must also include the painful transition of coming home, and we will feature on film the story of a mother whose son took his own life, an all too familiar account, and her fight to help other veterans.”
Excitement is building as museum designer Jeremy Gossett and pilot consultant Donnie Todd put together the fighter jet simulator exhibit. “I won’t spoil the unveiling, but I can promise that it will be an attraction for all ages,” Pappas said.
This project could not have been possible without community support. “In an effort led by our treasurer, Zachary Gentile, and Museum Coordinator Erica Grieve, we were able to raise nearly $7,000 to bring this plan to fruition. We thank donors Glenda Harris, Paula Hereford, Inpac, St. Clair County Airport Authority, Dream Home Inspections, David Smith, Alan and Sandra Furr and Donnie and Ellen Todd. They stepped forward in a big way to make this project happen.”
As is the museum’s custom, a reception honoring all veterans with a keynote talk by Harmon will be held at 11 a.m., followed by the exhibit opening, tour and film showings.
“We invite everyone to this special tribute,” Pappas said. “It is truly a community event, and we are honored to present it.”
If you should travel a St. Clair County backroad some afternoon and arrive at Willie Mae “Snookie” Beavers’ home for a visit, she might respond to a question by saying, “Now, back in them days …”
If she does, sit up and listen, for she has lived almost a century of Pell City history. She will converse with you in her Southern dialect that is as soft and melodious as Mahalia Jackson singing, “Precious Lord Take My Hand.”
Both Pell City and St. Clair County need to know what she can tell us about how it used to be with farming, gardening, killing hogs, preserving vegetables and fruits, playing the church piano and sewing old-timey quilts. She is one-of-a-kind, as all treasures are.
Born Jan. 9, 1927, to James and Bessie Moore Turner, Willie Mae was the first of the 10 Turner children. The family farmed Turner land in the Coosa Valley, south of Seddon, and she began working in the fields as soon as she was big enough to work.
“We farmed, raising cotton and corn and sugar cane. My parents worked in the fields, and I worked right there beside them,” Willie Mae says matter-of-factly. “I think I worked harder than any of the others cause I was the first one. And I didn’t just work in our fields, I worked in other folk fields, too. If they needed somebody, I went. Whatever was in the field, I was in there, and I did it. What the plow couldn’t do, we did with a hoe,” she laughed. “And after I got married, I still went to other folk fields and worked. Back in them days, that’s the way I had to make my money.”
Willie Mae married William Beavers on June 18, 1948, and they were parents to six children: Shirley, Connie, Wilma, William (BeBop) Jr., Bennie and Rodrick. All seven are still living. As the babies arrived and grew up, Willie Mae continued “working in fields” until she took a job with Pell City Cleaners.
She started working at the cleaners before she was 62 years old, but doesn’t remember the exact date. She started drawing her Social Security at age 62 but didn’t retire until she was 96. When asked why she retired, she laughed and said that one of her daughters told her she was too old to keep working, that she needed to retire. Willie Mae told her, “Well, the bossman said I was doing the work …. But she told me that if I didn’t come out, she’s gonna tell ‘em to fire me, and I believed she would’ve, so I come out.”
Her hardy laugh showed she was enjoying telling this. “I don’t know if he’d a-fired me or not, if she would-a told him to.”
Other than a brief time as a teenager washing dishes at the St. Clair County Training School, the Pell City Cleaners job was the only work she did other than farm work.
Gathered produce had to be preserved for the winter months. Willie Mae helped her mother can vegetables as they came in. As to fruit, they canned peaches for they were too juicy to dry, but they dried apples by the peck. “That’s where I learned how to can,” Willie Mae recalled. “I did what my mama done, I just couldn’t do it as good as she did.” What cucumbers they didn’t eat they pickled. She spoke of smokehouse pickles as quite delicious.
When the sorghum cane was mature, it was time to make syrup. Her dad set up the syrup mill and the boiling pan. Willie Mae and sisters stripped the cane and cut it in pieces ready to be fed to the mill as the mule walked round and round turning the mill, squeezing the juice from the cane into buckets. Poured into a boiling pan, the juice cooked down to syrup. “We poured the syrup in cans,” Willie Mae recalled, “and we ate biscuits and syrup.” She didn’t say it, but that was some good eating.
Willie Mae’s Trip Around the World quilt in a local collector’s home
When asked about wild game for food, she said, “We loved rabbit and squirrel. That was good eating.” She paused, then laughing, said, “And possum. Mama did all the cooking, and everything she made was good.” Obviously enjoying remembering, she continued, “She made good dressing, good cakes, good custard, good biscuits.”
When hog killing weather came, Willie Mae learned from her mama about sausage, souse meat, and chitlins.
They used some less desirable cuts of pork to grind up for sausage, adding pepper and sage to the mixture. Willie Mae’s dad had a smokehouse where they hung the sausage, but the other cuts of meat they salted down in a wooden saltbox.
Asked about old-timey head cheese or souse meat, Willie Mae smiled, “I always made the souse meat. Made it out-a the head, and out-a the feet, and out-a the ears. We had a big pot, and I’d put it all in a pot and boil it till it got done, I’d pick all the bones out of it, and start mashing up the meat with my hands. Then I’d grind that all up with the sausage grinder. And that’s when I’d put different spices in it.” They formed the meat into a loaf shape to let it set until it was firm. Some call souse meat the original deli meat, for it makes delicious sandwiches.
Nothing about the hog went to waste, not even the intestines. They cut them into short pieces and washed them over and over until they were clean. “We’d get as much fat off as we could,” Willie Mae said. “We cooked ’em in a boiler for several hours with salt and pepper. Some folks fry ’em, but we didn’t, we just boiled ours till they got done. To me, that was some good eating.”
Willie Mae’s baby photo
Today chitlins are regarded as solely a Black culture soul food, but Rev. Larry Adams of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Springville can attest that chitlins are served in restaurants in France. Rev. Adams was on a teaching mission trip in Paris with Pastor Chipley Thornton and Pastor David DuPre from Springville First Baptist Church. For lunch one day, the three went to a Paris restaurant. Unable to read French, Pastor DuPre pointed to a picture and ordered it. When their meals were served, Rev. Adams looked at his friend and said, “You’re eating chitlins.” His friend said, “No.” Rev. Adams said, “I know chitlins, and you’re eating chitlins.” Sure enough, when they translated the menu offering it was chitterlings, or in Alabama, chitlins.
What Willie Mae learned growing up, she continues today, which includes growing vegetables. “Folks need to raise stuff,” she vows decisively. “If they don’t, they not gonna have anything to eat. The stores ain’t gonna have it. If you don’t raise it, you ain’t gonna have nothing to eat.”
She now gardens with baby brother, Larry Turner, and their garden is weed and grass free. When asked what they grew, she laughed, “We grow everything that can be raised – turnip greens, mustard, onions, green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers and all such stuff as that. Anything that can be raised. We always had a good garden. Larry had a jam-up garden. Me and him been raising a garden.” She paused, then said, “They say I’m lazy, but I just done got old.”
She may have slowed down, but “lazy” is not a word that fits Willie Mae Beavers. No lazy person on God’s green earth sews quilt tops and quilts them by hand. Willie Mae does, and her quilts are treasured by family, friends and folks she’s never met. A commendation from the Alabama House of Representatives read by Representative Hall on May 16, 2017, records that “…her magnificent quilts are displayed in homes across the United States,” and that “…many have received one of her famous quilts in celebration of a significant life milestone.”
Willie Mae’s love of quilts perhaps started with her grandmother, Henrietta Turner, whose house was a short walk through the woods from Willie Mae’s. “We walked over there to her house every day. She never acted like she got tired of us. She was a good grandmama.” And her love of quilts may have started with her grandmama, for she recently reminisced, “I used to enjoy looking at her quilts. She used to have these frames that you hang up in the house from the ceiling, and you had to hang ’em by their four corners. She hung it up and let it down to quilt on it. She used what she had to make ‘em: old clothes, pants and things.” Then, laughing, she said, “You know what, I went to the library the other day and saw these cotton carders, and I said, “Oh, my mama had some of these.” Carders were used to separate cotton from the seeds so the cotton could be used as the inner batting (padding) for the quilt.
Willie Mae enjoys talking about quilts. “I treasure quilts, but young folks …” she paused and shook her head, leaving the “don’t” unsaid, then continued on a happier note. “Mama always quilted. She made pretty quilts. My quilting’s not as pretty as hers.” She used cloth flour sacks, feed sacks and fertilizer sacks, when she began learning to quilt.
Bought fabric in quilts was unheard of among rural folk in the 1930s and ‘40s.
“I’d get the empty ones,” she said recently, “and wash ’em and I started making quilts from them.” Then came the phrase, “Back in them days, you didn’t buy anything. You had to use what you had. So, I would quilt, and I didn’t really have patterns then, it would just be blocks that they called the Nine Diamond.”
She still makes the Nine Diamond, but other quilt patterns she likes include Trip Around the World, Monkey Wrench, Stars and Bow Tie. “Nothing fancy. These real fancy quilts with a whole lot-a pretty little bitty pieces – I don’t do that,” she laughed. “I don’t know how old I was when I started quilting. But I been doing that all my life. I’m 98 years old, but I’ve been quilting – piecing and quilting all my life. My mama did it, and what I did, I tried to do it like her.”
An ear for piano
One thing Willie Mae does that she didn’t learn from her mother is playing the piano. Knowing her daughter wanted a piano, Mrs. Turner went to a piano store in Anniston and bought one. “I know she got tired of me playing, but she never told me to stop.” Willie Mae pauses to reflect, “If somebody ask me to play in the key of C or F sharp, I wouldn’t know what they was talking about. The Preacher one time asked me to play ‘Precious Lord’ in C. I played if for him, but I didn’t know if I played it in C,” she laughed.
She never took piano lessons, but she could play on the piano whatever she heard sung or played on the radio. At age 14, she began playing piano for Blooming Light Church, and she recalled how that happened. “I’m sure they had other players, but Mr. McHugh came to Papa and said, ‘I heard your daughter played the piano.’ And I started from there.” She couldn’t remember what month and year she started, but she continued as pianist and music director until in her 90s when COVID kept her and the congregation away from church services. “The first song I played at church,” she recalled fondly, “was ‘The Old Account Was Settled Long Ago.’” The last song she plays in church is yet to come.
Willie Mae and good friend Johnnie Mae Green
Willie Mae’s baby brother, Larry Turner, says folks need to know that she was not only the pianist at Blooming Light but that she was also the Minister of Music there and was Minister of Music for Riverside and for Rocky Zion for a while as well.
“I played for Rocky Zion,’ Willie Mae reflected, “and I played for Riverside, and for Peace and Goodwill.” Her dad, Rev. James R. Turner, was pastor at Peace and Goodwill at Riverside.
Asked if she played piano for her dad, she answered, “I played for him. Mama told me, ‘You got to.’ I went to all the revivals. That was fun.” She pauses a few seconds and adds sadly, “But church ain’t like what it used to be back in them days. We never sung anything but the old songs. ‘The Old Account Was Settled.’ ‘Oh How I Love Jesus.’ ‘Precious Lord.’ Old songs.” She laughed and said, “Now, I can play for old folks, but I can’t play for teenagers.” Lots of people agree with Willie Mae that the old songs are the best songs.
Larry Turner is proud of his sister and fondly affirms, “She’s legendary. Everybody knows her. Everybody loves her.”
Recently someone asked her, “What would you tell young people about your secret to living almost a hundred years?
“Now, you’re not the first one to ask me that,” she laughed. “And I tell ’em, well, ‘I can’t tell you, cause I do not know.’ She pauses, then says, “I tell ‘em, ‘I come up poor; I worked in the fields … I’ve worked in the fields all my life. I worked in my daddy’s field, and after I got grown, I worked in other folks’ fields. And I’m still here for some reason.”
You’re still here, Willie Mae “Snookie” Beavers, because you’re a St. Clair County and Pell City, Alabama, treasure and we need you. We need the harmony of your music, the beauty of your quilts, and your example of “work hard and live long.”
Most of all we need to hear you telling us how it was “back in them days” so we don’t forget the stamina and character of our ancestors and how they lived and worked and reared families.
You are one-of-a-kind, as all treasures are, and we thank God you’re still here.
As a little kid, Alex Wise was shy, almost painfully so. Even the at the thought of him growing up to act or model professionally seemed a long shot.
Now 17 and after making a splash last summer at a New York acting and modeling competition, Alex has signed with an agent and is taking acting lessons from some of the most respected names in show business.
For Alex – to borrow from the old standard – this could be the start of something big.
Alex with Joan Hawkins Photo by Beth Boldt
Wise competed in 13 categories – seven in acting and six in modeling at the International Modeling and Talent Association – and medaled and placed in all categories. Overall, he finished second in the Actor of the Year competition and third for Model of the Year in the 15-17-year-old category and was second as The Most Sought-After competitor.
“It was a big achievement,” said his mom, Christi Wise.
IMTA bills itself as a: “gateway for aspiring models and actors.”
Founded in 1987, it offers a platform for aspiring actors, models, singers, dancers and songwriters to present their talents to agents, casting directors and other leading entertainment professionals.
It boasts of some A-Listers who were discovered through IMTA, including Ashton Kutcher, Katie Holmes and Eva Longoria.
For Alex, the opportunity “fell into his lap,” Christi said.
“He plays baseball, so I entered him into a contest where if he were chosen, he’d get a big metal picture,” Christi said. “He won, and afterwards he asked if it were possible to make money for modeling. I told him yes.”
His response? “I think I could do that.”
Before long, Alex connected with Joan Hawkins of Cameo Model Management in Birmingham and with Clair Sinnett, an acting coach and former casting director who has worked with the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Keanu Reeves, Brad Pitt and the late James Earl Jones.
“Once (Alex) decided to go to IMTA, he had six weeks to prepare,” Christi said, “All of this happened within a year.”
Before the competition, he had an acting class with Sinnett. The veteran acting coach gave him rave reviews.
“She said he had the ‘It’ factor,” Christi said. The factor is charisma that can capture a magazine cover or the silver screen. James Dean had it. So did Paul Newman. And after the IMTA, a Los Angeles management agency saw that in Alex Wise.
A centerfielder for Ashville High’s baseball team, Wise’s commitment to acting matches his commitment to baseball.
“The key quality that Alex possesses is dedication,” the agency said in an e-mail. “The best actors are those who continuously strive to improve. Alex is committed to bringing the same discipline he has for athletics to learning and growing in his craft as an actor, whether through classes, mentorship or experience on set. His work ethic is truly impressive for his age, and we know that he will show up prepared and eager for every role. His commitment to improvement will make him stand out in an industry that constantly demands innovation and depth and will lead to his success.”
Photo by Dorothy Shi
Wise brings charisma and a “thoughtful presence,” the agency said. “He grabs attention, not by being the loudest or most outspoken person in the room, but by having the ‘good human’ qualities that make people want to be around him, and as an actor, want to watch him. That charisma often translates to how generously he engages with his peers, even in competitive situations.”
At IMTA, “we saw Alex demonstrate camaraderie and support for his fellow competitors, a truly admirable quality to observe. When combined with his dedication, Alex’s charisma and genuine caring for others will make him an unforgettable young actor, creating positive impressions that will help him build a long career.”
The entertainment business is tough, but for the Wise family, there is peace. There’s also a strong belief that for Alex, this is not a career, but a calling.
“We have a lot of faith,” Christi said. “We have definitely prayed for every door opened to be opened and for every door that’s shut to be shut. I really feel like Alex’s life has prepared him for this, that his steps have been ordained.”
She added, “He’s very grounded. He’s very rooted. A lot of kids his age don’t know who they are. But he knows who he is, and he doesn’t let the world influence his thought process That’s why I don’t worry about him because he knows who he is and what he wants to achieve.”
Even with all the attention, Alex is still just a kid from Ashville who plays baseball, attends small group Bible studies with friends and who has done the hot, hard work of cutting and baling hay. Family members describe him as a “natural born leader.”
For his part, Alex enjoys the process of modeling and acting for a variety of reasons.
“I like getting myself out there and opening myself up. Growing up, I was super, super quiet, scared of everybody. I didn’t really talk to anybody. Now, in the last year or two, this has helped me tremendously.”
Alabama has had more than its share of people who made it in the entertainment business, from Jasper’s Tallulah Bankhead to Birmingham’s Walton Goggins. Alex Wise has a message for aspiring performers, especially small-town kids like him.
“He wants people to know you can be from a small town and do this,” Christi said. “These dreams are reachable.”
Making dreams come true isn’t easy. Alex Wise knows that.
“It’s not as easy as it seems,” he said. “It’s going to take hard work and dedication. But it’s also going to take a strong person, period … It takes a strong person to stay in this business.”
It seems almost fitting that as Pell City Rotary Club just finished celebrating its 50th year, a new generation of leaders believing in Service Above Self has stepped up to join its ranks.
Younger members are getting involved. Among the new generation of members, from left: Jordan Franklin, Hiliary Hardwick, Teresa Harris and Eddie Wilson
Of course, it didn’t happen overnight. Over the past few years, younger members have gravitated to this growing civic club because they wanted to make a difference in their community.
And their impact is being felt in all corners.
Jay Jenkins, the oldest tenured member of the club, sees this new generation as lending to “a greater overall good” for people who may not see that side of a public official, for instance. They only see them in their official role.
But as they roll up their sleeves and give blood during the club’s blood drive for Red Cross, help sort groceries for the Christian Love Pantry distributions or deliver hot meals to first responders, the community sees them as true public servants.
He singled out the presence of the new city school superintendent and three board of education members now on Rotary’s roster. “I’m really proud that the new superintendent and board members got in Rotary. We do a lot of good things around our city,” he said, noting its good works can be found in impacts big and small.
Its major fundraising events – Rax Cox Memorial Golf Tournament, Jingle Bell Run, Father-Daughter Dance and Tennis/Pickleball Tournaments – provide significant support for dozens of organizations and projects needing help. Without Rotary, St. Clair Community Health Clinic, St. Clair Sheriff’s Boys Ranch, CEPA, Museum of Pell City and countless other organizations might go lacking in their much-needed missions. Rotary also gives two college scholarships each year to deserving high school students.
Jingle Bell Run nets $65,000 in first year for Boys Ranch
A new era
With a younger set of leaders coming in with new and fresh ideas and varying vantage points of identifying needs in the community, Rotary is able to do so much more. “It’s a good trend right now,” Jenkins said. “We’re in a good spot. Hopefully, it will continue.”
As membership climbs upward of 80 members, it’s not showing any signs of slowing anytime soon. President Brian Muenger, who serves as city manager, sees the growth as making the club even stronger, which in turn, makes the community stronger.
“The majority of our member growth in recent years has been from young working professionals in their 30’s and 40’s,” Muenger said. “Bringing together like-minded people of all age groups is what Rotary is all about, and having a diverse membership ensures that we stay attuned to the changing needs and opportunities within our community.”
A sampling of a few of the new members illustrates their dedication to service, leadership and opportunities.
Eddie Wilson, a sales executive and newly appointed member of the Pell City School Board, views his membership as a way to get involved. “The genesis was the intersection of being a new board of education member and being invited to Rotary several times over the past year. It’s important to be involved in service. The service side fits. I like the people of Pell City, and I was really interested in giving back.”
Hiliary Hardwick serves as director of the Col. Robert L. Howard State Veterans Home and sees joining as an opportunity to do more. “I wanted to serve our community but also to enhance relationships with fellow business leaders and make new connections. In just the few months I’ve been in Rotary, I’ve met several new people and reconnected with old friends, too. Pell City Rotary Club is the best group of leaders, and I can’t wait to see us continue to increase our impact to our community in the coming years.”
Jordan Franklin, an aviation consultant, echoed Hardwick’s enthusiasm. “I’m honored to join the Pell City Rotary Club and excited for the opportunity to give back to a community that has supported me throughout my life.”
The three are indicators of what this new generation of leadership is focused on as they seek to serve.
Their impact will be felt throughout the community because of support for fundraisers making their mission possible.
The Pell City Rotary Charity Golf Tournament Ray Cox Memorial
The golf tournament is the longest running fundraiser – almost as old as the club itself at 45 years.
Sponsors and golfers make it a success year after year, coming together at Pell City Country Club for a fun event to raise money for worthy causes throughout the community.
As Tournament Chairman Joe Paul Abbott puts it, “We can give because you give.”
Held in June each year, it offers all kinds of opportunities to get involved – as a player, a sponsor or a volunteer. The funds generated by the tournament go to deserving organizations, schools and community projects.
Pickleball Tournament
This tournament has evolved over the years, each year bigger and better than the year before and going from tennis to the wildly popular pickleball. But it has one constant. It is held in October during the Halloween season, which lends itself to costumes, decorations and a whole lot of fun for the whole family.
This year’s multiple events for “Vampires and Volleys” on Oct. 23 at Pell City Pickleball Center will include juniors, men’s, women’s and mixed matches.
Father-Daughter Dance
One of the most anticipated events of the year, the Father-Daughter sees hundreds of fathers and daughters taking to the dance floor in a special time for both.
In February each year, Rotarians transform Pell City High School into a gala event venue and serve dance attendees dinner and offer plenty of music and dancing throughout the night.
The entire evening is dedicated to fathers and daughters making memories together that last a lifetime.
Jingle Bell Run, Rotary’s newest fundraiser, continues to grow, and community impact growing along with it
Jingle Bell Run
Rotary’s newcomer is the Jingle Bell Run. Now in its third year coming up Dec. 13, the Jingle Bell Run has become a certified 5K and 10K run and a 1-mile fun run/walk through Pell City Lakeside Park.
Benefitting charitable organizations throughout the community, the run has already raised over $100,000 in its first two years for St. Clair Sheriff’s Boys Ranch and The Children’s Place Child Advocacy Center.
The holiday season event attracts runners from all over and is supported by community sponsors who value the missions of those on the receiving end. This year’s recipients will be Boys Ranch, Ann’s New Life Center, WellHouse and Arc of St. Clair County.
And of course, Santa, is guest of honor, making it a fun holiday tradition for the entire family.
It’s all about service and making the community a better place. l
A slate of new businesses calling historic shopping district home
Historic Downtown Pell City’s business district is growing of late with ribbon cuttings and grand openings becoming almost commonplace. In the past few months, four new businesses have opened, a fifth is relocating and expanding and a sixth and seventh say, “Coming Soon.”
Already adding to diversity of what downtown has to offer are Lake House Antiques, Weeping Willow Books, The Grove and Studio on 1st. Gilreath Printing, a longtime downtown resident in a log cabin building on Cogswell Avenue, is moving to 1st Avenue behind Venue on 20th into a much larger facility they are renovating. Gilreath plans to rent its existing building, paving the way for yet another business.
Studio on 1st is a cutting-edge hair salon located on First Avenue South between 16th and 17th streets. Just across the way in the next block facing the railroad tracks is a children’s embroidery shop called Little Stitches & Co. Abbye Grimes is the owner, and she is working toward an October opening.
Inside, beyond the French doors, will be a completely separate business operated by Grimes’ sister-in-law, Tina Dailey, who is planning to run her hair salon and real estate ventures.
Meanwhile, The Grove opened a café featuring acai bowls, smoothies and salads in September and is already garnering rave reviews. It is located on Cogswell Avenue in the former Dot Wood Appraisal building between 16th and 17th streets.
Just a couple of doors down is the new Lake House Antiques, an eclectic blend of antiques, vintage and home accessories.
And just beyond Lake House is Weeping Willow Books, the senior citizen on the block at nearly 120 days.
They all represent a shot of vitality for downtown, and residents and visitors alike are already showing their appreciation, following through on the demand for new and diverse shopping, dining and services options in a pedestrian friendly, downtown setting.
Samantha and Cody Herrington, Weeping Willow Books
Weeping Willow Books
For Samantha Herrington, her Cogswell Avenue bookstore is a dream come true.
She loves to read, and combining her passion with business seemed a perfect fit. She renovated the space with a willow tree theme (hence the name). “I always loved weeping willow trees,” she said, so she gave it an enchanted forest look, and “the name kind of went with it.”
She has created an inviting space. “I really wanted a bookstore downtown that was nice, cozy and welcoming, a place where people could come and get away from everything else.” She achieved those goals basically from the start, opening in June with 21 different genres of books – “a little something for everybody.”
She has books for all ages, “zero to as old as you can get,” she said. She even has a novel approach to novels called “Blind Date With a Book,” which is a book in wrapping so you cannot see the title. On the wrapping are hints so that you can get to know the book without seeing it first. Surprises await inside along with the book – a bookmark, notepad and pen. And just like a blind date, she said, you can’t judge a book by its cover.
The reception has been phenomenal. “Everybody who comes in here is super excited we’re here.” Her biggest surprise? “More customers than I expected.”
She’s enjoyed meeting everyone. “They have been nice and friendly. There is a big book community here,” she said, noting that she discovered a growing local authors community and is featuring some of their work. Authors like Shawn Bailey, Cherith Fluker and Kyle Hannah’s book company clients are among the books she features.
Herrington is already eyeing the future with plans to offer book clubs for different genres, story time for the children, author signings and a café with coffee and pastries.
“I want to grow a place when the outside is too much, they can come in here, get away and read a book.”
Jacob and Adam Castleberry, curators
Lake House Antiques
Jacob and Adam Castleberry moved their year-old business from U.S. 231 South to downtown in August. Actually, it’s their second business. They own a thriving property management company that operates in Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas and Florida.
Antiques are a pastime-turned-business. “We’ve been curating and collecting for 10 years,” said Jacob. “Our goal was to open a shop.”
While the property management company was based in Trussville, they never found a spot that “caught our eye,” he said.
When they moved to Cropwell, they found space in Lake Plaza. But when space became available downtown, they knew that’s really where they wanted to be. And customers are showing they’re glad they came.
“It’s been overwhelming,” Adam said. “It’s been great,” echoed Jacob.
The business started from their own experience and abilities. Their former home in Trussville was an eclectic blend, and friends and family encouraged them over the years to design spaces for others or open a shop.
They describe their place as “Grandma’s house,” Adam said, noting that the paintings, quilts and other items blended with vintage and new make it look like Grandma’s. “It’s lived in comfortable.”
He’s right. Alongside an oil painting or a pair of newly upholstered French wing-backed chairs with brass nailheads, you might find a tiffany lamp, a mosaic-top table, a regal dining room suite, an urn, photo frames, china or a Victrola turned cocktail bar.
On Sundays and Mondays, Jacob and Adam are traveling to source new items to feature Tuesday through Saturday, their days of operation.
“We want something new every day or every week at least,” keeping the shop vibrant and fresh, Adam said. And customers are responding with a steady flow of traffic heading their way since opening.
With a nod to the recent growth of that part of the downtown area and the camaraderie that has followed, Jacob said, “We’re excited to be a part of the new business downtown. We hope more is coming. We’re excited to see the growth of downtown Pell City and be a part of it.”
Customers say the shop has an appealing vibe that brings them back. “Hopefully, we’re going to be successful,” Jacob added. “It gives them another spot to browse around on a Saturday afternoon.”
Briana Allen (right) and Shelby Dunaway
Studio on 1st
Studio on 1st is the city’s newest destination point for professional hair care and skin care. The salon offers services for men and women tailored to them.
Owned by Briana Allen, Studio on 1st could be seen as continuing a family tradition of locally owned business. Next door is her father and grandfather’s longtime business, Allen Service Co. “They played a big role in why I opened my own place,” she said.
She opened July 15, but celebrated a grand opening in late September. She had worked in Birmingham but wanted to return to her hometown so that she could become more involved in the community personally and through her business.
“I’m loving it so far. It’s more than I imagined it would be. I really do love it,” she said. Besides being able to locate next to her family’s business, she chose downtown because of its small town charm. “You can walk to all the places. They know me, and I know them.”
Business owners refer business to each other, she said. “We’re all like close together, helping each other. It’s the perfect spot to start this.”
Joining her is stylist Shelby Dunaway, whom she says shares the same goals for the business – offering quality services and being involved in the community.
Coming on board in October is esthetician Morgan Russell, who will be handling the skin care part of the salon with facials and waxes.
Plans call for one more stylist, “then we’ll have a full house,” Allen said. But the planning hasn’t stopped there. She hopes to extend the back of the building to include a nail technician and perhaps a massage therapist.
Studio on 1st, she said, is “committed to delivering exceptional service and an experience you’ll love coming back to.”
Whitney Gunnison
The Grove
It only took four months for an idea to spring into a full-fledged business. For Whitney Gunnison, the genesis of The Grove evolved from a need. She suffers from celiac disease, an immune reaction to gluten that prevents nutrients from being absorbed and requires a gluten-free diet.
There weren’t any good options locally, so she decided to create a restaurant that filled that need. She renovated the building on Cogswell Avenue and set out to create healthier options with fresh, whole ingredients.
Her story blends her food creations with nourishment for the soul, she said. “I am strong in my faith. I wanted to share the love of Jesus in this building so people could feel the joy, hope and love the Lord has given to us.”
While a traditional downtown may spark memories of yesteryear, there’s a new feeling up and down Cogswell and First Avenues these days.
With Acai, smoothies and fresh salads heading the menu at this café, it’s evident that it is more than just a place to grab a healthy bowl or a smoothie — it’s a place to be “rooted, refreshed and renewed,” she said.
It actually got its name from those ideals – and a sign. She and her husband had considered a few different names but couldn’t decide. The Grove was one of their choices, but they prayed for a sign. He was on a job site in Cullman when he spotted a huge white sign up ahead, proclaiming, “The Grove.” It was their sign – literally and spiritually.
They set out to create a menu by gathering her team together, and they would try different ingredients and “figured out what was great and not so great” through many evenings of taste tests.
Team members who helped with the renovation were paid in bowls and smoothies, she said.
The end result was a comprehensive menu of açaí bowls, smoothies and fresh salads. And it appears she landed on a winning recipe. Judging by the response in the opening days, it’s a hit.
“The grand opening was super chaotic, but in the best way, she said. “We ran out of acai. We tripped a breaker. We had to close early because Pell City sold us out. After Friday (opening day), I hired four more people.”
But, she added, “everybody was rooting for me. Everybody has been so supportive. They’re excited to have a healthy spot.”
Elaine Hobson Miller adds to extensive list of honors
Ashville’s Elaine Hobson Miller has been named the 2025 Communicator of Achievement of Alabama Media Professionals.
The St. Clair County resident won the award previously in 2017. That year, she went on to be runner-up in the National Federation of Press Women’s COA race when NFPW held its Communications Conference in Birmingham that year.
As the Alabama winner, Hobson Miller again vied for the national award when NFPW held its 2025 conference in Golden, Colorado.
The Alabama honoree has been writing since elementary school, when she penned a piece for her school’s newsletter. Throughout high school, she worked on her school’s newspaper staff and served as news editor during her senior year.
Hobson Miller began her lifelong career as a professional journalist and freelance writer in1968, the summer before her senior year at Samford University. She accepted an internship at the Birmingham Post-Herald, that city’s former morning newspaper.
The following year, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism with a minor in Spanish. Hobson Miller accepted a full-time position at the Post-Herald. Within a year, she became that newspaper’s first woman to cover the Birmingham city government beat.
She left the Post Herald in 1972 when her first child was born and freelanced for several years. She was a full-time features writer for Birmingham Magazine from 1978-1980, returning to the Post-Herald in 1980, working first as a copy editor and then as food editor and features writer.
As a freelancer, she was editor of PrimeLife, a Birmingham-based magazine for people over 55, during the four months of its existence in 1988. She wrote a twice-monthly house column for the Birmingham News, 1992-1997, and was a regular contributor to Southern Lumberman from 1990 to 2001. She also wrote content for various local corporate and government newsletters, brochures and pamphlets, including Jefferson County, Shelby Medical Center (now Baptist Health Shelby Hospital), First National Bank and Vulcan Materials. She edited Birmingham Home & Garden magazine in 2002.
Hobson Miller took a brief sabbatical from journalism in 1996 following the death of her husband, who owned an independent pharmacy. She did enough freelance writing during that time “to keep my fingers nimble and my brain active,” she said. She sold the pharmacy in 2012 and resumed her focus on writing.
Although the honoree considers herself semi-retired, her work has appeared regularly in the magazine, Discover the Essence of St. Clair, since it was launched 15 years ago. She also writes for its sister magazine, LakeLife 24/7, both published by the Pell City-based multimedia marketing firm, Partners by Design.
Active in mission work, Hobson Miller has made four medical mission trips to Peru with Dawson Memorial Baptist Church in Homewood and Texas-based E-3 Partners, plus an independent mission trip to Peru. She did one mission trip to Spain and continues to participate in mission trips to Zacapa, Guatemala, where three Alabama churches have an ongoing relationship with the small village of Conevisa.
