St. Clair County-based Partners by Design, creators of Discover St. Clair Magazine and the LakeLife 24/7® brand of lake apparel and accessories, is launching its newest venture, LakeLife 24/7 Magazine® on May 7.
This magazine will capture life along Logan Martin and Neely Henry lakes. “These incredible treasures of the Coosa River in St. Clair, Talladega, Calhoun and Etowah counties are just that – treasures – to be discovered, enjoyed and savored,” said Carol Pappas, president and CEO of the company. “And that’s precisely the aim of this new magazine and its digital components.”
This lake lifestyle magazine will be unrivaled in its content, bringing you the essence of life on the lake as Partners has already shown it can do through Discover St. Clair Magazine, now in its 10th successful year of publication. In addition, Partners created its own LakeLife™ and LakeLife 24/7® brands several years ago, and it has grown into an e-commerce website, lakelife247.com, featuring apparel and accessories for 15 Alabama lakes along with the national brand. A brick-and-mortar LakeLife™ shop opened in historic downtown Pell City three years ago.
“With the growth of our LakeLife 24/7® brand, we saw the magazine as a natural next step. It is an opportunity to open another avenue of telling the story of life on the lake and who better to tell that story than a group of veteran journalists, photographers, web and graphic designers?” Pappas said.
“In addition to this high-quality publication you’ll be proud to display on your coffee table, award-winning writers will bring you the stories of life on Logan Martin and Neely Henry that you’ll savor for a long time to come,” she said. “Beautiful photography, stunning video, digital advertising, digital page-turning edition, web extras, social media promotion and electronic newsletters will focus on life along our lakes as no other can. It is truly going to be a multimedia experience that keeps our readers abreast of the goings-on up and down our lakes.”
The print magazine will be published and distributed free of charge on the first Friday every two months, beginning in May and on the opposite months Discover is published. “We chose May as our beginning date for this inaugural issue because this is yet another new beginning for our company. It also coincides with what is traditionally seen as the beginning of ‘lake season.’” As a lake resident herself, Pappas noted, “Of course, lake season really lasts all year long. Spectacular sunsets, inspiring sunrises and shimmering water – it’s something you never grow tired of.”
Thousands of LakeLife 24/7 Magazines® will be distributed in high traffic areas around both lakes, reaching readers in St. Clair, Talladega, Etowah and Calhoun counties. Like Discover, it also will be available by subscription at a nominal annual cost.
Content in the magazine centers on the people, places and things that set lake life apart from other lifestyles. Every issuefeatures an historic piece, the story of days gone by on the lakes and the river before them. It takes you inside the kitchens of some of Logan Martin and Neely Henry’s best cooks and out on the open water as B.A.S.S. pro and fishing guide Zeke Gossett offers tips on how to catch the big ones.
The magazine strives to keep readers up to date on the latest trends in boating, water toys and lake life activities. Want to know about events on and around the lake? Pappas predicts Take 5 will be the go-to source in print and digitally.
“We are tremendously excited about this latest step for our company,” Pappas said. “Since we opened Partners by Design as a boutique marketing firm 11 years ago, we have always dubbed ourselves ‘the storytellers’ because the story is at the heart of everything we do, no matter the platform, no matter the messaging.
“This magazine gives us yet another opportunity to tell engaging stories of life on our lakes, and we hope readers will be drawn to them for years to come – just like our lakes.”
Communitywide project finds new home in municipal complex
Story by Eryn Ellard Submitted Photos
When the doors opened six years ago to a Museum on Main Street exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution and Alabama Humanities Alliance, the Pell City and St. Clair County community didn’t know quite what to expect.
The Smithsonian component, The Way We Worked, was intriguing and compelling and drew an inquiring audience. But it was the local exhibit, Pell City Works, that pulled it all together to form a vision that is now becoming reality.
Actual Pell City Works exhibit section
In coming months, Pell City will have its own historical museum – Museum of Pell City – featuring the original Pell City Works exhibit, the Making Alabama bicentennial exhibit and countless other features and additions all under one roof in a 4,000-square-foot suite at the Pell City Municipal Complex.
The Way We Worked and Pell City Works debuted in 2014 and drew over 7,000 visitors from multiple states during its first five weeks of exhibition. The primary focus of the professionally designed Pell City Works exhibit was on the city’s local history and how Pell City came of its unique footing. It tells a story of growth, family and hard work through photographs, stories and local artifacts.
After seeing its popularity and success, project co-chairs at the time – Pam Foote, Deanna Lawley and Carol Pappas – began to research ways that it would eventually become more permanent or perhaps grow into something even more special for the community. The exhibit was preserved intact and stored in the basement of the Municipal Complex while they worked off and on over the years trying to find and fund a permanent home.
That grassroots movement evolved into a partnership with the Heart of Pell City, a local nonprofit, and the city council. The effort has led to the founding by Foote, Lawley and Pappas of a separate nonprofit dedicated solely to the museum and its operation in the future.
Fundraising so far is over the $15,000 mark with a goal of $100,000 initially. The city is providing the 4,000-square-foot suite as a permanent home for the museum, and the Making Alabama exhibit, worth about $100,000, has been awarded to the group as a permanent exhibit. Pell City is one of only five communities in the state to be so honored.
Making Alabama focuses on the 200-year history of the state, its working class, families and complexities of its heritage. Making Alabama will be the perfect complement to Pell City Works, valued at more than $40,000, and is a project that organizers are proud to make a part of the community permanently, Pappas said.
“These will be an ideal centerpiece for the museum – the making of Pell City and the making of Alabama together under one roof,” Pappas said. “We have been waiting on this moment for a long time.”
“Every year that passes, more history is lost about our town, especially the years before the lake and I-20 so drastically changed it,” Lawley explained. The local exhibit from 2014 generated all kinds of interest in those early years. “Emphasis was put on the primary industry, Avondale Mills. People would stay for hours looking at pictures, often shedding tears or laughter.”
Without such a movement for a museum to preserve and protect those moments in history, “there will soon be just a void as those who experienced them leave this earth,” she said.
Artwork and digital storytelling come together in state exhibit.
Foote, who served as the actual project manager, agreed. “There were so many people who thanked us for telling ‘their’ history. They had a father, a brother, an aunt who worked at the mill. They grew up in the mill village. Everyone seemed to connect.”
Even though upwards of 7,000 people saw the exhibit, “others to this day come up to me and tell me they were so sorry they missed it – that they had heard about it and wished they could see it now. Now, they can.”
The museum space has been prepared by the city, and museum organizers are preparing to open within the year. The new museum is being designed by Jeremy Gossett, a professional designer who helped create the Pell City Works exhibit, as well as others across the state. The museum showcases a hearty collection of local and state historical exhibits, as well as interactive learning tools for students and history buffs of all ages.
“Traveling exhibits and cultural programming also are part of the vision for this new museum, engaging audiences from near and far,” Pappas said.
Pell City Manager Brian Muenger said the space above the library is the perfect home for the new exhibit – thanks to its open concept and three separate offices, and he is excited to see the project come to fruition.
“My hope is that the museum will become a bridge between generations and a means for newcomers to Pell City to gain an appreciation for the fascinating history of how the city was formed, has grown and how it has evolved,” Muenger said. “The preservation and presentation of this information, specifically to the youth of the community, will ensure that the contributions of the generations before are not soon forgotten.”
Pappas said the museum will feature a children’s area with STEM skills featured for students. Upon completion, the museum also could be a regional, multi-county field trip destination for fourth grade students learning about state history.
Planned is an oral history recording studio, which will help preserve the community’s history even more as the years go by. There is space for presentations, lectures and the showing of documentaries.
Its location above the Pell City Library, which features a genealogy section, enables a solid partnership between the two entities for joint programming and other projects.
Several unusual artifacts have already been donated to the project, including an 1890s player piano and a 1926 Victrola console in mint condition, both of which will be used to showcase state and local music history. In addition, the project will also be home to many traveling exhibits to keep the museum fresh and compelling for visitors for years to come, Pappas noted.
Fundraising efforts for the museum have been fruitful and many local businesses and citizens have donated time and money to the cause.
Urainah Glidewell, president of the Heart of Pell City, said the outpouring of support has been graciously received thus far, and there are many opportunities to get involved along the way. For instance, any business or person wishing to donate $100 or more will be recognized as a founding member of the museum, known as Museum 100.
“Plans are to have a donors wall to honor those who helped make the museum a reality,” Glidewell said. “Of course, once the museum is open, we will continue to need donations for operating costs, bringing in new exhibits, etc. As of now, the plan is to have free admission for visitors, but donations will always be welcome.”
“We are so excited that this dream is finally coming to fruition,” Pappas said. “We’ve had a lot of help along the way, and we’ll continue to need that support. But the end result is going to be an impressive museum that preserves, honors and treasures our history. This is truly a community effort and will benefit generations to come.”
Story by Scottie Vickery Photos by Kelsey Bain Submitted photos
Mandi King’s first attempt at decorating cookies was disastrous at best. The icing was runny, the colors were off and she had a big mess on her hands. Undaunted, she discovered that determination mixed with lots of practice turned out to be the perfect recipe for success.
These days, her cookie designs are nothing short of “a-dough-rable,” and King has started a thriving cottage business, Mad Batter Cookie Co., filling orders out of her home in Moody. It turns out that what seemed like a half-baked idea had some real merit, and King is one smart – and creative – cookie.
Her cookies come in all shapes and designs – everything from mittens to pencils to fish and trains. She has made edible versions of baby carriages, wine bottles, superheroes, sailboats, cartoon characters and ice cream cones. She’s even made cookies decorated like lipsticks, tubs of popcorn and the poop emoji.
Mandi relies very heavily on her tool of the trade — a Kitchen Aid mixer.
“My absolute favorite thing is when someone gives me free rein,” King said. “I love that challenge of being able to design my own ideas.”
The 30-year-old King is one of a number of St. Clair County bakers who are turning sugar, butter and flour into tiny works of art. The decorated cookie craze has taken off and King, for one, loves the opportunity it provides to explore her artistic side. “I’ve always loved doodling and drawing, so this has been a lot of fun,” she said.
Starting from scratch
The first step, though, was to learn how to bake a batch of cookies, much less decorate them. “I love to cook, but I’d never been a great baker,” she said. “I don’t have a sweet tooth, so I’ve never really had the inclination.”
So why even bother? Chalk it up to boredom, King said. It was September 2019, and she and her husband, Anthony, had lived in their new home for about a month. Theirs was the first house in the neighborhood, and they didn’t have access to cable or internet yet. “I decided I needed a hobby,” she said. “I looked at my husband and said, ‘I’m going to do this.’”
The next day, they bought cookie cutters, icing and the ingredients for a cookie recipe she found online. A few hours later, she had botched her first batch. “It was the biggest blob,” King said. “The icing was too runny and all of it was just a big fail.”
King is nothing if not determined, though. “I can be a perfectionist, so I’m going to keep doing it over and over until I get it right,” she said. “They tasted good, so I thought surely I could get the decorating down.”
She kept at it, and a few weeks later when the couple threw a Halloween party, she wowed their friends with her culinary creations. After making some cookies for a friend’s baby shower, she started getting more requests. Strangers began to reach out to her via social media. “I wasn’t charging people for the longest time, but my friends convinced me to make it a business and to really grow it.”
King can bake and sell her cookies from home under Alabama’s Cottage Food Law, and she has business licenses from the state and city. She officially started her business in February 2020 and has made thousands of cookies since then. Her smallest order has been a dozen, and she once made more than 300 cookies for a corporate order.
In addition to iced cookies, she offers cookie cakes, hot cocoa bombs and macarons, which are meringue-based cookies. “Macarons are incredibly hard to make,” she said, adding that she likes to experiment with different flavors like cinnamon sugar and bacon. “They’re incredibly temperamental.”
Cutting up
The iced cookies are her main draw, though, and she’s made them for birthday parties, wedding showers, baby showers, gender reveals, “promposals” and other events. They start at $40 a dozen, which includes up to four colors of icing, and more complex designs cost extra. “Each cookie takes about 20 minutes to decorate, and some take upwards of 40,” she said. “I’m definitely getting faster at it, though.”
She’s also added lots of flavors to the mix. After tweaking her original recipe many times, she now offers cookie dough in 14 flavors (including sugar, blueberry, red velvet, key lime and rum) and icing in seven flavors, such as cream cheese, orange, coconut, vanilla and banana.
Her cookie cutter collection has grown, too. “I’ve got well over 400 cookie cutters now, and I recently bought a 3D printer, so I can design and print my own cookie cutters,” she said. “I can make any kind of shape anyone is thinking of, and any size, too.”
Now that King has turned pro, she’s happy to share some of her secrets. She’s offered a few cookie decorating classes at Rails and Ales in Leeds, and she said she hopes to have more in the future. She shares a variety of techniques during the 2-hour class, which costs $45, and participants decorate six cookies they get to take home.
Although King, a sales representative for a security company, is loving her new business venture, she said juggling a full-time job and a part-time business can be tricky. “This is my 5-to-9 and weekends job,” she said. “I try to limit myself to three orders a week. I had no idea it would take off like this.”
Overall, though, the experience has been a sweet one. “It’s so much fun,” King said. “And my husband loves it. He gets to be the taste tester and eat all the reject cookies.”
Story by Elaine Hobson Miller Photos by Graham Hadley
If a gaggle of giggly girls is any indication, Heathermoor Farm is the greatest place in the world to take horseback riding lessons. A visit to the farm any given hour on any given Saturday reveals at least a dozen young teens and pre-teens scattered about. Those who are not actually astride the horses are hanging out and hanging all over each other smack in the middle of the indoor arena. They are laughing, playing on their cellphones and, occasionally, watching their peers take lessons.
“I want to do a winter tournament, the fun shows and then the National Academy Finals,” says 10-year-old Evie Campbell, who lives in Hoover. She has been taking lessons since September 2020, having discovered Heathermoor through her good friend, Alex Mountz, who also takes lessons there. “She talked about it, I looked into it and told my mom.”
Evie has always liked horses and feels quite comfortable on the back of one. “My first time here, I was a bit nervous, but I was excited, too,” she says. “Now I take lessons twice a week.”
Katie Bentley of Trussville, who takes lessons Thursdays and Saturdays, also discovered horseback riding through a friend. She now owns a mare named Secret, a gift from her mother, Amy Jones, for Katie’s 12th birthday in November 2020. “I love it,” she says of riding. “It makes me feel calm and relaxed. I go there three times a week. I just ride for fun on the third (non-lesson) day or play with Secret.”
Riding classes in the large indoor arena
Heathermoor Farm can claim more than just the adulation of a bunch of young girls, though. With over 100 equestrians, both men and women ages five to 68, either taking lessons or training for horse shows, it is probably the largest horse-teaching facility in the state of Alabama.
“We’re the only American Saddlebred horseback riding academy in the Birmingham area with an indoor arena,” says co-owner Jennifer Fernambucq.
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said, “There’s something about the outside of a horse that’s good for the inside of a man.” Jennifer knows exactly what Churchill meant and how the teenage girls feel about horses. “It’s an incredible thing, the way a horse touches a human being,” Jennifer says. “It’s such a gift.”
She was 10 years old when a friend in her ballet class took her to Heathermoor, where the friend was taking lessons. Started in 1965 by John and Anita Cowart, the farm was located off Highway 119 in Jefferson County then. It only took one visit to hook Jennifer for life.
Later, when she was in her early 20s and working for a financial consulting firm, she received a phone call from Mrs. Cowart. She needed an instructor, was Jennifer interested? “I had not ridden in several years,” she says. “College, then becoming a working mom, kept me busy. But I quit my job and joined her. It worked well. I could stay with my babies mornings and teach in the afternoons.”
Five years later, the Cowarts retired, and Jennifer and a business partner bought the farm. That was in 1999. “In a few years, we dissolved the partnership, and my partner started her own stable, Stepping Stone in Columbiana,” Jennifer explains. “I’ve been at it 20 years now.”
She and her husband, Richie, who met through their love of horses, moved Heathermoor to its present, 16-acre spot on Carl Jones Road in Moody five years ago. They built a 42-stall barn and quickly filled it up. Constructed in a U-shape, with the 55-by-175-foot enclosed arena in the center and 200 feet of stalls along each side. The overflows are in the pastures, for a total of 55 horses.
On one side, the stalls are home to performance or show horses owned by individuals. On the other, which is the lesson or school side, some animals are owned by Jennifer and Richie and others by individual riders. The door to the center of the “U” features a long window with barstool seating that allows parents, grandparents and friends to observe the arena riders without disturbing them. An office and storage rooms flank the lobby.
“We lease our lesson horses out,” Jennifer says of the horses the facility owns. “I own them, but the riders treat them as theirs. They can come and ride them any time.”
For Richie and Jennifer Fernambucq and their children, running the farm is a family affair.
Performance riders take part in 10 shows a year all over the Southeast, she says. “We work the performance horses five days a week, and their owners ride once a week. However, they come in several times a week.” As for her and her husband’s respective roles, she says, “Richie teaches the horses, I teach the riders.”
She and employee Brittany Campbell (no relation to Evie) teach about 120 lessons per week, 40 of them on Saturday, their busiest day.
“Knees tight, don’t move your arms, and walk,” she instructs a rider one recent Saturday. “Heels down, hands up.”
Some riders take lessons in small groups, many in private lessons. The former costs $30 per half hour, the latter $40. Most advertising is by word of mouth.
“His head’s too low. Remember, his ears need to be even with your eyes,” Jennifer tells another student. “Use your left leg to push his body so he’s straight.”
Meanwhile, her husband demonstrates a maneuver for another student. “These horses are athletes,” Richie says.“We bring in farriers from Kentucky who specialize in American Saddlebreds. We also bring in chiropractors. We spend a lot of money to keep them healthy.”
They specialize in show horses, but Saddlebreds are also used as hunter-jumpers and sometimes for the trail, according to Richie. “American Saddlebreds are bred to be high-strung, and they’re supposed to give with everything they have in a short period,” he says. “Most of their competition performances last about 10 minutes.”
Brittany has been a full-time instructor at Heathermoor for two years. She started riding when she was 7, left for a few years, then came back to help Jennifer and Richie. In fact, she gave up a bank job to work at Heathermoor. “My mom, my sister and I all ride,” she says. “We’ve had three horses here for 10 years.”
Boys and girls, men and women take lessons from Brittany and Jennifer, but the females far outnumber the males. “I have ladies in their 60s, and one of the men is 68,” Jennifer says. “He started taking lessons a couple of years ago. You’re never too old to learn to ride.”
Cannonball Man holds our past in his hands and heart
Story by Buddy Eiland Photos by Graham Hadley Submitted Photos
Searching for history can become a lifetime obsession. Just ask Steve Phillips. Although the guns of the American Civil War fell silent in 1865, Phillips has spent more than 50 years searching for the cannonballs and artillery shells, along with other artifacts left behind from that great conflict. In the process, he has become a knowledgeable student of Civil War history and has built one of the most extensive private collections of its artifacts in existence.
Phillips is a retired professional diver, having owned and operated Southern Skin Diver Supply Company in Birmingham for many years. His sons, Spencer and Forrest, still operate the business, and both are expert professional divers.
After leaving the Air Force and before he became involved in the dive business, Phillips was in the office machine business in Birmingham. He and his wife, Susan, live on a comfortable acreage straddling the St. Clair/Shelby County line. Their property has a lake, a creek and a secret mountain waterfall. Long ago, Native Americans lived there, and he and his family have found thousands of stone points over the years that they left behind.
Phillips has spent years reading, researching and learning where to look and how to find Civil War relics and artifacts. Searching by metal detecting on private land permissions and diving in public waters, he has found about half of his collection.
Cannister shot, made up of small balls, and other shells
The rest he has bought from other collectors, dealers and museums selling surplus items from their collections. Although his collection contains an unbelievable variety of artifacts, Phillips says, “I’m really all about cannonballs and artillery projectiles.” Learning from an early mentor, Tom Dickey of Atlanta, Phillips became an expert at disarming and preserving artillery projectiles. (Dickey is the brother of Deliverance author James Dickey). Over the years, he has disarmed and preserved over 2,000 cannonballs and artillery shells, developing his own methods from trial and error along the way.
The preservation is necessary because the iron will deteriorate from exposure to the air after being in the ground or water for so many years. The disarming process is extremely dangerous, as, even after over 150 years, the black powder sealed inside can still be viable and can explode if improperly handled.
He has designed a way to disarm projectiles safely and remotely, using a shed about a hundred yards behind his house and barn with a drilling apparatus controlled by ropes and pulleys to allow him to maintain a safe distance from the operation. “I don’t recommend people try this,” he says. “I’ve never had one to explode, but I treat every one like it might.”
After drilling into a shell, the black powder can then be safely washed out. Phillips uses a process of electrolysis to remove rust and scale that results from many years in water or in the ground. Then he boils the shell, usually several times, to remove salt and sulphites from the iron and help stabilize it. Finally comes a coat of preservative to complete the process.
Interesting among Phillips’ extensive and quite varied collection is probably the greatest number of “war logs” in any private collection. These are tree trunks from the Battle of Chickamauga, Georgia, that have artillery shells embedded in them. They speak to the intensity of the battle and were obtained from Tom Dickey’s collection after his death and from a museum in Atlanta.
The Enfield and the Coal Torpedo
What does he consider the most valuable item in his entire collection? Phillips is quick with an answer. “Monetarily, or to me personally?” he asks. “Probably money-wise would be the coal torpedo because it’s so rare. To me, personally, it would be my great-grandfather’s Enfield rifle that was left for me on the battlefield at Gettysburg. Of all the hundreds of items in my collection, it would be my favorite. It’s not the rarest, but it’s my favorite,” which leads us to two of Phillips’ most intriguing stories about his collection.
Rifle returns ‘home’
Some years ago, Phillips was attending the Nashville Relics Show, displaying some of his cannonballs and other items from his collection. “I subscribed to a magazine for The Horse Soldier, an antiques dealer in Gettysburg that sells relics and other artifacts from the Civil War. I was looking at a copy of the magazine, and, normally, I would just look at the cannonball and artillery section, but I was bored, and I began to look at other sections.
Phillips with the Enfield rifle that belonged to his great-grandfather, Private/Corporal John C. Deason, that was recovered from Devil’s Den, part of the battle of Gettysburg
“I saw a listing for a British-made Enfield rifle, a very well-made rifle, better than most people had. On one side of the stock were carved the initials “JCD,” and on the other side was carved, “Co B 44th Ala Infantry.” It was identified to a Private/Corporal John C. Deason of Company B, of the 44th Alabama Infantry. John C. Deason was John Columbus Deason, my great-grandfather on my mother’s side of my family.”
Deason fought in the battle of Gettysburg in the Civil War as a member of Company B of the 44th Alabama Infantry. They were involved in the part of the battle known as Devil’s Den. The fighting took place in close quarters among some large rocks. The rifle was picked up by the owner of the Slyder farm, which was part of the battlefield. It was missing the ramrod, and because of the close quarters of the fighting, the ramrod was likely bent, rendering the rifle useless. Without the ramrod, it couldn’t be reloaded, so he probably dropped it, picked up another rifle and continued to fight.” About 130 years later, Slyder family descendants sold their collection of relics collected after the battle.
Phillips contacted The Horse Soldier, expressing an interest in buying the rifle. Told that the rifle had been sold, he said he would like to contact the buyer and try to purchase it. “Don’t let him know,” he was told, “because he is a Yankee, and if he finds out you want it, you’re not going to get it.” He backed away from trying to buy the gun, and about five years later, he received a call from The Horse Soldier, asking if he was still interested in buying it. “I told them I was, so I bought it and brought it home.” This special rifle now occupies a place of honor, hanging over the mantle in his den.
Rare find
The coal torpedo Phillips found on an underwater dive. “I picked it up and thought it was just trash, but I kept it because I didn’t want to keep hearing it on my metal detector. I had found a 12-pound ball that day, and when I began to start cleaning it up, I threw the ‘trash’ into the tumbler with it to help knock some of the rust off.”
The tumbling cleaned rust from the odd piece he had found as well, and he noticed what looked like copper in the side of it. Comparing it with several artillery fuses from his collection, he determined that it was, indeed, a fuse plug. Taking the object to his veterinarian, who X-rayed it for him, he determined that it was hollow. Further research determined that what he had found was a coal torpedo, used by Confederate spies in the Civil War.
The coal
torpedo – one of
only four known to exist
It was cast from iron in the form of a lump of coal, filled with four or five ounces of powder, and, when covered with pitch and coal dust, disguised it so it could be placed in the coal bunker of a ship. Shoveled into the firebox of the ship, it would blow up the firebox. That would rupture the boiler, which, essentially blew up the ship.
Coal torpedoes were credited with destroying several ships during the war, and many, including Phillips, believe one was used to destroy the Sultana on the Mississippi River, resulting in the largest loss of life from a single ship in U.S. maritime history. Over 1,800 people died in the explosion and fire.
Phillips has the only coal torpedo known to have been found since the Civil War, and one of only four known to still exist. One was found on Jefferson Davis’ desk when Richmond surrendered, being used as a paperweight. Two were found at the Confederate spy headquarters, which was located in Canada during the war. According to Phillips, it is likely one of the rarest and most valuable relics of the war. “I thought I had found trash,” he said, “but what I had found was just wonderful. We don’t really know what its value to a collector might be because it will never be sold.”
The Alaska connection
If you are paying close attention, you might notice that Phillips quite often wears a solid, 14-carat-gold belt buckle. It was cast from a mold made from a Confederate belt buckle. In addition to being a Civil War relic collector, Phillips is also a gold prospector. For more than 25 years, he has spent about two months in Alaska, mining for gold. Diving and dredging in the Bering Sea at Nome, on claims he and his son, Spencer own, he has very successfully found gold over the years. He also has working claims further inland from Nome. Although he no longer dives, his son, Spencer does, joining him in Alaska during the summer.
According to Phillips, gold mining there is not as productive as it once was, but he continues to find gold. Inland, most of their pursuit involves dredging in the river there. The inland claim is extremely remote, so much so that, when they leave for the summer, the cabin there is left unlocked, providing refuge and shelter in case a hunter might become stranded there in the harsh winter. The greatest winter threat to the cabin is bears, who sometimes do damage to the property while they are away.
The remoteness of the area presents its own problems, according to Phillips, and resourcefulness and self-sufficiency become virtues. Failures to vehicles and equipment left to the elements over the harsh winters, along with poor access to spare parts, present their own challenges, and major repairs are especially diffiuclt … and frequent.
Phillips has made a hobby-business of fashioning jewelry from gold “pickers” he has found gold mining. These are gold particles larger than gold dust, but not large enough to be considered nuggets.
Phillips has generously shared his Civil War collection, placing many items on permanent loan to be displayed for the interest and enjoyment of the public. The museum at Tannehill State Park is furnished with items from his collection.
In keeping with that practice and with a personal desire that his collection will always be accessible for enjoyment and study by the public, Phillips’ collection will soon be moving to a new home. It will be placed on permanent loan at the Sons of Confederate Veterans’ headquarters and museum in Columbia, Tenn.
A number of videos Phillips has made to share his stories about collection are available on YouTube. Videos include the John Columbus Deason rifle, the confederate coal torpedo, artillery projectiles from Selma, Confederate mines, disarming and preserving artillery shells, and more. Also posted are videos about his gold prospecting adventures in Alaska. l
Story by Leigh Pritchett Submitted photos from Blair Goodgame and Don Smith
Amid the uncertainty of 2020, something positive appears to have occurred: a reawakening to the great outdoors.
The days, weeks, months of being confined and working or schooling remotely fed the desire to roam carefree in the wide open.
The outdoors became a refuge – a convenient and affordable one at that.
“There were so many unknowns about COVID-19 when it was first reported,” explained Don Smith, father of threechildren. “It seemed very contagious and the more populated, urbanized areas were having the highest outbreaks.
“When the lockdown in late March took place, my family and I decided we would focus our time outdoors, getting exercise, creating new memories instead of staying locked in our homes,” continued Smith, who is executive director of St. Clair County Economic Development Council (EDC).
Every weekend that the weather cooperated, Smith, wife April and their family went hiking in and out of St. Clair or kayaking on Big Canoe Creek in Springville and Ashville.
Blair Goodgame, the EDC’s tourism coordinator, can understand why. Enjoying nature and the outdoors helps to relieve stress and gets people out of their homes “to refresh and rejuvenate.”
Natural settings are not difficult to find and are basically free of charge, which is a plus for individuals and families whose income may have decreased during the pandemic.
Settings close to home also became the destination of choice as vacation plans were put on hold during the summer.
People took shorter trips instead and rediscovered what was in their community and county. “We’re seeing a resurgence of that,” Goodgame said.
Camping on the trail
with the Smith family
Smith, in fact, spoke of a camping trip his sons had right in their own neighborhood.
People can enjoy the outdoors simply by strolling through their community or along city blocks, they both agreed.
Valerie Painter, manager of Pell City Civic Center, said foot traffic was up not only in Lakeside Park, which features a mile-long walking trail, but also at the adjoining Pell City Sports Complex.
“My husband walks out there (in the park) every day with our dog, and he has noticed an increase,” Painter said.
She observed, as well, that people were renting pavilions and using the amenities of Lakeside Park later into 2020 than she has seen in previous years.
Right up to the end of 2020, Lakeside Park was being used for exercising, playing, picnicking, gathering, … “everything but swimming,” Painter said.
The park appeared to serve as relief for “cabin fever,” and a solution for social-distancing dilemmas. In October 2020, three weddings, some receptions and a large baptismal service were held at Lakeside Park. November’s tally included a wedding, four birthday parties and a baby shower. One family celebrated Thanksgiving there.
The uptick in visitors going to natural settings apparently has grown common. Goodgame said that each time she went to Double Cove at Logan Martin Dam Park during the fall, she saw a greater number of people than usual.
To Goodgame, this indicates a rediscovery of the outdoors, a new awareness of St. Clair’s assets, and a fresh vision of the possibilities they present.
A case in point is open-air venues, such as St. Clair County Arena. Goodgame said open-air venues have become welcome alternatives for holding craft shows and other events.
“This resurrection of the outdoors started even before COVID,” she noted.
Prior to the pandemic slowdown that began in March 2020, boat traffic on lakes in the county had increased noticeably. People were taking advantage of opportunities close to home, she said.
Those possibilities in St. Clair are growing in number and size. One wilderness area is under development and another wilderness area has been proposed.
When completed in 2022, Canoe Creek Nature Preserve in Springville will boast 28 miles of trails, Goodgame said. The preserve is part of Alabama’s Forever Wild program.
Another Forever Wild preserve has been proposed for the Ragland area. Goodgame said it would offer miles and miles of trails as well.
St. Clair County’s numerous outlets for hiking, kayaking, boating, birding, climbing and camping draw a large number of visitors from outside the county, too. Interestingly, Goodgame said, the visitors are even finding places that have largely been well-kept secrets.
Those secrets – along with the county’s assets, spaciousness and proximity to Birmingham and Atlanta – attracted scores of people to relocate to St. Clair in 2020 despite the pandemic, Goodgame said.
This continues St. Clair County’s growing trend. According to recent population figures compiled by Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama, St. Clair gained an estimated 858 residents in 2018-2019. Between 2010 and 2019, the county’s population increased by an estimated 6,162 people.
Take a hike!
Hiking ranks high on Goodgame’s list of favorite outdoor activities. In fact, she spends two weekends a month hiking with her dog.
One of her favorite hiking spots in St. Clair County is Double Cove at Logan Martin Dam Park. Another is Ten Islands Park at Neely Henry Dam.
Goodgame includes Pell City’s Lakeside Park on her suggested list of hiking spots, saying it is ideal for people who prefer a paved path. Goodgame said the wetlands overlook, a project by Logan Martin Lake Protection Association, the botanical display of the Pell City Garden Club’s native plant garden, waterfowl and wildlife along the path make it a good place to walk and observe nature.
Hiking and being outdoors can be particularly beneficial for children, she said, because the youth learn about plants, creatures, geography, geology and the world around them.
Hiking is one of Blair Goodgame’s favorite activities.
The expanse overseen by Coosa Riverkeepers is one area of the county that she recommends for a nature “classroom.” The riverkeepers, she said, strive to document different species and to maintain a pristine environment.
Camp Sumatanga features the Sumatanga Mountain Trail, which is a 2.4-mile, lightly-trafficked out-and-back trail near Gallant, north of Ashville. The trail is rated moderate and features a lake. It is mainly used for hiking and running and is open on weekends. Dogs are allowed on the trail, but they must be kept on a leash. Camp Sumatanga was founded in 1947 as part of a United Methodist camping ministry, according to its website. The original property consisted of 430 acres extending from the crest of Chandler Mountain down into the valley of Greasy Cove. Breathtaking vistas are part of its allure.
Its name means: “… a place low enough for all who have a mind to climb to reach its heights and yet high enough for all to catch a vision of higher heights.”
Any hiking trail can be educational, as children look, for example, for bird holes in trees or count the different species of flowers, Goodgame said.
Hiking is a source of fun, too. “You can plan scavenger hunts with (the children),” she said. Also, using a hiking app lets children keep up with where they are on the trail and to compete in challenges.
Developing a love of and an appreciation for nature “is going to be better for our kids because they will be better guardians of our land later,” Goodgame said. “It gives us something positive to look forward to in the future.”
One of the many benefits of hiking, Goodgame said, is that it gets adults and children away from computer screens, phones, television and other technological devices.
Smith agreed wholeheartedly. “The great thing about hiking is it disconnects the family from electronics and allows for great conversation.”
Time spent discovering new places, hiking and enjoying nature knits family members together and forms memories to cherish always, said Goodgame and Smith.
“Hiking … costs nothing to walk on a trail and enjoy fresh air, wildlife and natural views,” Smith said. “… Overnight camping can require some investment, but it can be done on a reasonable budget and includes a campfire and stories for free. Sleeping under the stars miles from civilization really helps you appreciate all that we have that makes our life easier. It’s good to be reminded of how far we have come and all the incredible things nature offers us.”
