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A
photograph of the Loxley School around 1918. |
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Looking from
west to east on Relham Drive. Alabama Highway 59/US Hwy
90 is a two lane road. From the photo, double exposed
as it is, it looks as if the main road is not paved which
would age this photo to the early to mid 1940s. |
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A man and his
wife in a truck during the late 40s. |
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During the before,
during, and after the war, small towns had baseball clubs
that competed with the other town teams around. This photo
is mid to late 40s perhaps right after the war. The school
in the background was built in 1937. These teams were
rooted for avidly by the community and games were well
attended. |
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This is a farm
field in central Baldwin County, AL. This is much like
the scene found on every farmer's fields. The field hands
were either share-croppers or locals who worked the summer.
This photograph was with a group of others from the area.
We think this is of the Bertolla Farms, but are not sure. |
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Charles and
Polly Barnhill. Charles grew this beard in recognition
of the Baldwin County Sesquicentennial held in 1959. It
was a fad for the men to do this when celebrating. |
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Mr. Charles
Fackler at his mom and dad's home right outside of loxley.
I would say this picture was taken in the early 1930s. |
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Fund Raisers
were a lot of great fun and entertainment. This group
of ladies were and are among some of the most well thought
of in the area. From left to right are: Judy Stapleton
Lovell, Luticia Wallace, Dora Steele, Evelyn Driskell,
and Fanny Robinson.
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A photo taken
in the 50s of the Loxley Post Office, now a law office,
and the Loxley Community Center. |
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Court Lovell,
now known as the Loxley Motel. |
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A photo of Geraldine
Hayes standing in front of the Dairy Spin, one of the
favorite drive-ins around. Notice the sign. Azaleas are
one of the areas flowering highlights in the Spring. The
Azalea Spin was perhaps a soft serve cone or a milk shake.
If you know, let me know. |
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The day the
Dairy Spin closed. The lady is Caroline Wages. |
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Another shot
of the Dairy Spin sometimes in the 1950s. |
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The Loxley train Depot.
This photo is dated early 20s. The Loxley train depot
was located just north from where the new Fire Hall
is located. It was on what is now the northwest corner
of 1st Ave and Ellison St.
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A photograph
of the "Pine Knot Special," the wood burning
train that serviced Central Baldwin County during the
days of trains. This photo was taken at the Loxley Depot.
You are looking from the south to the north toward Bay
Minette. Notice the two tracks, one for coming and one
for going. Also the side tracks were used to put the train
cars close to the packing and shipping sheds.
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A little known
fact is that Loxley, at one time, was a major exporter
of citrus fruit, in particular, satsumas and tangerines.
This is a photo of my grandmother, Dora Middleton Dyess
Steele around eight years old standing in front of the
satsuma packing shed next door to her home. This was located
on the tracks down what is now N. Holly St. For you locals,
this photograph is taken across the street from the old
Fire Department barn. The photograph can be dated to around
1919 as my grandmother was born in 1911 and she is approximately
eight years old in this photo.
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This is also, Dora Belle Middleton Dyess
Steele. The photo was taken when she was fourteen to sixteen
years old, sometime during the mid twenties. She was involved
in a play at the Loxley Theater House, located where Regions
bank is located today. Many of the people in town participated
in the productions held there. One reference that will
be put up shortly concerns the Loxley Follies. The participants
are a who's who of Loxley founding fathers and residents.
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Another photo of Dora Belle Steele,
this one is at the same age she was in the packing shed
photograph. She is approximately eight years old. Date
of photo: 1919.
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A picture of a 4th of
July celebration sometime in the early 20s. The person
in the photo is Bill Middleton, not the mayor of course,
but one of his forebearers.
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Loved by so
many and remembered for her great cooking, Mrs. Frances
Lacey inspired so many school children during her tenure
as cafeteria manager at the Loxley Elementary School.
Her homemade yeast rolls, hamburger buns, hot dog buns,
and cinnamon rolls are legendary, even to this day. This
photo was taken when she was in her teens, in the early
30s.
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Loxley Elementary School always had
a fall festival around halloween. The boys and girls you
see in this picture were the kings and queens of the celebration.
The girl and boy who raised the most money were crowned
king and queen. There was an elementary and junior high
school king and queen. I have been told this was taken
in the late 50s.
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Henry C. and Ida Mae Middleton
on their 50th wedding anniversary. You will see the name
Middleton many times in these images. One reason is the
Middletons were and continue to be viable contributors
to the community. Mayor Billy Middleton continues the
wonderful and rich heritage.
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Henry C. Middleton and his dog Jack
at his home on what is now N. Holly Street. The buiding
you see in the background is the old Loxley Hall Theatre.
The site is where the Regions Bank is located today.
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The homeplace of Joseph and Dora Belle
Dyess. This house was located on what is now South Cedar
Street.
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A photo of my mother and uncle in front
of the Dyess homeplace. My grandmother was a Middleton
and she married Joseph Dyess. Both families were some
of the first to come into the area. My mother is Joretta
Dyess Knight and my uncle is Gordon M Dyess, who lives
right outside of Loxley on Thompson Road.
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There will be
several images of this building. Located across the street
from the Loxley train depot was one of the hotels of the
period. This is the old Loxley hotel. The photo is period,
around 1905. Notice the particularly Victorian dress.
The train would bring visitors to Loxley and many would
stay at the hotel. There is an effort to put the hotel
back into its pristine order.
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The Loxley hotel
today. It still stands, but needs much work in to foundation
and roof. There is an effort underway to renovate the
building and turn it into a bed and breakfast.
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The citrus industry of the 1910s, 20s,
and 30s was one of the dominant agricultural endeavors
in the area. The citrus trees, it is said, were huge and
one could not harvest the crop without tools to reach
the fruit. This is a photo of one such solution.
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Ida Mae Middleton
and Joretta Dyess when Joretta was around four years old.
That would put this photograph in 1937.
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One of the favorite school teachers
of our older generation now. This is Mrs. Irma Canaan.
She taught third grade at Loxley Elementary School.
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John Loxley,
the man the town was named after. Mr. Loxley had a logging
business and came down with his son, Fred, and established
logging operations all over the Southeast. I have read
information that says he had logging operations in Florida,
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. His son, Fred,
was the area manager for the business and lived in Daphne,
AL. Mr. Loxley only stayed in the area long enough to
help set the business up. He and his wife lived in Lake
Charles, LA. He was so well thought of by his workers
who lived in the small community of Bennett that they
renamed the area Loxley, after their employer. He is said
to have been a kind, humorous man.
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Joseph Dyess as a young man in his late
teens.
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Another of Loxley
Elementary's favorite teachers was Mrs. Lall Swift. I
remember Mrs. Swift as one of the kindest people I knew.
She taught first grade.
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Lovell's Restaurant
in the 40s. This became known as the Dutch Kitchen and
Joyce's Seafood Restaurant later on. There was even a
chicken place there for a while. It is now home to Baldwin
County Education Association.
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Loxley Methodist Church was first built
in 1905. It was the only church in the main part of town
as the wooden Baptist church had burned down. Everyone
held services there and would take turns on who used it
at what time. There was even a community prayer meeting
on Wednesdays.
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The staff of Loxley Elementary School
in the late 50s and early 60s. From left to right on the
back: Vencil Taylor, Lois Duck, Glen Duck, Dudley Howell,
Letrice Dickinson, Edna Reding, Elsie D'Olive. Front Row
Left to Right: Ann Benoist, Lall Swift, Irma Canaan, Ethyl
Lecroy, Lillian Smith, Rosetta Hardy, Elmeda Ellis.
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Maggie Lee Middleton
Fackler with her cat. Photo was probably taken around
1925.
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The old Loxley hotel looking from the
east to the west. The Loxley depot is the building on
the right. Image was 1920.
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The agricultural
area had many needs and alot of that was water. This is
an old irrigation pump from the 20s.
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Originally, this building was the first
bank in Loxley. This photo is taken from the south looking
north. It became the Loxley Town Hall and finally, the
Loxley Police Department. This building was one of the
first structures in town, built between 1905 and 1910.
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The old bank
building when it was the Loxley Town Hall. The fire department
took this photo of its equipment in 1984. From left to
right, the number two pumper; the number one pumper; the
rescue van; the first responders vehicle, the dragon wagon;
and the woods truck affectionately known as the GI.
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Crucial to the agricultural industries
was the packing and shipping sheds. This is a photograph
of one of the foremen, Mr. Snider.
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Ladies grading
the corn. Most of the heavy work was left to the young
teenage boys and most of the gentile work to the ladies.
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Working to put the corn on the trucks and railcars.
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On the sheds...c.
1955.
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Corn by the dozen in bags on the refrigerated
cars.
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The People's
Trade Company - General Merchandise still stands today
on the northeast corner of Ellison St and 1st Avenue.
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The People's Trade
Company - General Merchandise still stands today on the
northeast corner of Ellison St and 1st Avenue.
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The People's Trade
Company - General Merchandise still stands today on the
northeast corner of Ellison St and 1st Avenue.
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The People's Trade
Company - General Merchandise still stands today on the
northeast corner of Ellison St and 1st Avenue.
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Mrs Marinos and her adopted daughter,
Petrula posing in front of a truck outside their store.
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F C. Griffin had the Pure Oil distributorship
in the area. This is one of his drivers.
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Another of the many drivers for the
F C Griffin Pure Oil Distributor.
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The fleet of trucks for the FC Griffin
Pure Oil Distributor. This structure still has the concrete
holding structure located behind Loxley Auto Parts.
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A picture of Loxley Elementary Children.
If anyone can identify these people, contact me.
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A picture of Loxley
Elementary Children. If anyone can identify these people,
contact me.
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A picture of Loxley
Elementary Children. If anyone can identify these people,
contact me.
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One way to get cool in the summer was
to visit the variety of swimming holes along the Styx
River. This is a photo of the "second hole."
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Celebrating
the sesquicentennial of Baldwin County, this group road
the train, "the Little General" to Bay Minette
to celebrate the 150 years of history. The picture was
taken in 1959 at the Loxley train depot. The "General"
was the train involved in what has become known as the
great locomotive chase during the Civil War.
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Steele's Food Market in the 1950s. This
was originally the Canaan Merchantile Company until it
was bought by Dora Belle Steele in the early 1950s.
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The Loxley Tavern
taken in the late 40s.
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The old Loxley Movie Theater was located
in the vicinity of Citizens Bank and Joseph Shaw's attorney
office is located. I remember the building, but don't
remember ever seeing a movie there.
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The Henry C.
Middleton Family. From left to right: Elmo Middleton,
Dora Belle Middleton Dyess Steele, Effie Mae Middleton
Dyess Nix, Bud Middleton, Leroy Middleton (in wheelchair),
Anthony Middleton, Henry C. Middleton, Maggie Lee Middleton
Fackler, and Myrt Middleton Garrett. This photo was taken
around 1955 at a family reunion.
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The Palms Court, one of the few motels
that peppered the area. This post card was late 40s.
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One of the first
businesses to come into the area was timber. Much of the
wood was cut for lumber or paper, but some was used to
harvest sap that the turpentine stills, like the one in
the photograph, made into turpentine. It was very popular
to have post cards of these kinds of operations, but we
think this particular still was located in the immediate
area.
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Walter Havel at age one. Walter owned
the Dry Goods store across from the drug store. It still
exists as does the building the Loxley Bargain Barn occupied.
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The inside of
Walter Havel's Dry Good Store.
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