Gold Hill General Store 1903
by Eloise Schneider Mote
Title
Gold Hill General Store 1903
Artist
Eloise Schneider Mote
Medium
Photograph - Photography-available On Canvas And More
Description
The Gold Hill General Store was built in 1903, as best as can be surmised from the official records. Cotton that was grown in the surrounding fields was bailed and shipped from this store via the railroad - the tracks were just a hundred yards or so away. A few head of cattle rode the rail as well. The big double doors on the side of the building were used for loading and unloading.
.................................................................................................................... That railroad was the life blood for the community - it brought food, sewing goods, furniture, farm and ranch equipment, mail, and even coffins down from Atlanta to sell in the store. In fact, the railroad tracks were there long before the Gold Hill General Store was built - it brought soldiers to nearby Opelika for training during Civil War days.
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The Gold Hill General Store was heated by an old pot belly stove. It never had air conditioning, but there were plenty of windows. Shutters existed at one time, so that the windows could be covered for protection from storms. The general store survived tornadoes and the spin-off winds of hurricanes from the gulf. Then the store closed, the property changed hands several times, was even used as a barn, and then the building fell into disrepair. The best of the wood was harvested to repair another old building, so at least one of the structures could continue to verify history.
..................................................................................................................... The Gold Hill store is gone now - decayed from decades of disregard. All that remains are a few pictures like this one.
........................................................................................................................ This image is available as a photograph. Sizes are limited, but it would be very nice matted and framed. It is definitely a little piece of history worth remembering.
Uploaded
June 26th, 2013
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