Dale County AlArchives Photo Place.....100 Year Old Weimer Home  (part 1) 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Christine Thacker CGT714@AOL.com February 22, 2005, 3:23 pm

Source: Ariton History
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http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/dale/photos/gph1414100yearo.jpg
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     A HISTORY of ARITON THROUGH The EYES of NAOMI JONES WEIMER


Ariosta 1888
  In 1888, The Midland States Railroad was started through the southern part of 
the state of Alabama and through Dale County.
  Just off the Rocky Head Road, which ran from Eufaula, Clayton, and Louisville 
through this section on down to New Brockton passed Clintonville and on South, 
the railroad built a depot and called it Ariosta. While this depot was being 
constructed for a railroad lawyer, named Ariosta Riley, an old freight car set 
across the track opposite the depot site. The freight car was used as the 
temporary depot. Mr. Jim Anderson was the first depot agent and telegraph 
operator.
  The road down the hill from the Rocky Head Road to the depot was later named 
Grady Street but most always it was called Depot Street.
  On the top of the hill near the intersection of Grady Street and Rocky Head 
Road, a well was dug. It was deep and the was clear and cooL On the south side 
of the well was a big watering trough for the animals to drink. The water was 
plentiful and I have drawn water there as a little girl to water our team when 
hauling fertilizer from a box car from the depot. The boys and daddy loaded the 
big wagon, as much as the mules could pull up the hill and at the top the mules 
stopped for a breather, daddy said, and he would water them from the big iron 
trough.
  Across from the well a whiskey saloon was in the fork of the road, around 
this corner a town soon sprang up. Next to the railroad a long shaped building 
soon displayed "General Merchandise" and "Whiskey Saloon" on a big wooden sign 
which swung in the breeze a Mr. Holland ran this store and the saloon. A little 
section of the General Merchandise part was partitioned off for a Postoffice. 
There were several Postoffice boxes in rows. It was something "Special" to have 
a Postoffice box. If you were not "Special" and did Dot have a box for your 
mail, you had to ask at the little window "if Jones had any mail." 
  Soon two more long stores were built across the Rocky Head road from where 
the depot road intersected it. One was known as "Strains" store, and the other 
was Uncle Warren and Aunt Molly Day's store.	These buildings were large 
enough for people to live in the back part of the building and run the business 
in the front. They sold every thing from horse collars to ladies hats. One 
afternoon mother went to buy a hat. There was a selection of two. Mother bought 
one. It was a wide brimmed white Leghorn with a big bunch violets on one side. 
It cost $1.50.
  A Mr. Weed built a house near the railroad also on the north side of the 
Rocky Head Road. Next to Strain's Store. The Postoffice was moved into the 
front of this house so the little children did not have to go into a whiskey 
saloon when sent for the mail.
  Directly opposite the Depot site on the west side of. Depot Street, my great 
grandparents, Mr. John and "Miss" Sally King built a very fancy, big house with 
lots of "ginger bread" trim with lots of rooms on each side of as long hall 
This was built for a
boarding house. It had a big kitchen and dining room on the back with a big 
back porch to match a big front porch. These had lots of big rocking chairs.
  These porches were built to catch the shade and the breeze. My Uncle Jake ran 
a livery stable. He had saddle horses for hire and mules for drayage and 
packanimals. He had a big "Surrey" with a beautiful pair of matched black 
horses. How these horses loved to prance and trot up the hill. This surrey was 
for a crowd or a long trip. There was a little one seated buggy pulled by a 
beautiful mare. It was used for local or short trips.
  Soon, lots of drummers came by train and they often spent the night with 
grandma and grandpa at the boarding house and went to the outlying towns by 
saddle horse or had uncle Jake to drive them in the buggy or surrey.
  In my day this place became known as the "MarVin Simmons" place. This house 
was burned We now own this land and the replacement house.	Grandpa King 
died there and Grandma Sally sold it to a Mr. Jackson. when they decided to 
move to the new town of Ariton. The house and stables were never completely 
finished as grandpa John planned them.

To be cont I next month.




April 1993?  – Ariton Alliance  ( the Newspaper was a Monthly Newspaper, 
Established 1991, by Dr.Charles W. Gann , the Paper is no longer in business , 
All articles from this Newspaper are from the files of Mary Vic Paramore of 
Ariton. )

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