Sand Mountain Reporter

The Reporter’s publisher, Ben Shurett, asked readers to share some of their memories of Sand Mountain.

Here are some of them:

I could go on forever on this but … Dendy’s, Dee Isbell Hardware (my dad's cousin), Aggie Burger, Key Korner, Saturday Disney flicks at the Martin (Kurt Russell movies come to mind), Warehouse Grocery (writing prices on cans seemed to be a great adventure at that time), I also have fond memories of Mrs. Fricks at the library.

Glenn Painter, Madison

I can remember when there were two theaters on Main Street and we went to both every Saturday for the double features. I remember the ice storm of 1957, when all but one TV antenna were destroyed.

Doug Smith

Remembering things about Sand Mountain is probably the only reason I am still living here today. As I child, I lived across the street from McCord Elementary School on Alabama Avenue. All my close friends lived really close by and I remember getting up on Saturday morning, getting on my bicycle and meeting up with my friends in the Foodland parking lot. We would ride our bikes all day long, only stopping long enough to go home and eat lunch. But then it was back to the bikes and off on our way, at least until dark. Our parents never had to worry that someone was going to abduct us or molest us. At Christmas, my friends and I would compare our presents; trade some of them if we wanted to and play outside all day.

DeeAnna Woods

I remember shopping at the old T-Pee store on U.S. 431 and also the big milk carton on Highway 431 at the milk company at Carlisle/Mountainboro – oh yeah, and eating at the Aggie Burger.

Tracy Patrick

I remember going to the movies at Martin Theater, shopping at Howard Brothers, Woolworth’s and I won’t forget the doctor visits with Dr. Lavender in Albertville.

Barbara Threadgill, Dallas, Texas

I remember when the stores in Albertville were closed on Thursdays and (of course) Sundays.

I remember getting my hair cut for 50 cents in the side room of a country grocery store, and old men came just to talk and play checkers.

I remember when Highway 431 was known simply as “the four-lane.”

I remember when we said Bible memory verses in public school and were given prizes for it.

I remember getting out of school several days in October to pick cotton.

I remember when “Gospel Gems” was the only music playing on the radio in the early morning.

I remember when Gibson's (later Howard Brothers) was the main store to shop for dry goods before anyone ever heard of Wal-Mart.

Richard Hammonds

You spent many after-school sessions sitting in a booth at Golden's downtown, corner of Carlisle and Main, putting nickels in the jukebox and drinking root beer from a frosted mug for a nickel.

You and your friends danced to the music of the Martha Sanderson combo.

You leaned on a fender of a friend's car parked at the Dairy Queen and listened to car radios tuned to Dick Biondi at WLS in Chicago, as he played all the hits.

You saw live turkeys thrown from the roof of a cotton warehouse off Carlisle, and hundreds of men tried to catch them.

You threw rotten eggs and water balloons at Marshall County High School fans who drove up to Albertville the night before the annual Thanksgiving Day football game.

You delivered newspapers riding in your own Cushman Eagle motor scooter. J. D. Chandler sold you the scooter, and he distributed the papers in Albertville.

You were a Baptist who came to the Methodist Church's MYF programs Sunday night, because both boys and girls came to the sessions.

If you took expression classes from Mrs. Mattilee Levie, and you were forced by your mother to participate in one of her little plays.

Your family went without power after the 1961 ice storm, some for two or three weeks, most for at least a week.

You heard stories from your parents or grandparents about when most of

Lake Guntersville froze over in the big snowstorm and freeze of 1940 or 41

(I can't remember which.) Some people drove their cars out on the ice.

You remember many good meals or late-night cups of coffee with lemon icebox pie at the original Food Basket, the first restaurant on US 431.

You remember Sunday dinner at the Bus Station cafeteria or the Horsley Hotel dining room.

You remember groceries delivered to your house from Washam's Grocery on Main Street.

You remember Mr. Heard giving you your first haircuts at his shop next to the old A&P on Main Street.

You remember getting flattop haircuts from Howard Breaseale (sp?) at his shop across Carlisle from Golden's.

You remember drinking fountain Cokes from Marshall Drug, while sitting on one of those twisted metal chairs, at a marble-top table.

You remember seeing those two or three fellows who seemed to prop up the walls of the old Albertville National Bank building at the corner of Main and Broad. They leaned there for hours and at all hours watching the passing crowd.

You remember Saturdays, when sidewalks of Main Street were so crowded, you had a hard time walking up the street.

You remember Robert O. Johnson asking you and your friends to cut out the horsing around as he took your photos for the yearbook.

You remember fifth- and sixth-grade teachers forcing you to learn to dance the Virginia Reel for the May Day program.

You remember hearing about the tornado of 1908 that killed 15 people and injured 150 and destroyed half the town.

You remember the “Miss Slick Chick” contest in the early Poultry Festival days, and the big parade and carnival.

You remember going to the Saturday-night square dances at the Armory as the Johnson String Band played, or you remember wishing you had gone there at least once.

You remember when Jerry Lee Lewis put on his show at the Carol Theatre, not once, but twice.

You remember riding your bike downtown with friends to eat free hot dogs and drink free Cokes at the car dealerships when the new models came out each September.

You remember trying to act cool the first few times you went into one of those smoke-filled pool halls on North Broad Street.

Bill Keller, Birmingham

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Serving Albertville and the Sand Mountain region

Publisher: Ben Shurett

1603 Progress Drive
Albertville, Alabama 35950

Tel: 256-840-3000 | Email

A Southern Newspapers publication.