Delmar
Alabama
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Town Of Delmar
History :
Delmar, Alabama is a small, rural community in west-central Winston County. Delmar is located six miles north of Natural Bridge, five miles south of Haleyville, and 15 miles west of Double Springs, the county seat of the "Free State of Winston". Delmar has an elevation of 881 feet above sea level.
Delmar was originally called Frog Level. Presumably, the community was called Frog Level because of the swampy area that existed around the area at the time. In the 1880's, the citizens of Frog Level asked the U. S. Post Office Department to open a post office in their community. At the time, the nearest post office was in Ark (where the current Needmore community is located). However, their request for a post office was denied because there were another Frog Level, Alabama and it had a post office. Incidentially, the other Frog Level, Alabama is now the City of Fayette. So, to get a post office for their community, the citizens of the Frog Level in Winston County had to change the name of their community.
Around 1887, the name "Delmar" came into use for the name of the community. The exact origin of the name "Delmar" is unknown. But, a popular belief has it that a construction engineer with the railroad had a retired race horse by the name of "Delmar" or "Del Mar". The horse was well-known and loved by the community. When the work on the railroad was completed around the year 1887, the community was renamed after the race horse.
Today, Delmar is pronounced "Delmer". After notifying the U. S. Post Office Department of the name change, the first post office in Delmar, Alabama opened on September 1, 1887 with Newton L. Powell as the first Postmaster of Delmar. In 1971, when Mrs. Martha Roberts Stewart served as Postmaster, the current post office building was erected. Today, Mrs. Sherry Hyche serves as the 19th Postmaster of Delmar, Alabama.
After the Civil War, a rail line was built from Sheffield to Delmar by the North Alabama Railroad. After several years, a rail line was built from Parrish in Walker County to Delmar. This allowed rail service from Birmingham to the Shoals area. Today, Norfolk-Southern Railroad still runs cargo trains through Delmar.
Like many areas of the eastern United States, Delmar has several places of interest concerning the Civil War. When Alabama seceded from the Union in 1861, the people of Winston County used the principle that if a state could secede from the nation then a county could secede from a state. Thus, the "Free State of Winston" was born. The people of Winston County did not want to fight their Northern or Southern brothers and wanted to remain neutral in the war between the states. The people of Winston County were called "Tories" (or northern sympathizers) by the people of neighboring counties.
Tom Pink Curtis was the Probate Judge of Winston County when the Civil War started. He was one of the main supporters of Winston County withdrawing from the state. On January 26, 1864, he was robbed and killed by a Confederate raiding party. Reportedly, his body was thrown over a cliff. He was buried in the Union Grove cemetery in Delmar.
During the closing phases of the Civil War, Union troops made their way through Winston County on parts of what today are Winston County Road 17. Union troops set up their camps on the side of the road. Today, the road is better known as "Yankee Trace Road".
Delmar was the hometown of Winston County's hero in World War I. PFC John Hoggle was an engineer in Company D of the 123rd Infantry. He received the Distinguished Service Cross on April 8, 1919 for bridging the Meuse River near the France-Belgium border on November 4, 1918. He was also cited for bravery while he was in the St. Mehiel offensive in September, 1918 and in the Meuse Argonne offensive in October, 1918. He was killed in 1947 and is buried in the Hoggle Cemetery just west of Delmar.
On the night of April 3, 1974, the Delmar Community, like many parts of Alabama, the United States, and Canada, was struck by a deadly tornado. Several homes and other structures were destroyed by the tornado. Sadly, one death occurred in Delmar as a result of the tornado. The same tornado that struck Delmar had earlier destroyed Guin in Marion County where 22 people were killed. There was widespread damage throughout Delmar because of the tornado. Many families that did not suffer any or little damage were without electricity, telephone, and water service for several days.
The historic highway, the Byler Road, was completed through Winston County in 1820. The highway, which ran through parts of what are today Delmar, Natural Bridge, Lynn, and Haleyville, connected the towns of northern Alabama with Tuscaloosa, which at the time was the capital of Alabama.
Perhaps, the most famous person from Delmar is Federal Judge Frank Johnson, Jr. Judge Johnson was born in Delmar in 1918. He went to school and was reared at Haleyville. He served in World War II. After the war, Johnson began a law career. In 1955, President Dwight Eisenhower appointed him to a federal judgeship in Alabama. Almost immediately, Johnson was thrown into the violent civil rights era. In a ruling involving the Montgomery bus boycott, he ruled that segregation of public transportation was illegal. He ordered the integration of public facilities. Johnson often locked horns with Alabama Governor George Wallace over racial issues. In 1965, Johnson ordered Wallace to allow civil rights protesters to march from Selma to Montgomery. He was often targeted because of his rulings. In 1967, his mother's house was bombed. In July, 1999, at the age of 80, Johnson died at his Montgomery residence. He was buried in the Winston Memorial Cemetery near Haleyville..
According to legend, Delmar was not always the sleepy little community as it is today. In the 1800's, during the coal mine boom, there were several saloons in Delmar. Reportedly, the town was as lively as a town out of the Old West complete with drunken brawls and bar room fights.
Several developments have occurred in Delmar over the past few years. In January, 1993, the people of Delmar decided to establish a volunteer fire department for their community. The current Fire Chief at Delmar is Scott Ward. On January 27, 2000, Delmar received a visit from an United States Senator for the first time when U. S. Senator Richard Shelby visited the small Winston County town.
Like so many small towns and communities in Alabama, Delmar has had experienced times of economic boom and bust over the past 100 years. Today, Delmar is experiencing somewhat of an economic upheaval with several businesses opening their doors in and around Delmar. Hopefully, this economic upheaval will continue for many years to come.
Delmar, Alabama is a small, rural community in west-central Winston County. Delmar is located six miles north of Natural Bridge, five miles south of Haleyville, and 15 miles west of Double Springs, the county seat of the "Free State of Winston". Delmar has an elevation of 881 feet above sea level.
Delmar was originally called Frog Level. Presumably, the community was called Frog Level because of the swampy area that existed around the area at the time. In the 1880's, the citizens of Frog Level asked the U. S. Post Office Department to open a post office in their community. At the time, the nearest post office was in Ark (where the current Needmore community is located). However, their request for a post office was denied because there were another Frog Level, Alabama and it had a post office. Incidentially, the other Frog Level, Alabama is now the City of Fayette. So, to get a post office for their community, the citizens of the Frog Level in Winston County had to change the name of their community.
Around 1887, the name "Delmar" came into use for the name of the community. The exact origin of the name "Delmar" is unknown. But, a popular belief has it that a construction engineer with the railroad had a retired race horse by the name of "Delmar" or "Del Mar". The horse was well-known and loved by the community. When the work on the railroad was completed around the year 1887, the community was renamed after the race horse.
Today, Delmar is pronounced "Delmer". After notifying the U. S. Post Office Department of the name change, the first post office in Delmar, Alabama opened on September 1, 1887 with Newton L. Powell as the first Postmaster of Delmar. In 1971, when Mrs. Martha Roberts Stewart served as Postmaster, the current post office building was erected. Today, Mrs. Sherry Hyche serves as the 19th Postmaster of Delmar, Alabama.
After the Civil War, a rail line was built from Sheffield to Delmar by the North Alabama Railroad. After several years, a rail line was built from Parrish in Walker County to Delmar. This allowed rail service from Birmingham to the Shoals area. Today, Norfolk-Southern Railroad still runs cargo trains through Delmar.
Like many areas of the eastern United States, Delmar has several places of interest concerning the Civil War. When Alabama seceded from the Union in 1861, the people of Winston County used the principle that if a state could secede from the nation then a county could secede from a state. Thus, the "Free State of Winston" was born. The people of Winston County did not want to fight their Northern or Southern brothers and wanted to remain neutral in the war between the states. The people of Winston County were called "Tories" (or northern sympathizers) by the people of neighboring counties.
Tom Pink Curtis was the Probate Judge of Winston County when the Civil War started. He was one of the main supporters of Winston County withdrawing from the state. On January 26, 1864, he was robbed and killed by a Confederate raiding party. Reportedly, his body was thrown over a cliff. He was buried in the Union Grove cemetery in Delmar.
During the closing phases of the Civil War, Union troops made their way through Winston County on parts of what today are Winston County Road 17. Union troops set up their camps on the side of the road. Today, the road is better known as "Yankee Trace Road".
Delmar was the hometown of Winston County's hero in World War I. PFC John Hoggle was an engineer in Company D of the 123rd Infantry. He received the Distinguished Service Cross on April 8, 1919 for bridging the Meuse River near the France-Belgium border on November 4, 1918. He was also cited for bravery while he was in the St. Mehiel offensive in September, 1918 and in the Meuse Argonne offensive in October, 1918. He was killed in 1947 and is buried in the Hoggle Cemetery just west of Delmar.
On the night of April 3, 1974, the Delmar Community, like many parts of Alabama, the United States, and Canada, was struck by a deadly tornado. Several homes and other structures were destroyed by the tornado. Sadly, one death occurred in Delmar as a result of the tornado. The same tornado that struck Delmar had earlier destroyed Guin in Marion County where 22 people were killed. There was widespread damage throughout Delmar because of the tornado. Many families that did not suffer any or little damage were without electricity, telephone, and water service for several days.
The historic highway, the Byler Road, was completed through Winston County in 1820. The highway, which ran through parts of what are today Delmar, Natural Bridge, Lynn, and Haleyville, connected the towns of northern Alabama with Tuscaloosa, which at the time was the capital of Alabama.
Perhaps, the most famous person from Delmar is Federal Judge Frank Johnson, Jr. Judge Johnson was born in Delmar in 1918. He went to school and was reared at Haleyville. He served in World War II. After the war, Johnson began a law career. In 1955, President Dwight Eisenhower appointed him to a federal judgeship in Alabama. Almost immediately, Johnson was thrown into the violent civil rights era. In a ruling involving the Montgomery bus boycott, he ruled that segregation of public transportation was illegal. He ordered the integration of public facilities. Johnson often locked horns with Alabama Governor George Wallace over racial issues. In 1965, Johnson ordered Wallace to allow civil rights protesters to march from Selma to Montgomery. He was often targeted because of his rulings. In 1967, his mother's house was bombed. In July, 1999, at the age of 80, Johnson died at his Montgomery residence. He was buried in the Winston Memorial Cemetery near Haleyville..
According to legend, Delmar was not always the sleepy little community as it is today. In the 1800's, during the coal mine boom, there were several saloons in Delmar. Reportedly, the town was as lively as a town out of the Old West complete with drunken brawls and bar room fights.
Several developments have occurred in Delmar over the past few years. In January, 1993, the people of Delmar decided to establish a volunteer fire department for their community. The current Fire Chief at Delmar is Scott Ward. On January 27, 2000, Delmar received a visit from an United States Senator for the first time when U. S. Senator Richard Shelby visited the small Winston County town.
Like so many small towns and communities in Alabama, Delmar has had experienced times of economic boom and bust over the past 100 years. Today, Delmar is experiencing somewhat of an economic upheaval with several businesses opening their doors in and around Delmar. Hopefully, this economic upheaval will continue for many years to come.