On April 28, BMC members met at Flip’s on Vaughn Road at 8:45 for this month’s road trip to the Chunnenuggee Fair & Octagon House. We left Flips headed for Union Springs at 9:00. Bill Berg led the way via Vaughn Road and AL 110 to US 82 to USA, (Union Springs Alabama), arriving at 9:45. The original plans were for us to park at the old Pauly jail, but we wound up parking across from the Red Door Theater, on Prairie St. It’s nice to see that this struggling little community is making an effort to stay alive. We enjoyed a bright sunny, but not too hot, day. We strolled up and down the two blocks cordoned off for the fair, checking out the shops and fair vendors. Live music, including “Black Elvis” provided the entertainment. We had BBQ in the “food court”. I was disappointed to see that the old hardware store I’ve been wanting to visit had been sold and now exists as a used furniture store with only a few relics of the hardware remaining.
At 12:15, we departed USA for Clayton, via Smuteye. We had good roads through the rolling hills of the Black Belt. While we waited for our Octagon House guide to arrive, a few of us walked one block up the street to see the “Whiskey Bottle Tombstone”. When our Octagon House guide arrived we had a brief talk about the house and were then turned loose to tour it ourselves. Barbara Berg has a personal connection to the house — it was built by her great-great grandfather, Benjamin Franklin Petty! We were all done by 2:30 and headed back home. Thanks to Bill & Barbara for planning this trip.
Here are photos of our Bullock County road trip.