gwstang
Platinum Member
I'm 59 and back when I was a kid growing up on the outskirts of Montgomery, Al, my father and I would hitch up the Jon Boat and go down to the Coosa River for some good fishing. I still remember this place (there were actually several around there) that was an old block building and had these "permanent" Christmas lights strung around the eves. I must have been 5 or 6 and still remembering about asking him, one very early morning while still dark and heading to the river, why does that place leave the Christmas tree lights up all the time and on? He replied that it was a "Honky Tonk". Well, being a young lad, I had no idea what this was. He told me that was where "Loose Women and Wild Men" went to drink and listen to Hank Williams. I still remember the playbills that were plastered to power poles with him being featured as this was a home stomping ground for ol' Hank. Well, about the time we were heading to the river was about the time that the "drunks" were leaving. Got run off the road a time or two. I still remember the "Honky Tonk". Back when the red head and me were first married (1977) there weren't any of these tiny LED type lights. They were all the old large bulb types and red/blue/green/white. Well, if it was sombody's house and wasn't Christmas and they left 'em up all the time...I would say there's a Honky Tonk" and she would laugh. Ahh, the good old days. :laughing:
One more thing I remember about that old farm road is there were very large pastures and lots of cows out there. I remember asking my father one time about these very large/tall mounds that were in the fields. I mean they were big/long/tall. He said that when the river would flood that the cows/farm critters would go up on the top to keep from drowning and those things were built there many years ago. If you've ever seen Indian Mounds (Look up Moundville, Al) you would know what these looked like. They just looked out of place in a field. They are all gone now....but the block building with no windows and only one door still remains. No longer a Honky Tonk, just an empty white building. I lived about 5 miles from Ft. Toulouse, a French fort and I believe the Spanish were there too. Anyway, they have found several forts that existed there. It's at a place overlooking where the Tallapoosa and Coosa Rivers come together to form the Alabama River, Excellent place for them to mount cannons to control the waterways. All big rivers for sure. Good place to fish and explore for a kid.
When my kids were younger, before cars and girls took over their brains, I would launch the bass boat and take them up the Coosa river to the triangle of the three rivers. We would sure have a blast fishing/exploring all day. :thumbsup:
One more thing I remember about that old farm road is there were very large pastures and lots of cows out there. I remember asking my father one time about these very large/tall mounds that were in the fields. I mean they were big/long/tall. He said that when the river would flood that the cows/farm critters would go up on the top to keep from drowning and those things were built there many years ago. If you've ever seen Indian Mounds (Look up Moundville, Al) you would know what these looked like. They just looked out of place in a field. They are all gone now....but the block building with no windows and only one door still remains. No longer a Honky Tonk, just an empty white building. I lived about 5 miles from Ft. Toulouse, a French fort and I believe the Spanish were there too. Anyway, they have found several forts that existed there. It's at a place overlooking where the Tallapoosa and Coosa Rivers come together to form the Alabama River, Excellent place for them to mount cannons to control the waterways. All big rivers for sure. Good place to fish and explore for a kid.
When my kids were younger, before cars and girls took over their brains, I would launch the bass boat and take them up the Coosa river to the triangle of the three rivers. We would sure have a blast fishing/exploring all day. :thumbsup:
