November 9-14, 2017
We wanted to explore the mountains of northeastern Alabama. Jane had loved trips to DeSoto State Park in high school and Dave and Jane had enjoyed a drive around the southern end of Lookout Mountain. We felt the area deserved more time so we reserved a campsite in Fort Payne.
Fort Payne was the sock capital of the world in the mid 1990’s and is still the biggest sock producer in the United States. The cushioned sock was invented here. We did our part.
We visited the Hosiery Museum and saw a variety of sock-knitting machines.
Next door was the Fort Payne Opera House, opened in 1890.
Selections from an art exhibit decorate the stage.
The Depot Museum is housed in (you guessed it) the Alabama-Great Southern Railroad Depot that operated from 1891 to 1976.
Jane is always on the lookout for locally-based novels and while in the museum bought Granny Dollar about a woman who was half-Cherokee and lived in the area for many of her 116 years. It turns out the gentleman helping us in the museum was the book’s author, Neal Wooten. Jane will share this book on request.
The Fort Payne Cabin Site
A fort built on this site was used to hold 1100 Cherokee people prior to their removal to Oklahoma in 1838. A chimney is one of the few artifacts remaining from the cabin that was here and became part of the fort.
We were in town for the Fort Payne Veteran’s Day Parade.
And then there was vehicle this at a car repair facility. We weren’t sure what to make of the license plate.
2 Comments
susan · December 16, 2017 at 6:52 pm
Were the pictures of the socks ones that you bought? I bet you could have found some really comfortable socks. Why is it the sock capital. Aren’t most socks made in China or other places overseas?
And Jane, I love reading books about the places I am visiting or plan to visit. I like historical novels which I find a little more interesting than just a historical book.
I am glad you two are having fun.!
Jane Appel · December 16, 2017 at 9:56 pm
Yes, we bought all those socks and were particularly glad we bought the wool ones when we were in Decatur and it didn’t get above freezing for days. Fort Payne has lots its title of sock capital of the world, as you surmised. But at one time 8 out of 10 pairs of socks in the United States were made there. There is a new-ish company in Fort Payne now making unique socks and there are still a handful of factories so it might be the sock capital of the U.S. A very interesting place to visit. We ARE having fun. Thanks.