» June 4th, 2008 | Categorized in Photography
Like a modern-day ghost town where the streets are vacant with the winds howling in the alleys, Opelika, Alabama, on Memorial Day was just that. Not to say that Opelika is a desolate town, there were just no people around on a federal holiday – unlike here in Douglasville, Georgia.
Beneath a glaring Southern sun, the township of Opelika is steep in history from its near total destruction from the Civil War to its rebirth during the heyday of railroad dominance. Here’s a go at a brief history lesson, but check Wikipedia for more details.
In July 1864 Union General William Sherman ordered General Lovell Rousseau and his cavalry to destroy miles of railroad track, equipment, depots and warehouses as they pressed east toward Atlanta from central-Alabama. Opelika became the last stop of General Lovell’s raid as his men were created with the destruction of the town’s transportation infrastructure and Confederate supply depots.
With the return of the railroad after the war and the industry of agricultural and textile booming, Opelika returned to a vibrancy that became a crossroads with rails going north-to-south, and west-to-east. Even today trains creep through the small town with horns blazing, whether hauling freight or passengers.
But Opelika on Memorial Day was a quiet place, shops all closed as a northeastern breeze skirted across the pavement. It was much like Douglasville in the way how the railroad took part in shaping future development thriving on textile mills and the movement of product.
However the essence of Opelika can be seen in the preservation of its history with contemporary architectural compliments, from stone paved crossings to antique streetlamps, and in keeping old mills and the train depot.
The same can not be said about Douglasville (or for the county for that matter), where historical preservation is only on the surface in a very discreet area. With the advent of the dilapidated Georgia Western Cotton Mill and other structures crumbling to pieces for real estate profit in the near future, Douglasville has lost much of its vibrancy and left little to remember its past.
Check out more pictures of downtown Opelika over at flickr!
Tags:
Alabama,
Douglasville,
history,
Opelika,
railroad,
trip
» May 31st, 2008 | Categorized in Misc, Photography
Awhile back this sticker caught my eye and for some reason I thought it had a coolness about it that needed capturing. Something you don’t see everyday.
Tags:
box,
hot from hebron,
package,
sticker
» May 2nd, 2008 | Categorized in Misc, Photography
Sure, Boundary Waters Recreational Park is probably one of the biggest funding foul-ups in the county’s history, but it has plenty of hiking trails that rival Sweetwater Creek State Conservancy Park and Clinton’s Nature Preserve. Even the heart of the county’s original existence from Campbell County resides nearby just on the other side of the Chattahoochee River.
The main trailhead starts off behind the aquatic center where maps are and information are available, providing access to the Blue and Yellow trails. These trails are fairly easy to hike and are clearly marked by colored markers, coursing around the southern side of the park. Take a good pair of shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty.
The Blue trail lingers mainly around the small pond and sticks near the aquatic center. The Yellow trail stretches along the edge of the park weaving near the Hooch (for all of you who don’t know, Hooch is short for Chattahoochee River).
On this trail you will come across the “covered bridge” – it’s no much of one – that links up to the Southern Natural Gas Company pipeline. Here you can be at the edge of the Hooch, smelling its insulting aroma and watching the occasional piece of trash float by, as the waters descend south.
If you haven’t made it out to hike the trails, check out my collection of photographs on flickr. By the way, watch out for the horse poo.
Tags:
boundary water park,
boundary waters,
hiking
» April 21st, 2008 | Categorized in Misc, Photography
After the unsuccessful integration of Ashford Photography, my failed attempt to run a freelance artwork photography gig, and deciding to ditch coding a customized store, I have switched gears and have begun uploading art pieces on RedBubble.
Each piece has been pulled from my private archive of over 10,000 images and color enhanced for hanging on the wall. Product choices include greeting cards, wall art (from laminated, matted to canvas) and posters. Ok, now go buy something!
Tags:
art,
artwork,
redbubble
» April 17th, 2008 | Categorized in Misc, Photography
Since the conclusion of Losing Georgia and renewing my pro flickr account in February, I’ve decided to do a secondary backup of my photo archives online for the first time. Some of the these images, like the one above, are available to those to edit and distribute under a Creative Commons license.
I found that clinging onto my photographic work and restricting them to possible sales was leading no where and no one was really viewing my work with the exception of my deviantArt account. Photography has always been in my blood since I was a child taking pictures at the zoo. Its a beautiful art of capturing time that can never be revisited.
Being a history buff, this has always been a delightful feeling. Enjoy what my eyes see through the eyepiece.
