Limestone County

Oct. 29—What made Limestone County so attractive to transplants?

An advertisement in an early edition of the newspapers helps explain:

(The following was taken from a Louisville & Nashville Railroad brochure, circa 1920)

"Limestone County, Alabama, is located at the extreme north end of the great state, its northern boundary being the Alabama (state line) and Tennessee River forming its southern boundary. The main line of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad runs through the center of the county, north and south, a distance of nearly 30 miles. It has an area of 596 square miles, or 381,440 acres, and was one of the first counties formed in the state; in fact, the territory out of which it was taken was ceded by the Cherokee and Chickasaw Indians in 1816 and two years later the county was formed.

It derives its name from Limestone Creek, which has a bed of hard lime rock, and is only one of the many streams within the confines of the county. Limestone County has all the variety of soils which belong to the Tennessee Valley and its lands are fertile, easily worked and produce large returns to the agriculturist. The bottom lands which skirt the numerous streams are exceedingly fertile and are mostly of sandy loam, while the elevations are composed of red, brown and black clay loams, in every way as productive as the bottom lands.

A great deal of attention is being devoted of late years to stock raising, to which the county is especially well adapted on account of an abundance of pure, soft water, a fine natural range and soil well-suited to the raising of grasses and clovers. The finest pasture lands can be had here, the value of which is greatly enhanced by the multitude of streams which penetrate every part of the county, practically all of which are tributaries of the Tennessee River and among which may be mentioned Elk River, flowing through the northwest portion of the county, quite an important stream and at certain seasons navigable by light craft, adding greatly to its importance, locally.

Big Poplar, Round Island, Piney, Limestone and Beaver Dam Creeks streak the county in every section with water perpetually flowing, and these are reinforced by many large springs in the mountains and highlands. Mineral springs also exist and are said to be equal to any in the state.

The principal products are cotton, corn, oats, wheat, rye, tobacco, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, and all kinds of grasses and hay. The tobacco raised in this county is particularly fine in quality, and an exhibit of tobacco from Limestone County was awarded the premium at the Chicago World's Fair. Fruits and vegetables are unsurpassed anywhere and on account of the location of the county, about midway between the thriving cities of Nashville and Birmingham, good markets are supplied near at hand and in addition, by reason of being served by the main line of the Louisville & Nashville railroad, easy and direct access is had to the great markets furnished by such centers of population as St. Louis, Evansville, Cincinnati, Pittsburg, Indianapolis, Chicago, Buffalo, etc.

The timber of the county is mostly hardwood, but on account of the rapidity with which it has been cut out in recent years, very few tracts of any size are now left, some few as large as 200 acres, but they are scarce.

The climate of Limestone County is everything that could be desired and on account of its location are no extremes of heat or cold. This is especially true as far as heat is concerned and the summers are not more hot than is the case with Minnesota or other points as far north. Such a climate, coupled with the altitude of the county, could not result otherwise than in the very best health conditions.

The Dictionary of Altitudes published by the United States Geological Survey, gives the following figures, showing height above sea level of the principal cities and towns in the county:

Elkmont, 798 feet; Hays Mill, 753 feet; Athens (the county seat), 709 feet; Tanner, 685 feet; Harris, 564 feet.

All leading denominations have fine churches and the school facilities have been steadily and rapidly increasing during the past ten or fifteen years. Athens has a population of about 3,000, having doubled the number of its inhabitants during the past two years. It also has the second oldest female college in the United States, an institution in fine condition with all modern improvements and it has been found necessary several times in the past to build extensive additions to it. In addition, there is a graded state school of high order, tuition free, which offers first class opportunities for securing a liberal education.

Industrially speaking, Athens has a cotton factory, knitting mill, flour mill, planting mill, electric lights, telephone system connecting with the long distance phone, two banks and many other wide-awake enterprises.

But the one attraction of Limestone County that, more than all other that will appeal to the northern homeseeker, and especially to the farmer, is her system of good roads. An abundance of the requisite material — limestone — makes it easy and inexpensive to provide this important and convenient factor which enters so largely into the make-up of every successful agricultural community.

With good roads the detail of getting the products of the farm, garden and dairy to market readily and in good condition, gives the farmer little or no concern, while the increased facility and convenience with which one can get about the county results in neighbors becoming better acquainted, and the exchange of ideas and suggestions which naturally follows such intermingling of the people brings about further improvements and betterments in other directions, all contributing to the general good.

During the past two years all the of the roads branching out in various directions from Athens, the county seat, have been converted into pikes, for a distance of seven or eight miles and the good work is still going on, so that it is not at all improbable that in the very near future Limestone County will have a network of good roads serving practically the whole county, which will not be surpassed by those of any of the favored counties of northern states.

The people are hospitable and are anxious to develop their county, and homeseekers and immigrants from the north will meet with a hearty welcome and immediately find themselves at home in the best sense of the word.