Country Living in Small Town Newville, Alabama
I was born and raised in a small town known as Newville, Alabama. Newville sits in Henry County with a population of about 500 people. I never knew how small Newville was until I left home for college and subsequently moved to Los Angeles. One thing you should know about the small town of Newville is the friendliness of its people who live there. Everybody is connected in some form or another whether through kinship or association. It’s one of those places where everybody knows everybody, and people treat you like family.
During my last visit to Newville for Christmas 2019, I decided to take some time to visit the square of Newville to capture the essence and beauty of the small town that remains. I am constantly reminded of the good ole days while growing up in this small town. I can vividly remember a few thriving merchants in operation on the square such as a bank, post office, hardware store, sawmill, realtor, and a grocery store.
Whenever you cruise through the town of Newville, you can’t help but notice a beautiful & colorful hand-painted mural located on the side of a building. The town square is clean, quiet, easily accessible, and would make a perfect backdrop for any movie scene. How cool would that be? In my opinion, Newville makes a great place to visit when you need an escape from a hustle & bustle lifestyle to a slower relaxed environment.
The Dixie Dandy Grocery Store was located right on the corner lot of the square and it once provided home & food goods for the community. As a matter of fact, my brother Joel obtained his first job here as a bag boy. Today the store is no longer in business and the structure has been gutted out while the frame still stands.
Newville has always been a quaint little town. Today, the Newville Town Hall & Police Department, United States Post Office of Newville, and Newville Country Griddle remains open. The residents of Newville are accustomed to driving six miles to the next closest town of Headland for basic services. I attended Headland High School in the city of Headland and graduated with the class of 1981. At that time, only 76 students were a part of the graduating class and I ranked seventh. My brother Joel made history as he was the first African American Valedictorian of Headland High School class of 1980. Students have gone on to become successful Doctors, Lawyers, Professional Athletes, College Professors & Presidents, Engineers, Dentists, etc. We were small, but rich in our determination to succeed. Many thanks go to dedicated educators, teachers, and parents who taught us to work hard and to become the best at whatever we decided to do after graduation.
Looking back, life was so simple then and we just enjoyed living in Newville. My brother and I had some of the best times of our life whether it was playing games like hopscotch, jacks, red light green light, or hide & go seek. We also enjoyed other outdoor games like dodgeball, kickball, and basketball. We even climbed trees, took walks through the woods while picking red berries or blackberries with our childhood friends on hot summer days.
My parents like most people grew gardens to provide fresh food for their families. We were well versed in country living. There were days when we had to arise early to pick our vegetables such as butter beans, tomatoes, greens, peas, squash, corn, and others. We complained, complained but it taught us discipline and gave us a good work ethic.
US 431, a four-lane highway, runs right through the southeast corner of Newville. It connects Newville and Headland. The closest Metropolitan city is Dothan, located in Houston County. Dothan is 15 miles South of Newville while Abbeville is 13 miles North. You have probably traveled this busy highway passing through on your way to the Florida beaches. Be sure to look out for Newville on your next road trip. Notables that have passed through or visited Newville include people like Al Sharpton and Oprah Winfrey.
In 2012, Al Sharpton buried his mother at my home church, Center Baptist Church in Newville, Alabama.
http://www.wtvy.com/home/headlines/Funeral_for_Ada_Sharpton_Held_in_Newville_AL_144459235.html
In 2018, Oprah Winfrey passed through Newville on her way to visit the gravesite of Recy Taylor in Abbeville, Alabama.
Therefore, no matter where I travel, there’s No Place Like Home! I believe “home” is where you obtain your values and spend most of your childhood days.
– From My Big Eyes
