What’s one thing that would surprise people about Blount County?
“Back in the 1960s, it was the headquarters of the Alabama Hippie Commune Network. Who would have thought? Pinson, on the other side, is one of the oldest communities in Alabama. We have a notable African-American inventor, Andrew Beard, who invented the automatic coupling device for train cars. He was born a slave on a plantation in Pinson. He was Jefferson County’s first African-American millionaire. Pinson and Blount County are hidden gems as far as I’m concerned. I listened to old people when I was growing up. The value of oral tradition, you don’t want to give that up. In the South, we’re storytellers and you want to pass the along. Young people do listen and they like the little stories that go along with it. When you use people and what they did, history becomes alive. Listening creates those visual images within your mind.” –Stanley Moss, of Pinson.
Moss is a retired English and Latin teacher. He is president of the Blount County and Pinson Historical Societies and a board member of the Alabama Historical Association. Moss said that his maternal grandmother was a great role model to him, especially when it came to civic involvement. “If we become isolationists, then we wither intellectually and emotionally. You grow when you communicate with others,” he said.
We’re sharing stories that celebrate the people, places, and events that form our history every Tuesday. Join the celebration by following @Al200Official.