The Alger Sullivan Historical Society has been chosen for a grant through the Empowering Neighborhoods program of CiviCon to help with the building of outdoor bathrooms at James Houston Jones Historic Park in Century. These bathrooms will help us make the park more user friendly for those in the area.
We welcome all of you to use our picnic facilities in the park. We have picnic tables, plenty of shade and the view of our restored sawmill engine Old 100 and its attached Boxcar Museum. Throughout the park are the brick walks which surrounded the home of E.A. Hauss, a former President of Alger Sullivan Lumber Company. His house stood on this site until it was torn down and relocated in the 1960's. There are also remnants of the Hauss gardens, including the lion's head fountain (not currently in operation but still a good view).
Also on view are our restored buildings: the Leach House Museum and the Post Office Museum. The Leach House Museum is an example of the housing provided by the Alger Sullivan Lumber Company for employees.
In the past it was the home of one of Alger's foresters Marion Leach, his wife Audra (one of the founders of the Alger Sullivan Historical Society) and their son Dan. The Post Office, which dates from around 1913, was Century's first stand alone post office. After the post office moved to another location, this building served for a few years as the bachelor pad of Mabry Dozier, an Alger employee (sales and marketing and later plant manager) and a charter member of the Alger Sullivan Historical Society.
Mr. Dozier was later given the building by Jim Walter Doors on the condition that it be removed from their property. He stored the building on his property for several years and then donated it to the historical society for display in the park.
Feel free to drop by any time for a picnic in the park. It will be a while before the outdoor bathrooms are in use, but the picnic grounds are ready now.
We also welcome people wanting to tour our museums. Any size group is welcome, school groups, church groups, other organizations or just families. There is no charge for tours. We are open on Saturdays from 10 am until 2 pm. We are open anytime by appointment. Call me (850-417-9803) and I will help you set up a tour. If you are in the park picnicking and decide you would like a tour, just go to the front door of the Leach House Museum and call the phone numbers listed on the sign until you find someone able to arrange a tour for you.
Our next monthly meeting will be Tuesday, September 18th at 6 pm in the Leach House. Join us, please. Information on next month's speaker will be in future columns.
