Weaver Family Reunions at Clairmont Springs

 July 4, 1920

William Dawson Haynes' 90th Birthday Party

The dance pavilion can be seen in the  background.

Dear Family Trails readers,
  Let's continue down our trail to Clairmont Springs, Alabama.
The Weaver family gathered at Clairmont Springs for more than 70 years. In those decades, many aspects changed, such as the dress, but the love of family remained strong. As you can see in these 2 pictures taken 66 years apart, the call for family to be together was answered by many.
In the picture above, my great-great grandfather, William Dawson Haynes, celebrated his 90th birthday with at least 65 members of his family. (There are a few family members who are in both of these group  pictures.)
I have mentioned W. D. Haynes before in a past Family Trails post and wrote that we would explore more about him in a future  post…but this is still not the one to do that! There is so much to write about W. D. and his family that we need to wait. This month's posts are all about Clairmont and our family's ties to this old resort.

July 4, 1986
Picture taken in front of Tee's cottage


The pictures below are just a tiny window into the "4th of July" celebrations. We did not carry cameras with us every minute the way we do now, but these pictures conjure up the memories of those special times.

The drive from Talladega included passing the waterwheel house and ..

stopping to walk to the Waldo covered bridge.

Cousins visit on the back porch of Tee's cottage while the delicious food buffet is arranged.

In the back yard, the home-made ice cream machines are cranked by willing workers. 

Finally, time to eat! This must be dessert time because Tee is sitting down! She never sat down to eat until she knew everyone was seated with their plates. 

Smiling faces after such a feast! 

Time for the traditional family group picture!

Visiting on the front porch...

More visiting on the front porch.

Cousins pose while on a walk past the old hotel. 

The swimming pool in 1986. The old dressing rooms can be seen in the background. 

The train passing by the hotel and the pool. 

Tee's cottage

I hope that "visiting" Clairmont has been a pleasant one for each of you.

 Maybe you have a special place in your heart for an old vacation spot…a place that you could get away from the routine of daily life, the noises and the heat of the city… a place that brought you together with family, where you could put your feet up, relax, and listen to stories told by the elderly family members. 

And what about this city heat! Maybe it is time to get away…………..

Love,

Mariellan

Clairmont Springs, Alabama

4 generations on the steps of Tee's cottage at Clairmont Springs

Here we are in the first week of July. Families are making their plans to celebrate the 4th of July together. Menus are planned. Fireworks stores on the interstate are stocking up for the big day. Parades, beach trips, boat rides, picnics, baseball games…so many ways to celebrate such a historic day for the USA. In the Weaver family, all we have to say is "The 4th of July," and each of us knows that we are thinking of Clairmont Springs. 

For at least 6 generations, Clairmont Springs, Alabama was the place the Haynes and the Weaver families gathered to celebrate our nation's birthday.  So I think our walk on the Family Trails this month will take us to Clairmont Springs. 

Every year, this family gathered at Tee's house in Clairmont Springs. Tee's house was considered a cabin, but to children, it seemed like a mansion. The cabin had 3 bedrooms with lots of beds, a kitchen and dining room, a front porch, a back porch and a wide dogtrot that connected them all. There was no heating or air conditioning. Each bedroom had a fireplace and a big door to close at night to keep the heat inside. Ceiling fans lined the dog-trot and the porches, so there was usually a nice, steady breeze in the house. The windows and doors were kept open all summer long to keep the house cool.        

 Each family brought several dishes of food for lunch. Extra tables were lined up around the screened windows on the back porch, and this is where all the food was placed. The kitchen was full of women  preparing some of the last minute food. There was a huge pot of boiling water for the fresh corn on the cob, and children were enlisted to help shuck the corn. Other "jobs" for the children were setting out the dishes and ice tea glasses…..yes, you read this correctly….dishes and glasses! No plastic Solo cups or Chinette paper plates at this party! 

When the food had been placed on the long buffet tables, the family was called inside with the ringing of the big outdoor bell. Then one of the preachers in the family asked the blessing. Then the feasting began…fried chicken, ham, fresh green beans, corn, butter beans, deviled eggs, potato salad, squash casserole, fresh fruit salad, jello salad, marinated bean salad, fresh tomatoes, Vidalia onions, Watergate salad,  and hot rolls. 

ARE YOU HUNGRY YET? 

If not, I will continue with the desserts….

Pound cakes of different varieties, plum cake, brownies, cookies, caramel cake, and…

homemade ice cream! (vanilla and peach)

It was heaven in a bowl! Every bite of these desserts was worth the wait. So now, what to do after such a feast? Why, sit on the porch and visit some more, of course! But not if you are under 18… now is the time when all of the cousins got into their swim suits and walked to the pool for an afternoon of cooling off in the spring-fed swimming pool. Bhurrr! That was the coldest water! Swimming in the Clairmont pool was one of the special treats of being out at Clairmont. 

I hope you will return next week to Family Trails to read more about this special place and the hold it had on our family.

Love,

Mariellan