Hiking Through History Alabama by Cuhaj Joe;

Author:Cuhaj, Joe;
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 4635225
Publisher: Falcon Guides

Flagg Mountain stands 1,152 feet tall and is one of the southernmost mountains in the Appalachians. It’s a very nondescript mountain when it comes to history. No Civil War battles were fought here, although some argue that it may have been used as a lookout position for the Confederate army, which used signal flags to communicate—hence the name—but then why the two “gs” in the name?

The real history of Flagg Mountain began in 1927 when the Alabama state legislature passed the State Land Act that authorized the development of state parks for its residents. In 1933 an advance group of fifteen young men from the CCC arrived in Weogufka, Alabama, from New York to begin the process of clearing the land for a new state park. It was said that Flagg Mountain was home to the largest yellow pine forest east of the Rockies and that the park would be “one of the most scenic in the state.”

CCC Company 260 was directed to build roads to the summit of the mountain, hiking trails to points of interest, cabins for tourist lodging, a dam on a stream to supply water, a museum to house Indian artifacts, and a 52-foot-tall observation tower for panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. On a clear day from the top of the tower, you can see 60 miles in all directions.

Flagg was located in an extremely remote location, which forced the company to rely on the natural resources they had at their disposal and lots of help from the locals. This gave rise to the company motto, “We Can Take It!”

The skill of these young men is astounding. The cabins, many of which still stand today and which you will see on this hike, were made of hand-hewn logs that fit together almost seamlessly. And the fire tower is a true work of art. Built completely out of carved stone, the tower itself has walls 2 to 3 feet thick. The cabin atop is 12 feet by 12 feet in size and fully enclosed with glass windows. Next to the fire tower is another building just as impressive, the recreation hall, which again highlights the magnificent stonework of the CCC.

After the 200 men of Company 260 were replaced with Company 4498 in 1935, work continued on the park until they were disbanded in 1936; World War II broke out soon after. Historian Bob Pasquill in his wonderful book, The Civilian Conservation Corps in Alabama 1933–1942: A Great and Lasting Good, correctly described the park as “the greatest state park that never was.” The park never opened. Instead the Alabama Forestry Commission took over and used the fire tower as a lookout until 1989, when they abandoned it and the cabins, leaving them all to nature.

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