Long before Laurel was named or formed, the Southern railroads were being laid in earnest. Railways proved the most economical means of conveyance for people and goods, but rival rail companies, fierce competition, and the Civil War had wreaked havoc on the country’s ability to adhere to a single national standard track gauge.
Click here to read the previous post in CRAFTING THE CITY BEAUTIFUL. Fast forward one hundred and twenty five years to 2016, and my grandfather had just passed away. One rainy Saturday in May, I was digging through what seemed like an endless array of belongings stored in my grandparents’ basement. My grandparents were […]
The sun was hot, but the massive pines grew too close to let the light in. They didn’t throw limbs until twenty or thirty feet high, creating a vaulted, green cathedral that smelled of pine sap, smoke, and sweat. This was church, and the men worshipped at an altar of yellow pine. In the Reconstruction […]
