Delmar, Alabama
Delmar | ||
---|---|---|
ZIP codes 35551 | ||
Area code | 205 |
Delmar is a small,
Origins of the name "Delmar"
Delmar was originally called "
The exact origins of the name "Delmar" are unknown. A popular belief holds that a construction engineer with the railroad had a retired
After notifying the U. S. Postal Service of its name change, Delmar's first post office was opened on September 1, 1887. Newton L. Powell was the first Postmaster of Delmar. The current post office building was erected in 1971, during the service of Postmaster Mrs. Martha Roberts Stewart.
Today, the name of the town of Delmar is pronounced "Delmer."
19th century history
According to
When Alabama seceded from the Union in 1861, the people of Winston County did not want to fight their Northern or Southern brothers and wanted to remain neutral in the Civil War. They decided that if a state could secede from the nation, then a county could secede from a state, and formed "Free State of Winston." The people of neighboring counties called the people of Winston County Tories (Northern sympathizers).
During the closing phases of the Civil War, Union troops made their way through Winston County on parts of what today are Winston County Road 17. Union troops set up their camps on the side of the road. Today, the road is better known as "Yankee Trace Road."
After the Civil War, a rail line was built from Sheffield, Alabama to Delmar by the Northern Alabama Railroad. After several years, a rail line was built from Parrish, Alabama to Delmar. This allowed rail service from Birmingham to the Shoals area. Today, Norfolk Southern Railway still runs cargo trains through Delmar.
20th century and recent history
In the late 1960s, Marshall Durbin built its regional headquarters in Delmar.
On the night of April 3, 1974, Delmar was struck by a deadly tornado, as were communities in 12 other states and Canada during the 1974 Super Outbreak. Five people died in Delmar as a result of the tornado. Several homes and other structures were destroyed. Many homes that suffered little or no direct damage were without electricity, telephone, and water service for several days.
In January 1993, the people of Delmar decided to establish a volunteer fire department for their community. Currently, the department has 30 firefighters, two pumpers and two tankers and a brush truck. The current Fire Chief is Ray Cantrell.
In 1998, MSR Forest Products built a large plant in Delmar. Today, it employs over 100 people.
On January 27, 2000, Delmar received its first visit from a U.S. Senator when Richard Shelby visited the small Winston County town.
Like so many small towns and communities in Alabama, Delmar has experienced times of economic boom and bust over the past 100 years. Today, Delmar is experiencing somewhat of an economic upturn with several businesses opening in and around Delmar. Tony BrakeField serves as the current Mayor of Delmar.
Notable people
Perhaps the most famous person from Delmar is
Churches
There are five churches in the Delmar area: Delmar Baptist Church, Union Grove Baptist Church, Mount Zion Baptist Church, Bethel #2 Baptist Church, and Botush Freewill Baptist Church.
External links
- Delmar is covered by the Northwest Alabamian Newspaper.
- Town of Delmar's Facebook Page
- Delmar Volunteer Fire Department's Facebook Page
- History of Delmar Alabama by Tony BrakeField