Heading south out of Prattville, Alabama, towards Montgomery is a dome-shaped building in the center of a parking lot. It’s the final vestige of Stuart’s Red Devil Lake, a recreation area built in the 1930s. It was billed as “Montgomery’s Finest and Most Unusual Recreation Center.” One unusual feature is the dome, which served as a fountain in the lake. Patrons could get free admission if they purchased Red Devil Gas, a series of gas stations owned by the lake owner. Unfortunately, a dam broke at Red Devil Lake in 1939, permanently closing the recreation area.
Advertisement in the June 16, 2024 Montgomery AdvertiserPhoto from the June 24, 1936 Montgomery Advertiser. You can see the dome on the left side of the photo. After the lake closed, a restaurant called the Water Wheel opened. Despite being abandoned, it still stands.A frequent advertisement in TheMongomery Advertiser
Elmore County Training School opened in Wetumpka, Alabama, on September 20, 1926. The first principal was A. R. Mosely. It was the county’s first high school for Black students and the largest Rosenwald built in th county. The school closed in 1963.
After the school closed, the city built a park around the school for the Black citizens of Wetumpka. The school served as a community center and eventually became the Elmore County Black History Museum
An island in the Alabama River hosts a tribe of friendly goats and a movie set for the film Big Fish. Not far from Montgomery, the town of Sceptre, Alabama, is actually Jackson Lake Island. In 2003, Tim directed the movie where part of the storyline take place in a magical town known as Sceptre, where the grass is so lush you don’t need shoes.
Gun Island Chute
The movie’s premise is that the father is known to tell tall tales, and on the day of his son’s birth, he lured the biggest fish with his wedding ring. This is just one of the tales he tells his son over the years. It stars Ewan McGregor, Helena Bonham Carter, Albert Finney, and other notable actors. The town of Sceptre stretches along Main Street with houses and commercial structures. Today, only a few of the houses remain. In 2023, one of the prop structures caught on fire after a lightning strike. A tornado in 2021 caused damage, too.
The island is privately owned by former Montgomery mayor and US Congressman Bobby Bright and his wife, retired judge Lynn Bright, and it has been in their family for years. The goats hadroamed the island for years before Big Fish came to town. Unfortunately, the trip of goats was lost to coyotes. The Brights decided to bring the goats back to the island. They are very used to humans. (One tried to climb into my car while I was packing my camera gear.) Unfortunately, in 2020, two baby goats disappeared, and it was believed that someone smuggled them off the island.
The original shoe line where people tossed their shoes since the grass is so lush you don’t need shoes. It is still a tradition today.
I highly recommend taking a trip to the island. There is a charge per person. If you are there for the day, the goats and the walk down Main Street would make a good day. Bring lunch, and you might have goat visitors. You can boat and fish in Gun Island Chute, the water surrounding the island. There is also RV Parking for overnight stays. I highly recommend visiting in the winter. The leafless trees add to the Southern Gothic appeal that is part of Big Fish. Fall would be a great time, too, because beautiful trees surround the lake.
Scroll down to see the original movie trailer.
Based on the front, I believe this might be a store and not a house.A view down Main Street towards the church.One of the other houses on the street. I assume it is the original color. It’s almost a haint blue.This is my favorite remaining house. I love the woodwork.Another houseI love this house, too. This is the house where the pie scene takes place.The beautiful church.One of paths around the island
If you’ve never seen the movie, it can be streamed. For those who have seen it, here is the original trailer; you can see the trees and the town featured here.
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