Small Town Snapshot Sunday #11

It's Small Town Snapshot Sunday! Read the rules and get the banners here. Be sure you include the link to your post at the bottom of this entry and also, tag your post "stss" or "small town snapshot sunday" so people can search for it and find you!

This week my particular small town entry is about a "ghost town" called Arlburg. Back in the early part of the 1900's the little country area where I live was actually a railroad "boom town" (as boomy as it got back then, I guess). There was a railroad that ran through that was nicknamed "The Dinkey Line". There was the world's largest cooperage, and several towns along the line had their own industries attractions such as hotels, canning factories and other features of small railroad towns. The names of some of the towns on the line were Leslie, Rumley, Elba, Arlburg and Shirley. Of these only Leslie and Shirley still exist as towns.

This weekend I was in Arlburg and took a few shots of what's left of the town square.

This is the old railroad depot. It's made of stacked native stone mortared together. It's well overgrown with vines and bushes. The railroad line was across the road from this building and ran alongside the river. You wouldn't know a rail line was there if you didn't know the history.



Down the road is the old post office that is currently being used as a house. For a water source the occupants collect water from a spring.





Another building sits at the base of the mountain and has been completely covered by vines and small trees. I'm not sure what this building was. Through the trees came a big crashing noise, much running and hoof pounding. I assume deer. No sign of Bigfoot.



Miss Betty (who owned the local grocery) told me what this building was some years ago, but I've forgotten.




All the roads are narrow and form a square at the base of this mountain. It's a small shelf of land between the bottom of the mountain and the river.



On many of the buildings you can see ads for products or old signs.



Before she got too old, Miss Betty used to run a seasonal grocery store out of her garage. She'd sell ice and camping groceries for the locals who didn't want to drive back to town just to pick up a little something.





I think these concrete pillars might have been some kind of entrance or platform for the train, but I'm not sure.



A low water bridge goes across the river and is not always accessible safely if the water is too high.



This picture doesn't do the place justice but in this valley in certain places you can look up and see gorgeous bluffs in the distance that line the river.



The river is big enough in spots to float and eventually leads to Greers Ferry Lake.



And finally, my friends Bart and Amy have an adorable riverfront cabin and we were lucky enough to run into them this weekend while we were scouting around their neighborhood.




I hope you're having an awesome Sunday no matter what size town you're in.

This week's participants are:

Small Town Snapshot Sunday Participants

1. mrs. e 2. Ozark Life 3. Meri Arnett-Kremian 4. Becky 5. Woman of Faith

6. Smalltown Girl 7. Renee Nee Nee's Blog 8. Elizabeth 9. It Is What It Is 10. Views from a Small Town

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