On February 14, 2008 I was driving to check on one of the houses that I had listed and out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw fire. I circled around the block and I couldn't believe what I saw, it was Avondale Miles on fire. I called 911 and she told me the fire department was already in route to the mill.
I know you are wondering why I am writing this post almost 2 years after the fire but I wanted to share with you some photos I took when Avondale was on fire. First of all I want to share some history about Avondale and why it is an end of an era in Pell City, Alabama.
In 1902 Sumter Cogswell built the mill which was commonly known as the Pell City Cotton Mill, it was in operation until 1919 when it was sold and renamed the Avondale Mills. The textile mill was the heart beat of Pell City. The mill for years was one of Pell City's largest employers that employee several generations of families throughout the years. It was a large economic impact during the early years on the growth in Pell City. From talking with some of the old timers here, I was told that Avondale Mills was a great place to work and they gave back a lot to the community by helping throughout its history to build schools, ball fields and helped supply city water.
On May 22, 2006 Avondale Mills announced the closing of their plants after 87 years of service. Thunder Enterprises purchased the building and began dismantling the factory in 2008. During the process, the factory was destroyed by an accidental fire.
While I was standing watching the fire even though everyone knew the building was going to be dismantled, it was heart breaking to me to see a place that help changed many people lives and help feed their families go up in smoke. This truly was an end of an era in Pell City.
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