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Mentone in DeKalb County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
 

Town Of Mentone

 
 
Town Of Mentone Marker (Front) image. Click for full size.
Photographed By TRCP Alliance, November 10, 2012
1. Town Of Mentone Marker (Front)
Inscription.
Front:
The first Lookout Mountain settlers arrived shortly after the Cherokee Indian removal of 1838-1839. These pioneers had been too late for homesteading the good farmland in northwest Georgia. They now turned their attention to Lookout Mountain. With stubborn determination, they hacked their way through the mountain wilderness. They chopped logs and built primitive houses, cleared land for patch farming, and hunted the abundant wildlife for food. Among these early settlers were the families of Force, O’Rear, Crow, Jones, Smith, and Hammit. For years, not much changed in their lives. Times were hard. During the Civil War Federal troops were on the mountain. They dealt severely with settlers taking their animals and meager stores of food. Still these hearty souls managed to survive and remain on their homesteads.
(Continued on other side)


Reverse:
(Continued from other side)
In the post Civil War era, more affluent settlers arrived. Among these was the Mason family from Bellefountain, Iowa. They were great community workers and generous with their resources. John Mason and his son Edward were the founders of Mentone. John was instrumental in the opening of the Vernon Gap and the new road from Valley Head to Menlo, Georgia in 1882. John and Edward bought the hardware for the covered
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bridge and the community did the work. Edward gave money for a church and a school. Moon Lake was the center of community activities. Alice, daughter of John, named the town Mentone and gave the land for Bankhead Cemetery. Mentone eventually became incorporated in 1936. Those opposed to incorporation feared the imposition of higher taxes and losing their independence. The threat of becoming part of nearby towns convinced a majority to support incorporation. Despite great progress in Mentone since its founding, the advice of John Mason still has a ring of truth. “Don’t come here expecting to make a fortune, but if your fortune is made, Mentone offers the good life.” Ernest Smith
 
Erected 2010 by The Alabama Tourism Department and the Town of Mentone.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1882.
 
Location. 34° 34.737′ N, 85° 35.24′ W. Marker is in Mentone, Alabama, in DeKalb County. Marker is on State Highway 117, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5972 Alabama Highway 117, Mentone AL 35984, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 9 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Former Site Of Battelle (approx. 1.7 miles away); Site of Cherokee Council Tree (approx.
Town Of Mentone Marker (Reverse) image. Click for full size.
Photographed By TRCP Alliance, November 10, 2012
2. Town Of Mentone Marker (Reverse)
1.7 miles away); The A. A. Miller Dam (approx. 2.1 miles away); The Road to Chickamauga (approx. 6.6 miles away); Coe Incline (approx. 8.3 miles away); Site of the Willstown Mission (approx. 9 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 9 miles away); POW-MIA Memorial (approx. 9 miles away).
 
Also see . . .
1. Mentone Area History. Website homepage (Submitted on November 12, 2012, by Timothy Carr of Birmingham, Alabama.) 

2. Nancy Emmaline "Granny Dollar" Callahan Dollar. Find A Grave website entry:
A Legend in Mentone, Alabama (Submitted on August 9, 2018, by Angela Nichols of Centre, Alabama.) 
 
Town Of Mentone Marker (Front) image. Click for full size.
Photographed By TRCP Alliance, November 10, 2012
3. Town Of Mentone Marker (Front)
Town of Mentone Marker stands in a small park to the right of Mentone's Town Hall.
Town Of Mentone Marker (Reverse) image. Click for full size.
Photographed By TRCP Alliance, November 10, 2012
4. Town Of Mentone Marker (Reverse)
Mentone Town Hall image. Click for full size.
Photographed By TRCP Alliance, November 10, 2012
5. Mentone Town Hall
Shops Along Alabama Highway 117 in Mentone, Alabama image. Click for full size.
Photographed By TRCP Alliance, November 10, 2012
6. Shops Along Alabama Highway 117 in Mentone, Alabama
Mentone Springs Hotel built in 1884 by Dr. Frank Caldwell image. Click for full size.
Photographed By TRCP Alliance, November 10, 2012
7. Mentone Springs Hotel built in 1884 by Dr. Frank Caldwell
Hotel burned to the ground on March 1, 2014.
Mentone Inn, built in 1927. image. Click for full size.
Photographed By TRCP Alliance, November 10, 2012
8. Mentone Inn, built in 1927.
The Hitching Post image. Click for full size.
Photographed By TRCP Alliance, June 15, 2008
9. The Hitching Post
Originally built in 1896 as a one room general merchandise store. Over the years the building was expanded to what is seen today by different owners to fit their business proposes. The store served the community as a drug store with a soda fountain, cafe, post office, and gas station. During the 1940's and 50's the second floor served as a dance hall. Today, several types of businesses continue to operate within the confine of the Hitching Post.
St. Joseph’s-On-The-Mountain Episcopal Church image. Click for full size.
Photographed By TRCP Alliance, June 15, 2008
10. St. Joseph’s-On-The-Mountain Episcopal Church
Interesting piece of history about this church structure. The church was first organized in 1971. The current structure was built around the first home built in Mentone. The log cabin structure was once the home of Robert Vernon, who built the cabin around 1854. The rest of the structure was built out of material reclaimed other demolished structures from around Alabama and Georgia. The church pews were saved from a church in Tuskegee, Alabama. George Washington Carver himself hand rubbed and stained these pews.
Mentone United Methodist Church, built in 1884. image. Click for full size.
Photographed By TRCP Alliance, June 15, 2008
11. Mentone United Methodist Church, built in 1884.
Sally Howard Memorial Chapel image. Click for full size.
Photographed By TRCP Alliance, November 10, 2012
12. Sally Howard Memorial Chapel
Built and Dedicated in 1937 by Milford Howard to the memory of his wife Sally Howard. On one end, the church is built into a boulder. While the rest of the church structure is built from native rock.
Interior view of Sally Howard Memorial Chapel image. Click for full size.
Photographed By TRCP Alliance, November 10, 2012
13. Interior view of Sally Howard Memorial Chapel
Scenic view from the west brow of Lookout Mountain in Mentone, Alabama. image. Click for full size.
Photographed By TRCP Alliance, June 15, 2008
14. Scenic view from the west brow of Lookout Mountain in Mentone, Alabama.
DeSoto Falls, a nearby natural landmark near Mentone. image. Click for full size.
Photographed By TRCP Alliance, June 15, 2008
15. DeSoto Falls, a nearby natural landmark near Mentone.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on August 2, 2022. It was originally submitted on November 12, 2012, by Timothy Carr of Birmingham, Alabama. This page has been viewed 1,215 times since then and 43 times this year. Last updated on May 25, 2015, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. submitted on November 12, 2012, by Timothy Carr of Birmingham, Alabama. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 29, 2024