Bear Creek, AL

Welcome to Bear Creek

This is my personal blog of my home town, Bear Creek, Alabama. For those of you who know me but have never been to Bear Creek, this will give you and idea of where I grew up.

I've left some place holders at the end of this blog and I'll try to add more photos of me growing up in Bear Creek in the next few weeks.

Steve

The town of Bear Creek is located in the northeast corner of Marion County, Alabama. It's about 45 miles south of Florence, AL, 70 miles east of Tupelo, MS, 90 miles northwest of Birmingham, AL, and most importantly, 200 miles northwest of Auburn, AL.

Bear Creek and Upper Bear Creek Lake

Upper Bear Creek Reservoir was impounded in 1978 mostly as a flood control reservoir and holds 1,850 acres of water at full pool. Located near the town of Bear Creek and in the corners of Franklin, Winston, and Marion Counties, Upper Bear is one of four Tennessee Valley Authority reservoirs operated by the Bear Creek Development Authority.

The lake has a sandy beach with a protected swimming area.

A campground is operated by the town of Bear Creek.

The Bear Creek area is popular with all types of boaters, including canoeists and kayakers. The Bear Creek Floatway, which flows from Upper Bear Creek Dam into Bear Creek Reservoir, is a popular spot for teaching first-timers to negotiate rapids and work with the current.

Below Bear Creek Dam the Lower Bear Creek Canoe Trail provides a more leisurely float, running a total of 34 miles down the creek and all the way to Pickwick Landing Dam on the Tennessee.

My family

My parents, my grandmother and aunt, and my sister all live within a half mile of each other.

My grandparents, Clip and Myrt Fleming, built this house around 1940. My parents purchased and renovated the farm house around 1998.

Rocky, our family dog of 17 years, is buried inside the pasture where the drive and roadway meet.

My grandmother and aunt life 1/4 north of my parents.

My sister and her family live 1/4 mile east of my grandmother

Phillips High School

Phillips High and Elementary are located just northeast of the main town area of Bear Creek. The high school has an enrollment of 282 and the elementary school has an enrollment of 319.

Main school building

Gymnasium

Football field

The first night football game in the state of Alabama was played on this field. Soon after electricity was available, the people of Bear Creek used metal wash pans to make a home-made light system for the football field.

Our high school basketball team won the Northwest Alabama regional (class 1-A) basketball tournament and made their first appearance in the boy's Final Four in Birmingham.

Town of Bear Creek

Located on Highway 13, between Haleyville and Phil Campbell, the main commercial area of the town of Bear Creek has a couple of churches, a service station, Traders & Farmers Bank branch and the city hall and volunteer fire department.

As of the 2000 census, the population of Bear Creek was 1,053.

Back in the 1970's my dad was mayor of Bear Creek. They city added a small housing project on the north side of town. My father named the street after my mother - her middle name is Lynelle.

Family photos

Christmas 2006

L to R - Jack, Madge (mom and dad), Lois (grandmother sitting), Gail (aunt standing), Hayden and Alex (boys), Cindy (sister) and David (brother-in-law)

Hayden and Alex on top of the barn