Albertville is celebrating its 135th anniversary this year. For a town, that’s a significant milestone of growth, industry, and change. But for me, this anniversary isn’t just about dates on a map or a charter in a hall; it is a celebration of the blood and bone that built this plateau.
While the name Bottomlee hasn’t always been the most familiar one on Sand Mountain (a story for another time), my roots here go back to the very first seeds ever planted in this soil. My mother was a Jordan, her mother an Oliver, and my great-grandmother was an Espy. To carry the Espy name is to carry the history of one of the founding families of this mountain. I am proud to say there has been someone I am blood-related to right here in Albertville for as long as Albertville has existed.
The Girl Who Saved the Farm
Much of who I am—and what I love about this city—comes from the influence of my grandmother, Bernice Virginia Oliver Jordan. She was the eldest of five girls. When my great-grandfather passed away, it left a devastating void in the labor required to keep the family farm alive.
At an age when most young teens are worried about social circles and schoolwork, my grandmother exited the classroom and stepped into the fields. With the help of Great Uncle Percy Espy, she kept that farm in operation. She didn’t choose that hard life; it chose her, and she met it with a resilience that defines the best of our community.
A Heart for the Community
Her work didn’t end in the fields. As I grew up, I watched her touch countless lives in Albertville. She was a nanny and housekeeper for a family that loved her as their own. Perhaps most notably, she spent several decades in the nursery at Hewett Memorial Methodist Church (now Hope Church of Albertville).
To generations of Albertville children, she wasn’t just a staff member—she was everyone’s grandmother. She wasn’t always handed the best situations, but you could guarantee she was going to make the best of whatever landed in her lap.
The Secret in the Pitcher
She gave everything for those she loved, usually accompanied by the best glass of sweet tea in the history of the world. I’ve spent years trying to duplicate that recipe. I’ve come close, but I’m not quite there yet. I suspect it was the magic of her specific glass pitcher—or maybe just the hands that poured it.
As we look back on 135 years of Albertville, I’m reminded that a community is only as strong as the families who refuse to let it fail. I am proud to be a part of that lineage. This town is steeped in history and, thanks to women like my grandmother, it’s as sweet as honey.
Happy 135th Birthday, Albertville. The best is yet to come.
Jonathan Bottomlee is the advertising director for The Sand Mountain Leader. He can be reached at [email protected].
