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Barefoot In The Sand: Remembering the Waning Days of the Hopewell Community (1998) Bruce C. Gragg 72/123

OUR VISITS TO FARGO

Not all our enjoyment came with visits with the Walker Clan. We had a
lot of relatives in the Fargo, Ga. area. At that time Fargo and Edith
were big logging villages. The economy was based on the timber
business, and there were always several log trucks or pulpwood trucks
in the area. It was always a treat to go up there. Crossing the
Suwannee River on the then very long wooden, narrow bridge was
somewhat of an experience. It was really scary when crossing after a
lot of rain and the river was out of its banks and flooded the entire
flood plain, the water would be right up to the bottom of the bridge
just under the decking. During the war years with all the shortages
we had to make our trips count. We went to Fargo, to see and visit
family members as well as buy supplies we needed.

There were several relatives living there so we could always make a
day or two of a visit. We often stayed in John and Maggie Mae Hall’s
home. They had four boys and a girl. Two older boys a girl and two
younger boys. There was Frank, Johnny, Carolyn, James and Charles. We
usually played with the girl and two younger boys. On several trips
up there we would ride up to the German POW camp a short distance
north of town. At the time Fargo and Edith were sawmill towns, with
most of the income derived from timber business. The railroad of the
area was the old Atlantic Coast Line, did they ever run some big
steam engines on that road. Although, within a few years steam
engines would be a vanishing breed of motive power, and all too soon
just a fond memory of ages past. Even then I would get a thrill from
watching a train, even if it was just passing, it didn’t have to be
working the local switching duties to be fascinating. I loved to
smell the coal smoke from a steam engine, it had an aroma that was
great. There was a water tank by the station in Fargo, engines would
fill their tanks there for the final pull to Jacksonville or heading
toward Atlanta. ’They would also quite often stop long enough to drop
off railcars on the sidings in Fargo. I saw one of my first diesel
engines there pulling a passenger train. Now most all the watertanks
and stations have disappeared from the American scene, all in the
name of progress. The Halls’ home was close to the railroad. Whenever
we visited we were under strict rules, go near it and a big belt
would be waiting when we got back in the yard. The corporal
punishment would be administered in full view of all, so it was
supposed to make a good example and impress on everyone's mind not to
go out there. Their second oldest son (Johnny) one time thought he
needed to see the switching operations a little closer than he could
see from the yard. He got his britches warmed real well. Even after
they moved we still went to Fargo every week or two.

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