POWERGRAMS

16 The emergency of the world's first 911 call would be lost on today's operators. Alabama House Speaker Rankin Fite was calling 55 years ago with urgency only to beat national monopoly AT&T from making the first such call nationwide. U.S. Rep. Tom Bevill answered at the Haleyville Police station and secured the town's place in history. Each June the call is now celebrated during the 911 Festival, with a parade, classic car show, arts, crafts and food booths, kids zone and big-name entertainers. It is fitting the call was received in Winston County, where a century earlier many residents chose to go against the Confederacy in the looming Civil War, declaring independence from Alabama and support of the United States. Yet, there would eventually be no parting from either, as more than 60 Haleyville soldiers would give their lives for freedom in World War I, WWII, the Korean War, Vietnam War and Afghanistan War. A town of about 5,000 people that also reaches into Marion County, Haleyville has always been patriotic, regardless of its particular allegiances through the years. Nearly 250 local soldiers served in the Korean War and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Fontaine Trailer, which employs about 400 people, is the largest platform trailer builder in North America and donates at least $1,000 to America's Mighty Warriors for each Patriot trailer sold. Haleyville is the home of 14-term U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, who is the dean of Alabama's congressional delegation, having served the 4th district since 1997. Aderholt has run unopposed four times and in 2022 won 84% of nearly 200,000 votes cast in his conservative district that includes much of north Alabama. His wife, Caroline, owns and manages McDonald Farms Partnership and is on the Auburn University board of trustees. Driving through the downtown central street that has been revived since it was struck by an F2 tornado on Nov. 24, 2001, there are more than 40 light post flags saluting veterans like 1st Lt. Ullman Fortenberry, who served with the 15th Air Force in the European Theatre from 1942-45 and Seaman 1st Class Ida Burrell, who served with Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service during the same worldwide conflict. West Jefferson Risk Management Analyst Don Burleson says Haleyville is named after his great-great-grandfather's brothers, Charlie and Walker Haley. The Haleys owned a mercantile business "and the story goes that in the late 1800s the town was named Davis Crossroads. They struck a deal with Mr. Davis, giving him a new suit of clothes for the town to be named 'Haleysville.' Haleyville was incorporated in 1889. Charlie was the first secretary of the Mason Lodge, and Walker started Traders & Farmers Bank in 1906, which in 2020 was sold to Bank First." In the 1939 former post office building converted to Haleyville's library, there is a framed copy of "The Bastard" that has a piece of windowpane that was blown into and then partially exited the middle of the book during the tornado that destroyed parts of downtown. "Thank goodness we were closed that day," says librarian Carla Waldrep, who has worked there 37 years. Nearby is a framed action figure of local hero Mark Forester, donated by his parents. Beneath the white paint of the lobby is a Civilian TOWN KNOWN FOR INDEPENDENCE AND PATRIOTISM by Chuck Chandler 'Hello' from Haleyville

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