Avalon, A forgotten Town Remembered

I just ran across this site and wanted to let you know that it is great. I also roamed this area in my younger years and still do. Paddled down the Mayo this past summer and fished on top of the dam and in the rocks downstream during low river flow. Beautiful area right in our backyard!

Thanks for this! I worked on the Obama campaign with a concentration in Mayodan and noticed all of the Avalon Houses - which is what peaked my curiosity. This is very informational - I plan on sharing!

Thanks for the hard work that you put into this website. I live in Madison and never had heard of Avalon before. It was great reading all about it.

Just wanted to say that I love your site. I live in Fries, VA , which is another milltown founded by Col. Fries. I had heard about Mayodan many times, but had never heard of Avalon until I saw your site. I find it all very interesting. Thanks for taking the time to put the site together!

I have been here before and now I am back...I see you haven't added anything for a few years... did they get the PARK at Avalon? Please give us an update. My grandfather, and 2 of my uncles that I know of worked at the Avalon Mill. My grandfather was Gilmer Reynolds and my uncles were Sherman and Hugh Reynolds. I was born in Leaksville and love to go back. People say how much it has changed, but when I go back it still feels the same and feels like home to me. Thank you for a wonderful website! PLEASE update about the park... dee

Originally from Mayodan, I have long been intrigued by the "disappearance" of Avalon. I only took 1 hike to the site as a child & would love to see it incorporated with markers, etc. in the state park plans.

I couldn't resist adding one more note. I was just reviewing the 1910 census including my grandfather Flay Freeman and his brother, Eston. I noticed they were boarders at that time in the James S. Suttenfield house pictured on page xv of Ola Maie Foushee's book, Avalon, a North Carolina Town of Joy and Tragedy. Those enumerated on the census who were living in the house at that time were: James S. Suttenfield, Susan J. Suttenfield, George M. Suttenfield, Marcus J. Crotts, Ida B. Crotts, Ida F. Summer, Nanie E. Baugam, Roy E. (Eston) Freeman, and Flay Freeman. Some of these are pictured [on p. xv of the above reference] sitting on the porch. I would like to think that the last gentleman on the right of this picture wearing the dark shirt is Flay Freeman. Although too obscure to identify for certain, the image appears to have his facial features. Thanks again for the great work!

When I chanced upon your website, I discovered that my grandfather, Everette Flay Freeman, and my great uncle, Roy Eston Freeman, worked at Avalon Mills until the day it burned down. Pictures of them are featured on your site in the baseball team photo ca. 1910. I purchased Ola Maie Foushee's book and discovered on page 46 the source of this picture and also noted them in a group photo on page 54. Eston and Flay moved along with the other Avalon workers to Washington Mills for a time, eventually migrating to Winston-Salem by 1920 (census record) where Flay became a supervisor at Hanes Mills. He retired there ca. 1954 and died in 1961. Eston also worked for a while at Hanes but ultimately became a jeweler and moved back to Mayodon, then Eden where he died and was buried in 1972. I never had a chance to discuss with them their early days, and I'm grateful that your site has allowed me to piece together their migration from their roots in Rutherford County to where they eventually settled. Thanks for the memories and your excellent work.

`i am the great granddaughter of julius vaden ,and wonder why his picture isnt in this on line book,and my grandmother nora e vaden isnt in here either? like the soft back book.we can cheak out in the library, some of us still have one in the family .it did reconize my greatgrandfather j vaden as the first citizen of avalon.. .is this the same book or have two been published,i think so if i understood correctly.regards donna edwards,ggranddaughter of julius vaden.my mother is ,ruth scearce turner,daughter of matthew scearce and nora vaden scearce

My mother is Doris Rhodes which grew up in Mayodan and so did my brother and myself. My mother is now 94 yrs. old and is living with me in Eden NC. I found this website and showed it to her. She loves looking at the pictures, and reading the different things concerning Mayodan and Avalon. Thanks for all the pictures and imformation.

I guess I have spent half my life in Avalon and was the last lifeguard at Mayo Lake in 1964. My grandmother and grandfather met and were married in Avalon. My grandfather Jesse L Mills worked in the Mill Store and my grandmother ran the boarding house-I have the table that came from Avalon on which she prepared the food. As a child of the 50's, Avalon was my playground. My father JL Mills ,fresh from WWII ,would take me to Avalon where Billy Barrow still took care of the old power plant.We spent hours fishing in the river , walking the trails and shooting Sycamore balls from the trees As I got older , Danny Lewis and I would jump the train in Mayodan and catch a ride to Avalon on Saturdays and Sundays and most everyday during the summers. As the train slowed in the curve at Avalon , we would catch the first car and freeride back to Mayodan and jump off just as we got to my grandfathers store just before reaching the Mayodan Dam. Could life get any sweeter ? Lee Mills Maybe next time , I'll tell you about the moonshine we found!

I like what you've done with this webiste. I have lived here my entire life, and although the town had always seemed rather boring to me growing up, the history behind our town is very interesting. I wish there were more historic pictures available for us to look at. It's so neat to see the same streets that were here a hundred years ago and see how things have changed. Thanks and keep up the good work.

Thank you so much for this beautiful website. I grew up in Mayodan and my whole family, including myself, worked at Mayo Mills/Washington Mills. My father worked in the Cotton Mill for 55 years!! I heard many stories about the Avalon Mill when I was growing up but never really knew all the history. I moved away in 1972 and running across this website took me back to my childhood. I will bookmark it and visit it from time to time for updates.

Wow! What a great site. I recently lost my grandfather, John C. Pike of Mayodan, and was just curious to know more about what life was like for him and his family of 11 siblings in rural NC during the 1920's. What fun he must have had there, and what hard times there must have been, too. I bet he spent time in Avalon as well. Thank you for letting me see through a window of the past and bringing me a little closer to him. Keep up the good work.

Thanks for the website! My mother and grandmother used to trade at the Avalon Mill store.

While researching for business directories to aid in finding customers for my new business, I stumbled accross your site. What a wonderful break from hours of tedious work. I absolutely love seeing old pictures and learning about our history, but had seemed to have forgotten how much I love it. I always try to imagine myself living in the eras of old when looking at old pictures or visiting historical sights. In todays world I believe we dont stop often enough to appreciate where our ancestors came from and what they endured. Thank you so much for such a wonderful site that we can enjoy. One more thing, can you imagine how delicious that picnic must have been? All of those watermelons!

What a treat I've just experienced! While in the process of shutting down my computer for the evening I idly "Googled" Avalon,NC. Your web site was a complete surprise. My knowlege of Avalon is based on my mother's reminiscences, Ola Maie Foushee's book, and a brief,but especially enjoyable visit with Billy Barrow,Jr. in April of 1987. My grandfather was Edgar Lee Hege, the mill superintendent, and my mother was the Mary Hege (Richardson) whose photographs and correspondences were included in the Preface to Ms. Foushee's book. My family and I lived in Michigan at the time I visited Billy Barrow and walked over the mill/town area that Spring of 1987. For many reasons we've never been back to Avalon but now retired we've moved back to Roanoke so maybe we'll try again. Thankyou for your efforts. I shall be so pleased to share this discovery of your web site with my brother, sister, and cousins who also have faint albeit second hand rememberances of Avalon.

I stumbled across this site quite by accident while searching for the lyrics to an old bluegrass tune which I had incorrectly remembered as "Avalon Mills."--The song was actually called "Aragon Mills" about a mill that closed and the town died as a result - "And the only tune I hear, Is the sound of the wind, As it blows through the town, Weave and spin, weave and spin." What an amazing coincidence, if it IS a coincidence. Anyone know if the song was actually based on Avalon?

What an AWESOME site! I grew up in Mayodan and have heard all the stories about the town of Avalon, but can't say I've ever been there. Hopefully, with the new state park plans all this will be opened to the public again, including Mayo Park. I have very fond memories of Mayo Park, swimming, day camp, science camp, picnics, hiking, I could go on and on. Thanks for all your hard work and I look forward to updates.

Great site! I spend summers in Mayodan, helping my great uncle in his country store there. Goads groceries store, I forget the street it was on but i remember riding my bike down by the mill and would hear the bell ring, and i knew it was time for me to get to my Aunts house on 3rd st. from the store. Mayodan was great place in 60's,people love baseball games were real big then. The favorite drank i remember was Double cola, in the big bottles, first 16 oz., that i remember! Just want to say my mother worked in Fries mill for 25yrs. graded cloth, i will alway believe the asbesotes in that mill caused her ca. that killed her.

Hey CC, Glad to see you are still maintaining this great site. Haven't looked at it in a while and you've improved it since I last visited. I walked the area probably 20 years ago and looking over your site again makes me want to go back soon. Again, great job and I hope to see you around town sometime. Your friend Trey

Well, the old Mayo park property and town of Avalon property have been purchased by the state for the proposed Mayo River State Park. Personally, I would like to see the old Mayo Park property reopened to public recreational use. Spent many a day there during spring/summer and science camp. Have been down to the old mill site in early 2005, a family from Florida owns it now and is generating power in the old machinery building and selling to Duke Power Co. They are the nicest folks you'll meet for miles.

Thank you for this reference to one whom I believe to be my grandfather, Carlton Emory White. At the prompting of my daughter, Emily, I am researching my family. I know that my grandfather, (I carry his middle name as my own, but there is some confusion about the spelling) was a preacher with background in the Moravian church in NC. I suppose the reference in the caption for the Avalon church is to him. Carlton, and his wife, Erma Pfaff, moved to MD (I believe from Chase City, VA) during WWII to take the Springfield Presbyterian Church in Sykesville. Their youngest son, Wilbur Agnew White, born in Mt. Airy, NC, returned from serving on Guam to join them there, met his wife, Eleanor Chinn Warfield, and settled in to raise his family of 3 children, Eleanor Lee, me, and Timothy Owen.

My grandfather was working at Avalon when it burned. His name was Ernest "Gilmer" Reynolds. Is there a list of employees? this is a great site. thank you so much. dee

Wow, This is so great to have Avalon brought to me here in Maryland. I remember family reunions for Charles and Maggie Smith of Mayodan, my grandparents during my teens back in 1960's. I am currently writing a picture book about Grandaddy and doing paintings from the old photographs he left to me. I have moved back to his time in Avalon rather than starting with his courtship of my Nanny , Maggie Lee Smith. We enjoyed a very special relationship and I ended up living with and going to work with him as he in charge of all the time pieces in the Smithsonian Museum. I would love any othe rinfor or photos of he or my dear Nanny. Thanks, Dayle

This is great! I Have lived in Mayodan all my life and I have great childhood memories of my great grandfather Clarence Thacker taking me and my sister to Avalon to fish at the power station. It was beautiful there even though the mill had been gone for years. Any avid fisherman or fisher"woman", can enjoy some good fishing in the Mayo river. There have been a lot of eels caught in the river too. Never caught one myself but I have had the privilege of seeing my great grandpa and his brother catch them and the huge turtles they would skin and boil. It would be so nice to see the old Mayo Park re-opened for the kids today. Or maybe even a new one at Avalon. Good old fashioned family fun! I have caught some huge catfish out of the river in that area. Fisherman's paradise! I love this site and the dedication it took to build it. Thanks for the memories. Debbie Edwards Brim

Thank you ,for all the long hours you worked on this. I was borned and raised in Mayodan. Mayo Park was the greatest. A bus from the YMCA, provided a ride to the park . My aunt & uncle use to live at Avalon probally in (1952). The house was huge.it had a pump on the back porch. you had a handle to pump up and down to get the water.the front of the house was faceing Mayodan.At the time it was the only, house there. Years latter I heard the fire dept. had burn the house down. My dad, and his father worked in Washington all their life.

VERY GOOD SITE INDEED

Reference the old Mayo Park. The owner is a Lemons man that I believe lives at Smith Mtn Lake,VA...He has a relative ( I think a neice) that is married to Tony Ashburn (a Mayodan Police Officer)...May be a source/contact to get to photograph that area... I've been wanting to see it also, I havent been up there since the 5th grade (broke my arm there at science camp) Wonder what happened to the old military jet there on the the left side of the road going in to the park?

I was so lucky to have logged onto your site, and what a wealth of information that it contains about Mayodan and the mill site! My mothers family lived and worked there in the mill, and some are buried there a short distance away. My mom is almost 80 years old, and she attended the elementary school in Mayodan as a girl. She remembers of walking to the mill and taking pinto beans in a pint jar and a biscuit or piece of corn bread to her grandma or cousin for their lunch at the mill each day. Times were poor, and they did not have an indoor bathroom at the time. I have fond memories when I was a child visiting cousins there and reflect back many times of the good ole day that I spent in Mayodan when times were simple and care free. Keep up the good work, and a pat on the back for a great job at your site, for your hard work is much appreciated. Sincerely, Donna Seay-Cottrell

Hey ..this is great I have lived in Mayodan all my life,and love it, I like what your doing for Avalon,it was alot of fun playing and swimming at Avalon,the town use to have easter egg hunts there and the school field trips were there, and it was the place to be in summer time . everyone went to Avalon in the summer, Thanks again.. for what your doing for Avalon. Wendy Smith

It is incredible to discover a story like this buried in time about our county and one of it's former towns. I had never heard of this place before and somehow happened upon the site. You have done a wonderful job resurrecting the story and I am sure that our ancestors are proud while people of my generation are lucky. Hope your endeavors with Avalon are successful.

I enjoyed your site. I have always been interested in old places . I pass old places ,, stores ,, buildings , churches ,, homes,, and wonder why they were built at that place and what happened to them and why they are run down. I know that they have some great stories. I intend to go to the Avalon site to look.Do you have any more ideas on finding old town sites or homes ,, stores ,,etc. I really would like to hear about the old places around our state. There is a site about Kentucky that shows a lot of stuff about that state ,, forgotten places .. unusal places ,,things like that ,, you might want to try to do something like that ,, Thanks again,, Paul

Great Site! It is great that you took the time to put up this historical site about our community. In high school I wrote a report on Avalon so most of this stuff I already knew.

I was born and raised in Rockingham Co., I had heard of this place but had never saw pictures or heard the whole background. This is a wonderful site! Thanks for all the history!!

My greatgrandmother worked at the Avalon Mill. After it burned, she and her son, my grandfather, moved to Spray, NC. I was happy to find documentation of a part of my personal history, as well as Rockingham County history.

Nice story. It is amazing how time changes things and how one event can change the history of a whole town. I guess this proves you can not take what you have for granted for it may change at a moments notice. Good Job. Fred Rich, NC

This is a terrific site! I enjoyed every bit of it. I have known of Avalon since my Junior High years. I learned more about it way back then doing a history paper on the town. Great Job! Nicole Joyce

Hi Chris, excellent site. I'm originally from Eden and have known about Avalon since I was a child. I was going to suggest putting the song "Avalon" on the site as well--looks like JMC beat me to it! My dad was a member of the band Shiloh through the early to mid 90's and I remember being fascinated by the story I learned from the song about Avalon. Check it out if you haven't already.

A.D. 21 November 2002 Dear Chris, I was glad to see that you've repaired and updated your fine website! I wanted to relate again that I used to play in a band called The Wampus Cats and that many of our songs were inspired by our growing up within Leaksville, Spray, and Draper. One of our songs "The Ballad of Leaksville, Spray and Draper" lamented the demise of those three small towns in the 1967 consolidation which produced Eden. Another song, "Avalon" was a moving memorial to the demise of the town of Avalon. I believe that adding this song to your site would be a welcome addition to an already great site. Keep up the good work. Sincerely, John Marshall Carter

A.D. 17 May 2002 Dear Chris, This is a tremendous piece of historical reconstruction. My father and I fished along the Mayo there for many years. My grandfather and his family lived in Avalon until the 1911 fire. Then, they pulled up stakes and headed for Leaksville. I played in a folk-rock band called The Wampus Cats. Our music was inspired by the history and folklore of Rockingham County and environs. Some of our songs had direct references to the people, places, and events of Rockingham County history. My "Ballad of Leaksville, Spray, and Draper" chronicled the consolidation of those towns into Eden in 1967. Another song, "The Wampus Cat Song" described the legendary creature, the wampus cat, which allegedly hangs out in the Dan River. I'm sure the Mayo must have one, too! Wampus Cats' bandmember Ron Martin wrote a song about "Avalon" called, simply enough, "Avalon". I think this song would be a great addition to your outstanding website. You can download the song from our website http://www.mp3.com/TheWampusCats My guess is that Ron would love to have his song on your website! Thanks for your hard work and keep up the good work. Sincerely, John Marshall Carter

Great site! I enjoy reading about the history of my home town. I knew of Avalon,but never knew where it was located. Thanks for the history. Josh

MY MOMS FAMILY IS FROM MAYODAN AND AS TEEN THEY USED TO SNEAK UP THERE AND HANG OUT. MY GRANDPARENTS NAMES ARE SADIE AND GRADY TILLEY. I REALLY ENJOYED YOUR SITE. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.

GREAT site! Very well laid out. What a tragedy for the people of this little town. Imagine watching all your dreams go up in a fire like that! Sad. A great history lesson and a nice way to imortalized it! Thanks Jon Gosling

When the Avalon Mill burned in 1911 there were immediate economic repercussions for families like the Carters (my family). Though small farming helped supply the family with much of their food, industrialization provided an alternative to farming. Marshall Field in Leaksville was another textile manufacturer that lured many workers to Leaksville. So, as a direct result of the Avalon fire, my family moved from Mayodan, NC to Leaksville, NC.

This is very inpresive page. It brought back many memories of the Sunday afternoons spend as a child and teenage walking on the railroad tracks and going to the damn. I enjoyed reading about the early years of Avalon,and also the pictures. You did a wonderful job puting this together!

This was very interesting and took me back to my childhood years. We had lots of fun walking up the railroad track and enjoying the scenery in the area. This was one of the things we teenagers would sneak around and do, although it was forbidden by our parents. This web site brought back a lot of old memories and I really appreciate all of your work to give us a look into the past and what we call " THE GOOD OLD DAYS". Thanks for all of your work preparing this

THIS SITE TOOK ME BACK TO THE LATE 60'S AND EARLY 70'S WHERE MY CLASSMATES AND FELLOW BOY SCOUTS OFTEN TOOK NATURE HIKES. THANKS PRO FOR SENDING THIS TO ME

I have been through your site on Avalon several times. I love it It was a very popular place when I was a teenager. We had picnics and weiner roasts there often. We also liked to walk the railroad there.I pass the road to Avalon almost daily and most of the time my memory wanders back to that time and place.Thank you for the history and pictures. The site is most interesting. Kathleen Portis Griffin. kpgrif@netmcr.com.

WHEN I WAS A BOY PLAYING AND FISHING AROUND AVALON IT WAS NOT SO MUCH OF A FORGOTTEN TOWN.BY THE WAY WE PLAYED OLD DEAD MULE AND WE POSSOM HUNTED ALL UP AND DOWN THE MOUNTAIN.I HAVE BOTH OF THE BOOKS YOU MENTION IN YOUR FINE WORK ON AVALON. THANKS.

MAYODAN MY HOME TOWN - WE WOULD WALK THE RAILROAD AS CHILDREN TO SEE THE TOWN OF AVALON , THIS IS A JOB WELL DONE ON AVALON , THANK YOU FOR OUR HISTORY THAT WE CAN ENJOY. ROXIE PORTIS O'NEAL , OAK ISLAND , NC 28465

As a young boy I explored the area. I have been in the pump house Before the windows were blocked up and explored the canal and dam area. About 1972... This site brings back a lot of wonderful memories.. You have done a great job working on this site... Keep it going...

My grandfather Nathan McGhee Smith worked in Avalon. Thank you for a snap shot of my history and thank you, Lisa Smith, for leading me to this site.

This is a wonderful site. The history is great and you are talented so please keep up the good work. Maryan Handy Researching my Anglin line in VA.

Just Wonderful! I have seen the book at the Bassett Historical Center in Bassett Virginia and I have wanted a copy ever since. I am so glad it is here on the internet. My Grandfather; Nathan McGhee Smith worked at Avalon many many years ago. I have emailed other interested parties on this site; I'm sure you will have alot of new readers. Lisa Smith Education Committee Chairman of GSRS

This is obviously a labor of love! A magnificent site, built from a great deal of research, it brings us back to another time and place. I would like to put a link to this site on mine. I'll drop you a private e-mail about it. Thanks for saving a bit of our history.

Great job you guys are doing! Catt sent this link to me, and I breezed through some of your pages. We need more people out there to preserve histories of what once was. I forwarded your site to my mom and brother to visit. My brother has been going to college for historic preservation. My husband and I, as well as my own family...and some friends have been into old houses for ages. We moved from a house built in 1881 to one built about 1836 down the street from the other one. So, we know what it is like to try to preserve the past. Also, we belong to the local historical society. Don't give up your mission and quest. Best wishes! Ruth

Wow...oh, my...what a wonderful time I had here...learning all about a town I never knew existed..and you did such a beautiful job presenting it. I love your colors (naturally) and the pictures were stunning. YOU have a gift of being able to educate and present things in an interesting, enjoyable way. Thank you so very much for visiting my site and signing my book, and for giving me the oportunity to visit your wonderful site. This has been a great visit. take care.... the catt

Cheers and Congrats CC & Gayle! Beautiful web site! I was always interested in the history of Avalon, but the information I was looking for was always incomplete. Thank you for the dedication to research and resurrecting Avalon from her firey ashes for all of us to enjoy. God Bless