[left]
Coming
into town off of Route 54, the road gradually gives way to more townish
features. This small grocery store - or shadow thereof - is one of the
first indications that more towny things lie on the way.
Alamance County may
have its county seat in Graham, but its most colourful town name has to
be that of Saxapahaw. Resting on the banks of the Haw River (which is
said to have carried its name for a time), this small town's main
industry is the mill which has been present, but not in constant use, for
over 150 years.
Saxapahaw's main claim to fame in modern years has been the rise to fame
of one of its own, a man named B. Everett Jordan who served as a senator
from North Carolina in the United States Senate from 1958-1973.
Apparently a well-liked and respected man across the state, the man-made
Jordan Lake, located in Wake County, was named for him as well.
Following are pictures taken from an excursion I and my friend Michael took. Each smaller GIF image is linked to a larger, (hopefully) clearer JPEG.
You may also be interested in reading some reflections on a stroll in Saxapahaw that was written by Keith Weston.
[left]
Coming
into town off of Route 54, the road gradually gives way to more townish
features. This small grocery store - or shadow thereof - is one of the
first indications that more towny things lie on the way.
[right] A
pump
whose register still reads "6 6" in the space for "cents per gallon"
proudly proclaims lead-free Texaco gas.
The Haw River as viewed on the opposite bank from the mill. It is said that for a time, the Haw River was called the Saxapahaw River, after the Sissipahau Indian tribe who resided in the area. However, linguistic cropping being what it is, the title soon was shortened into something a little easier to say.