ELKMONT HISTORY RECOGNIZED

A drive through historic downtown Elkmont now features a new official county history marker.

The sign commemorates the building of Limestone County's first high school on one side.  The reverse side honors the Delmore Brothers, arguably two of Limestone's most famous citizens. 

Limestone County Historical Society partnered with the town of Elkmont and the Elk River Development Agency to place the marker on Dec. 3, which is the second historical sign erected this year.

“We just feel like this is really our purpose — to do something that'll be here long after we're gone to inform people,” said Linda Nelson of the Limestone County Historical Society.

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Members of Limestone County Historical Society and Elkmont Historical Committee. From left are John Whitt, Susan Evans, Linda Nelson, Melinda Christ and Richard Martin

“'Limestone County High School' was established in Elkmont in 1912. The original building constructed in 1912, stood on Evans Street where Elkmont High School is currently located.

 

The County Board of Education included Col. M.K. Clements, Superintendent of Education, and board members Fred Gray, W.T. Stepp, G.R. Bullington and N.R. Nichols. Willis B. Vaughn was instrumental in the establishment of the school in Elkmont.

The new high school required certified faculty, thus Professor E.B. Baxter, a learned scholar, was employed as principal. 

Townspeople collected money and built a house for Professor Baxter as an incentive for him to take the job. The house still stands on Evans Street near Elkmont High School. In 1915 Alma Loveless, Beulah Nichols, Martha Nichols and Eddie Stepp were the first graduates.”

Debby Delmore, daughter of Alton Delmore

 

“Alton Delmore (December 24, 1908-June 8, 1964) and Rabon Delmore (December 3, 1916-December 4, 1952), billed as The Delmore Brothers, were country music pioneers and stars of the Grand Ole Opry in the 1930s. They were born into poverty near Elkmont, sons of tenant farmers, amid a rich tradition of gospel and Appalachian folk music. The Delmores blended gospel-style harmonies with the quicker guitar work of traditional folk music and the blues to help create the still emerging genre of country music. Over the course of their careers, the Delmores wrote more than one thousand songs. Some of the most popular were 'Brown's Ferry Blues,' 'Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar' and 'Fifteen Miles from Birmingham.' The Delmore Brothers were inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001. Their pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.”