Inverness is a small Delta town just off of Highway 49. Back in my day, the downtown on a Saturday night would be full of activity. The business strip was full of Chinamen stores where you could go into to pick up a few things and just sign the cash register receipt and they would sent you a bill at the end of the month. There were also retail clothing shops, drug stores, a dentist office, bank, and several cotton buyer offices. There was a railroad track that ran through the center of town, and you could be the king of the mountain on a huge pile of lime that was stored next to the tracks. During cotton ginning season, the three gins were running 24/7 to stay ahead of the farmers bringing in their trailers. Each morning you would wake up to a fresh blanket of brown snow, a by-product of the ginning process.
Almost all of that is gone now. I think Pon's is the only Chinamen store still left. There biggest seller was ice cold beer, and still is! The school, Central Delta Academy, had to close because of declining enrollment. It was a sad day when the old buildings were torn down and sold for salvage.
The one thing that is still there are the people. A lot of families have either moved away or died off, but the core and soul of this community still thrives. People here are given a kickname early in their life and it sticks with them for life. It was good to see T Bone, Strick, Mr. Webster, and all the others.
It doesn't take me very long to catch up one the happenings of the town. Just a few minutes listening to my Mom is all it takes!
Funnies from the Day:
As you can figure out from the above, the town is small. Both my first born Matthew and my nephew Chase could not find Oakhurst without a bit of riding around. Its the biggest house in town!
A golf cart shuttle service of one cart was available for those that could not handle the long walk up the drive. It was a one passenger seater! Some hopped on the back for the short ride!
The green carpet was rolled out for the wedding party to enjoy. The rollout came up just short of the house steps! Beck made quick work of the repair!
A tent was set up on the grounds, with tables and chairs, and a band playing. A bar was serving what ever your taste buds desired. One side of the tent was lined up with the biggest coolers that Yeti makes, all full of the beer of your choice. First Born Son Matthew said "I can tell you exactly how much Coors Light has been consumed. I'm the only one drinking it!". In less than hour, all the Bud Light was gone. Fear not, Pon's was still open, and off they went, just sign, and drive!
Standing in the great hall of Oakhurst, the doors opened, and the ladies of Inverness Society entered wearing their favorite party dresses: Maggie Parker, Ree Horne, and Mary Kat McDowell! We all greeting each other as southerners do, and Mrs. Maggie leaned over and said " Bill, I must say, you filled out well!". Followed by "and you can probably say the same about me!"
The Delta is a small world and we are always finding proof of that. The decorator in charge of this event lives in Louise, Ms. Two of his assistants for today's event were my spousal unit's cousins! We figured that one out from some Facebook posts during the day.
Here are a few pic's from the day:
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| Oakhurst |
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| The wedding party |
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| Tiffany, ready for the "goodbye walk" |
I wished I could have stayed longer, but we had a long ride back and the spousal unit had another event to attend on Sunday. Good folks and good times can be found is small Delta towns, especially mine, Inverness!
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