Wilsonville Landmark Burns

     You may not have seen this in the news, because it's from a small town and the fire didn't get started by a tornado.  An early morning fire completely destroyed Coosa Valley Milling  Thursday, May 5th.  The store is located on Alabama Highway 25 just past Shelby County Highway 61.  It was an important store for those who live in this rural area of Shelby County.  The Shelby County Reporter story is here.  The fire was yesterday morning and this picture was taken today about 10am and yes, the building is still smoking.  Workers are trying to salvage the leftovers.

 Wilsonville is a small Alabama city nestled between Columbiana and Harpersville with it's east bordering the Coosa river.  It's a nice town that would make most city dwellers unhappy.  There isn't a Starbucks but you can get coffee at either one of the two service stations.  For food, you're pretty much limited to a barbecue or a make your own meal from the small grocery store.  They do have a First Baptist Church and a nice pavilion for downtown activites.

     There is only one traffic light at the intersection of Hwy's 25 & 61.  Surprisingly, traffic backs up often as trains deliver coal to the E.G. Gaston Steam Plant.  That facility is probably the most well known landmark of all.  It's three towers can be seen from miles away.






  

 Here are some pictures of the steam plant "up close".
Sadly, it is ranked #14 on the list of most polluting power plants in terms of coal waste.  There is always construction going on at the plant, so hopefully that will improve.  It went into service in 1960 and is a 5-unit coal fired plant.  It has a combined output of 2,013 megawatts.

      Next door to the steam plant is the U.S. National Carbon Capture Center.  It's a big place that looks like something out of Gotham City.  It supposedly is a research facility to study carbon at a power plant setting. I don't have any pictures of it yet.  I'm waiting on the full tour!

      A bit of trivia about the towers is that Jets use them for target practice.  The planes come in low and fast but no shots are fired.  Those runs happen almost every day so if the plant ever has to be taken out, it shouldn't be a problem. 
       The other noteworthy item in Wilsonville...  I'll save for another time.  You'll like it!