Priceville to celebrate 50 years with block party
By Tracey Tylman
For the Enquirer
The City of Priceville will celebrate 50 years since its founding this month, and they are throwing a celebration to remember. On April 26, Mayor Sam Heflin is inviting residents to a community block party in front of city hall, featuring live entertainment, food and family-friendly activities.
Country music star Collin Raye will headline the event, with local musicians Jonah Evans and Dylan Johnson-both Priceville High School graduates- kicking off the show. In addition to live music, the celebration will showcase the community’s history and culture.
Heflin encouraged residents to submit stories about what Priceville means to them, and students from local schools created artwork depicting their favorite aspects of the city. These submissions will be displayed inside city hall.
Pepsi, the event’s presenting sponsor, will provide beverages, available for purchase from food trucks. Families can enjoy a kids’ play area, a petting zoo and a fireworks display to close out the evening.
A commemorative magazine highlighting Priceville’s history will also be available, featuring contributions from six local authors, five of whom still ton live in the city. Writers Connie Gibbs, Martine Fairbanks, Cheryl Goss, Jane Cross and Kathleen Sherwood will be on hand during the event to answer questions.
Priceville’s roots date back 1825, when the Price family first settled in the area.
Originally known as Centerville due to its location in county, the community later changed its name to honor its founding family. When Priceville officially became a city in April 1975, its population was just 350. Today, it is Morgan County’s third-largest city.
A major turning point in Priceville’s growth was the construction of I-65 in the 1950s, which earned the city its nickname, “Crossroads of North Alabama,” a title given by Dr. Martine Bates Sharp, Priceville’s third and only male mayor.
Heflin reflected on the city’s early days, sharing sto ries of its first fire department- originally just 1953 Stude baker with a homemade water tank, stored in a resident’s yard. When it came time to build a fire station, the community came together, each oa family contributing cinder blocks and bags of cement.
“We would not be who we are without our churches,” Heflin added, crediting them with guiding the city’s moral compass. Three churches from the 1800s still stand today, and their history will be featured in the commemorative magazine and at the event.
For more details on Priceville’s 50th-anniversary celebration, visit cityofpriceville.com/events.
