I've always known it to be there for as long as I can remember, but I have no idea when it was constructed, who the builder was, or when it shut down. I have a faint recollection of a time when the roadside market, flea market, or tourist trap was in business, but my memories are vague. Over the years, it appeared to be deteriorating more and more, eventually becoming a dilapidated roadside ruin. It was a point of interest, perhaps only deserving a brief glance from motorists zooming along US 231 in Pike County.
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Unfortunately, a significant portion of Pike Pioneer Village has now been destroyed, and it's gone forever.

Several years prior to beginning work on my book, "Abandoned Wiregrass," I happened to pass by Pioneer Village on my way home from another location. On a whim, I decided to stop and take some photographs. I snapped a few pictures of the main gate and a firetruck located along the right-of-way. The produce stand situated at the front of the property still had goods on the shelves, giving the impression that it had been in business recently. The grass inside the main gate appeared to have been mowed in the past few weeks (it was a rainy July, and grass in the southern states grows quickly). As the property wasn't marked with any signs or fenced off, I naturally assumed that some of the buildings within the complex may have reopened for business. So, I wandered into the main courtyard, hoping to find somebody around or some of the storefronts renovated with hours of operation displayed. Regrettably, after surveying the area and taking some photos, it became clear that the complex hadn't reopened. With this realization, I climbed back into my truck and continued on my way. 

Over the years, the Pioneer Village complex deteriorated further and further due to neglect. Despite my intention to return to the site and my attempts to identify the property owner, I was unable to do so. Each time I drove by, I wondered if someone would eventually take on the task of restoring and reopening the place. Pioneer Village was just one of many abandoned locations along the US 231 highway between Troy and Montgomery, reflecting the economic stagnation of this corridor

Whenever I drive along the US 231 between Troy and Montgomery, I can't help but notice numerous places that I wish someone would restore and reopen. Despite being a busy four-lane highway, economic development along the Troy-Montgomery corridor appears to have stagnated since 1985, or perhaps even worsened. Several years ago, the State of Alabama made the decision to close down the only rest areas along this 40-mile stretch of highway, and things have only gone downhill from there. Finding a gas station in this area has become increasingly difficult since the turn of the century. Unless you venture closer to either Troy or Montgomery, it's rare to come across any modern development. The Sikes and Kohns outlet store located in Pine Level, roughly halfway between the two cities, seems to be the only exception to the economic stagnation that plagues this corridor.

Despite its decline, I believe that Pioneer Village had become a landmark in Pike County. When driving southbound from Montgomery, the ruin signaled the end of the long journey to Troy and the start of the availability of gas stations, restaurants, and restrooms.

Sadly, like many abandoned structures I've photographed over the years, Pioneer Village is now gone forever. Another landmark and piece of local heritage have vanished. While it may have been considered an eyesore by some, I can't help feeling a little sad. Pioneer Village once paid homage to Alabama's pioneer history and, as time passed, it became a part of that history. Any potential it once had for restoration will now never be realized, and it is simply another ruin on the long, tedious drive from one place to another. A lost opportunity.

On that summer day, I found Pioneer Village hauntingly beautiful, a place with potential that deserved my time and attention. The soft light, sultry air, and humid conditions made for a perfect Alabama summer evening. I'm glad I listened to my gut and took those photos. In the years since, I've published four of the roadside images in my book, "Abandoned Wiregrass," while keeping the rest private until now.
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Now that much of Pioneer Village has been destroyed, I've decided to share the previously unpublished images as a historical record with the public. If you have memories of when it was open, knowledge of its history, interesting photos to share, or personal experiences about the place, please feel free to share them in the comments.

(All images and material Copyright © 2023 Brian L. Braden Photography and Creative Arts. All rights reserved.) 

Its always a good day when musician Bryson Storey asks me to take his photo. I was honored last year when he asked me to shoot the images for his debut album, "Bellwood Road".  That was a great photo shoot and taught me a lot about album photography. I was excited when he asked me to create the images for his next album and new website. 

I was pleased with how the images turned out, and excited when Bryson picked the ones he wanted for the album. Please click on the images or here to visit Bryson Storey Music's website, Facebook and Spotify. Support local music! 

As promised, the Abandoned Wiregrass Gallery is open. You can browse over 30 images from the book, and purchase prints in a variety of sizes.   This is the first of several art galleries I'll open on the website. 

​Click on the image below to explore the gallery. 

I'd like to thank everyone who came out to the Spring Festival in Enterprise on Saturday to say "hi" or purchase a book.   The rain stopped right before I set up my booth, and resumed right after I broke down my booth. The timing could not have been better! This event is perhaps one of the best organized I attend all year.  Thanks to the event organizers and volunteers for their hard work. I am looking forward to the Fall Festival at the monument. 

If you missed the event and still want an autographed copy of Abandoned Wiregrass, simply click here.  You can also get an autographed copy of any of my fiction books here. 

I also did another photo shoot for regional music artist Bryson Storey. He is producing another album, and honored me by asking that I would do the photography again. I'm excited by the images he's picked out for the album cover.  Please go check out his website where you can find out where he is appearing next. Also, please support those businesses that support local musicians.

As of right now, I don't have any further appearances booked because I will be traveling extensively over the next few months.  However, behind the scenes, I am building this website into a e-commerce site with LOTS of photography products and services. I'm also lining up contests where you can win signed prints, framed art, books and audio books. 

Keep checking back for more changes. 

See you next time. 

You might have notices a few changes to the website. I am slowly transforming it from just a blog and portfolio to a e-commerce site.  While there are more changes to come, you can now directly purchase autographed books directly from me. 

These include Abandoned Wiregrass  and  my fiction titles. 

Hopefully soon I'll have photography prints for sale, too. 

​More to follow...

A civilization must obey two basic rules if it is to survive: have children and pass along to those children the culture that made it successful. Fail either task, and the civilization falls. 

The "birth gap"  is a quantitative measurement we are failing the first rule. Now, when you die, there isn't one child born to carry on. In fact, in Alabama, there is currently a 13% deficit in "carry on-ing."

In recent years many have commented on the impending global population collapse. Perhaps no other journalist has put it in such clear focus as Stephen J. Shaw in his documentary "The Birth Gap - Childless World."  In "Birth Gap" he explores several facets of the industrialized world's impending depopulation.  We're getting older and having far fewer children. Since Shaw is also a data scientist, he gets to the heart of why this is happening and points to the grim mathematical outcomes if the trend isn't reversed. 

The graphic below from the Birth Gap website clearly  illustrates the phenomenon. The redder and blacker the area, the wider the birth gap. Those red and black gaps are beginning to spread across the South, and the Wiregrass, like a pox. 

Alabama's birthrate (as well as that of the rest of the industrialized world) is falling below population sustainment level.  This unabated decline will result in too few workers and  consumers to support a healthy economy and aging majority.  In the post-COVID era, we are just experiencing a taste of that now. Of note, the illegal immigrants living and working in the shadows across the Wiregrass are also experiencing the same birth gap phenomenon as the native born populations. 

 When working on my book "Abandoned Wiregrass" I discovered far more abandoned and derelict houses than I ever thought possible. As I drove around the Alabama's cities and towns, I saw decrepit downtowns and once proud structures slated for demolishing,  There are many reasons for abandoned homes, but I believe there is a correlation between all these abandoned structures and the growing "birth gap".  

If one extrapolates this trends, then it won't just be old derelict dogtrot shacks, like the one pictured here, that will litter the ​landscape. It will be modern homes and businesses, even those being built now, that will become vacant and fall into disrepair. This may be happening now. Simply put, there may be too many homes currently being built than will be needed.

In Abandoned Wiregrass, I think I unwittingly caught the leading edge of this coming wave.  I had over 700 images for Abandoned Wiregrass alone, mostly taken from 2018 thru 2020, and only a fraction were used in the book. If I stopped and took a photo of every abandoned home I ran across in the Wiregrass, I could fill multiple books. They are far more numerous than you can imagine, and the Wiregrass is not a unusual case. Taking photos of abandoned places has even become a sub-genre of photography called urbex (urban exploration).

I don't know where this trend will end, but I know we will probably be better off with more children, not less.  It would be nice to die knowing there was one more child to carry on. 

#urbex #abandonedwiregrass #birthgap #populationdecline #abandoned 

This is my favorite part of spring (or late winter), when its new and raw and can't quite push winter out of the way.  The sky still wants to stay angry, but the earth wants to kiss and make up. I like to take candid shots of their conversations. 

This is Talladega County in Alabama. It's one of the most beautiful counties in my state, and a place I visit often. 

​Enjoy. 

I'm all over the place and absolutely nowhere at the same time. I have no project discipline. I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm unfocused.  

Work on the last Chronicles of Fu Xi novel is progressing slowly. I'm trapped at a crossroads. I've got a lot of story material, so much so I'm constantly tempted to break it into two novels. I don't want to do that. Well, I don't want to break it into two main storyline novels. The Chronicles of Fu Xi (COFX) main series will only be four books.  I might break one off into an independent smaller novel, like I did with The Golden Princess. However, what I really want to do is finish the entire series and move on. I'm at a conjuncture where I have to decide and decide soon.

There is considerable back story that has significant influence on the main story. The back story is a novel unto itself, and an exciting one.  If I break it off into another stand-alone spin-off, like The Golden Princess, it will be another smaller novel that doesn't sell.

So much effort, so little to show for it. If I press on with one enormous novel, it's going to easily reach 250,000 words. It will make for a richer experience, but that's too long.  If I leave this material out, it will lessen the experience, with too much "tell not show" in the book.  I'm incredibly proud of the work I did on The Golden Princess, including the audio book. It just doesn't sell the way I thought it would. Its gotten great reviews, and even award nominations. It just doesn't sell. The main novels sell considerable better, and I thought it would be the other way around. 

So what to do? I think I'm going to break off the back story and press forward with a small, stand alone novel. The main COFX will also press forward and the fourth novel will be smaller and more manageable. I am not going to self-publish the smaller novel. Once I complete the final COFX novel, my self-publishing days are over. I've got that t-shirt, I've lived that experience.  If there is an audience for my work, I'm not finding it through the self-publishing arena.  The plan is to market the smaller novel to the traditional publishers, and I have no illusions about that path.  I'll try to make it accessible, marketable, and all those things publishers and agents want to see, while at the same time holding true to myself and my expanded universe. 

We'll see. 

I've been unable to get out and hit the road for more images. Simply too many other demands right now.  I am taking photos, but they are not for the next photo book. 

Hopefully spring will see things improve. More to follow. 

Now it's off to work to earn a living. 

Last weekend I returned to one of my favorite places on earth - Amelia Island, Florida.

The annual Amelia Island Book Festival, located just north of Jacksonville, Florida, happened last Saturday, 18 February. It had been been six years since I last  attended. This is one of my favorite book festivals, and one of my favorite places. The Atlantic coastline from Savannah, Georgia to St. Augustine, Florida is a playground of great beaches, state parks, and places to see.  I met a lot of great people, including authors and readers. I'd also like to shout out to the Amelia Indie Authors for inviting me to join their group. 

The next day my sister and I hiked the seashore in several state parks located south of Amelia Island. The South Georgia/North Florida Atlantic shoreline is amazing, and I love capturing it with my camera.  I would attend the Amelia Island Book Festival even if I didn't sell one book. I enjoy going there that much. 

Here are a few images from my adventure. 

I am sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've got four extensive blog posts in draft and I'm trying to finish them up. FYI, my next book signing is tentatively 25 March back in my hometown of Enterprise at the Spring Festival at the Monument. Hopefully, I'll see you there. 

I'm talking about one of my novels this week. 

Of all my novels, The Golden Princess stands out as my proudest achievement even though it sells the least. I wanted to talk about it today because it deserves to be read. 

In 2016 I published The Golden Princess, a prequel (and stand-alone) novel in my Chronicles of Fu Xi literary universe. The Golden Princess takes place in distant antiquity, and tells the story of a princess running for her life after her father's throne is usurped. 

I wrote this novel for several reasons: 1)  to bring readers into my greater series 2) to be an easy read (It's short, it's simple. 3) and to attract younger readers and those not necessarily avid readers. 4) to give two characters from my main series more depth and attention.  For these reasons, I also converted it to an audiobook narrated by the great Philip Battley. 

The novel didn't sell as well as I would have liked, even though it met with some critical success. The audiobook fared worse, even though it, too, met with excellent critical success. Now it sits out there on the Amazon and Audible shelves, my literary orphan. I don't push this book like I push the main series.

I should, because I'm very proud of this novel, even through there are a few things I would change about it if I could go back in time.

First, I wouldn't have self-published. I think I could have landed a contract with this one. I wish I would have tried, but at the time I had a company called Underground Book Reviews that specifically covered the indie publishing scene. My plan was for UBR and The Golden Princess to support each other's marketing plan. UBR folded, and the indie publishing scene is massively oversaturated.  Also, the cover doesn't do the novel credit. I freely admit it needs a better cover. It seemed like a good cover at the time for the budget I had.  I'm currently working on that. In fact, I have new covers coming soon for all my novels! 

Pound for pound, this little novel gets the best reviews (on Amazon and Goodreads) of any of my other novels. It's the tightest, most disciplined book I've ever written regarding plot, narrative, and character development. It's not overly complicated, with lots of action that moves quickly. It has some of my favorite characters. It's also ideally written for conversion to a screenplay. That's one reason it makes such an excellent audiobook. 

If you enjoy audiobooks, I invite you to download a copy from Audible. It's slightly over 6 hours long, and Philip Battley nails the reading.  If you prefer eBooks or paperback, click here. 

Give The Golden Princess as try. You won't be disappointed. 

#books #audiobooks #publishing #fantasy #epic #adventure