FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Wendi Lewis, Marketing and Public Relations Manager
wendi.lewis@ahc.alabama.gov, 334-230-2680

March 17, 2021

Pond Spring and Joe Wheeler State Park to host Nature Walks April 24-25

(Hillsboro, AL) Pond Spring, the General Joe Wheeler Home, a historic site operated by the Alabama Historical Commission, and Joe Wheeler State Park are teaming up to present Daniella’s Spring Stroll nature walks on Saturday and Sunday, April 24-25, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day. The event will educate visitors about flora native to the area and provide a historical tour of the property.

“It’s really the best of both worlds, combining nature and history,” says Bruce Lipscombe, Site Director for Pond Spring, the General Joe Wheeler Home. “Pond Spring’s landscape includes several species of rare flora and boasts many heirloom plants. There might even be sightings of resident wildlife.”

The event is named in honor of General Joe Wheeler’s wife, Daniella Ellen Jones Wheeler. Joe Wheeler State Park is in Rogersville, Alabama, on the shores of Wheeler Lake.

David Barr, Assistant Superintendent of Joe Wheeler State Park, and Sam Woodruff, the Park Naturalist, will guide the nature tour, while Andrew Junkins, a tour guide at Pond Spring, the General Joe Wheeler Home, will share the history of the home and grounds with visitors.

“This seems like a natural collaboration between Joe Wheeler State Park and Pond Spring, which was Gen. Wheeler’s home,” Barr said. “It’s a beautiful time of year for people to get out and explore and enjoy nature, and then there’s a lot of history there that’s educational and interesting.”

The 50-acre Pond Spring site includes 12 historic buildings, gardens, and archaeological features that date back almost 5,000 years. The main structure on the property is the post-Civil War home of Joseph Wheeler, who was a Confederate lieutenant general, a U.S. congressman, a Spanish-American War general, and only one of two generals to achieve the rank of general in the U.S. army after the Civil War. The site gets its name from the large spring-fed pond located on the grounds.

Tickets for Daniella’s Spring Stroll are $10 each. Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling 256.637.8513, or purchased on site at Pond Spring, the General Joe Wheeler Home, at 12208 Hwy 20, Hillsboro, Alabama, 35643. Space is limited, so visitors are encouraged to reserve their spot in advance for their preferred date and time.

Joe Wheeler State Park also is offering an accommodations and dining package for Spring Stroll ticket holders. The Daniella’s Spring Stroll Package includes a standard room for two overlooking the lake with a private balcony, a prime rib buffet for two on April 23 or a seafood buffet for two on April 24, and two tickets for the Spring Stroll at either 10 a.m. or 2 p.m. either day, based on availability. To book a package, contact Joe Wheeler State Park at 256.247.5461, x1.

Pond Spring, the General Joe Wheeler Home is a historic property of the Alabama Historical Commission. To learn more about Pond Spring or the Alabama Historical Commission please visit www.ahc.alabama.gov.

About Pond Spring, the General Joe Wheeler Home

General Joseph Wheeler was a legendary Confederate general, a U.S. congressman, and a Spanish American War general. Following the Civil War, Wheeler became a national symbol for reunification and reconciliation. His 1870s home is the center point of the 50-acre historic site owned by the Alabama Historical Commission. The collection contains around 10,000 objects, furnishings, clothing, and papers associated with the family.

About the Alabama Historical Commission

Located in historic downtown Montgomery at 468 S. Perry Street, the Alabama Historical Commission is the state historic preservation agency for Alabama. The agency was created by an act of the state legislature in 1966 with a mission of safeguarding Alabama’s historic buildings and sites. The Commission is tasked with the acquisition and preservation of historic properties and educating the public about historic sites in Alabama. For a complete list of properties owned and operated by the AHC, hours of operation, and admission fees please visit www.ahc.alabama.gov.

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