This community goes back to a thriving metropolis before the turn of the century. By the beginning of 1900, there was a commissary (large store), a post office and a school. The large store had everything in it from material for sewing to chickens and eggs. Mr. Tom Melton was the owner of this store, and he would allow a customer to trade things in exchange for food. Flour came in beautiful colored, cloth bags and ladies of the community bought these bags to make future dresses. A customer could trade eggs, chickens, pigs, or anything else for things the customer needed. Mr. Melton ran a credit book, and the families would pay him when they harvested their crops.

The Orville Flowers family consisted of thirteen children and was one of the first families to get a new T-model car. The girls learned to drive this car around the year 1928-1929.

Flowers Model-T Vehicle in 1928

 

That was the talk of the town for a while. Two of the girls were 15 months apart, and everyone thought they were twins. These girls were not allowed to drive, however, without their brothers or their father. Not too many vehicles were in the community. These two Flowers sisters are Florence Burgamy and Floudia Allen.

Florence and Floudia Flowers

The church that everyone attended in the community was called Dry Springs Holiness Church. Everyone walked to church until the cars came along. The one-room church was made of logs, and a cemetery was established along side the church somewhere in the late 1700's. The church still stands but has since been added on and remodeled. It was the social gathering place for many things. There were quilting gatherings where everyone came and quilted. There was dinner spread under the large oak trees in the rear of the church until about 1994 when a fellowship hall was built. The tables still stand under the trees but are not being used. The church did not have any indoor plumbing, and there was a toilet built (one only) way out back of the church. Water was obtained from the spring by bucket. Up until 1995, there was a Homecoming that was quite different each Mother's Day at the church. If there happened to be a preacher that was serving as a pastor, he would not have church that day, but turn it over to Mr. Martin Stewart, who was the organizer of the day's events. Usually an agreed-upon preacher would come (usually it was Rev. Ralph Johnson), and that preacher would lead the congregation in a day of religious celebration.

The families in this community were Flowers, Stewart, Williams, English, Melton, Smith, Spence, Hasting Foster, Rhodes, Joiner, Hubbard, Barlow, Phillips, Hall and Coleman.

 

 Herman Flowers, Pineville resident in early 1940's.

Mary Stewart-Pineville Resident

Norman Flowers-Pineville Resident-1930

Wilburn Flowers, former Pineville Resident-1930

 

 

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