Final part in a series dedicated to the L & N Railroad that once served Baldwin County.

In Baldwin County, residents cherish their past and relish the opportunity to commemorate it in events or to immortalize it in print, utilizing books, magazines or news articles. To that end, some of the most dedicated historians are those locals who take the time to record their environs with the realization that those surroundings are certain to change.

That has been the case with the evolution of Baldwin County’s geography from a strictly rural farming community to the one today focused primarily on the tourism industry. One of the mainstays of that historic period was the L & N Railroad. Although just a memory now, thanks to local historians, it has maintained a vivid spot in the collective memory of Baldwin County. Writers and historians like Doris Rich and Kay Nuzum made sure the L & N would not be forgotten. As a result, I think it only fitting that they be remembered for their enduring contributions to the local historical record.

Doris Rich spent much of her life devoted to recording the history of Baldwin County and its remarkable people. Although born in Chicago, Ill. in 1912, Rich had Baldwin County connections through her grandfather, Edward Young Horder, who had been a frequent visitor to the county around the turn of the 20^th century, eventually buying property here. Rich moved to Magnolia Springs in 1943 when her first husband, Edward Stoddard, was in the Navy. Unfortunately, Stoddard was killed in a Japanese Kamikaze attack on his ship, leaving Rich to forge ahead on her own.

Remaining in the area, Rich went to work for the Foley Onlooker in 1946. It was while conducting an interview for the paper that she met her husband, Oscar B. Rich. The two were married in 1947 and remained so until Mr. Rich’s death in 2005.

Ms. Rich’s career in newspapers flourished over the next 20 years. From 1946 to 1960 she served in many capacities at the Onlooker as reporter, columnist and editor. Rich then became involved in the local community college as the head of public relations for Faulkner State Community College from 1968 to 1970.

Throughout her career, Rich worked toward the preservation of Baldwin County’s heritage. She was especially devoted to the memory of the L & N Railroad and the Pineknot Special that provided service along the route from Bay Minette to Foley. She completed numerous articles on the rail line that were published locally and beyond. Her devotion to local history carried over into her undying support for Fort Morgan, which is well culminated in her book “Fort Morgan and the Battle of Mobile Bay.”

Her life’s work can also be seen in the local history collection at the Foley Public Library, where she played an integral role in compiling the initial collections now held in the genealogy department of the library.

Kay Nuzum, originally of Ambridge, Penn. came to know Baldwin County as thoroughly as any local historian could. She spent much of her youth and young adulthood in Mobile County before becoming a naval officer and a lifelong educator in the Baldwin County school system.

Nuzum’s military career began when she served as a Navy lieutenant from 1943 to 1954. She served in both WWII and the Korean War as an officer with the Chief of Naval Operations in Washington, D.C.

Nuzum’s focus on education began early in her life. She graduated from Barton Academy in 1924, attended the Daphne Normal School, received a bachelor’s degree from Penn State University and did graduate work at the University of Pittsburgh, San Diego State University and Spring Hill College. Nuzum taught at the High Pine School on Dyas Creek near Bay Minette as well as at Baldwin County High School and Foley High School.

Nuzum’s career also included extensive publications on local Baldwin County subjects. She wrote for the Birmingham News, the Montgomery Advertiser and for Baldwin County newspapers. Her well known column from the 1960s and 1970s was entitled “Baldwin Folklore: Its Wit, Wisdom and Whoppers.” Much of her work was also compiled in books that can be found in most libraries throughout the county.

Ms. Rich and Ms. Nuzum are no longer with us, but their memory lives on in their life’s work. They took the time to make sure this generation and those beyond it will have a memory of Baldwin County’s past.  The L & N Railroad lives on in their words and we can certainly be thankful for that.