The Tanglefoot Trail – the 43.6 mile railroad line from Houston to New Albany that was transformed into a path for bicycles, walkers and joggers – is now one year old and is being hailed as an overwhelming success not by just those in Chickasaw, Pontotoc and Union counties, but Calhoun as well.
“I love it,” said Robert Baker of Bruce. “It’s so enjoyable and relaxing when you have a nice place to ride.”
Baker, 78, said he started riding a bike 10 years ago when his doctors told him he needed to be getting more exercise. He said it’s always been a struggle to find a place around Calhoun County to safely ride a bike. He most often chose Bruce Park, but even there had to avoid lots of cars.
“We just don’t have anywhere here you can go,” Baker said.
Robert Baker is among bicyclists in Bruce hoping to see the Skuna Valley Trail developed.
When the Tanglefoot Trail opened, he began making the trip to either Pontotoc or Houlka to get on the trail and ride.
“I rode once from Houlka to Algoma and back with my grandson,” Baker said. “It’s a beautiful strip through the country.”
Baker said he’s marveled at the amount, and kinds of people he’s met on the Tanglefoot Trail.
“I’ve met so many business people and lots of families that ride together on the trail. I had one lady recently tell me this is the best thing that ever happened to Pontotoc County,” Baker said. “I met a doctor out of Memphis that brings his whole family down and they ride the trail together and have a picnic along the way.”
Baker said he’s visited with several up and down the Tanglefoot Trail and hasn’t encountered anyone with anything negative to say about it.
“I met Officer Long with the Pontotoc Police on the trail and he told me they haven’t had any trouble with it,” Baker said. “They’ll tell you that even those that were against it in the beginning are now big supporters of it.”
Baker said what he would most like to see now is the trail developed in Bruce.
“It would be so much easier for all of us that enjoy it and we could go a lot more often,” Baker said. “I believe we would see the same results as the Tanglefoot Trail. It would have a big impact for Bruce and the whole county.”
Richard Watkins, of Bruce, is another who loves to go ride the Tanglefoot Trail and would love to see the Skuna Valley Trail developed.
“The Tanglefoot Trail is beautiful, and everybody I’ve talked to has nothing but good to say about it,” Watkins said. “I’d like to see it here. I think it would be a great benefit to us.”
Patriot Rail, the last owner of the 22-mile Mississippi and Skuna Valley Railroad line from Weyerhaeuser in Bruce to Coffeeville, donated the right-of-way to the M&SV Rails to Trails District created by the Calhoun and Yalobusha County boards of supervisors when the rails were pulled up and scrapped.
The now empty rail line extends 22 miles from Bruce to Coffeeville.
The two boards created the district when they were urged to do so by the Attorney General’s office and Randy Kelley of Three Rivers Planning and Development because it would leave the possibility for the railroad to be re-established in the future.
Landowners along the rail line protested the action by the supervisors, noting their deeds, say if the rails were ever pulled up, the property was to be returned to the original landowner. The action taken by the supervisors fell under a federal act passed by Congress that the government claims supercedes those deeds and allowed the railroad company to donate its easement to the newly formed Rails to Trails district to prevent the railroad lines being lost forever.
Some of the landowners along the line, including Steve Box of Bruce, are involved in a lawsuit against the government for the action.
Box’s position on the trail hasn’t changed since it was first suggested more than a year ago.
“If it was going to be of some great benefit to the county, then I’d be all for it, but I don’t believe it’s feasible,” Box said.
Annette and Jack Woodson, whose home is across the road from Helena Chemical and is the closest house to the rail in Calhoun County, aren’t among those involved in the lawsuit, but are adamantly opposed to the trail.
“I’m all for growth and progress for Bruce, but I don’t see that in any form or fashion with this,” Annette Woodson said. “If (the trail) was going through town, I could see people using it, but not out here. This is bottomland.”
She noted the large number of “poisonous snakes” they kill in the summer time near their home that would be frequent on the trail. Woodson pointed out that the Tanglefoot Trail connects large towns with other small towns in between. The Skuna Valley line between Bruce and Coffeeville is more isolated.
Other concerns expressed by Woodson is security for her house, which sits less than 100 feet from the old rail line, if it did attract a large amount of use, and what it might do to their property value.
The rails and cross ties are gone off the railroad, but the path remains clear along most of the M&SV between Bruce and Coffeeville.
“We built out here because we didn’t want the traffic,” Woodson said. “If all those that are for it lived out here with it, they would have a different view.”
Woodson also shared concerns about the county’s cost and investing money in a bike trail when so many roads around the county are in bad shape.
“It seems there are more important things we should be spending taxpayer money on,” she said.
Jim Earl Aron, of Bruce, said he’s not opposed to it as long as he’s not asked to pay for it.
“I don’t want my taxes going for it,” Aron said. “I pay enough in taxes. If all those that want it came up with the money for it, then I wouldn’t have a problem with it, but don’t ask me to pay for it.”
The rail line crosses the edge of a cow pasture on Aron’s property. He expressed concerns regarding the security of his gate if a lot of people were going up and down the trail and also noted the old railroad bridge on his property would have to be replaced.
“Rabbit hunters burned that bridge,” Aron said. “I would think that bridge would be expensive to rebuild.”
Bruce Mayor Rudy Pope, citing the economic benefits of those along the Tanglefoot Trail, said he is “100 percent” for developing the Skuna Valley Trail.
Pope believes if grants can be secured for the construction, the Skuna Valley Trail would have great benefits for the town and Calhoun County.
Bruce Mayor Rudy Pope
“I believe it would be great for Bruce and our citizens,” Pope said.
“We’ve seen it has the potential to attract new business, jobs and visitors, not to mention the benefits to public health here in Bruce and this area, giving people a nice place to walk or ride a bike away from car traffic.”
“I’m going to look into it with Three Rivers (Planning and Development) and see what we can do as far as applying for grants to make it happen,” Pope said. “I think it’s an opportunity we can’t let get away from us.”
Pope said he recently received notice from Three Rivers that the current grant application window is open until April 9 to seek approval for the next round of funding through the Mississippi Recreational Trails Program and he intends to get an application together.
Greg Vaughn, of Algoma, is one of the success stories along the Tanglefoot Trail Pope can point to when he talks about the potential for the Skuna Valley Trail.
“I can say for certain it’s created new jobs because I’ve had to add people on in my store to handle all of the traffic it brings,” said Vaughn, owner of the Algoma Country Store.
“From early spring, well into the fall, I’ll have 60-70 come through the door every day before dinner. It brings people from all over and they spend money.”
Vaughn said his Pepsi distributor told him that his store’s Gatorade sales had more than tripled since the Tanglefoot Trail opened.
Vaughn has been most impressed with the number and kinds of people that have been riding the trail.
“I’ve had people from Florida, Canada, England, Russia, even a group of Olympic riders come through here,” he said. “Just last Tuesday I had a girl from Iowa come in here. She said she saw the trail on the internet and came all the way down here to ride it.”
Vaughn said he’s had church groups of 50-60 people riding the trail together and stopping at his store.
The crowds have been so numerous and consistent, Vaughn is considering building cabins on his property to rent out to the riders.
“I know I won’t have any trouble keeping them full through warm weather, not with everything this trail is doing for us. There’s been no down side to it all,” Vaughn said. “It’s been terrific.”
Houlka Mayor Jimmy Kelly admits that he was among those opposing the trail when it was first suggested, unsure of the cost and problems it might create.
“I’m proud to have it now. It converted me,” Kelly said. “There’s been a little cost to it, but no great amount. That’s been more than compensated for.”
Kelly now serves on the Tanglefoot Trail board and said he’s been most pleased about the people it has attracted and the absence of any issues.
“One of my early concerns was the policing, but we have a part-time county patrolman that handles it on a golf cart,” Kelly said. “I think we had one bike accident, but other than that we haven’t had any incidents.”
Chickasaw County Sheriff Jimmy Simmons agreed with Mayor Kelly.
“We haven’t had a bit of problem with the trail,” Simmons said. “I’ve seen some new businesses because of it. It’s been a good thing for us.”
Tanglefoot Trail Manager Don Locke said currently the trail has produced two new businesses in Houlka, two in Pontotoc and two in New Albany with more on the drawing board.
“It’s been a big asset to all the towns, bringing in a lot of people,” Locke said.
The Tanglefoot had some opposition initially from landowners along the rail line, Locke said, but since it’s been developed, most of those have completely changed their opinion.
“It’s been such a success for us, people can see the impact it’s having,” he said. “I know if the trail around Bruce was developed it would only add to what we have and attract even more people to both trails.”
There have been no incidents of any kind of crime along the Tanglefoot Trail during its first year, Locke said. He reported a couple of incidents of vandalism at one of the four whistle stops (restroom facilities), but described them as “isolated incidents.”
As part of the federal “Rails to Trails” program, each county/municipality along the trail is required to add one-quarter of a mil to their tax levy for trail maintenance. The Tanglefoot Trail also sells sponsorship signs along the trail to area businesses which raises another $70,000 annually.
Locke said they budgeted $38,000 for annual maintenance. In addition to his part-time position, the Tanglefoot Trail employs a maintenance man. They budget another $60,000 for those positions.
The Tanglefoot Trail is twice as long as the proposed Skuna Valley Trail, so Calhoun’s expenses would likely be considerably less. One quarter mil of tax in Calhoun and Yalobusha counties, as well as the City of Bruce, would generate approximately $35,000 for annual maintenance along the trail.
According to the tax assessor’s office in Pittsboro, one quarter mil of tax in Calhoun County would increase the annual tax bill on an average size house ($80,000 value) by $2. The tax increase on timber and farm land would be less than one penny per acre.
Earnest Fox
“I’m all for it. I think we should develop it,” said District One Supervisor Earnest Fox of Bruce. A portion of the rail line runs through his beat.
Board of Supervisors’ President Barney Wade said the funding has to be there for the project, that the county couldn’t afford to undertake the project on its own.
“It’s all about the money to us (the board),” Wade said.
Tommy Vaughn, president of the Yalobusha Board of Supervisors, said they would be interested in pursuing the trail if grant funds were available to absorb the initial costs.
“Somewhere down the line we certainly would like to see something done with it to benefit the people of Yalobusha and Calhoun counties,” Vaughn said.
The majority of the trail in Calhoun runs through District Three Supervisor Gwin Longest’s beat.
“I don’t think we can afford it,” Longest said. “The maintenance, the patrolling – I think it’s too expensive.”