Glenn Wills explores ‘Forgotten Alabama’ at Russellville library

Glenn Wills’ “Forgotten Alabama” presentation March 15 at the Russellville Public Library introduced attendees to places across the state that just might deserve a second look.

His 45-minute presentation began with a brief explanation of his past and how he started cataloging the abandoned and forgotten places of the state of Alabama. Wills has worked as a video tape editor, photographer, assignment desk editor and operator of a satellite truck. These jobs, he explained, gave him years of experience behind the camera, which he has put to use with his “Forgotten Alabama” projects.

The first “forgotten site” that sparked his interest was one he came across in 2007, but it wasn’t until 2012 that he bought a Nikon camera and started traveling to see what he could find.

“I realized that one day these things will be gone. I decided to stop fiddling around and make this a reality,” Wills said.

Some of the “things” Wills has captured and put into his two books – “Forgotten Alabama” and “More Forgotten Alabama” – include structures like storefronts and houses. Rarer structures include army ammunition plants, railroad roundhouses and casket factories.

To find and capture these images, Wills crafted a unique system in 2013. He divided the state into 16 sections and set about scanning each section, one at a time, through satellite imagery.

“I was looking for things that caught my eye,” Wills said.

When he would spot something that piqued his interest, he would mark it with different symbols representing different structures. He said he ended up with 75-150 places marked per section. Then he narrowed those choices down and formed a path to follow, which he connected to his GPS.

“After about 350-400 hours, I ended up with around 2,500 different places to visit, and I’ve added maybe 1,000 since then,” Wills said.

A few of the places Wills mentioned are loacted in Franklin County. One of the buildings is the old Masonic Lodge in Vina. Another structure Wills said he found particularly interesting is the old wooden water tower in Red Bay that was used for steam engines. He also had a picture of an old home in Franklin County.

Wills has traveled to all 67 counties in Alabama and captured hundreds of photos, but he said he’s nowhere near stopping yet.

“I know I’ve only seen an inkling of what there is out there,” Wills said.