Moffet RoaD BEFORE paving 1932

Moffett Road Alabama 42 was a dirt road in 1932 and was paved in 1935.  This is a view before there was a bridge  built over the train tracks. The Tom Dodd, Sr.  home is  on the right and is still visible today.  Where the trees grew on Dodd Nursery is now the new City of Semmes City Hall. 
 Mr. Tom, Jr. shared many stories of life in Semmes in the early days.  There was not much traffic.  The children often played in the road. Sound carried easily and when the children heard a car coming they would jump out of the road. A frequent traveler, about  once a month, was Mr. Luce from Lucedale on his way to Mobile.  Mr. Tom said at one time after the bridge was built there was a hobo who lived under the bridge.
Today U.S. Hwy 98, Moffet Rd is now four lanes  with a  constant flow of traffic to Mobile and to Mississippi; Numerous traffic lights have been installed.

Note the water tower on the right.  Every home had a water tower if they wanted running water in their home it was gravity fed from the water tower. Water was pumped by a wind mill or a gas powered pump and rain water was collected.in the water tower.
​ Before water towers, water was hand pumped or gathered from a nearby creek.    Electricity was first run on Moffett Rd and later on the side roads. connecting to Moffet Rd.  Wulff Road did not get electricity until around 1949.  I remember coming home on the school bus and discovering we now had electricity.  
Semmes is a fast growing city.  Where we once had farms and fields of flowers, we now have fields of houses.