Cofields move to Haleyville

The newspaper clipping below was found in the centennial edition of the Haleyville newspaper and depicts the location of John Cofield’s dental office, noting him to have been the first dentist of the town. The caption for the photo indicates that John built a frame building and used the space upstairs for his dental office. A restaurant occupied the space below. Today, the location is the site of the Dixie Theater.

The photograph below was taken about 1907-1908 of the John R. Cofield home on Curtis Street in Haleyville. John can be seen on the front steps with son Louis. On the porch is Dollie with Ruby, Pearl and Clyde. Daughter Pauline was not yet born when this picture was made. The house was torn down in the 1970s to make way for development in downtown Haleyville.

Here is a closeup of the above photo. That's my grandmother in the baby carriage.

How tragic that John Cofield was dead within two years, and things would never be the same for the Cofield children. Dollie died two years later, and their five children were raised by relatives. Of course, had my grandmother not been raised by her aunt in Tremont, she never would have met my grandfather, and I wouldn't be here!