What will my great-great-grandchildren know of me many years from now? Will my life story be one that inspires them? Will my actions and reactions to adversity be something they will want to share with as many people as will listen?

Tom Hendrix had a great-great-grandmother who inspired him to spend 35 years of his life creating a memorial to her.  35 years. By his count, Tom has hauled 25 1/2 MILLION pounds of rocks (that’s 8.5 million pounds handled a minimum of 3 times each), and in the process he has gone through many wheelbarrows and pairs of gloves.  Te-lah-nay, Tom’s great-great-grandmother, was a Native American who was forced to leave during the Trail of Tears.  She survived the trip to Oklahoma, but even more remarkably, she spent 5 years WALKING BACK.  Tom has attempted to lay a stone to represent each one of her steps back home.

Tom, now in his 80’s, took time to tell me the story a few weeks ago and gave me a personal tour of the wall. It is a peaceful, absorbing, dramatic place.  You can hear more of his story at www.ifthelegendsfade.com.  The wall is located on Tom’s property at 13890 Country Road 8, Florence, AL 35633.  It is open for visitors 7 days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Tom Hendrix and his wall

A portion of Tom’s Wall.

Stones, stones, and more stones — 8.5 million pounds of them in all.