Author: carlynwatson

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By: Carlyn Watson

My hometown holds a very special place in my heart, not just because I have lived here my whole life, but because my family has been in Jay since the 20s. The town of Jay’s heritage dates back to the early 1900s when the community was dependent on agriculture-related ventures, including cotton, peanuts, soybeans, corn and timber production. There was a time when the only cotton gins in Florida were the two in Jay. In the 1970s Jay struck oil and that changed the town like never before. People started to buy land and mineral rights hoping that they could be one of the lucky ones to have oil on their land. Jay is the type of town where everyone knows just about everyone because most of the same families have lived here since it became an official town in 1938. The population is now estimated to be about 652 people in my little hometown.

The Sights

When driving through Jay you will see many small family owned businesses and that is what makes Jay unique. Almost all of the businesses are owned and ran by the families that live here. You will also get to see many livestock such as, cows, horses, chickens, pigs, and goats when passing through. Not only is there a lot of livestock there are many fields that will yield the same crops today that the community was dependent on in the 1900s . My little country hometown also has the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen and these are just a few of the aspects that I love about my hometown.

Things to do

The activities people can enjoy in Jay are watching the productions put on by the high school’s drama troupe, supporting the little league and high school sports team by going to their games, watching the fireworks for the Fourth of July, going to peanut festival in October, and going to Creepy Hollow Woods during Halloween season (which many people enjoy doing). Although it may not seem like a lot it is just enough to keep our little town busy.

Fun Facts from ” A Pictorial History Settlements Along the Escambia-Conecuh River”

• In 1904 land was $4 an acre in Jay.
• The Harrison Mercantile Company was only business in Jay to remain open during the Great Depression.
• The first graduating class was in 1926 and had five members.
• Overall, my little one stop light town will always be near and dear to me. This town has always been my home and I could not imagine home being anywhere different. When people think about home that is the place where family and memories are and that is what Jay is to me because most of my family still lives here and the stories that they tell about when they grew up are always interesting to me.