Alvin C York grew up in Pall Mall, Tennessee, a small community in the Valley of the Three Forks of the Wolf. He was proud of his home state and its history.
“But I am a-telling you that the state of Andrew Jackson, Davy Crockett, Sam Houston, and old Coonrod Pile ain’t got to and ain’t a-going to make no apologies to nobody nohow.” – York
Alvin's early years were defined by lack of money, hard work, guns, and being "hog-wild".
"Where the road tumbles down to the solid log cabin 'Old Coonrod Pile' had built to the spring and the York home." |
Alvin's conversion changed his life from a wild drinker and gambler to the "Singing Elder".
"The little white church which sits by the road with no homes near it is the geographical as well as the religious center of the community- it is the heart of Pall Mall." - Cowan |