Rock Mountain Lakes

Rock Mountain Lakes is a community near Bessemer and McCalla. It is accessed from McAshan Drive which crosses I-59 and I-20. The community covers an area located on both sides of Rock Mountain.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s several pioneers built farms on the land. By the late 1940s all of the farmers had left the area and timber companies moved in to buy the land. Griffin Lumber company eventually became owner of all of the land that now makes up the Rock Mountain Lakes community.

In 1961, C.P Griffin used the "over the mountain" section of present-day Rock Mountain Lakes as partial payment to W.L. "Bud Coleman" for his purchase of Coleman Lakes in McCalla. Coleman Lakes at the time of the sale encompassed seven recreational fishing lakes.

Bud Coleman formed a partnership with Raymond Martin to develop the Rock Mountain property. Martin had previously been in the recreational fishing business at some property that he developed, Martin Lakes at Virginia Mines, also in western Jefferson County. He had recently sold that development and was eager for a new business opportunity. Two lakes were built for purpose of paid recreational fishing. Those lakes are now known as Big Lake and Grantham Lake

It took two years to build the lakes and the road over Rock Mountain. The first lake opened to the pubic for fishing in 1963. In the beginning only bass, bluegills and shellcrackers were stocked in the lakes. Later, some catfish and grass carp were put in the lakes. Several years later the first crappie were caught in the lakes, even though the developers did not stock them.

In the mid-1960s people were beginning to move farther from town to places like Rock Mountain Lakes. Bud and Raymond decided that they should try to capitalize on that, even though selling home lots was not their original intention. They built a spec house and sold it to Jon and Barbara Lyles. They were soon followed by the Mays, the Gaughts, the Murphrees, the Bensons, the Coles, the Donaldsons, the Lewis’, and the Douglas'.

In 1965 Coleman and Martin ventured over the mountain and bought the two Griffin Lakes from Roy Griffin. The purchase price for Griffin Lakes was $65,000. A road was soon built on the backside of Big Griffin and the land was subdivided. Those two lakes were also open for public fishing for several years. That provided another income source that later became even more important when the three lakes over the mountain were closed to public fishing.

In 1968 a third lake was added on the Rock Mountain side. This lake has become known as Ellis Lake. The Ellis home, built in 1965, is older than the lake. The dam of this lake was created by leveling a very steep dip in the road. For many years Lakeside Drive extended directly across the dam. Several years ago, the road was barricaded at both ends of the dam.

By the mid-1970s Raymond Martin sold his half off the business to Coleman. Several moths later Elbert and Mary Buckelew bought half interest from Coleman. By thattime the business was entirely real estate. All five lakes were closed to public fishing.

The partnership worked out well, lasting until the last property was either sold or donated to area churches. Rock Mountain Lakes, Inc. transferred ownership of the lakes and common areas to the Rock Mountain Lakes Landowners’ Association.

Presently there are 375 homes make up the Rock Mountain Lakes community. Rock Mountain Lakes Baptist Church and a fire department are also within the community.