Black Warrior tree, Cemex cross long-standing Demopolis holiday traditions

With all the lighted displays in Demopolis during the Christmas season, two sponsored by local businesses never fail to elicit gasps of appreciation from first-time viewers and smiles from those who see them annually.

Each year Black Warrior Electric Membership Cooperative lights up the tower behind its offices, creating a 320-foot Christmas tree. Cemex Corporation annually displays a lighted cross on its tower. Together the two welcome visitors and residents alike into the Christmas season.

The older of the two is the lighted tree. Begun in 1958, it was the brainchild of Black Warrior bookkeeper Belle Clem, who saw a similar, but smaller, display on a trip with her family to Virginia, said General Manager Daryl Jones.

Clem talked with the general manager at that time, Bernard Swanzy, who drew up a plan for the tree using the tower’s guy wires. Originally the tree had red, blue and green lights, “but they became harder to find as incandescent bulbs became scarce,” said Jones. Now the tree boasts 250 white lights.

Black Warrior lights up the tree the day after Thanksgiving, and it brightens the Demopolis skyline until New Year’s Day.

High winds and hurricanes have destroyed the lights in the past, so Black Warrior has them taken down each year. Webb Antenna and Tower Service handles the work of putting up the strings of lights and maintaining them, which is not an easy job.

Jones said people really notice the tree and are quick to call if there is ever a problem.

No one can pinpoint the first year the Cemex tower featured the lighted cross, but most veteran employees say it’s been about 25 years ago when Tom Renfrow managed the plant. The cross stays up all year but is lighted from Thanksgiving to December 31, said Anne Saelens, the plant’s health and safety manager.

The 150-foot cross is made up of 100-watt flood lights, which frequently burn out and have to be replaced. Saelens said supervisor John McAlpine and his crew of six electricians ride the elevator or take the tower stairs to the cross to maintain it.

Saelens said one year the plant didn’t turn on the cross before Christmas on the River, and the company fielded lots of phone calls from people concerned that it wouldn’t be lighted.