There was Edward Warren, Edward Warren, Sr., Edward Warren, Jr. "Ed", and Edward Warren, III, "Bo". It might be a toss up as to which of these Warrens loved the Coosa River the most but undoubtedly Bo's desires to connect to beautiful Lake Mitchell are evident by his building a home on Bird Creek and buying Blue Creek Marina in 1979. It is located at 1151 County Road 654 in Verbena, Chilton County, AL and, of course, is on Blue creek at the lower end of Lake Mitchell.
Blue Creek's "weekend warriors", Ed and Laura Warren (Bo's parents) would leave home in Birmingham to come home for the weekend to Blue Creek Marina. This gave Bo time to catch up on things he needs to do while Ed ran the Marina and entertained its many patrons.
There are so many ways that Ed entertained you at Blue Creek Marina, you were bound to like one of 'em! The place is covered in whimsical signs, games, and articles of interest. There is the "Invisible UFO Spring"...ask for a demonstration and detailed story.
There is the "genuine" 24 carat solid gold nugget found at Old Blue Creek Place Mine...valued at $27,000.00 and located below a sign that reads "Please do not steal, BAD PEOPLE STEAL" There are souvenirs, relics and games. You can play one game and win a 3 day trip to the Town of Rushton, Alabama. You might decline the prize when you learn the town no longer exists...above water anyway!!!! It was located at the mouth of Blue Creek.
The Marina sells gasoline (by credit card 24/7) and boating supplies, snacks and soft drinks. There is also boat storage when available. Plan a visit and stay awhile to enjoy some of Ed's handiwork and whimsical signs.
G.R.A.C.E.'S Marina
(formerly Inmans Camp)
Don Inman has deeds for this land on Lake Mitchell dating back to the 1800's. He and his wife Dottie (Milburn) moved here in 1995 after purchasing his sister's share in 1993. Inman's Camp goes back to 1954 when Don's father Millard Inman bought the land from Hiram Kicker, thus begins the history of Inman's camp.
The original store still stands but the 16 ft. fishing boats are no longer there and the cafe was converted to a home.
Today, Inman's Camp has new ownership. The new owners are Kevin and Rebecca George. G.R.A.C.E.'S is an acronym for George, Rebecca, Andrew, Charlie, Ethan. The Georges have three boys and a girl named Grace. They plan to run the Marina with a good family environment atmosphere.
Besides selling gasoline, the Marina offers a fax machine, copy service,and movies (PG) for rent. A guest trailer is being renovated for weekend rental and there is the possibility of one camper space for rent. They offer boat stalls for rent and 35 cabins (all rented at this time). Plans are to remodel the old store and add more items needed on the lake.
Barrett's Fish Camp.
This page was last updated on: June 24, 2007
Lake Mitchell Marina
Situated on a point at the mouth of Walnut Creek, it was once known as Wyatt's Fish Camp. In earlier days, it was a bustling place owned by Raymond and Bertha Wyatt.
During the '80's, the old store, and some of the Wyatt property was acquired by Bruce Payton. Bruce, for a short time, operated the store under the name "Pocanatchie". the olddeteriorated boathouses were removed and in addition to renovation of the store, several rental cabins were built. A fire destroyed the store, but the cabins were spared and were sold to individuals. William and Deanna McMinn subsequently purchased the store location and built the new marina.
Lake Mitchell Marina officially opened on May 1, 1999. In addition to gasoline and bait, the marina stocked an assortment of almost any item you may need and forget to bring when visiting the lake, including canned goods, soft drinks, fishing supplies, dog food, snacks, and a variety of other items for plumbing and repair. There was also a grill serving a varied menu of short-order food----including hamburgers,corn dogs, etc., and a dinner menu on Friday and Saturday nights that included William's catfish dinners, chicken baskets, shrimp, bar-b-que and a variety of other items (you had to try the fried corn).
The coffee-pot is always on.
Barrett's Fish Camp, located on Hatchet Creek in Coosa County, is being converted by Alabama Power Company to a public boat launch and day camp. The launch has been revamped and a paved parking area provided.
