“I was one of the hoodlums that went,” many say fondly as they recall the old social hotspot known as Hatfield Lake Road. Hosting a lake, dance hall, skating rink, swimming pool, and several varieties of golf, Hatfield Lake Road was a hopping joint for many residents across the generations.

According to records from the Limestone County Archives, the summer getaway was originally settled by a Keyes family in approximately 1820.

The Featherstone family bought the 120-acre property from the Keyes approximately 1830. Howell was a farmer in South Carolina, and his son, John, was an overseer of 17 slaves here in Limestone, building a two-story home for his wife that they lived in for the next 40 years. John was injured in the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg and sold the property to William G. Johnson in 1869 to return to Virginia with his wife.

The land changed hands a few times in the next 54 years. The owners explored an ultimately fruitless rumor of oil — a valuable resource whose industry was in relative infancy — on the land. When there was no oil, the Hively family had to give up on the hope of liquid gold and sold the land to N.C. Braly in 1924.

Braly, possibly tied with Mr. Hatfield himself for the record for the least time owning the property, did some renovation work on the land and then sold it to Mr. Hatfield in 1930.

Approximately 100 years after the land was purchased as a homestead for a man and his wife, Hatfield put in the work to expand the land’s potential to a much larger family: the Limestone County community.

Hatfield dug out a spring-fed lake, built campsites, and created a large picnic area to provide a destination for families to come stay. As the years passed, William Meyers bought the property and added the popular skating rink to the property.

Sometime after that, Raney brothers Oscar and Fred took control of the Hatfield operations, according to recent accounts from their grandchildren. The two brothers divided and conquered the booming area, with Oscar managing the Lake and Fred owning the drive-in that played many movies, from family-friendly flicks like “Superman” to “The Godfather” and other rated-R films played facing Hwy. 31, according to comments on Facebook and from residents who remember growing up alongside the drive-in.

It seems that the family ties at Hatfield split after the Raney brothers. The Archives document that Fred sold the lake to Hosea Bartlett in 1962, who managed its operations for the next 10 years. The lake’s occupied history dead ends in the early 1980s when it officially closed and has become an overgrown footprint of former fun.

The lake and the drive-in were two separate entities, at this point, so the movies seemed to continue to play, with a Mr. James Rithmire purchasing the theater when Oscar retired, continuing to provide a gathering spot for many generations to enjoy time together watching some of their favorite films.

Memories of Hatfield from other commenters include swimming in the Raney Pool, skating in the rink, spending all day out by the lake, and enjoying the tunes in the dance hall — if they were allowed to go. The Limestone County Archives suggest that many couples met at Hatfield, including Mayor Ronnie and Sandra Marks.

For many of these couples, most of their shared memories might be from dates at Hatfield. While these memories provide great material for reminiscing, they also give comfort to those who cannot reminisce together anymore. This is true for Richard Webb, Sr., who recently shared a beautiful entry in his journal in honor of his memories of time spent with his wife sharing “a lot of Hatfield days and Hatfield nights.” While his Facebook posts show how dearly he loved his late wife, he shared that his thousands of pages of journaling helped him get through her death.

Most anyone who grew up in Limestone County knows of Hatfield and its history as a Limestone social hotspot, whether it’s from memories of their own or hearing like the child in Webb’s journal. The land seems to be going the way of industrialization, but its memory will live on in those who hear and share the stories of Hatfield Days and Hatfield Nights with the next generations.

Hatfield Days and Hatfield Nights

Child: Tell me about olden times Papa.

Papa: Why we had,

Hatfield days and Hatfield nights.

Hanna Ward Bridge and HI-Boy lights.

Have a dip cone at the Kreme DeLite

out to the sale barn, “there’s gonna be a fight”!

Hatfield days and Hatfield nights.

Hanna Ward Bridge and HI-Boy lights.

Judy and Roger were at the Freeze Cone,

when we got there they’d already gone,

Hatfield days and Hatfield nights.

Hanna Ward Bridge and HI-Boy lights.

Baby oil and iodine for a golden tan,

meetin’ up with Linda and her sister Jan.

Hatfield days and Hatfield nights.

Hanna Ward Bridge and HI-Boy lights.

A Summer Place with my special friend,

watch Troy and Sandra at the ol’ drive inn.

Hatfield days and Hatfield nights.

Hanna Ward Bridge and HI-Boy lights.

Then out to thirty one for a taste of bliss,

parkin’ at the cloverleaf for a hug and a kiss.

Hatfield days and Hatfield nights.

Hanna Ward Bridge and HI-Boy lights.

Swing by the bowling alley for a game,

with Linda and her beau can’t remember his name.

Hatfield days and Hatfield nights.

Hanna Ward Bridge and HI-Boy lights.

Around the square to see whose there,

Gerald and Lynn and another pair.

Hatfield days and Hatfield nights.

Hanna Ward Bridge and HI-Boy lights.

Drive to the boat harbor walk in the sand,

get a moonlite kiss from my special friend.

Hatfield days and Hatfield nights.

Hanna Ward Bridge and HI-Boy lights.

Dancin’ in the lunchroom when the game was through,

“I’ve Got You Babe” our favorite tune.

Hatfield days and Hatfield nights.

Hanna Ward Bridge and HI-Boy lights.

Larry and Sandra at the skatin’ rink,

forever love bloomin’ that’s what we think.

OH! Hatfield days and Hatfield nights.