It didn’t solve the county’s financial woes or get any roads paved, but the Chilton County Commission’s decision to name portions of County Road 51 after the late Charles Culp was as good of a decision as the commission could hope to make.

Culp was the first chief of the Union Grove Volunteer Fire Department, and he was the only chief until his death in February.

Community members sang Culp’s praises then and now. Culp basically served as the county’s E-911 system before the county had an E-911 system, monitoring calls and paging out departments. Culp also worked hard for his own department, trying to secure grants to keep it functioning.

After Culp’s passing, friends, family and fellow firefighters walked down a portion of County Road 51 as part of Culp’s funeral ceremonies.

With a resolution made by commissioner Allen Caton and approved by the commission as a whole, that part of the road will forever be synonymous with one of Chilton County’s great residents.