Hobson and Martha Kirby’s Ties to Home Run Deep

October in Mentone is postcard season. The leaves turn, the mountain air sharpens, and visitors and photographers alike pause to snap photos of the little red boathouse on Little River just above Desoto Falls — one of Alabama’s most recognizable landmarks. For Hobson and Martha Kirby and family, however, the boathouse is a personal story.

Hobson’s father, carpenter and rock mason Paul Kirby, built the original structure in the mid-1950s. “He never was a big-time carpenter. He did remodeling jobs and add-ons, and he helped build some homes,” Hobson remembers. Paul had worked on a house in the area, and the property owners wanted a boathouse, so he agreed to build the little structure on the edge of the water. Young Hobson tagged along, more interested in fishing than carpentry. “I went with him. I guess I was in the way more than I helped,” he laughed. “Daddy and his brother had a little boat down at the old covered bridge site, with a 5- or 6-horse motor in it. And we would go in it down to where he was building the boathouse. But I’d go in, work with him a little, and then fish — that was my main purpose.”

Painted red by Paul Kirby from the very beginning, the structure quickly became a landmark. “I don’t remember it ever being another color,” Hobson said. Today, nearly 70 years later, the boathouse remains one of the most photographed spots in Alabama, especially in autumn when its reflection is doubled by nature’s own fiery palette. Hobson still drives by and takes a look at the boathouse from time to time. His father passed away in 1986 at age 77.

For the Kirbys, the boathouse is simply one thread in a much larger tapestry of family roots, work, and devotion to community.

Hobson was born to Paul and Bertha in 1944, not far from the old covered bridge site, in the Ruby O’Rear house (one of the pioneers of Mentone). “It was a lot different than it is now,” he remembered. “A lot slower pace…none of the roads were paved — just 117 and 89 down to the falls. And 117 wasn’t very busy then. We used to ride bicycles up and down the road and didn’t worry about the traffic. Those were the days.” After attending Moon Lake School through the 6th grade, he went on to Valley Head School, which he remembers was a “scary, big school for a little old mountain boy.” His father and aunts and uncles also attended Moon Lake.

Continuing a Legacy of Work and Family

After graduation, Hobson worked in Huntsville for a year. The Kirbys (who by the way met on a fortuitous blind date) married in March 1966, and Hobson was drafted two months later. “We got lucky there, because I went to Fort Benning for basic training and stayed there my whole two years, and Martha came down after she graduated from Fort Payne High School.” After his stint in the service, he and Martha returned to Huntsville, then eventually back to Mentone. Hobson founded Kirby Construction in 1969, and with a dump truck, backhoe, and bulldozer, he spent decades building driveways, home sites, ponds, and septic systems across the region. “I worked for myself my whole life,” he said proudly. “It was hard work, but I really enjoyed it,” he added.

“He’s retired three or four times. He just can’t quit,” Martha said. Even in retirement, her husband has kept busy. These days, he works a couple days a week, delivering vehicles for dealerships in Fort Payne, never one to sit idle.

Martha, meanwhile, pursued her own career with the U.S. Postal Service while supporting the family’s side ventures: a hosiery mill in Fort Payne, a furniture store in Georgia, and even ownership of the Mentone Market for one year when it was the Mentone Superette. Together, they raised two children — Tammy and Preston — and later welcomed three grandchildren. Through it all, Martha has remained an active presence in town life, watching their children and later their grandchildren walk the same halls at Moon Lake School that shaped generations of Kirbys.

“Proud of This Town”

If Hobson’s work shaped the landscape, his leadership has helped shape the town itself. He has served on the Mentone Town Council for more than 30 years. “The main reason I wanted to stay was to see the school done,” he said, referring to the renovation and rebirth of Moon Lake Campus.

His service extended further when he helped organize Mentone’s first volunteer fire department in the late 1970s. What began as a handful of neighbors and a donated brush truck grew into the modern, well-equipped department that protects Mentone today. Hobson not only volunteered as a fireman but later chaired the board of directors. “Everybody just worked together,” he explained. “We’ve always been proud of this town.”

This red boathouse is one of the most photographed scenes in the state park.

As they approach 60 years of marriage, Hobson and Martha remain quick to credit one another. “We’ve had our ups and downs,” Martha said, “but we’ve never really had any serious arguments.” Hobson smiled and offered his secret: “I just say, ‘Yes, ma’am. No, ma’am.’”

More Than a Landmark

While the red boathouse continues to draw travelers each autumn, for the Kirbys it remains simply a reminder of Hobson’s father’s handiwork and a memory of trailing along and enjoying being a country boy. Their real legacy is the mark they have left on Mentone itself: in the roads and home sites Hobson built, the fire department he helped create, the council he serves, and the family he and Martha raised with love.

“We’re just country folks,” Hobson said simply. “Everybody’s always just worked together to have what we have.”