Sam Hairston was born in this area on January 20, 1920. In 1944, shortly after returning from service in World War II, he began his baseball career with the Birmingham Black Barons and the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro League as an infielder and catcher. After winning the Negro Leagues Triple Crown in 1950, he made his Major League debut with the Chicago White Sox on July 21, 1951. Sam Hairston died on October 31, 1997, after fifty-three years in baseball.