Celeste Land Company

09/25/2026

https://mobilebaymag.com/let-george-do-it/

The link above is a much more in depth interview with George Radcliff. Published by Mobile Bay Magazine and written by Watt Key.

Whether he’s playing polo with princes or sailing the coast in search of shrimp and adventure, George Radcliff is a man who certainly knows how to lead a one-of-a-kind life.

09/25/2026

Part 3. Skipping through the years that the family lived on Mobile Bay in Point Clear but, about 1983, George decided that Baldwin County was too big for him and he wanted to get back to his roots. He and his (now college age) children moved back to Celeste . George was still playing polo so, he made a field at Celeste. You entered the field on Radcliff Road. The polo games were held, free of charge, on the weekends. It was usually all Radcliff’s on one team and friends would travel to make up the opponets team. They held the first charity polo match in south Alabama on George's field at Celeste. The proceeds went to The Kidney Foundation in honor of George's youngest son, George III, who had a kidney disease as a child.

The oldest son, Les started in the Real Estate business (Radcliff Real Estate) with George. Les helped George break out and sell 5 acre parcels along the northwest side Radcliff Road for development as well as lots on Celeste Road north of Radcliff Road. Les was the salesman, George was the owner and broker.

In June 1996, the Radcliff family took a devastating hit when Les was killed in a car accident on Celeste Road. He was coming home from a Sunday fishing trip in the Delta, with a small boat in tow, when an overloaded 18 wheel truck was coming down the hill and lost control and hit him - head on.

George's daughter, Fontaine, her husband, Sandy Howard and their two sons had just moved back to Celeste the year prior to Les' death. Sandy was also in the Real Estate business at Ono Island, before they moved back to Celeste so, they set up their business as Celeste Land Company - as a nod to the history of Fontaine’s grandfather and where it all began for the Radcliff family.

George Sr's youngest son, George III, would take over as broker of Radcliff Real Estate. So, the family is still in the Real Estate business today. Two companies but, one family. ♡

09/23/2026

Part2.
After, Albert died, Mary & George moved back to Mobile. George finished high school and married his sweetheart, Marion Cobb. After several years of life working on the waterfront for his brother, Bobby Radcliff, in Norfolk, Va, George and Marion came back to Mobile to raise their family. Les Richards passed away and the partnership with the Richards family was disolved and the property was divided between the 2 families.

Celeste was a camp and a recreational spot for George, his friends and family. The taxes were a burden on George and his young family so, he formed a hunt club to lease the land and pay the taxes.

George's ½ brother's son, Herndon III, and George were close in age and inseparable friends. Herndon married Peg Hutchings. Pegs family also owned land in the area but closer to Citronelle. It was known as Red Acres.

The friends began playing polo in their mowed pastures. They used their trail and cattle horses and taught them the sport. Cowboy polo at its finest! Polo was intoduced to Herndon and George by Ed Bernard . Ed was an oil man from New Iberia, La. He was in the area because of oil exploration in the Hatters Pond oil field. And, so polo began in south Alabama in a mowed pasture right here in Celeste.

George also owned and operated a club on Dauphin Island Parkway called The Bay Boosters Club. He ran tug boats on the Mississippi River as his full time job and on the weekends he would put on water ski shows at the Bay Boosters

09/23/2026

Part 1. A little history about the Radcliff family, the Celeste area of Saraland & the first Celeste Land Company. * note- I welcome comments & information regarding this history. I'm trying to piece together family stories and google facts to build the narrative.

About 1913 , Gulf Coast Fruit Farms purchased approximately 4,280 acres for farming satsumas and to sell private satsuma farms. There was a small store on the property run by the Ravazees family. The store was called Ravazees store. The daughter of the president of Gulf Coast Fruit Farms was named Celeste so, he named the farm after his daughter.

About 1920, Gulf Coast Fruit Farms went bankrupt when a hard freeze killed the majority of the trees. In April 17, 1921, the acreage was aquired by the State of Alabama for unpaid taxes then exactly 4 years later, 1925, title was transferred to JF Nall.

In about 1939, Herndon Radcliff and his friend/ business partner, Les Richards, purchased the original fruit farm acreage and added additional tracts to own a total of around 10,000 acres in the Celeste area. The partners clear cut the timber they could to pay for the dirt. They used the land for farming and recreation. Their partnership was called Conservation Land Company and later it became Celeste Land Company.

Celeste Road was a dirt road and there was no easy route to get to & from Mobile. Herndon, his wife Mary and their infant child, George, lived in the historic white house on the farm.

Herndon was the President of Mobile Sand and Gravel in Mobile and involved in Mobile society but, he called the rural community of Celeste home.

Tragically, in February 1941, when George was only a 6 week old infant, Herndon died suddenly of a heart attack. Mary was left alone with her infant baby. Herndon had 3 grown children from his previous wife, Lucy Leatherbury. Decisions were made to sell portions of the land , including the house -which has remained in the James family.

Shortly after Herndon's death, Mary re-married the couples long time friend, Albert Deane. Albert's wife had also died and the couple quickly re-connected. Albert was the VP of General Motors Company so, after the marriage, Mary and George moved to New York City with Albert. When Albert retired, they moved to St.Petersburg, Florida and George would not return to Mobile until he was about 17 years old.

09/23/2026

If you've ever crossed Mobile Bay by boat and spotted what looks like a little house sitting by itself in the middle of the water, you've seen one of Coastal Alabama's most unusual historic structures.

Middle Bay Lighthouse was built in 1885.

But here's what makes it so different from the classic tall lighthouse most of us picture.

It's a square, cottage-style structure sitting on pilings in Mobile Bay.

The lighthouse was built to mark the Mobile Ship Channel at a time when maritime commerce was enormously important to the region. Its design is known as a "screw-pile" lighthouse because the supporting iron pilings were literally screwed into the bay bottom.

And people actually lived out there.

Lighthouse keepers and their families occupied the building while maintaining the light.

One particularly memorable chapter came in 1916.

Keeper William A. Waack and his wife had a baby while stationed at Middle Bay. According to Alabama historical records, the infant needed access to fresh milk, so the family kept a cow at the lighthouse.

Yes, a cow.

In the middle of Mobile Bay.

A special platform was constructed so the animal could stay there.

The lighthouse remained staffed until 1935, when the light was automated. It was eventually deactivated in 1967.

But unlike many old Gulf Coast lights that disappeared through storms, demolition or erosion, Middle Bay survived.

The Alabama Historical Commission acquired the structure in 1978, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places later that year.

Today it remains standing offshore, surrounded by miles of open water.

Modern ships have GPS, radar and sophisticated navigation systems.

But sitting beside the shipping channel is still this little wooden lighthouse from 1885, a reminder of when someone actually had to live out there and keep the light burning.

And apparently keep a cow fed too.

Research verification: Alabama Historical Commission and National Register documentation.

09/23/2026

What a beautiful afternoon......♡
Celeste Land Company

03/16/2026

Call Sandy Howard at Celeste Land Company 251-232-2220 if anyone is looking for some beautiful land to build on in north mobile county, then let me know!

We have a 14 and a 28 acre tract still available off Salco Road.

10/07/2025

09/18/2025

ROLLING HILLS in Saraland, Al ! Beautiful large lots available! Saraland school district, Please call Sandy Howard at Celeste Land Company 251-232-2220 for more information