I thought you might like to know that this same James A Everett went to the Methodist Conference in Augusta in 1840 and with Colonel Campbell petitioned the Conference (presided over by Bishop Morris) to provide their plantations with a "missionary to preach to their colored people". They promised $100 for the support of the missionary. James Dunwody was appointed to be that missionary. He had four preaching places, two plantations belonging to Everett, one above Ft Valley the other near Hog Crawl Creek, one for Col Campbell and the last for Russell Flewellen on Flint River. He states that results warranted his preaching for five continuous years. In a message dated 06/10/2000 4:28:18 PM Central Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: << 1820s a trading post was built in what is now downtown Fort Valley. James >Abbington Everett, a North >Carolinian, established a trading post because of two Indian trails that >crossed here. One trail went from >Fort Hawkins in Macon to Barnard's Crossing (now Oglethorpe). The other ran >from Benjamin >Hawkin's Creek Indian Agency on the Flint River to Old Hartford, which was >across the Ocmulgee >River at what is today Hawkinsville. > >Everett named the little village that was growing around the trading post, >Fort Valley after his good >friend, Arthur Fort, who was a Revolutionary War Veteran and a legislator >from Milledgeville. > >Everett was also responsible for getting the railroad through Fort Valley. >Although he died before the >first train ran, he gave this area a gift which was the way to market >peaches. > >>