This from another mail list; might be a helpful source ~ Jane Foley www.copies1918.com
Jasper-Putnam-Morgan County GaArchives News.....Jasper Reflections - The Reids - Early Settlers of Jasper, Putnam and Morgan Counties 1970's ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Suzanne Forte suzanneforte@bellsouth.net July 2, 2004, 10:30 pm Monticello News JASPER REFLECTIONS BY JOHN HARVEY The Reids - Early Settlers of Jasper, Putnam and Morgan Counties When I first began to gather information on Samuel Reid who was listed as a Revolutionary War veteran, I thought I would be tracing only one person and his descendants. Then other names began to crop up. Many of us are familiar with Judge Samuel Reid and William A. Reid who were longtime residents of Monticello and Jasper County. W. A. Reid was a surveyor and county superintendent of schools. In an earlier article we told how Will Reid at the age of 16 told the Presbyterian minister that his ambition was to be the world's greatest foxhunter. Early records show two Reids, probably brothers, emigrating from Ireland in 1745. Both settled in Rowan County, N.C. George Reid, probably the older, had one son, Samuel, who had been born in Ireland. As he is the only one in this family who was connected with Jasper County we will deal with him first. LT. SAMUEL REID, son of col. George Reid, was born in Northern Ireland and emigrated to Rowan County, N.C. with his father in 1745. When the Revolution began he enlisted at Abbeville, S.C. He was appointed a lieutenant in the militia and served throughout the war in this capacity. During the war he led a company of soldiers, first fighting the Tories around Ninety-Six, S.C. At a later time he saw service on the frontier with the Cherokee Indians, participating in various engagements with the Indians. In 1778 he was among the men who fought at the Battle of Kettle Creek in Wilkes County, Ga. After the war he drew lands in Wilkes, Greene, Oglethorpe, Putnam, Randolph (Jasper) and Gwinnett Counties in Georgia. He died near Mobile, Ala. August 27, 1842 at the age of 93 years. Alexander (I) Reid and wife Margurete emigrated to Rowan County, N.C. with their seven children in 1745. Alexander (I) and Margurete Reid and five of their children moved to Wilkes County, Ga., shortly before the War for Independence began. Later they settled in Greene County. Their sons, Samuel and Alexander (II) served as soldiers of the line in South Carolina and Georgia, making the long march from Wilkes County, Georgia to Salisbury, N.C., to join Gen. Nathaniel Greene just before the Battle of Kings Mountain. GEORGE REID, a brother of Samuel Reid and Alexander (II) fought in South Carolina. A story told about him was that he was pierced through the body by a "minnie ball" during the fighting at Ninety-Six. A silk handkerchief was drawn completely through his chest and out his back to "sterilize" the wound. He recovered and returned to his company to fight for two years more. George Reid drew land on Little River in 1805, settling there in 1809. At that time Little River was the county line between Jasper and Morgan Counties. Templeton Reid, a son of Alexander (II) was a silversmith. He settled near the Jasper-Putnam County line in 1809 where he plied his trade. In 1830 he was licensed by the federal government to mine $2.50, $5, and $10 gold coins made from gold mined at Dahlonega. This was two years before the U.S. mint was built in Georgia. These gold pieces bear the imprint "Templeton Reid assayer 1830" and are considered collectors items today. In 1839 Capt. Samuel Reid sold his plantation in Putnam County to his two sons, Samuel and Alexander (III). Among the descendants of Capt. Samuel Reid was Miss Anna Jordan, who was county commission clerk of Jasper County for many years. She is remembered for the memorial bench, still in use, which she placed on the Square. File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ga/jasper/newspapers/gnw206jasperre.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 4.3 Kb
Jasper County GaArchives News.....Jasper Reflections - Revolutionary War Veterans Who Settled in Our Area 1970's ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Suzanne Forte suzanneforte@bellsouth.net July 2, 2004, 10:28 pm Monticello News JASPER REFLECTIONS BY JOHN HARVEY "Revolutionary War Veterans Who Settled in Our Area" When we started this column one of our source books was Lucian Lamar Knight's "Georgia Landmarks, Memorials and Legends." This book has a list of Revolutionary War veterans and early settlers in each of the 159 counties of the state. Some of the names have bits of information about the individuals, others do not. In my search of other records, whenever I come across one of these names I write the bits of information thereby adding to the total of what I have on each. Also the mention of one of these names in this column will often bring a letter in the next week's mail with some more information that I had not previously had. Sometimes a descendant of one of these families will call and tell me about their relative. As is in the case of William Penn who is covered in this week's column. WILLIAM PENN Among the first settlers in our county was William Penn. Any serious search of the history of Jasper County cannot go very far in the records of the county without coming across his name. William Penn was a Revolutionary War soldier. He came to Randolph (Jasper ) county in 1808, previously he had come to Wilkes County from Virginia. The census of 1820 showed that there were six members of his household, probably including his wife and five children. Earlier his sister, Martha, had probably been in his household but by 1820 she had married Dr. David Brown, a dentist and another early settler. The Penns lived in a house occupied now by th home of Mr. and Mrs. E. G. Jordan, Jr. on College Street. SOME MEMBERS of the Penn family believe that the part of the original house on the lot is still standing. They point to the attic windows just under the roof which are shaped like "ten pins" as identifying the house as the residence of the Penns. Mr. Penn was a member of the Baptist Church, which is nearby and was prominent in it. IN later life he felt that as the town grew that his neighbors were building too close and sold the house on College Street. He next built on land he owned outside of town, the property where Monticello High School is now located. A grandson, Alex Penn, lived in the house for many years. Later the house was sold to the Wilborn family. The Pen-Wilburn house was destroyed by fire in the early 1930's. Later the property was used as a county fairground for a number of years. During World War II, a German prisoner of war camp was located on the property. In the early 1960's the county high school was built there. Sources: Mrs. Hulon Penn, Harvey Powell, U.S. Census for 1820 Additional Comments: Transcribed by Suzanne Forte (suzanneforte@bellsouth.net) from copies of articles contained in the Monticello News. There articles were prepared by Mr. John Harvey and published in this newspaper during the 1970's time frame. Permission has been granted by Mr. Harvey for use of these very valuable and informative articles. File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ga/jasper/newspapers/gnw205jasperre.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 3.7 Kb
Jasper County GaArchives News.....Jasper Reflections - Shady Dale 1970's ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Suzanne Forte suzanneforte@bellsouth.net July 2, 2004, 10:25 pm Monticello News JASPER REFLECTIONS BY JOHN HARVEY Shady Dale Jasper County has two chartered cities. Monticello and Shady Dale. Monticello was discussed in a recent series of articles. Shady Dale also has an interesting history. The beginnings of the community of Shady Dale were in the late 1820s and early 30's. At that time it was a country crossroads near the home of Matthew Whitfield. The nearest community was Wynn's Crossing about one mile to the north, located on the Seven Islands Road, an early immigrant road to the west. Squire Whitfield was a political leader and land owner. Records of the 1830's and 40's show that he and Dr. Thomas Broddus were the largest land owners in the county. At some time in the 1830s the road was changed to run near the Whitfield house rather than through Wynn's Crossing. The Providence Baptist Church was also moved to the area to be situated nearer the main roads. About this time, J. L. Tucker opened a general store at the crossroad sand was followed a short time later by Banks, Davidson and Kelly Co., who opened a store and warehouse. Located in a large grove of oak and hickory trees, the name Shady Dale seemed a natural one. In the 1840's the railroad from Covington to Augusta through Eatonton was built and railroad yard and shop were built. Shady Dale was on the way to prosperity. Early newspaper describe its ideal location and the business opportunities to be found in the Shady Dale area. BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR, Shady Dale was a shipping point for much of the cotton raised in Jasper County. In 1864 the town had a famous visitor, Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman stayed for a few days in the Ezell House Hotel before moving on to Milledgeville on his "March to the Sea". After the War, Shady Dale again became a major local shipping point for cotton. O. H. Banks, a former mayor, has figures for 1909, the largest post Civil War year, showing that 68,068 acres were planted in the county yielding 25, 848 bales. The average yield per acres was 190 pounds. A large percentage of this cotton was shipped from Shady Dale. With the coming of the boll weevil in 1920-21 Shady Dale and many other towns like it suffered. Shady Dale was first chartered as a city in 1882, but this charter was found to be inadequate and a new charter was issued in 1904. The mayor and council under the new charter were mayor, W. D. (Dorse) Wynn, and councilmen C. R. Hodge, S. R. Baynes, T.C. Tucker and W. F. Baynes. Some of the older residents say that Mr. Wynn was also mayor under the charter of 1882 making him he town's first mayor. The new charter became effective in 1904 but some provisions of the old charter stayed in effect until 1906. Transcribed by Suzanne Forte (suzanneforte@bellsouth.net) from copies of articles contained in the Monticello News. There articles were prepared by Mr. John Harvey and published in this newspaper during the 1970's time frame. Permission has been granted by Mr. Harvey for use of these very valuable and informative articles. BICENTENNIAL BITS BY JOHN HARVEY "Visit Shady Dale and Machen" Some nine miles north of Monticello on Georgia Highway 83 are the town of Shady Dale and the community of Machen. Both are early settlements in the county. At the crossroads in the center of Shady Dale is the old well known as the town well. Until about 20 years ago there stood behind the well and to the left the hotel and stage coach stop. This building went back to the early days of Jasper County. Go out Ga. Highway 142 a few miles and the communities of Aikenton and Athon are off to the left. Just across the county line in Putnam County is the site of Turnwold where Joel Chandler Harris of "Uncle Remus" fame worked as a boy learning the printing trade. Harris was a frequent visitor to Shady Dale and Machen. "The Seven Island Road", a famous road over which many early settlers came into middle Georgia in the early 1800's, passed near Shady Dale and Machen. This road began at the Oconee River near Greensboro and parallel present day Highways 142 and 83 until it joined the "Old Federal Road" at the Ocmulgee River near Gladesville. Providence Baptist Church is one of the oldest churches in the County. In its churchyard are buried members of some of the pioneer families of this county. Among them, G.N.G. W. Boone, grandson of Daniel Boone and Seaborn Hawk, an American Revolutionary War veteran. At Providence Church are found the names of many of the early settlers of Jasper County. Many of the names found in the church yard are: Martin, Aiken, Preston, Lynch, Bailey, Green, McDowell, Newton, Roby, Ezell, Banks, Poteet, Pearson, Shaw and Cardell to name a few. Also buried in the church yard is Jacob Mercer a Revolutionary War veteran and father of the Rev. Jesse Mercer, founder of Mercer University. Two monuments are the rather unique interest, the first is to the Rev. J. Wardlaw. Rev. Wardlaws first wife died and after a period of mourning he remarried a much younger woman. A few weeks after the second marriage he was sitting in his house with his young wife when someone shot and killed him through a bedroom window, the perpetrator was never caught. The second is a very impressive monument to Col. Umbus Davis, born in Campbell County, 1849 and died in Jasper County 1896. It is said that Col Davis was a school teacher who lived in the old hotel and was found one morning in his room where he had died. The monument was erected by friends. Could it have been by former students: This is an area that has much history and one visit is not enough to get it all. There were two groups of early settlers who came into Jasper County through this area between 1805 and 1825. The first (1805-1810) directly from Virginia and the Carolinas. The Second beginning in 1817, who had first settled around Powelton in Hancock County before moving into Jasper, Morgan, Putnam, Newton and Walton Counties. Machen was named for the Chief executive officer and vice president of the Athens and Macon Railroad (later the Central of Georgia), Mr. Eli Machen. The railroad was built in 1886-87. Among the interesting houses it contains are the Dr. Bullard house built just before the Civil War, the Willis Newton House and the Leverett House. The Willis Newton House is said to be an exact replica of Jefferson Daviss house. Mr. Newton was County School Superintendent in 1884. He admired the President of the Confederacy and it is said that he went to Mississippi and made copies of the Davis house there. Joel Chandler Harris was a frequent visitor to the Leverett House and is said to have written some of his stories here: began the unfinished manuscript, One Miles to Shady Dale, which was to have been his autobiography. As you return to Monticello on Ga. State Highway 83 there is one more place of interest near by. On the left hand side of the road just before you get to Murder Creek is the Newton Family Cemetery. It is off the road a short distance. Buried there is James Mitchell Newton (1715-1828) one of the early settlers of Jasper County who lived to be 113 years old. Mr. Newton came to Randolph (Jasper) County shortly after the Revolution. He received one of the land grants on Murder Creek (most of these grants were made to ex-soldiers). He came with a party of settlers from Mecklingburg County, Virginia. Many of these settlers settled on Murder Creek and Little River. Mr. Newton was one of the principal signers of the Treaty of Indian Springs in 1823. This treaty led to the Creek Indians being moved to Oklahoma and the death of Chief William McIntosh who signed it. Also buried in the Newton Family Cemetery is Mr. Oliver (Ollie) Newton believed by many to have been the first county wide teacher hired by the Jasper County Board of Education. Sources: Mrs. Mattie Thompson Pete Newton Miss Kitty Thompson Additional Comments: Transcribed by Suzanne Forte (suzanneforte@bellsouth.net) from copies of articles contained in the Monticello News. There articles were prepared by Mr. John Harvey and published in this newspaper during the 1970's time frame. Permission has been granted by Mr. Harvey for use of these very valuable and informative articles. File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ga/jasper/newspapers/gnw204jasperre.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 9.0 Kb
Jasper County GaArchives News.....Bicentennial Bits - Sergeant William Jasper 1970's ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Suzanne Forte suzanneforte@bellsouth.net July 2, 2004, 10:24 pm Monticello News BICENTENNIAL BITS BY JOHN HARVEY (EDITOR'S NOTE: The 200th anniversary of our nation's freedom is as appropriate time for John Harvey, our historical columnist, to begin this series of articles on Sgt. Jasper for whom our county is named. Also, John has an interesting feature on page 9 about past observances of the Fourth here. (It is also a fitting time for us to public ally thank John for the commendable job he's doing and say to him again public ally; "Keep Up the Good Work Through Our Bicentennial Year, for which the column is named, and beyond". - WTH, Jr.) SERGEANT WILLIAM JASPER PART 1 With the coming of the celebration of the Bicentennial of the nation, there has been a stirring of interest in people and events of the Revolution. One of these about whom interesting information has come to light is Sergeant William Jasper, the hero for whom our county is named. Today there is little in official records concerning him, but during the early years of our country he was probably the most well known hero of the enlisted soldier, the farm and the frontiersman of our nation. Because he was the hero of the so-called little people, much of the record was lost for lack of having anyone to write it down. In colonial times only the rich or a very determined man could get an education. The average American struggling to make a living had no time for the frills of education. The skills needed were the ax, the plow, and the gun, usually in that order. What information on Sgt. Jasper that there is comes from a few stories handed down from generation to generation, a few public records, and some accounts written about him by his officers. Tradition holds that William Jasper was the native born son of an Irish family who settled in Williamsburg Township on the Black River in South Carolina in the 1750s. He had other brothers and sisters who had evidently been born before the family immigrated from Ireland, though only one sister and one brother are mentioned in the stories about him. Other members of the family seem to have been loyal to England. No documented evidence has come to light to prove this contention, but this is not unusual. The origins of many families are obscure, and many families have a traditional story explaining how they came to America. In cases like this one the tradition is usually accepted. THE FIRST WRITTEN record of William Jaspers existence is found in the recruiting journal of Lt. Barnard Elliott. In 1775 Lt. Elliott was given the duty of recruiting men for his newly organized Second Regiment of Foot in South Carolina. In his journal Elliott describes the sort of men he sought to recruit. They were young men who lived along the Georgia and South Carolina frontier who had little in worldly goods. They fed themselves by hunting deer and with the occasional cow given them by the local farmers for herding and caring for the cattle in the area. Many of these young men were looking for a way to improve themselves so that they too could become land owners and farmers. In other words they were the first American cowboys. For most of them the army was a way to improve their lot and gain social acceptance. Elliott swung south from Charleston and began recruiting along the Savannah River, moving north towards Augusta. He seems to have had little success until he reached a place called Herberts Tavern on the Georgia side of the river about five miles west of Purrysburg, S.C., and fifty miles south of Augusta. Here he enlisted twenty new recruits and three days later he enlisted eight more at Stephen Smiths home a few miles up the river. Among those was the name of William Jasper. Elliott said that he might have enlisted more but Col. John Thomas, a resident of the area, was recruiting for the Fourth Regiment at the same time and many of the young men wanted to stay with their friends. WILLIAM JASPER may have been a little older than the other recruits, probably in his twenties. In another of his journals, Elliott lists him as a artisan, probably a carpenter. At this time St. Georges Parrish was newly settled and there was a great need for men with a trade. The opportunity to quickly raise himself in a fluid society probably attracted him to the army. Within four months after his enlistment, Jasper had been promoted to sergeant. Elliott, a spit and polish officer, was impressed with his demeanor, ready obedience to orders and his ability to handle men. Charleston, where the Second Foot had been sent was the type of city that made it especially hard to maintain a disciplined army. The city was the hub of southern commerce; the numerous grog shops and nanny houses gave the officers much to complain about. Two British sloops of war patrolled the harbor under the guns of Ft. Johnson. The troops watched as the Provincial Congress took more and more of the powers of government from the Royal Governor, Lord William Campbell. Finally, in September, the Americans took over Ft. Johnson and the governor fled to the ships in the harbor. During these days, 1776 and 1777, Jasper volunteered to work on the fort on Sullivans Island, later named Ft. Moultrie, married a Charleston girl, Elizabeth Marlow, and the young couple had two children. The children, born in the same year, may have been twins. William, Jr., became a cabinetmaker and died childless on July 29, 1819. Elizabeth eventually married three times but her children all died in infancy. IN MARCH 1776, the South Carolina Provincial Congress decided to build a fort on Sullivans Island. Col. William Moultrie and troops under his command were assigned to build it; among them the Second Foot. In early May the fort was inspected by Gen. Charles Lee, who recommended abandonment of the project, but local officials insisted on building the fort. About this time Moultries command was presented with a flag - a silver crescent on a blue background. On June 1, British sails appeared on the horizon. The nine attack ships were commanded by Sir Peter Parker, while the land forces numbering 3000 were commanded by Sir Henry Clinton. Had the attack come on June 1, Charleston would surely have been lost, for the fort was far from completion. While Sir peter delayed the wind fell off and the next 28 days a curious drama took place. As the British ships sat out in the water waiting for the wind to fill their sales, the Americans rushed feverishly to complete their breastworks to defend themselves as best they could. PART II After the battle at Fort Moultrie, Charleston, S.C. in June 1776, Sgt. Jasper was offered a commission as an officer but he turned it down. Many historians believe that his enlistment was over and he returned to Purrysburg to Elizabeth and the children. During the next three years he became one of Francis Marions (the Swamp Fox) guerillas and often acted a liason between Marion and Colonels Elijah Clarke and Andrew Pickens. One account has it that many fighting men were drawn to Marion in the hopes of serving with Jasper. One story has Jasper and Nancy Hart working together to deliver some Tory prisoners to Col. Clarkes headquarters. Then there is the story of the famous rescue of the prisoners at Jasper Spring by Jasper and his friend, Sgt. John Newton. The rescue grew out of Jaspers visit to Ebenezer, Ga., not far up the Savannah River from Purrysburg to see his brother who was in the British forces stationed there. Jasper and his friend, Sgt. Newton, dressed in civilian clothes told a convincing story of having deserted the American army. The British believing them let them wander freely about the camp. While gathering information Jasper discovered some American prisoners who were being taken to Savannah to be questioned by the British and then shot. Slipping out of the British camp, Jasper and Newton hurried down river to a spring they knew to be on the road to Savannah. When the British soldiers stopped there with their prisoners to rest Jasper and Newton surprised them, freeing the prisoners and marching the British off to Marions camp as prisoners. Two bits of evidence give proof of this story; the South Carolina Gazette, July 30, 1779, notes that Sgt. Jasper and a party recently attacked a British patrol and made off with four prisoners and the Virginia Gazette, May 14, 1779, noted that Sgt. Jasper and another sergeant recently delivered two British intelligence officers to Gen. Lincolns headquarters in Charleston. IN SEPTEMBER 1779, Gen. Benjamin Lincoln saw an opportunity to retake Savannah. The Americans had been planning such a move for over a year. The French army, on its way back to Europe, would stop off on the Georgia coast to help. American troops from Georgia and the Carolinas began gathering along the coast and almost immediately things began to go wrong. The French arrived first and did not bother to cover their movements, so the element of surprise was lost. Gen. Lincoln, when he arrived, was dismayed to find that the French Gen. Count dEstaing had given the British Gen. Austin Prevost time to consider surrender terms. This gave Prevost time to change his defenses so that the American spying went for naught. Also it gave Col. John Maitland (British) time to slip through the French lines and re- enforce Savannah. The attack came on Saturday morning, October 9, 1779, and it was evident that things were going from bad to worse. Marions troops and the South Carolina Second Foot were to lead the attack against the Spring Hill Redoubt. The Spring Hill Redoubt was the second strongest point in the British defenses and it was thought that the Americans and their French allies had a better chance of storming the British lines here than at the stronger Maitland Redoubt. The Second and Third South Carolina Foot, now under the command of Col. John Laurens, was given this task. Jasper, who had recently returned to service with his old regiment, was in the front line. The attack went badly from the start. Some of the guides got confused and many of the troops ended up on the swamp. Others ran out of the woods toward the redoubt to be faced with a withering fire of grapeshot, musket balls, scrap metal, broken glass, chains and nails. DEstaing was wounded in the arm but continued to urge his men forward. Gen. Lincoln who commanded the reserve rushed men in to take the places of men who fell. A few men reached the walls of the redoubt and managed to place flags on it. One of these was Sergeant Jasper. All were wounded. As the line crumbled, the men drifted back towards the woods. Jasper was helped into the woods by some of his men. Accounts of his death vary; some say he died in the woods, others say he was carried back to the American base camp at Purrysburg and buried in an unmarked grave. By tradition most historians believe this last to be true. There is now no trace of the American camp and all that remains to mark the site of Purrysburg is a stone monument. This monument is located on S.C. Highway 34, two miles from Hardeeville, S.C. A look at a list of Revolutionary veterans of the Battle of Savannah and a list of early settlers of Jasper County shows that many of the settlers of our county were also veterans of this battle. Many towns and counties across our nation are named for Sergeant William Jasper. Sources: Article from D.A. R. Magazine, c. 1934 Sergeant Jasper - Hero of the Revolution, c. 1976, Pauline Webel Georgias Ragtag Rebellion, Mike Christensen, c. 1976, The Atlanta Journal Constitution The American Legion Magazine, June 1976, 1776 in the South Additional Comments: Transcribed by Suzanne Forte (suzanneforte@bellsouth.net) from copies of articles contained in the Monticello News. There articles were prepared by Mr. John Harvey and published in this newspaper during the 1970's time frame. Permission has been granted by Mr. Harvey for use of these very valuable and informative articles. File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ga/jasper/newspapers/gnw203bicenten.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 12.7 Kb
Jasper County GaArchives News.....Bicentennial Bits - Monticello - Jasper County Scrapbook 1970's ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Suzanne Forte suzanneforte@bellsouth.net July 2, 2004, 10:22 pm Monticello News BICENTENNIAL BITS BY JOHN HARVEY Monticello - Jasper County Scrapbook Where Did The Early Settlers of Jasper County Come From? - Many people think that the colonists who came with Oglethorpe in 1733 and those who followed them spread out from Savannah and Augusta and after a few generations had settled the whole state. This isn't so. The original settlers and their descendants remained mostly in South and East Georgia. Middle, West and North Georgia were settled in the "Second Immigration", which began about 1800, when mostly Scotch-Irish farmers from Virginia, North and South Carolina poured into Georgia looking for rich "cotton land". These settlers especially admired the great leaders of the Democratic- Republican Party and the heroes of the Revolution. Examples: Randolph (original name of Jasper County, Va.), Monticello (home of Thomas Jefferson), Jasper (Sgt. Jasper, S.C.) Monroe (Va.), Madison (Va.) are just a few. HIGHIWAY 16 PAVED FOR WAR - In 1939, Georgia Highway 16 was unpaved from Griffin to Warrenton through Monticello. It was decided that if war came as it appeared it would that Georgia 16 would be the most direct route from Columbus (Ft Benning) to Augusta (Camp Gordon). It was decided that this Highway should be paved immediately. Gov. E. D. River's announced that any prisoners in the State Prison System who agreed to work on this road with the exception of life termers would be considered for pardon. Work began in the winter of 1939 and 149 days later was completed, in 1940. This was a record for Monticello widening, scraping, and laying road bed. A few days later another crew came thru laying rock and gravel, to be followed by a third crew laying asphalt. A special crew laid cement from the Ocmulgee river thru Monticello to the end of Eatonton Street. The cement between the river and Monticello was not covered with asphalt until 1959. Many said this river highway was the best constructed in the state. It was finished just in time, the next year, the Third Army used Monticello as one of its stops on the way from Ft. Benning thru Augusta to staging area in New Jersey. THE THIRD ARMY MOVES THROUGH MONTICELLO - In the fall of 1940 the government decided to move the Third Army from Ft Benning to the Staging areas in New Jersey. Some U.S. troops had already been sent to England to help the British with the large volume of Lend-Lease material being shipped from the U.S. In the Spring of 1941 Gens. Eisenhower and Clark were to make their secret trip to North Africa to talk with Free French sympathizers. So, many felt that is wasn't long before the U.S. would be in World War II. Because the Army did not have enough vehicles available to move the whole Third Army at one time it was decided to move them in stages - sort of leap frog like. One group would start out walking toward Griffin while a second group would load up all the trucks, jeeps, etc, and ride to griffin where they would set up a camp. After setting up camp they would start hiking toward Monticello. In the mean time the trucks would return and pick up the men between Griffin and Columbus. The next camp was at Sparta, then at Camp Gordon (Ft. Gordon) and so forth up to New Jersey. Monticello's two camps were at Shepherd's Pasture (across from Piedmont Academy) and four miles out on Eatonton Highway. The Third Army spent seven days passing thru Monticello. General Patton came through on the third day. GENERAL PATTON SPENT TWO MINUTES IN MONTICELLO, NOVEMBER 1940 - The Third Army had been passing thru Monticello for two days. At night everything was open to accommodate the soldiers who did more looking than trading. They started coming in on Wednesday and we were told that Gen. Patton and his staff would come thru on Friday afternoon at about two. School was let out at one o'clock. Actually he didn't come thru until nearly three o'clock. Monticello's football team had made the playoffs for the region and was in the midst of practice for the championship game the next weekend with Dublin, Ga. The players were given an extra hour before practice to see the General. (Monticello won 18-13 on a blocked, intercepted pass by Roy Kelly and a 98-yard run by Harold Morgan. Monticello had its first region championship) At just before three o'clock, the two MP's stationed at Church and Washington Streets began pushing everybody back to the curb. A third MP made a sliding stop on his motorcycle and came to attention all in one fluid motion. The next instant two ammunition carriers with MP's on motor cycles in front and behind flew by at close to 50 mph. Standing in the back of the first car with his arms folded across his chest, two pearl handled 45's strapped low on his hips (western gunfighter style) was six foot six, 250 lb. Gen. George S. Patton, Jr. When the car turned to go around the square and out by the City Hall he didn't lean an inch. They were gone almost as soon as they came in sight. BICENTENNIAL BITS BY JOHN HARVEY "Monticello - Jasper County Scrapbook" THE DOW'S PULPIT MONUMENT on Highway 11 near the Jasper-Newton County line there stands a rock shaped like a pulpit. Because of the efforts of Judge A. S. Thurman in 1934 this was the first spot marked in our county by the Sate Historical Commission. Lorenzo Dow, a Methodist circuit rider often preached here in the early 1800's. Many of you are familiar with the often printed story of Mr. Dow and the town of Franklin in Effingham County. Mr. Dow had a reputation of being able to find out things when others could not. The Monument has a story, just as everything connected with Mr. Dow has. It was said that is was where he caught some thieves that the law enforcement officers hadn't been able to catch. In 1934, Judge Thurman heard that the State Highway Department had plans to pave Highway 11 from gray to the Hub and that the rock would be removed. Instead he got the state to declare it a historical spot. During WW II someone removed the marker and it was later found in Florida. It was returned, cleaned up and bolted to the rock where it remains today. Source: Mrs. Kate Thurman's Booklet on Early Monticello THE DEER COME TO JASPER COUNTY: Jasper County is now pretty much accepted as the Deer Capital of Georgia but there was a time when all the deer had been wiped out. In October 1934, Dr. L. Y. Pittard announced through the Monticello News that a local community affiliated with the State Fish and Game Commission had secured a buck and two does from the state of Washington. The deer would arrive on October 18 and would be placed temporarily in the pens behind the Courthouse until they could acclimate themselves. After a few days they would be released on Jackson Lake near Camp Suitsus. Citizens were warned that shooting deer was illegal. It was to remain so until the deer had increased to a point where hunting could be allowed. Source: The Monticello News JACKSON SPRINGS - A HISTORIC SPOT NEAR MONTICELLO: For many years, Jackson Spring on the Forsyth Highway has held interest for many. It was said that Gen. Andrew Jackson camped there on his way to Florida in the Seminole War between 1816 and 1819. The ancient cannon that once graced our square was said to have been dug up at the Spring and had been one of Jacksons. We have now come across an article written in 1910 about the Spring. This article was one of a series sponsored by the Sergeant Jasper Chapter, DAR, to acquaint the people of Jasper County about the history of their county. The following is taken from the article: This Spring was known to the people of Jasper County as early as 1810 when it became a popular gathering place for special events. An arbor was erected for revivals and the annual countywide Sunday School picnic was held here each May until 1885 with Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterians participating. Beginning about 1820, political speakers and meetings began to be held here many candidates for State and local office held barbecues and spoke to supporters from the surrounding counties. It was in 1816 that the Spring got its name. In that year. Gen Andrew Jackson and the U.S. Army camped there on their way to Florida to fight the Spanish and Seminole Indians. Jackson had planned to spend only four days at the Spring, but people from all around the area came out to make his stay pleasant and the weather was pretty, so he stayed two weeks. Shortly after 1810, Rueben Jordan bought most of the land around the spring and settled his plantation there in 1820. His son, William F. Jordan, was born here in 1833 (died 1902). William F. Jordan built his antebellum home near the Spring in 1860 (This is presently the home of Mr. and Mrs. L. O. Benton, III) At the time of the writing of the article the spring was on the property of Mr. Harvie Jordan, well known Jasper Countian then living in Atlanta. The Spring was destroyed in 1886 when the road bed for the Macon and Athens Railroad was laid. Source: Article by the Sergeant Jasper DAR Additional Comments: Transcribed by Suzanne Forte (suzanneforte@bellsouth.net) from copies of articles contained in the Monticello News. There articles were prepared by Mr. John Harvey and published in this newspaper during the 1970's time frame. Permission has been granted by Mr. Harvey for use of these very valuable and informative articles. File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ga/jasper/newspapers/gnw202bicenten.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 10.2 Kb
Jasper County GaArchives News.....Bicentennial Bits - Shiloh Baptist Church 1970's ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Suzanne Forte suzanneforte@bellsouth.net July 2, 2004, 10:19 pm Monticello News BICENTENNIAL BITS BY JOHN HARVEY Shiloh Baptist Church Part I As we have already seen, Jasper County was first created as Randolph County in 1807. In 1812 the name was changed to Jasper when the early citizens disagreed with Representative Randolph over his stand in the War of 1812. Before 1807 the lands we know as Jasper County today were a part of Baldwin County and a few hardy souls had begun to penetrate into the southern and eastern sections of the future county as early as 1803. In 1807 and 1808 land in the county was divided out to the settlers by lottery. At this time, the lands along the Little River were a part of the new county. The most sought after lands were along Little River and Murder Creek. Many of those getting land along these two waterways and their tributaries were veterans of the Revolution. The routes followed by these early settlers were chiefly out of southern Virginia, North and South Carolina by way of Edgefield, Aiken, Chester and Fairfield counties thru Wilkes, Green and Hancock counties into Putnam, Morgan, Jasper, Newton and Walton counties. According to an earlier church history, written about 1911, a Primitive Baptist Church called Hephzibah was organized in 1808 and used as a meeting house near Farrar, Georgia. This church struggled along for a number of years in a pioneer land gradually weakening until there were only four or five members, services were finally discontinued and the meeting house was used as a workshop. About the same time, the early 19th century, another church was organized on the Little River in what is now Morgan County. This church also had a few good years but it also began to weaken and was on the verge of extinction when its members under the leadership of Rev. T. U. Wilkes joined Hephzibah in a protracted meeting. A Great revival resulted in which many souls were saved, the church was reorganized and named Shiloh. After four or five years the church was moved to Morgan County. The exact time of the revival is uncertain as no dates are given in the earlier church history, but must have been before 1837, as the Rev. Wilkes preached the introductory sermon at the organizational meeting of the Central Association in 1837. He was clerk of the association from 1844 to 1847 and again in 1850. Sometime during the late 1840's and early 1850's the section between Murder Creek and the Little River passed to Morgan and Newton counties. Sometime later about the 1800's about half of the area was returned to Jasper County. Therefore a researchers looking into this area must research records in our neighboring counties, as well as Central Association Records. One excellent source is the records at Powelton in Hancock County. The earliest written records at Shiloh date from 1871. The earlier records have been lost or destroyed. A memoriam written for Mr. J.E. Spears, at his death in 1892, stated that he joined the church in 1845 and was baptized by Rev. T. U. Wilkes. The church record begins with the minutes of the church conference on May 20, 1871 and is rather complete to the present. In those days conference was held on Saturday afternoon, every church member was required to attend and if he or she was absent for as many as three conferences a committee was appointed to inquire into the reasons for his or her long absence. A footnote to the minutes of July 15, 1871, read, "The Deacons report a compromise in favor of the church and two acres of land secured around the church and recorded in deed from the Executors of the estate of Issac S. Walton to A.C. Foster, acting for the church, reserved two acres and the church to Shiloh as long as used for church purposes. This site is on the E. L. Johnston property and is thought that the church building stood on the left of the highway from Broughton to Pennington about half a mile from the Wilson Broach house. ON OCTOBER 25, 1879, is was decided to move the church as soon as convenient, and in May 1883 it was decided the move to be near Brother Dixons. A deed made on July 23, 1883 and recorded in Book 1, Page 531 in the clerk's office in Jasper County conveys a certain plot of land from T. P. Doster to the deacons and clerk of Shiloh Church. This is the site where the church is today. SHILOH BAPTIST CHURCH PART II THE PRESENT Shiloh Church was constructed in 1907 and dedicated, the second Sunday in June, 1911. Three men were said to have been principally responsible for its construction as the building committee. They were W. Carroll Starr, Tommy Lee Wagner and Lee Perry Bryant. Timbers were brought from the old church in Morgan County. Its value as recorded in a letter to the Central Association was $1,242. Before going on to the modern times of the church let us look back into the early minutes. From them we can get a view of rural churches throughout the South. After the Civil War living conditions were difficult, conditions bordering on famine were common, and bankruptcies were numerous. The church also experience considerable financial difficulties during these times. It had been handed down by word of mouth that one pastor was paid a jug of molasses for a years service. The minutes show other occasions and difficulties. One year the $24 needed to repair the floor and walls of the church seemed an almost impossible amount. In the late 90s the pastors salary, $50 to $75 a year seemed almost impossible. Once when the church was two years behind, the pastor showed his faith in the members by accepting the call of the church for another year, provided the church did its duty by him. Assessments were made on both male and female members to pay the pastor, but times got better and the church survived. The minutes reveal other happenings that were not of a financial nature, such as entertaining the Central Association in 1873, barn-dancing among church members in 1875; in 1888 permission was given to Judge A. S. Thurman and Walter Hill to open a school at the church; in 1889 Shiloh Academy was founded with the church officers as trustees the same year a tract of land was purchased from T. P. Doster for the school. In 1885 a Sunday School was founded with J. W. Wagner as superintendent. In 1912 the Womens Missionary Union was organized and during the war years (1917) the church experience a period of growth and prosperity. At this time the church began two services a month and the pastors salary was raised to $800.00. In 1920 additional Sunday School rooms were added. This period of prosperity came to a sudden end with decline in cotton prices and the advent of the boll weevil, the worst year being 1922. In 1923, the pastors salary was reduced to $20.00 a month. A Baptist Young Peoples Union (BYPU) was formed in 1921, giving valuable training in their responsibilities as church members to the youth. In 1946 it was reorganized as the BTU and at least one member, Rev. Wayman C. Reece credits BYPU as being very influential in his decision to enter the ministry. In 1947 the church went back to two services a month and in 1950 formed a field with the Mansfield Church. Together with that church a pastorium was purchased in Mansfield. Since its founding the church had had 42 pastors. During World War II, Mercer University furnished divinity students to serve as interim pastors. Among the pastors are those who are especially remembered: The Rev. A. M. Marshall who served the longest; the Rev. J. J. Winburn who served the church twice; the Rev. Winburn and his son the Rev. Billy Winburn are the only father/son pastors; the Dr. Scott Patterson, Rev. C. E. Evans, missionary to Kenya and East Africa. The Rev. D. L. Knight, pastor in 1962 died while pastor and Rev. James Herring who was ordained to the ministry in the church in 1974. In 1964 a lot was given for the building of a pastorium by Mr. T. H. Blackwell who had served the church on the board of Deacons for over 50 years. The new pastorium was dedicated on Jan. 31, 1965. In 1975, a special program and night was held for the retirement of Mrs. George Spearman after 40 years as treasurer of the church. The present membership of 137 residents, 87 non-residents for a total of 224 members. Sunday School membership is 135. Other activities of the church are WMU, Mrs. Ralph Johnston, president; adult, young people and childrens choirs, with Mrs. Martha Melton, director. Sources: History of Shiloh Baptist Church, 1805-1958, William Wagner Mrs. Sam Dykes Mrs. George Spearman A special thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Wagner who suggested sources and people to talk to. Note: Mrs. Dykes who was so nice about telling us about the church and its history died before this article was ready for print. She was very interested in the history of Shiloh Church as members of her family had been charter members. We hope this will be the sort of article she would have wanted. Additional Comments: Transcribed by Suzanne Forte (suzanneforte@bellsouth.net) from copies of articles contained in the Monticello News. There articles were prepared by Mr. John Harvey and published in this newspaper during the 1970's time frame. Permission has been granted by Mr. Harvey for use of these very valuable and informative articles. File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ga/jasper/newspapers/gnw201bicenten.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 10.0 Kb
Jasper County GaArchives News.....More About Smith's Mill and Seven Islands 1970's ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Suzanne Forte suzanneforte@bellsouth.net July 2, 2004, 10:18 pm Monticello News MORE ABOUT SMITH'S MILL AND SEVEN ISLANDS During the past year as we have gathered information on Smith's Mill and the Seven Islands area, we have received much help and information from a gracious lady, Mrs. J. B. (Clara) Ellis. We are pleased to have Mrs. Ellis as guest columnist this week with more data on the mills and their history. (John P. Harvey) By CLARA T. ELLIS I have been interested in the articles that have appeared in The Monticello News about the Smith's Mill section of the county. Here is my version of events in general as compared with data so far published. I taught summer school just north of the creek then called Wise Creek, now Kinards Creek, some 65 years ago. I went home with some pupils to spend the night, and as we walked down a hill a hundred yards or so from the house there lay a mass of land completely choked with small bushes, some twelve feet from the river bank. Clear water ran over rock, and as he water was no more than six inches deep, the children waded out. I removed my shoes and followed suit. A twig was in my way and when I broke it off it disturbed a wasps nest. I received a bad sting or two. I did not get to explore the island, but I am sure that it was the large island as it seemed to be sitting on top of the rocks. I was not sure but that they have eroded away in the last 70 years. I guess the creek first known as Wise's later Kinard's was near by, but I don't recall seeing it then, though I had waded in it as a child. An old pupil of mine and two cousins were in a group who picniced on the large island some years ago. They said that there were many bones there then. (Many wounded horses were reportedly destroyed there during the Civil War.) I was told that there was only the old Crittendon home still standing near the site of the old Lamar mills then, though it was deserted. I understand that the buildings at Lamar's were all burned except the Crittendon home. The Lamar family moved to Macon and one of them I.C.Q. Lamar, went on to Texas to prominence as the Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court. My father, reared in this area, said that there were several ferries along this part of the river: Giles, Halls or Hollands. Wise's, Smith's and Goodman's. Several counties coming together near here was a factor in the growth of the area. Mention has been made in earlier articles of crowds waiting to cross at Wise's ferry. This was at the time of the 1826 land grants. In an article written by my father for the Butts County Sentinel he stated that people camped on our land. My grandfather, William Balaam Thompson, born in 1792, came to the Smith's mill area in 1847. I feel sure that he had some part in building the rock race and the rock house. He was mainly a contractor and he built the roadbed and laid the tracks for the railroad between Union Point and Greensboro in 1842. He was a poor man as worldly things go, but must have had a good education for the times, as it is said that, after moving into the undeveloped area when his children were young, he undertook to teach them all to read and write. When Mr. Smith bought the mill he had equipment put in that ginned wool to remove trash and then moved it on down to spin it into finger-sized 2 1/2 foot rolls ready for women to spin. Mr. Smith had bought the mill as an investment. He lived in Butts County in the vicinity of Lamar's Mill, not far down the river. This was also near the Seven Island area where the Indians had crossed for lo, these many years. As Mr. Smith's health waned he turned the farm over to his son and moved to Flovilla some four miles over in Butts County. It happened that several well-to-do families lived on the Butts County side of the river and, as the area was too far from a town for convenient shopping, a village came into being and a clothing factory was established to give employment to workers from Butts, Jasper, Jones and Monroe counties. There was a grist mill known as Lamar's Mill, and most such villages also had a blacksmith shop, a woodshop, perhaps a gin and a store. The clothing factory gave farmers a chance to make cash money. As a rule, cotton was sold in the fall and otherwise all the cash a housewife ever had was from the sale of a few eggs, or perhaps she would barter them for coffee, sugar, etc. Additional Comments: Transcribed by Suzanne Forte (suzanneforte@bellsouth.net) from copies of articles contained in the Monticello News. There articles were prepared by Mr. John Harvey and published in this newspaper during the 1970's time frame. Permission has been granted by Mr. Harvey for use of these very valuable and informative articles. File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ga/jasper/newspapers/gnw200moreabou.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 5.3 Kb
Jasper County GaArchives News.....Jasper Reflections - Local UDC Have Helped Make Square Important Part of County 1970's ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Suzanne Forte suzanneforte@bellsouth.net July 2, 2004, 10:16 pm Monticello News JASPER REFLECTIONS BY JOHN HARVEY Local United Daughters of the Confederacy Have Helped Make Square Important Part of County PART I Recently, Mrs. J. T. Thomason, Sr. loaned me a copy of the history of the local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC), it is of interest because it chronicles the activities of these ladies over the years in our county. It tells about their part in the placing of the monument on the Square, planting the four water oaks and placing the markers on the Square, placing of historical markers all over the county and many other activities They often called on their "men folks" to help and they joined in with enthusiasm. The authors say that "everyone loved their county and put aside petty disagreements when the county was concerned to work for the betterment of Jasper County". Today many who have moved to the county in the last twenty years have a better record of participation in community projects than do those who were born here. The local chapter of UDC was chartered on March 13, 1903, it's charter being number 654. The chapter began with twenty members. They were: Emma Scott Reid, Mara E. Kennon, Mattilu Marsh, Ellen Jerldine Jordan Nora Kennon, Mary Kennon, Mimie Penn, Martha Penn Morgan, Willie Turner, Martha Smith Penn, Annie Parks Penn (founder), Mrs. A. S. Florence, Mattie Barron Benton, Mrs. E. A. McNair, Sallie A. Merriwether, Maude Clark Penn, Kate Kennon, Nelle Florence, Mary Howard Smith, and Phoebe Key Zachury. Prior to the organization of the chapter there had been a group called "The Ladies Memorial Association". This group had decorated the graves of soldiers, cared for the ground around the court house in the center of the Square and held memorial services for the veterans. This group of ladies was led by Mrs. Annie Parks Penn, the editor of the Jasper County News. Mrs. Penn, realizing that the county needed a more perfected organization, wrote a series of articles in her family's newspaper. Through correspondence with state and national organizations and other personal efforts the chapter was founded in the home of Mrs. A. S. Florence on March 13, 1903. Though Mrs. Penn was the founder and driving force in the chapter, she refused to hold any formal office in the organization, preferring to work as a member for many for many year. The Confederate Veterans of Camp Key Chapter were so pleased with the work of Mrs. Penn and the ladies that they insisted on paying for the charter and organizing expenses. THE FIRST OFFICERS of the Chapter were: Mrs. Emma Scott Reid, President, Miss Mary Kennon, first vice president, Mrs. Mary H. Smith, second vice president, Miss Willie Turner, recording secretary, Mrs. Mattie Barron Benton, treasurer, and Mrs. Ellen Jordan, historian. (UDC Historian was also county historian, so Mrs. Jordan also has the honor of being our first county historian - J.H.) On Memorial Day, April 26, 1903, the president, Mrs. Reid presented thirty two Bronze Crosses of Honor for Confederate veterans and again on June 3, 1903, Jefferson Davis' birthday, more crosses were presented. Each year after that on Memorial Day the chapter presented Crosses in a program, and dinner in honor of the veterans. On February 16, 1909, the chapter was completely reorganized with sixty four members. In the minutes of this meeting we find that the old courthouse was to be torn down and the chapter had asked for permission to beautify the proposed park in the center of the Square, and to look into the erection of a monument in it. In 1909-10, Mrs. Greene Johnson was president and the minutes book is filled with committees, called meetings, and plans for securing the monument. The whole county was interested in the monument, and drives, suppers, shows, picnic, and concerts were held to raise funds. Some of the businessmen gave a day's profit from their businesses for (continued on page 2) Transcriber's notes: The continuation on page 2 is missing. PART II In 1911, the Memorial Day program was centered around the fiftieth anniversary of the men of Jasper County leaving for the fighting in Virginia in 161. On April 26, 1861, the 750 men of the "Glover Guards", a Jasper County company, left Monticello for the front in Virginia. On that day Miss Rebecca Jordan had presented them with their "battle flag". On April 26 1911, Miss Jordan presented the veterans of Camp Key with a facsimile of the original flag. The acceptance speech was made by Judge Samuel Reid, husband of the chapter's first president. The Chapter president in 1911 was Mrs. W. R. Pope. In 1912, the chapter was presented a gavel by Mrs. H. C. Hill, the honorary president. It was made from a "battered" peg from the room where the last meeting of the Confederate cabinet was held. The active membership was at what was it's largest at any time - 66. For the next few years they centered most of their activities on recognition of the veterans of all America's wars. When the United States went to war in 1917, the UDC came forward to help again. Joining with the Garden Club, both chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution and other civic groups, they set up a sewing room and did Red Cross work to make things easier for our men overseas. Many ladies whose names are familiar to those of us who grew up in Monticello and Jasper County were active in this work. On Feb. 4, 1920, the first of two important programs was held on the Square. On that day four water oaks were planted and on April 13, 1923, four markers were unveiled in honor of the four Jasper County men who gave their lives in France in World War I. They were: Private Sam Henry Davis, Lieutenant John Bridges Roberts, Sergeant Paul Bryan Minter, and Private Lucius Smith Kelly. In 1925, Mrs. G. W. Cornwell was elected president and began an association with the organization that lasted until her death in 1950. Over the years the Daughters have sponsored the essay contest in the local schools joined with the DAR in placing historical markers over the county. During the 1940's and 50's the UDC joined the Garden Club to buy and plant new shrubbery on the Square. In the 1950's the daughters participated in many activities both local and regional. In 1950 and 52 they were very active in the drive for contributions for a memorial to Gen. Robert E. Lee at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. A flag was contributed to the United Nations. This flag was displayed at the American Legion House for some time before being sent on to the United Nations. The Daughters headed a drive to plant shrubbery around the new Jasper Memorial Hospital and on Feb. 5, 1952, two magnolias were planted on the hospital grounds in honor of the daughters. From 1953-59 they were active with other local groups and clubs in Monticello's participation in the "Better Hometowns Contest" sponsored by Georgia Power Company. During these years the Daughters were ably led by Mrs. Kate Thurmond. Among projects in the 1960's were the beautification of Georgia Highway 83 through Jasper County and the presentation of the rolls of Georgians who served in the Civil War. These rolls in seven volumes were presented to the high school library in 1961. Another project was participation of the Monticello chapter in memorials for the Georgia State Hall of Fame. In the 1970's the membership has seen a decline. UDC Chapter 654 still meets each month, with 13 members still active. Officers are: Mrs. J. T. Thomason, president; Mrs. E. M. Lancaster, secretary and treasurer; Mrs. Harvey Bell, historian; Miss Sara Jan Dixon, registrar; and Mrs. D. B. Dixon recorder of Crosses. Mrs. F. S. Belcher is the only "Real Daughter" still active. Additional Comments: Transcribed by Suzanne Forte (suzanneforte@bellsouth.net) from copies of articles contained in the Monticello News. There articles were prepared by Mr. John Harvey and published in this newspaper during the 1970's time frame. Permission has been granted by Mr. Harvey for use of these very valuable and informative articles. File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ga/jasper/newspapers/gnw199jasperre.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 8.8 Kb
Jasper County GaArchives News.....Jasper Reflections - Bethlehem Baptist Church 1970's ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Suzanne Forte suzanneforte@bellsouth.net July 2, 2004, 10:14 pm Monticello News JASPER REFLECTIONS BY JOHN HARVEY "Bethlehem Baptist Church" PART I Bethlehem Baptist Church is located in the northwestern section of the county on Georgia Highway 221, and attracts the attention of the passerby by its freshly painted buildings and well kept grounds. This church was originally organized as a Missionary Baptist Church in 1821. During the 1830's and 40's the church prospered though it was the only Missionary Baptist Church in the immediate area. The only other Missionary Baptist churches in the area being Towliga in Butts County and Rehobeth in DeKalb County. An early list of original members shows nineteen men and eight women as members in 1821 with thirteen new members added in 1825. Families on the original list were Taylor, Lynne, Ramsey, Miller, Wilson, Flagg, Dunn, Lane, Reaves, Brook, Stone, Chesser, Martin and White. The later list added Holmes, Dennis, Thompson, Lane, Byars, Strickland, Mercer, Glover, Gilcomb and Reeves. The first minister was C. White who served from 1823 to 1833 and was followed by B. Strickland. It is not clear how long the Rev. Strickland's ministry continued. In the late 1830's the family names of Aiken, Smith, Clark, Hardy, Cornwell, Key and Dodson appear on church rolls. THE EARLY RECORD shows that on May 19, 1823, Stokley Morgan deeded to the deacons of Bethlehem Church one acre and 140 poles more or less and a 20 foot wide walk from the church to a spring at the head of the branch. This is the property on which the present church stands and the spring is still used by the church. Deacons signing the deed were John Reeves and Francis Martin with Aaron Brooks and John Hutchinson as witnesses. This deed is recorded in Book C, Page 28 at the Jasper County Courthouse and is dated Dec. 9, 1835. The first clerk was P. Reeves, who served until June, 1835. He was succeeded by G. W. Cornwell, 1834-41; James Lane, 1841-46, William D. Lane, 1846-56, William T. White, 1856-77, and James P. Hardy, 1877- ? Church records for a period of 16 years (1879-1895) have not been located. Sometime during the early years the church voted to join the United Baptist Denomination, but at a called meeting on May 14, 1904, after a prayer by N. H. Leverette, the membership voted to return to the Missionary Baptist Denomination. This is followed by a list of male and female members of the new church, and a list of those asking for and receiving letters of dismissal. The church is still Missionary Baptist. ANOTHER MEETING took up charges that a brother had been seen drinking and fighting in a public place. At another time one of the members was charged with allowing a dance to be held at his house. One of the women members was charged with having attended the dance. Both asked the conference for forgiveness and promised that it wouldn't happen again. They were forgiven. In November, 1833, a conference looked into the ordination of a Mr. Whatley who was serving in the county as a lay minister and wished to continue his work. In August of 1840 a new set of Rules of Decorum was adopted by the congregation. Later that year Brother Clark had made what was considered by the church as an "unreasonable request" of the church and had been turned down. He asked to take the request before the Association at Towliga. Clark P. Reeves was appointed to accompany him to the Association meeting, where the request was also turned down. The records do not say what the request was. In December, Brother Clark asked for a letter of dismission. The church in conference voted to delay action until the case could be investigated. In January, he and his wife were given their letters of dismissal. BETHLEHEM BAPTIST CHURCH PART II Last week we described some of the records of Bethlehem Baptist Church, including actions on members apparently errant behavior. At other times baptismal services were held and the names of new members were entered in the beautiful script of Clerks G. W. Cornwell and William D. Lane. There was a separate page listing slaves who were members during the 1840s and 50s. The slaves name and the servant of followed by the masters name was the way these members were recorded. During these early year, the area around Bethlehem Church was one of the most heavily settled sections of Jasper County. The river was the main means of transportation and there were crossroad communities and riverboat landing, each having its own name. After the railroad came to Monticello in the 1880s the center of population shifted toward the center of the county. Many of these sites disappeared without leaving a trace. Many of the people moved to surrounding county seats or to new lands opening up in the west. In September, 1869, after a four-day series of meetings, a baptismal service was held, which was typical. At that service the evangelist, the Rev. James M. Bledsoe, baptized the following: Virgil A. Chaffin, Andrew J. White, Zimsewda J. Deason, Lana A. Tucker, Julia F. Hardy, Martha E. Edwards, Sophia C. Price, Sarah P. White and Mary F. Cornwell. He was assisted by Brothers J. G. Weaver and William Weaver. Received by letter were Zemma Fedders, Martha Campbell, Elizabeth White, John W. White Thomas J. Leverett and Mary Jane White. In 1878-9, Bethlehem Baptist Church was experiencing one of its most active periods of growth. In may of that year Clerk James P. Hardy listed the names of the members. His list showed 15 of the original members still living, nine of them women and six men. Original members must have included both 1821 and 1825 lists. There was a total of 124 active members. Four men had been excommunicated for intoxification and fighting, four other members had been excommunicated, though no charges were listed. Between 1821 and 1969 a total of 1322 people had held membership in the church. Family name appearing most often included Cornwell, Lane, Hardy, Clark, Smith, Thompson, Brown, White, Martin, Trammell, Leveritt, and Price. Other names which appear frequently were Kelly, Edwards, Hooper, Perry, Stone, Pope, Polk, Satterwhite, Parker, Strickland, Key, Byars, Bishop and Campbell. When the church records resumed in 1895, the pastor was the Rev. W. B. Cook and the clerk was Brother W. W. Leverett, Succeeding clerks were J.L. Moore and T. E. Hooper. Clerk pro tem at the time of reorganization in 1904 was A. J. Thomason. After the church had reorganized as Missionary Baptist, Brother J. L. Malone was elected clerk. On October 8, 1904, the Rev. J. N. Pounds was elected pastor for the next year. He resigned on December 10 of the same year, and from other records it seems he resigned in order to accept the post of home missionary in Jasper, Newton, Morgan and Putnam Counties. He was killed when a train struck his buggy near Shady Dale in 1910 and his obituary said that he had been home missionary in the area for five years. Bethlehem Church elected the Rev. Z. M. Leveritt as its pastor for 1905 and T. J. Chaffin and C. A. Lumsden were ordained deacons. For the next few years the church had one of the largest Sunday schools in the county and prospered generally. R. G. Chaffin was Sunday school Superintendent for about 20 years. From 1930 to 1938 the church had no Sunday School and preaching was held only once a month. Attendance was very poor. In April 1938, the Rev. O. S. Patrick came to the church and preached to a small group. On request he returned during the following months and was eventually elected pastor. In September, 1938, E. L. Chaffin was elected and began a long service in that capacity. At about this time a new Sunday School was organized and money was collected to repair and paint the buildings. Several new members were added, showing moderate progress. More recent times have seen real growth for the church. A new piano was bought in the early 1960s, with Mrs. Frank Wild and Mrs. Hugh Cook contributing a large portion of the funds needed. The church building was painted in 1968 and 1975 and a new roof put on in 1970. New pews were also installed in 1970. The new fellowship building was dedicated on August 11, 1974 and was completely free of debt when dedicated. A new air conditioning and heating system was installed in 1975 and the present pastor, Brother Joseph Franklin, gave a new light fixture for the church. In 1976 the church chose as a project the installation of a new ceiling and paneling the sanctuary and this work is scheduled to begin soon. Mrs. Harold (Pauline) Morris is the present church clerk having been elected in 1975 when E. L. Chaffin resigned due to illness. MINISTERS OF BETHLEHEM BAPTIST CHURCH 1821-?: 1823-1833 - C. White; 1834 - B. Strickland; 1835 - P. Reaves; 1836 - B. Strickland; 1837 - William Thompson; 1838-1839 - B. Strickland; 1840-42 - W. Byars; 1842-48 - W. Jarrell; 1849-1850 - Field, Mc Michael and Pitts. Also, 1851-53 - W. Jarrell; 1855 - B. Strickland; 1856-58 - John Skipper; 1859- 60 - W. Jarrell; 18683-63 - Elisher Norris; 1864-65 - Tidwell; 1866 - Adam Allison; 1867-68 - John Weaver; 1869 - James M. Bledsoe; and 1870 -78 - T. J. Leverett. (Church records for 1879-95 are missing) Also, 1896-97 - W. B. Cook; 1898-1903 - H. M. Pitman; 1904 - J. E. Pounds; 1905 - Z. M. Leveritt; 1909 - E. W. Sammons; 1910 - S. N. Hannie; 1911-12 - J. J. Winburne; 1921 - Gilmore; 1922-37 - J. L. Miblet; 1938-43 - O. S. Patrick; 1944 - Paul Gresham; 1945-53 - Troh Hollingsworth; 1953-61 - C. B. Wells; 1969- 69 - unknown; 1970 - 76 - C. B. Wells, and 1976 to present Joseph P. Franklin. Sources: Bethlehem Baptist Church minutes, 1821-1925, Mrs. Harold Morrow, Church Clerk, and Mrs. Joseph P. Franklin. Additional Comments: Transcribed by Suzanne Forte (suzanneforte@bellsouth.net) from copies of articles contained in the Monticello News. There articles were prepared by Mr. John Harvey and published in this newspaper during the 1970's time frame. Permission has been granted by Mr. Harvey for use of these very valuable and informative articles. File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ga/jasper/newspapers/gnw198jasperre.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 10.8 Kb
Jasper County GaArchives News.....Bicentennial Bits - Diary of Life in Monticello in 1861 1970's ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Suzanne Forte suzanneforte@bellsouth.net July 2, 2004, 10:11 pm Monticello News BICENTENNIAL BITS BY JOHN HARVEY "Diary of Life in Monticello in 1861" PART I The coming of war in 1861 brought changes in the lives of the people of Georgia. In some sections the change came almost immediately, but in the rural sections it was gradual. Monticello and Jasper County were far enough away from the scenes of fighting so that they fell into the latter category. The section of a diary concerning Monticello was written by the Rev. Charles S. Vedder, brother-in-law of Mr. and Mrs. N. B. White. Mr. White was a partner in Hungerford and Hurd Mercantile Co. and Clerk of Session of the Monticello Presbyterian Church. The Rev. Vedder was a graduate of Columbia Seminary, then in Columbia, S.C. (now in Decatur, Ga.) and husband of Mrs. White's sister. In May, June and July of 1861, the Vedders visited in Monticello at the end of that time, Rev. Vedder accepted a call to the Presbyterian Church at Summerville, S.C. In 1866, he became pastor of the Huguenot Presbyterian Church in Charleston ,S.C., where he remained until his retirement in 1914. The diary, now in the University of South Carolina library, provides an intimate glimpse of the effects of the coming of war to a Southern town. Here we see reflections of military preparations, uncertainties of the future, attitude and relationships and interdenominational religious activities, (Monticello had its "union services" in the summer of 1861) and the aid given to the war effort by the women of the community. Both the Vedders and the Whites were born and raised in the North and both men were at this time trying to decide whether to case their lot with the North of the South. They both decided to stay in the South. The diary begins with an entry for Friday, May 10. Mr. Vedder states that he spent Thursday night in Madison at the home of the Rev. J. H. Kaufman, pastor of the Madison and Monticello Presbyterian churches. After early worship and breakfast he started for Monticello in a rented buggy. The wind and rain in the early morning made the ride uncomfortable but it soon cleared off and he and his driver arrived safely in Monticello at about 2:30 p.m. The Whites and Mrs. Vedder were glad to see him. (Mrs. Vetter had come on to Monticello some time earlier.) After exchanging new of the last few days events, he says "We retired, a happy family". SUNDAY, May 12: "A beautiful morning, but very warm during the day - thermometer at 88. I had agreed to conduct the service for Mr. Kaufman at the Presbyterian Church and spoke for half an hour on the power of prayer. The people seemed much interested. In the evening went to the Methodist Church, where we heard a short sermon on the Lord's Prayer. Congregation small but attentive. at 4 p.m. we went to the Union Sunday School. I took a class of young ladies, and led a study on the first chapter of Genesis. The young ladies (Misses Kelsey, Hall and Leake) an I became much interested in the discussion. (Miss Kelsey was the daughter of the Rev. Daniel Kelsey, minister of the Methodist Church.)" On Monday he was asked to preach at the next Union Service by Messers. Shockley, Patterson and Pritchett. (George Shockley was a native of Maryland who operated a grocery store and shoe shop in Monticello. John F. Patterson was a merchant and an elder in the Monticello Presbyterian Church. George W. Pritchett was a young Baptist minister in the county. Tuesday, May14: "Morning quite cool. I spent the morning reading and preparing for next Sunday. Nell (Mrs. Vedder) spent morning at Dr. Broddus home teaching a painting class. (Dr. Thomas C. Broddus and wife, Martha Cordelia Cathings Broddus were among the wealthy citizens of the county - the 1860 census lists property worth $90,000 and 5,000 acres of land in eastern part of county. The Broddus home stood where Monticello Manufacturing Co. is today) PART II THURSDAY, MAY 16: Mr. Vedder notes that he and Mr. White called on a number of prominent families in Monticello and a number of families who had moved to Jasper County from the north. Among those called upon were Mrs. Virginia Bartlett, wife of Capt. George Bartlett, who told Mr. White that she planned to join Capt. Bartlett at Portsmouth, Va., in a few days. He also called on Dr. and Mrs. A. L. Pettee, a dentist from Vermont, Mr. and Mrs. George Mygatt, Mr. Mygatt being a native of Connecticut. (Monticello seems to have had a rather large number of families from the northeastern states because others are mentioned in later entries). As the spring passes Mr. Vedder share the pulpit with most of the ministers in the county. Among those mentioned were the Reverends Pritchett, Kelsey, A. J. (Zack) Freeman, Cader Malone, Kaufman, and others. He says that one of the most beautiful sermons he ever heard was preached by an uneducated man out in the country at a funeral. He also says that many of the ministers with whom he shared the pulpit in Jasper County were lay preachers. JUNE 6: He write that the ladies of Monticello met to form a Soldier's Relief Association, to sew clothes for the soldiers. He and the Whites attended. He also write of spending the day at Mr. William Goolsby's plantation two days before. SATURDAY, JUNE 15: He writes: "Mr. Kaufman arrived at 2 p.m. He brought his young son with him. They stayed at the Swanson House. Hattie (Mrs. White) and I called on him in the evening. He was not very discrete in his remarks. He wants me to take the Monticello Church." WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19: "Cool but pleasant. I walked to the brickyard and then out to Mr. Wm. Jordan's new house about two miles out. (Now L. O. Benton III home on Hwy 83) The mail brought a letter today from a call to Summerville, S.C. church. I shall let God decide. SATURDAY, JUNE 22: "The warmest day yet. Thermometer out of doors 102! This was barbecue day! We all went. Everybody was there. 33 "critters", sheep, lambs, kids, and beeves were barbecued. A banner was presented to the "Jasper Infantry", the newly organized company. Speeches by Gen. Burney, Att. William Leften, Walker, and Jnr. Davis. A number of new recruits also added to the company. It was a busy day at the store. We were all very weary when night came" SUNDAY, JUNE 30: "Not many at Sunday School and Church. A company of Dragoons from Milledgeville were camped outside Monticello and they drew away many of the people". (A footnote says: "This was the Governor's Horse Guards. They had left Milledgeville on June 26 on their way to Marietta. Three days later at Marietta, the battalion passed a resolution thanking the people of Monticello for the hospitality shown them while camped near town.) Rev. Vedder had decided to accept the call to Summerville, S.C., for on July 1st he wrote that he spent most of the day packing to leave Monticello. On July 2nd he left for Madison at 7 a.m. arriving at Rev. Kaufman's at 2:30 p.m. At midnight he caught the train for Augusta, Additional Comments: Transcribed by Suzanne Forte (suzanneforte@bellsouth.net) from copies of articles contained in the Monticello News. There articles were prepared by Mr. John Harvey and published in this newspaper during the 1970's time frame. Permission has been granted by Mr. Harvey for use of these very valuable and informative articles. File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ga/jasper/newspapers/gnw197bicenten.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 8.0 Kb
Jasper County GaArchives News.....Bicentennial Bits - Early Courts in Jasper County 1970's ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Suzanne Forte suzanneforte@bellsouth.net July 2, 2004, 10:07 pm Monticello News BICENTENNIAL BITS BY JOHN HARVEY "Early Courts in Jasper County" For a number of years after the creation of our county by the General Assembly on December 10, 1807, from lands that had previously been part of Baldwin County, Monticello was the site of court for not only the county but for a wide area of the state. From Randolph (Jasper) County the "long arm of the law" reached as far west as what is now Spalding and Upson Counties and as far north as present-day Douglas, Fulton and DeKalb Counties. All this area was then "Indian Territory". Old records tell of a man being brought back to stand trial for a murder from as far away as the Chattahoochee River. As a child I can remember some of the older citizens telling of how their parents had been told about the man held in the jail on the Square for trial, one man saying that he remained unrepentant to the end, to quote, "one tough customer". The legislature realized that there wouldn't be courthouses built until some years after the creation of new counties so laws were made to allow the courts to meet in certain homes. Jasper's first formal courthouse, in the center of the Square, was not built until 1838. Pictures of this courthouse may be seen in the office of the probate judge in the present courthouse. For at least twenty of the thirty years preceding the building of this 1838 courthouse the county probably had a log building on the Square; exactly where is not known. ACCORDING TO RECORDS in the Clerk of Court office, the first session of Superior and Inferior Court held in the county was held on March 21, 1808, in front yard of the John Towns home, Judge Peter Early presiding. Tradition says that court was held under a huge poplar tree and that the Town's house was on the same lot as Reese Hall but to the rear. Judge Early came to hold court from his home in Greensboro and after court had been opened it was discovered that the clerk had drawn only 23 names for the jury, rather than the 36 then required by law. Judge Early immediately adjourned court. His order recorded in the court records reads, "Grand Jury, annulled for this term of court,", signed peter Early, Judge. Though no Superior Court cases were heard the court did turn to five cases of the Interior Court, these being; two for non-payment of debt, one for hog stealing, one for cow stealing and one for fighting. In the second term of court on March 20, 1809, the law had been changed to require 24 grand jurors and 24 had been chosen (See list of first grand jury and trial jury at end of article). The first case tried on the 20th day of March, 1809 was one involving non-payment of debt. The jury found in favor of the plaintiff in the amount of $40.78 in cash and interest. In researching this article, we were told many interesting things about early justice in the county, some of which we will share in a later article. For now we will tell of one or two on which we need more information. The first jail, on the Square, was torn down by Union soldiers when they passed through Monticello in 1864. A jail was then built on the site across from the present Mini-Foods store. We were told that the county's "Hanging tree" was on this same property and that after the tree was cut down a gallows was built. We were also told that a "hanging tree" was out Forsyth Street near the city limits. THE FOLLOWING is a list of the first grand Jury, February 9, 18008: Richard Carter, Jordan Baker, Adam Glozier, foreman, Francis Laury, Jethrew Mobley, Stephen Lacy, Henry Haynes, Solomon Stricklin, and Mcaih Fretwell. The first trial jury, February 9, 1808, was composed of the following: Jacob Brazel, Benjamin Carroll, Jerimah Harrison, Levi Martin, John Bishop, William Germany, Absolom Autry, William Leveritt, Royal Clay and Matthew Duncan. Also, Allen Cotton, Issac Morris, Absalom Hamby, James Stanley, William Stanley, Elijah Cornwell, James Sansome, Edward Chapman, Presley Sanford and Benjamin Irwin. Also, Edward Wister, Robert Lansum, John Powell, Elijah Martin, William Brazel, James Lancar, Robert Edwards, Joseph Dickenson, Jepa Harris, John Welcher, Radford Ellis, George Ramsey and John Brooks. Adam Glozier who appears as foreman of this first Grand Jury was Clerk of Court after 1808, his term beginning in 1809. It is interesting to note the family names on these two lists still found in the county. Sources: County Court Records Personal notes and interviews Additional Comments: Transcribed by Suzanne Forte (suzanneforte@bellsouth.net) from copies of articles contained in the Monticello News. There articles were prepared by Mr. John Harvey and published in this newspaper during the 1970's time frame. Permission has been granted by Mr. Harvey for use of these very valuable and informative articles. File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ga/jasper/newspapers/gnw196bicenten.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 5.5 Kb
Jasper County GaArchives News.....Bicentennial Bits - Frontier Passage Through Jasper County 1970's ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Suzanne Forte suzanneforte@bellsouth.net July 2, 2004, 10:06 pm Monticello News BICENTENNIAL BITS BY JOHN HARVEY "Frontier Passage Through Jasper County" Two of the frontier roads that led to the settlement of the states to the west of Georgia, especially Texas and Arkansas, at one time passed through our county. These were the Seven Islands Road and the Old Alabama Road. A recently obtained map traces both these roads and others through our section of the state. The map shows the Seven Islands Road as a connector road between the Hightower Trail and the Old Greensboro Road into sections of east and northwest Georgia, and the McIntosh Road and Flat Shoals Roads running out of the Griffin area toward southwest Georgia and Alabama. The Seven Islands Road began at Parks Mill on the Oconee River in Green County and entered Jasper County a few miles north of Shady Dale near the present county line. From there is followed the ridges to near the present community of Palalto in the northern part of the county. It then turned south, following the ridge on which old Georgia Highway 11 is located to Benton's pecan orchard and Sardis Church. From there it follows the ridges to near Bethel and then the Ocmulgee and the Seven Islands. After crossing the river it proceeded to a few miles west of Indian Springs where it joined the McIntosh and Flat Shoals Roads. THE OLD ALABAMA ROAD came out of Augusta to Warrenton to Ft. Twiggs on the Oconee River, and from there to Eatonton. It passed about two miles south of Monticello, to the Ocmulgee River and on to Indian Springs. About six miles west of Indian Springs it turned southwest to Thomaston and Columbus. For many years a story persisted of a stagecoach robbery on the Old Alabama Road. According to the story, just outside of Monticello a masked bandit with a woman accomplice held up the stage and took $5,000 in gold. According to the stories the law officers were so close upon them that they buried their loot a short distance from the site of the robbery. They escaped but were never able to recover the money. Some of our older citizens used to say that as children they tried to find the gold. But the gold - if any - has yet to be located. Additional Comments: Transcribed by Suzanne Forte (suzanneforte@bellsouth.net) from copies of articles contained in the Monticello News. There articles were prepared by Mr. John Harvey and published in this newspaper during the 1970's time frame. Permission has been granted by Mr. Harvey for use of these very valuable and informative articles. File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ga/jasper/newspapers/gnw195bicenten.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 3.2 Kb
Jasper County GaArchives News.....Bicentennial Bits - Hillsboro, Early Settlement In Jasper County 1970's ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Suzanne Forte suzanneforte@bellsouth.net July 2, 2004, 10:03 pm Monticello News BICENTENNIAL BITS BY JOHN HARVEY "Hillsboro, Early Settlement In Jasper County" Exactly when Hillsboro was settled is not known though there was a settlement at the site when it was a part of Baldwin County, which could have been as early as 1806. One source says that a Mr. Newby had a cabin in what is now Hillsboro as early as 1803. Descendants of this family now live in Clayton and Fayette Counties. The name Hillsboro seems to date from the early 1820's. The name before that time is not known. Issac Hill, father of Benjamin Harvey Hill, and other members of the Hill family were among the earliest settlers of the area. Other families known to have settled around Hillsboro in the early 1800's were the Kellys, Strattons, Morgans, Turners, Wilsons, Hendersons, Conners and Lovejoys. Sion Barnett, a veteran of the Battle of Cowpens and a printer is said to have been one of the first to publish the famous Machlenburg (Mecklenburg) Declaration of Independence, and is said to have lived near Hillsboro. Zephaniah Harvey, a patriot minuteman of 1776, is buried in Jasper County. He served as Justice of the Peace from the Hillsboro district and many marriage licenses and other legal papers in early records of our county carry his signature. References to early Hillsboro appear in the histories of other communities and of some of the local churches. Examples - an article on the early community of Blountsville says that "The Rev. Mr. Milner served the Presbyterian Churches of Blountsville and Hillsboro". The history of the Monticello Presbyterian Church shows that the first two new members were Mr. and Mrs. Asa Stratton, by transfer of membership from the Hillsboro Presbyterian Church. ON A RECENT visit to Hillsboro, Mrs. Bessie Turner (Mrs. G. B., Sr.) described the Hillsboro she remembered 63 years ago and also told of an earlier Hillsboro she learned of from Mr. Turner's aunt, Miss Ella Wilson. In earlier times Hillsboro was a much larger community that it is today. The business district had many more store and ran from the Anderson House to near the Ben Hill school. On the corner near the Anderson House stood the 1820's tavern and stagecoach stop. Across the road stood the two story Masonic Lodge. Georgia Highway 11, then the stage coach road, passed through Hillsboro much as it does today. Near the Ben Hill school stood the Hillsboro Academy. Macon newspapers in 1830 contained advertisements for that school year. Secretary of the academy was Cuthbert Reese, and it was advertised that the teacher was a native of New York State. Mrs. Turner said that the tavern, Masonic Hall and the academy were gone when she first came to Hillsboro, but most of the stores were still there. The Methodist Church, organized in 1820, has stood in three places, first a brush arbor in a grove of oak trees of Georgia Highway 11 near Mrs. Turners home, then near the Ben Hill school, and finally across the road next to the Turners store, where it now stands. PART II In the Baptist churchyard stands a large obelisk monument surrounded by a rock and cement wall. This is the Stubbs family lot. They were among the first settlers in the area, and the Stubbs brothers gave the land on which the church stands. The site of the old Stubbs home is now occupied by the home of John McCullough. Some of the older citizens remembered stories and descriptions of when the Stubbs house burned in the 1880s or 90s. WHEN THE UNION ARMY came through Hillsboro in 1864, the officers stayed in two houses that are still standing. Both have interesting histories which we hope to learn more about for later articles. At the McKissick house, now known as the Goolsby house, one of the Union soldiers became ill and was left. When he died the people of Hillsboro had him buried in the Baptist churchyard. Another group of officers stayed at the Zahn house. One of them reported that Mr. Zahn was one of the richest men in Jasper County, giving the amount of household goods and how much corn and cotton were stored in Zahns barns. Copies of this report are in the Georgia Archives in Atlanta. There is also a mystery in Hillsboro. Not far from the Zahn house is an old well and a long rock wall. Is it a fortification for an early settlers fort? Is it the remains of an old homestead? No one knows. It is called Jack Knights Ridge. An interesting story told to Mrs. Turner by Miss Ella Wilson was about the battle of Sunshine Church. The battle began in Jasper County and spilled over into Jones County, most of it being fought around Sunshine Church in Jones County. This was the first major battle, after the fall of Atlanta, between Union and Confederate forces. The Confederates hoped to keep the Union Army away from the State Capital at Milledgeville long enough for the governor and other officials to get away. When the battle started, Miss Ella, then only eleven years old, and her sisters could hear the firing of the rifles. She said that it sounded like wild fire running through a can break. Later, she went with her mother, Mrs. Harriet Wilson to Sugar Hill Church and school where the wounded had been taken. Sugar Hill had been turned into a hospital. The soldiers were so close together that you could hardly walk between them, Miss Ella said. She and her mother carried water to the wounded men. Two interesting businesses located in Hillsboro in the early part of this century were a cheese factory operated by Charley Marks and a guano spreader factory operated by the Middlebrooks family. The knocker systern on the spreaders used by Mr. Middlebrooks was copied by a firm in Macon which later got a patent for it. A similar system is still in use on spreaders. Sources: Mrs. G. B. Turner, Sr. Harvey Powell Georgia Landmarks, Memorials, and Legends, Lucian Lamar Knight Newspaper Articles Monticello Presbyterian Church History Additional Comments: Transcribed by Suzanne Forte (suzanneforte@bellsouth.net) from copies of articles contained in the Monticello News. There articles were prepared by Mr. John Harvey and published in this newspaper during the 1970's time frame. Permission has been granted by Mr. Harvey for use of these very valuable and informative articles. File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ga/jasper/newspapers/gnw194bicenten.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 7.0 Kb
Jasper County GaArchives News.....Jasper Reflections - Lotteries Once Important to Development of Our Area 1970's ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Suzanne Forte suzanneforte@bellsouth.net July 2, 2004, 10:01 pm Monticello News JASPER REFLECTIONS BY JOHN HARVEY "Lotteries Once Important to Development of Our Area" In the early years of our country, land lotteries were the popular means of getting land into the hands of the people. Not only did they serve the purpose of getting land into the hands of the greatest number of people, but they also made money quickly available to the government. After the land lottery in 1791 which became known as the "Yazoo Fraud", they lost their popularity for a time. By 1800, the state of Georgia was back in the land lottery business but under stricter laws. In 1803, when the Creek Indians ceded the land between the Ocmulgee and Oconee Rivers to the state of Georgia, a series of lotteries were set up. Between 1805 and 1822, at least three lotteries involving land in what we know today as Jasper County took place. Not all the land was drawn for at one time - the best land was drawn for first and the poorer land was drawn for later. A look at the land lot map for Jasper will show that land lots were laid out in rectangles or square and contained 202 1/2 acres in each. Along the river there were hundreds of small pieces of property ranging from 1 acres to 50 acres fronting on the river. The river was the chief means of commerce and transportation. These parcels were usually made available to officers and other officials of the government at from 5 cents to 50 cents an acres. Often by buying up these parcels one man or a group of men could control the economy of their county. UNDER RULES SET UP for the lotteries an applicant for a lottery ticket was required to be a citizen of the United States and the state of Georgia, a veteran or the child of a veteran, and qualify under certain other requirements set up by the Legislature. The number of "draws" a person had seems to have been determined by a veteran's army service. Some veterans were given seven draws and others had as many as nine. A child of a veteran was entitled to one draw. Sometimes a veteran would buy his tickets and then sell them to someone else. Once an applicant had qualified and drawn land he paid a fee and received a written grant which served as his deed. Many of those who had more than one draw and found that one of their lots was separated a good distance from their other property sold the distant lot as soon as they had qualified for it. Many other lots were obviously drawn for speculation and these were also sold almost immediately. The usual price was $500.00. DEED BOOK NO. 1 for Jasper County records some of these first lots. The first deed recorded in this book is for Land Lot No. 36 located in District 13. This lot is about one mile northwest of Shady Dale between Georgia Highways 83 and 142. The deed shows that it was drawn by Henry Hart of Burke County, who appointed Issac Robinson as agent to sell the lot. Issac Robinson sold 30 acres to Jacob Robinson and bought the rest himself. The sale took place on the 20th day of November, 1807, and was recorded on the 8th day of December 1808. Witnesses were Elijah Downs and John Moore. The second lot recorded is Land Lot No. 165 in the 13th District at the headwaters of Wolf Creek. It was drawn by Caleb Stephens and sold almost immediately to Allen (Bechamp) Becumb for $500.00. The third lot recorded was Lot No. 69, District 12, drawn by Henry Walker and sold for %00 to Cook Claye and wife. This lot located south of Hillsboro now has the Hillsboro work center for the Oconee National Forest located on it. Among other deeds in the early years is one which has the names of the father, mother and all seven children listed as equal owners. This land was intended to be the family home and they wanted all the family to have equal ownership. Additional Comments: Transcribed by Suzanne Forte (suzanneforte@bellsouth.net) from copies of articles contained in the Monticello News. There articles were prepared by Mr. John Harvey and published in this newspaper during the 1970's time frame. Permission has been granted by Mr. Harvey for use of these very valuable and informative articles. File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ga/jasper/newspapers/gnw193jasperre.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 4.8 Kb
Jasper County GaArchives News.....Bicentennial Bits - Land Project in Jasper County 1970's ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Suzanne Forte suzanneforte@bellsouth.net July 2, 2004, 9:59 pm Monticello News BICENTENNIAL BITS BY JOHN HARVEY "Land Project in Jasper County" The year was 1933. The lowest depths of the depression had been reached. Franklin D. Roosevelt had begun his first term as President on January 20. Immediately after the inauguration, Congress had begun work on emergency legislation to relieve the suffering in many sections of the country. Among the bills passed during these early months was the bill creating the Chancellorsville Project. This bill was written and introduced by Senator John Bankhead of Alabama. The bill created a model farm community on a large trace of land the government had bought in Jasper, Jones, Putnam and Morgan counties, the larger part of this land being in Jasper and Putnam counties. Shortly after the bill was signed into law, President Roosevelt devoted a part of one of his "fireside chats" to explaining the plans for the project. The "fireside chats" were broadcast on radio time asked for by the President at certain times to explain many of the new laws going into effect. The larger part of the Chancellorsville Project land was in Jasper County. Headquarters was to be in Jasper County and the government would spend $1 million in Jasper County with lesser amount in the other counties. The tract in Jasper County was located about five miles southeast of Monticello. The government would build a modern school and community center near the old community of Smithboro. ON FEBRUARY 22, 1934 the project got under way with the announcement of the objectives of the project. They were: 1. To reclaim farmland that had been damaged by the boll weevil. 2. To allow young men who had been trained in agricultural schools who could not find land of their own to return to farming. 3. To encourage young farmers to study and put into practice the best agricultural methods available. Those eligible to apply for the program were men between the ages of 30 and 40 with families. Money was not needed if the applicant met all other qualifications. Each farmer had an account he could draw on for tools and supplies until he made a crop. Each had two years in which to prove his ability to operate his land at a profit. Then, if he wishes to continue, the farm would be sold to him. All funds were underwritten by the Chancellorsville Corporation with funds deposited in the First National Bank of Atlanta. In 1936, the name was changed to the Piedmont Project, a name in more popular use in the county, and which is still used today. The school and community center saw some use over the years, but being so close to the schools in Monticello the high school students came in to Monticello High school. For a while an elementary school was operated in the building, but that was soon consolidated into the Monticello schools. Finally, after the building had been vacant for many years, Congress voted to turn the deed over to the Jasper County Board of Education. In the early years, the project had a number of resident managers, among them being young John Bankhead, who was here about a year and a half in 1936-37. Mr. and Mrs. Bankhead and their five-year-old daughter had an apartment with Mrs. Dan Gunn on Forsyth Street. Mrs. Bankhead, an avid horseback rider, kept a horse in the Gunn's pasture. Additional Comments: Transcribed by Suzanne Forte (suzanneforte@bellsouth.net) from copies of articles contained in the Monticello News. There articles were prepared by Mr. John Harvey and published in this newspaper during the 1970's time frame. Permission has been granted by Mr. Harvey for use of these very valuable and informative articles. File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ga/jasper/newspapers/gnw192bicenten.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 4.3 Kb
Jasper County GaArchives News.....Jasper Reflections - Liberty Church School 1970's ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Suzanne Forte suzanneforte@bellsouth.net July 2, 2004, 9:57 pm Monticello News JASPER REFLECTIONS BY JOHN HARVEY Liberty Church School Liberty Church School, one of the oldest in the county, had its beginnings almost as soon as the county was organized, first as Walkers Academy then as Liberty Church School I am indebted to Mrs. Clara T. Ellis for the information about it. Mrs. Ellis came to the Palalto section of the county more than 50 years ago as a young teacher. She married J. B. Ellis, the grandson of an original settler and was soon on her way to becoming one of the authorities on the settlement of the county. Mrs. Ellis wrote many articles for publication and collaborated on others about Jasper County and the people who settled it. Liberty Church school was organized soon after the country was created on land given by Henry Walker. Mr. Walker, who was nicknamed "Hackie", was an original settler. He was also the first clerk of court and secretary to the first Board of County Commissioners. The school was first known as Walkers Academy. As time went by the school became associated with the church that had been erected nearby. The first building was located by a "bold spring" on what was known as the Gilstrap place, but was abandoned, according to rumor, when the family moved to North Georgia, at the time of the gold rush. WHEN THE LAND which we know as Jasper County was divided into lots and districts, each district was given a name. The district in which Palalto and Liberty Church and the school were located as named Minter and Gilstrap District, by which name it is still called. The community now called Palalto was then called Bentonville because of the large number of families by that name living nearby. Liberty Methodist Church was founded in 1827 and the school moved to land near it in the 1830's or 40s. It is said that the school was placed so that it could serve the largest number of children. The school term was usually two months long and began after the older children had finished helping their parents get in the crops. The original deed in the Jasper County Courthouse says that the school was organized to "teach reading and writing". Many of the families who settled the area had originally come from Delaware and can be traced through the Carolinas to the Hancock County area and then to Jasper County. The early surname found here were: Gilstrap, Ellis Smith, Lewis, Loyd and Knowles. The last name was often Misspelled as Noles as many county officials spelled name as they sounded. These named were prominent on the rolls of the church and school and are still found in the district. A story that is told concerns the Rev. Adeil Sherwood, who was instrumental in the forming of the Liberty Methodist Church. The Rev. Sherwood visited a relative who was teaching at school. Upon finding that the relative was sick in bed with a fever, he turned his horse into the lot and finished out the term. The Rev. Sherwood is noted for his "Sherwood's Gazeteer of Georgia" first published in 1829 as an aid to his students. He also worked with the Rev. Jesse Mercer in the founding of Mercer University. It is interesting that the churches in these early days often worked together using the same building. The Methodists would meet one Sunday and the Baptist would meet the next. The Rev. Sherwood had family connections with the Phillipses and Florences who lived in the area. ADDITIONAL HISTORY OF THE LIBERTY CHURCH SCHOOL Transcribed by Suzanne Forte (suzanneforte@bellsouth.net), May 2004. Transcriber's note: The following article may have come from the local Monticello paper about 1959. JASPER COUNTY -- 1853 THE LIBERTY SCHOOL The school in the Liberty neighborhood was begun in 1853 and was first known as "Walker's Academy". The building is still standing on a lot near the Liberty Methodist Church. It is in front of and to the left about 1/4 to 1/2 of a mile. The first teacher was Mr. John W. Parker. Other teachers were: Miss Marriette Florence 1855 Rev. Tweedle 1856 Seaborn Goodall 1857 George Niles 1858 (Mr.Niles was a captain from New Hampshire but fought for the Southern Cause. He was a captain in Bartow ARtillery.) Dr. Jackson 1860 Thomas Shenton 1861 (Spring term. He resigned and enlisted in the 14th Georgia Regiment) Miss Mat Morgan 1862 W. L. Willis 1862-1863 Miss Polly Phillips 1864 Rev. A.C. Mixon 1865-1866 He died recently and was the oldest member of the North Georgia Methodist Conference) Rev. Adel Sherwood, noted Baptist minister visited a kinsman who was teaching here. On finding him very sick with fever he put his horse in the lot and finished the term of school for this relative. The following names are to be found inscribed on the walls of this old school building: H. W. Walker S. B. Vaughn, Bryan Phillips, S. F. Mixon, Alfred Noles, Ozias Allen, Rufus Smith, D. C. Thomason, Robert Smith, Minnie Ellis, C. L. Harris, H. V. Robinson, P. P. Kelly, G. B. Ellis. Eugene Benton, W. H. Smith, E. C. Ellis, L. E. R., Lucius S. Kelly, W. C. Gilstrap, Allen Ellis, M. E. Benton, J. C. Thomason, J. P. Wilburn, M.C.B., J. H. Robinson, C. T. Thompson, Johnnie Ellis. In one corner on a side wall was written: "Farewell, all you pretty girls, W. A. Kelly is going to War. March, 1862". Additional Comments: Transcribed by Suzanne Forte (suzanneforte@bellsouth.net) from copies of articles contained in the Monticello News. There articles were prepared by Mr. John Harvey and published in this newspaper during the 1970's time frame. Permission has been granted by Mr. Harvey for use of these very valuable and informative articles. File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ga/jasper/newspapers/gnw191jasperre.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 6.3 Kb
Jasper County GaArchives News.....Bicentennial Bits - The Railroad Comes to Monticello 1970's ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Suzanne Forte suzanneforte@bellsouth.net July 2, 2004, 9:55 pm Monticello News BICENTENNIAL BITS BY JOHN HARVEY "The Railroad Comes to Monticello" With the coming of the steamships to the rivers of American in 1793 the coastal cities began to compete for the crops coming in from the interior of the country. Ships found it easy to operate from the coast to the heads of navigation, usually the fall line, along the east coast. With the completion of the Charleston and Hamburg Railroad in South Carolina (Hamburg is now called North Augusta, S.C.), the Georgia Coastal cities found themselves competing with Charleston for the crops raise din the interior of Georgia. Macon, founded and laid out in 1823 at the head of navigation on the Ocmulgee River, grew very rapidly as a cotton market for central Georgia. Jasper County farmers selling their cotton and other farm products to buyers in Macon would load them on huge wagons pulled by four to six mules to ship them to market. A typical trip took three days if the roads were good. The wagons would go from Monticello to the campground at Sand Creek in Jones County the first day. After camping overnight they would continue into Macon the next morning where the crops would be sold and good and supplies would be bought. Usually four to six mules or horses would be tied to the back of the wagons to be brought back for farm use. They would return to the campground that night and proceed back to Monticello the next day. ITWAS SOON realized that to compete with Charleston a railroad must be built from Macon into the counties to the north. Realization of the need for a railroad did not bring it into being. In 1885, E.C. Machen of New York, a railroad promoter, came to Macon where he began to actively promote a railroad to be built through the counties of Jones, Jasper and Newton to Covington. Mrs. Hannah S. Gould of the New York railroad family became interested and provided some financial support. In June 1885, a charter was issued to the Covington and Macon Railroad Company. Officers of the new railroad were: E.C. Machen, president, B. W. Frobel, vice-president, and L. W. Robert, Sr., chief engineer. The laying of rails reached Jasper County in May 1887, but some interesting things had happened shortly before. Originally the railroad, roadbed had been laid through Jasper County from the Jones County line through Minneta (near Lake Lumber Co). along the ridge towards Covington. This route would have completely bypassed Monticello. Covington, already on the Georgia Railroad, did not show a very active interest in the new railroad and officials of the Georgia Railroad were not interested in sharing trackage rights with the new railroad. So in February 1877 the stockholders were asked to vote a change that the board of directors of the road had already made, to extend the railroad to Madison and on to Athens instead. The rails reached Monticello in May 1887 and the arrival of the first train was a joyful occasion on June 2, 1887. City and county officials and business leaders all journeyed out to Minneta and rode into town on the first train. Flags were flown and speeches were made. In December 188 the railroad was completed to Athens the distance from Macon to Athens being 106 miles. The C. and M. Railroad got into financial difficulties even before it had been completed. In 1891 it went into receivership and the bond-holders took control of the company and re-organized it was the Macon and Northern Railroad with the Central of Georgia and the Richmond and Danville Railroads having an interest. In 1896 the Macon and Northern Railroad became a part of the Central of Georgia. Another railroad, the Middle Georgia and Atlantic, was completed across the northern part of Jasper County in 1890 from Eatonton to Covington. This railroad was also promoted b E. C. Machen. Sources: A Short History of Jasper County, Georgia, 1970, by Harvey Powell My Memories of Jasper County, by Mrs. Kate Thurman Jasper County News - 1887 Additional Comments: Transcribed by Suzanne Forte (suzanneforte@bellsouth.net) from copies of articles contained in the Monticello News. There articles were prepared by Mr. John Harvey and published in this newspaper during the 1970's time frame. Permission has been granted by Mr. Harvey for use of these very valuable and informative articles. File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ga/jasper/newspapers/gnw190bicenten.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 5.0 Kb
Jasper County GaArchives News.....Bicentennial Bits - Life on a Jasper County Farm During the Civil War 1970's ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Suzanne Forte suzanneforte@bellsouth.net July 2, 2004, 9:53 pm Monticello News BICENTENNIAL BITS BY JOHN HARVEY Life on a Jasper County Farm During the Civil War Recently a clipping on the memoirs of Maggie Ridley has been passed on to us. Maggie Ridley was a 14 year old girl in 1861 attending school in Franklin, Tenn. Her father, Samuel Jones Ridley was born on the old Ridley homestead near Hillsboro but had gone to Mississippi where he had become a prosperous planter. After the death of Maggie's mother he had sent her to the girls school in Franklin. When the War broke out in 1861 she left school, going to her stepmother's family in Nashville. This is the beginning of the odyssey that took her and her stepmother from Nashville to Mississippi, across Alabama and Georgia to a farm between Hillsboro and Juliette. She was not quite 14 at the start, and her family was well-to-do. When it was over she was eighteen, an orphan, and a veteran of a struggle for the bare necessities. Years later, at age 64, she wrote it all down saying, "It has been a vivid memory all these years". When war was declared, the ladies of Franklin and Nashville gathered together to sew clothes for the department boys in gray. She saw many go off to war and among many who would not come back were a double cousin, many friends, and her father. Her father, when he had to go, came to take her and her stepmother back to the family plantation in Madison County, Mississippi. He then went off to serve as a captain of artillery in the 1st Mississippi Regiment. Within two years he was killed at the Battle of Bakers Creek not 60 miles from home. "We could hear the guns of battle", she later remembered. SHE LEARNED AFTERWARD that when his company was about to be cut off, her father had sent his men back. They thought he was with them, but he had stayed with the guns and continued to work them himself. What happened next comes from a battle report by Gen. McPherson of the U.S. Army. He reported that he saw a Confederate soldier firing his gun alone and thought him too brave to die. As he was hurrying to save the soldier (Capt. Ridley) six bullets made his attempt futile. Maggie Ridley said, "My father...died rather than surrender. He had said he would rather be killed than captured". His Negro servant, Burrell, who had joined the army to be with him, found the body, saw that it was buried and then went home to tell the family. Maggie' stepmother, a woman of action, went back with Burrell and had the body dug up and brought it home for burial in the family cemetery. The wild grape were blooming then, Maggie said, and ever after the smell of grape blooms reminded her of that sad trip to the cemetery. Shortly after the funeral word came that the Yankees were coming and her uncle sent her, her stepmother, some of the slave women and the overseer and his family up the Pearl River until they had passed through. He thought it would be for no more than two weeks, but they soon found themselves trekking across Alabama and then Georgia, always just ahead of the Yankees. Maggie recorded that she suffered a two week fever in Alabama, but it cured her of malaria attacks which had always followed her visits to Mississippi. They carried $4,000 in gold which an uncle had given them to protect them when they left Mississippi. When they reached Monticello they sent the overseer to rent a farm above five miles south of town. While living on this farm they buried the gold for safe-keeping. Additional Comments: Transcribed by Suzanne Forte (suzanneforte@bellsouth.net) from copies of articles contained in the Monticello News. There articles were prepared by Mr. John Harvey and published in this newspaper during the 1970's time frame. Permission has been granted by Mr. Harvey for use of these very valuable and informative articles File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ga/jasper/newspapers/gnw189bicenten.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 4.5 Kb
Jasper County GaArchives News.....BICENTENNIAL BITS - Bethel Baptist Church 1970's ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Suzanne Forte suzanneforte@bellsouth.net July 2, 2004, 9:51 pm Monticello News BICENTENNIAL BITS BY JOHN HARVEY "Bethel Baptist Church" Bethel Baptist Church was once an arm of Hopewell Church. The records of Hopewell show that in 1852 Hopewell began a mission at Bethel Station. By 1855 this mission had become self supporting and asked to become a sister church. The first meeting place of the Bethel Mission was in an old log schoolhouse just in front of the old Zed Piper place. A committee composed of L. R. L. Jennings, Wm. G. McMichael, John Skipper and Cader Malone met for the purpose of constituting a church at or near this place. The meeting was opened by singing and prayer. The constitution sermon was preached by Bro. McMichael after which the following names were presented for the purpose of becoming members of the church by transfer of letters from Hopewell: W. S. Williams, M. W. Pope, Wm. Steele, Jim Jane Bailey (sic) Thursday H. Williams Jane Steele, Margaret A. Steele, Martha Thomason, Mary Steele, Lucy A. Minter and Mary T. Pope. The examination of articles of faith was conducted by Bro. Jennings and agreed to by the members presenting themselves, whereupon they were constituted as a church. The charge was given by Bro. Cader Malone. The church then proceeded to the discussion of a name and Bethel was agreed upon. The church then went into conference, and the following matters were taken up: - The doors of the church were opened to receive new members. - Bro. W. S. Williams was recognized as a deacon, he having been a deacon at Hopewell Church, from which he transferred his membership. - M. W. Pope was appointed clerk. Bros. Williams and Pope volunteered to attend Central Association as petitioners for the church asking membership in that body. THE CHURCH'S FIRST BUILDING was dedicated in June, 1855, with the rolls showing some twenty members. On July 21, 1855, the church requested the treasurer, Mr. Phillips, to buy a Bible for use in the church. In 1900 the building had gotten in such bad shape that the members voted to replace it with a new one. One of the members, Mrs. Monroe Phillips, designed the new building. In 1908 the new building was dedicated. A copy of the bill presented to the church shows that the total cost of the new building was $1,219.70 when it was paid by the treasurer, whom some of the older members believe to have been Mr. Andrew Thomason. After the bills were paid, the books showed the church with a balance of 78 cents in the Jasper County Bank. Carlton Tyler, one of the members, remembers the pastor at that time to be the Rev. J. E. Pounds, of whom we have written before. The first communion was held with a glass pitcher and two small glasses. In 1906, Mrs. Monroe (Ida) Phillips and brother, Gus Malone, presented the church with a silver pitcher and two silver cups. In 1944 an individual communion set was given in memory of Mrs. Pamela Lee Kelly Thomason. In June 1946, Mr. Tuft Sammons gave a contribution to the church in memory of his father, E. W. Sammons, who was pastor of the church (1896-1898). This was used to buy a picture, "Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane", which now hangs in the church. In 1973, the Rev. L. H. Britt, then pastor of the church, presented the church with a "Book of Remembrance". Any love offering to the church is recorded in the "Book of Remembrance", and a card sent to the family. Mrs. Clinton Cason, Monroe Tyler, and Mrs. J. T. Thomason are the committee responsible for this. IN 1950 THE CHURCH began having two Sunday services a month. In 1953 the front of the church was changed from two doors at the front to a single set of double doors and porch, center front. Asbestos siding was also added. In 1958 four Sunday School rooms were added. In 1957, two of the old church record books are laminated to preserve them. In 1973 a fellowship hall was added. Sunday school and services have been held each Sunday since 1973. Fellowship and Bible study class conducted by Mrs. Coy Hooper are held on Wednesday nights. A seven piece pulpit set was given to the church in memory of the Thomason family who have been members since 1852. A Baldwin piano was given last year in memory of J. T. Thomason by his family. Pastors who have served Bethel Church include: W. G. McMichael, John Skipper, Washington Thomas, A. J. Freeman, Jasper Dickson, Alex Atkinson, J.C. Burton, E. W. Sammons, J.E. Pounds, J. W. Combs, J. J. Winburn, W. B. Underwood, Harvey Bell, C. F. Tidwell, W. M. Rainwater, Troy Hollingsworth, Harold Sangster, Marvin Pulliam, Durwood Souther, Ruel Westbrook , Travis Duke, Hugh Goolsby, L. H. Britt, Wayne Hartley, Preston Sanders, John B. Olliff, David Knight, J. J. Spillers and Walter Whitaker. The present pastor is David McClendon. Deacons are: J. Carlton Tyler, Ray Thomason, Coy Hooper, J. L. Thomason, Clinton Cason, Lamar Cason and Hardy Ogletree. Present membership both active and inactive is 76 members. Source: Mrs. Vivian C. Tyler, Clerk and Mrs. J. T. Thomason Additional Comments: Transcribed by Suzanne Forte (suzanneforte@bellsouth.net) from copies of articles contained in the Monticello News. There articles were prepared by Mr. John Harvey and published in this newspaper during the 1970's time frame. Permission has been granted by Mr. Harvey for use of these very valuable and informative articles File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ga/jasper/newspapers/gnw188bicenten.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 6.0 Kb