I would love to learn more about the Childs and Turk families... Jennifer Sherwood Braswell [email protected] ----- Original Message ----- From: Crilley <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, February 04, 2000 9:44 AM Subject: [GAJONES] Gray Community : Barbara just keeps on typing! Aren't these fascinating stories?! : Dollytown! Was that Blount's wife? or daughter? : James M. Gray comes up again too.... : : Copied with permission from : "History of Jones Co., GA," by Carolyn White Williams : : GRAY : : Congressman James H. BLOUNT once owned the site on which Gray now stands, : and the name : of Dollytown was suggested for the new village. Congressman BLOUNT's home : stood where : Judge Holmes JOHNSON's old home is now. The survey you see in the book is : dated Nov. 26, : 1886 and the lots and streets are laid off as drawn by J.C. WHEELER and the : name Blountson is : used. He stated that the town was on the Macon and Covington RR eighteen : miles from Macon. : : On Feb. 16, 1900 the Ordinary of Jones County ordered an election to be : held on April 4, 1900 : to vote on the removal of the county site from Clinton to Gray. In : obedience to the said order the : election was held with these results: For removal 359; against removal : 361. Another election : was held on June 27, 1905 with the following results: For removal, 1,289; : against, 51. The : legislature then passed a bill authorizing the removal of the county site : from Clinton to Gray : which was duly signed by the Governor on 9 August 1905. : : There were several homes already in Gray, most of them formerly residents : of Clinton. New : homes were going up and on Dec. 6, 1906, Rev. D.B. CANTRELL got the : Methodists interested : in building a "meeting house." Early in 1908 the work began and on Easter : Sunday the church : was dedicated. Dr. J.E. DICKEY preached the dedicatory sermon. This : church was destroyed : by fire 3 Jan 1915 and a new one started Aug 15, 1915. : : The Baptist church was started in 1905 and finished on Mar. 24 1907. The : first service was : conducted by Rev. J.E. CARGYLE of Macon. The presbytery was composed of : Rev. E.W. : SAMMONS, C.S. MCCARTHY, and R.W. THOIT. This church burned later and the : present : handsome structure was built. : : Ordinary of the Court, Roland ROSS suggested naming the town Gray in honor : of James : Madison GRAY who was for a long time the outstanding citizen and a leader : in Jones County. : The said James Madison GRAY had left a considerable sum to Mercer for the : education of boys : of Jones County. The name of Gray was thus given to the town which became : the County site : later and is today. Located near the center of the County in G.M.D. 450 : Clinton District. The : elevation if 605 feet and the eastern part of the town lies in Davidson's : District. : : Early citizens of Gray were the MORTONS, STEWARTS, COMERS, BONNERS, GREENS, : TURNERS, ETHRIDGES, JOHNSON, GODARDS, PATTERSONS, BRAGGS, MORGANS, : BLOUNTS and ROBERTS. : : The first school was a small wooden building built in 1897. Several : schools have been built : since then and the present modern school plant was begun in 1936 and has : been expanded to its : present size. Grammar school and gymnasium 1929, Vocational building 1955. : : Present population of Gray is 1,000 (1957). : : The Mayors of Gray have been the following: J.M. CHILDS, George WALLACE, : J.L. : MERCER, R.L. TURK, Ard PULLIAM, M.I. GREENE, and W.E. KNOX. : : Highway Nos. 129, 11, 22, 44 pass through Gray. Macon is only twelve miles : away and many : people live at Gray and work in Macon. A new subdivision has been opened : by Charles H. : WASHBURN, Sr. and the lots are rapidly being filled with new homes. The : only industry at : present is the Washburn Lumber Company. Gray is the center of the peach : industry north of : Macon. It can boast a dry cleaning establishment, supermarket, picture : show, a modern bank, : five filling stations, an ultra modern motel, shoe shop and freezer locker. : : : Virginia : :