A large file - will be sent in three parts. This is from the very first Pike County Journal ever printed. Pike County Journal. Volume 1, Number 1 Zebulon, Ga., Tuesday, November 20, 1888 Zebulon, Georgia The Old and the New Of Pike County. Useful and Entertaining Information About What Zebulon and Pike County Has Been, Is and May Be. Written expressly for the Journal Sixty three years ago there were stirring times in these parts, as the winter before, Upson became a verity and Zebulon became the seat of Pike. Open field meetings were held and county affairs were adjudicated with good feeling, engendered by patriotism. In 1826, every citizen of Pike county felt individual and collective importancy as the court house, a grand structure in those days, adorned one of the prettiest spots in Georgia. Zebulon was the only village and Barnesville a mere hamlet; hence “news from the court” was as leaven to the bread of life, and all matters of interest centered in Zebulon. Those were the good old days when wheat brought a dollar a bushel and grew in abundance. Oats were plentiful and stood at fifty cents, while corn, there was no end of it, and it brought a dollar a bushel every time. As for potatoes, they were plentiful, and if a neighbor wanted them for seed or for the table he was told, “Go help yourself.” The cattle thrived on ranges. The Indians were back over Flint river and they kept the land tolerably well burned, and the ferns would grow so tender like, and the cattle would browse in the cane brakes in winter. Cane brakes - why there were hundreds of acres along the creeks and branches, and then the steers would be driven in to Macon and Augusta. Those were high old times and the drivers and the farmers would have their sprees, but whiskey was the “rale Mackie.” A fight or two would ‘liven things, but the “man who drew a gun was a coward.” The first circuit judge presiding at Zebulon was Judge Ely S. Shorter, who died lately in Alabama. He was a man of deep research and his renderings showed good logic and unbiased judgment. Judge Shorter was is remembered in Putnam county as he was married at Eatonton. Pike county’s first sheriff was Willie Whatley, who made a first class officer as far as he was called upon, as there were no crimes in those days, and as for suicides, a coroner’s office was not worth a picayune. Zebulon was on the square as it is now and had some right smart stores. In 1826, Hon. John Neal, who died two years ago at Atlanta, had a general stock. The building occupied the site now occupied by Harper and Baker, and the clerk was our present esteemed Judge Wiley E. Mangham. On the opposite corner at the residence of Sheriff Wm. Howard, Hugh G. Johnson had a dry goods store and was clerk of the superior court and court of ordinary until 1840. On the vacant lot adjoining the Ballard House a building devoted to dry goods was presided over by Dwight Woodbury, a northern man, who became a partner in the Neal interests. Allan McClendon who died here, had a store on the south-east corner at the square, and Mandeville’s was on the east side. Mandeville is I understand a hale and hearty citizen of Carroll County. All those places were busy and the anvil chorus given lustily by Alex. Cunningham while horses were grouped around the Smithy made every day look like a fair. The Zebulon House was built by Louis Daniel in 1826 , and the building still stands open “with accommodations for man and beast.” The broad and lofty chambers are as of yore and show the earilie’s love of elbow room and they took lots of it every 4th of July. There was no end to their oratory, their appetite and their good nature. There were two schools there - One for the boys with big caps and one for the girls with poke bonnets. Eliab W. Wells, a northern gentleman, was the pedagogue for ten consecutive years, and then after that. Of impressive appearance and a strict disciplinarian he had but little need for the rod. His son the Rev. Harry Wells is now ordinary of this county. The first preceptress of the girls I get any definite account of was Mrs. D. Preston a noble lady who taught in the 40's and retired to her northern home. The same academy used by Mrs. Preston is now occupied by Prof. and Misses Merritt as an educational institute. The people went to church as bounden duty so the M.E. and Baptist churches had full congregations but the ministers were so numerous that mention here is unnecessary. When they went to mill it was Goodwin’s six miles distant. Now the mill is Mrs. Bush’s and the present generation get their grist ground there as their grand-daddies - or before the 30's they would go to Slade’s as well. It is now Williams’ on Williams creek.