To all interested Woolsey researchers: WOOLSEY, FAYETTE, GEORGIA For some time I have been intrigued by the little town in Georgia named Woolsey. For whom was it named? How did it get started? What do we know about the Woolsey family for which it was named? These and other questions I shall attempt to answer in this paper. Woolsey, Georgia, has its own webpage: http://www.pe.net/~rksnow/gacountywoolsey.htm >From it, we learn the following meager facts: In Woolsey, Fayette County, Georgia 30214, there are approximately 49 families and a population of about 120. The amount of land area in Woolsey is 1.722 sq. kilometers. The amount of surface water is 0.021 sq. kilometers. The distance from Woolsey to Washington, DC is 576 statute miles. The distance to Atlanta, the Georgia state capitol, is 27 statute miles. (Statute miles are "as the crow flies"). Woolsey is positioned 33.36 degrees north of the equator and 84.41 degrees west of the prime meridian. Since 1998 there have been 1,202 visitors to the Woolsey Home Page. In The History of Fayette County 1821 - 1971, published by the Fayette County Historical Society, Inc. about 1971, there is a section on Woolsey by Lucile Gable Lunceford (p. 706 ff). It is thought that Thomas Bolling Gay (b 15 May 1791, d 1 Oct 1864) first owned the tract of land on which Woolsey stands. It is supposed that he acquired it from Jonathan Walker who drew the lot in the Land Lottery of 1821. He was married to Martha Bridges on 22 Oct 1818, (she was b 10 Sep 1801, d 6 May 1860). Woolsey was incorporated in 1893 and amended in 1909. The corporate limits included all the land belonging to Mrs. A. F. Rhea on the east side of the Southern Railroad, all the land belonging to Isaac Gray Woolsey on the west of the Southern Railroad and east of the creek running south through the land of I. G. Woolsey. All the land belonging to Mrs. A. A. Wilson following the E. G. Lunceford line running from said creek east to the Southern Railroad including all the dwellings, tenant houses on said lands also including depot and right-of-way of Southern Railroad and all other lands within said boundaries in the town of Woolsey. It was enacted further that on each and every first Saturday in September all the citizens who were entitled to vote for members of the General Assembly of Georgia shall be entitled to vote for mayor and three council members which shall be held annually. . . . there are still some people around who remember the jail or callabouse, as it was called then. It stood to the back of the present post office and the store belonging to Will Sams. It was built of two by fours, with the thickness of the walls being four inches solid. In 1934 Woolsey had a petticoat government. Some of the ladies decided the town needed cleaning up and clean it up they did. The streets, sidewalks and cemetery were cleaned. They were granted permission from the railroad to have a park near the depot. All that is left to show for their labors are some daffoldils which still bloom on the south side of the highway crossing. Woolsey Post Office was first known as Woolseyville in the 1880´s. It was Dr. Isaac G. Woolsey who made application for the post office. It was located between Flint River on the east and Crittendon Creek (now known as Woolsey Creek) on the west. On the location paper . . . we find that since this location was not on a mail route under contract that only a "Special Office" could be established here. Fayetteville furnished this service by a special carrier, for which service a sum equal to two-thirds of the amount of the salary of the post master of such office was paid. Mr. James T. Lewis was the proposed post master. At this time, Woolsey did not have a railroad. The nearest railroad was the Savannah-Griffin and South Alabama Railroad to the south. It served Griffin and Brooks Station. Mr. Lewis became the first post master on 2 Feb 1886. The population of the village was 55. . . . Mr. John M. McLean was the first and last rural carrier. Mr. John served from 1 Apr 1902 until 31 Mar 1935. Mr. Odd McLean had a route for a short time. Mr. John used a horse and buggy as means of transportation. "Old Lady" was his horse´s name. She would walk up to a mail box and stop unless she got a signal from Mr. John not to stop. She lived to be thirty-five years old. The name of the office was changed from Woolseyville to Woolsey in 1889. Mail was supplied by the Atlanta and Florida Railroad in 1888 and later by the Southern Railroad in 1895. In addition to the railroad a star route was added in the early 30´s. Mr. Larry Baggett being the first carrier to and from Atlanta. . . . Woolsey is believed to have the oldest Post Office Building in Fayette County. Along with the first trains came the first quick outside communication for Woolsey. Telegraphy instruments were set up in the depot on which telegrams were sent and received. . . . Mr. W. A. Vandevender was the first agent and telegraph operator. Tommy Woolsey (grandson of Dr. I. G.) was operator for a number of years. He studied under Charlie Brown. After his death several relief men filled the office, Jack Drewry being the last. After the railroad was abandoned, the depot was moved. At present it is located behind the home of Howard Douglas Bell, (the Woolsey-Bell House). Due to the dirt roads people had to wear "dusters" to protect their clothes as most of the cars were open. . . . Tires were very fragile on these earlier models. A trip to Griffin might involve several changes of tires or tubes. Hot bricks and irons were used as foot-warmers in cold weather. Wool lap robes were brought over from horse and buggy days. . . . It was not until 1948 that Woolsey had a paved road. Things are often "up in the air" just south of Woolsey these days at Rust Airstrip. The aircraft found on this sod strip are fairly uncommon, as they are classics, popular designs of this time; and antiques, those designs over 30 years old and all were restored to flying condition by the owner, Bob Rust, a retired captain with Eastern Airlines. The Woolsey family used their home to accommodate travelers. At that time, drummers (another name for salesmen) would come in their buggies and stay at the hotel until they had worked all the surrounding countryside. They would ride all day and come in to a supper of beans, corn, tomatoes, fried chicken, ham, pie, cake and pitchers of butter milk and sweet milk cooled in a cooler down the well. Dr. I. G. Woolsey studied medicine when he was teaching school in Fentress County, Tennessee. He studied under Dr. H. H. Owens and attended lectures at the college of Medicine and Surgery at Cincinnati, Ohio. He returned to Fentress County and practiced medicine under a certificate from the college until 1861. During his (Confederate) service in the War Between the States he promptly and gallantly discharged every duty assigned him, including surgery. On 19 Sep 1863 he was wounded in his right arm. On account of the wound, he refugeed to Locust Grove, Henry County, Georgia. Here he practiced until 1875 when he moved to Fayette County, and began an extensive practice (from Memoirs of Georgia). Do you remember where you drank your first Coca-Cola? Weldon Stubbs remembers quite well where he drank his first one. His father Tom Stubbs was making shelves in the Will Sams store. He came over to bring his father´s lunch and some one gave him a Coca-Cola. The Williams and Blount Coca-Cola plant in Senoia, Georgia supplied the stores in Woolsey. Some of their Coca-Cola clocks can still be found in antique shops. Dr. I. G. Woolsey gave the land for the first school house. . . . He gave it on condition that it be used as a school and meeting place for the Masons and Woodmen. They built a two story building. The first floor was one room used for all grades with a stage at one end. The stage was used for programs on Friday afternoons. The children worked on "speeches" and songs during the week. Plays were given quite often by the children and people in the community on special occasions. . . . The second floor was used for the Mason and Woodmen meetings and some school activities. A new brick building was built in 1929. Mr. Jim Woolsey of Brooks, Georgia, was the contractor. C. T. Woolsey was Secretary and Treasurer. Harmony Grove Baptist Church (missionary) was constituted 26 Aug 1888 at Woolsey, Georgia in a little store house on the East side of the Southern Railroad. The church was built on Mynatt Avenue. The following Brethern of the Ministry Constituted the Presbytery: Elder T. S. Allen - Griffin, Georgia; Elder W. N. Prichard - Brooks Station, Georgia; Elder Harry Wells - Zebulon, Georgia; and Elder I. G. Woolsey - Woolsey, Georgia. There were 23 Charter members which included Elder I. G. Woolsey (deacon), Mrs. A. F. Woolsey, I. G. Woolsey, Jr., and Mrs. Jimmie G. Woolsey. Land was purchased for the cemetery in Apr 1893. Applied in March 1894 to Dr. Woolsey for deed. Harmony Grove Church of 1888 was changed to Woolsey Baptist Church 2 Oct 1904. Dr. I. G. Woolsey served 8 years as pastor. In 1864 Dr. I. G. Woolsey was ordained a minister of the Baptist denomination at Liberty Church, Gordon County, Georgia. From about that time until 1891, he served three or four churches. His health was failing him then and he resigned all except his home church at Woolsey. For many years he served as clerk and moderator of the Flint River Association. On page 722, Mildred M. Sams wrote History of Woolsey Baptist Church, which includes much of the above and also the following: The first pastor was the distinguished Dr. Isaac G. Woolsey, minister, medical doctor, farmer and land owner. It was he who gave the land on which this church was built. He also donated the property nearby for a school and masonic lodge. He served as pastor for eight years, serving as moderator for the association in 1888 when Woolsey joined the Flint River Association. Dr. Woolsey served other churches over the association. His youngest son, I. G. Jr. hauled much of the lumber that built this church and was a faithful member all of his life. This building is still in use, having been improved and enlarged several times. On 2 Oct 1904 its name was changed from Harmony Grove to Woolsey Baptist. On page 718 there is a picture of students of Woolsey School, and on page 724 there is a picture of Dr. and Mrs. I. G. Woolsey in the 1880´s in front of their large southern home, as well as a picture of the same home in 1977, which was then owned by the H. D. Bell family. The following are in the Woolsey Baptist Church Cemetery: Woolsey, Annie Fendley 26 May 1889 - 26 May 1966 Woolsey, Charles Thomas 6 Mar 1888 - 8 Apr 1939 (Woodmen of World) Woolsey, Jimmie Gay 18 Mar 1864 - 12 Nov 1956 Woolsey, Isaac Gray 3 Aug 1861 - 15 Apr 1959 Woolsey, Infant of M. & M. I. G. Woolsey - no dates Woolsey, A. F (wife of I. G. Woolsey 1 Aug 1834 - ________ Woolsey, Rev. I. G., MD 14 Aug 1828 - 11 Sep 1902 (Flat markers in front of marker just listed: "Rev. I. G. Woolsey MD 14 Oct 1828 - 11 Sep 1902. Arva F. w/o J. G. Reah, 1834 - 23 Jun 1915" - OBVIOUSLY, Arva was first married to Woolsey, then to Reah, and at her death was buried next to her first husband.) Woolsey, Jonie no dates Woolsey, Zeph no dates Woolsey, Charles Reagan 1852 - 1944 Woolsey, Stella Gay 1862 - 1923 Other area cemeteries include the following Woolseys: Brooks Memorial Gardens Woolsey, Charles R. 18 Feb 1908 - 18 Oct 1949 Woolsey, Marcus L. 27 Oct 1938 - 21 Jun 1964 County Line Christian Church Cemetery Woolsey, James B. 7 Feb 1905 - 26 May 1961 Woolsey, James Isaac 1879 - 1955 Woolsey, Idahlia Gable 1883 - 1956 (To be continued)