Chattahoochee County GaArchives History .....Citizens of Chatahoochee Co. 1933 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 November 5, 2004, 7:13 pm CITIZENS OF A LATER PERIOD There have been some valuable additions to the citizenry of Chattahoochee from time to time in more recent years. These newcomers have identified themselves with all the worth while affairs of the communities in which they reside, making for the best interests of the county. Among them are Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Willis whose home is near Pine Knot Springs. Mr. Willis first came as superintendent of road construction Sept. 1916. His service in the World War interrupted his duties here, but on his return he resumed them as Supt. of county roads. He left Cusseta Sept. 5, 1917, going directly to Camp Gordon, Atlanta, Ga., and was discharged Aug. 20, 1919. On Sept. 13, 1919 he married Miss Freddie Mae Castellow, who, since that time, has been principal of the Sulphur Springs School. The people of that community have a high appreciation of the worth of her services in the school room and of hers and Mr. Willis' value as neighbors and friends. Mrs. Willis, second daughter of Robert F. and Callie Gay Castellow of Blakeley, Ga., is first cousin of Congressman-elect B. T. Castellow, as their fathers were brothers and their mothers were first cousins. Mr. and Mrs. Willis give assurance of their loyalty to their adopted county and their deep interest in its future development. Mr. and Mrs. D. McKinnon began their residence in Cusseta in 1920, when he came here as agent for the S. A. L. R. R. His duties as agent have greatly decreased since no passenger trains are operated over this road, but he has other business interests in the county. For in addition to a home in Cusseta, Mr. McKinnon owns a farm nearby, the supervision of which occupies part of his time. It happens to be located only a few miles from land now included in the reservation which was owned by his grandfather who sold it to Dr. McLester in 1850. For his mother was a daughter of James McGowen who was born in 1822 and was one of the early residents of that part of Muscogee later Chattahoochee, but removed to Elmore County, Ala. His father, Robert L. McKinnon, was born in Rockingham County, North Carolina, came to Meriwether County, Georgia and then moved to Alabama between 1840 and 1850. So D. McKinnon is a native of Alabama, who in the course of his duties with the railroad was sent to the county in Gerogia where his foreparents had lived. Mr. and Mrs. McKinnon are members of the Methodist Church and Mrs. McKinnon is active in P.-T. A. work as their only child Robert and their adopted son Frank are both pupils in this school. An adopted daughter Eva (Mrs. Hugh Martin) has two children. The following story about Mr. McKinnon's great grandfather, a pioneer settler in this section of the state, shows a cross-section of life here in early days. From census records of 1850: Joseph McGowen age 54, b. in Screven Co. Ga.; wife Mary N. age 43, b. Edgefield, S. C. James A. age 30, b. in Screven Co., his wife Mary age 24, b. in Twiggs Co., Ga., (from Muscogee Co. marriage records) m. Aug. 27, 1840. Morgan McGowen m. Emily Darden, Nov. 23, 1845: Morgan age 30 and Emily age 22 (1850), both b. in Screven Co., Ga. Joseph McGowen (above) father of James and Morgan was great grandfather of D. McKinnon. A. W. McGlaun recalls incidents told by his father of the days when Joseph McGowen lived in southern part of Muscogee Co., (now Chattahoochee). He says the elder McGowen was a good judge of horses and a shrewd trader. He owned several which won sums of money for him upon the race track. He farmed on a small scale, owned five or six negroes; one named Joe to whom he gave a single barreled shotgun. (Note: As slaves were not supposed to own firearms, Mr. McGlaun said guns given to them for hunting game were brought into the masters' houses at night; and said his own father allowed certain negroes to have guns for hunting under such regulations). One day as the stout old Irishman was reclining on his porch, with his wife sitting nearby, some one shot him, nipping a plug of fat from; his abdomen. Mr. McGowen told members of his family to get the slave Joe and his gun, at once. The barrel was still smoking and Joe confessed that some one who had a grudge against his master had hired him to make this attempt to take his life. He had purposely fired high that he might not strike his beloved mistress. Old Mr. McGowen had Joe chained to a tree until he recovered from his wound, carried him to court for a fair trial, but secured his wish that he would be hanged for this attempt to end his master's life. Mr. J. F. Chastain, the present Clerk of the Court came to Chattahoochee in 1915 from Gilmer County where his father still lives, having celebrated his 81st birthday recently. He taught the Mt. Zion school for thirteen years and there married Miss Willie May Johnson, whose parents had moved to that community from Marion County. She is daughter of Frank M. and Ella Webb Johnson whose other children are Emmett F. m. Lilly Phillips, Frank in. Pearl Hines, Roy m. Effie Lancaster, George m. Genie Blythe, Lena (Mrs. J. T. Bray), Dora (Mrs. D. B. Greene), Liza (Mrs. W. T:. Harbuck). Mr. and Mrs. Chastain have one son Jesse Maurice, the other Joe Fletcher Jr., having died that year. Mrs. Chastain is a member of the Methodist Church, while Mr. Chastain is a staunch supporter of Mt. Zion Baptist Church. They are quiet, unassuming people well-liked by their friends and neighbors. Mr. and Mrs. A. F. Owings and Mr. and Mrs. H. R. Zachry are residents of Cusseta who have identified themselves with the civic, religious and social life of the town and county. There are also several families of retired sergeants from Fort, Benning making their homes at Cusseta. Mr. and Mrs. Marion W. Williams have been ranked among good citizens of Chattahoochee County since 1920 when they came to Cusseta from Marion County where Mr. Williams was reared. His father, Robert Marion Williams b. Jan. 23, 1831 in Talbot County, m. Ann Swann and settled at Tazewell, Ga., in 1851, where he owned and operated the Tazewell water mill. He later purchased and .remodeled the Buena Vista hotel, known as the Commercial House (Lowe Hotel) where Marion W. Williams was born. Robert Marion Williams answered the first call for troops during the civil war and served as forage master for General Wheeler's Cavalry during the entire duration of that war. During this struggle he had an opportunity to visit his home only twice, as his ditties required his constant presence at the seat of war. Dr. Chas. N. Howard Sr., also one of Wheeler's cavalrymen, and he were life-long friends. His demise in 1907 left many achievements to his credit for he was one of the pioneers, who converted the wilderness into a land of prosperous farms with comfortable homesteads. He reared sixteen children, now scattered throughout this country, one of whom Joseph Wheeler Williams married Miss Laura Molder, a daughter of a prominent family of Chattahoochee. Marion W. Williams married Miss Dessie Murphy, whose parents' ancestors were natives of Georgia. They have a family of nine sons and two daughters, sonic of whom are still students at school. They are M. Walker Jr., who married Miss Alice Chapman and lives at Buena Vista, Mabel (Mrs. Stevens); they each have one child; John Dudley, Merrill, Joel, Morgan, Lawrence, Louise Charles, George Albert and Sammy. The following song was sung by Sammie Williams and Helen King (both six years of age) at the Columbus High School Spelling Bee, Aug. 7, 1931, and at the Rialto Theater, Columbus, Ga., winning first prize. The song was written by Mr. Marion Williams of Cusseta, Ga., whose versatility of talents leads him into many other artistic channels of expression. A Song of the Old Chattahoochee Let us sing to the old Chattahoochee on its journey to the sea Its enchantment now's for me and for you. As it chanted to the Indian maiden, No matter where I may wander This I'll always know, When I'm with you I'm never blue, On the Chattahoochee River shore. It crooned its tune for the Indian maiden And her brave in their canoe; It has sung down through the ages, It's singing now for me and you; The whippoorwill at twilight Echoes from the hills; When dreams come true, I'll be there with you. On the Chattahoochee River shore. When the moon beams through the willows It will find me there with you, In the Valley by the old Chattahoochee I'll know then that dreams come true. It will hear us chant our promise, There are secret it will know. To be there with you is my dream come true, On the Chattahoochee River shore. (230) Additional Comments: From: HISTORY OF CHATTAHOOCHEE COUNTY, GEORGIA By N. K. Rogers Dedicated to KASIHITA CHAPTER U. D. C. and all worthy descendants of the County's first settlers. Copyright 1933 by N. K. ROGERS PRINTED BY COLUMBUS OFFICE SUPPLY CO. COLUMBUS, GA. 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