Coweta County GaArchives History - Books .....Chapter V Presidential Campaigns 1928 ************************************************ 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: Alice Allen http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00025.html#0006233 August 5, 2008, 9:37 pm Book Title: Coweta County Chronicles CHAPTER V. Presidential Campaigns. Census Report. Baptist Church Minutes. No Taxes Paid in 1840. A Deed to a Cow. Schools. Obituary of Randle Robinson. Alexander H. Stephens and Walter T. Colquitt Debate. Stage Coaches. M. P. Kellogg. The Atlanta & West Point Railroad Started. 1840 "The memorable year of log cabins and coon skins," wrote Historian Anderson in 1880, "just forty years ago there was a great Presidential election, as we are now opening a great contest. May this end as peaceably as that, change the great political parties, and our country be at peace, as we were after that change. We had many rides in log cabins, and boat races; oars working hard with their canoes on wagons." "William Hogan elected Sheriff; Jonathan W. Lee, Clerk Inferior Court; the officials of the county were re-elected. James and Prank Welch came and started the Transcript, with Saxon M. Anderson, an apprentice, as printer. One of our legislators decamped this year, John Jester; Thomas O. Carter was elected Colonel after Colonel Storey's resignation. At the October election Samuel D. Echols and Brittain Simms tied for Senator, but, having it over, "Simms beat by one vote. After the votes had been twice counted, Simms gave his hand to Echols and told him to go on and represent the county. James Bell, Sanders Lee and Caleb Cook were elected Representatives." This census year Coweta's population was found to be over ten thousand; five Revolutionary pensioners living in the county, Allen Gay, seventy-five; William Smith, ninety-one; John Neely, eighty-three ; James Akens, seventy-four; William Bunser, eight-three. William Ezzard was elected Judge of the Coweta Circuit by the Legislature. At a conference of the Baptist Church, Reverend James Davis (pastor) took on the duties of sexton for the sum of fourteen dollars for the year. They called in the next regular meeting, as the Methodists were to hold Page 83 ============================================= Quarterly Meeting on that day, and they (the Baptists) tendered them the use of their meeting house, and appointed a day for fasting and prayer. Helps were appointed response to a call from Bethel Church, to settle a difficulty there. They further "Resolved that this church appoint Sabbath evening of every monthly meeting for a conference for the colored members of this church." Reverends John Milner was pastor at Mount Gilead. Joseph Banks-ton at Bethel, John G. Fry served his seventh year at Ebenezer. Methodist preacher, Newnan, Reverend Andrew Niece. "The Whig Legislature of 1840, after arranging a schedule, enacted that the unpaid taxes of 1840, which were not due until 1841, should not be paid, but that the tax-payers of Georgia should thereafter give in and pay their taxes the same year, commencing in 1841. Before this, it has been the usage to give in one year and pay the next. 1839 taxes were paid in 1840, but no taxes for the latter year were ever paid." (1) The Georgia Banner was established this year, presumably by J. A. and F. S. Welch as their names are at the masthead of the numbers, filed by Judge Lucius Featherston—No. 37, Vol. XIII and some others— but not one of this date has come to light. DEED TO A COW "KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: That I, John Vineyard, of said Coweta County, for divers good causes and considerations, have given, and hereby do by these presents give to Batty H. Mitchell, for the use of the Pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Newnan, and the next or the same that may station there, and in case of there being no preacher of said denomination stationed in the town of Newnan, to the use of the said Batty H. Mitchell and his heirs, One black and white cow of the following description: black head and black legs, the body and rump black and white speckled, her present mark, crop off right ear and under bitt in the left (the left ear formerly had a crop & slit in it) her dulap cut upwards—and her bull calf black and white finely speckled. "TO HAVE AND TO HOLD and enjoy the said cow and calf as above specified to the only proper use and behoof of the said person or persons forever. (1)—Herald and Advertiser of March 31,1893, from an article by Honorable Benjamin Leigh. 84 ============================================= "And I, the said John Vineyard hath and will warrant and forever defend the right and title of the above described cow and calf to the above named person or persons as the case may be. "IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I do hereunto set my hand and seal this 3rd. day of Sept. 1840. "JOHN VINEYARD (Seal) "In presence of "J. W. LEE, "ISHMAEL DUNN, J. I. C. "Recorded 31st Octr. 1840. "B. H. MITCHELL, Clk. 1841 Samuel D. Echols, Robert Y. Brown, Turner Parsons, Sanders W. Lee, Thomas Hughey were elected Judges of the Inferior Court; other officials were reelected. "To the surprise of both parties, the Democrats re-elected Charles J. McDonald, Governor. Such a surprise that it was said he was so busy preparing to leave the executive office that he had no inaugural address prepared, but had to borrow Mr. Dawson's—prepared because he felt so sure of election. Dawson had bought a carriage in New York in anticipation of his election, and had ordered it sent to the executive mansion in Milledgeville." Major Sellman retired from the hotel business, William U. Anderson succeeding him. The seventh postmaster was Thomas W. Bolton, "the change the result of the President Tyler's election; our mails were carried in hacks," Anderson—whom we thank hourly—tells, adding, "we thought we were rising fast, one line from Columbus to Newnan, and one Milledgeville to Newnan, one Rome to Newnan, eacjh three times per week; now (1880) we have about six a day and are hardly satisfied at that." Rates of postage then were six cents a sheet, twelve for double sheets, eighteen for three sheets and so on; there were no envelopes, but the long fool's-cap paper was ingeniously folded so that it was very securely held together, but it was about this time that stamps came into use—and the method of charging by weight. The origin of the use of stamps may well be given here: A postman handed a letter to a woman (in England); a by-stander noticed that she looked at it closely and then returned it to the postman, declaring that she had no money; the by-stander offered to pay it for her, but she told him it was not necessary, she had an understanding with Page 85 ============================================= the writer that certain marks on the outside would convey the word of health and welfare that was all she cared for. The by-stander then thought out the value of the stamp system. Bowen & Ragland closed their business and Samuel D. Dickson opened a grocery business with Captain J. D. Brown—which may mean what is now called a grocery, or it may mean saloon, which, in those days was often called grocery. The election returned Dr. I. E. Smith to the senate, Sanders W. Lee, Thomas O. Carter and Nicholas Dyer were chosen for the house. Reverend Andrew Neese was pastor at Mount Gilead Methodist church. An epidemic like "the grip" of 1889-90 and "the flu" of 1918-20, was called the "Tyler grip" by those opposed to Tyler. Only a few items concerning the schools over the county have been found. Three teachers are named by Caloway M. Webb in the sketch of him in "Memoirs of Georgia;" as he was born in 1835 they must have taught him along in the '40's: William Porch was the first, Mamie Barnes, the second, and William Allen, the third. The log schoolhouse he attended must have been in the neighborhood of the location of the present town of Moreland. J. Y. Alexander taught the Seminary or Academy—friend Anderson gives it both names on the same page—in Newnan, for fourteen years. July 4 was always enthusiastically celebrated. The Old Virginia Reel was danced and the fiddles gave forth "Arkansas Traveler," "Walls of Jericho," "Hail Columbia," and other tunes older and just as popular. Reverend Y. F. Tigner preached to the Newnan Methodists this and the following year, Reverend Andrew Neese to those at Mt. Gilead. There were other Methodist churches in the county, but only vague generalizations concerning them, but they must have been supplied by those who preached at Newnan and Mt. Gilead, since both of these were units of circuits. 1842 Obituary. Died on Sabbath evening the 27th of February last at his residence in Newnan, Ga., Deacon Randle Robinson in the eightieth year of his age. Bro. Robinson was born in Granville county, N. C, May 2, 1762. He removed to Edgefield district S. C, where he and his wife united with the Baptists, worshipping at a place on Stephens creek known Page 86 ============================================= as Hardy's meeting house, ten miles N. E., of Augusta. From this he removed to Putnam county, Ga. about 37 years ago. This county was then comparatively a wilderness, but soon he with his wife and others united in forming a church, called at that time, Glady Creek, since known as Tirza. The church, soon after its organization, in obedience to the apostolic command to the church at Jerusalem in looking out among them a 'man of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom/ selected Bro. Robinson to fill the office of Deacon. Here he was an active and useful officer and one highly esteemed as a man and a Christian taking a firm stand in all the liberal schemes for promoting the interest of the church of Christ. In this church he lived nearly twenty years beloved and respected by his brethren and fellow citizens. About the year 1826 he emigrated to Butts county which was then a new section of the country. Here also he and his wife united in organizing a church at Towlaggee where he also discharged the duties of a deacon for about two years. Removed to Coweta county and settled in the woods one mile and three-quarters east of Newnan, about the close of 1827. In 1828 a few Baptists in and near Newnan organized a church which they called Newnan Baptist Church. Bro. Robinson was a man a little above the ordinary size, he was active, industrious, prudent and persevering in the prosecution of his worldly interest and by these means aiid the blessings of heaven he prospered in the affairs of this life and accumulated an ample competency for himself and children—notwithstanding his devoted interest in things of Religion, and his liberality in the support of the ministry, and that he was the warm friend of and a liberal contributor to the benevolent operations of the church, The Bible, Tract, Missionary, Temperance, Educational and Sabbath School Societies found in him an efficient friend and supporter. About six years ago he distributed the principal part of his property among his children and grandchildren, reserving a mere competency for his own support; he removed to the village in order to be near the church and to enjoy the privilege of devoting himself more fully to the service of God. Soon after his removal, owing to his age and consequent inability to attend conveniently the weekly prayer-meeting of the church, at his request, it was held at his house every Tuesday night up to the time of his death, a period of about five years. This prayer-meeting at the request of his surviving consort is still held there. Page 87 ============================================= Bro. Robinson having surplus funds which he put out at interests made it his uniform rule never to exact usurious interest; and it was his custom also to dispose of his funds generally to those who most needed them. Deacon Robinson was twice married, his first wife died shortly after their union, by the last marriage he has three surviving children, two daughters and a son; all of them hopefully the children of God. The greatest enconium we can bestow in relation to the character of our departed venerable brother is found in the apostolic injunction respecting the character of those who should be selected by the church to fill the deacon's office, 'a man of honest report full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom,' he was beloved by all his brethren in the church, highly esteemed by all Christians and reverenced by men of the world as an honest, amiable, kind and benevolent citizen. Afflicted with the palsy several years before his death he bore his afflictions with Christian patience and resignation." His prayer that he might see his only son converted and baptised was answered within the last year of his life. He conversed on the subject of death with great composure retaining his reason to the end. This man of God fell asleep in Jesus, "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth, Yea, sayeth the Spirit, for they rest from their labors and their works do follow them!" In the resolutions on his death are these impressive words: "This church will ever cherish a grateful remembrance of his works of love and mercy and the truly scriptural manner in which he fully employed the excellent traits of the Christian character in all his intercourse with the church and the world. We esteem him a man of God." From the minutes we learn that: Cost of keeping the church has risen steadily; for the coming year it is to be $15. A sister charged that a brother in the church had repeatedly promised to pay her and had as repeatedly falsified his word, and they took up the matter. Belonging to a church in those days meant right obligations to be rightly kept. Coke Chapel (named for Bishop Coke or Cokesberry) first at Burt Hill farm in the early 30's, was moved to its present site, a lot 600 x 600 feet, deeded by Mark Smith for $25, to the trustees, George Glass, Caleb Cook, J. E. Hunnicutt, Joshua P. Shropshire, L. M. Hunnicutt. Dr. J. E. P. Hunnicutt was superintendent of its Sunday School fifty-three years. It was the home church of Dr. George Edward Smith Page 88 ============================================= a beloved local preacher who believed wives should call their husbands Mr. or My Lord and was of the almost puritanic austerity of life that characterized the Methodists of that time that made them turn Mrs. John Ray, senior, out of one, of their churches for wearing jewelry. Three stone steps (in 1927) mark the time when most women of the congregation rode horseback to church and the steps were used to mount and dismount. They were hewn by Mike Costello. The old church and burying ground are well worth a visit; some of the monuments and epitaphs are most beautiful. One monument is of Carrara (Italien) marble. Captain George Smith, of 1st Regiment Virginia Cavalry, War 1812, is buried here. "Coke Chapel is in the Sixth district—the garden spot of the county, (1) Dr. Luther Smith, first graduate of Emory College from Coweta county and later its president, as boy and young man belonged to this church to which many of Georgia Methodism's greatest men preached." From Anderson: "Willard F. Taft, carriage maker, built a new shop. He had three old sots of drinkers working for him to pay their liquor bills. All got to talking about what they were working for, and how they were spending their money and time—for what was their ruin, and the impoverishment of their families—and they all just quit work and hunted up the officer of the Temperance Society, and each one took the pledge, and returned to work to pay their indebtedness. Some did not, and some did hold out faithfully to the end. All have passed to their long home." (1880.) Neriah (the light of the Lord) Baptist Church was organized in September; Reverends John S. Dodd, George B. Davis and Berry Holmes were present; George B. Davis was elected pastor—also reelected pastor of Ebenezer; G.W. Yarbrough, of Mount Gilead, Methodist; the Presbyterians retaining J. Y. Alexander, who had served them ten years, and the White Oak Presbyterian church for six. The latter built a new church this year and put a rock wall around their cemetery. 1843 Alexander H. Stephens and Judge Walter T. Colquitt had a debate in Newnan this year that has been famous ever since. Colquitt spoke first and so brilliantly and effectively that Stephens' Whig friends (1)-Mrs. N. L. Cook. Miss Nora Page, Mrs. T. D. Mobley. Page 89 ============================================= were very much crest-fallen when the frail thin voiced and uninspiring speaker began his reply, but, taking up Judge Colquitt's attacks on him, he began comparing their acts in the Legislature and soon had the audience in a roar of applause, and everything he said from then on to the conclusion of his speech was received with cheers and shouts of victory. It was on this occasion that Stephens is said to have retorted, when Colquitt scornfully declared, "I could pin back his ears, grease him and swallow him whole," "Then you would have more brains in your belly than you have in your head." Of this speech, Honorable John T. Boifeuillet quotes from Henry Cleveland's entertaining book, "Alexander H. Stephens, in Public and Private," "The result of the speech at Newnan was the triumphant election of the entire Whig ticket a few weeks afterward by the largest majority given any party there in years." Ebenezer Baptist church lost William M. Stokes, its noble deacon, in whose home it had been organized in 1828. He and his second wife, (born Jane Strong, March 26, 1785, in Virginia, married a man named Bridgewater who lost his life in the War of 1812, became Mrs. Stokes in 1815; removed to Coweta county, land lot 25 in the Sixth district, in 1827,)living in a double log-cabin—where Ebenezer was organized— for a year, then building one of the first framed and weatherboarded houses in the county. Their home for the twenty-eight years of their married life, was noted for its gracious hospitality. But with many well trained slaves, an abundance of supplies from fields, forests, and streams it was easy to be hospitable. The timbers of their house were hewn from trees on the place, the weatherboarding, flooring and ceiling were sawed with a whip-saw. (This building in 1926 continues to be used as a dwelling). A pretty story is: that a child visitor was made so happy by this childless couple that on leaving he looked back and said to his mother, who was with him, "Ma, do you reckon that heaven is any better place than that?" Mrs. Stokes remembered when her brothers returned from serving in the Revolutionary war. Reverend G. B. Davis was pastor of Ebenezer from 1840 to 1846 and of Neriah church as well. The Methodists had Reverends J. F. Tigner at Mount Gilead and Harris Stearn at Newnan. Jonathan W. Lee opened a hotel, on what was Neely's corner in 1880. Dennis F. Hammond came to practice law—as did John B. Willcoxon, Page 90 ============================================= H. R. Harrison—and George V. Vaughn a tailor, J. Kent, a saddler were other accessions to the population. James Rollins succeeded William F. Taft, who died, in the saloon business. Major Hugh Brewster and Walter Smith were merchants this year; Daniel Thompson, aged eighty-four died. 1844 In the Second district, six miles south of Newnan, on the left side of the State road a Methodist Church was organized with the name Mount Zion. A Class Leader's book has the date April 8, 1844, J. W. Yarbrough, at the bottom of the first page, with "Tarply Pricket G. W. Bryant (without punctuation), Leaders—at the top, and on the following pages the names: Tarply Pricket, George W. Bryant, Hiram Camp, Edmond Camp, Abner N. Camp, Henry Martin, James and William Hammock, George W. Camp, George W. King, Franklin Colley, J. B. McClure, W. H. Wright, James Z. Brady, John Hammock, Sarah Pricket, Mary, Peninah and Mary A. Camp, Susan, Nancy and Caroline Costley, Mary Hammock, Mary A. Dodds, Catherine Flurrey, Elizabeth and Rebecca Johnson, Lucinda King, Mary Dodds, Matilda Bryant, Nancy Hindsman, Jemima Reynolds, Leah, California A. and Elizabeth A. Pricket, Nancy Holland (Senior and Junior.) Harriet Holland, Frances Colley, Elvira and Martha H. McClure, Jane Wright, and Elizabeth Tomlin. New business ventures: J. Colen, chair and cabinet maker; Peter Buchan, watchmaker and jeweler; William Fernandez, Morton and Forbs, cabinet and chair makers—Forbs died before the year ended—; Willis Cash, a carriage workman and Harry Goram. In the country O. Linch, Esquire; T. Kirby and some others. The whole country was in a stir from June to November over the Clay and Polk presidential campaign. There were five barbecues, and an illumination after the election. Polk stalks, ash poles, hickory trees, Clay and Polk poles with banners, were planted about the square. William U. Anderson gives a lively glimpse of that time: "Some men hung Zeak Polk on the hickory. They were afraid to venture high with him; hung him close to the ground, so they could run if they were seen. We had many speeches: Walter T. Colquitt, William H. Stiles, Hugh A. Haralson, Sampford, William B. Pryor, Herschel V. Johnson, Hiram Warner and others on the Democratic side; Alexander H. Stephens, Robert Toombs, William C. Dawson, Judge Floyd, Page 91 ============================================= Dr. Ridley and others, on the Whig side. The illumination after the elections was something to remember! We never expect to witness such another time. A procession 'with the mill boy of the Slashes' and a company of boys each with a flag of a State." Hugh Buchanan moved in and succeeded the Reverend J. Y. Alexander as teacher at the Academy. M. P. Kellogg settled in the Sixth district (1844) finding a hospitable home and companionship and a good positiona s teacher at the home of Dr. and Mrs. Ira E. Smith who had eight sons to be educated. 1845 William U. Anderson sold his carriage shop to Luckey & Potts and his blacksmith shop to William Potts. A gold stealing scrape excited the town but it was all recovered and no prosecutions resulted; the thief departed, and the records give no clew to his name. Of Reverend James Davis who served the Newnan Baptist church for six years, this testimony is given in the History of Georgia Baptists, published in 1881; he was "strong in intellect, vigorous in constitution, and for many years robust, physically. Pointing to him one day as he with the aid of two sticks hobbled along the streets of Newnan, lame and with health shattered by a serious fall which he suffered on one of his preaching tours, the Honorable Ebenezer McKinley said: 'Talk of your great men! There goes one who has done as much as any man to give a moral tone to all this country.' " This tribute is the more valuable because Mr. McKinley belonged to another denomination and was a man whose word and judgment carried weight. Reverend Robert Fleming was chosen for the ensuing year. The revival in the summer added many new members. In the fall after again choosing Robert Fleming for their pastor, the church went to work to build, but later, the minutes of another meeting have this: "In consequence of our meeting house having become a wreck (it was blown down) the building committee called upon the church for instruction; the church directed them to proceed upon the original plan, and appointed a committee to secure subscriptions for rebuilding of our meeting house." Every time, at monthly conference held on Saturday, the absentees are noted, and something like this added, "Appointed Brothers Gibson and Pinson to cite Brothers Reynolds and Owen to our next meeting." Page 92 ============================================= The Presbyterians and the Baptists built, each, their second house of worship to accommodate their increasing membership; the Baptists undismayed by their disaster and grateful that no one was hurt in the wreck set to work and soon had a stauncher house in its place. Bethlehem Baptist church five miles southeast of Newnan, near Giles Pitts' home was constituted this year. Rev. B. Holmes, chosen as the first pastor served three years; J. Filmore and J. Walton the first messengers to the Western Association. George B. Davis continued to serve at the Neriah and Ebenezer Baptist churches. Reverend Robert F. Fleming was pastor of Newnan Baptist church from 1844 to 1850. M. P. Kellogg taught Mount Pleasant School, in the Sixth district, preparing Luther M. Smith and Albert Raney for Emory College— the first students from Coweta to graduate at any college. Dr. Needham Angier taught in the North settlement; James T. Morris in the Fourth district; Tuscan H. Ball in the Third; Bassell Northern in the Second; A. P. Houston in the Third (probably earlier than this date;) John B. Tendall, William A. Speer, and John W. Powell were early teachers in the Cedar Creek district, but we have no data for the exact time or places. James Eckles, a farmer, taught in the Hurricane district and another early teacher was Obediah C. Cavender, but nothing more is given about him. Elizabeth Houston, said to have been the first girl born in Coweta county, and James Rollins marriage is noteworthy because it was said they were the handsomest couple ever married in the county. John Houston and his brother Samuel were prominent citizens of the early days of the county especially famous for their beautiful daughters; John had four, and two sons, and Samuel had eight daughters; both families being considered the most beautiful and talented in the county. These young people were less strictly religious than their neighbors; they danced, a rare thing in this county in that day, but later, all became strict church members and there has been no dancing by their descendants. The Methodists were served by Reverend A, Pennington, R. W. Johnson, assistant, and Reverend W. D. Matthews at Mt. Gilead. It was during this decade, it is said, that Sarah Dickinson Simms rode horseback from Hancock county, Georgia, with one orphan grandson, Robert P. Burch, in front of her on the horse and an other, Jimmy E. Jones, behind her, to the home of John Simms, her son, who was among the Page 93 ============================================= first settlers of Coweta county. Only the lineage pages suffice for the names of her many descendants, not only in this county, but over the whole country. 1846 "The postoffice was robbed—no thief was detected, but a young lawyer, who had been in Newnan for several years, vanished from the place." It is inconceivable that Coweta failed to afford men for the Mexican war. Though diligent search has been made, no names of men from the county have been found, but two who served through it settled in the county after it was over—Captain Harry J. Sargent won his title as head of the Fannin Avengers Company of General Henry R. Jackson's regiment and Robert H. Woods was a member of that company. "That good old man, Rev. Humphrey Posey, (1) died December 28, after but little more than two years residence in Newnan." Diligent search has been made for a copy of Rev. Robert Fleming's "Life of Humphrey Posey," without avail. For upwards of forty years he did missionary work among the Cherokee Indians (until their removal) in all of the pioneer days he went about preaching until late in life, in 1844, after being a widower two years, he married the rich Mrs. Jane Stokes of Coweta county, of whom more shall be told later. They made their home in Newnan in a little house, still standing in 1926, far back, on the right side, of Jefferson street as you go north. J. W. Powell was admitted to the bar. 1847 Macedonia, the oldest Baptist church of which there is record, moved its building to its present site. Trustees: Jacobus Gibson, James Stamps, Owen Wood. Allen Gay, a charter member and Revolutionary soldier, died and was the first adult buried in its graveyard. A daily stage-coach line was operated between Atlanta and West Point for a year or more, but its days were numbered from this time; a charter for a railroad to be called the "Atlanta and West Point'' was obtained and work begun on it. "Cullen W. Smith came, bought the old Wilkins mills on Sandy Creek, ran them awhile, sold them to S, C, Dickson, and bought the old Hetton mill, making it the best flouring mill in the county. About the same time Rev. Thomas Colbert bought the old Conyers mills, on Wahoo, repaired and fitted them up in good style with a wool factory. Benjamin S. Tarver and William W. (1)—See History of the Baptist Denomination in Georgia, for a full account of his life. Page 94 ============================================= Sellman removed to Alabama. William F. Storey bought out Dr. Brown at Oak Lawn Carroll county and moved there." The temperance question divided the White Oak Presbyterian church, composed as it was of two separate branches of the Presbyterian faith each secured a pastor, and continued to use the same building, having different preaching days. The Associate Reformed branch called Rev. Thomas Turner to serve them; J. Y. Alexander continued the pastor of the regular Presbyterians there—as well as at Newnan. William Harris was hanged for the murder of J. McCollum—'the second execution in the county. Two in twenty years would not be so bad a record if those had been the only murders committed, but, then, as now, there were many serious crimes that went unpunished or lightly punished for one reason or another, 1848 Zachery Taylor's election to the presidency passed without excitement in this part of the country. Hiram Camp, a farmer, succeeded William U. Anderson as hotel keeper. M. P. Kellogg took charge of the Rock Spring school, in the Seventh district, having over one hundred pupils. Sardis Baptist church, was organized with thirteen members, located ten miles north of Newnan, between the Ferrell and Bryan homes, with Reverend George B. Daniel as pastor. Reverend Noah Smith served Newnan and Mount Zion Methodist churches, South, (the split in that denomination, between the North and South wings, having occurred in 1846), Reverend James Jones serving Mount Gilead Methodist1 and Reverend N. A. Williams serving Ebenezer and Holly Springs Baptists. The other churches had the same pastors noted previously. Nathaniel Atchinson died aged ninety-one years. 1849 Beginning April 16, there were killing frosts every night for a week, not only were the crops—grain, corn and cotton killed, and the fruit, but the forest trees looked as in the fall of the year. After a long interval the Masons' old minutes book had an account of a meeting with only the name of B. H. Mitchell not new to its lists; the others were: Hugh Brewster, S. W., Thomas P. Wells, J. W., James Doris, S. D. P. T. (if my guess at the letters is correct), Eldridge (1) From 1846 most Methodist churches in Coweta County, should have "South" added to their names. Page 95 ============================================= Rainey, J. D. P. T., Charles D. McKinley, Treasurer, P. T., Charles E. Taft, Sec't. P. T., Richard C. Wade, Tyler. M. P. Kellogg had a great school of more than a hundred pupils at Rock Spring, in the Seventh district, William U. Anderson gives this sidelight on the presence of the little mean and narrow minds, in the town, at the time he writes (1880) "They say now that he is a carpetbagger. Let us see if that will hold good. He has been with us over a third of a century; has raised his family with us; spent all he has ever made in building up our town and country—can't carry it away if he wanted to. Where is the man that has done as much to build up your city as he has done? Then away with the charge of Yankee. Come up with your children; have them well taught, and try to pay that debt of gratitude all owe him for his labors in educating our children—make his old age comfortable. We all owe it to him if we deal justly. Whole pages might be written" (of him and his work). "Governor George W. Towns and Judge E. Y. Hill, both candidates for Governor were in Newnan but did not speak. Candidates for Governor had not then got to speaking on the stump." Atlanta and West Point Rail Road. By H. W. Seib, Consulting Engineer of the Atlanta and West Point Railroad. The history of the Atlanta and West Point Railroad dates back to 1847, when certain influential citizens of Campbell, Coweta and Troup counties, applied to the Legislature for a charter to construct and operate a railroad from Atlanta to LaGrange. "An Act" to incorporate the Atlanta and LaGrange Rail Road Company was passed by the Legislature, and approved by the Governor, December 27, 1847. Among the incorporators, citizens of Coweta county were: Andrew J. Berry, Bennett Conyers, Hugh Brewster, Joel W. Terrell, J. V. Davis, John Ray, Thomas W. Bolton and J. H. Johnson. At this period, Atlanta had been permanently fixed as the Southeastern terminus of the Western & Atlantic Railroad. The connections by rail from Charleston, via Augusta, had been made by the Georgia Railroad, and from Savannah, via Macon, had been made by the Macon and Western Rail Road, now Central of Georgia Railway. The Montgomery and West Point Railroad, now the Western Page 96 ============================================= Railway of Alabama, was constructed from Montgomery, Ala. to Opelika, Ala. and a project of a branch from Opelika, Ala. to Columbus, Ga., was under discussion. The incorporators held their first meeting at Corinth, January 13, 1848, for the purpose of organization. In order to comply with the provisions of the charter, and to construct the roacl within the time and manner prescribed by the charter it was deemed advisable to take up with the other railroads ,to the East and West, with a view of interesting them in the projects. Other meetings of the incorporators were held at LaGrange and Corinth. Books were opened for the purpose of subscriptions for stock at Newnan, LaGrange, Cambellton, Franklin and Corinth in the immediate vicinity; also in the counties through which the Georgia Railroad was constructed and at Charleston, S. C. At this period, people were not very enthusiastic over such projects; the conservative were content with existing conditions and cared little for the railroad. Another factor which exercised no little influence on public thought, was found in the fact that the coming of tne railroad meant the passing of profitable Stage Coach Lines, of Wagon Trains that transported freight, and the passing of these enterprises meant serious injury to sundry little industries. But such thought changed in passing years, projected railroads have been able to collect handsome bonuses for constructing their lines through ambitious communities. At a called meeting held at the Court House at Newnan on May 24, 1849, the organization of the Atlanta and LaGrange Railroad was perfected. John P. King, President of the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company, was elected President. Of the six directors, chosen, Joel W. Terrell and Andrew J. Berry, were citizens of Coweta county. The by-laws provided that the annual meeting of stockholders was to be held annually at the Town of Newnan, on the 25th of May, unless that day fell on Sunday; in that case the meeting was to be held on the previous Friday. At this time, enough subscriptions to the capital stock had been made to justify placing the line to Newnan under construction. L. P. Grant was appointed chief engineer, and early in March, 1849, commenced location surveys near Atlanta. The line to Newnan was placed under contract. The grading was undertaken; mostly by subscribers to the capital stock. This arrangement proved unsatisfactory, some Page 97 ============================================= of the contractors abandoned their contracts, and by the time of the next annual meeting held at Newnan, May 25, 1850, only one-third of the grading and masonry was complete. The work was re-let to more experienced contractors. Track laying was expected to begin in July and completed to the Coweta county line by Christmas, but owing to the extremely wet weather, the work was delayed. The line was completed and opened for passenger trains to Palmetto depot on March 17th, 1851; to Arnold's (now McCollum) on June 3rd; to Powell's (now Madras) on July 13th; to Newnan on September 9th. The line to Newnan was opened for freight transportation on September 12th, 1851. The line between Newnan and West Point was placed under contract, September, 1850. The incorporators had previously obtained an amendment to the charter, approved by the Governor on December 14, 1849, authorizing the Atlanta and La Grange Rail Road to extend its line to West Point. At this time, the Montgomery and West Point Railroad was under construction between Opelika and West Point, which extension was completed April 28^ 1851. The Atlanta and LaGrange Rail Road was opened to traffic to Grantville on June 1, 1852; to LaGrange, February, 1853; to West Point, on May 15,1854. Owing to the difference between the gauges of the two railroads, freight and passenger traffic was transferred from one road to the other until May 31, 1886, when the gauge of the Montgomery and West Point Railroad was changed to conform to standard gauge, which had been adopted by the Atlanta and LaGrange Railroad, so the engines and cars from one road to the other could be interchanged. At the meeting of the Board of Directors held at Newnan May 25th, 1853, a change was made in the by-laws, changing the place of the annual meeting of the stockholders to the City of Atlanta, to be held on July 25th. Until this period, there had been held in the Town of Newnan, seven meetings of the Board of Directors and four meetings of the stockholders. An Act to amend the charter of the Atlanta and LaGrange Rail-Road, assented to by the Governor December 22, 1857, changed the name of the railroad to the Atlanta and West Point Railroad Company. Page 98 ============================================= Citizens of Coweta county have been continuously on the Board of Directors as follows: Andrew J. Berry .1849-1866 Joel W. Terrell 1849-1850 John E. Robinson 1850-1873 W. B. Berry 1866-1903 Dr. J. R Moreland 1868-1877 John S. Bigby 1874-1897 H. C. Fisher 1892-1926 W. B. Berry was President, 1880-1881. Additional Comments: Citation: COWETA COUNTY CHRONICLES FOR ONE HUNDRED YEARS WITH An Account of the Indians from Whom the Land was Acquired AND Some Historical Papers Relating to its Acquisition by Georgia, with Lineage Pages. EDITED AND COMPILED BY MARY G. JONES AND LILY REYNOLDS FOR SARAH DICKINSON CHAPTER DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION OF NEWNAN, GEORGIA THE STEIN PRINTING COMPANY ATLANTA, GA. 1928 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/coweta/history/1928/cowetaco/chapterv738gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 39.3 Kb