MADISON COUNTY, GEORGIA - 1938 Submitted by Mary Love Berryman 29 November 2002 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ***************************************************************** All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. ***************************************************************** Note: This was copied at the Georgia Archives. Believed to be a project of the WPA. There were many mispelled words and typos - some which have been corrected for easier reading. MLB HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, GEORGIA Madison County, Georgia, was organized under act of General Assembly of Georgia, December 11, 1811, began to operate as a county in 1812. Was formed from Oglethorpe, Clarke, Jackson, Franklin and Elbert counties. Has area of Three Hundred Five (305) square miles approximating 195,200 acres. Named for James Madison, fourth president of United States, from 1809 to 1817. Aceording to census of 1930 her poulation was Fourteen Thousand, Nine Hundred Twenty-One (14,921). Certified voters list of June first 1937 indicated Three Thousand Twenty-six (3026) voters. Madison County has nine militia, districts: Fork (#203), Brookline (205) Danielsville, (204), Pocataligo (262), Grovehill, (382), Pittman (383), Harrison (591)?, Mill (438) and Collins (1616). Eleven voting precints: Danielsville, Comer, Carlton, Colbert, Hull, Ila, Planter, Pocataligo, Paoli, Mill and Harrison. From August 1927 to August 1937, ten years there were Fifteen Hundred Eighty-Three deaths. Three Thousand Seven Hundred Ninety-Four births. ********************************************************************** Danielsville, Madison County, Georgia. ************************************** By an act General Assembly of Georgia December Fifth 1812 Danielsville was made permanent site public buildings Madison County where courts, Superior and Inferior, were to be held, on and after March First 1813. Justices of the Inferior Courts were given power to purchase not less than Fifty acre land from Henry Mitchell and John Crowder, of Hancock County, it being near the center of the county and a spring; lay same out in lots and sell to highest bidders for cash and reasonable credit. Danielsville was named for General Allen Daniel, whose grave is near Danielsville, about three miles North on the Daniel's Ferry road. A unique hand carved stone marks the place. Danielsville, Georgia was incorporated in 1812 with James Long (father of Dr. Crawford Long, of discover of use of ether as an anesthetic, who was born here), Willis Towns and Joseph Vincentt, Esqs. as commissioners, to pass by-laws and regulations. In 1823 Madison County Academy was organized at Danielsville with James Long first County School Superintendant, Willis Towns, William Sanders, Edward Ware as trustees. This school continues to operate. The Presbyterian Church was first to organize in 1826, or pryor as the minutes will show from General Assembly, with 27 members. No regular pastor until 1829 when Rev. Alonzo Church was Staed Supply from that date to 1833. Methodist and Baptist Churches were organized about 1880. All three denomination now having large memberships. Danielsville has never had a rail road. Is situated practically in center of Madison County. Has a poulation of 300 Three Hundred good souls. Altitude of 1100 feet while the average of Madison County is 900 feet. Situated on U.S. Highway #29, State route #8. I4 miles North of Athens. No pay roll in the city nor the county except P.W.A. Purely agricultural. The following Post Offices were abandoned in Madison County with the advent of Rural Free Delivery: POST OFFICE NAMED FOR Alvin Ga. Mr. Alvin Collins Hix, GA. Mr. Harrison Hix Berea, Ga. A Church in that vicinity. Monitor Ga. The long established County Paper Neese, Ga. The late J. Neese Boggs, Ordinary, Madison Co. Boggs, Ga. The late J. Neese Boggs, Ordinary, Madison Co. Madison Springs, Ga. Famous Spring and resort for a number of years. Carruth's Mill, Ga. Wheat and Grist mill owned by Mr. Carruth. Jeptha, Ga. Mr. Jeptha T. King who operated a store Deadwyler Ga. Mrs. John Deadwyler Sorrell, Ga. Mr. Howell P. Sorrell Ft. Lamar, Ga. - which derived her name from an Old Fort which still stands and being situated on a bluff overlooking Lamar Creek. Lamar Creek gained its name from flowing through large acreage owned and operated by the Lamar family; Hence, Ft. Lamar. Planter, Ga. - Has been the voting place for Pittman district from the organizatgion of the county as well as the post- office for the community. Two public roads crossed there and large farming interest were carried on around the place. Pocataligo, Ga. Where two public roads cross, is an Indian name and so named by them as a Large tribe lived near there. The legend goes that a terrapin was found in the X road by a passing white man. The terrapin was drawn into his shell and could not be made to crawl. An Indian appeared and told the white man to poke his tail he go. Hence; Pocataligo. Pronounced Poca-tal-i-go. Now called Poca. Paoli, Ga - An old Indian name, later associated with that Corsican General who allied with the British Army. The church is 150 year old. Hitch, Ga. and Wiggs, Ga. must be in some other county as no one here remembers the names. I am of the opinion Hitch is in Elbert county along with Hard Cash and Pey-up. The following are the post offices in Madison County now being operated POST OFFICES NAMED FOR Danielsville, General Allen Daniel. See'Danieloville. Ila A very beautiful little girl of the community. Hull Mr. Hope Hull who lived at Athens, Ga. Colbert Mr. James Colbert. Colbert, Ga. was known as Five Forks, Ga. from the fact of five public roads coming together at that point. Mr. Fletch Colbert moved there, built a nice home gave the town a nice sum of money for city improvement and Five Forks name was changed to Colbert, Ga. Comer Mr. Reuben Comer and Comer Family Carlton Dr. Henry Carlton of Athens, Ga. The shipping point for this town is Berkley, so named for one of the division Engineers of the S.A.L. and was changed from Carlton to Berkley on account of freight mix ups with Carrollton, Ga. So post office Carlton land R.R. point Berkley RIVERS AND CREEKS OF MADISON COUNTY Broad River in Madison County is the largest stream. It is formed from North and South Broad and gained her name from size, being broad. She flows through Northern section of the county. South River is the next in size having her head and mouth on Madison Co. She gained her name from being mostly in the Southern part of the Co. Little Bluestone and Big Bluestone are in the North Central part of the Co. and it seems gained their names from stone lying along the streams which when cracked present a blue appearance as of Bluestone. Black's Creek in Northern section came from the family of Blacks. Williams Creek from the Williams family. Large land owners. North west from Danielsville Kinley's Creek: from the Kinleys who first settled on the creek. Bigger's Creek: from the Biggers family who were early settlers. She is sometimes called Half-way Branch, being about equal distance between Danielsville and Athens, Ga. Hodge Creek: From the Hodge Family who were the earliest settlers on it. Double Branches: in the early days two branches came to-gether at the public road passing. Crossing them only few steps apart. Holly Creek: Long ago before so much clearing of woods the banks of the Creek abounded in Holly. Beverdam Creek: Border line stream between Madison and Oglethorpe counties Dams constructed by the beaver were located on this stream in the early days: hence the name, Beaverdam Creek. Scull Shoal Creek: This creek heads at a spring in the yard of W. S. Sanders within a mile of Danielsville, flows east to South and empties into Broad River. On her eastern flow she turns South into a broken region with small shoals and owing to the spelling of Scull, it seems a family of that name were the early settlers near her shoals. Brushy Creek: This creek has a very shallow channel and always spreads, therefore is difficult to cultivate and many small brushy growths on her banks: Brushy Creek Lamar Creek: Was so named for a family of Lamar's who were the first settlers on same owning vast acres land. CITIES OR TOWNS; WHEN SETTLED, INCORPORATED, ALTITUDE, POPULATION, RAIL ROADS, HIGHWAYS. CARLTON is the post office while Berkly, Ga. is name used by the seaboard Air Line R. R. on which road the town is situated in the lower section of the County. COMER Named for Reuben Comer and Comer family, settled 1891 on S.A.L. R.R. Incorporated 1893, amended 1913, State route junction 82 and 36, 82 paved from point near Athens Altitude about 650 feet, population 700. COLBERT As Five Forks was settled 1891, on S.A.L. R.R., incorpo- rated December 8 1899. Charter amended and name changed to Colbert, Ga. in honor of James Fletcher Colbert 1909. Atitude about 700 feet, population 450, state highway #82 paved, connecting with 36 at Comer and to S. Carolina. HULL Settled 1891, on S.A.L. R.R. depot abandoned, no shipping except prepaid freight. Is partly in Clarke County and partly in Madison County. Incorporated 1905, amended in 1911, limits reduced from one-half to one, quarter mile. Altitude about 690, population 150. State #82 paved. DANIELSVILLE has never had a R.R. settled 1811. County seat Madison County 1812 by act General Assembly of Georgia (see Danielsville on sheet one) named for General Allen Daniel. Altitude about 1100 feet, population 325, on State High way #36, not paved, and U.S. 29, which is State #8 and paved North and South. ILA Settled in 1879 with a post office in a dwelling and being named 0'possum, Ga. It seems Judge Emory Speer had acquired some 500 acres land there through a lawyer fee which he sold to Dr. Geo. C. Daniel who secured, and named the post office which was fed by a star route from Danielsville to Harmony Grove (Now Commerce). He later sold the property to Chan Campbell and Llewellyn Thomson who erected a store and themselves changed the name of the place to Ila in honor of a very pretty little girl cf the community. In the '80s Dr. Geo W. Westbrook joined them and the place grew to a nice community and was by these pioneers incorporated as the town of Ila in 1910. Her altitude is around 1100 feet, population 250 to 300 with State Highways 36 and 106 passing through her center The change of name from 0'possum to Ila was in 1882-83. She has never had a R.R. nor are the highways paved but it seems now (1938-39) #36 will be paved soon. As a summary; Madison County present (I938) post office sites: Colbert, Comer, Carlton, Hull, Danielsville, Ila. Rail Roads: Seaboard Air Line in extreme Southern portion, bordering Clark and Oglethorpe Counties. United State Highway: One only #29. State Highways: Number 8 (which is U.S. #29), #36, #82, #106.