Georgia: Oglethorpe County: Prominent Ante-Bellum Families From the Oglethorpe Echo, 8 October 1909 ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store this file permanently for free access. This file was contributed by: Troy Colquitt telles@elberton.net ==================================================================== Oglethorpe Echo Oct. 8th 1909 PROMINENT ANTE-BELLUM CITIZENS OF OUR COUNTY Men who gave Oglethorpe fame for its Execeptional High Class of the Most Noble of Citizenry AS REMEMBERED BY MR. J. S. BAUGHN Editor , Oglethorpe Echo. Before resuming my reminiscences of the citizenship of our county during the years antedating the memorable struggle , I would say that in my youth , my acquaintance did not extend to all portions of the county , notably that part bordering on Beaverdam creek and Broad river. Oliver Chandler , Mr. Wynn and Newton Noell were the best of citizens and the place whereon L. W.. Collier now lives was the home of Archer Griffith , a man of wealth and quite prominent in politics. Near by was Mr. Webb and near Cloud’s creek , Peyton Sanders , known more recently as the Ben Patton place. South of that creek were the Herndons , Olivers , Taliaferros , Goolsbys , and Frank Merriwether’s , now the Burckhalter place. On the Danielsville and Washington road there was Geo. W..Whitehead , Rev. P. P. Butler , Obediah Stevens , Dewitt C. Smith , Isaac Thornton and Mr. Armstrong , who lived at Sandy Cross. In the direction of Point Peter , James C. Johnson , Cunningham , and their father, William Cunningham , Raleigh Mathews , Capt. J. H. Tiller , and above there , where P. L. Wheeles now lives , was John P. Tiller , once sheriff of the county At the Glade , were Drs. Charles and W. W. Davenport and another brother , John L., who was one of the pioneers and a pedagogue. Mr. Ben Tiller was a fixture about that thriving village for a long while but he moved to Athens before his death. On the Elberton road William Tiller lived and William Glenn , known as “Cane Brake” to distinguish him from others of the same name. Near the river, at what in recent years, was Martin’s ferry , Stinson Jarrell made his home. I will now give the names of some of the noble batch of citizens who lived between the Elberton and Danielsville road: Robert Turner , Berry Hartsfield , Jacob Eberhart , Ambrose Witcher , Miles Smith , Abel Eberhart , Gibson Olive , and others. Above Sandy Cross , Bob Turner , John Nunally , Wm. Colquitt, John Bray, Joe Colquitt. Near Lexington , at what is now known as the Salmon place , was Judge F. L. Upson’s home before he moved to town. On the Elberton and Carlton road in the rear of Walter Stevens home , Col. W. J. Ogilvie resided before moving to Louisiana . Then Alvie Robertson , Jas. Ogilvie , James Kidd , Henry Colquitt , Chessley Arnold , the first home of Thos. P. Callaway after his marriage and for some years the place of residence of W. W. Bush and subsequently of W. M. Martin. West of Mt. Pleasant Church Robt. Smith lived. North, Dr. Willis Willingham, and after his removal to Lexington, Dr. Sherod Macarty. At what is now the home of John W. Jarrell, John V. Collins who married the widow Bush. Futher North, John W. Black and W. W. Everett. Near Clouds Creek Church, that venerable Christian gentlemen, Asa Howard despense his hospitality and was a pillar of that church. South on the road to Crawford, W. G. England raised a large family and several of his boys are able Methodist preachers. E. W. Johnson was located on the same road near the junction with the Crawford and Danielsville road, and I failed to mention Thadeus H. Hawkins, a son- in-law of L. W. Johnson, who lived on that road. Below what is known as Devils Pond, at what was for long years the home of M. H. Arnold, Charles Merriwether, like many others thought to make his slaves more porfitable by taking them west, so he went to north Mississippi. But in his, as in other cases, it proved a mistake. Two young men, Dr. Nat and Thomas Carithers left their native health north of there in Grove Creek district and moved to Jackson County. The widow of Ed Colquitt raised her family near the Merriwether place and right well the task was preformed. On the road from Devils Pond to its intersection below C. O. Stevens, James Johnson, of whom I spoke in my last, lived and raised his family. Two maiden ladies, Misses Carter, by dint of effort, made a comfortable living , and took care of an insane brother, William. John M. Kidd, W. J. Davenport, James Johnson, who married a Wise, lived on that road. It has been under the most adverse circumstances that I have written up the county between, I will say, the Lexington and Smithonia Roads, I have doubtlessly left out many but not intentionally. I remember that I failed to mention Anthony Olive, who bought and moved to the Col. W. J. Ogilvie place in 1858. I propose to confine my sketch to the period originally designated. More anon. J. S. B. (Compilers note. My forefather, John Vines Collier married the widow Bush.)