Georgia: Oglethorpe County: Prominent Ante-Bellum Families From the Oglethorpe Echo, 5 November 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 Nov. 5th 1909 PROMINENT ANTE-BELLUM CITIZENS OF OUR COUNTY Men who gave Oglethorpe fame for its Exceptional High Class of the most Noble of Citizenry AS REMEMBERED BY MR. J. S. BAUGHN Editor Oglethorpe Echo: I started out to write a personal reminiscence and regret that I have not the time to consult with citizens in different portions of the county so as to make it more elaborate. I may make some mistakes as in the case of Mrs. Bunch, nee Glenn, who was a neice and not a daughter of Richard Huff. I will now proceed and take the territory east of the Greensboro road to the railroad south of the Washington road near the mountian. Robert Eberhart, Hop Farmer, Thomas Wynn, Moses Wright, R. J. Arnold, Dave Pittard and his brother Thomas, till he moved to Cass county. In the thriving little village of Philomath lived Dr. Glenn, Robert Daniel, Mr. Hardy James, V. Drake and the venerable Dr. John W. Reed, who as teacher and preacher left an impress that will last forever. Above Woodstock as it was better known were the Williams, John and Johnson, Jesse Dalton, George W. Callaway, Cuthburt J. Smith, Mr. Cramer, Judge's W. T. Howard and Thomas H. Hawkins and Z. H. Clark. The place of S. O. Callaway was known as the Woody Jackson place, his son Andrew Woody known as Hick Jackson died there in about 1858 and Z. H. Clark bought and moved to it. Thomas Howard, kown as Pony Tom, lived about Salem, also Edward and Richard Brooks. Where Willie Brooks now lives was for several years the home of M. J. Poss and afterwards of Alice Goolsby. East of the Greensboro road, Mack Young. Whitfield Landrum, the father of Columbus J., Dr. M. M. and Frank M.Landrum. Near by was William Gilham. In the roster of the military companies from the county the sons of the noble sires I name will be seen and naught but boy heroes could spring from such fathers. On the road from Salem to Stephens, Nathan Smith and several of his sons lived and there was a large family of Youngs, the elder were Giles and Henry. Their sons and grandsons make a large percent of that portion of the county and all are good citizens. Above Stephens or Antioch as it was known lived George Lumpkin, a Baptist preacher. There were quite a number of Lumpkins in that section of the county and they had rather a peculiar way of designating themselves, Squirrel Skin Billy, for instance. Near Center church lived George Mclaughlin. Below, is the thriving city of Maxeys and there are several families of that name near the city. Thomas Flemming was a merchant there when I first new the place. Lindsay Jacks, Mr. Gilliam, DeWalden, Pope, Taylor, A. T. Brightwell, Dr. J. H. Brightwell. North of Maxeys was the home of Wyatt Moody, and sons, Sampsonius and Dr. Waldemar. Near there was Bowling Green, the once noted place for horse racing and other sports. Nathan Hunter lived to raise a large family and none were more highly respected. A Mrs. Johnson lived near and William, Robert G. and Thomas, his sons , and Miss Lizzie, a daughter, afterwards, Mrs. John T. Loften, were the best people. Dr. John A. Bell lived near and Judge J. Hamilton McWhorter was near the villiage of Bairdstown. Jasper and Columbus Kinnebrew, Thomas Callahan, Joe Armstrong, John S. Callaway, Jasper Haynes, James King, A. J. Watson. The Cheney and Briscoe families were residents of this portion of the county and Greene. I know I have left out many families and I am reminded of Richmond and James Dorough, some of the Adkins, and the Raidens. Pink Tuggle left the county in the forties and moved to north Georgia. Marston Bray, I think, moved near salem awhile before the war. Peter Dalton, was I suppose , a life long resident of the county not far above Woodstock. I was away from the county and state from February, 1858, till after the war, and consequently am not sufficient to the task of giving all the names of that portion of the county I never did visit. As a school boy at Meson Academy I met with many who knew my father and whom I respected. I knew a few men who had unfortunately become addicted to the use of whiskey or brandy as that was the most popular beverage and would often imbibe too freely, yet they were gentlemen all the same. I suppose it was in a great measure owing to the liquors of that day. I once presented Aleck Simmons, who went from Wilkes county to Canton, Miss. A bottle of peach brandy made by Wiley Yarbrough and he showed it to his friends and told them he knew men in Georgia who had been drunk on such as that forty years and had been fattening every day. More anon. J. S. B.