Pike County Georgia Newspapers Pike County History Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Lynn Cunningham lcunnin1@bellsouth.net Table of Contents page: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/pike.htm Georgia Table of Contents: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm Pike County Journal. Volume 1, Number 1 Zebulon, Ga., Tuesday, November 20, 1888 Zebulon, Georgia The Old and the New Of Pike County. Useful and Entertaining Information About What Zebulon and Pike County Has Been, Is and May Be. Written expressly for the Journal Sixty three years ago there were stirring times in these parts, as the winter before, Upson became a verity and Zebulon became the seat of Pike. Open field meetings were held and county affairs were adjudicated with good feeling, engendered by patriotism. In 1826, every citizen of Pike county felt individual and collective importancy as the court house, a grand structure in those days, adorned one of the prettiest spots in Georgia. Zebulon was the only village and Barnesville a mere hamlet; hence “news from the court” was as leaven to the bread of life, and all matters of interest centered in Zebulon. Those were the good old days when wheat brought a dollar a bushel and grew in abundance. Oats were plentiful and stood at fifty cents, while corn, there was no end of it, and it brought a dollar a bushel every time. As for potatoes, they were plentiful, and if a neighbor wanted them for seed or for the table he was told, “Go help yourself.” The cattle thrived on ranges. The Indians were back over Flint river and they kept the land tolerably well burned, and the ferns would grow so tender like, and the cattle would browse in the cane brakes in winter. Cane brakes - why there were hundreds of acres along the creeks and branches, and then the steers would be driven in to Macon and Augusta. Those were high old times and the drivers and the farmers would have their sprees, but whiskey was the “rale Mackie.” A fight or two would ‘liven things, but the “man who drew a gun was a coward.” The first circuit judge presiding at Zebulon was Judge Ely S. Shorter, who died lately in Alabama. He was a man of deep research and his renderings showed good logic and unbiased judgement. Judge Shorter was is remembered in Putnam county as he was married at Eatonton. Pike county’s first sheriff was Willie Whatley, who made a first class officer as far as he was called upon, as there were no crimes in those days, and as for suicides, a coroner’s office was not worth a picayune. Zebulon was on the square as it is now and had some right smart stores. In 1826, Hon. John Neal, who died two years ago at Atlanta, had a general stock. The building occupied the site now occupied by Harper and Baker, and the clerk was our present esteemed Judge Wiley E. Mangham. On the opposite corner at the residence of Sheriff Wm. Howard, Hugh G. Johnson had a dry goods store and was clerk of the superior court and court of ordinary until 1840. On the vacant lot adjoining the Ballard House a building devoted to dry goods was presided over by Dwight Woodbury, a northern man, who became a partner in the Neal interests. Allan McClendon who died here, had a store on the south- east corner at the square, and Mandeville’s was on the east side. Mandeville is I understand a hale and hearty citizen of Carroll County. All those places were busy and the anvil chorus given lustily by Alex. Cunningham while horses were grouped around the Smithy made every day look like a fair. The Zebulon House was built by Louis Daniel in 1826 , and the building still stands open “with accommodations for man and beast.” The broad and lofty chambers are as of yore and show the earilie’s love of elbow room and they took lots of it every 4th of July. There was no end to their oratory, their appetite and their good nature. There were two schools there - One for the boys with big caps and one for the girls with poke bonnets. Eliab W. Wells, a northern gentleman, was the pedagogue for ten consecutive years, and then after that. Of impressive appearance and a strict disciplinarian he had but little need for the rod. His son the Rev. Harry Wells is now ordinary of this county. The first preceptress of the girls I get any definite account of was Mrs. D. Preston a noble lady who taught in the 40's and retired to her northern home. The same academy used by Mrs. Preston is now occupied by Prof. and Misses Merritt as an educational institute. The people went to church as bounden duty so the M.E. and Baptist churches had full congregations but the ministers were so numerous that mention here is unnecessary. When they went to mill it was Goodwin’s six miles distant. Now the mill is Mrs. Bush’s and the present generation get their grist ground there as their grand- daddies - or before the 30's they would go to Slade’s as well. It is now Williams’ on Williams creek. Zebulon had about 200 inhabitants then and the only resident survivor is Judge Wiley E. Mangham who was born on the 9th of Jan., 1805 near Eatonton, Putnam county. In 1823 he landed south-west of Zebulon a few miles, and in 1826 came to Zebulon as assistant to John Neal the leading merchant. Three years thereafter “young Mangham” was elected Clerk of the Inferior court and thereby appointed clerk of the court of Ordinary, and then was Judge of probate, as the office should be termed, for 16 years. The Judge resigned in favor of becoming one of the Justices of the Inferior court of which there were five, and he served until the office was abandoned. The duties were then transferred to three commissioners of roads and revenues as now, That was immediately after the close of the War. Judge Mangham became interested in farming as far back as 1828, and has kept increasing his interest up to date. He owns a 500 acre tract five and a half miles south-east of Zebulon, and 200 acres of it show a grand plantation. The cane-brake thereon has been fenced in for forty years. He has a “one mule farm” which is 40 acres cleared on a 250 acre “lot” six miles due south and the homeplace at the village encompasses 125 acres which yields richly in corn, cotton, wheat, oats and potatoes galore. Now 83 years of age, Judge Mangham is the patriarch personified. With a crown of white his fine features are illumined with a halo of intellect and true nobility. His manners are graceful, even tender and his pleasant flow of converse gently falls from memory’s fountain deep and clear. Mrs. John Neal who was here when Judge Mangham came is to the fore and one of Atlanta’s matron Queens. Her son and son-in-law are T.B. Neal and E.H. Thornton, well known in financial circles as the Neal Loan and Banking Company. Hugh G. Johnson died last year in Rome and his son Charles H. Johnson is the prominent hardware merchant in Griffin, and with the past generations of Zebulon high character has been perpetuated as further shown in mention of a grand man who came in 1829 and left as a people’s inheritance descendants with all the shining virtues. I refer to the Old Ford Place, one of the most historical places in Pike county, which is located two miles south-east of Zebulon. In December, 1829, William Ford located there and every child of his, seven in number, were born there and he died there when eighty four years of age. The Ford place encompasses 155 acres of which 75 are cultivated and thereon are grown nearly everything in the cereal and vegetable kingdom. The old-fashioned home built fifty years ago is simple and inviting and is surrounded by a congregate of buildings large and small. There is the tannery with thirty three vats manufacturing upper, sole, the best of harness leathers which are shipped to Macon and utilized by the Ford harness factory at Zebulon. Then the store houses and the bark sheds, the stables, barns, grain and cotton houses attached, while the Ford home and tenant houses make a semi-village. Joseph W. Ford, the present proprietor was born in 1833 and he thinks be began to work when he was born and has worked ever since. He was only about six months at school yet he has been a diligent student and besides being a thoroughly practical tanner and currier he is a general leather manufacturer of a high order and a business man of ability with the highest elements of gentlemanhood combined. He comes form a leather race, as his father, grand-father and great-grand father were all tanners. The subject of this sketch has always been enterprising and has employed at one time fifteen men and always had the reputation of paying the highest wages given to his own detriment. Besides the tannery he manufactured shoes extensively, and his harnesses are reputed all over the country. His harness factory is now quite busy and if he has not accumulated wealth, it is owing to the fact that his public spirit has overshadowed his individual interest. Mr Ford is one of the most genial of men and a citizen who is appreciated throughout several counties as a man whose friendship is an honor. Pike County with the exception of Pine Mountain which guards the southern part from east to west, is gently rolling as the boson of a summer sea and grants unsurpassed advantages for agriculture. The county is admirably watered. The Flint River bounds the west and is a magnificent water power. It could power every spindle in Lowell, Mass. By running a plank spur in lieu of a dam, the local mills are run easily. The river is over a quarter of a mile broad and for a mile and a half, there is not only rock bottom but such a fall as to make daming [sic] a matter of little outlay. Elkins creek and Potato creek are other fine bodies of water and have now several mills which do not diminish their volume in any part perceptibly. Then there are numerous fine branches and springs innumerable in fact you can not get in or out of Zebulon without crossing water or go anywhere’s where you or your horse get dry. The soil in Pike county is gray sandy and rich mulatto land and a famous county for vegetables while the oldest inhabitants say they never knew peaches or grapes to fail. Vineyards are numerous and the making of wine could be a remunerative industry. The climate is all that prolongs and makes life enjoyable. Ninety eight degrees in summer and 10 above zero being the veriest [sic] extremes. Malaria is as absent as mosquitoes. With such a climate, the purest of waters and fruitful soil, - what more does a man want. Money he can make here without sweltering in summer and freezing in winter. Zebulon the center geographically and as the county seat intellectually, offers the best social advantages and the educational and religious privileges will answer the Christian, however exacting. Pike county has three railways. The Georgia Central runs north and south and passes Barnesville and Milner, two remarkably fine towns. The Atlanta and Florida, a new road, runs parallel with the Central and about ten miles apart, passing Williamson, the junction with the Georgia Midland, Zebulon, the county seat, Meansville a promising burg and Wye, a town in embryo. The Georgia Midland angles north-east and south-west - taps the junction westward at Williamson, has a lot of business at Concord, a town with city airs - whistles loudly for Molena which will have more than just a poetic name - and after stopping at Neal and Jolly, two snug trading points flies on to another county. As to underground resources, Pike county has never been tested, but the Pine Mountain gives indications of iron ore. The best of variegated marble has been found six miles form Zebulon and the ambitious are now gold digging and occasionally go to another county to have a blow out. In timber there are splendid pine, oak, hickory and ash, and the water powers and numerous railroads, with other advantages should certainly attract the eye to this glorious part of the sunny South where lands are cheap and God’s blessings manifold. (Transcribed 9/12/02 Lynn Cunningham) NOTE:The newspapers for Pike County begin November 20, 1888. Most of that issue is intact and is on the microfilm, the next issue being January 15, 1889. This article had a note - To be continued next week, but we'll never know what was written. We are so lucky to have this much!