Randolph County Georgia Biographies Bio of Rev. Willie (William) D. Hammack 1842 - 1936 Submitted by Charlene Parker Sep 2002 ****************************************************************************************** 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 profitor 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. ****************************************************************************************** From "History of Bethel Association Including Centennial Meeting", by Alexander Lee Miller WILLIE D. HAMMACK W. D. Hammack was born in Randolph County, April 13th, 1842. His father, William Hammack, who was born in 1814 in Twiggs County, Georgia and his mother, Barbra Wooley, born the same year, probably in South Carolina came from Twiggs County, Georgia to Randolph County in 1835. The country at that time was very thinly settled with white people, but there were many Indians there. William Hammack, the father of W. D. Hammack, was called upon to help drive them out and finally this section of the State was cleared of the Indians. At that time Randolph County was a frontier county without churches or schools. About the only schooling that country boys had was by private teachers that were hired and kept for a few months in the summer of the year. William Hammack was a devout Christian and the old New Hope Church was constituted in his home in the year 1842, and preaching was held there for three years. A log house was built about a mile from his home for a church and school. An uncle of W. D. Hammack, Oliver Wooley, preached at this church, which was afterwards moved a short distance into Coleman and is now the Coleman Baptist Church. It was there in this log church that W. D. Hammack went to school and received his common school education. There he joined the church in 1858 and was baptized by Rev. A. P. Mitchell. The controversy between the North and South at this time became very heated, and in 1861 the Civil War began. William D. was then at the right age and went to the war and served throughout the war. During that time he says his light was under a bushel. But when he came back after the war under the influences of his mother and sister, Anna, he went back to the church, confessed his sins, and was forgiven, and took up his cross and followed the Lord the best he could. On November 10, 1870 he married Miss Victoria Lanier of Randolph County and to them one child was born in 1872. Her name was Eva, and she later married Mr. W. H. Jenkins. In 1886 at old New Hope Church W. D. Hammack was ordained by Judge John T. Clarke and others. He then began an active ministry, preaching at Rocky Mount, a church a few miles South of Cuthbert, which is now extinct, Friendship, Elim, Cedar Springs, Mt. Gilead, Bronwood, Mt. Zion and others. During the summer months he visited many other churches and carried on Revival Meetings, baptizing many into the churches. He received from his churches from twenty dollars to one hundred dollars annually which small sums were not sufficient to support himself and family. He farmed when not preaching. His pastorate at all of his churches was long. He preached at Sumner in Worth County for eleven years. He kept his churches unified and during his entire pastorate was active and untiring, baptizing many into the churches. He says now that he takes no personal credit for his successful career as a preacher but leaves the results with the Lord. In February 1887 his wife died. In August, 1888 he married Miss Julia Jenkins and to this union one child was born in 1890, Willie D. Hammack, Jr. In 1929 Brother Hammack retired from active ministry, but has continued to preach and to visit various places and conduct funerals and perform marriages. In 1900 he was honored by his County which elected him as a representative to the General Assembly of Georgia where he served with distinction, always alligning himself with the moral side of every issue and where he fought for the general welfare of the common people of the State, and especially against the liquor interest. While in the Legislature there was a bill introduced in the House of Representatives for the purpose of creating a dispensary for the sale of intoxicating liquors in Hawkinsville, Pulaski County. The local representatives favored the bill, but Mr. Hammack regardless of what is called legislative courtesy fought with all his might the passage of this bill. His fight was so strong and courageous that the newspapers featured it. Although he lost the fight he received a letter signed by ten of the best citizens of that County commending him for his act in fighting for the prohibition cause. Among other things they said: "It affords us satisfaction, Sir, to know that in you a worthy and righteous cause found a supporter whose voice legislative courtesy could not stifle. Men who cannot be hushed into silence by such considerations as moved the body of the Legislature in this instance, are scarce in our lawmaking assembly. And Democrats with enough spirit and principles of their party to resist such undemocratic proceedings are fast bringing into disrepute the defeat of the party which has held the devotion of our State for three generations. We, the citizens of this misrepresented county, wish to thank you for your noble and praiseworthy service that you rendered the people of Pulaski in the hour when they had none to speak their sentiments for them. As the independent champion of a good cause at a time when it required courage to take, unassisted, the stand you took, we honor you, and feel that you deserve to know it. Accept the thanks and best wishes and hearty endorsement of nine tenths of the people of Pulaski County." In 1922 he was elected as chaplain of the Lower House of the General Assembly, which place he has faithfully served continuously since. There he came in contact with the best minds of the State and has been able by his strong personal character and his ability to lead to have a good influence upon the law making body of our state. He is now in his ninety first year and while he is somewhat feeble, yet he has strength and the will to preach and to visit among the churches of the Bethel Association. It would be hard to estimate the good that this preacher who started life in a pioneer County and at a time when there was general warfare with the Indians and when there were no schools nor churches and who has lived these ninety one years of his life within a few miles of where he was born, but whose influence and leadership has been such as to class him as one of the great leaders, preachers and statesmen of Southwest Georgia. Too much honor cannot be given to a man who has fought the battle of life and right for ninety years and has been a great shining light to thousands of people as the life of this good man. And now in his old age his church and his Association revere and honor him and his name and his leadership. He is now living at Coleman with his wife and son, where he works his garden and enjoys his family in the quietness of old age. following notes added by Debra Crosby 1850 Randolph County Ga page 8-William Hammock 37 m 500 Ga Barbara 37 f NC Catherine 15 f GA James P. 11 m Ga Zelphy 10 f Ga William D. 8 m Ga John G. 5 m Ga M. W. 3 f Ga D. W. 3/12 m Ga Georgia Death Index Name: William D Hammack Death Date: 19 Mar 1936 Gender: County of Death: Randolph Certificate: 8536 Name: William D Hammack Death Date: 08 Aug 1969 Race: W Gender: M County of Death: Randolph Certificate: 030396 Age: 79 years County of Residence: Randolph 1920 Randolph County GA. page 133 179/184 Hammack Willie D. head w m 29 GA GA GA farmer Gussie wife w f 29 Ga Ga GA Will Davis son w m 3 Ga Ga GA