Taylor County GaArchives News.....The Manufacturies of Taylor County - The Commercial Life of Taylor County - 1912 February 27 1912 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Carla Miles http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00010.html#0002476 August 13, 2004, 10:17 pm The Butler Herald The Butler Herald February 27, 1912 Page One The Manufacturies of Taylor County By Mrs. Julian Edwards Taylor County has until comparatively a short time ago been almost entirely an agricultural county. For the last ten years it has made wonderful improvement on industrial and manufacturing lines and corporate development. While the cotton factory, known as the Potterville factory, situated three miles below Reynolds and to the south of that town, has been in operation in some form or other for many years, it was only about ten years ago that new and modern yarn spinning machinery was installed. It was formerly, operated, too, by water and now steam and electricity. There were formerly only about 400 hundred spindles. Now there about 2200 spindles in operation and running nearly full time, that is, night and day. The best cotton yarns are spun by this factory. Its corporate style and name is the Taylor County Manufacturing Company. It is owned principally by the Bibb Manufacturing Company, whose home office is in Macon, Ga. This factory was brought up largely to its present efficiency and profit paying basis by the late Maj. J.F. Hanson, who in addition to being president of the Bibb Mfg. Co., was also president of the Central of Ga. Ry. Co. There are several other smaller factories other than cotton factories in the county. There are two fertilizer factories at Reynolds, one variety shop and plaining mill; one guano factory at Butler, whose output per annum, I am informed is about fifteen hundred tons and which is on a splendid paying basis. There is also a bottling factory in Butler – owned and operated successfully by the White Brothers. There is also a kaolin factory situated two miles west of Butler, surrounded by several rich and practically inexhaustible mines of pure kaolin – but which factory is not now in operation. Taylor County has more creeks and more water power than any other county in middle west Georgia. The Flint River on the north and east of the county could with a reasonable amount of capital and skill be turned into a magnificent manufacturing power – there being some splendid water falls in the upper or northern boundary of this county. There is White Water with its pure limpid waster of water which could be harnessed and made to contribute to the wealth and happiness of all the unemployed of Taylor County. We have made a small start in the manufacturing field; may it be speedily and largely extended. The Butler Herald March 5, 1912 Page Three The Commercial Life of Taylor County By Mrs. Ira Chambers Taylor County has grown slowly in a commercial way, but in the last few years it has made creditable commercial progress. We have two railroads crossing the county, the Central of Georgia and A.B.&A. Each cover about 25 miles, and both have many good shipping points. We now have six banks in the county, three at Reynolds, two at Butler and one at Mauk. These six have a combined total capital of about $100,000.00. The county annually produces about ten thousand bales of cotton, about two hundred thousand bushels of corn, besides oats, peas, hay and all other produce needed for home consumption except sugar and coffee. Several cars of peaches and watermelons are shipped from the orchards and fields of the county yearly, and are sold at a good profit in the North and West. Several of these orchards have canning factories in connection thereto, and the fruit that is too ripe to ship is canned and sold to our local and foreign merchants. We have one cotton mill which sends out quantities of cotton yarn. This is the mill at Potterville. It consumes about 120 bales of cotton a month. This is made into yarn and shipped direct to New York. The turpentine and rosin industry also plays an important part. We have also several lumber and shingle mills over the county. Guano is also extensively manufactured in our county, much more than it takes to supply our needs, so it is shipped to other counties in the State. Our mule and horse market is flourishing. Several cars are handled by our enterprising dealers yearly. We have also several grist mills and cotton gins scattered all over the county that takes care of our needs in that line. We have also a Kaolin mine about three miles of Butler. The quality and quantity of the best. This mine at one time has been worked successfully, but at present is lying idle for want of proper machinery and capital with which to work same. The farmers are using up-to-date farming implements, are preparing their land as never before, are cultivating their crops well and we can say for our planters that as a rule they are prosperous and energetic. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/taylor/newspapers/nw1357themanuf.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 5.4 Kb