Terrell-Bibb-Stewart County GaArchives Biographies.....Gurr, William H. 1871 - living in 1913
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 October 23, 2004, 10:43 am

Author: William Harden
p. 929-930

   WILLIAM H. GURR. An able and worthy representative of the legal fraternity of
Terrell county, William H. Gurr, one of the leading attorneys of Dawson, is a
fluent, earnest and convincing advocate, and through his industry and ability
has built up a large and remunerative practice in his adopted city. A son of
Edward M. Gurr, he was born in Bibb county, Georgia, February 9, 1871. His
grandfather, Samuel Gurr, was born in South Carolina, a son of John Gurr, who is
supposed to have been the founder of the American family of Gurr.

   Samuel Gurr grew to man's estate in South Carolina, and was there reared to
habits of industry and thrift. Early in life he migrated to Georgia, settling in
Houston county in pioneer days, bravely daring all the privations and hardships
of life in a new country, in order to pave the way for those who followed, and
to establish a home for his children. Buying land that was in its original
wildness, he was there engaged in agricultural pursuits during the remainder of
his years. He married Elizabeth Bishop, a native of South Carolina, and she
survived him, passing away at the age of four score years. They reared eight
children, as follows: Elvira, Thomas Jefferson, Robert, Mattie, Edward M., James
P., John W., and Samuel D.

Edward M. Gurr first opened his eyes to the light of the world on a farm in
Houston county, Georgia, where he lived until sixteen years old. Then ambitious
to become a wage-earner, he entered the employ of the Central Georgia Railroad,
with which he was connected as an employe until thirty years old, in that
capacity having been exempt from military service during the Civil war. After
the death of his father, he purchased a part oil the old homestead, and managed
it for three years. He then traded that property for a farm in Crawford county,
where he resided until his early death, at the age of forty-two years in 1887.
His wife, whose maiden name was Nancy Balkcom, was a native of Quitman county.
Her father, Ichabod Balkcom, who died in the Confederate army during the war
between the states, moved with his family from Jones county to Quitman county,
and on the farm which he purchased his wife, nee Caroline Moore, spent her
remaining years. Both the Moore and Balkcom families were reared in Monroe
county, and moved to Quitman county about the same time. Mrs. Edward M. Gurr
survived her husband four years, dying in 1891. She was the mother of eight
children as follows: James W., William H., Thomas Edward, Frank B., Mattie L.,
Fanny G., Ophelia, and Belle. As a boy, William H. Gurr, in his efforts to
obtain an education, used to walk three miles to the rural schools of his native
county.   The knowledge thus acquired was further advanced at higher
institutions of learning, he having attended first the Cuthbert Military
College, and later Emory College in Oxford, Georgia, from which he was graduated
with the class of 1897. In June, 1898, Mr. Gurr enlisted in Ray's Regiment of
Immunes, designated as Third Regiment United States Volunteer Infantry, and went
with this command to Cuba, where he remained eight months, being stationed at
Santiago, Baracoa, and Sagua de Tanamo. He was honorably discharged with his
regiment, May 2, 1899, and on his return home turned his attention to the study
of law, a profession for which he is well adapted. In January, 1900, Mr. Gurr
was admitted to the bar, and immediately located at Dawson, where he has been in
continuous practice ever since.

   In September, 1900, Mr. Gurr married Helen H. Giles, who was born in Stewart
county, Georgia, a daughter of William H. and Martha (Boyette) Giles. William H.
Giles was born on a farm seven miles west of Lumpkin in Stewart county, February
5, 1851. His father was John Frank Giles, who it is thought, was a native of
Baldwin county, this state. Anyhow he came from that portion of the state about
1835, and located in the wilderness of south Georgia. He was one of the men who
bore the pioneer burden in a country sparsely settled without railroads, where
wild game of all kinds was in abundance, and where the Indians roamed through
the forest still claiming the privileges of hunting as they had for generations.
Grandfather Giles was in south Georgia in time to participate in the final
overthrow of the Indian tribes of Florida and Georgia, and. fought in the battle
of Roanoke in 1836. He was subsequently for a number of years an overseer on
plantations in Stewart county, and his death occurred when about sixty-five
years of age. He married Mary Armstrong, who was born in Baldwin county, a
daughter of James H. and Mary (Davis) Armstrong. Her death occurred at the age
of seventy-two. Their seven children were named Mary F., Sarah A., J. Alexander,
William H., George P., John F., and Robert F. William H. Giles was reared on a
farm, received his early education in some of the Stewart county schools, and a
considerable part of his early youth was spent during the troublous times of the
Civil war. He became one of the prosperous farmers of this county, and continued
actively in those pursuits until 1893, at which time he removed to Richland,
where he has since been proprietor of the principal hotel of that town. When
twenty-two years of age he married Miss Maggie Boyett, who was born in Clay
county, Georgia, a daughter of James and Sarah (Adams) Boyett. Mr. Giles and
wife reared two children, the first being Helen Holmes, wife of Mr. Gurr, and
the second being Willard James.

   Mr. Gurr has served for five years as city attorney, and is now solicitor of
the city court of Dawson. An active and influential party since casting his
first presidential vote for William J. Bryan, Mr. Gurr has since served as a
delegate to two state conventions, and was a delegate to the national Democratic
convention held in Baltimore in 1912. Fraternally Mr. Gurr is a member of P. T.
Schley lodge No. 229, Ancient Free and Accepted Order of Masons, and belongs to
the Sigma Alpha Epsilon college fraternity.



Additional Comments:
From:

A HISTORY OF SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
BY
WILLIAM HARDEN

VOLUME II
ILLUSTRATED
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
CHICAGO AND NEW YORK
1913

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