UPSON COUNTY, GA - BIOS - George Alvah Weaver

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Biography printed in Upson Historical Society Newsletters:
October 1997; September, October 2002.



"The Personal History of George Alvah Weaver, Sr. in a Brief Way".
Written by Mr. Weaver himself.

MR. G. A WEAVER, SR., born on Bethel Street on February 12, 1844, attended the old Male Academy and went  on to school at Emory at Oxford and the  Georgia Military Institute in Marietta. He joined the Floyd Rifles [2nd Battalion] during the Civil War, serving in North Carolina and Virginia. Sickness forced him to return home expecting to die, but he survived. ( After the war he worked on his father's farm, but soon realized he must do less I streneous work and went into the dry goods  business in Atlanta. On returning to Thomaston he became a partner in a  number of enterprises until establishing his  own store.  As a merchant, Weaver did not have a peer in his time. He never failed to have good ideas. His weekly advertisements in  the newspapers contained items which he wrote to stimulate business or to build up the community. Well ahead of everyone else, he understood the parking problem on the square and established a wagon yard behind his store for his cutomers and the public. At one time he operated two stores in one, one for credit and one for cash.

Mr. Weaver, in 1875 at age 33, became one of the original trustees of R. E. Lee Institute, serving longer than any other man, retiring in 1904. He served as  chairman for his last six years.  A writer, Mr. Weaver has left three I significant documents: his own autobiography, a history of the educational interests of Thomaston, and a sketch of the Thomaston Methodist Church. ' A pious man, he did not drink liquor, use tobacco, gamble, or engage in riotous living.  

JULY - AUGUST 2002 ISSUES MISSING

SEPTEMBER 2002 UPSON  HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

Last month we recounted the wartime experiences of G. A. Weaver. In his weak physical condition, it was fortunate that he was never exposed to face to face combat. In this episode G.
A. Weaver is withdrawn from Fredericksburg and sent first to Richmond and then to his home in Thomaston.

We were without tents on our March to Fredericksburg, and when we reached that place we were in the same condition. About the second day after our arrival, snow commenced to fall, and all these things combined were just more than my physical strength could endure, and I was sick. One of my ankles swelled to twice or more its normal size, with pain, and developed inflammatory rheumatism. Dr. Jones tried to relieve me in camp for a few days, but finding I made no improvement. I was ordered to go to the hospital at Richmond; and this was my last experience in army field service.
There' was much suffering among the Confederate soldiers, as they were not comfortably clothed, and the winter weather commenced early and was very severe. Upon reaching Richmond, I was sent to the Henningson or Lodge Hospital. It was full, but a cot for me was placed in a corridor. Hospital authorities recommended that I be given a furlough, and sent to my home, which in due time was granted. My brother, William Travis Weaver, got permission to come to Richmond for me, and brought me on a litter from Richmond, Virginia, to Thomaston, Georgia. The weather was cold and the cars [of the train] were overheated and 1 developed a severe cold, which passed into pneumonia when 1 reached home.

It looked like I was coming home to die, but in the providence of God, with medical attention and good nursing 1 very slowly but gradually improved until finally I was able to travel. My furlough had been extended, and was nearing its end, when I went to Atlanta, Georgia.

My uncle, G. W. D. Cook, was there at the time and went with me to the Medical Examining Board. Dr. G. G. Roy examined me and recommended an honorable discharge from the army by reason of physical disability, hypertrophy of heart, etc. and the same was granted at once. My active army life was ended.

This was sometime in the early part of 1863, say March. Thus the extent of my services was something less than one year, but long enough to make a wreck of my physical manhood. I was advised to return to my home and lead a quiet, temperate life and never undertake to do anything requiring violent or prolonged physical effort, or even mental strain. 


I then commenced the life training which became my habit, and which has much to do with my future. I came back to my father's home, and for a time did nothing but try to get well, but the thought of a life of idleness was more than I could stand, and an opportunity for such work as I could do was offered and I accepted, office work in the Quartermaster's Department and that right here in my home town. I was efficient, faithful, and competent, and was soon made its chief, or head clerk.

Charles Wilson was the agent. While this work was tedious and regular and responsible, it was not beyond my ability and it was a pleasure to know that I had found something that I could and was glad to do, although the compensation was very small in its purchasing ability, but every little bit helped in such times. My parents kindly gave me my board, but I earned enough to pay all other expenses.

From my enlistment in the C.S.A.
until the close of the war, except during my sickness, I was in its service, and I gave it faithful and efficient service to the best of my ability. While my strength was not sufficient for me as a field soldier, I did office work, as well as others.

War times were not good times to make men morally better, and myenvironment and associates, especially here, were not of a high order, but were almost thrust upon me, as my work required my service among them. While I maintained my integrity, I was not the pious Christian Character which my training and opportunity suggested that I should have been.
In the Spring of 1865, the Federal General Wilson raided through here. It was my misfortune to be sick and confined to my bed when the troops arrived. From my bedroom window I could see them passing for two days, some of them were more brutes than men. On reaching the town they scattered over it and commenced to plunder. Some came to my father's home and began plundering. First they opened the pantry and closets and took what they found, preserves, pickles, and such other delicacies, then the silver and the plates. One rough young fellow took hold of my sister, a young lady, demanded watch and chain and jewelry, and thrust his hand into her bosom and took it from her by force. [Mrs. Hays Arnold said that Anna was horrified by this experience and that this is the reason she never married.] Others had arrested my father, and threatened to kill him, hang him, demanding a large amount of money, which he did not have; but they took from him all that he did have, and finally let him go. Others came upstairs to my room. Sorry to see me sick but they wanted what stuff I had they could find. They began their search for plunder, took clothing, boots, and a nice gold watch and chain, which was all they saw that I had that appealed to their cupidity. They left me bare of decent clothing.
Wilson's raid ended the war for Thomaston. In our next episode, Mr.
Weaver deals with the impact of defeat on him and his parents. 

OCTOBER 2002 Upson Society Newsletter

My father owned a plantation about six miles from town. He was a planter and ran twenty-seven plows, and had it stocked with everything required for a successful operation as a productive industry. They [Wilson's Raiders] plundered it and took the twenty-seven mules and nearly all of the Negroes, who were laborers to cultivate the land.

There was just one piece of good fortune and it was this: in an old outhouse away from all of the others, there was stored six or eight bales of cotton raised several years before, which they failed to see, and which the Negroes had forgotten about, and of course had failed to tell the Federal soldiers, and this was my father's financial salvation.

This few days of experience made of my father a sad and dispirited man, and I verily believe, broke his heart. He could not meet successfully the new conditions. He was at all times a most honorable positive Christian character, and as pious as the days were long, and nothing could cormpt his Christian belief and faith in God. He would allow nothing to occur to even dwarf his piety, and this he maintained through life;
but the new order of political things was so different that it was too much for him. He was opposed to war when it was first discussed, but when Georgia seceded, he gave it his full allegiancetwo sons, all that he had, and all the financial aid he could. His oldest son was shot in battle, and disabled from further active service, and his youngest son, the writer, wrecked his physical manhood in its service, and realizing that in his old age, it was for what seemed naught.

All of his former slaves did not leave his plantation, and some who left, after a while, retumed and wanted homes. I got over my illness and it was agreed among these slaves that if my brother, Travis, or I would go to the farm and stay, that enough of them would stay on the farm and cultivate as much of the land as my father would get mules to plow, for a part of the crop. Under these arrangements, it fell my lot to go to the fam1, but my father came to direct its management nearly every day, Sunday, of course excepted, and Sundays I spent in town with my father's family.

Although willing, I was unable to do physical work. I had a pony to ride, wheneyer I had occasion to go, and the time passed fast. The Negroes did as I directed, and we had no trouble. While I had a taste for and loved farming, I realized that my strength was not sufficient for me to give it that close personal attention which it required to make it successful, and that I must choose for my life work a vocation requiring less physical effort and more brain work.
On February 12, 1965, I was twentyone years old. During 1865 after the war closed and my govemment work ended and while superintending my father's farm, I had some opportunity for trading, and made a little money that way, Of course, I charged my father nothing for my services in helping him, and was only too glad to be able to do anything that would ;make his burden lighter.

Early in the autumn of 1865, I was offered a clerk's place in an Atlanta retail dry goods store (W. N. and T. J.
Hunt). After consulting with my parents, it was deemed best for me to accept, and I went to Atlanta. The business was new to me, but I was faithful and attentive and soon learned its requirements; but the men Hunts were farmer-country merchants and city ways did not suit them, and so they packed up their goods and went back to their old country homes, where they had a most prosperous business career. Their change left me without a city job. After making sore effort and failing to get work there, I came back to my father's home. It was then nearing the end of the year.

In a few days, I was offered a business proposition for a merchandise business in Thomaston, Georgia, It required me to raIse $1,000 in ready cash. At the same time it looked large and my ability to do so doubtful, but I talked the matter over with my parents and they thought it over, and my father found where he could spare me $600, which he gave to me. My good mother had some money and gave it to me, I had made some money during the year and by borrowing a small amount I got up the required sum, and consummated the arrangements for a mercantile business, and to commence the first day of January in 1866.

My good mother was not only a deeply pious, consecrated Christian, but was brave, and met adverse conditions with great fortitude, and I believe, and stood all of these changed conditions better than my father.

My only brother, William Travis Weaver, on October 29, 1863, had married Miss Anna H. Pence at Richmond, Virginia, She was a beautiful, accomplished and lovable woman. She became an inmate of my father's home while my brother was in the army, but she sickened and died and was buried in the Weaver burying ground in Glenwood Cemetery, in Thomaston, Georgia.

NOVEMBER 2002  UHS NEWSLETTER

These were some of the sad things coming directly into our family
life dur-ing the time of general sadness and gloom, brought about
by war, and what did the war do for my father and his. Let us see.
By reason of hard work, good management, and reasonable economy,
he had accumulated an estate, worth from say, seventy-five to one
hundred thousand dollars, quiet an item in those days.  It
consisted in land, mules, farming implements, and sup-plies, and
slaves. Of course, by far the largest item was slaves. In a day,
you might say, he was reduced from a com-paratively rich to a
comparatively poor man, and when he was about sixty years old, too
late in life to recuperate his fortune. But both of my parents
were brave and willing to work, but it came too late in life. The
spirit was willing, but the flesh was too weak to stand the
strain. Whether the institution of slav-ery was right or wrong, I
do not dis-cuss, but I know he [my father] thought it was right.
Had he not thought so, he would never have owned a slave. He
would, under no circumstances have done anything which he thought
wrong.

This was the property loss; to this must be added the mental
stress and strain, and lastly the temptation to feel unkindly
toward an enemy which had so cruelly wronged him in property and
person. It takes a grand character to rise superior to all these
conditions and still maintain his Christian integrity in the sight
of God and man. He and my mother both lived and died as Chris-
tians.

What did the war do for me? That it required me to start to make
my way in life a poor man, I found the smallest grievance. That it
wrecked my health and largely discounted my ability to earn a
living was a great and serious wrong and has hampered me through
life. That it rendered me unable to fin-ish my college education,
and get the benefit from it, I should have had, was another
serious but not insurmountable wrong. That it damaged my
spiritual, moral, higher self was worst of all, but which was not
absolutely necessary and which was overcome.

That it indirectly caused and occasioned the death of my oldest
sister and her children was a great sorrow, blight-ing those who
were kind to and loved her, more especially her husband, her
parents, and her sister and brothers. Here is that story.

My oldest sister married Mr. J. T. Burkhalter, and lived in North
Georgia, but as it was being run over with Fed-eral troops, he
refugeed to Buena Vista, Georgia, and rented a dwelling, in which
he learned too late that diphthe-ria had occurred. It left its
germ and one of the children got sick. The physi-cian did not know
how to successfully treat it, and in a short time the child died,
then another and another, and then another, then the mother, and
still another child, all of whom died. Only one child survived.
She is Carrie Elder, wife of Edward Elder of Bamesville, Georgia.
All of the dead are buried in the Weaver burying ground in Glen-
wood Cemetery.

It is most probably that the anxiety and absence from her husband
was a factor contributing to the death of [this] lovely woman who
became his first wife and made life sadder and harder for him.

My father and mother were good, kind, humane slave owners,
providing most liberally for their comfort and needs, both in
sickness and in health. Not unduly exacting in their labor re-
quirements, and some of them I know appreciated [my parents].

Neither my father, mother, nor any one of their four children had
a lazy bone in their bodies. They were all willing to work and do
as much of it as they could, and really loved to be kept busy.
Work had no terrors for me, but 1 was grateful to be able to do
such work as I could, and I welcomed the thought of undertaking
business which prom-ised fair returns.

To get a suitable building in which to do business was hardly
possible at this particular time. Thomaston had very few store
houses and the rent demanded was high.  The great fire which oc-
curred in the last days of August 1864, if I remember correctly,
destroyed most of them. This fire commenced in a ho-tel kitchen on
the northwest comer of what is now Main and Center Streets, and
burned the block, being the North front square.  It then crossed
to the Northeast corner of the same street and burned those
buildings. It then crossed Main Street and burned all of the
build-ings on Center Street, to what is now known as Gibson
Street, and the South front square block, destroying one hun-dred
and forty-seven buildings. The buildings on the West front square
were not burned, nor the old Brooks comer on the North west front
square, and a building on the Northeast comer of the east front
square, and some buildings on the Northeast front square, and some
of the west part of Main Street. This was the most disastrous fire
that Tho-maston has had either before or since.
Mr. Thomas B. Drake was the gentle-man with whom I formed the
partner-ship, and the firm's name was Weaver and Drake. After
efforts in store hunt-ing, we had to take half of a building
already occupied and further from the centers of trade. It was
that or nothing, and we were anxious to do something. We agreed to
carry groceries and hard-ware. Thus ended the year 1865.

DECEMBER 2002  UHS NEWSLETTER The year 1866 soon came and it was
decided that it would be best for me to go to market and buy the
stock, and establish future trade connections and get a line of
credit.

I soon reached New York and fortu-nately, but unexpectedly, met my
for-mer employer, Mr. Hunt. He made it easy sailing by introducing
me to his merchant friends, and acquaintances, and saying kind
things and words about me and my family and for Mr, Drake and his
family. The New York mer-chants I met treated me with proper
courtesy and consideration and cheer-fully gave us such line of
credit as seemed right, I soon spent our money and as much of our
credits as seemed wise in buying our stock of goods, which were
promptly shipped and soon in Thomaston, .and our business career
before the people commenced.

I put my life, as it were, into this business, and as my parents
gave me my board, I had occasion to spend very little money, and
not a dollar did I spend which I was not obliged to do, wanting to
keep as much money as pos-sible in the business. My partner, Mr.
Drake, having a family, necessarily had to spend more money.

Each of us had our friends and influ-ence, but our success was
disappoint-ing, and it seemed best that we dis-solve, we did not
seem to be a good team to pull double. After the dissolu-tion, Mr.
Drake rented more desirable quarters and, I judge, made improve-
ments. I rented what was then regarded as the best available stand
in town, the corner store of the old Brooks Building, and
commenced business on my own account, and as business improved, I
felt encouraged.

Mr. B. B. White offered me the sale of his celebrated homemade,
hand-made, heavy shoes, but not the exclu-sive sale. I was glad to
accept it, and it helped business also. When I started business
for myself, I needed help and




engaged Mr. King to check for me. I fully realized that now I must
succeed, and todo so must meet all necessary conditions. I just
could not afford to fail and I could not afford to go to my
parents for additional help. I gave my business all of my time and
harbored every resource. I used every economy that was not
niggardly, and as I did not drink liquor, use tobacco in any form,
not gamble or speculate, or engage in riotous living, what I made
I kept in my business. My friends and customers, seeing that I was
doing what I could to help myself by building up my busi-ness,
gave me their trade and a kind word, and I soon saw its good
effects, and slowly but surely put my little busi-ness on a good
foundation and have kept it that way through all these long years.

[In these years as I got started in business,] home relations were
happy with my father, mother, and sister. While we recognized
changed condi-tions in a material way, we learned to adapt our
needs and wants to our ability to supply them. We got along better
than we had supposed would be the case, but our dear parents were
growing daily more feeble and infirm.   The strain had been too
much for them at their time in life and age. Had it [the difficult
economic times following the Civil War] occurred sooner then their
strength would have been greater and their ability to bear
reverses of fortune, very much enhanced. But [even] the changed
conditions could have relieved them of very great responsibility,
if they would have allowed it; but those of their former slaves,
who elected to stay on the old plantation, expected and re-ceived
as much consideration as dur-ing slavery but without a correspond-
ing service, and that entailed further and greater losses. In
other words my father furnished them more than they earned, and
had to stand the loss. To maintain his own commercial integrity,
[he] sold some of his land and got the money to keep going, hoping
and trying to improve affairs, which to some ex-tent he did, but
as long as both lived, it was very hard for my father to say no to
the requests for help and aid, which his former slaves made of
him. He was too kind of heart and life for his financial good and
in like proportion did his fi-nances suffer, but it made him happy
to feel that he could help relieve the wants of others, however
undeserving those wants were.

My brother married a second time and had his own home. He married
Miss Frances Elizabeth Brown of Tal-bot County, Georgia.

The time was now coming when I was to experience the deepest grief
of my life, not only mine but that of the entire family.   Our
good Mother's health was unduly failing.  She had been having at
time severe attacks of pain in her stomach and side, just the
exact kind or occasion, I do not know, possibly gravel [a deposit
of small cal-culous concretions in the kidneys and bladder] In the
summer of 1868 she was again attacked with similar, but remedies
did not bring relief and her sufferings were great and prolonged.
My sister was a most devoted and faith-ful daughter and nurse, and
did all that she possibly could to help bring relief and mitigate
the pain, and contribute to her comfort.  Medical science, then,
had not given to the world the knowl-edge it has now. If so her
life might have been prolonged for years. In later years, I have
thought she may have liad what is now called appendicitis. Lei the
trouble be what it may, it was worse than she could stand.

MISSING JANUARY 2003 UHS NEWSLETTER


FEBRUARY 2003 UHS NEWSLETTER
At the time of their wedding, Mr. Weaver had already made another
change in his business relations. He had moved from the "old
Brooks cor-ner" and had located his store in "White's Building."
lie also had a new partner, Captain James W. Atwater, a man
seventeen years his senior. No doubt a need for capital had
motivated this new partnership for Captain James W. Atwater was
not only older but well-to-do. In Nottingham and Han-nah's Early
History of Upson County, Mr. Atwater is described as having
distinguished himself in battle [Civil War], and as one of the
wealthiest men in the county. It also adds, "There are many who
owe their success in business to his assistance and counsel."
Perhaps Mr. Weaver was one of these.

An advertisement for Weaver & Atwater which appeared in the
Georgia Herald had wording like this in it:

"Gen'l Merchandise;" "Have in store and are constantly receiving
foreign and domestic, staple and fancy dry goods, fancy goods,
notions, ready-made clothing, hats, caps, boots, shoes,"
"Hardware, hollow-ware, wooden and willow ware, crockery and
glassware;" "Saddles, Harness, &c," "also sugar, coffees, cheese,
rice, syrup, molasses, salt, soap, pepper, spice, tobacco, snuff,
cigars, bacon, lard, corn meal, fine flour."

For whatever reasons Messers Weaver and Atwater had for
establishing a partnership, they dissolved this relationship. An
announcement in the Herald on October 1, 1870, stated, "...it will
be observed that our friends...have dissolved co-partnership." Mr.
Weaver, as it will be seen "... iminediately following the notice
of dissolution, is to continue business in the east room of the
building heretofore occupied by the firm. Mr. Atwater is to be
found in the west room, where he will welcome all his old friends,
and as many new ones as will call upon him."

Why did these two friends part company. Obviously, both felt that
there was enough business to go around for their two
establishments stayed in the space once occupied by both. It could
easily have been over the sale of liquor which they previously did
sell. It is known that Mr. Weaver never drank or smoked and had
strong convictions on the subject. In business for himself, he no
longer advertised liquor. Of course, both men were members of the
Methodist Church, there were no prohibition laws at the time.
Oftentimes, men who were teetotalers might sell to others.

Being in business for himself again and being married must have
put a strain on Mr. Weaver's finances. Now that he is married, he
cannot follow his previous practice of living at home and putting
practically all of his profit back into the business. Perhaps, for
this rea-son, he does not now advertise regu-larly, and when he
does his ads are very short.    On January 7, 1871, Mr. Weaver's
advertisement only took up only one column inch and simply said:

"INTERESTING TO ALL! A large lot of select dry goods, groceries
and pro-visions just received and marked to sell at lowest rates
to correspond with cheap cotton. Now is the time to buy goods very
low. Come and see."

A February 22, 1873 ad is also very short, advising customers that
his "Fall stock is now complete...." He is still located in the
east room of White's building on Main Street.

A fire struck the business section in 1884 and apparently burned
or dam-aged Mr. Weaver's store. An item in the Herald of October
10 stated: "The cremated portions of Thomaston are rapidly
Phoenixing.   Mr. G. A.Weaver's new brick building is about ready
for occupancy, and is quite an addition to the town. Apparently he
is prospering to the extent that he could build a brick building
following a fire. Just a month after this, O.K. of the Bar-
nesville Gazette was quoted in the Her-ald: "Mr. G. A. Waver, one
of the liveliest merchants in the place has just completed a brick
building which he has cut up into conveniently arranged store
rooms, and the whole structure is an ornament to the town.

In a few years, Mr. Weaver owns stock in the Upson County
Railroad. In fact, during a dark season when the railroad was just
about bankrupt, he was elected the secretary-treasurer of board of
directors on December 28, 1877. Others trusted him and he was not
afraid of responsibility.

Business must be picking up for in April 1878 Mr. Weaver's
advertisement has grown to 2 column's in width and about 8 inches
long. He advertises his store as "well stocked" He is even selling
plows and cane nulls. This adver-tisement places his brick store
as on the Square and facing the courfhouse.

By October of 1878, the Upson En-terprise reports on Mr. Weaver's
latest business innovation, a wagon yard. It is located behind his
store and is fenced in. Customers and the public are invited to
use it free of charge.

By the end of 1879, his advertisements have grown in size. He
carries both domestic and foreign made goods. He lists items like
dry goods, notions, hosiery, gloves, boots and shoes, hats and
caps, clothing, hardware, saddles and harness, crockery,
glassware, tin-ware, house furnishing goods, groceries and
provisions, bagging, ties, and salt, seed oats and wheat, plows,
one and two horse wagons, cotton gins, coltor presses, and
belting. He offered to bu) farm products and cotton at "the
highes' market price."

Indeed, this merchant has succeeded It is little wonder that the
Enterprist [May 24,1879] described him as one o the largest
merchants in Thomaston.

MARCH 2003 UHS NEWSLETTER Readers will remember that in the first
episode Mr. Weaver told us that his mother taught him how to spell
and ead and that he did not enter the Thomaston Male Academy (the
Little Red Shoolhouse) until he was ten years of age. Following
his account of the Civil Var and its impact on his life, he added
his note on education, "That it rendered me unable to finish my
college education and to get the benefit from it, should have had,
was another... wrong. His value of education reflects tself in his
every endeavor.

After the Civil War, many of the veterans feared that in the post-
war chaos in the South and education would lose ground.   Since
their children needed an education, they put their shoulders to
the wheel to ensure that it would be available right here in Upson
County. G. A. Weaver stood in the front ranks of these stalwart
men.

During 1871, Professor R. D. Shuptrine had issued a challenge for
improvements in education, so in 1872, acting on some new
legislation by the state, Upson County organized a board of
education. One of the main funcions of this body was to distribute
the meager state funds. Finally, on September 12, 1874, a forceful
letter appeared in the local paper calling for education reforms.
Signed by "Citizen," this letter explored every facet of need.
citizen's letter has proven pivotal.

Who wrote this very persuasive letter? No one will ever really
know. A reasonable guess picks G A. Weaver, the merchant. Weaver,
judging from other writing, had the ability to express himself. He
certainly understood the dynamics of bringing money into town. The
high spiritual and moral tone of the article also fits his devout
Christian character. Thus, Mr. Weaver is the best prospect for
this piece of authorship.

After a failed two "high school" (male/female) concept during
early 1875, a second meeting occurred on November 21, 1875. This
session proved to be the launching pad for the Thomaston High
School, later R. E. Lee Institute. The citizens selected G. A
Weaver as one of the seven original trustees. He assumed the
responsibili-ties of secretary to the board. At the time, he was
only 31 years old, the youngest of the group. No one ques tioned
his zeal for education.

In those formative years, G. A. Weaver often gave financial
support to the school by buying surplus and tem porary structures
and/ or furnishings.

After the City Council got more deeply involved with R. E. Lee by
fi nancing the buildings, Mr. Weaver ran for office and became a
member of the city council. This helped.

When the 1884 building was com pleted, Mr. Weaver played a large
role in the Fair and Festival that provided furnishing for the new
building.  A hands-on kind of man, no task was too menial. He
helped to order furnishing and equipment for the new building in
1884. When a fundraising event took place, he let a lady magician
use him as a guinea pig for a humorous experi ment. Just so it
helped R. E. Lee!

During 1893, G. A. Weaver helped Lee principal, Frank Oliphant, to
go to the World's Fair in Chicago. He wanted his son to go, but he
also wanted the principal to have that very educational experience
so that Mr. Oliphant could come home and share it with all of the
Lee students.

Mr. Weaver's educational con cerns extended beyond Thomaston. In
the late 1890's, he also served on the County Board of Education. 
He wanted all children to get an education. The records make it
evident that he also wanted county boys and girls to share the
benefits of the Institute.

On July 7, 1898, after the resigna tion of Mr. James W. Atwater as
the chairman of R. E. Lee's board of trus tees, Mr. Weaver
accepted that post.

The challenge that he faced as chairman came in the size and shape
of a 1,000-seat auditorium for the school and the community. The
1884 building plus the old Methodist Church were packed. The
school needed more class rooms and the community clamored for a
place of entertainment. George A. Weaver knew city politics and
was a force in persuading the council and the people to vote for a
$10,000 bond issue. His long-time trustee friend and former
business partner, James W. Atwater, had a son, James R. Atwater,
who then served as mayor.   They worked well together and the
project came to fruition. One of his toughest assignments involved
getting his former trustee colleague J. Young Alien to sell the
property the school needed for ex-pansion. He succeeded!

How this man loved education in general and R. E. Lee Institute in
par-ticular. In 1903, the Times gave little coverage to the
school's commence ment, so Mr. Weaver wrote a long arti-cle about
Lee in his weekly store adver-tisement.   He said more about the
school than about his business.

On September 30, 1904, G. A. Weaver resigned as a trustee for R.
E. Lee. He had been the youngest member when the court granted the
original charter.  Having served twenty-eight years, nine months
and thirteen days, no other trustee ever matched his rec ord. He
was now 60 years old, a true senior adult in that day and age. He
gave his reason for resigning. "My ex-treme feebleness in
convalescing [from a recent illness], warns me that I must do less
work..."

All during the 1880's, until well past the beginning of the
Twentieth Century, Mr. Weaver's business operations continued to
expand. Gradually, he would occupy most of the east side of the
Courthouse Square.

During the 1880's another innova tion of the Weaver Merchandise
Com pany involved having two stores in one. One sold on credit and
the other sold for cash with discounted prices.

In November of 1892, Mr. Weaver understood the encroachments of
age. He was now 48 years old. For this reason, he reorganized the
Weaver Merchandize company and made his son, G. A. Weaver, Jr.,
Mr. G. R. Womble, and R. E. Chatfield partners. The Times
described these young men saying that they were deserving, having
commenced at the bottom and worked up." The reorganization took
effect on January 1, 1893.

By September 1898, the Times reported, "The carpenters and masons
are going right along with the work on the double brick store room
that Mr. G. A. Weaver is having built. When com pleted with an
elegantly finished inte rior and a handsome front... it will be a
splendid addition to the block."

By the end of 1898, Mr. Weaver wrote an article in the paper
comment ing on the general economy: "This has been a year of
unusual difficulties...of which those trying to farm know too
well, which has reached those doing business with farmers, and, in
the gen eral depression resulting therefrom, our business has
suffered its full share.

"To those who have paid us, we make special thanks. To those who
are still owing, we ask that special arrange ments be promptly
made... or ruin will come to us..

"It is not profitable to do business here, but to quit might
involve even greater loss—so on we go....

"We hope for better things and better times by profiting from past
ex perience."

During June 1899, Mr. Weaver bought a controlling interest in the
Amos W. White Shoe and Leather Company. The company factory was in
Thomaston  These home-made type shoes were sold by others, but
espe cially by Mr. Weaver's company

A disaster struck on Sunday, De cember 3, 1899. A fire started in
the store of Mr. Arthur Harp on the corner of Main and Railroad
Streets. It spread into Mr. Weaver's Rock Warehouse burning 600
bales of cotton which was not insured.

Yet, in spite of difficulties, the 56 year-old Weaver pressed on.
As 1900 closed, ending the Nineteenth Century, he wrote a long
column about his business in the Times. The following quote gives
us something of his style as a businessman.

"As the end of this year and this century is rapidly nearing its
close, in grateful appreciation it begs to thank all who have so
kindly patronized this business. It carries a large stock of
general merchandise, probably the largest, suitable to the wants
of the general trade, from which you can make selection. ... In
addition to its general line of merchandise, it has the only
exclusive hardware store in the city, dealing in hardware, tin
ware, stoves, plows, wagons, harness, and agricultural implements,
and it is continually adding to it, and hope to make is as
complete as trade will authorize.




"It ties to encourage home enterprises by dealing with them when
it can do so. It sells goods made by the Wayman Cotton Mills, The
Thomaston Mills, or a wagon from either carriage company, advised
dealing with Upson County Oil Mill. It keeps account with each of
the banks, patronizes its home paper, and buys hides, tallow and
tan bark, and sells the old reliable White home-made shoes for
men, women, and children. In clearing land, don't forget to save
your oak bark to sell to the tan yard."

G. A. Weaver always believed in advertising. His ads in the local
paper were sometime large for that day and age. For example in the
June 5, 1903 issue of the Times, he bought up nearly one half of
the front page of the paper advertising the commencement at R. E.
Lee and promoting what they generally called "commencement goods,"
mean ing fancy clothing.

However by the next year, October 1904, now at "the advanced age
of 60" he admits to declining health. Once more he had a big half-
of-the-front-page ad which spoke of his health. "For most of the
present year, my health has been poor, and part of the time have
had long and severe illness...! find that I have so little
strength that I cannot do the work" With that, he an-nounced
placing large quantities of his stock on sale.

By the spring of 1905, he was reported in the press as being
"quite ill."

Then tragedy compounded trou-ble! With the old saint in very poor
health, on Monday, November 30, 1914, a disastrous fire destroyed
much of his business. After a fire sale, the loss still equaled
$10,000.  Yet, the business continued on a smaller basis, It even
outlived Mr. Weaver by a num-ber of years; but it was never the
same again, not after that fire.

MAY 2003   UHS NEWSLETTER

G. A. Weaver's business ventures began right after the Civil War
and extended to the time of his death. Even though he made heavy
investments of his time, energy, and money in the Weaver
Merchandise Company, he still took time to provide leadership in
other civic ventures. In fact, the prosperity of the entire
community felt the impact of his interests.

As early as 1891 G. A. Weaver took a leading role in the beginning
of a cotton mill in Upson County. Mr. Weaver chaired a session
held on March 20 of that year in the office of the Cheney House.
These men studied the ways and means of organizing such an
industry. Those present pledged to buy $10,600 in stock if the
venture moved forward.

History tells us that the final fruition of this dream did not
come until December 1899 when a group of 33 investors chartered
the Thomaston Cotton Mills. G. A. Weaver under the name of Weaver
Merchandise Com-pany, belonged to that group.

By March 9, 1901, the directors of the Farmers and Merchants' Bank
elected him the president of that organization.  Organized in
1891, this bank had felt the guiding hand of G. A. since its
inception.

Of course, Mr. Weaver also held stock in the Upson County
Railroad.

While we have already examined Mr. Weaver's support of R. E. Lee
Institute, Thomaston's school, we must also pay tribute to his
support of education in the county schools. In those days of
difficult travel, he knew that not everyone could come into town,
pay room and board, and attend R. E. Lee, so he wanted to help
county children as well.

In his History of Education in Upson County, Mr. Gordon Holstun
recorded the fact G. A. Weaver held the office of Chairman of the
Upson County Board of Education from 1892 to 1906, fourteen years.
During six of these years, he also served as chairman of the board
at R. E. Lee. After resign ing from both boards, his interest re
mained high. During 1912, he donated the land for the new Fairview
School then being established in the north cen tral part of the
county on the Old Ala bama Road.

As we shall see later, when he died, he did not forget the schools
in his last will and testament.

Still another arena of Mr. Weaver's interest involved his church,
the Thomaston Methodist Church. From his youth, this congregation
pro vided his spiritual home. In adulthood, he became a part of
every good en deavor of his church.

Particularly, in 1888, when the Methodists of Thomaston determined
that the time had come for them to build a new house of worship,
G. A. Weaver took a lead. Their old place of worship was then over
50 years old. Someone described that ancient framed building as
"old, ugly, inconvenient, and uncomfortable."  The Reverend Mr.
Seals appointed a building committee and placed G. A. Weaver on
the list.

Mr. Weaver was so much a part of this congregation that in 1912,
when "the committee on the Methodist Episcopal Church History of
the John Houston Chapter of the DAR wanted someone to write this
story for them, they asked Mr. Weaver to do it. He handed them his
5 page manuscript (typewritten) oa October 30, 1912.

Several times, during this series we have seen that G. A. Weaver
possessed the able skills of a writer.

One of the other ways in which he applied this skill came in
writing tributes to his friends who died, these being published in
the Thomaston Times.

Mr. George Alvah Weaver died on October 2, 1915. The community
lost one of its greatest citizens. When the Lord tapped him on the
shoulder, the great saint was ready. He revised his will for the
last time a little more than four months before that.

In this will, he literally gave his testimony of faith in almighty
God. Among the things he said were: "I am grateful to God for his
loving kindnesses to me through life." "God has given his Holy
Bible to teach the way from earth to heaven, I commend it to you.
Search the Scriptures."

He left the bulk of his estate to his family. Among the items
enumerated in his will were his home on Bethel Street (on the site
of the Baptist Tabernacle), a house across the street. His
downtown property measured 105 feet on Center Street opposite the
courthouse. He also listed tracts of land totaling about 2,300
acres.

He remembered The Thomaston Star School, $100; R. E. Lee, $500;
Emory University, $500 or an Atlanta lot; and to a fund for
retired Methodist pastors, $500. Last, but certainly but not least
he remembered Genie Carey, a black woman faithful to his family,
in the amount of $100.

Mrs. Weaver died on September 16, 1934. The children who survived
them were: G. A. Weaver, Jr., James Drake Weaver, John Calvin
Weaver, Travis A. D. Weaver, Mary Flewellen Weaver Birdsong,
Caroline Weaver Porter, and Martha Drake Weaver Sutton.

In conclusion, all that this writer can say it , "Do it again,
Lord, Do it again!" We need more men like this one.