Ware County GaArchives History .....History of Ware County - Introductory Materials 1934 ************************************************ 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: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 October 4, 2004, 12:17 pm HISTORY OF WARE COUNTY GEORGIA BY LAURA SINGLETON WALKER Sponsored by The Waycross Woman's Club, Mrs. Ellen Goodrich Townsend, President 1934 MACON, GA. THE J. W. BURKE CO. PUBLISHERS -------------- p. vi DEDICATION "The history of a country is its life which should never die but be handed down through all generations." Our work has been a labor of love. We therefore affectionately dedicate this book to the Founders of Waycross, Dr. Daniel Lott, Dr. Benjamin Williams, Mr. William S. Bailey and Capt. Cuyler W. Hilliard, who unselfishly created this city and whose memories must be preserved as long as this municipality shall live. "A country without ruins is a country without memories, and a country without memories is a country without history." -------------- p. vii FOREWORD Looking backward to the time of the early settling of Georgia one finds that inherent hunger for land and room drove the immigrant out toward the unoccupied spaces. For various advantages it was natural to discover that the nearness.to one another of several families in particular regions was the normal condition of organizing themselves into a civic body for common defense. Each community thus created was of necessity, vitally related to the colony in which it existed while it continued to utilize its resources and develop toward maturity. The history of a town concerns, on the one hand, a record of the outward manifestations of its progress through accumulated years, and on the other hand, an analysis and interpretation of its hidden forces, its motives, purposes and character. During periods of war, from years when Indian savages menaced the infant settlement to the period when the civilization of the world was menaced by foe even more unscrupulous and fiendish, Ware County has made unstinted offerings of her manhood and her treasures for the defense and maintenance of the public welfare. Heroes on many martial fields, and officers who have reached positions of exalted rank and efficient service have shed glorious lustre upon our town escutcheon. The social life of Waycross has been distinctively democratic—class division and prejudices being commonly ignored in a spirit of .kindly fellowship. Family ties are so strong and affection for the home region is so deep and durable that those, who from time to time, have found occasion to transfer their residence elsewhere, never lose sight of kinship with the place of their childhood. In undertaking the compiling of this book it has been my desire to make it a publication that would be pleasing, -------------- p. viii not only to the present generation, but to the generations to come as well. We believe we have placed before the people of Ware county an interesting book, faithfully recording in photos and words all the familiar places of years ago, also the scenes of our boys and girls of today, and as years roll on bearing with it the many changes of time and destiny, this work will be of priceless value to those who have sentiment for the town, and the many other familiar landmarks so dear to all Waycross and Ware county people. In placing this history before the public, we desire to express our gratitude for the kindly encouragement and the more than liberal support we received from the people of Waycross and Ware County. A work of such magnitude as this, involving such a great amount of detail labor, could not well have been prepared without the generous assistance, the hearty co-operation of a large portion of the community; and that such aid has been given us, together with a generally expressed approval of our undertaking, we gladly put upon record. The author is indebted to Mr. John Greer and Mr. Folks Huxford for valuable information furnished liberally for this History of Ware County; also to Mr. and Mrs. John Lott, Mr. Jack Williams, Mr. Ralph Newton, Mrs. T. B. Folsom, Dr. B. H. Minchew, Mr. Liston Elkins, Miss Dorothy Blythe, and Mrs. Mattie Thigpen Williams who have assisted in this work in an untiring way. Especially am I endebted to Dr. A. H. Wright of Cornell University for the maps that appear in this book, also for pictures of the Okefinokee Swamp, where he spent many months pursuing intensive Biological Reconnaissance of this Wonderland of Southern Georgia. -------------- p. ix CONTENTS Page CHAPTER I 1 Spanish Explorers—Hernando De Soto—Osceola, A Citizen of Ware—Billy Bowlegs of Billy's Island—The Wilde's Massacre—The Treaty—Indian Trading Houses—Serni-nole Indians—Two Indian Girls Captured in Ware—Memories of Indian Days—Forts and Block Houses. CHAPTER II 19 County Creation—Appling Before Ware Was Cut from that County—Ware County—Nicholas Ware—Early Settlers—Georgia Land Lottery, Showing Some of the Homes of the Early Settlers—Land Lots of Ware—Racepond— Naming Kettle Creek. CHAPTER III 37 Churchyard Record—Kettle Creek Cemetery—Mount Pleasant Cemetery. CHAPTER IV—Rivers of Ware 44 Satilla River—Suwanee River. CHAPTER V 50 Okefinokee Swamp—Okefinokee, the Beautiful—Looking Backward Over a Century. CHAPTER VI—Trails and Roads 58 To Old County Road—Trails, Roads and Highways— The Old Train Road—Kennard Settlement and Trail— Blackshear's Trail—Columbus or Market Road—Barnard's Trail—Okefinokee Swamp Trails—Dixie Highway South of Waycross. -------------- p. x CONTENTS Page CHAPTER VII 80 Georgia Taverns—Tebeauville—Tebeauville Tablet Unveiled— Waycross—How Waycross Received Her Name— Waresbdro—Waresboro Lodge Number 217—Trees of Ware County—Trees of Waresboro-Soil of Ware County —Memories of Long Ago and Some of the Men Who Gave Character to Waycross. CHAPTER VIII 109 Some of the Oldest Churches of Ware—Trinity Methodist—Love Feasts at Waycross—First Methodist—First Presbyterian—First Baptist—Grace Episcopal—Catholic— Central Baptist—First Christian. CHAPTER IX 128 Ware County's First Schools—Waycross Schools-Waresboro Schools and Other Ware County Schools—Record of the Members of the Board of Education—School Chronology. CHAPTER X 144 Happenings in Waycross. CHAPTER XI 150 Utilities—Gas and Coke Company—Ware's First Board of Health—Waycross Water Works—Waycross Fair Association—Waycross Concert Band—Waycross Rifles. CHAPTER XII 159 First Merchants of Waycross—Glimpse Into Past Activities. CHAPTER XIII 162 Politics—Prohibition—Loving Cup. -------------- p.xi CONTENTS Page CHAPTER XIV—Waycross Newspapers 167 Waycross Headlight—Waycross Reporter—Waycross Evening Herald—Waycross Journal—Journal-Herald— The Millwood Advance. CHAPTER XV—Co-operative Extension Work 174 4-H Clubs of Ware County—Pure Bred Pigs—First Canning Clubs of Ware. CHAPTER XVI—Social and Civic Organizations 181 Waycross Clubs—Lyman Hall Chapter D. A. R.—Jonathan Bryan Chapter D. A. R.—Francis S. Barton Chapter U, D. C.—The Children of the Confederacy—Hospital Association—Kings Daughters and Sons. CHAPTER XVII—Military 197 Revolutionary Soldiers of Ware—Ware's Unknown Soldier—Captain North's Militia Company—Captain J. J. North—Miscellaneous—Indian War Troops of 1838— Ware Heroes of 1838—War Between the States—War Records—Marked Confederate Graves—Reminiscences of War Life—Joel Sweat's War Reminiscences—Stories of the War of 1861—History of South Georgia Camp U. C. V. —Cannon in Phoenix Park—Going Away—Flanders Field —Ware County Men Who Died in Service during the World War—Red Cross—Canteen. CHAPTER XVIII—County Officers 297 Ordinaries of Ware—Sheriffs of Ware—Treasurers of Ware—Justices of the Inferior Court—Clerks of the Inferior Court—Justices of Peace, Waresboro—Justices of Peace, Waycross—County Officer's Bonds—District and County Senators — Congressional Districts — Solicitor — Brunswick Circuit. -------------- p.xii CONTENTS Page CHAPTER XIX—Story of a Tragic Death 316 In Memoriam—An Old Southern Mammy, The Last of Her Race. CHAPTER XX 320 The Negroes of Ware—Evelina Hilliard—King Scarlett —Stiles Scarlett—Floyd Swelson—Adella Dawson— CHAPTER XXI—Hundredth Anniversary of Ware County 325 BIOGRAPHIES 329 -------------- p. xiii ILLUSTRATIONS Page Block Houses of the Okefinokee Swamp Frontispiece An Old Southern Mammy, the Last of Her Race 319 Atwell, Mrs., and one of Her Canning Club Girls 177 Bailey, William 90 Bailey, Mrs. William 90 Bennett, Hon. John W 341 Billy Bowlegs 5 Bradshaw, Mrs. Herbert M 196 Cox, John M 61 Debatable Land, Which is Situated Between the Altamaha River and the Satilla River 45 Dimmock, Mrs. Edith 196 Dixie Highway 63 Entrance to Suwanee River 48 Fort Jackson, Where the Treaty of 1814 was Made With the Creek Indians 10 Goodrich, Mr. Walter 387 Goodrich, Mrs. Walter 387 Hilliard, Cuyler 91 Billiard, Mrs. Cuyler 91 Hilliard, Joe and Evelina 321 Hinson, W. L 401 In the Heart of the Okefinokee 51 Jenkins, Mrs. Lucius 408 Lott, Dr. Daniel 88 Lott, Mrs. Daniel 88 Lott, Mrs. Walter 422 Lott, Walter 422 Lott, Judge and Mrs. Warren 425 Lott, Mr. John 427 -------------- p. xiv ILLUSTRATIONS Lett, Mrs. John 427 Mattox, Charles 60 Mitchell, Joseph 60 McDonald, Col. William 432 Murphy, Mr. and Mrs. Herbert 445 Officers am' Board Members Waycross Womans Club 194 One of the Markers Along the Dixie Highway 77 Parker, Mrs. W. F. 457 Parker, William 463 Parker, Mrs. William 463 Pastors Who Have Served Trinity Methodist Church 112 Perham, Judge Alexander P. 465 Quarterman, Rev. and Mrs. John Way 470 Red Bay (Gordonia Lasianthus) Edge of Pine Barren Near Star- ling Branch on Chesser Island Road 53 Rivers of Ware County 47 Rollison, Mrs. J. A 196 Sharp, Mrs. Fannie Lott 423 Showing New Road Leading to Fort Jackson 8 Stanton, Valentine 495 Sweat, Brig. General J. L 505 Sweat, Carey M 509 Thomas, Hon. Banner H 513 Thomas, Rev. W. H. (Uncle) 515 Townsend, Mrs. William G. 196 Unveiling a Tablet That Marks Old Tebeauville 86 Walker, Mrs. Laura Singleton Facing Page 15 Ware County as Cut From the Tallassee Country 11 Waresboro High School Pupils and Trustees 196 Wilson Highway to Washington, D. C 62 Williams, Mrs. Benjamin 89 Williams, Dr. Benjamin 89 Williams, Jack 522 Woodward, Dawson W 61 -------------- Additional Comments: From: HISTORY OF WARE COUNTY GEORGIA BY LAURA SINGLETON WALKER File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/ware/history/other/gms223historyo.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 14.6 Kb