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PAGE FOUR
A BRIEF HISTORY OF
WEST GEORGIA COLLEGE
••Lot No. 99, Land District No.
10.” These numbers were drawn by
Lawrence Richardson of Columbia
County in the land lottery of 1825.
He received title to approximately
200 ucres of land "somewhere west
of the Chattahoochee river”, after
wards Carroll County. More than
a century luter, on this sume lot
of land was established West Geor
gia College.
Richardson never saw the lund
which thus came into ills posses
sion and to which Governor Gilmer
gave him a plot and grant. In 1830
it was sold at public outcry to set
tle a claim against Richardson. It
brought $21.00 or about ten cents
an acre. It passed into the hands
of William A. Waish, who, like
Richardson, never occupied his
land on lot number ninety-nine.
A recent immigrant to the fron
tier county, secured it and made
some clearings and improvements,
but before the end of the decade
it was again sold at the fall of the
sheriff’s hammer. The price of cot
ton had jumped from a low of nine
cents a pound in 1830 to seven
teen cents five years later. At this
time a bale of cotton brought about
five hundred dollors.
Thomas Bonner from ('lark
County bought it and immediately
engaged Y. Hendrix to construct a
permanent dwelling house there.
This was completed in 1844. This
house, like several others through
out the section which were built
by Hendrix, still stands, although
it has been moved some two hun
dred yards east of the original lo
cation. It is at the present time oc
cupied by Mr. and Mrs. Wheby,
and a number of male students.
Bonner held the land until after
the Civil War. An old colored man,
"Uncle Abe”, born on the place in
1841, and who lived there for the
remainder of the Ante-Bellum pe
riod, has given us an interesting
and vivid description of “the old
home place” as it looked to him
during his boyhood, which is lov
ingly described as very happy days.
The “Bighouse” stood then on a
little knoll about halfway between
the road and the present site of
Adamson Dormitory for Women,
twenty yards further back, where
the dormitory now stands, was the
kitchen where the servants cooked
the food and brought it into the
dining room on large trays. A
commissary room joined the kitch
en and a smokehouse stood not
far away. Across the road in front
of the dwelling, were the barns,
the gin house, and a cotton press
The slave quarters were strung
along the ridge from the rear of
the kitchen to the present site of
the academic building. The bury
ing ground for the slaves was the
area now occupied by Melson Hall
Dormitory.
One single expanse of woodland
reached from this spot almost to
the store house in Carrollton. A
brandy distillery was operated on
the little branch which ran from
a spring house just off the golf
course near the college library.
Beyond all the distance to the lit
tle Tallapoosa River, was known as
the "deer stand.”
The red land west of the residence
grew cotton abundantly. Cotton
called for more slaves, and as the
years passed, more land and more
slaves. The master of the planta
tion became a Whig in politics.
The presidential election of Lin
coln in 1860 found “Uncle Abe” a
young man of 19. One of his mas
ter’s sons, to whom he was fond
ly attached was mortally wounded
in a drinking brawl, stabbed by a
brother of the girl he was engaged
to marry. For six months before
his death Abe nursed him in the
little room with a lean-to roof on
the west side of the house. The
sorrow of his young master’s pass
ing had not abated when two more
boys, near Abe's own age, march
ed off with a company of volun
teers, to the tune of Jim Patrick’s
flute.
The Methodist Church yard in
the Tallapoosa Commuity, Ihree
miles west of the college, was tnen
the mustering ground for the lo
cal militia. The name "Old Camp”
still remains. There was not a rail
road in Carrollton then. The coun
ty’s total population barely exceed
ed the present population of Car
rollton. At Newnan, the departing
soldiers boarded the train. Jim
Patrick was playing “My Darling
Nellie Gray” and the women were
weeping.
In 1861 several thousand calvary
under General Stoneman, march
ing from Selma, Alabama to join
Sherman below Jonesboro, passed
along the road which now fronts
the campus. Some of their foragers
raided the smokeshouse and barns
of Abe’s master, taking hams,
shoulders, milk, eggs, flour, corn
and hay. They did not burn any
thing and they did not molest the
women, according to Uncle Abe’s
story. And they were good enough
to leave all the “middlin’’ meat.
Peace came, followed by Recon
struction and economic and social
adjustments. There was again
much sorrow when Abe’s white
folks left in 1866 for new land in
Alabama and new opportunities.
Abe’s freedom became the croppers’
thraldon as he severed his connec
tions with the old home place on
lot ninety-nine.
The land in time became the
property of the Sharp family. Thru
the passage of the Perry Act in
1906, the General Assembly created
the District Agricultural and Me
chanical Schools of Georgia. Provis
ions were made for the location of
the Fourth District Agricultural
and Mechanical School. This is how
lot ninety-nine came to be the lo
cation of West Georgia College.
This land was purchased from
the Sharp family and in 1906 it was
deeded to the Board of Trustees
of the Fourth District A. & M.
School, which opened its doors in
January, 1908, with J. H. Melson,
as principal. Thirty thousand dol
lars in cash, two hundred and sev
enty-three acres of land, lights and
water were donated.
For more than a quarter of a
century, Georgia supported an ag
ricultural boarding school on the
present campus of West Georgia
College.
America’s entry into the World
War in 1917 brought sadness to the
campus as many students, alumni,
and faculty members joined the
army. For two years military train
ing was part of the curriculum.
When peace came there were gold
stars in the school’s service flag.
The A & M School survived the
boll-weevil depression of 1920 at
which time I. S. Ingram became its
head. When farm prices collapsed
in the late nineteen thirties and
consolidated high schools began to
spring up everywhere, overlapping
the work of the A. & M. School,
there was a dire need for the re
vision of organization and objec
tives. The newly created Board of
Regents took over the deeds of the
property in 1932, and during the
following year a college of junior
rank opened its doors to approx
imately two hundred students. The
location of this youngest institu
tion of the university system of
Georgia is in the geographic cen
ter of the last brace of new coun
ties created in Georgia from the
Creek and Cherokee lands. The
present students are for the most
part descendants of those last
Georgia pioneers, who crossed the
Flint and the Chattahoochee more
than a hundred years ago.
Currently West Georgia College
has an enrollment of five hundred
and forty, two hundred being vet
erans; there are two hundred and
THE WEST GEORGIAN
four girls and another hundred
boys, non-veterans.
The campus is one of the most
beautiful in the state. It is covered
by large native trees, native grass
es and attractive shrubs. Originally,
twenty-four varieties of trees and
shrubs adapted to the northwest
Georgia climate, were used; today,
however, it is estimated that the
number has increased to 80. The
campus furnishes ample space for
leisure, amusement and recreation.
Mrs. Ingram, who advises on the
plans for the grounds, devotes her
time and energy to beautifying the
campus, although she receives no
compensation. Her garden ranks
among the loveliest in the state.
The college itself Is a pioneer in
a certain type of education. Among
other things, it is dedicated to the
task of upbuilding rural Georgia,
socially and culturally, and eco
nomically—through its unique pro
gram of rural teacher-training. In
this it has received some national
recognition. (It was said by the
late Chancellor Sanford that West
Georgia College receives more visi
tors than all the other units of the
University system combined), and
some lasting encouragement.
Since 1937 the Rosenwald Fund has
been an important factor in an ef
fort to achieve its objectives thru
the cooperation with the chancellor
and the Board of Regents.
Lot number 99 still fills its place
in the social fabric of the times.
One hundred years ago it was a
frontier or ribald stabbings, of lus
ty weather-beaten farmers. Today,
it is one of the foremost education
al frontiers of the south.
Alpha Phi Omega
Announces
Summer Program
(Continued from Page 1)
field; and plans have also been de
veloped for a watermelon cutting,
preparation of a ritual team for
September initiation ceremonies,
and formation of anew student
committee to cooperate with the
Registrar’s Office in new student
orientation. In the near future in
vitations to pledge will be extend
ed to ten to fifteen students; and
it is planned to further expand the
chapter in the fall.
Former scouts interested in the
possibility of affiliating with the
fraternity are invited to secure in
formation about the fraternity
from Gordon Berry, acting chapter
president, or Paul M. Petersen,
chairman of the advisory com
mittee. The fraternity program is
built around three basic principles:
leadership, friendship and service.
Epsilon Eta Chapter here at West
Georgia College is the 132nd chap
ter in the country, and the first
junior college chapter. Member
ship in the fraternity may be
transferred to any of the senior
colleges in the state upon leaving
West Georgia College.
Ninety-Nine On
Dean s List
(Continued from Page 1)
dred Garner, Bonnie Hutchinson,
and Len Hutchinson of Buchanan;
Robert Gibson of Waco; Polly Grif
fin and James Overton of Griffin;
Betty Hardin of Eastman; Claude
Herring of Hiram; Virginia Hitch
cock of Atlanta; Hildred Hubbard
of Emerson; Mary E. Hunt of Bow
man; Ed Johnson and Floella Kee
of Grantville; Kenneth Jones of
Lula; Daniel Mcßae of Warm
Springs: Madolyn Manning and
Kenneth Roberts of Tallapoosa;
Wendell Maples of Varnell; Ross
Miller of Woodland: Carl Moon
of Logansville; Lee Mundy of
Jonesboro; Rudolph Murphy of
Greenville; Sue Quinton of Dalton;
Luther Smith and Iris Swanson
of Chipley; Newsom Summerlin of
Sandersville; Barbara Trundle of
Ringgold.
Alpha Phi Omega Extends
Arm of Service Into W.G.C
Alpha Phi Omega, National Ser
vice Fraternity, extended its arm
of service into a junior college last
week, when the Degree Team from
the Georgia School of Technology
initiated the Epsilon Eta C hapter
at West Georgia College.
The impressive installation cere
mony was conducted in the Com
munications Center of the college s
Rural Arts Building by a ritual
team consisting of James Sturrach,
president of the Gamma Zeta
Chapter; Joe Gillam, vice-president
Heath Laughlin, secretary; Phil
Harpes, treasurer, Martin Bennet,
advisor’s secretary; Professor J. W.
McCarty, senior faculty advisor of
the Tech chapter; Weaver Marr,
Atlanta Area scout executive and
scouting advisor; Professor Fred
Winn, faculty advisor, Charles
Sheppard, president of the Univer
sity of George Chapter; Lee Corey,
member, and Frank D. Wood, of
Atlanta, national second vice-presi
dent of Alpha Phi Omega.
Authorization for formation of
the WGS Chapter was given by un
animous vote of the 132 other
chapters, and the national execu
tive board.
Epsilon Eta Chapter of West
Georgia College will be one of the
best known chapters of the frater
nity, as it will go down in the his
tory of the organization as the
first junior college chapter.
Officers of the group include Wil
liam Lewis, Gordon Berry, Jesse
Lee Fox, Billy Hogg, Vanvoorst
Simmons and Sidney Thornberg.
Paul M. Petersen, George C. S. Ad
ams, Earl Wheby, Hugh Wallace,
William Row, Dean L. E. Roberts,
and President I. S. Ingram are fac
ulty advisors for the group; and
Smooth
To whom it may concern . . .
sticks and stones may break
your bones but words will nev
er hurt you.
Since the night of June 7, we un
derstand “Trainer” Hendricks has
become official traffic director for
that section of the campus around
the barracks. This service is need
ed and appreciated by the boys.
The question still remains! What
happened in Storms Barracks the
Monday night before the end of
school?
What happened to Lucy Dukes
and many more of our fair belles
the last evening of school? Were
they so happy because school was
ending?
The time—Last night of school.
The place—Campus.
The characters —L. J. Woods, Jim
Burch, two policemen, Bill Anthony,
Phil Richardson and others of less
er importance.
The plot—You know the plot by
now.
Now that Patton is gone. Tim
my seems to be lost. You shraldn’L
worry Jim and don’t you go home
on weekends?
Our mail service hasn’t been fast
but Doris’ heart certainly beats
more rapidly when a certain visi
tor of hers arrives on the campus.
Seen at the Ska-Bowl: One Au
brey Gilbert and Becky. This .isn’t
at all unusual now that summer is
here.
As of late, Ann Russell has been
dating an undertaker. We wonder
what they are undertaking.
When the cat is away, the mice
will play, won’t they, “Shag”?
Field Scout Executive Bob Clark
and Scoutmaster Clarence Daniel,
are scouting advisors.
The purpose of Alpha Phi Omega
is to assemble college men in the
fellowship of the Scout Oath and
Law, to develop friendship and to
promote service to humanity. The
fields of activity include service to
the student body and faculty, youth
and community, and to the nation
as participating citizens.. Epsilon
Eta Chapter includes outstanding
representatives of a majority of
student activities, and the frater
nity is well-equipped to serve the
student body and community, and
to cooperate with other service or
ganizations in sponsorship of
worthwhile projects.
The complete list of charter mem
bers of the new chapter follows:
ACTIVE MEMBERS
John William Acree, Lewis Ar
thur Adams, Jr., William Gordon
Berry, James Melvin Boswell, Hir
am Chappell Bray, Luther Bridg
man, Joseph Broadwater, Jr., Ed
win Chapman Brock, George B.
Daniel, Jr., Harl Clifford Duffey,
Jr., Horace M. Erwin, Jr. Thomas
Edgar Fears, Jesse Lee Fox, Wil
liam N. Hogg, William Glover Lew
is, Thomas Edward McCoy, Jr.,
James William Mitchell, Tilden Sid
new Oglesby, Charles C. Owen,
Boyce H. Ray, Jr., Allen Lewis Rey
nolds, Vanvoorst Simmons, Clark
Stephens, Robert L. Stewart, Sid
ney L. Thornberg.
ADVISORY MEMBERS
George C. S. Adams, Robert
Clark, Clarence Daniels, Paul M.
Petersen, Lucian E. Roberts, Wil
liam Row, Hugh Wallace and Earl
Wheby.
Mr. Petersen is still wondering
what happened to his biology class
when he took to the wood—to
study biology.
The Rover Boys’ softball team
managed by John Acree and you
know has found the going rough.
Seen on the campus: Edith and
Roy. Yes, the mice will play!
Ed Johnson is his usual self as
one of the many campus romeos.
“Dipey”, you had better come
back ‘cause Bruce has begun to
wonder.
Lately, Richardson has been seen
quite frequently with Betty Ander
son and all the time, we thought
June had won him to her way of
thinking.
Van, do you wear the dark glass
es to cut the glare or to keep from
bleeding to death.
The President of the SOTS club
informed us that he had news-a
plenty, but it all turned out to be
off the record.
You had better watch it, Duffey;
this is the month of June.
Boyette and Crowder see a great
deal of each other. Is anything
cooking, dears?
Miss B. J. Bonner has a long list
of admirers in biology class. Bet
ter stay out of the woods during
field trips, Betty!
This is all I have to say.
If you’ll pardon me now I’ll b
on my way:
But don’t you worr\ and don’t
you fret
Perhaps I missed you this time
but I’ll get you yet.
JULY 10, 1947