Newspaper Page Text
EARLY COUNTY, GA
Garden Spot Os
GOD’S COUNTRY
VOLUME 112—NO. 14
1837-51 Ledger by
Peter Howard Discovered
Thanksgiving in Blakely in 1837
can be visualized through a ledger
kept by Peter Howard, a mer
chant here from 1837 until 1851,
from the entries in the ledger.
Howard was better known as a
builder and contractor, as well as
a farmer; at the time of his
death May 1887 his son, Dr.
Thomas M. Howard wrote of his
father that he had erected more
houses in this town than any
other man.
The retrieving of this ledger
gave an insight Into his personal
history and that of this town which
has not been heretofore recorded.
The ledger was not preserved per
se, rather it was a scrapbook of
his daughter, a young lady inter
ested in fashions of the day, some
fifteen to twenty years after the
book had been used in Howard's
business she was concerned also
in penmanship, which reveals
names of friends and addresses
of family members and the dif
ferent way the young lady wrote
and spelled her name on the blank
spaces.
The town of Blakely was only
12 years old when these entiles
were made by Peter Howard. The
oldest date in the ledger is
Nov. 30,1837; Wily W. Parker, 1/2
gallon Rum, 1 jug - .88 and 2 vials-
B. drops .38 Total, $1.26; the next
entry reads: Dr. William Terrell,
Oct. 4, 1837, 10 lbs. nails 8/pr. R.
Parker, $1.00; 2 vials Xndralne
.25; 2 do-calomel Cl/6.38; 1 mill
saw file, pr. Saper, .50; this was
marked paid by James Hayes in
1845.
From 1837 until 1844 a bushel
of corn cost $1; a bushel of cotton
seed, $1; 18 pounds of bacon, $2.16;
12 lbs of bacon, $1.44; Brogan
shoes, $1.50; 1 vial quinire 25 £;
1 gallon syrup, 37^; Byds, calico,
$2.50.
Many pages are completely
covered with pricures, poems,
clippings of unusual incidents,
cartoons, etc and some pages are
missing. On page 40, dated 1843
are items charged to Lewis Ever
ingham and E.K. Spence. Evicfent
ly most merchandise was sold for
cash, that which was charged was
paid for by the year and often paid
for by labor. Each account was
Blast Torn Building
Moved Down Street
r
fogy
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Blakely stores and homes da
maged in the January explosion
almost have been completed re
novated and restored following
the January 27,1970explosion.On
Thursday, the dwelling belonging
to Billy Peters, where the Jack
Clifton's resided the morning of
the explosion, was moved further
out Magnolia St., about a mile at
the site of "The Steakhouse”
which burned 2 years ago.
The House was located between
two business establishments,
Plggly Wiggly and Empire Gas
Corp., and was strictly across the
street from Davenport Motor Co.
Davenport has rebuilt with a steel
construction, just east of the
former location. Glass Service
Station, next door to Davenport, in
their renovation program added
space to their recapping depart
ment and a large top over the front
of the service station.
®aril) ' Cootg ew©
dated, "cr by cash in full” or
‘‘Rec’d payment by Labor, set
tled this date” and signed in the
ledger “P. Howard”. Since there
is little recorded history locally
from 1827 until 1865 this book is
a valuable find.
Names appearing in the ledger
of those who had accounts includ
ed: Jacob Wiley, Sr., Isaac Bush,
Joseph Thompson, Moses Grier,
Jas. Kee, Benj. L. Wolfe, W.H.
Wade, Joseph Thompson, W. A.
Betha, Isham R. Sheffield, L D.
Weathers, Bryan Dick, James
Hines, Moses Kirkland, Thomas
Southestana, Joshua S. Vann,
Stephen Blocker, J. W. Bartlett,
W. A. Mallory, John C. Butler,
Westley Sheffield, A. C. Alexan
der, Martin MCann, Erastus
Kelly, William Grimes, John G.
Howell, W.J. Bush, Joshua Gray.
Jas. M. Stewart, Thomas Col
lier, Elizabeth Sheffield, WM. G.
Wood, Lee Walker, Jno. T. Smith,
Joseph A. Johnston, Mal Cowart,
Benj. Wilcox, William English,
Samuel Smith, Nevin M. Bryde,
Joel W. Perry, David Fair, John
Kelly, Mathias L Lewis, Benj.
Hodges, Abram Edwards, Joseph
Adams, Charles Roberts, Jno. J.
Dickson, James M. Lane, R. A.
Persons, Moses Warren, Stephen
Mills, Seaborn Goulding,
Allen Gay, Sarah McCormick,
Dan C. Dempsey, Joseph Collier,
Charles Caraway, Johnny Best,
Jermiah Fowler, Daniel Roe,
Henry Roberts, Elom Lee,
George Wiley, Caleb Cowart, El
bert Smith, Wm. Conner, Stark
Adams, Joseph Spooner, Jesse
Williams, Nathan Goolsby, John
Brooks, William Roberts, W.M.
Standifer and H.H. Christian
(doctors), Etheldred Hays, Sr.,
lasla Fuller,
Moses Kirkland, John Wlti
cher, Joab Willis, Daniel White,
Larzesuz Goolsby, William Ni
chols, Henry Phillips, Richard
Pickle, Thom. W. Wood, Hillory
Phillips, Paul McCormick, D.M.
Jordan, Esq., George Mercier,
Benj.Collier, Jr., Drusy Roberts,
Benj. B. Fox, Jocab Wiley,
George Bailey, John W. Bragan,
Jones Corithers, Nathan Miller,
George Howard, David Howard,
CONT ON PAGE 3
Piggly Wiggly’s east wall and
roof had extensive damage and the
entire store was redone on the in
side. Sheppard's Oil Co. waited
until early fall to rebuild; Bax
ley’s Clinic has been brick ve
nerred on the outside and reno
vated inside. The Bud Toole’s
where all of the windows and com
plete frames we re blown down in
side the house one set on top of
boys who were asleep inbed, mo
ved back into their home in July.
Stores throughout downtown
Blakely lost their plate glass win
dows, only about a half dozen win
dows were left standing.
Billy Peters owner of the now
vacant lot said he hopes to turn
the property into a business site
to add the continueous growth of
Blakely.
The house was bought and
moved to another locationby Buck
Nobles.
Success to AU Who Pay Their Honest Debts — “Be Sure You Are Right, Then Go Ahead”
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FIRST THANKSGIVING
THE FIRST THANKSGIVING celebrated at Plymouth in 1621 was a
harvest festival, a gathering of family, friends and neighbors, and a time of games XzPlfmV
and feasting. MVfWFP’
j Al most half of the original 102 Pilgrims had survived the first winter They wJb/ ^7
had labored long and hard to build a village and plant crops. When their harvestF T
was gathered, they celebrated. '
. J" writing to a friend in England describing the First Thanksgiving, one of
the Pilgrims said: Our harvest being gotten in, our Governor William Bradford
sent four men on fowling; so that we might after a more special manner, rejoice
together, after we had gathered the fruit of our labours. They four, on one day,
killed as much fowl as, with a little help besides served the company almost a week.”
"And among the rest, their (the Indians) greatest king, Massasoit, with some
ninety men, whom for three days, we entertained and feasted, and they went out
aiid killed five deer; which they brought to the Plantation and bestowed on our
Governor, and upon the Captain (Myles Standish) and others.”
We Wish You a Happy 1970 Thanksgiving
Social Security
talk heard
by Rotarians
An interesting talk on Social
Security was heard by Blakely
Rotarians at last Friday’s meet
ing held at the Town & Country
Club. Speaking to the club was
Herb Hawk, Social Security Fie
ld Representative, of the Albany
office. The program was
arranged by Virgil Jones and the
speaker introduced by Ralph Fos
ter. President Elwood Martin
presided.
Visitors at the meeting in
cluded Lowell Peavy, of Cami
lla, a guest of Raymond Single
tary; J. A. Ward, of Dothan,
guest of Charlie DeLoach; Jimmy
Neves, Albany, guest of Hal
Haddock; Boradus Simpson,
Donalsonville, guest of Gerald
Bruner.
No program will be given at
Friday’s meeting, but lunch will
be served at the usual time-
Dr. Giles
attends 22nd
Scientific Assm.
Dr. Eugene H. Giles attended
the 22nd Scientific Assembly at
the Tennessee Academy of Gen
eral Practice held at the Civic
Auditorium in Gatlinburg, Tenne
see, November 4-6. He was ac
companied by his wife, Betty, at
tending the three day program.
This annual Seminar is de
signed to bring physicians up to
date information on the latest Re
search. The program is accept
able for thirteen prescribed
hours of Post graduate study by
the American Academy of Gene
ral Practice.
The scenery of the locale, plea
sant atmosphere and comfortable
surroundings made this a most
enjoyable week for Dr. and Mrs.
Giles.
Card of
Thanks
The editor wishes to thank Mr.
Hubert Gilbert for the nice tur
nips, mustard and radishes given
him for the holidays. Hubert was
also kind enough to furnish the hot
pepper sauce to season them with.
Thanks again.
BLAKELY, GA., THURS. MORNING, NOV. 26. 1970
Letter to the
Editor
"Speed Trap’’?
Dear Sir,
There is a matterwhlch Iwould
like to bring to the attention of all
adults and teenagers traveling in
or through Calhoun County. The
Ordinary of this county is still
paid on the fee system, and he sets
all fines for traffic violations
within the county. Recently there
have been a large number of traf
fic violations in that county an<L
the minimum fine is $52.00. You
may draw your own conclusion,
but when traveling through said
county please be careful and drive
safely-
Concerned Citizen
COURTHOUSE
TO BE CLOSED
THURSDAY I FRIDAY
All offices in the Early County
courthouse will be closed Thurs
day and Friday in observance of
the Thanksgiving holidays. Since
the courthouse is normally closed
on Saturdays, this means that re
gular business will be not re
sumed until Monday, Nov. 30. The
board of commissioners meet the
next day, Tuesday, Dec. 1, and
Clerk Norman Alexander re
quests that all those holdingbills
against the county to get them to
his office this week-end and that
will received prompt attention
and be paid on the first Tuesday.
WEATHER REPORT
The following is a summary of
local weather conditions for the
month of October, 1970;
TEMPERATURE; Mean maxi
mum, 82.4; mean minimum, 57.7;
mean, 70.1, departure from the
normal, / 1.7. Maximum, 91 on the
3rd; minimum, 47 on the 17th.
PRECIPITATION; Total, 2.80
inches, departure from the nor
mal, /• .90 inch. Greatest in any
24-hour observational period,
1.36 inches during the 24-hour
period ending 7a.m. E.S.T. on the
25th. Number ofdays with .01 inch
or more, 8; with. 50 inch or more,
2; with 1.00 inch or more, 1. To
tal so far this year, 39.14 inches,
deficiency so far this year, -7.76
inches.
LOWREYS. STONE, Observer
National Weather Service
Blakely, Georgia
Book About Early County
Ready for Printer
Material for the book, "Col
lections of the Early County His
torical Society, 1970" has been
cataloged and indexed and will be
ready for the printer at an early
date. Forty articles and stories
relating to local history will have
been compiled for this first book
tp^be published by the Society.
A chapter of special interest
will be Articles by Dennis
McQueen Wade, Sr., a former
Early County Ordinary, entitled
' 'Some Local History’ ’ which ap
peared in 1890’s in "The Blakely
Reporter”. Taken from the files
at the Clerk’s office in the local
Courthouse, the articles are
about outstanding people of
Blakely and Early County during
the last part of the 19th century.
Mrs. E. P. Whitehead, Pre
sident of the Early County Histor
ical Society, who has compiled
and edited the material has said,
"This series of articles would
justify the publishing of this book
if we have nothing else”. Mr.
Wade-was a former school teach
er and farther and was the first
weather observer in the county.
He moved to Early County in 1841
HOSPITAL LIST
ADMITTED
Connie Keen, Keen baby girl,
William Sellers, Milledage
Smith, Virginia Cleveland, Mary
Hazel Smith, Mabele Cain, Jimmy
Montgomery, Mary Joe Andrews,
Andrews Baby Boy, Jimi Mlles,
Bridgman Harris, Myrtice An
derson, Mary Alice Curry, Curry
Baby Boy, Roxie Glass, Sammie
Carol Pyle, Belle Pittman, Jer
ome Beacham, Albert Johnson,
Rebecca Chandler, Lillie Webb,
Bruce Lindsey, Gertrude Blount,
Sue White, White Baby Boy,
James Spooner, James Mc-
Donald, Elvin Beasley, John Hen
ry Whitehead, Georgia Mae John
son. Beatrice Epps, Johnny Fos
ter.
DISCHARGED
Louie Anglin, Mattie Furlow,
Becky Glass, Glass Baby Boy,
Hattie Lumpkin, Emmett McLen
don, John Barron, Tamer Wid
ener, Connie Keen, Sallie Sol,
Fannie Alexander, Mary Still,
Virginia Cleveland, Mary Hazel
Smith, Minnie Choice Bond, Wil
lie Brackin, David Goff, Floradell
Chase, Vicie Love, Nora Houston,
as a ten year old boy, from Scre
ven County.
Topics of historical value in the
book include: a Brief History of
the Early Historical Society; the
Confederate Navy Yard; Blakely
and How It Grew’ ’ Stories of Com
munities in Early County; The
Jackson Trail; the First Industry;
the 1897 Cyclone, which struck a
School, eight people were killed;
a 1912 Discussion of Indian
Mounds; Inventory of Courthouse
Records; fourteen church histor
ies; twenty - three character
sketches of "People You Would
Have Liked to Have Known”.
There are 22 genealogies of lo
cal families; Mrs. Whitehead has
indexed two hundred names of
members of Magnolia Lodge of
whom Dr. Standifer wrote brief
character sketches, in a book
published fifty years ago.
Capsules sketches of the forty
nine contributors to the "Col
lections of the Early County His
torical Society’ ’ will comprise
the final section.
Automat Printers, Tom J. Da
vis, Colquitt, Georgia will print
the book.
A THANKSGIVING PRAYER
We give thanks that thirty
five decades ago the Pilgrims
landed in the new world.
We give thanks that they per
servered and established prin
ciples of liberty and opportunity
which formed the basis of our
society.
We give thanks that they solved
the monumental problems of their
day in what must have seemed
a cruel and hostile land.
We give thanks that they saw
their problems, not as barriers,
but as opportunities to build a
better life for themselves and for
future generations.
We pray that we of this gen
eration will have as great cour
age and resourcefulness as our
Pilgrim forefathers to solve the
problems of today.
Cliff Taylor, Patricia Calhoun,
Benny Johns, Mabel Caln, Dicy
Scott, Mary Curry, Jimmy Mont
gomery, Inez Driver, Mary Hel
en Wright, Roxie Glass, Sammie
Carol Pyle, Myrtice Anderson,
Maggie Douglas, Rebecca Chand
ler, James McDonald, Jerome
Beachman, Florene Davis, Betty
Weaver, Trudie Holloway.
THANKSGIVING
350th Anniversary
Observed in Virginia,l969
Mrs. H.M. Richardson holds Documents of 1619 Thanksgiving
It is probably not a matter of
who originated Thanksgiving in
America that is important, for
the important thing is that it is a
National Holiday, set aside to
thank God for his bountiful bless
ings. It is a National Holiday
signifing that our nation believes
in God and pledge to the flag
closes with "one nation under
God, with liberty and justice for
all”.
There is a story about Thanks
giving which has been told before
but many Americans have not
heard the story, or if they have
heard it, do not relate it to the
first Thanksgiving. There will
be many persons throughout this
area who would be interested
in this story, since their fore
fathers came from the Caro
linas and prior to that their an
cestors came from Virginia.
The Massachusetts Pilgrims
usually receive credit for the
first Thanksgiving observance
and it seems that this concept
has held throughout the years,
but it was in ole’ Virginia’y
that the first Thanksgiving in
America was observed.
Mrs. H. M. Richardson of Blak
ely attended the 350th an
niversary at Berkeley Planta
tion last year on November 23,
1969 when the Governor of Vir
ginia, Hon. Mills E. Godwin,
Jr., and Chief Justice Warren
E. Burger were the speakers.
Today, Mrs. Richardson ex
hibited the documentations for
Berkeley in her hand, citing quot
ations from "Records of the Vir
ginia Company of London, I, 55,
edited by Susan Myra Kingsbury,
1906, Published by Library of
Congress; and the Smyth of
Nibley Papers, brought together
originally by John Smyth (1567-
1614).”
On this Thanksgiving, 1970,
we are reminded that the 350th
Anniversary Comemorating the
First Thanksgiving at Plymouth
will be celebrated next year.
"The Pilgrim Fathers cele
brated their first American har
vest festival in October, 1621,
the first autumn of the exiles
in their new home" students
of American History throughout
the United States have read these
181 years, since President George
Washington issued a proclama
tion recommending that Nov
ember 26, 1789 be kept as a day
of national thanksgiving for the
establishment of a form of gov
ernment that made for safety
and happiness.”
More than one hundred years
later, in 1863, President Lin
coln set aside the last Thurs
day in November as a day of
thanksgiving, this was the first
uniform observance. In 1941 Con
gress made the fourth Thursday
in November a legal holiday.
The attire of the Pilgrims at
Plymouth, wearing their dark
coats or suits, with starched
white collar and cuffs, the
broad brim hats and buckled
shoes, which were contrasted
against the white snow in the
pictures drawn of the first
Thanksgiving at Plymouth, have
stood out in the minds of Amer
icans. Could it have been that
this more exact picture of the
Pilgrims made this picture em
bedded in the minds of
Americans ?
President Lincoln recognized
the Virginia colony as observing
the first Thanksgiving, still the
PULL FOR BLAKELY
— OR —
PULL OUT
$3.09 PER ANNUM
Pilgrims observance has domi
nated the proposed authentic
Thanksgiving scene.
The 350th anniversary, com
memorating the First Official
Thanksgiving in America, at
tended by Mrs. Richardson at
Berkeley Plantation was under
the auspices of the Virginia
Thanksgiving Festival, Inc. Ber
keley is located on the north bank
of the James River, halfway be
tween Williamsburg and Rich
mond, Va.
The Thanksgiving drama was
presented with Frank Brooks, di
rector, Dr. W. D. Taylor, pro
ducer. It depicted the landing of
a small group of Englishmen un
der the leadership of JohnWood
lief at Berkeley Hundred in De
cember 1619, the land was part of
a grant made by King James I to
the Berkeley Company.
On Dec. 4, 1619 the settlers
stepped ashore and in accordance
with the proprietors' instructions
that “the day of our ships’ arri
val . . shall be yearly and perpet
ually kept as a day of Thanksgiv
ing” celebrated the first Thanks
giving Day, more than a year be
fore the Pilgrims arrived in New
England.
A protest way sent via Western
Union on Nov. 9,1962 to President
John F. Kennedy stating, "Your
. Presidental Proclamation erron
eously credits Massachusetts
Pilgrims with America's first
Thanksgiving observance. As we
demonstrated a year ago to the
Governor of Massachusetts by
original historical records of the
Congressional Library, Amer
ica’s first Thanksgiving was cel
ebrated in Virginia in 1619. Vir
ginia’s claim was officially re
cognized by President Abraham
Lincoln nearly a century ago and
further substantiated by Histor
ian Dabney’s comprehensive art
icle in the Nov. 29, 1958 Saturday
Evening Post. As a matter of
fairness please issue an appro
priate correction”. Signed John
J. Wicker, Jr. Honorary Chair
man, Richmond Thanksgiving
Festival.
On November 30, 1962 a letter
from Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.,
Special Assistantto the President
acknowledged the above letter and
further states, "We are grateful
to you for reminding us of the
Berkeley Hundred Thanksgiving;
and 1 can assure you that the er
ror will not be repeated in the
future”.
The next record of events
recorded by the Virginia Thanks
giving Festival, Inc., is labeled
"Victory”, handwritten across
the top of a news item in the
Richmond News Leader, Nov. 5,
1963. The headlines read, VIR
GINIA RECEIVES THANKSGIV
ING CREDIT. The article says,
"President Kennedy, a Massa
chusetts man, gave equal credit
to both Wrginia and Massachu
setts today for the founding of
Thanksgiving’ ’.
In Richmond, John J. Wicker,
Jr., greeted Kennedy’s message
this way: "I’m delighted”.
In his proclamation today set
ting Nov. 28 as Thanksgiving,
Kennedy said, "Over three cen
turies ago, our forefathers in
Virginia and in Massachusetts,
far from in a lonely wilderness,
set aside a time of Thanks
giving”.
CONT ON PAGE 2