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Brief Sketch of Henry County
BY MRS. R. H. HANKINSON.
On May 15, 1921, Henry County will have reached its on#
hundredth birthday. In celebration of this event Henry County
will be “At Home” to her children at McDonough on Saturday,
May 14th. These children are many, for Henry County at one
time embraced, in whole or in part, Spalding, DeKalb, Fulton,
Newton, Butts, Rockdale, Clayton, and Campbell Counties.
The land obtained from the Creek Indians by treaty on Jan
uary Bth. was divided by an act of the legislature of May 15,
1821, into the counties of Henry, Houston, Monroe, Dooly, and
Fayette. John Clark was then governor of Georgia. The
county was named after Patrick Henry, of Revolutionary fame,
thus spreading the mantle of distinction on it at its birth. This
distinction was further contributed to, when, on December 17,
1823, the county seat was incorporated and named in honor of
that hero of the war so fresh in the minds and hearts of the
people, Commodore McDonough, who on September 11, 1814,
won such a brilliant victory over the British on Lake Cham
plain. Further distinction was given the county by naming the
town of Hampton after the Hampton family, famous soldiers
of South Carolina.
Traces of the Indian possession of the county are still found
in the broken bits of pottery and arrow heads occasionally
picked up, in such names as Indian river, and Indian fisheries,
and in a road known as the “Old Mclntosh Trail” in Spalding
County, and which was the route followed by the Indians on
their pilgrimages to and from the medicinal waters of Indian
Sfringa.
Originally Henry County was about 70 miles square, and
comprised eighteen land districts. It is now about twenty
seven miles in length, and fifteen miles in width, and has one
district left intact, the Seventh. *
The earliest settlers came mayily from the counties of Mor
gan, Walton, Putnam, and Jasper, and scattered over a broad
area. The main point of entrance to the county was at the
convergence of two Indian trails at a place on the Ocmulgee
river, which was later given the name of Key’s Ferry after one
of the earliest settlers, a name which has since spread to a
road through the county, and to a street through the county
site. This road was part of the stage coach line between Mc-
Donough and Madison. The names of the earliest settlers
included Glenn, Strickland, Heflin, Woodward, Blissett, Mc-
Clendon, Turner, Harper, Griffin, Grice, Green, Russell, John
son, Brooks, Jackson, Malone, Weems, Armstrong, Beard, Pat
tillo, McCally, Brown, Sims, Moseley, Abercrombie, Gay, Hear
ing, Callaway, Jenks, Eason, Kirk, Smith, Tuggle, Lovejoy, Key,
Terrell, Shaw. Lasseter, Clayton, Kimbrough, Pearson, Pate,
Sellers, W’ood, Barnes, Coldwell, Me Knight, Patton, Steele,
Stokes, Tye, Lemon, Speer, Price, Nolan, Copeland, Carmichael,
Berry, Ward, Stillwell, Markham, Cox, Wall, Crabbe, Clements,
Brannan, Lowe, Campbell, Ray, Everett, Sloan, Russell, Stew
tra, Peeples, Askew, Nolly, McDonald, Connell, Rodyhan, Terry,
Setzer, Maxwell Darbey, Hale, Goodwin, Foster, Tid
well, Fargason, Varner, McDaniel, Bennett, Adams, Atkins,
Tomlinson, Murray, Harris, Fears, Stockbridge, Sowell, Whit
taker, Raven, and Crumblev.
Among the very first to come to the county were John Glenn,
Soloman Strickland, and Wiley Heflin who settled on the Towa
liga river. Aaron Woodward, Elisha Blessett and Thomas Mc-
Clendon came from Walton County about the same time, and
settled on the Hampton road southwest of McDonough. Wade
Turner and Roddy Harper went to the eastern part of the
county, and Mr. Hinton to Cotton Indian river. Mr. Frank
Pearson, the progenitor of Mrs. Charles Bankston, of McDon
ough, settled east of McDonough, as did also William Wood.
Thomas Russell came from South Carolina to McDonough.
Jethro Barnes settled at Snapping Shoals, Jacob Hinton at
Whitehouse, Parker Eason on the Towaliga river. John Dailey
came from North Carolina to McDonough. Ezekiel-Cloud came
from Putnam in 1824. He was a distinguished Revolutionary
soldier. Wade Turner came from Jasper County. His brother,
Allen Turner, was a Methodist preacher of prominence, who
once came within one vote of being made a bishop. He was
so fired with the zeal of his work that he would inquire about
the spiritual welfare of every one he met, and was frequently
known to hold prayer services by the roadside with chance
passers-by. The Clements family came from Virginia to Mc-
Donough. Benjamin and Barton Crabbe from Wilkes County.
Samuel Weems settled near Bear creek. Elijah Foster, from
whom Mrs. J. B. Dickson is a lineal dependant, came from Vir
ginia in 1822 and settled near Jonesboro. The Copelands came
from South Carolina in 1826. John Stillwell came from Meck
lenburg County, North Carolina. Dr. Tye accompanied him
about 1830. William Berry came in 1836 and settled west of
McDonough. John Crockett came in 1840. W. A. Stewart came
from South Carolina with his parents in 1833, aged four years.
Abel Lemon came from South Carolina to Georgia in 1813,
and later entered Henry County. Alexander Trice came from
Virginia and settled near Flippen. His original home is still
in possession of the family. John Cox came to McDonough in
1838, some years after his brother Oliver. John Ward came
from Putnam in 1845 and settled at Lovejoy. Q. R. Nolan came
in 1846. Miss Pamelia Campbell came in 1848 and settled in
McDonough. J. M. Carmichael came in y<49, and settled west
of McDonough. Thomas Speer came in 185'. Col. C. T.
Zachry in 1854. A. R. Brown in 1873.
On December 24, 1821, an act was passed by th’q legislature
which provided for the election of five justices of the inferior
court who should define the militia districts of the county, pro
vide for the election of the officers for the county, and choose
the county site. William Harkins. David Castleberry, Checdle
Cochran, Soloman Strickland, William Me. .ight, Charles Gates,
Sr., and Lee Jeffers were named as commissioners to hold the
election for the justices. Henry was placed in the western cir
cuit. Ihe Flint Circuit had been created of the five new coun
ties by the legislative act of December, 1824, to be effective
after the next meeting of the legislature. To this circuit De-
Kalb, Bibb, Pike, Crawford, and Newton were attached later.
The first session of court was held on June I#. 1822, at the
home of William Ruff. Judge Augustus Clayton presiding. It
was for Judge Clayton that Clayton County was later named,
1 McDonough still boasts lineal descendants of the illustrious
• ft>undt . . i Weelaa. ftm
,-ssion of court lasted one day. Another one-day session was
eid December 9. 1822—Henry County then belonged to the
‘lint Circu t. William Harden was clerk, and a Mr. Cook
solicitor-general pro tern.. The first session of the inferior
ourt was held in March, 1825, with William Griffin, Garry
Grice, Wade Turner, Joseph Green, and Thomas Russell pre
.\.dmg as justices, a id Samuel Johnson serving as clerk. Cheedle
Kochran wa. '■ha:''man of the first grand jury.
r he first ii: dof record was drawn on March 7, 1822. be
' . ?en John and Mary Phillips, of Savannah, and Thomas El
ku.s, for land lot No. 71 in the Seventh district of Henry
unty. The first marriage was that of Bradford Hinton and
i alienee Lucre in November 187°. Thro* l marriages took
place in th county du ig .. y -r
The first si ». ! il. ,< ejected by Jethro
nes. Cattle raising was instituted in the county on a com
paiat:vc:y large scale for that day by Mr. Frank Pearson. A
compare n of the taxes imposed on the citizens of Henry in
HENRY COUNTY WEEKLY, McDONOUGH GEORGIA.
that day with those of the present day reveals som* interesting
figures. Mr. Wade Turner paid taxes on two lots of 202 1-2
acres each, four slaves, and one poll, which amounted to the
sum of $2.43. In 1837 the entire tax of the county was sl,-
309.22, a sum less tnan some corporations and several individ
uals of the county now pay.
Agriculture was the leading pursuit of the early settlers,
though corn and" tobacco were raised more extensively than
cotton because of the difficulty of separating the seed from the
lint, and because it was not easy to secure gins. Game abounded
throughout the county, and is remembered as being plentiful
by «ven the oldest living citizens. A grog shop on the road
near Locust Grove, called attention of passing planters, by a
stuffed rattlesnake skin twined over the door, that thirst might
be quenched within.
Religion came to Henry County with the first settlers. The
first religious service was held at the home of Wade Turner.
The first campground was laid off in the Rowan settlement.
William Harden later donated the land for the Shingleroof
campground to the Methodist Conference, and services are
still held regularly at this place. It was in Henry County at a
little church in the Turner neighborhood that those differences
which had been existing for some time in men’s minds first were
made public in 1825. These differences culminated in 1835 in
Monroe County in a division, the branches of which were later
known as the Primitive and Missionary Baptists. In December,
1823, one acre was deeded to the Baptist, Methodist, and Pres
byterian, each. The denominations carried the title of “So
cieties.” The act that author, ed the making of the deeds car
ried a provision that no cemetery should be laid off within
three hundred yards of the Big Spring. This spring, located in
McDonough, supplies water for the city of McDonough today.
Mr. Gamble was the first Presbyterian, Mr. Cyrus White the
first Baptist, and Mr. Bellah the first Methodist ministers of
Henry County.
Four days later the town of McDonough was incorporated.
Tandy Key, Andrew Brown, William Clayton, James Kim
brough, and William Harden were named commissioners. Mc-
Donough was made from one half of land lot No. 134, one half
of lot No. 123, and one square lot of land, all in the Seventh
district and purchased from Mr. Turner Evans. The site of the
town was chosen with reference to the Big Spring. A court
house was built of plank and cost $1,000.00. In 1824 there
were five dry goods establishments in McDonough. They were
owned by Clayton, Kimbrough, Shaw, Findley, and Hutcheson.
There are seven such establishments now.
The little daughter of Turner Evans was the first to die in
the town, and was buried in the cemetery belonging to the old
Presbyterian Church. A second cemetery was chosen on the
old Methodist Church lot, but was moved to its present loca
tion to get it farther away from the Big Spring.
The first school was built of logs, and had a dirt floor. It
stood on the hill above the Big Spring. The school was con
ducted by Mr. Fish. On December 12, 1853, a brick school
house was built, and was called McDonough Collegiate Semi
nary. The trustees were Adam Sloan, Humphrey Tomlinson,
Leonai\l Doyal, Thomas Speer, and Asa Brown. This building
was destroyed by fire. The late Mrs. William Healey, of At
lanta, was one of the teachers in this building. She belonged
to the Markham family. Mrs. Robert Lowry, of Atlanta, is
also a descendant of this family.
The county muster ground was near the present school
house, and here the old Revolutionary soldiers met regularly
for drill and reunion.
The first tavern was conducted by Tandy Key on th« site
occupied by McDonough Drug Company. It was a log house,
built double. This was followed by Cox’s tavern. Mrs. Enoch
Callaway, of LaGpange, is a lineal descendant of the Cox
family.
Among the early industries were a jug factory near Flippan,
a brick plant in McDonough near the Tomlinson residence, an
old tannery,, owned by W. Tomlinson, and a silk factory, the
last named being owned by John Dailey. Silk culture was not
a success, and after a period of inoperation started as a cotton
factory with one wing used for wool carding. The cotton was
made into five pound hanks, and was then sold to be knitted
into clothing by hand. The factory later became a ginnery,
and later a flour and corn mill. This building washed away,
but was rebuilt on the same site. This property is still in pos
session of the Dailey family. A nursery was also instituted by
the Daileys and there are trees in the county now that were
bought from this old nursery. Mr. Billy Beck introduced Ber
muda grass into the county by way of the old Lemon estate.
Mr. Minor started the first newspaper in 1828, The Jacksonian.
It is claimed that it was the first newspaper in the United
States to put the name of Andrew Jackson in nomination for
the presidency. Jlere again Henry County won historical
distinction.
Even before Atlanta was built McDonough was a town of
considerable prominence. The development of the town was
retarder because the old citizens and town council objected to
the entrance of railroads, believing that they would bring with
them objectionable features. Surveying was actually done
for the Central of Georgia Railroad, but because of the violent
•pposition it was never built. Later on when railroads came to
Griffin and Hampton, many people left McDonough and moved
to these towns, tea-ring down their houses and hauling them
with them.
Henry County lost land on all sides. On December 9, 1822,
DeKalb County was made almost entirely from Henry. Ful
ton County was made from DeKalb in 1853. DeKalb also gave
a portion of her land at an earlier date to Campbell County.
In 1825 Butts County was created, and embraced a portion of
Henry. In 1851 Spalding was created from territory including
a bit of Henry. In November, 1858 Clayton County was formed,
and embi'aced a generous portion of Henry. In 1870 Henry
again made a contribution to Rockdale upon the creation of
that county.
At the beginning of the Civil War Henry was one of the
leading counties in Georgia, and McDonough one of the lead
ing towns in the middle part of the state. It lay in the region
of greatest production, and consequently was of great impor
tance to the Confederacy, a fact later attested to by its being
included in Shenuan’s path of destruction on his way to the
sea. The free population at this time was 9,759. The real
estate was valued at $1,726,595.00 and the personal property at
,'L.809,342.00. The population now is 20,400, and the prop
erty valuation $7,372,599.00.
Many companies left Henry County during the civil war. In
all the county contributed about one thousand men to the
cause. The first company organized, and the first to leave
McDonough, was under the comma:- ! of C ntain Fly’', t. The
lieutenants of the company were H. Stokes, J. R. Self:-'dee, and
lohn R. Ellioti. Captain Sloan led another company later. A
nart of the actual warfare was might kito the county toward:
the end of the conflict. After the battle of Atlanta, July 22,
1864, Kilpatrick’s raiders made a visit to Henry under the
direction of Sherman. Consternation seized the people. Men
concealed themselves to prevent capture, and the women and
.■hildfen received the invaders and saw their cherished posses
sions thrown about in confusion, and their provisions destroyed.
Many of the county records were also destroyed at this time
°y invaders. Confederate forces under General Ross and
General Ferguson pursued these invaders, and overtook the
List remnant of them at Cotton Indian river on Peachstone
Shoals road. By leaving them no alternative, they forced them
into the water where horses and wagons were lost and a num
ber of soldiers were drowned.
Later Hood’s Army with Wheeler’s cavalry as advance guard,
made a visit to Henry County and McDonough, and lighted the
night with the camp fires of twenty thousand soldiers. T e
battle of Jonesboro was fought next day, and the army move
on into Tennessee to threaten Sherman’s line of supplies. On
November 14, 1864, a wing of Sherman’s Army started to the
sea by way of Jonesboro and McDonough. On the next day
fighting took place between Jonesboro and Lovejdy. On No
vember 16th, the enemy reached McDonough by way of Stock
bridge, and left confusion and destruction in their wake. Here
the army divided, a part leaving the county by the Macon road,
and the o2her division leaving by the Key’s Ferry road. A
portion of these lost their way, going down the Peachstone
Shoals road. Heavy rains came up, the river was flooded, and
a number lost their lives in trying to cross. Names of promi
nence during this period were, "Sloan, Zachry, Ward, Hitch,
Brown, Peebles, Elliott, and Farrar.
After the surrender of Lee, General Stoneman entered the
county with a body of soldiers in pursuit of President Davis.
During the period of Reconstruction, James Johnson was
provisional governor of Georgia. One of the features of this
period most objectionable to the people of Henry County was
the educational policy. The school system was directly fcnder
control of the state. In 1872 the county system was again in
augurated, with Hon. Q. R. Nolan as first superintendent. In
April, 1875, a resolution was passed by the grand jury that no
more teachers should be elected from the colored schools of
\htanta because of objectionable teachings that had been
traced to such teachers. A little later a gin and corn mill, the
Baptist Church, and the McDonough Institute were burned.
Out of such emergency the Ku Klux Klan was born. Its
operations were confined principally to the eastern part of the
county. Dave Fargason, a negro, was killed. Those charged
with the killing were arrested and imprisoned. The matter
was adjusted by the removal of the Bureau Agent from Henry
County, the appointment of Mr. George M. Nolan to the posi
tion, the turning over of the prisoners to the civil authorities
of Henry County, and the promise of dissolution of the Ku
Klux Klan in the county. The Klan had existed from spring
until fall of 1866.
Two chapters of the United Daughters of the Confederacy
have been organized In Henry County to preserve the history
of thi* period and to do honor to the living, and keep bright
the memory of the Heroes in Gray who have passed.
Since the war and the period of Reconstruction, Heqry
County has made steady progress. is one of the most
important agricultural counties of the state. The land is rich
and productive, and the farming is largely done by intelligent
white farmers who live on the farms and look after their own
work. Vegetables, fruits, grains, forage crops, and cotton are
raised. The soil is particularly adapted to the raising of cot
ton. A belt reaching from Stockbridge to the lower end of
tho county, and stretching entirely across, produces, according
to local cotton men, a staple from an inch to an inch and a
quarter in length. McDonough cotton is known net only in
domestic markets, but in foreign markets as well; and it de
mands a premium over other north Georgia cotton. The aver
age yield for the county iis between 25 and 30 thousand bales.
The yield last year was about 28,000 bales. This fact estab
lishes the productiveness of the county, for while other coun
ties were cut short, Henry still produced a splendid yield.
The lack of manufacturing enterprises has been one of the
serious handicaps to the county. However, advances have
been made in this direction. The Hampton Cotton and Knit
ting Mill is a splendid enterprise, and practically consumes all
the cotton brought into that market. A guano factory has also
been established at Hampton which is meeting, if not shutting
out, foreign competiton.
A drainage project near Stockbridge is increasing the cul
tivateable area by hundreds of acres, and adding materially to
the wealth of the county. A main canal sixteen milis in
length, beginnig at a width of 25 feet, and increasing to 42 feet,
and eight feet deep, is being dug at a cost of $100,000.00. The
Morris Construction Co., of Marietta, is in charge, and are
using two dredges in the construction of the ditch. Fate’s
creek, Rum creek, and Big Indian creek are in the line of
activity.
One of the recently acquired industries is the Grist M 11 and
Ice Factory of McDonough, managed by Mr. Fred Varner, and
known as the Henry County Milling and Ice Company.
There is considerable water power in the county, most of
which up to date has remained undeveloped. Dr. J. G. Smith
has built a dam on Cotton Indian river completed about a year
ago, which supplies power for lights and other purposes for
McDonough and vicinity.
Henry County has had local tax for of years, and
its rural schools are in good condition. Recently $1,500.00
state aid has been secured for a county high school for next
year, adding to the importance and efficiency of the McDon
ough school. Locust Grove Institute is one of the most im
portant secondary schools of the state. Prof. Claude Gray has
been principal for over twenty years, and the school draws
patronage from all sections of the state. Locust Grove Insti
tute Is regarded not only as a fine educational institution, but
as a school of splendid ideals. *
Henry County does not lie in a mineral belt, However, mica
has been found, and development has been begun on a farm
owned by Mr. Fillmore Bowden. A rock quarry near Stock
bridge produces «n excellent quality of gray granite.
Henry County has eight banks with resources amounting to
one and three-quarter million dollars.
Henry County played her part in the World War by sending
volunteers and filling her quota in the draft. A number of
her sons rose to positions of rank, and seven made the su
preme sacrifice. They were Sergeant Troy Barret, Claud Babb,
Corp. James A. Davis, Corp. Tom F. Gardner, William Mayo,
B. F. Moseley, E. N. Williams.
The Red Cross was particularly active, and the spirit of patri
otism was maintained by the subscriptions to the Liberty loans.
There are in Henry County five branches of the Georgia
Federation of Woman’s Clubs, and four men’s organizations—
Masons. Oddfellows, Woodmen, and Knights of Pythias.
The Southern Railroad, which came in 1882, passes through
the entire length of the county, and offers splendid schedules
between Macon and Atlanta. This road was formerly called
the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad. This road
had been surveyed through Jasper County. Mr. W. F. Smith,
of Flovilla, in order to have the road pass thnough his town,
\,nn the assistance of Mr. Nolan, of McDonough, brought such
pressure to bear on the officials of the road, that its course was
u verte<i iron l , the route or.ginnuy proposed, to the present
one. which passes through Henry C u . -. Later another road
was built connecting Columbus and McDonough. This road is
also now a part of the Southern System.
The roads of Henry County have gradually been improved
until they are now in fairly good condition. Under the present
arrangement of ,o-or''t-U ' si :c r • rational goy
ernme Die L ' . h ' the count
nas been put intu exteiient shape.
With lands that are fertile and productive, with an intellig
and industrious citizenship, the county’s continued growth and
prosperity a"e assured.
