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HOME JOURNAL, PERRY, GA., THURSDAY, JULY 19, 1951
Early Engineer Said Perry
Was Best R. R, Route;
Houston Has 2 Main Lines
The first railroad to reach
Houston county was one of the
earliest in the state. It was built
in the late 1840 s and entered the
county at Echeconnee Creek,
passed through Powersville, By
ron and Fort Valley and entered j
Macon county a few miles east j
of Marshallville.
This is now the main line of i
the Central of Georgia, and the
Southern Railroad’s main line
runs to the east of Perry, through
Warner Robins, Bonaire, Kath
leen, Grovania and Clinchfield,
and Elko.
The engineer who surveyed
the route for the first railroad
through the county, the South
western which later became the
Central line, reported that Perry
was the “true” and better route
for the railroad, both from the
standpoint of distance and reve
nues, “but citizens of Perry did
not show some exertion, in which
their neighbors of Fort Valley
have excelled them.”
Turned Them Down
The Georgia Southern and
Florida also was interested in
coming through Perry, but cit- i
izens at that time were not sure i
that railroads were a complete
blessing, and many other com-1
munities made no efforts to get'
rail lines—some even opposing
them. j
Early in the 20th Century, the 1
Hawkinsville and Western Rail
road was constructed from Haw
kinsville via Grovania to Perry
but this line was later abandon
ed. The Ocilla Southern also ran
small wood-burning locomotives
and cars to Perry for a few years
but it, too, was of relatively short,
life.
It was in the early 1870 s that
the Central built its branch line
from Fort Valley to Perry. About
the same time the first telegraph
line was built into Perry. Among •
the early agents of the road re-;
siding in Perry were C. H. Moore
and S. D. Rogers. j
Early Stockholders
The old Southwestern, first
railroad in the county, was or
ganized as the result of a largely
attended “jubilee meeting” held
at Fort Valley, where a commit
tee was appointed to wait upon
the citizens of Houston and urge
them to subscribe for stock in the
railroad.
Houston countians who sub
scribed for stock in the new en
terprise were Thomas A. Slappey, l
John J. Hampton, Lewis Rumph,
Uriah Slappey, J. A. Everett Es
tate, A. S. Edgeworth, William G.
Anderson, James E. Bryce, John
A. Hunter, E. J. McGee, Hardy
Hunter, George H. Slappey, Wil
liam F. Slappey, J. A. Kendrick,
Conrad Murph, Matthew Dorsey,
Williamson Mims, Robt. L. Mims,
Reubin H. Slajppey, James W.
Belvin, David Fudge, John C.
Rogers, J. J. Haugabook, Edward
Brooks, Marlin Edge, Moses John
son, W. L. N. Croker, J. C. Hel
venston, James L. Hollingshead,
Isaac G. Cheeves, and Shedrack
R. Felton.
SOME HARDSHIPS
OF CIVIL WAR
DAYS RECOUNTED
Civil War plunged Houston
county from one of the most pros
perous areas of the South into a
dismal section of sacrifice and
suffering in the 1860 s.
Only old men and boys—and
Negroes —were left at home after
the first calls to service. Every
resource of the county was en
listed to win the war.
Church bells were melted into
cannon. Carpets were made into
blankets. Wall paper was used
tor letter writing. Salt was hus
banded as if it were gold dust.
Parched Corn “Coffee”
Parched corn took the place of
coffee and medicine, too, was de
clared by the North to be a con
traband of war; so half-forgotten
home remedies had to be used
instead.
The South, which had depend
ed on Northern factories for
niany processed goods, simply
bad to do without. Hunger and
"’ant developed everywhere.
The wounded soldiers—and the
dead—were sent home and there
■'■as sorrow in every heart and
Mourning in every home, reports
a historian of the period.
Early County
History Given
In Sketch
| Prior to 1821, Indian tribes
1 r °ved at will through the wilder
f ness . holding their pow wows at
Ross Hill, a Revolutionary fort
just two miles from Perry, and
even after the earliest emigrants
came to this section it is authen
tically related that the Indians
were driven from their doors.
They held their counsels or
court on Ross Hill, but slept over
near Norwood Spring, which was
called by the early inhabitants,
Indian Spring.
The Indians said that Flat
Creek was sickly. There is now
an old log crossing Bjg Indian
Creek, which was used by the
Indians. They carried the water
from Norwood Spring with them,
in skins, on their hunts.
Old Cave
There is an old cave a few
miles from the Spring where
they took refuge in case it rained.
While Clark was Governor,
trouble began with the Federal
Government regarding the re
moval of the Indians. The Unit-'
ed States recognized the Indian
tribes as owners of the lands on
which they lived, and so thd
lands were never taken from
them by force but were always
bought. When the Indians sold
land their title was said to be
“extinguished.”
The United States made a
treaty with the Creeks at Indian
Springs in January 1821. By this
treaty a tract of land was ceded
or sold by the Indians, and it wai
agreed that the United States
might apply $250,000 of the pur
chase money to compensating cit
izens of Georgia for cattle and
other property taken from them
by the Indians.
Most of Middle Georgia
The territory gained included
the remaining land between the.
Flint and Ocmulgee rivers as far
North as the Chattahoochee.
It was divided by the Legisla
ture in 1821 into the Counties of
Houston, Dooly, Fayette, Henry
and Monroe. Governor Clark
advised the Legislature to dis
tribute this land by the lottery
system, which was more likely
to “do equal justice to the poor
and rich and insure a speedy
population of the country.”
Houston County was organized
in 1821, and named after John
Houston, formerly Governor of
Georgia. It is 35 miles long and
25 miles wide. The Ocmulgee
flows along the Eastern borders
of the County. The soil is rich,
adapted to corn and #otton. It
lies level and is easily cultivated.
Perry, the oldest town and
county seat, named in honor of
Commodore Perry, is situated
upon the waters of Oclahatche
(Big Indian) Creek, 28 miles from
Macon. Its drainage renders it
one of the healthiest localities in
central Georgia. Since the
ganization of Houston County,
Perry has been a seat of Chris
tian learning, culture and refine
i ment.
Oldest Sunday School
! The Methodist Sunday School
was organized in 1828 with Col.
Howell Cobb as first Superin
tendent. When the Church was
constituted is not recorded, but
was previous to the organization
of the Sunday School. It was not
until 1838, ten years later, that
the Baptist Church was consti
tuted, with A. B. Cook first Mod
; erator, H. B. Hathaway, Clerk,
and A. Morris, first Pastor. Dur
ing the war between the States
the Baptist Church bell was giv
en to make cannon,
j Houston Female College was
i located at Perry; the lot with
$500.00 having been donated by
Samudl Dodridge Killen to the
town. Professor Eden was the
1 first President. The following
year Professor H. M. Holtzclaw
was elected President. With his
corps of assistants the co log*
ranked second to none in effici
ency. Dr. A. C. Dayton, author
of Theodocia Earnest, a book
familiar in every Baptist home,
1 was among the first professors of
Houston Female College, who
have left their impress upor
the community. The remains o f
Dr. Dayton are buried in Ever-
green Cemetery at Perry.
This College belonged to the
Baptists of Perry, but was later
sold to the town to be used as a
school. It is known now as the
Perry High School. Today de
scendents of H. M. Holtzclaw and
S. D. Killen receive training
within its walls.
Early Travellers Rest
The old stage coach route pass
sed through Perry coming in
near the National Highway just
North of Perry and crossing Big
Indian near Fanny Gresham, on
through Traveller’s Rest to Al
bany.
On the East side of Perry, just
on the city limits, is a very large
water oak, known to old and
young as the “Big Oak.” It is in
the forks of the roads, on land
originally owned by a Negro,
•who one day started to cut this
grand old tree down in order to
cultivate the land. Judge C. C.
Duncan bought the tree and gave
it to the town, thus preserving a
beautiful land mark.
On the north side of Houston
Factory there was a little village
called Wilner, where early in the
history of the County, court was
held. There is now no trace of
the settlement except the foun
dations of old chimneys.
Extracts from the census of
1850; dwellings 1,138; families
DEPENDABLE
■NT CLEANING
' • *
and Laundering
Down Through The Years
We Keep Pace With The Best
Methods of Doing Quality Work
TO PROTECT & RENEW
YOUR CLOTHING
t
Operated By A Perry & Houston County Boy
Who Expects To Be Here The Rest of His Life
• /
Ht .; • .- k
R. and G. Cleaners
PERRY, GEORGIA
DOT ROUGHTON
Owner and Operator
1,138; white maels 3,360, white
females 3,152; free colored males
7; total free population 6,526;
slaves 9,924; deaths 201; farms
750; manufacturing establish
ments 23; value of real estate
$2,211,709; value of personal es
tate $5,463,591.
First Settlers
Among the first settlers in this
County were Abner Wimberly,
James and David Clark, Allen
Sutton, Allen Williams, Meredith
Joiner, Then. Gilbert, J. M. Kel
ly, Col. Howell Cobb, Lewis
Hunt, Daniel DuPree, Jacob Lit
tle, James Everette, Rev. Daniel
McKenzie, Thomas Scott, David
W. Mann, Henry W. Kaby, Jesse
Pollock, Amos Wingate, James
Duncan and F. Patillo.
In the early settlement of this
County the citizens, encountered
many difficulties. Four years
passed before a good mill was
erected. Mr. William H. Moore
built one of the first grist mills.
It was situated on Juniper Creek
and was operated without inter
ruption for 6 months. People stay
ed at the mill all night. The new
county was beginning to feed it
self.
FIRST SUNDAY SCHOOL
The first Sabbath School was
organized in Perry by Col. Cobb
in the old Academy.
ANOTHER PERRY HOTEL whi (
city’s reputation as a tourist cent
for "drummers” making sales tri
Hotel or Wells’ House, former!
Minnie Wells, mother of George
operated by Mrs. Eunice Rough 1
who are planning a modern touri
displace the historic old hotel bui
FIRST ACADEMY
The first Academy in Perry
was located several hundred
yards from where the Male Acad
emy stood later—Armory Grove.
The first academy was for male
and female and was taught by E.
Kellogg, then Abernathy, David
Mims, Col. Howell and others.
ch long ago helped establish the
ter and favorite stopping place
ips in this area is the Wells’
ly operated by the late Mrs.
B. Wells. The property is now
ton and her son, Doddridge,
ist court which will some day
ilding.
SIMS GROCERY WAGON
The delivery van of W. B. Sims
Grocery, drawn by a docile horse
and looking very much like a
high-pitched version of our mod
ern milk delivery trucks, was a
familiar sight around Perry for
many years around the turn of.
the century.
HOUSTOUN WAS
GREAT PATRIOT
John Houstoun, for whom the
county was named, was born at)
Waynesboro, Burke County, Ga.,
Aug. 31, 1744, the son of Sir
Patrick Houstoun, one of the com
panions of Gen. Oglethorpe.
When the county was named, the
second “U” was dropped but the)
county name was pronounced
“How-ston” as was the family
name. »
John Houstouif began the prac
tice of law in Savannah and was
prominent in early Revolutionary
movements; one of the four orig
inators of the “Sons of Liberty”;
member of the Continental Con
gress, but was absent when the
Declaration of Independence was
signed because he had to make a
flying trip home to counteract
the influence of another Georgia
member who was opposed to the
Declaration.
Houstoun was governor the of
Georgia in 1778 and 1784; mem
ber of the commission to establish
the Georgia-South Carolina linte;
chief justice of Georgia in 1786 j
mayor of Savannah in 1789 and
1790; one of the first judges of
the Superior court; and died at
White Bluff July 20, 1796.
Congressman, Governor, Judge
and Patriot—great Georgian!