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Shop the 'Centennial Days' Specials in Perry Stores in This Issue of Home Journal
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VOL. 91 NO. 14
First Reports Received
By City Planning Board
Citizens Group to Meet April 17
To Begin Study of Perry's Needs
Copies of the preliminary plan- the City of Perry, called the meet
ning and zonnig so the City of ing. Other members of the board
Perry have been distributed to are Marion Brown, A. H. Cotton,
about 40 citizens for study in pre- W. A. Whitehurst and Mrs. M. W.
paration for a meeting to be held Griffin, secretary,
at Bp. m. Monday, April 17, at Below is a part of the 28-page
the American Legion Home. report, which will be carried in
Stanley E. Smith Jr., chairman installments in The Home Journ
of the Planning Commission of al:
Perry has grown rapidly within the past two decades, from 1,542
persons in 1940 to 6,032 persons today. At this rate of growth, Perry
will have about 10,000 residents in 1980 —almost double today’s prob
lems and opportunities.
Perry was once the retail sales center and County seat of Houston
County .... it remains as the County seat, but its center of retail
sales has been challenged by Warner Robins, a town which did not
exist 20 years ago.
This study of the population and economy of Perry is a factual
inventory and analysis and gives a sound basis for the planning pro
grams and activity which will follow. The Perry Planning Commission
will make studies and policy recommendations on the following sub
jects: Land Use and Major Roads, Zoning, and the Business District.
The Perry Planning Commission through its study and reports is
working to preserve and build Perry into ah even more prosperous and
pleasant little City at the “Crossroads of Georgia.”
BACKGROUND AND
REGIONAL INFLUENCES
Local population and economic
trends are products not only of
local influences, but also of region
al and national changes. This chap
ter traces some of these outside
influences, and forms a back
ground for the detailed study of
our community’s people and econ
omy.
Not since early colonial days in
American history have farm fami
lies been so widely scattered and
hard to find. WHY? .... because
■our nation is changing . . . there 1
are more people, but these people j
are moving into cities . . . small ;
farm operations are declining . . .
the country is becoming industri
alized.
Not a single person within Hous
ton County is free of the influence
of this change; therefore, let us 1
take a close look at some of the
sweeping trends which are affect
ing our lives ....
Mechanization—As machines
have replaced manual labor, far-|
mers are finding that a single man 1
with a tractor and plow can easily
replace the efforts of a dozen
mules, plows, and plow-hands; and
a mechanical cotton picker can
pick as much cotton as 60 hand
pickers.
Industrialization—Along with the
mechanization of farms, the nation
has become industrialized. The
same creative minds which per
fected better farm machinery also
invented mechanical tools for in
dustry.
Improved Technology—Hand -in
hand with better tools and indus
trialization, farm methods have
been greatly improved; and a sin
gle farmer has become equipped
with the tools and knowhow neces
sary to produce enough food for
himself and a dozen other families.
But this remarkable new efficiency
has brought him new problems, too
farm surpluses making it
hard for him to dispose of his farm
products.
Transportation ln step with
other great changes, transportation
has advanced from the horse-and
buggy days to the rocket age. The
farmer now finds himself compe
ting on a nationwide basis; the
corn which he produces on his
small farm in middle Georgia must
be competitive with that planted
and harvested by huge machines
on a big farm in Indiana—he must
now compete with Kansas in the
wheat market.
Caught in the vice of change—
is every farmer in the South.
Adjusting to this change is diffi
cult V,,t no * i m P oss ible, for . . .
v "•'me mechanization
• • . the farm
j'nich reduced the need
a bor, also produced machines
' created new jobs in cities.
• • • the same technology which
'cd to over-production of farm pro
ducts, also created such new in
dustries as atomic energy, chemi
cals and aircraft.
• • ■ . the same fast, economical
lansportation devices which made |
1 necessary for the farmer of
Won County to compete with
e "neat grower of Kansas, also
feave him a means of going to De
:[° n to work—or a method of get
n 8 to-and-from work at the Air
Base at Warner Robins. i
enrL 1 " ational Change offers no
’ lSO,atl on to the person whose
Houston JStfome % mmtal
PERRY, HOUSTON COUNTY, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 1961
long-established way of life has
been altered—but it is here, never
theless—it will not go away, and
the only logical move is to make
the best of conditions which we
are powerless to change. The
Houston County farmer has nation
, wide company in his misery of try
ing to adjust to mechanization and
industrialization.
THE SOUTH ON THE MOVE
Because of its history as primar
ily an agricultural area, the South
is perhaps more aware of great
changes than any other part of the
, country. Whereas industrial New
i England is seeing some of its in
i dustries grow and others decline,
I the South is witnessing a far more
striking change that of conver
sion from farming to industry.
Perhaps no more dramatic trans
formation has occurred anywhere
j than the one right before our eyes
in Houston County Robins Air
Force Base. Here, one of the lar
gest industries in the state sprang
up almost overnight, and a small
Community of some 50 persons, in
| the midst of cotton fields, sudden
ly became the bustling young city
of Warner Robins, with more than
18,000 persons.
THE SOUTH IN A FAVORABLE
POSITION
In seeing the inevitable indus
trialization of the nation and the
, decline of the small, family-type
, farm, the South has jumped upon
, the bandwagon of mechanization
and industrialization, and is show
ing the world that it has much to
i offer . . .
Favorable Climate Pleasant
> working conditions; little need for
- expensive, all-weather construc
l tion; more work to be performed
- outside; less illness due to expos
r ure to bad weather; higher effici
. ency.
j Good Labor Force Plenty of
) persons available; persons who are
fused to hard work; persons who
i ] are quick to learn new skills.
, Labor costs which are competi
i' tive—wages measured by agricul
i tural rather than high industrial
- yardstick; lower housing, clothing
3 ' and fuel costs; Southerners who
-1 like the South and will work hard
3 1 to be able to stay here.
s Farms Converting to New Acti
t vity—pulpwood and forestry pro
-1 ducts on the increase; farms ap
s plying improved techniques; farms
t which are becoming mechanized,
e Thus, the South, weighed in the
balances against other regions of
- the United States, finds itself in a
favorable position for improved
i- farming, and as a good home for
. both new and relocated industry,
t, GEORGIA IS CHANGING, TOO
a In Georgia, there is a pronoun
"''d movement of people from the
' —”*nl counties into the
I farms ana iu... ' u; es. Geor
: centers around major
gia is fast becoming a “State
Cities.” Following are some high
lights which reflect some points |
lof interest about the Georgia of
'today . . .
j ... the state has grown to a
population of 3,924,593 persons.
. . . more than one-fourth of
these people live in one metropo
litan area—greater Atlanta.
. . . Houston County has joined
the metropolitan area ranks, and is
now in 19th position in the entire 1
state
(Continued Next Week)
Centennial Proclamation
WHEREAS, the one hundredth anniversary of the War
Between the States is being observed this year, both North and
South of the Mason-Dixon line and,
WHEREAS, in Houston County, there was hardly a home
not affected directly or indirectly by this great conflict, and
WHEREAS, the week from April 7 to 14 has been set
as the date in commemoration of the One Hundredth Anni
versary of this event, and
WHEREAS, “Gone With the Wind” will be showing dur
ing the week at our local theatre,
I hereby proclaim the week of April 7-14, inclusive, as
Centennial Week for the War Between the States, and urge
that all residents make note of this observance.
MILTON BECKHAM,
Mayor, City of Perry
Perry Youths Cart Off Big Batch
Os Prize Money in Fat Cattle Show
Members of the Perry FFA chap
ter walked off with top honors at
the annual Albany Fat Cattle Show
last week.
Chuck White was winner of the
Grand Championship with Jimmy
Dorsett winning Reserve Cham
pion. This is the first time in the
history of the show that two boys
from the same chapter won the
two top honors. Also, a 4-H girl,
Carol Ann Cheek, from Houston
County, was winner of the 4-H
Reserve championship.
Members of the Perry FFA chap
ter won over S9OO in prizes, with
the champion steer bringing $1.02
per lb. The following FFA mem
bers won these awards:
Chuck White was first place
winner in the medium weight class
and third in the lightweight class,
showed two prime steers, was 6th
in fitting and showing and exhibit
ed the Grand Champion winning a
total of $225 prize mnoey.
Jimmy Dorsett showed the Re
serve champion of the show, was
second in the mediumweight class,
third in the fitting and showing,
showed one prime and one choice
steer winning a total of $190;
Earl Cheek showed the first
place heavyweight steer, two prime
steers, and was second place in
the FFA record book contest win
ning a total of $135;
Lee Rush showed the first place
■ winner in the lightweight class,
! one prime steer, and was second
■ in fitting and showing winning a
i total of $lO5.
i Bob Rush showed the sixth
. I place lightweight steer winning a
i total of S3O.
Benny Stafford showed the se
t cond place lightweight steer which
1 graded prime for total prize money
of S6O;
I Larry Johnson placed fifth in
the mediumweight with a choice
steer winning $25;
Robert Heard placed fourth in
, the mediumweight class with a
* choice steer winning $25; and Ger-
ry Harkins won $25 with his choice
1 animal.
In the 4-H division, Ann Cheek
was Reserve Champion winner
, with a prime animal. Ann also was
* first place winner in the record
3 book contest of the 4-H division,
] first place winner of the medium
| ~
JIMMY DORSET! SECOND IN ALBANY SHOW
Perry Boy Had Reserve Champion in Black Angus
4-H class and showed another
choice steer winning a total of
slls.
Mary Frances Cheek was second
place winner in the heavyweight
class with a prime animal and was
second in the record book contest.
Mary also showed another steer
grading choice, giving her $lO5
in winnings.
Sonny Heard won $50.00 with
his steer in the 4-H division. Harry
Johnson won $55 with his pen of
three.
EARL pHEEK, Reporter
Applications Being Received Here
For Junior Baseball This Summer
Applications for Junior League
1 Baseball players are now being
filled out by parents and turned
• in to the local schools.
i N. C. Chapman, Baseball Com
, missioner, has called a meeting
, for managers on Tuesday, April
‘ 11, to divide boys into teams and
Houston Records
High Birth Rate
»
. A total of 286 births and 51
I deaths were reported for the first
1 three months of 1961 by Lamar
E. Christopher, ordinary of Hous
-1 ton county.
1 Judge Christopher said the fig
ures recorded in his office show:
' Month Births Deaths
1 Jan. 96 24
r Feb. 108 16
Mar. 82 11
i
: Total 286 51
Total White Births 188
1 Total Colored Births 98
1 Total White Deaths 29
Total Colored Deaths 22
Mrs. F. M. Greene Sr. had as
I her guests during Easter, Mr. and
r Mrs. Kenyon Sellers and children
5 of Albany and Mr. and Mrs. Der
* relle Greene and children of
■> I Rome.
II
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JESSE THOMPSON, 60, WAS KILLED WHEN THIS BIG HOUSE COLLAPSED
Wife Suffered Injuries Friday When Tornado Levelled Two-Story Home
Tornado Causes Half Million Damage
In Powerful Sweep Through Unadilla
BY COOPER ETHERIDGE '(
I have just visited the tornado
torn town of Unadilla, where a
storm ripped through an area three
blocks wide and about six blocks
long about two hours ago.
There is devastation everywhere.
The storm struck about 8 o’clock
Friday morning, bringing a force
that uprooted great oak trees,
smashed some houses, unroofed
many buildings and caused gener-j
al havoc.
I saw several Houston county
leagues according to their ages.
Approximately 25 boys will be as-1
signed to each team for tryouts
and a 15-man player roster will be
selected by each manager prior to i
the season’s opening game which
is scheduled for June 5. Plans are
now being made to offer a recre-1
ational program for all boys not
selected on a regular team.
Mr. Chapman reports considera
tion is being given to setting up a
Pony League this year to replace
the Babe Ruth League Program. l
This proposed League would con
sist of 13 and 14 year old boys.
The main difference in Pony I
League rules is that 75 ft. base
paths are used rather than the re- j
gulation 90 ft. base paths used in i
the Babe Ruth League. Mr. Chap
man reports that this league can
only be organized if enough boys
in this age group make applica
tions for the program.
Blank applications are available
in the schools and boys interested
in playing baseball this summer |
are used to have their parents fill j
out an application for them and
return it to the school not later
than Monday morning, April 10, ;
1961. 'i
4M«u*
.'M
iliil -
MiS GRAND champion
um,. °roud of Prize Winner
CHUCK WHITE WITH ..
FFA Boy's Father, Arthur White, .
commissioners down at Unadi^a,'
where Houston county public
works crews were helping clear
away the damage of the storm.
Captain N. M. Parker, warden of
the Houston county public works
camp, was there, and Captain H. J
M. Pollock, guard chief, said he
brought about 25 men “every
body but the cook and the yard
man."
Perry Police There
I The Perry Police Department
had at least two men there, Chief
J. B. Hawkins and Assistant Chief
I B. E. Dennard. They were helping
with the heavy traffic thal devel
ops in a storm area such as Una
dilla.
Hundreds of people from Middle
Georgia went to Unadilla as part 1
of the army of the curious who
j just wanted to see what a tornado
struck town looks like. Many of |
them remembered the big Cordele
tornado of 1936 and others recall-1
ed the Warner Robins storm of a
few years ago.
Unadilla had no lights, tele
phone service or water from the
i moment the tornado hit until late
in the day. Power company crew-1
men were all over town, getting
as many lines back in service as 1
quickly as possible. Telephone
company crews moved quickly
through the area.
Perry Guardsmen Go
Perry’s National Guard Com- [
[ pany was called out during Friday
morning to help law officers with
the traffic problem and Unadilla’s
recovery.
The “warehouse area” of Unadil
la—where there are many cotton,
corn, feed and seed warehouses —j
was severely damaged. Many build-j
ings were unroofed and some just 1
pushed over.
The house in which Jesse Thomp-'
son was killed was a shambles. I
wondered how they ever got him 1
and his wife out of the wreckage.
The old frame house was just a
1870-1961 '
OUR 9IST YEAR
ESTABLISHED 1870
.3;
mass of broken and twisted lum
ber. It’s roof was spread over an
area extending 100 yards along the
tornado’s path.
Harry Hamrick, the grocery and
furniture man down there, was es
-1 corting George Landry, the übiqui
| tous state editor of The Macon
Telegraph, accompanied by Mrs.
Hamrick, who was giving George
the women’s angle of the storm.
“A Scared Mother”
Mrs. Wayne Morgan, holding one
of her children, said I would have
taken a picture of a “scared moth
er” if I had been there at the
time the storm struck.
I saw W. J. Wilson, Harris Wil
son, Talmadge Wilson, Herbert
Mills and other Perryans checking
up on their relatives in Unadilla.
Rev. A. B. Hosea was surveying
the very serious damage at the
I Unadilla Baptist Church, built in
1920, where the roof had been lift
-lod and strewn across the next
block. He just shook his head. The
Baptists had just broken ground
on the church lot to build an Edu
cational Building as an addition to
the big red brick church.
| The Warner Robins Civil De
fense Unit was out in force, parked
out in front of the City Hall wait
ing for their assignment.
At Henderson, State Patrolmen
were stopping all cars and urging
them to take a route around Una
dilla to cut down on the conges
tion in the city.
Damage Extensive
Ralph Daemmer, Civil Defense
director, and Mayor L. D. Hamil
ton of Unadilla estimated damage
in Unadilla was “at least a half
I million dollars.”
| It appeared that the Unadilla
| Baptist Church might have to be
I “rebuilt from the ground up” be
| cause some of the walls seemed to
have been buckled,
i The Unadilla Methodist Church
was damaged less severely than
(he Baptist Church, but the steeple
will have to be replaced.
CENTENNIAL TEA
PLANNED BY UDC
The Sgt. Clinton C. Duncan
chapter of the United Daughters
of the Confederacy will enter
tain at open house Friday after
noon April 7 at the home of Mrs.
Eliza Cater Massee and Miss Ka
therine Cater from 4 to 6.
The tea will officially begin
the observance of the Centen
nial of The War Between the
States.
The public is cordially invited.
Gone With the Wind, the
great War Between the States
movie, will begin Sunday, April
9, and run for four days—or
more if necessary to meet the
demand.
Big Easter Crowds
At Churches Here
Large crowds attended Perry’s
churches on a bright and crisp
Easter morning, with many people
being turned away because of the
overflow.
Sunday School attendance was
reported as follows:
Perry Methodist, 628, a record;
First Baptist, 538; Presbyterian,
1 211, and Memorial Heights Baptist,
'IOO.