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History Os Houston Representatives
Perry's Rep. Larry
Walker Serves In
Ga. Gen. Assembly
Present legislators of
Houston County in the
General Assembly of
Georgia are L.C. (Larry)
Walker, Jr. of Perry, Ted
Waddle and R. Herman
(Sonny) Watson, Jr., both
of Warner Robins.
Before the re
apportionment of
legislative districts In 1972,
Began In 7th District In 1825
Houston Represented
In 3rd Congressional
District Since 1911
Houston was not placed
in a congressional district
In the act creating the
county in 1821. An act to
divide the slate of Georgia
into seven congressional
districts was passed
December 22, 1825, ac
cording to Dawson's
Compilation of the Laws of
Georgia. This act placed
Houston County in the
seventh congressional
district. However this act
was repealed December
18, 1826.
The next act giving the
congressional districts of
the state was assented to
December 23, 1843 (Cobb's
Digest); Houston was
placed in the second.
The Act of January 22,
1852 placed Houston in the
third congressional
district, (acts 1851 52 of
Ga Laws).
The Code of 1861, article
2, section 44, shows
Houston in the fourth
district. In 1865, Houston
was placed in second
district. (Georgia was out
of the union from 1861 to
1870 so these districts must
have been in the Con
r cue
THE LIBERTY BELL bears the inscription, "Proclaim Liberty throughout the
land unto all the inhabitants thereof." On July 8, 1776, the bell was rung to
summon the people of Philadelphia to the first public reading of the Declara
tion of Independence, cent ?«8
Facts About Our County
Houston Briefs
A
i There was a Land
Auction Sale at Clinchfield
in April 1926 when 200
acres were divided and
laid as small farms and
lots.
Jn 1850, the total
Sam A. Nunn, Jr. of Perry
and Vice Moyer of Warner
Robins were the Houston
County representatives for
two terms (1968 1972).
Perry and southern
Houston County are in a
district with part of Macon
County and all of Schley
County. Warner Robins
federacy.)
In 1872, Houston was in
the fifth congressional
district. From 1890 to 1911,
Houston was in the twelfth
district. Since 1911,
Houston has been in the
third district (45 years).
The present
congressman from the
Third is Jack Brinkley of
Columbus who has
represented Georgia's
seventeen county district
for five terms.
Among the able
congressmen who served
the third district in the past
were Stephen Pace, Sr. of
Americus, Bryant
Castellow of Fort Gaines,
and Charles R. Crisp of
Americus.
When Houston was in the
12th District,
Congressman Dudley M.
Hughes of Danville
represented the county and
district.
Congressmen
The state of Georgia had
three Representatives in
congress by constitutional
appointment, according to
Georgia acts ot Dec. 8,
1790. When the first U.S.
property of Houston
County was assessed at
$8,598,536.
In 1856, Houston was one
of the four wealthiest
counties in the state of
Georgia, being exceeded
and the northern part of
Houston form two
districts.
Legislators who have
represented the county
since World War II include
J.W. Bloodworth, Hubert
Aultman of Perry; Charlie
Williams, Herman Watson
and Paul Stalnaker, all of
Census was taken in 1790,
the number of
congressmen was reudced
to two andthey were
elected at large.
The second census in
1800 doubled the number to
four congressmen. The
third census of 1810 in
creased the number to six
congressmen (Dec. 10, 1811
Act).
In 1820, the number was
seven Representatives; in
1830, nine; in 1840, eight; in
1850, eight; 1860, seven;
1870, nine.
The tenth census in 1880
gave Georgia ten
congressmen. In 1890, the
nubmer increased to
eleven and remained that
for 1900.
In 1910 and also in 1920,
the census figures entitled
Georgia to twelve
congressmen.
Since 1930, the state of
Georgia has had ten
congressmen although
districts have had to be re
arranged to try to equalize
population.
Through 94 congresses,
the state of Georgia has
had 273 Representatives.
only by Chatham,
Muscogee, and Richmond
counties. Records in the
comptroller general's
office show Houston's
total tax returns were
$9,742,960 in 1956.
Warner Robins, and D.C.
Peterson of Kathleen.
Other representatives
since 1900 were the
following: C.C. Richard
son, S,S. Taylor, Robert E.
Brown, J.H. Davis, T.V.
Feagin, R.N. Holtzclaw,
T.H. Rentz, J.V. Hobbs,
A.B. Greene, J.C. Hartley,
S.A. Nunn Sr„ Louis L.
Brown, Emmett Houser,
C.H. Jackson, J.P.Duncan,
J.P. Etheridge and W.W.
Gray.
Beginning in 1822, the
representatives were Tutle
H. Moreland, Thomas
Gilbert, Samuel Williams,
Carlton Wellborn, Arthur
A. Morgan, Edward
Engram, Osborn Wiggins,
William Cole, James M.
Kelley, Jas. E. Duncan,
John H. Dupree, Meredity
Joiner, Hardy Hunter,
John Ladler, Byron
Bateman, William H.
Rudd, John E. Dennard,
Matthew G. Sikes, John J.
Hampton, James A.
Bryson, David M. Brown,
Jno. Killen, Isaac Holmes,
Solomon Fudge, John
Herrington, John
Woodard, David O. Smith,
William B. Bryan, and
James W. Belloin, Joseph
Culpepper and Hugh
Beavers Insurance
Formed By Merger
The Beavers Insurance
Company has experienced
the merger of six com
panies, two of them dating
back to 1916. The owners,
John Goodrich Beavers
and Herbert F. Moore,
became partners in 1967
when they bought the
Houser Insurance Com
pany from Mrs. Harriet
Hentz Houser, widow of
Fred Marlon Houser, and
formed the Beavers In
surance Company.
Mr. Beavers began
employment with the
Housers in 1959 and
became a partner of Mrs.
Houser after her husband's
death in 1960. The com
pany was begun in 1916 by
the late H P. Houser,
father of F.M. Houser.
Another agency which
dates back to 1916 was that
of the late Dr. C.F. Cooper
which was sold by his
widow, Mrs. Elizabeth
Standard Cooper, In 1964 to
the Houser Insurance Co.
of which Jack Beavers was
a partner.
One of the largest in
surance agencies in Perry,
Lee M. Paul and Son, was
sold in 1972 to the Beavers
G.C. Nunn & Son
Oldest Case Firm
The oldest dealership of
the Case Machinery
Company of Racine,
Wisconsin is the firm of
George C. Nunn and Son of
Perry. The late Mr. Nunn
became a Case dealer for
farm machinery and
implements in April 1917.
The son, George Francis
Nunn, joined his father In
business in 1937, after
graduating from Emory
University and became a
partner on January 1, 1940.
The firm's name was
changed to Geo. C. Nunn
and Son at the time the
partnership became ef
fective. Francis Nunn is
the owner and operator of
the business now.
The Nunn firm is sixty
three years old as the elder
Nunn began business in
Jones Jewelers
Started In 1950
Jones Jewelers at 906
Carroll Street specializes
in bridal service. Miss
Barbara Jones, one of the
owners, is a qualified
bridal consultant. The firm
is a member of National
Bridal Service.
Other owners of the
business are the parents of
Barbara, Major (ret.)
Dudley Jones, and Mrs.
Gladys Jones. The Jones
family came to Perry in
1941 when Major Jones was
stationed at Cochran Field.
He retired from the U.S.
Army Air Force at Robins
Lawson.
After 1850 there were
Josiah Hodges, James A.
Pringle, N.G. Lewis, Philip
B.D.H. Culler, D.W.
Taylor, James W. Har
dison, William A. Mat
thews, W.A. Tharpe,
Madison Marshall,
Houston County Has Been In Four
*
Senatorial Districts In Its 155 Years
During the 155 years of
its existence, Houston
County has been in four
Georgia Senatorial
Districts. Houston has
been in the 18th district
since the Re
apportionment Act of 1962
which also discontinued
the rotation system.
The present senator of
the 18th district Is Ed
Barker of Warner Robins
who was elected in 1972.
Peach and Houston
Counties compose the 18th
district now.
The late Stanley Smith of
Perry, represented the 18
Senatorial district from
1963-1972 when Peach,
Company by Mr. Paul's
widow, Mrs. Mary Holden
Paul, and the children of
their son, Lee M. Paul, Jr.
The son's heirs are Jimmy
Lee Paul of Atlanta and
Mrs. Toni Paul Smith.
L.M. Paul began his in
surance company in 1935
after operating a mer
cantile business from 1922.
His death occurred in 1965.
Three other companies
formed in recent years
merged with what is now
the Beavers Agency. They
are Pritchett Insurance
Co., owned by A.C. Prit
chett Sr. and Jr., sold in
1963; the Community
Insurance Company owned
by D.N. Whiddon, sold in
1968; and Richard Goodroe
Insurance Co. sold in 1969.
The Beavers Insurance
Company Is located In the
first floor of the Masonic
Building on Jernigan
Street. The company
handles fire and casualty
and general insurance.
Jack's wife, Mrs. Jane
Rossier Beavers, is
bookkeeper. Herbert
Moore is also a real estate
broker.
Perry in 1913 in a grocery
store. In 1916, Mr. Nunn
started a farm supply and
farm produce business in a
warehouse on Jernigan
Street. In 1947, a large
brick building was erected
on a lot adjacent to the old
building by the Nunn firm.
Nunn Employees
An interesting and
unusual fact concerning
the G.C. Nunn and Son
business is the number of
employees who have
worked there for many
years. They are George
Sherman since 1937;
Carlton Hicks, 1942;
Homer Knight, 1945;
Eugene Smith, 1947; Chas.
T. Scott, and W.B. James,
1951; Mrs. Diana Williams,
1968.
AFB in 1947 and continued
to make his home in Perry.
Jones Jewelers has been
in operation since 1950
when Major Jones bought
Risher's Jewelry and Gift
Shop from J.P. Risher who
began his business in 1946.
The store has a complete
line of jewelry, china,
crystal ware, silver ware,
pewter, stainless steel
flatware and gifts of all
kinds.
Mrs. Audrey Abrams is
an assistant in the
operation of the business.
William P. Gilbert,
William J. Green, William
R. Brown, Levi Ezell,
G.L.D. Rice, David M.
Brown, L.B. Alexander,
J.W. Matthews, C.C.
Duncan, M.R. Felder, Joel
R. Griffin, George Ormond
(colored), H. Simmons
Crawford and Twiggs
Counties were with
Houston in this district.
From 1946-1962, Houston
was with Bibb and Twiggs
in the 51st Senatorial
District of Georgia which
was created by the
General Assembly under
the Re-districting bill of
1946. Bibb County elected
the first senator of the 51st,
Douglas Carlisle, who
served the 1947-49 term.
The next senator was
Grover C. Land of Twiggs
County. Mayo Davis of
Houston County served the
51st district in 1951-52.
Others who represented
i o^pwipesnnosk
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I JEWILIRS I I
H I DOWNTOWN PERRY A
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They Made Things
aS *'
I ftlou’ll find the same kind of
W workmanship and quality in
our furniture that our fore
fathers prided themselves on.
LASSCTER'S
'MA FURNITURE
(111 A APPLIANCE CO.
VO VO MAIM STREET
if PERRY, GEORGIA
HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL THURS., JULY 1, )»74,
(colored). Geo. M.T.
Feagin, C.H. Richardson,
W.P. Simmons, S.B.
Brown, J.R. Wimberly,
Buford M. Davis,
Alexander L. Miller,
Joshua F. Sikes, Edwin
Martin, W.C. Winslow,
this district in the Georgia
Senate were Horace
Vandiver, Bibb County,
Mark Fitzpatrick, Twiggs
County; Charlie Williams
and Stanley Smith, both of
Houston County.
From 1861 until 1946,
Houston, Taylor, and
Crawford counties com
posed the 23rd Senatorial
district. After its creation
in 1924, Peach county was
a part of the 23rd district.
Those from Perry
representing the 23rd
during this century were
Senators F.M. Greene, Sr.,
J.P.Duncan, and J.W.
Bloodworth.
Others from Houston
W.M. Gordon, J.M. Gray,
Elbert Feagin, M.F.
Etheridge, Chester Pierce,
E.L. Dennard, C.J. Gray,
A.S. Giles, William S.
King, O.M. Houser, S.S.
Taylor, Robe* E. Brown
and C.D. Anderson.
County who served In the
Georgia Senate in the
1800's include Arthur A.
Morgan, who was
secretary; Samuel D.
Killen, A.S. Giles, James
A. Pringle, Shepherd
Rogers, Hugh Lawson,
James M. Kelley, Edmund
J. McGehee, Warren L.
Grice and Howell Cobb.
In their early history,
Houston and Macon
Counties composed a
senatorial district.
During the years under
the rotation system, men
from other counties
represented Houston in the
23rd Senatorial District.