Newspaper Page Text
Perry's Oldest Financial Institution
The Bank Os Perry Has
Served City Since 188 9
The Bank of Perry,
oldest financial institution
In Houston County, had
total assets of
$16,141,073.18 on April 20,
1976 which was a sub
stantial increase over its
1971 figure of $10,753,569.30
in total assets.
Organized September 12,
1889 as the Perry Loan and
Savings Bank with a
capital of $25,000, the in
stitution had a steady
growth as shown by its
resources of $346,293.80 in
September 1939, its 50th
anniversary. The name
was changed to Bank of
Perry in 1968 and the
capital stock to $200,000 in
1969.
Flint EMC
Serves Local
Rural Area
The Rural Elec
trification Administration
was created by Executive
Order ot President
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
on May 11, 1935. His idea
for the rural electrification
program was conceived at
the Little White House in
Warm Springs, Georgia.
He realized that rural
people would not get
central station electric
service at rates they could
afford to pay without the
Federal Government's
lending a hand. Cost per
mile tor construction of the
lines was prohibitive tor
most individuals in
sparsely settled areas.
Groups of local citizens
began organizing rural
electric cooperatives to
take advantage of the offer
to furnish central station
electricity to rural
areas....that is, any area
not included within the
boundaries of any city,
village, or borough having
a population in excess of
1500 including both the
farm and non farm
population thereof. One
such group was in Taylor
County, Georgia.
It was March 31, 1937;
that the charter was drawn
up to create an electric
cooperative, first called
Taylor County Electric
Membership Corporation.
The incorporators were:
E. Parr, G.L. Cooper,
J.H. Neisler, and George
Z. Young of Reynolds and
F. Jarrell of Butler. On
April 23, 1937, the Charter
was granted. Mr. Parr was
the first President and Mr,
Cooper the first Manager
The first loan from REA
in the amount of $50,000
was to build 47 miles of line
through theCrowell area of
Taylor County. It brough
electricity to 91 home
Gradually, the cooperative
grew and lines were ex
tended into surrounding
counties. In September
1938, because lines had
been extended into
Houston County, Floyd H.
Tabor was made a director
of Taylor County Electric
Membership Corporation.
Mr. Tabor served as
president from 1941 until
May 1963.
W.W. Gray, Sr. of Perry
served on Flint's Board of
Directors from January
1941 to AAay, 1963.
As lines were extended
into other counties it was
decided that the name
should be changed. In 1941,
Taylor County Electric
Membership Corporation
became Flint Electric
Membership Corporation.
It now serves most, if not
all, of the rural areas of
Taylor, Peach, Macon,
Marion, Crawford, Talbot,
Schley, and Houston
The bank's total assets
increased to $15,647,097.58
in 1975, which was almost a
50 percent gain over 1971.
At the end of the first
quarter of 1976, the total
assets were $15,968,934.76
and total deposits,
$13,825,310.22.
The exterior of the main
building, at the corner of
Carroll Street and
Washington Avenue, has
been renovated this year of
the nation's Bicentennial.
Occupied in 1960, this
attractive brick building of
colonial design has been
modified to make it more
in keeping with the Early
American renovation
projects in downtown
counties and in addition
serves in the counties of
Muscogee, Harris, Bibb,
Upson, Dooly, Sumter, and
Chattahoochee.
In 1941 Flint served 6
residences, a country
store, and a service station
in a community in Houston
County known as Wellston.
When a military base was
established there, by
agreement, electric ser
vice to the new military
base was provided by
Georgia Power Company
with Flint providing
electric service to the
community proper. This
community later was to
become Warner Robins. As
a result, Flint is one of only
a few cooperatives serving
a town of this size. Flint
accepted its responsibility
and grew with the town.
Flint's policies are set by
its eleven-member Board
of Directors. These
Directors represent the
various areas served by
Flint Electric and are
elected for three year
terms, under a staggered
system, by the mem
bership at Annual
Meetings. Houston
County is represented by
four directors- two from
Warner Robins and two
from the rural areas in
Houston County. The two
directors from Warner
Robins are Walter Whiting
and Jeff S. Pierce, Jr. The
two directors from
Houston's rural area are
Richard Talton and A.A.
White, Jr.
The Headquarters Office
is and has always been in
Reynolds, Georgia. A
District Office was opened
In Warner Robins in 1949
and another District Office
•pened in Perry in 1966.
At the present time,
,-lint has 1,080 miles of
lines in Houston County
and serves 14,500 con
sumers in Houston County.
Flint's personnel force in
Houston County alone
numbers 67. Flint operates
a fleet of 34 vehicles in
Houston County.
The people at Flint
Electric appreciate the
opportunity to have had a
part in the growth of
Houston County for the
past 37 years and look
forward to providing
electric power for the
future progress of Houston
County.
Moody Mulkey has been
district manager since the
Perry office opened ten
years ago.
Sam J. Tankersley was
general manager of Flint
Electric for a number of
years. Upon retirement,
Mr. and Mrs. Tankersley
moved from Reynolds to
Perry ot make their home.
Perry on Carroll Street.
New wooden windows and
doors have replaced the
modern ones in use. A new
roof and false chimneys
have been added. A brick
entrance way in the front
of the building will replace
concrete paving. The
woodwork has been
painted gold. Mullins
Construction Co. of Perry
did the design and con
struction work at the bank.
At the reat of the main
bank building, there are
two drive-in windows, a
night depository and an
adequate parking area.
The Bank of Perry has
two branch banks; one at
Eastgate Shopping Center
on U S. 341 South and one
at the center on U.S. 341
North near Interstate 75.
Mrs. Maxine Marshall is
manager of Eastgate and
Mrs. Sue Fleming, of the
second branch office since
September, 1974. Mrs.
Marshall was made
assistant cashier
November 20, 1973, and
named assistant banking
officer on April 20, 1976.
Eastgate branch opened on
September 20, 1971 and the
second branch on April 22,
1974 with Mrs. Mary Ann
Norris as manager and
assistant cashier. Mrs.
Norris was appointed
internal auditor of the
Bank of Perry in Sep
tember, 1974.
Mrs. Dorothy Dalrymple
and Miss Virginia Jones
were elected assistant
cashiers of the Bank of
Perry in December 1971
and promoted to assistant
operations officers in April
1976.
Mrs. Mary Ann Norris
was promoted to assistant
vice president and Mrs.
Maxine Marshall to
assistant banking officer in
April 1976.
Other officers are
Francis Nunn, chairman of
the Board; G. Ogden
Persons 11, vice
chairman; Lewis Meeks,
president; Harold J.
Jennings, vice president
and secretary; Tony
Edmondson, vice
president; and Wayne
Glasscock, assistant vice
president.
Directors are W.E.
Beckham, Jr.; J.Y. Green,
Louis Harper, Lewis M.
Meeks, W.G. Mullins, Jr.,
Henry W.
Grady A
Leader
One of the leaders of the
new South was Henry W.
Grady, editor of The
Atlanta Constitution and
an eloquent orator, who
never sought public office.
Grady sought to unite the
country again and inspire
the South to rebuild its
section after the War of the
Sixties. He urged
Georgians to develop their
resources and start
manufacturing plants. He
promoted expositions in
Georgia to display the
state's products.
Co. Ranked
Fifteenth In
Population
The 1970 U.S. Census
gave the population of
Georgia as 4,589,575. In the
first census made in 1790,
186 years ago, Georgia had
82,548. There were about
four million people in the
United Slates in 1790. The
population of the U.S. now
is over two hundred million
(209 million estimated). In
Georgia there are over
th'-eo million of voting age.
Georgia is 15th among the
50 states in population
Francis Nunn, Ogden
Persons 11 and Glen L. Van
Fossen.
In addition to the of
ficers, the Bank of Perry
has twenty employees and
two part-time employees.
Calvin E. McLendon
resigned as an officer and
director on January 5, 1972
after 43 years connection
with the bank.
The Bank so Perry is a
member of the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corp.
The bank's slogan is
"Personalized Service
with Modern Banking
since 1889".
Lewis Meeks, who
became president in
March 1971 to succeed
W.V. Tuggle, deceased,
said that the bank has
always tried to serve its
trade area and to promote
progress in its community.
In establishing branch
offices in Perry in new
buildings and renovating
its main office, the Bank of
Perry is continuing its
policy of being a
progressive and co
operative institution in this
community for 87 years,
Mr. Meeks concluded.
Groy-Walker Tractor
Organized 39 Years Ago
The Gray-Walker
Tractor Company, Inc.
was organized in 1937 by
the late Charles P. Gray as
an Allis-Chalmers
dealership. In 1947, L.
Cohen Walker, Sr. became
a partner of his father in
law in the business. After
the death of Mr. Gray in
1961, Mr. Walker and his
family came into
possession of the tractor
business in a settlement
with the Gray heirs.
The dealership has been
expanded in recent years
to include Pulaski, Peach,
Bleckley, Macon, Bibb,
Twiggs, and Dooly
counties along with
Houston.
Foster Rhodes became a
partner in the company on
July 1, 1974,
In 1975, Mr. Walker
qualified as one of the top
100 Allis Chalmers Corp.
Johnson
Stores A
Family
Operation
Johnson Stores, located
at 911-13 Carroll Street,
stock dry goods, ready to
wear, shoes, millinery and
hosiery. This Perry
business is in its 35th year
of operation, having been
opened in December 1941
by Johnson Stores of Fort
Valley. Owners of these
stores were T.C. Johnson,
Sr. and his sons, Van and
Cleve Johnson.
The Perry store is now
owned and operated by
Van Johnson who managed
the business from 1948.
Mrs. Van (Catherine)
Johnson is bookkeeper for
the firm and Mrs. Harry
Rentz is a clerk.
r
JP
I WJm
:v.' X Jr A
*
w
Rep. Larry Walker
Lawrence Cohen
Walker, Jr., represen
tative of District 115 in the
Georgia Legislature, is a
church and civic leader of
Perry.
Elected to the Georgia
General Assembly in 1972
to represent Schley,
portions of Macon and
Houston Counties and re
elected without opposition
in 1974, Larry Walker is
vice chairman of the
Judiciary committee and
serves on the following
committees: Rules,
University System of
Georgia and Fiscal As
fairs. Mr. Walker is a
member of the Governor's
Intergovernmental
Relations Council and of
the joint committee on
Fiscal Affairs of the House
and Senate.
Active in religious at
fairs, Larry Walker is
chairman of the Ad
s
Agricultural Equipment
Group Dealers. Each year
the company initiates its
highest achievement
dealers into the century
club as a tribute to them
tSoococfe
HOME FURNISHING CENTERS
FURNITURE . APPLIANCES • FLOOR COVERING • HOME ENTERTAINMENT
OVER 125 STORES SERVING THE SOUTHEAST
987*2350 1115 BALL ST.
B On July I. 1776, adopted the Declaration
of Independence, a document proclaiming that the
f I j J[ / ' J > colonies he “free and independent states.”
B H Lmmr
nmercAst
'/ ■. .J
DANNY BRADLEY
Perry Native
Larry Walker A
? -lk'
1 Young, Dynamic
Leader For Ga.
ministrative Board of the
First United Methodist
Church of Perry and a
former chairman of the
Council of Mistries of this
church.
Graduate of the
University of Georgia
School of Law, Mr. Walker
has practiced law in
Houston County since 1965.
He is the senior partner in
♦he law firm of Walker,
Clarke, McConnell,
Richardson and Moore. He
was the judge of Perry
Municipal Court from 1966
to 1971 when he became
City Attorney which
position he still holds. He is
the president of the City
Attorney section of the
Georgia Municipal
Association for 1975-76.
in civic and legislative
affairs, Larry has received
the following honors and
awards: chairman, board
of directors of Middle
and in recognition of the
important part they play in
the company's operation.
The Allis-Chalmers
Corp. of Milwaukee,
Wisconsin entertained Mr.
HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL THURS., JULY 1, jfW, "
Georgia Area Planning
Commission in 1974,
Recipient of first annual
Sam Nunn Award by
Middle Ga Area Planning
and Development Com
mission in 1974, Perry's
"Outstanding Young Man
of the Year" award for
197374; Georgia
Legislative Service award
by the Georgia Municipal
Association in 1974; and
Georgia Legislative
Service Award by the
Georgia Municipal
Association in 1975.
The legislative ac
complishments of
Representative Walker are
numerous. Some of these
are author of legislation
allowing municipal courts
to handle state traffic
offenses that occur within
city limits; author of
legislation that set forth
procedure for sale of
municipal owned
and Mrs. Walker and other
Century Club members to
a week long trip to
California in March this
year.
Long time employees
are Wilson Martin who has
been with the firm since
1943 as a parts salesman
and is now semi retired,
and Donald Brand,
delivery man, who has
worked there since 1940.
Other employees are
Mark Adams, shop
foreman; Nelson Kersey,
parts manager; Frank
property; co-sponsored
and involved in proposed
new constitution for state
of Georgia to be voted on at
1976 General Election;
author of Perry Downtown
Redevelopment Authority;
author of several other
pieces of general
legislation (statewide
applicability) which have
been enacted into law;
author of numerous other
local bills (local ap
plication) which has been
enacted info law.
This young legislator,
age 34, is the oldest son of
Mr. and Mrs. L. Cohen
Walker, Sr. of Perry.
Larry is a graduate of
Perry High School. He is
married to the former
Janice Knighton and they
have four children, Larry
111, Wendy, Russell, and
John Gray. Their home
address is 1905 Northside
Road, Perry, Ga.
— — J
Yansom, parts salesman;
Otis Stocks, assistant parts
worker; W.G. Gray, Sr.,
salesman; Louis Ragan,
Julian Watson, Esmond
Brown, Aubrey Farr,
Howard Horne, Jr., Ronnie
Thompson, mechanics;
Joseph Grant, Sr.,
seasonal worker; Virgil
Yansom, trainee ABAC;
and Arlessie Grant,
janitor.
The bookkeeper is Mrs.
Jean Nation and her
assistant is Mrs. Laverne
Tabor.