LOCATSTATE
The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com
Friday, November 23, 2018 9A
Pioneering rural Ga.
Republican dies at 74
Associated Press
ATLANTA - Geor
gians are remember
ing Mac Collins, a truck
driver-turned-lawmaker
who helped build Geor
gia’s Republican Party.
Collins died Tues
day and a funeral is
scheduled Sunday. The
Atlanta Journal-Constitu
tion reports the
cause of death of
the 74-year-old
Collins wasn’t
immediately
known.
“Mac was a
dedicated public
servant. He was
a hard worker,”
said Bo Bryant,
his former chief
of staff. “Like he used to
say, he was a graduate
of the university of hard
knocks.”
Collins represented a
Macon-based U.S. House
district from 1992 to
2004. He stepped down
to run for U.S. Senate,
losing a Republican pri
mary to Johnny Isak-
son. He narrowly lost a
comeback bid to the U.S.
House in 2006.
He started a trucking
company driving one
beat-up truck, eventu
ally building a success
ful business. Taking an
interest in politics, he
was elected to the Butts
County Commission in
1976 on his third try,
running as a Democrat.
Collins switched to the
Republican Party sooner
than many other rural
Southern politicians,
though, becom
ing his county’s
GOP chairman
in 1981. Collins
lost two bids for
state Senate as
a Republican in
1984 and 1986.
“My friends
told me if I had
run as a Demo
crat I would
have won, and I would
have,” Collins said.
But the stubborn Col
lins persisted, winning in
1988 and becoming one
of only 11 Republicans in
the state Senate.
“He was a pioneering
leader of the Republican
Party in Georgia, joining
at a time that there were
no Republicans in power
in Georgia,” said state
Sen. David Shafer, who
in 1992 was the executive
director of the state GOP.
Collins
Railroad artifacts tell how trains
built Atlanta into present-day hub
JEFF MARTIN I Associated Press
Atlanta History Center Vice President of properties Jackson
McQuigg stands in front of a restored 1856 Texas locomotive
Nov. 14 as he talks about a new railroad exhibit.
Associated Press
ATLANTA — A restored
steam locomotive known for
chasing a stolen train in the
American Civil War is helping
to tell the story of how rail
roads fueled Atlanta’s growth
since its earliest days.
The Atlanta History Center
is using railroad artifacts, a
new exhibit hall and actors
playing the roles of historic
railroad figures to show how
railroads forged Atlanta into
one of the South’s most impor
tant transportation and busi
ness hubs.
The newly restored 1856
locomotive “Texas” is paired
with the Zero Mile Post, which
marked the terminus of the
Western & Atlantic Railroad
and Atlanta’s epicenter.
The 800-pound marker was
recently moved from down
town Atlanta to the history
center in the city’s Buckhead
neighborhood.
“Locomotion: Railroads
and the Making of Atlanta”
opened this month. It aims
to tell the story of Atlanta —
and how railroads shaped the
future life of the city and the
region, said Sheffield Hale,
the history center’s president
and CEO.
“This locomotive, particu
larly when paired with the
Zero Mile Post, is our origin
story,” Hale said. “This is why
we’re here.”
“We’re here because West
ern & Atlantic Railroad chose
this to be the spot,” he added.
“This is the origin story, this is
our Planet Krypton.”
The locomotive is lit up at
night can be seen from the
nearby sidewalk and street
through expansive windows
— part of Hale’s broader
vision to connect the history
center with the surrounding
community and make it more
accessible and inviting.
The Texas itself has been
designed with stairs, so visi
tors can climb into it, touch
it and see firsthand how it a
steam locomotive worked.
“The fact that they can get
into the locomotive and see
the coal, look into the engine
box and do all that, we think
is going to make it just pop in
terms of history,” Hale said.
The Texas made history
during the “Great Locomo
tive Chase” of the American
Civil War. U.S. Army troops
northwest of Atlanta comman
deered a locomotive named
The General in 1862. They
headed northwest toward
Chattanooga, Tennessee,
destroying bridges and parts
of the rail line along the way.
Confederate forces hopped
aboard The Texas to chase the
stolen train, eventually catch
ing it.
Before going on display in
Atlanta, The Texas underwent
a year-and-a-half restoration
by Steam Operations Corp. at
the North Carolina Transpor
tation Museum in Spencer,
North Carolina.
In its permanent home in
the history center’s new Rol
lins Gallery, the architecture
is reminiscent of old train
stations and train sheds, and
includes several railroad signs
and a passenger bench that
dates back more than a cen
tury. Also on display are rem
nants of two of Atlanta’s main
train stations: A 1905 bronze
building dedication plaque
and an operating signal from
Atlanta’s Terminal Station;
and the “Track 1” sign from
Atlanta’s 1930 Union Station.
OBITUARIES
Thomas Hanie Paris Jr.
Died Nov. 19, 2018
Tom Paris Jr. passed away peace
fully following a brief illness on Monday,
Nov. 19, 2018, at the age of 79. A native of
Gainesville, Georgia, Tom was a devoted
son, brother, husband, father and grandfa
ther, as well as a successful businessman
and community servant.
He was caring, generous,
and gracious, and Tom
was proud of his family
and loved them deeply.
Tom was preceded in
death by his parents, Tom
Paris Sr. and Mary Foote
Simmons Paris. He is sur
vived by his loving wife of
58 years, Alice Whitehead
Paris of Gainesville, and son and daughter:
Trey Paris (Sandra), Elizabeth Paris Hagood,
both of Atlanta; and five grandchildren: Eliza
Paris of New York City, Thomas H. Paris IV
of Athens, Robert Brooks of Washington,
D.C., William Brooks of Athens and Cole
Hagood of Atlanta. Tom is also survived by
his beloved sister, Joyce Paris of Decatur,
and two nieces, Suzanne Phillips (Randy)
and Cissy Belson (Bob) and several nephews.
Tom was elected class president of
Gainesville High School in 1957 where he
captained the football team and earned All-
State and honorable mention All-American
honors. He earned a bachelor’s degree in
business administration from the Univer
sity of Georgia, where he was a member
of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, and was
inducted into both Phi Kappa Phi and Beta
Gamma Sigma Honor Societies and Grid
iron Secret Society. He was a three-year
letterman for the SEC Champion Georgia
Bulldogs football team under Coach Wally
Butts. His allegiance to Gainesville High
and the University of Georgia remained
with him throughout his life.
Upon graduation from UGA, Tom joined
the family business, serving as president of
Paris-Dunlap Wholesale Hardware Com
pany. He also served as president of the
Southern Hardware Association and on the
board of the National Wholesale Hardware
Association. In addition to Paris-Dunlap
Hardware, he founded Paris Management
and Investment Company and Paris Stor
age Company. He also served as a director
of Gainesville National Bank, Piedmont
Southern Life Insurance Company and the
local advisory board of Wachovia Bank.
With a giving heart, Tom devoted his
life of leadership to the community he
loved. A lifetime member of Gainesville
First United Methodist Church, he served
on its administrative board and chaired its
finance committee. He was president of the
Gainesville Rotary Club, the Chattahoochee
Country Club, and he was a founding trustee
of Lakeview Academy. For 25 years, he
served as a trustee of Brenau University
and chaired its finance committee. He was
a director of the Gainesville-Hall Cham
ber of Commerce, Campfire Girls board
and a member of Leadership Georgia. He
remained involved with the University of
Georgia, serving on the Terry College of
Business Alumni Board, the President’s
Club and the Letterman’s Club. He was
awarded the Terry College of Business Out
standing Alumnus Award in 1987. For more
than two decades, he was a trustee of the
Northeast Georgia Health System board
and chaired its strategic planning commit
tee. He was a very dedicated and visionary
board member of the Humane Society of
Northeast Georgia, and his impact on the
organization will last for generations. He
also served on the board of The Highlands
Falls Country Club, Highlands, N.C.
The Paris family will host an informal
visitation at the Chattahoochee Country
Club in Gainesville on Saturday, Nov. 24,
from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. A memorial service
will be held at Gainesville First United
Methodist Church at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov.
25.
In lieu of flowers, donations honoring
Tom’s life may be made to the Gainesville
First United Methodist Church, the Univer
sity of Georgia Foundation or the Humane
Society of Northeast Georgia.
Those wishing to send online condo
lences to the family may do so at littledav-
enport.com
Little & Davenport Funeral Home,
Gainesville
Sign the online guest book at gainesvil-
letimes.com.
The Times, Gainesville, Ga.
Nov. 23, 2018
DEATH NOTICES
Roy Kimsey Gabrels
Died Nov. 21,2018
Roy Kimsey “Kim” Gabrels, 77, of Flow
ery Branch died Wednesday. Memorial
Park Funeral Home, Gainesville.
Eliseo Gonzalez
Died Nov. 21,2018
Eliseo Gonzalez, 81, of Gainesville died
Wednesday. Memorial Park Funeral
Home, Gainesville.
Annie Mae Jones Gravitt
Died Nov. 21,2018
Annie Mae Jones Gravitt, 91, of Gaines-
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Little & Davenport
Funeral Home
To inquire about pricing packages available to
memorialize a pet in print, please contact Megan Lewis
at 770-535-6371 or mlewis@gainesvilletimes.com
Pets at Peace will appear in The Times
the last Sunday of each month.
ville died Wednesday. Memorial Park
Funeral Home, Gainesville.
Betty Ann Harbin
March 21, 1943-Nov. 21, 2018
Betty Ann Harbin, 75, of Gainesville died
Wednesday. Funeral service, 2 p.m. Satur
day, Nov. 24, funeral home chapel. Little &
Davenport Funeral Home and Crematory,
Gainesville.
Dell S. Huey
June 8, 1929-Nov. 20, 2018
Dell S. Huey, 89, of Gainesville died
Tuesday. Funeral service, 2 p.m. Friday,
Nov. 23, funeral home chapel. Little &
Davenport Funeral Home and Crematory,
Gainesville.
Dannie Daniel Kidd
Died Nov. 16,2018
Dannie Daniel Kidd, 52, of Gainesville
died Friday, Nov. 16. Funeral service,
2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 25, Antioch Bap
tist Church. Wimberly Funeral Home,
Gainesville.
Dean Carlton Stephens
June 27, 1927-Nov. 21, 2018
Dean Carlton Stephens, 91, died Wednes
day. Graveside service, 3:30 p.m. Saturday,
Nov. 24, Corinth Baptist Church Cemetery.
Little & Davenport Funeral Home and Cre
matory, Gainesville.
Obituary information
Death notices are printed free as a pub
lic service by The Times.
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villetimes.com.
For additional information, call 770-718-
3419 or 800-395-5005, extension 3419,
between 3 and 6 p.m. weekdays.
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