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THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS,
1‘RIDAY, MAY 17. 1W..
ROCHELLE, PROSPEROUS SOUTH GEORGIA TOWN
Surrounded by a Section of the Most Productive Soil in Geor
gia—Climatically Attractive, and Offers Many Advan
tages to Prospective Investors or Home Seekers.
Has a Population of 1,200 People—Is a Junction Point of Two
of the Largest Railway Systems in the South, Giving Low
and Advantageous Freight Rates—Plans Being Made for
Many Large and Substantial Improvements, Among
Them a New Cotton Mill and Fertilizer Plant.
Its Splendid Schools and Comfortable Homes.
Reid Hotel, Rochelle, Ga.
Wilcox county went dry by an
overwhelming majority, therefore
Rochelle has no saloons, and in all
probability will never have them.
She has a splendid system of pub
lic schools which is prospering
under the superintendency of Pro
fessor H. J. Lawrence, an A. B.
graduate of Mercer University.
This school U the pride of the
town. There are two churches,
Missionary Baptist and Methodist
of 150 bales per day. She has also
the following industries: A plan
ing mill, a variety works, a grist
mill and a naval stores plant.
Her standard of citizenship
cannot be excelled. Mr. John T.
King, the well known editor of
The New Era, is mayor of the
town. The aldermen are Messrs.
4. P. Doster, S. B. Reid, W. E.
Smith, W. B. Owens, E. J. Cook
and Z. W. Lassiter. Mr. Reid is
The town is located in the cen
ter of Wilcox county, on the Sea
board Air Line Railroad, 149
miles west of Savannah and 60
miles due south from Macon. It
is located on a cluster of gently
undulating hills just at the verge
of the water divide between the
Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic
Ocean, with an altitude of 500
feet above the sea level, and is
the highest point between Savan
nah and Americus, which makes
it an’ideal town for drainage;
therefore, the health of its inhabi
tants is unsurpassed in Georgia.
A few years ago a citizen of this
section, Mr. Micajah Owens, took
his first railroad ride from Seville
to Rochelle on the day he was 100
years old. From such geographi
cal surroundings its scenery could
not bo other than charming.
The town was laid out in 1887.
Hon. John M. Warren, the present
ordinary of the county, was the
first person to buy property, open
a store and move his family to the
new town. Since then its growth
and development has been gradual
and steady. Rochelle is one South
Georgia town which has never
undergone a boom of any kind. It
is surrounded on every side by the
largest Ijody of red pebble soil of
any town in South Georgia.
When Rochelle was first laid
out there was not twenty-five
bales of cotton raised within 3
miles of the town. It is now stat
Weeks’ Artificial Stone Building, Rochelle, Ga.
ed on good authority that n din
ner horn blown in the center of
town on a warm May day would
be answered by the brny of mules
plowing lands which produce a
thousand bales of cotton.
However, much tho larger por
tion of the lands adjacent to Ro
chelle arc still undeveloped. These
landfc can be bought for from a
quarter to half the price of aver
age lands in north and middle
Georgia, and which produce from
25 to 50 per cent more than the
average lands of north and middle
Georgia. Besides, a farmer can
cultivate from 25 to 331-3 per
cent more of this soil per mulo
than he can similar lands in
north and middle Georgia.
The climate is that of South
Georgia—ideal. Surface wells af
ford excellent free atone water in
unfailing supply. Also, the town
has two splendid urtesian wells.
The citizens of Rochelle are for
the most part middle class folks
who live the simple life, dwelling
together in peace and harmony.
At the last local option election
Episcopal Church South. The
membership of these two churches
are living together in perfect
Christian harmony.
There arc about twenty mercan
tile establishments, and most of
these are substantial and prosper
ous. The railroad people inform
us that there are more goods ship
ped to Rochelle and more fotton
and other farm products shipped
away from Rochelle than any oth
er town between Americus and
Savannah which is not a junction
point
There are two excellent banks
in the town; both are prosperous
and doing a large business.
Rochelle lias one real good
weekly newspaper, The Now Era,
which is'edited by Mr. John T.
King, who is always found on the
side that makes for the better
ment of his community.
Rochelle has three largo modern
ginneries, with a ginning capacity
Bank of Rochelle, Ga.
also representative-elect from
Wilcox county. Mr. Doster is a
member of the board of county
commissioners. Judge D. B. Nich
olson, judge of the city court of
Abbeville, is also a resident of
Rochelle.
This community boasts of as
good a class of colored citizens os
school and several churches.
The population of Rochelle is
about 1,200. The town has been
built almost entirely from the ef
fects of the farming interests of
the community, and it can be
safely said that no set of business
men in South Georgia have done
better with the same capital than
Rochelle business men. The most
progressive banker in the town be
gan business in Rochelle a few
years ago with about a thousand
dollars. The most enterprising
and wealthiest merchant in the
town, Mr. Henry Mnshburn, who
is worth not less than $50,000,
commenced business at Rochelle
about ten years ago with about a
thousand dollars capital. Mr.
.John Doster, the wealthiest and
largest farmer in the county, came
to Rochelle about eight years ago
practically bankrupt. Others have
done just as well, in proportion
that we might mention, and it can
Be truly said that Rochelle has
steadily grown in population and
wealth regardless of its extreme
poverty at the beginning. How
ever, at this time she is in 'as good
shape financially as almost any
town of her size in the state, and
a very bright future is just ahead
of her.
Railroads are recognized by all
men of enterprise and brains as
being one of the greatest develop
ers of the resources of any coun
try. The Ocilla and Valdosta
Railroad has been chartered, and
33 miles has been built, which will
connect Ocilla, Ga., with either
Hawkinsville or Fort Valley. This
road will cross the Seaboard Air
Line at Rochelle. As the writer
sees it, the Southern Railroad,
which is the largest railroad in the
South, will of necessity be com
pelled to buy the Ocilla and Val
dosta Railroad, which will give
the Southern an outlet to the Gulf
of Mexico.
Now, with Rochelle ns a junc
tion point for the two largest rail
road systems in the South, name
ly, the Southern and the Sea
board Air Line Railway, together
with Rochelle’s natural advan
tages, will just simply of necessity
cause her to develop with leaps
and bounds beyond the imagina
tion of her most enthusiastic citi
zens.
In the near future, in fact the
movement is now on foot, to build
a cotton seed oil mill, together
with a fertilizer mixing plant, and
with the new railroad which will
give Rochelle freight rates equal
to Helena, Cordele, Fitzgerald
and other competitive points, she
will then be in a position to bid
for such industries as have to be
located at competitive points.
As Goldsmith’s “Sweet Au
burn” was the loveliest village on
the plaint so beautiful Rochelle
is the Gem City of the Piney
Woods. Keep your eye on
Rochelle.
Residence of E. J. Cook, Rochelle, Ga.
Rochelle High School Building.
Georgia affords. Such men as R.
C. Baker, William Locke, Jr., and
Professor J. D. Moseley, principal
of the colored school, together
with others who might be men
tioned, deserve much credit for
their enterprise and their readi
ness to always maintain law and
order and to help forward any
movement for the good of the
town and community. The colored
people can boast of a splendid