Newspaper Page Text
tJNION-RECOSDB, amXEPGEVILLE. GA.
MiHedfeviSe Wat Hab of Coontry’i
Wealth and Progress
< Continued from page D
flict and In President Madison’i
•'Proclamation of Peace” which im
puted such dignity to the several
states. Men thought highly in those
days of this dignity and importance
of statehood
An old town census taker of 1828
gives the total population as 1.599.
He made some interesting observa
tion.-. also, on the occupations ol
the residents of the state capital
listing, as was to be expected, many
innkeepers and printers, and the
usual state capital followers.
A will of one citizen. Jesse San
ford. in 1827. reveals him to have
owned 25 house servants. 228 field
hands, six plantations, mahogany
furniture, silver plate and cut glass
decanters. To one man of wealth
such as he. however, there were
hundreds of plain farmers and shop-
keeprs.
The cotton gin had been invented,
and means of transportation
constantly improve^. Tire number
of slaves was rapidly increasing un
til it almost equalled that of the
whites in Milledgeville in 1828, and
a little later surpassed it. The first
railroad in America was used in
the brick industry near Savannah.
Nearby Macon, incorporated in 1823
and consisting mainly of log houses
then, was growing rapidly due to
the advantages of its location on a
larger navigable stream.
The election o* Governor George
M. Troup in 1823 marked the political
triumph of the large landowners in
Georgia. His administration was one
of weighty problems with the dis-
astisfied dispossessed Indians, and
with the dilatory national
counties. The great tariff debate
lasting three days between Berrien
and Forsyth was held. The Central
Georgia Railroad between Macon
and Savannah was surveyed. Though
popular education was still sadl;
neglected, and "old field
were very poorly conducted, academ
ics and colleges began to spring up.
Oglethorpe University wns establish
ed at Milledgcville. Mercer Institute
opened. Emory was founded at Cov
ington. the site for Georgia Female
College (Wesleyan) was selected at
Macon. "Georgia Scenes.” by A. n
longstreet. Georgia's first humor
ist were first published in the
Georgia Journal in the fail of 1833.
A permanent governor's mansion
(now used as the residence of E>r.
Guy Wells, president of Georgia State
College lor Women) was finally
erected in 1835. Now began the
great period of prosperity for Geor
gia. 1835-18(50. broken only by the
national depression of 1837-1843.
The factories of New England in
creased the demand for cotton. The
establishment of railroads improved
commerce. This brought great ma
terial prosperity, which made
possible the cultural growth, in
crease of academics and colleges.,
private libraries, literature and!
periodicals, and fostered the pur- j
suits of lehurc. A small group was]
unbelievably prosperous, bu* thi
ander Means at Emory University.
produced the first electric light used
for practical purposes. Governor Hers-
chel Johnson, 1853-1857. was an
other strong states rights advocate.
This brings us in our brief sketch
schools" ] of the period to Governor Joseph
E Brown, the War Governor. 1857-
1865. John Brown's raid intensified
ity between north and south.
The last cargo of slaves to arrive in
ent in the i
■ of I
agreements concerning the clearing
of the Indian lands. The tariff on
manufactured articles also irked
the south. Troups diplomacy led
to the ceding by the Indians of all
land? east of the Mississippi in e
change for equal lands to ihe we
It was during this administrate
that Lafayette's visit, the most
spectacular event that ever occurred
in Milledgevillc. took place. It
Troup that was first elected, for his
second term of office, by the direct
vote of the people The Southern
Recorder, founded in 1819.
bined In 1872. with the Federal
Union, which was established
1R29.
The afiministration of Governor
Wilson Lumpkin. 1831-1835. was al
so an eventful one. The first rail
road in Georgia, between Augusta
and Eatonton. was authorized by the
this
disputed by the
election
i hostile party aroused
ing death, her society was destroy
ed. her most able men deprived of
political rights, the labor system
overthrown, her people in want and
desperation. After Governor Charles
Jenkins fled, taking the executive
seal and $400,000 in money, “the old
state capital” was no more.
were large numbers of poor farm- ] hi
crs. and slave problems were conse
quently increasing. The Cherokces
had finallv relinquished their lands,
but the Creeks, encouraged by th<
outbursts of the Seminoles in Florida,
had to be suppressed. It was in 1845
that Atlanta was founded as the
lonal govern
of Lincoln by a .
acute alarm in the south. Milledge-
,-iHe was full of talk on these
weighty matters. Howell Cobb re
signed his position on Buchanan’s
cabinet to come back home and ad
vocate secession. In January of 1861,
Georgia could stand it no longer.
She voted at a convention in the
capitol at Milledgcville to secede.
Great was the rejoicing and tre
mendous was the celebration on the
streets that night by the young peo
ple. The older people sat at home
with grave faces, for they knew that
the new found freedom would be
challenged with fire. The Confed
eracy was formed with Alexander
II. Stephens as vice-president and
Robert Toombs as secretary of state.
Women of Milledgcville began to
organize clubs and sewing circles tr
supply warm clothing for her soldi
ery. Tearfully she bade good-by
Sherwood's Gazetteer of 1837.
Historical Notes of Milledgeville.
by Ullrich B. Phillips
Acts of the General Assembly of
the State of Georgia of 1807.
Mirabeau B. Lamar, by Herbert
Pickens GambreJL
An old scrap book which belong
ed to Jere N. Moore, manager of
the Federal Union during the Civil
War and editor of the Union-Re
corder from 1872 until 1902.
Conversations with Mrs. David
Ferguson, descended from one of
Milledgevilie’s oldest settlers.
First Lessons in Georgia History,
by Lawton B. Evans.
An explanation of the excellence
of the structure in those early times
offered by Mrs. David Ferguson, who
is considered an authority on the his
tory of this section, is that a group
of master builders were attracted
here by the prospect of employ
ment in the building of a new state
capital. There were expert plast-
stone cutters and carpenters.
These early artisans are represent
ed here to this day by their de-
cendants the Moran$. Chandlers,
and the Lanes. One of them. John
Chandler, is still a stone cutter.
Some of the charm and beauty
of the old structure has been lost
in a disastrous fire and in its many
remodelling, old resident? say.
but much of this could be restor
ed by the expenditure of a com
paratively small amount. The nev
cupola is probably the greatest
marring feature. The old cupola
stately looking, as shown by
photographs of the building before
fire destroyed some of its original
splendor. It had the up-reaching
Gothic windows in its sides, taller
projections on the comers, and pro-
foreword
(Continued from pa (e l)
named Mirth;
nor’s daughter.
Recovery arts were in order under)
Governor Gilmer. 1837-1839. when
suspended banks had to be restrain
ed from suing their creditors. A con
vention was held in Macon to im
prove the cultivation and market
ing of cotton.
In the time of Governor Charles
j. McDonald. 1839-1843. a Georgia
man was the first to propose a trans
continental railway. Wesleyan pro
cured her first graduate in 1840.
Education was greatly improved by
the state's aiding 176 academies.
More financial relief measures were
passed. Dr. Crawford Long of Geor
gia first used an anesthetic. The
State Sanitarium was opened here.
The Central of Georgia Railroad, the
longest then owned and operated by
one company, 190 miles from Sa
vannah to within 2 miles of Macon,
was completed.
Governor Howell Cobb 1851-1853,
another famous man of strong
of
recently ceded j intellect. It was during his '
• stalwart sons. The Blockade of
eacoast cut Georgia off from
-utside world and all luxuries
disappeared. Women who had lived
n luxury now did all their work,
nd helped do that of the men who
had gone
Stagecoaches rumbling through
with shout ana bugle call. Cover
’s Horse Guards thundering down
the streets, young met. framing
graceful compliments to the ladies
fair ladies embroidering or paint
ing banners with brave mottoes and
presenting them to their sweethearts,
grand picnics in honeysuckle lad^n
woods, sumptuous dinners, good
wines and whiskeys for those so
inclined, gatherings of the powerful
and famous, befeathered Indian?
visiting the great white fathei on
the hill, heated arguments in the
towering State House, great worry
over states rights and /rational usur
pation, constant vigilance lest the
slaves uprise, a fine undercurrent
of delicacy of feeling and of the
high sentiments of the cultivated
mind—you aie challenged to read
even these scattered bits and then
walk about the streets of Milledge
ville without a more pensive and
more reverent step.
projections on me cumeia, «uu f*«- . ^ .
portions that harmonized more per- MUlcdgeville produced no great
fectly with the rest of the buUding «**•*»* °r mus.cian, mnless you
and glorified it. More of the second consider that S.dney Lanier's sehool-
OLD STATE HOUSE
(Continued from page 1)
looked the river and domniated the
At the beginning, the building did
not have a north and south wing, as
it now has. Only the center portion
was first erected. A fairly detailed
description as it first existed is
found in Adiel Sherwood's Gazetteer
of 1837, as follows:
and produce the neces
sities. Diversification was urged. In
mber of 1862. it was announced
that more soldiers from Georgia
had entered the army of the Con
federacy. and more had died than
™^ 0thCi 'rf-rhoH ^Milled oe-1 ‘‘ Thc state House stands
if 1864 Sherman rca eminence, three fourths of a mile
'*ll. e °n hls march to * h n C p! n from the river, exhibiting a taste-
legislature was in se • * f u ] appearance of Gothic architec
ture. In this are rooms for the legis-
lo remove
the state property. The officers oi
the state fled. A band of citizens it
was related by the late R. A. Mc
Combs. went to meet thc general and
i-qucst him not to burn the capitol.
Remarking on their fine characteris- |
thc general conceded their re
quest. and the old budding remain
ed. Many anecdotes are told of the
enemy soldiery’s stay here, of Sher
man's headquarters at the Mansion,
of the protection of families with
relatives in the Union army, of a
young Confederate officer's hiding
in a house where Union oficers were
quartered, of the burning of the
bridge, and of the devastation of
country round about.
Reconstruction days in Milledge-
? organized into' office that a Georgia man. Dr. Alex- ville were in the nature of a wak-
lature during its sessions, the offices
of thc Governor. Secretary of State,
Treasurer Comptroller and Survey
or General, beside apartments for
Clerks and Committees, and several
fire proof rooms for public records.
“Thc Representative Hall is 60 by
54 feet, ornamented with full length
portraits of Franklin and Lafayette,
and the Senate Chamber with those
of Washington and Jefferson. In the
Executive office is and old portrait
of Oglethorpe, sitting, dressed in an
antique costume, and examining the
map of Georgia. This building with
the wing erected at the north end
in 1928. cost $115,000. The cost of
an excellent clock in the cupola was
$1,000.”
floor windows of the main building
ere arched. These were replaced
■ith straight tops after the fire. In
side, was a quantity of beautiful
plaster work done by master artisans
of the day. ornamental ceiling cen-
ers and cornices The big capitol
;quare was surrounded by a hand
made picket fence, with stiles at the
cast and west entrances. There were
steps at these entrances mounting
over ihe fence at first, and later
there were turnstiles.
Churches of three denominations
and an arsenal were also located
the capitol square. These and other
public buildings are mentioned in
Adiel Sherwood's Gazetteer of 1837:
“The other public buildings arc,
a State arsenal, three stories high,
containing implements of war. Gov
ernor’s house (in line on the north
side of the State House Square.)
houses of worship for the Methodist.
Baptists and Presbyterians, thc
dimensions of which are about 60
by 40 feet, a Market House,
taining a room for thc meeting for
the town police. Penitentiary. C. H.
(court house), Jail. Aoademy, and
three Banks.”
ing here at Oglethorpe University
measure responsible for his
romantic outlook on lif^ but her
people were outstanding in that fin
est of fine arts, the art of living.
Many present day historians say
that the only hope for a return to
peace and contentment in this coun-
-finding those principles
of good and complete living follow
ed by southern gentlefolk before the
between the states. It is from
them that we learn best what “the
pursuits of leisure” may mean. These
charming old manners and customs
arc now personified in the lives of
some of the older citizens of Mil
ledgeville.
The old Capitol was also impaired
»y an earthquake, but this wa
er the old capital period.
Admirers of the old structure are
looking forward to a time when it
may be restored to all its old glory.
Various projects for
Hoops. Whoops, and Quips
A short time ago two of the older
women of Milledgeville were dis
cussing present day styles.
“You can’t say a word about what
they wear nowadays. Mary”, ad
monished one of them. “You had thc
first hoop skirt that was ever worn
in Milledgeville ”
Another group of these charming
old ladies: were discussing the much
admired and frequently decried hoop
skirt.
“Do y
already being discussed.
remember the time when
wore cne up to cummun-
irked in scandalized tones.
It flew up in the back, and every
„ woman who massed by gave it a
restoration i rclemn pull downward, but it flew
j right bad: up each time!”
Ever Forward
BALDWIN COUNTY MOVES FORWARD!
After several years of depression America awakes an 1 prepares for a greater and more stable growth than
ever before. The Merchants & Farmers Bank is keenly interested in the glorious history of Baldwin County.
This Bank is Prepared to Serve the Public
This Bank was organized with a single view, to be of service to its customers. Its policy will continue with
the progressive tendency of affairs that affect the we lfare of its stockholders, depositors and our community;
yet it will be very careful in being guided by a conservative Board of Directors.
We appreciate the action of our friends and customers in placing their confidence in the management and
leadership of our institution.
DIHEtT’ORS
H. D. Allen
0.00 Capital $80,000.00 Surplus
The Bank of Friendly Service
OFFICERS
Marion H. Allen. President
M. H. Alien
J. L. Beeson
L. N. Callaway
$5000.00 Federal Deposit Insurance
J. F. Bell. Chairman
Board of Directors
J. F. Bell. Jr.
W. C. Evans. Jr.
W. D. Giles
The Funds of each depositor In this bank are insured up to $5,609.00 by the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation
L. C. Hall, lst-Vice-President
and Cashier
L. C. Hall
Mrs. May Moore
You will enjoy our friendly, helpful service and interest in your financial
progress. We invite you to make our bank your banking home. No account
to large, none too small.
J. F. Bell. Jr.. 2nd Vice-President
and Assistant Cashier
The Merchants & Farmers Bank