Newspaper Page Text
Volume 17
Wheeler County — Queen of the Viregrass
MISTING HISTORY Os MELES COUNTY
SINH IES CREATION IN IHE YEM 1912
-
Facts aod Figures Given Showing
Development of One of State’s
Youngest Counties.
BY H 1.. SEARS.
In ths year 1911 there was a bill
introduced in the Georgia legisla
ture by Wm. B. Kent, then repre
sentative from Montgomery county,
Ga., for a Constitutional amendment
providing for the creation of a new
county, laid out from that portion
of Montgomery county west of the
Oconee river, now known as Wheel
er county, and bounded as follows:
Commencing at a point on the west
ern bank of the Oconee river where
the Laurens county line intersects
with said river, thence down the
western bank of the said river to
the mouth of the said river; thence
up the northern bank of the Oc
mulgee river to the mouth of the
Little Ocmulgee river, thence 1 up the
said Little Ocmulgee river to the
line of Dodge county, thence east
along said line of Dodge county and
Laurens county to the western bank
of the Oconee river the starting point.
That said new county, the bound
aries of which are described herein,
'’should be called and known by the ,
name of Wheeler, and be attached to
and become a part of the Twelfth
Congressional District, the Fifteen- I
th Senatorial District and the Oconee ,
Judicial Circuit, and the county |
site of the said new county should .
be the town of Alamo. s
* W. S. Mann was ou^
Senator from the Fifteenth sena
torial district for the years 1911 and
1912, the years in which we were
getting the new county of Wheeler
created. The bill creating the said
county of Wheeler passed the House
and Senate in the year 1912, was
ratified by a vote of the people of
the State of Georgia, on the sth
day of November, 1912.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS FOR
THE NEW COUNTY.
On the first Tuesday in January, '
1913, an election was held in the
town of Alamo, the county site of
said new county, for county officers
and the following named persons
were elected. For Ordinary, Wm.
B. Kent; Clerk of Superior Court,
J. D. Brown; Sheriff, J. F. Wright;
Tax Receiver, W. T. Haden; Tax
Collector, J. A. Martin; Treasurer,
Daniel Pope; Surveyor, E. Miller;
Coroner, J. J. Brantley. And on
the 16th day of January, 1913, the
above named parties took the oath
of office and otherwise qualified, |
which completed the organization of
the new county of Wheeler, the said
county began to function as other
counties of the State.
FIRST SUPERIOR COURT.
On the 3rd day of March, 1913,
the first term of Superior court was
held in the new county of Wheeler,
his Honor E. D. Graham, Judge, pre
siding, and W. A. Wooten Solicitor
General of said Courts, etc., said
court being held on the second floor
of the building known as the Alamo
Bank building in the town of Alamo,
Georgia.
FIRST GRAND JURY.
The following Grand Jurors were
chosen and sworn in to serve at the
first term of Wheeler County Su
perior Court, March 3rd, 1913.
J. M. Fordham, foreman; H. H.
Grimes, J. T. McDaniel, H. L. Sears,
John F. Currie; W. S. Miller; J. C.
New Crop Garden Seed
WILL BE IN AT ONCE
New Turnip, Cabbage, Collards
Rutabaga and Garden Peas
Glenwood Drug Company
THE FAMILY DRUG STORE
Glenwood, Georgia
BANQUET TO HONOR
NEW BANK OFFICIALS
The Ladies Civic League, un
der the auspices of the Wheeler
County Board of Trade, will
serve at a banquet to be given at
the court house next Monday
evening in honor of opening of
the new bank.
Fifty plates have been taken
and this number will doubtless
be doubled. The proceeds from
this spread will be given over tn
the league and the expense will
be paid by them, retaining any
surplus amount to be used by
the civic organization.
Mr. Darby and his brother-in
aw, Mr. Murchison, who will
c;Sas cashier-of this bank, will
be over next Saturday and ar
range for the opening on Mon
day. Arrangements could not
be made to open on the first.
Martin; J. L. Martin, W. H. Bright,
S. H. McMillian, D. T. Rowland, J.
J. Cooper, Jr., W. A. King, W. B.
1 Butler, W. F. McVey, H. W. Calder,
H. A. Calhoun, S. F. Reynolds, W.
( T. Adams, W. 0. Harrelson; Jas. G.
Sandford; J. L. Sumner and J. F.
I Sikes.
S. G. Elkins .- worn in as bailiff
fir^ < ;-an4 jury.
(RwfeiLiiUMkS OF
I \ ROAfS AND REVENUES.
A bill int oduced and passed in the
general assembly in the year 1913,
providing Ur a board of Commis
sioners of Roads and Revenues lor
the new county of Wheeler, nam
ing the said commissioners in said
bill, as follows: J. F. Sikes, J. C.
Clegg, and Thomas Kent. Com
missioners took charge of the
county and county matters in the
month of Sept. 1913; levied the first
I tax levy for said county of Wheeler
I soon thereafter.
(PUBLIC BUILDINGS
FOR NEW COUNTY.
Contract let for court house for
said new county on August 25th,
1914, F. P. Hefner being the con
tractor, at the price of $27,000.00.
Court house completed and turned
over to Commissioners on the 10th
day of April, 1915; court house
paid for by direct tax; no bonds.
COURT HOUSE DESTROYED BY
FIRE.
। In the month of March, 1916, the
new court house of Wheeler county
was destroyed by fire, together with
some records and books; most of
the records and books were saved
from the fact that they were in the
vaults, which were lire proof. The
commissioners were carrying insur
' ance on the court house in the
amount of $20,000.00, which was
1 collected, and a contract let on
July 26th, 1916, to rebuild the court
house, thajajftractor being C. J.
Dowdy for the sum of sl6,-
500.00, leaving a balance of $3,500.-
00 for the purchase of furniture for
the court house. Rebuilt court house
and furniture now in use and in
fairly good shape —good for many
' years to come.
CHAIN GANG ORGANIZED.
In the month of January, 1916, a
chain ; ang was organized for the
(Continued on last page)
ALAMO, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 1929
THE WONDERFUL AGRICULTURAL
RESOURCES OF THE COUNTY
ALMOST LIMITLESS IN SCOPE
BY L. G. WHIt’MeR.
Wheeler County being situated in
the territory of Southeast Georgia
and being a County whose greatest
resources are agricultural, and be
ing ideally located both as to soils,
climate and other factors favorable
to agricultural interests.
The county has in operation about
1000 farms and a cultivated acreage
around 35,000. On these farms are
grown some of nearly all of crops
suited to Georgia conditions. We
have several cash crops, principal
of which is cotton, and we have lands
well suited to the growing of this
important crop, as is shown by some
farmers producing a bale to a bale
and one-half per acre. Next we
have tobacco crops, although less
than 1000 acres now, can be in
creased and compares favorably
with any grown in the tobacco belt.
We grow a considerable acreage of
watermelons, especially in one part ;
of the county where some growers
this year who have grown quality
melons which have sold through the
Melon Growers Association at top |
prices of about $450.00 per car.
We also produce_ quantities of
other crops for market and home
uses, including all kinds of vege
tables, cantaloupes, sweet potatoes
and various other crops which make
good yields and bring excellent re
turns.
Probably our largest and most |
valuable crops which are corn, pea
nuts and velvet b - and form
the basis of our 1 | industry.
| ■
BOARD OF TRADE I
APPROVESCOMMITTEESI
The following is a list of the
committees approved by the ]
board of directors of the Wheel 1
er County Board of Trade, as c
approved by said board at the ,
meeting last Monday evening: t
Education —R A. Eakes, chair- (
man; C. C. Hartley, Cleon Brown,
R. G. Perdue. I
Membership and Dues —P. M i
Mosley, chairman; H. R Clark,
J. T. Sumner, J. H. Walker. j
Agriculture (General Farming* 1
—Lee G. Whitaker, chairman/
R. M. Walker, B. C. Holmes, W. J
P. Owens, W. H. Gilder.
Live Stock and Dairying —G.
L. Hattaway, chairman; L. C. p
Hinson, S A. Lee, W. T. Clark.'
Truck Growing and Horticul- <
ture—H. W. Nalley, chairman; B.
A. Irwin, Hugh Stanley, J. L.
Sears.
Programme and Entertain
ment—J Mcßae Clements, chair i
man; C. C Hartley, W. E. Currie.
Spiritual Welfare—Rev. L. A.
Kelley, chairman; A. O. Johnson,
H. N. Sears, Rev. Roy Gardner.
Health and Drainage—Dr. T.
H. Nelson, chairman; J. 0. Per
1 due.
Publicity and Printing —J. H.
Gross, chairman; H. S. Hurwitz,
Chas. H. Barineau. ।
( Legislation —W. 0. Purser,
chairman; H. L. Sears, M D.
Long, R. G. Jenkins.
Ways and Means — Cleon
Brown, chairman; O. C. Kibler,
J. D. Peebles.
Parks and Playgrounds—J. D.
Peebles, chairman; J. H. McDan
iel, J. Howard Purdue, H. W.
Nalley.
Highways and Railroads —H.
L Sears, chairman; T. H. Nel
son, J. Mcßae Clements, R. M.
Walker.
Natural Resources —J. Howard
Perdue, chairman; Z. Lowery, J.
H. McDaniel.
Retail and Wholesale Trade—
A. O Johnson, chairman; D. L.
Perdue, Harry Berman, W. T.
Berman. _;
. Industries—O.C. Kibler, chair-,
.! •
in swipying the principal feed for
1 them. * I
Our dairy industry has grown to i
the extent that some of our cotton
crop L dependent upon the number
of dairy cows the farmer keeps that
will furnish the supplies to produce
the cotton crop. With good pas
ture soils and the opportunities of
development this will be more profit
able than ever and will aid in de
velopment of beef cattle as well.
Hogs are produced in the county
in large numbers and many are
finished and sold through co-opera
tive sales in adjoining counties as
well as being shipped in individual
ear .ots.
This county has made a good repu
tation in production and marketing
,of poultry where about $15,000.00
worth has been sold through co
operative sales alone this year and
th^re are a larger number of poul
try on the farms now than ever be
fore.
Wheeler county has made great
progress in the last few years in
I de'. **^®^ent agriculturally and now
the services of both a
Home Demonstration Agent and a
County Agent and they assist the
farmers with their farm problems
ana , give instructions to the boys
and girls in improved farm practices
through the 4-H clubs of the county.
I by co-operation and making use
|of all our natural advantages we
will continue to hold our place and
pus- the development of
. ou. 5 < county.
Jr "
Ml mat com
HUE WELL ATTENDED
The meeting at the courthouse
last Tuesday afternoon, called by
W. J. Futral, liquidating agent
of the Farmers Bank of Glen
w< od and Alamo, upon instruc t
tioris of the state banking depart
ment, was well attended. All of
nt directors and a goodly num
berof the depositors of both
institutions were present.
fudge H. L. Sears was elected
president of the meeting and Mr.
C. E. McDaniel was elected sec
re tary. Judge Sears called the
hi mse to order, and as Mr. Davis,
oi c of the state banking officials,
wjts present he was asked to
statg the object of the meeting,
w hich he promptly did. He made
quite a lengthy talk, going into
the details of affairs and the
dlutiesof the liquidating agent,
avid stressed the importance of
avoiding litigations in the collec-
Lons of the institution’s assets,
ajs this expense comes out of the
I proceeds of the bank and mean
a. Joss to the depositors and
i officials of the bank,
Col. W. S. Mann, of Mcßae,
and Col. L. C. Underwood, of Mt.
Vernon, were present and made
talks, with others.
As indicated in the call issued
by the liquidating agent, com
mittees were elected to represent
the bank at Alamo and at Glen
[wood. Those elected from Ala
mo are: H. L Sears Dr. T. H.
Nelson, B. R Benton, C. C.
Hartley, J. H. Gross and Hugh
Hill. From Glenwood: Dr. W. A.
Rivers, Thos. Kent, E. M. Brown
ing, J. M. Cook, D. H. Dur
den, and J. A. Mcßae.
I The duty of these committees
will be toassist in the liquidation
of said bank.
man; H. R. Clark, J. D. Peebles,
1 J. H. Walker.
Co Operative Marketing —L.C.
Hinson, chairman; J. H. McDan
iel, J. R Hall. Lee G. Whitaker.
Labor —W. E. Currie, chair
man; A. 0. Johnson, H. N. SearsJ
Civic Improvement—O. C. Kib
bler, chairman; Reece Jordan, L.
'Purvis.
tXCEPirONAL EDUMTIONM. ADVANTAGES
ENJOYED Bl PEOPLE OF WHEELER COUNTY
1
COUNTY CHURCHES,
SPIRITUAL WELFARE
Church facilities of Wheeler
county are excellent, insofar as
nnmber of churches is concerned
Che following are the Baptist
Churches: Alamo, Sardis, Stuck
ey, Snow Hill, White Springs,
Glenwood, Bethel, Beulah, and
Union Primitive Church; the
Christian Church at Erick.
The following are the Metho
dist Churches: Alamo, Shiloh,
Bay Springs,Towns, Spring Hill,
Glenwood, Oak Grove, and Lands
burg. This makes a total of 19
white churches. There are quite
a number of Negro churches,
the exact number of which we
do not know. .
Other points regarding the
churches it is not so easy to
boost. They often suffer for lack
of financial support, and at times
their leaders have to see some of
their most cherished projects
fail because the necessary money
is not forthcoming. This is due
in part to hard times, but to a
much greater extent it is due to
I ;
: the failure of the rank and file of
; the church membership to prop
*dy fche thank-: to Gok for y,Lat ,
i dozeo* <themS "
) •'With earnest effort this hAndi
cap should be eliminated.. Our (
Sunday Schools have made prog (
ress over those of years ago, as (
they are coming more and more (
to use graded literature and (
standard equipment, and to work (
lin the Missionary program and t
message. Then too, training ।
J schools are developing better
I teachers and leaders. The worn- <
’ en of the churches are doing a (
H finer work in the raising of mon (
ley for various worthy purposes, ,
* land in developing general church j
■ interest. ,
Perhaps the most encouraging (
feature today is the work and j
’ interest of our young people. ।
’ Tho the church is not really ।
J
reaching some of our young peo
’ pie, we believe we would be safe>
in saying that there are a greater
number of organizations, such as
3 the B. Y. P. U. and Epworth
’ League, and a larger number of
young people enrolled in them
than ever before in the history of
’ Wheeler county. Many of these
young people are truly interest-
’ ed, and thru their programs and
I
activities they are making for a
still greater Chu^k, ”* 'yuture.
’ He who loves his churcn would
do well to help these young peo-
3 Pie.
j All of the churches are in need
of revivals. This must be admit-
£ ted by all. We need to put first
things first, and to get back to
first principles. In other words,
we need to seek God more earn-
. estly.
1 In the course of the next few
’ weeks meetings will begin in
- many of the churches. Let us
attend and take an interest in
s them, and then they will be not
11 just meetings, but true revivals
of religion. Let us remember H.”
command: ‘ Seek ye first the
Kingdom of God and” His right-
; eousness, and all these things
,- will be added unto you.” If the
’. people of Wheeler County will do
j that, then our best day lies just
’• ahead, both in business and in
the Church.
ROY GARDNER.
„ -j
Number 23
Schools of County In Flourishing
Condition and Outlook Brighter
Than Ever Before.
BY O. C. KIBLER.
I
Wheeler county offers wonder
. ful educational opportunities to
( all citizens and prospective citi
। zens. The county is small and a
।' central high school near the cen
, I ter is within the reach of auy
boy and girl intheccunty. Gram
( mar schools ai > situated in the
many school districts to prepare
for high school work. Consolida
tion of the small schools into
) larger ones is rapidly taking
place, as the citizens have found
' the many advantages of the larg
, er schools.
All schools are under the con
trol and management of the
J
> county board of education with
the aid and suggestions of the
trustees of the local schools. The
J members of the county board
1 are: J. C. Martin, chairman; R.
’' H. Braswell, R L. Avery, 0. P.
(Ennis and Kelly Sears. Mr.
IR. A. Eakes, who is now serving
I
his second term, is the county
>
superintendent.
The finances of the ounty in
regard to its schools is < jf*
be/ ‘ ’estate and th* school
j hors /are paid —
their monthly salaries promptly
on time and the county carried
over for the coming year an ex
cellent balance. The term of the
county schools is for seven
months and many supplement
the term to one month more and
the county school runs for the
full term of nine months.
The Wheeler County High
School is on the accredited list of
the university system with a
rating of one and its graduates
are enabled to enter any college
in Georgia without question or
examination. The state board
of education classifies the follow
ing schools with their rating:
Glenwood, Class A; Shiloh, Class
C, and Union, Class C.
The other thirteen srhoej^of
the county are working to bring
their schools to the degree of
I classification and it is only a few
veayj until all of the schools of
the county will meet the classiti
jcation as required by the state
board of education. These schools
are as follows: Browning, Clem
ents, Cross Roads, Union Chapel.
Landsburg, Erick, Marie, Ma
rion, Oak Grove, Dempsey, Gra
ham, Kinard, Spring Hill and
Hope.
The teachers employed by the
board are deeply interested in
the school work of the county
and will measure with those of
any county in the state. Normal
graduates are given preference
in employment if possible.
The schools of the county have
the benefits of two county dem
onstrators, Mr. L. G. Whitaker
and Miss Esther Godbee, who
visit the different schools and
organize the club work of the
; county.
i The outlook for the coming
J year is one of the best that the
> county has ever had.
]
i
s Wheeler County High School.
2 The high school of the county
o is situated at the county site,
t Alamo, and is well equipped for *
a high school work. Theplantcon
sists of two brick buildings that
(Continued on last page)
j