Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

Perry Company and celebrated the 110th anniversary of continuous business in 1999 as the Bank of Perry. Optimism ushered in the 20th Century. By legislative act in 1908 the county seat officially changed from town to the City of Perry. Dramatic technologies provided lux uries never possible before. Undoubtedly here as elsewhere, the greatest changes came with electrici ty and the automobile. The magic ot telephone and radio, or talking machines, captured imagi nations although one cynic noted that Nature had provided Perry a suffi cient supply of talkers and there was no need for the artificial kind. Nonetheless, then Jim Winn placed his amplified radio on the front porch on Main Street and turned the vol ume on high, crowds always gathered to hear the latest news from station KDKA in Pittsburgh. But even that could not compete with the silent movies that played in the old Dew Drop In Theater. A new water system and larger tank extend ed water to all residential areas and made a fire department possible about 1910. The quality of life had taken a decided up-turn that was reflected in local activities. With fanfare and cel ebration, the town dedicated a mon ument to the “Men who wore toe gray.” The Civic Improvement Club staged theatricals in 1912 to raise funds for civic projects. The paper carried a notice asking patrons not to drive past during the performance as the noise was too distracting. In 1914 the Gen. Daniel Stewart Chapter of the United Daughters of the American Revolution was orga nized with Corrine Mann Gilbert as - yUb » .wjp ' MMriwy A BIG EVENT A salute from the Perry Rifles ends the dedication of Perrys Confederate monument in 1905. It was first located at the first regent and Martha Ansley Cooper, vice regent In the 19205, industrv developed around the products of the land and its resource ol lime, kaolin and tim ber. Clinchfteld Portland Cement Co., Georgia Limerock and Tolleson Lumber Co. offered employment to Perry citizens and brought new fam ilies into the area. Prospects of a tourism industry brightened with the advent of a better road system (many of them built by Ed Beckham's construction company and paved with lime and cement from the local plants) and facilities such as the Wells Hotel.. New Perry Hotel, Moss Oaks Lodge and Tolleson s Motor Court. However, agriculture was still the backbone of the economy. Mechanization, scientific methods of farming and diversification increased productivity and profits. The Perry Public School system consolidated with county schools and bonds were sold for building the Main Street school which was reno vated in 1995 as the Board of Education Complex. Under the first Superintendent, Jim Gooden, Perry Consolidated School developed a reputation for excellence in education. He also introduced varsity sports, primarily to encourage students to stay in school. Basketball and the success of Gooden’s teams turned Perry into a basketball town, a reputation pro pelled to state and national attention under Eric Staples., whose teams brought home eight state champi onships in his 39 years as Perry High’s principal and coach. In New Hope, the Perry Training School on Spring Street also consoli- Photo contributed by Bobbe Nelson crossroads of Perry and later moved to the grounds of the county court house. OLD COURTHOUSE Many Perryans will remember this fine old brick building. This was the Houston County Court House, built in 1856, and demolished 50 years ago to make way for the court house building currently in use. Plans are under way at this time to build still another courthouse. dated schools for African Americans. Thelma McCoy, retired counselor for Perry High, recalls with appreciation the edu cation she received there. Although there was no transporta tion system them, she feels that she never minded the walk to school for neighborhood mothers watched from porch to porch so that she always felt safely in sight of caring friends in her communi ty. Later, at Houston High School, Herman Ragin’s basketball and football teams brought home state trophies before federal laws blend ed the two systems. Thus the first century encom passed a time of wealth, defeat, dis illusionment, poverty and regrowth. Through it all people of faith never lost their commitment to work together to create a special hometown, clean and attractive, City of Perry 175di Birthday, Nov. 17, 1999, Houston Home Journal JajKgj£|ggj|^3 which offers educational and eco nomic opportunities in a warm and caring atmosphere. Harriet Houser captures the essence of the Perry hometown spir it in her book, Hentz, of Things Not Seen, “In Perry there is a quali ty that I have never been able to define for myself accurately. Let trouble come and the quality is there like a mother suddenly appearing in a darkened room to still her child and you thank God for it. People in great cities are like birthday , o from one ofyour oldest friends ! Hnni'-- & r The Houston , Home Journal Founded in 1870 Continued from page 3B Contributed by Bobbe Nelson the stars in the heavens, separated by the unknown spaces between them but people in Perry are more like the freckles on a little boy’s face. The spaces between the freckles are familiar and clear, what separates us is known and loved." (Bobbie Nelson is author of A Land So Dedicated, the official histo ry of Houston County.) 11B