USA > Georgia > Greene County > History of Greene County, Georgia, 1786-1886 > Part 20
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270.00
City Bank of Augusta
120.00
Bank of Hamburg, S. C.
20.00
Planters Bank of Savannah
5.00
Merchants & Planters, Savannah
1.00
Bank of Commerce of Savannah
1.00
Confederate Treasury notes
3824.35
Confederate Certificates
1000.00
Total
11,994.05
Notes aggregating
21,000.77
Other assets
1,345.25
Grand total
34,340.07
After deducting special bequests to three brothers, one nephew and bequests of $100.00 each to his male slaves, and $20.00 each to his women slaves (to be paid in silver), and making provision for winding up his estate, the net balance was $20,000.00. However, the Confederate notes and certifi- cates proved valueless and many of the bank bills greatly de- preciated in value, therefore, the actual value of what was turned over to the Inferior Court was considerably less than the stipulated amount.
This money, or the income from it, was judiciously used to educate poor children up to the time that free schools were established in Georgia. After that, the income was used to augment the free school fund, and is still being used. Bank failures have taken their share of the original fund but there is still left the sum of $5,500.00.
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY
"UNIVERSITY OF GA"
An article that appeared in a recent issue of a daily paper under the heading: Georgia Prophet; quotes a Georgia pro- fessor, who is doing research work in the Congressional Li- brary at Washington. The professor quotes from an old Augus- ta Chronicle of December 12, 1789. An editorial from one who subscribed himself as "Alfred", was commenting on the pro- posed establishment of a state university, Georgia having been the first to do that. Lands were set aside in what was then Greene, now Clark county, for university purposes. Alfred said the lands were of good quality and should, as the territory be- came more populous, to yield such revenue as would make the university "sure and permanent". He inveighed against any division of them and wanted them preserved "whole and en- tire in order to answer the purposes of the university."
"Alfred's" comments in the Augusta Chronicle back in 1789, were fine, but the location of the proposed site for the university as described in the above article, is somewhat at variance with the Act dated February 3, 1786, as shown by Watkins' Digest of Georgia laws, pages 322-323 which reads as follows :
"Be it enacted by the representatives of the freemen of the State of Georgia, in general assembly met, and by the authority of the same, That a line shall be run north forty-five degrees, east, begin- ning on the Oconee river, thence up Ogeechee to the head of the main branch; from thence a direct course to the Cherokee corner; from thence to the south branch of Oconee, running into that river at or near Zachariah Phillips's; thence down the Oconee to the begin- ning, including a tract of country that shall be called and known by the name of Greene county.
Item 11. And be it further enacted, That the court house and goal shall be built, and the superior courts and annual elections held, at a town to be laid out on the college survey on Richland creek.
Item III. And be it enacted, That the trustees of the university, or a majority of them, shall be and they are enpowered and requested to lay out, a town, which shall be known by the name of Greens- boro, on said survey; and after reserving a number of lots sufficient for public buildings, to sell and convey the remaining lots and land adjacent, to the purchaser or purchasers in fee simple: Provided only, that the money arising from the sale of said lots and lands ad- jacent, shall be applied to the sole purpose of promoting learning and science, and the quality of land to be laid off, does not exceed one thousand acres.
Signed: William Gibbons, Speaker.
Augusta, February 3, 1786.
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY
This land is, and has always been in Greene county, and no part of Greene, was ever set aside to form Clarke as Clarke has never extended south of Cherokee corner. The land be- tween the present north boundary of Greene and Cherokee corner, was taken from Greene in 1793, to help form Oconee county. All of Clarke, was originally in Franklin county, which included a part of what is now Greene. Greene was formed out of land that was originally set apart for Franklin and Washington counties, and her original territory has been chip- ped off from time to time, to help create; Baldwin, Hancock, Taliaferro, Oglethorpe, Oconee and possibly a little strip of Clarke and Warren. That part of Greene that lies north of the headwaters of the Ogeechee river, was taken from Wilkes, and never was a part of Franklin or Washington.
SELLING OFF THE COLLEGE LANDS
Much has been said and written about the State Univer- sity, and why it was located in Franklin County-now Clark; but all historians seem to shy away from the fact that Greens- boro was originally laid out and designated as the site for the University. My authority for saying that Greensboro was the original site designated is Watkins' Digest of the Laws of Georgia, p. 322-323, paragraph 3. "And be it enacted, That the trustees of the University, or a majority of them, shall be and they are empowered and requested to lay out or cause to be laid out, a town, which shall be known by the name of GREENESBOROUGH, on said college survey; and after re- serving a number of lots sufficient for public buildings, to sell and convey the remaining lots and land adjacent, to the pur- chaser or purchasers in fee simple: Provided only, that the money arising from the sale of the said lots and lands adjacent, shall be applied to the sole purpose of promoting learning and science, and the quantity of land so to be laid off, does not exceed one thousand acres."
Signed-William Gibbons, Speaker Augusta, February 3, 1786.
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY
In persuance of the above Act, the trustees appointed Wil- liam Greer to survey and make a map of the town of Greens- boro, and lay off the land adjacent thereto into lots of 202 acres each, so as to include within the survey 5,000 acres.
The same Act that granted a charter for the State Univer- sity in January 1784, also endowed the university with 40,000 acres of land of first quality ; and when Greene was created out of a part of Washington County in 1786, 20,000 acres of this endowment was located in Greene. This was half of the entire endowment set aside for the support of the university; and would indicate that the Legislature thought very highly of Greene County land.
The "Historical Sketch of the University of Georgia" by A. L. Hull, p. 10, plainly states that Greensboro was the orig- inal site designated; but the trustees were not unanimous, and "there seemed to have been great difficulty in getting a quorum of the board together to act." "A meeting was appointed at the 'Coffee House' in Louisville, then the capital of the State, in January, 1799. It took three successive adjournments to get a quorum and then only seven were present."
Politics played an important part in the affairs of Geor- gia in those days as well as now, and the university was foot- balled around from 1786 to 1799, and a "touchdown" was finally made on November 28, 1800, and Cedar Shoals upon the north fork of the Oconee was finally agreed upon; and the site that had been set apart for the University at Greensboro was cut up into lots and sold by the trustees of the university, and this process continued until the whole 5,000 acres that had been set apart in and around Greensboro were sold. The streets of Greensboro were laid out by the surveyors; and when the lots were sold the deeds designated on what streets they faced, but the land in the streets were not sold, therefore, the streets of Greensboro still belong to the State of Georgia. This has proven advantageous to Greensboro in several instances where property owners had closed unused streets adjoining their property. And when it became necessary for the city to open up these "blind-ends," litigation usually followed. In some in-
237
HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY
stances the "squatter" would claim prescriptive title ; but as the statute of limitation does not apply to land owned by the State, the city of Greensboro invariably gained the case.
As soon as the college lands were authorized to be sold, speculators got busy and bought the most desirable lots in large blocks and sold them at enormous profit; while others were satisfied with a more reasonable return on their investment.
In 1816, Nicholas Lewis bought a good many lots from John Brown, president of the State University at that time. Among the lots bought by Mr. Lewis was the block that became the home of U. S. Senator Thomas W. Cobb, and later, the home of U. S. Senator William C. Dawson; and still later, the home of Philip B. Clayton, minister to Peru, and is now the home of Mr. Clayton's granddaughter, Miss Maude Town- send. These are among the oldest homes in Greensboro and have the distinction of having been the home of two United States Senators and one Minister to a South American Re- public.
Nicholas Lewis also bought half of the block diagonally across the street from the Thomas W. Cobb home, and he later sold it to Samuel Davis in 1834. This lot however had been purchased and improved in anticipation of the University being located here; and the home that now stands at the corner of East and South streets was built in 1797, and is probably the oldest house now standing in Greensboro. It is now the home of Mrs. T. B. Rice.
An Act to incorporate the Union Library Society of Greene county. Copied from Watkin's Digest of Georgia Laws, Page 787.
Whereas a library society has for a considerable time been established in said county, and known by the name of the Union Library Society Sect. 1. Be it therefore enacted by the Senate and House of Repre- sentatives of the State of Georgia, in general assembly met, and is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That Robert Grier, Samuel Harper, and Thomas Baldwin, are appointed, and their suc- cessors in office, shall be, and they are hereby declared to be a body corporate, by the name and style of the Union Library Society. Sect. 2. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That said Robert Grier, Samuel Harper, and Thomas Baldwin, as afore- said, and their successors in office, shall be invested with all man- ner of property, both real and personal, and all donations, gifts,
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY
grants, heriditaments, privileges, and immunities, whatsoever, which may belong to said Union Library Society, at the time of passing this act, or which may hereafter be made, conveyed or transferred to them, or their successors in office, to have and to hold the same, for the proper use, benefit and behoof of said society. And also, that the said trustees, and their successors in office, shall be, and they are hereby declared to be capable of suing and being sued, im- pleading and being impleaded, and of using all necessary and legal steps for recovering or defending any property whatever, which the said society may claim or demand; and also for receiving the rents, issues, fines and profits of the same, or any part or parcel thereof. Sect. 3. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the trustees of said Union Library Society, shall hold their office for the term of one year, and that on the second Friday in January, in every year, after one thousand eight hundred one hundred and one (1801), the members of said society, of a majority thereof, shall convene at the place that may be appointed by the trustees afore- said, or their successors in office, and there between the hours of ten and four o'clock, elect from among the members of said society, three discreet and proper persons, as trustees of the same, and chose on the same day, all necessary officers for the said society, who shall hold their offices for the term of one year, as aforesaid, with the same powers and for the same purposes as above declared.
Signed-David Meriwether, Speaker of the House of Representatives. David Emanuel. President of the Senate, Assented to December 1, 1800, Jas. Jackson, Governor.
No citizen of Greene county has any knowledge of the above Historical Society. The probability is, that it ceased to function in the early 1800's. And it is very probable that all books and other data that had been collected, was turned over to Mercer University, or some other school.
MERCER
Mercer Institute at Penfield
Greene County's most outstanding educational development was really Mercer Institute. In 1829 the Georgia Baptist Con- vention was meeting in Milledgeville and it was here that it was announced that Josiah Penfield from Savannah, a Baptist deacon, had bequeathed $2,500.00 to the Convention for edu- cational purposes provided that a like amount would be raised. In a matter of a few minutes the amount was raised by Jesse Mercer, Adiel Sherwood, Thomas Stocks, Willam Flournoy of Greene County and lesser donations by other Baptists present.
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY
Top-Old Mercer University Chapel at Penfield. Center-Classroom build- ing of Mercer and Penfield Presbyterian Church. Bottom-Penfield cemetery.
240
HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY
Because of the wealth and influence of the Greene County Baptists it was decided to locate the school there. Those as- sisting in locating the school there were, Billington Sanders, Thomas Stocks, Absolem James and Jesse Armstrong, Seven miles north of Greensboro a tract of land was purchased con- taining 450 acres and named Penfeld in honor of Josiah Pen- field.
Jesse Mercer, being the most outstanding Baptist and the largest financial supporter of the school was honored by having the school named for him. He gave $400,000 to the school. This money came to him through his second wife who had inherited the money from her Jewish husband, Captain Abram Simons, a Revolutionary soldier.
In 1833, Mercer Institute came into existence at Penfield, in Greene County. Two log cabins formed the nucleus from which Mercer University sprang. As time went on, the institu- tion grew. "Keep Out Of Debt" was the watch-word of the Trustees. The Mt. Enon venture, the debts and woes of Colum- bian College, and many other instances in general, are set up as beacons of warning, while with urgency and emphasis the appeal was made "Owe no man anything."
The above paragraph was taken from the "Story of Geor- gia Baptists" by Ragsdale, p. 52. The ups and downs of Mer- cer from 1833 to 1871 at Penfield, and its removal to Macon in 1871, are graphically set fourth by Dr. Ragsdale in his "Story of Georgia Baptists", therefore, it is not necessary to repeat it here. However, Mercer was moved over the protest of the people of Greene County, and it took years to heal the wound caused by its removal. After its removal, much of the property at Penfield was sold off to private individuals and was torn down. The old Chapel and some ten or twenty acres was given to the Penfield Baptist church. The President's home was reserved as a pastorium, and this much of the original University property still belongs to the Penfield church. In the spring of 1933, Dr. Spright Dowell, then the President of Mer- cer University, came to Greensboro to confer with the people of Penfield and Greene County relative to making plans to hold the Mercer Centennial at Penfield. The fact was, the Pen-
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY
field church had only a few members, and the great depression had so impoverished the people that they did not feel able to entertain the multitude. Unwilling to give up the cherished plan, Dr. Dowell turned to this writer and asked him to work out some plan whereby the Centennial might be made a success. The writer accepted the challenge and went to work. All of the people of Penfield put their hands and hearts to task, forgetting creed and personal differences, and literally transformed Pen- field. People from all over the county and the Georgia Asso- ciation became interested, and the occasion was a great success. The entire faculty and many of the student body of the present Mercer attended. There were several of the Mercer students present who went to college at Penfield. Mr. H. T. Evans of Greensboro, was the only one whom the writer recalls. Former students of Mercer and friends came from every part of Geor- gia, and some came from other states, and in all, there were more than two thousand present. Dr. Spright Dowell made a wonderful speech, and he was followed by President S. V. San- ford of the State University. Dr. William Heard Kilpatrick of Columbia University paid a wonderful tribute to "Ole Miss", Mrs. Billington M. Sanders, while Dr. B. D. Ragsdale gave a most interesting review of Mercer from its founding, down to date. Mrs. Frank Jones of Gray, Ga., and a great friend of Mercer, made a wonderful contribution by way of an historic booklet. This booklet gave a map of the original Penfield show- ing the location of all the buildings on the campus; the boarding houses where the boys lived, and the names of the owners; where the homes of the professors stood; where the Christian Index was published; the building that housed the Female Col- lege, and much other valuable information. (See cut and legend.)
Dr. George W. Truitt, of Dallas, Texas, arrived after the meeting had adjourned for dinner, therefore, he did not have the opportunity of making a speech much to the disap- pointment of all present.
The people of Penfield exemplified the spirit that made the first Mercer possible; and many events are referred to as, be- fore or after the Mercer Centennial.
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY
This gathering aroused interest in the Penfield of "other days" among people from all parts of the state, and even now, many people make pilgrimages to Penfield to view the original site of Mercer University. In addition to that, public schools and private individuals have become "Mercer-minded." As evidence of this fact, Morningside School in Atlanta, request- ed the writer to send them three trees from the old Mercer Campus to form a "Mercer Cluster" on the school-grounds. Mr. Henry Y. McCord, a Methodist layman in Atlanta, request- ed two trees to be planted at Salem Camp-grounds in memory of Silas and Jesse Mercer. When Dr. Dowell heard of this interest in Mercer, he said: "Dr. Rice, you have put yourself in the nursery business, we want some of these same trees to be planted on the New Mercer Campus, and they were prompt- ly carried in person, to Macon.
A little later, one of the trustees of the public schools of Penfield said to the writer : "We need the old Ciceronian Hall in connection with our school, and we haven't the money to buy it. Won't you come to our aid and help us get it?" This old building had fallen into private hands many years ago, and was in bad condition. I relayed this request to Dr. Louie New- ton, pastor of Druid Hills Baptist church in Atlanta, and con- tacted some friends with the result that, the building was pur- chased and deeded to the people of Penfield for school pur- poses. Mr. James Porter of Macon, Ga., gave $250.00 toward repairing the building, and Col. Sam Tate of Tate, Ga., gave a marble slab commemorating the donors. The slab was set in the brick wall to the right of the front entrance and read as follows :
"This Building-The Old Ciceronian Hall of Mercer University was Purchased From Private Owner January 17, 1934 and Presented to the People of Penfield By
A FRIEND BRYAN BLACKBURN C. S. BURGESS CASON CALLAWAY CHARLES A. DAVIS
A FRIEND P. W. JONES R. F. JONES H. Y. McCORD WILEY L. MOORE
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY
HAL M. DAVISON
T. C. DAVISON
J. G. DODSON
B. J. W. GRAHAM
H. H. HARDIN
J. M. HARRISON
E. M. HUDSON
W. FRANK JENKINS
LOUIE D. NEWTON
THOMAS H. PITTS
COLUMBUS ROBERTS
W. P. SEWELL
Z. A. SNIPES
H. W. STEPHENSON
EUGENE TALMADGE
HUGH M. WILLET
This Building was Repaired By JAMES H. PORTER in 1934
As a Memorial to His Father OLIVER PORTER A Student at Mercer University In 1854 and a Beloved Citizen of Greene County.
Above this tablet there is a bronze plate that reads: This marble tablet was given by COL. SAM TATE.
The original Corner-Stone in this Building reads:
VERITAS ET ELOQUENTIA THIS STONE WAS LAID THE 19th OF JUNE A. D. 1848 THE 14th ANNIVERSARY OF THE CICERONIAN SOCIETY.
On September 3, 1934, there was another pilgrimage to Penfield; the occasion being the rededication of the old Ciceron- ian Hall, and delivering the deed to the property to the people of Penfield. The building had been repaired and made into an auditorium. T. B. Rice acted as master of ceremonies. Speeches were made by Dr. Louie D. Newton, Dr. Spright Dowell, Dr. Hugh M. Willet, Dr. James W. Merritt, Dr. M. L. Brittain, President of Georgia Tech., Major R. J. Guinn, Mr. Henry Y. McCord and others; but the climax, was the wonderful his- toric address by the master Baptist Historian, Dr. D. B. Rags- dale. He reviewed the history of the Ciceronian Society, and spoke on some of the great Georgians who debated in this his- toric old building and spoke of the subjects that claimed the at- tention of students when Mercer University was young. Dr. Hal M. Davison, Carleton Collier, from the Atlanta Geor-
244
HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY
gians, "Uncle Jim" Williams, editor of the Greensboro Herald- Journal and other prominent men of the state were present. Rev. Webster Callaway, pastor of the Penfield Baptist church and principal of the school acted as host, while Mr. A. J. Boswell, who is a Presbyterian layman, took an active part in restoring the grounds and building, and was the genius who looked after the wonderful dinner that was served beneath the oaks that have stood as sentinels over the Mercer campus for more than a hundred years.
The Christian Index of Sep. 13, 1934, carried the story of the gathering at Penfield. It also contained pictures of the old Ciceronian Hall, the delivery of the deed to Mr. A. J. Boswell, and a number of the men who took an active part in the occasion.
Whatever wounds were caused by the removal of Mer- cer University from Penfield to Macon, have been healed; and Greene County is more Mercer-minded that it has been for many years. Penfield will become more and more a Shrine for Georgia Baptists as the years go by, and all Christian de- nominations will take pride in visiting the "cradle" of historic Mercer University.
From this point on, the writer will have to ask the indul- gence of the reader for the personal reference that seems ne- cessary for him to make.
In the spring of 1935, the Trustees of Mercer University saw fit to unanimously nominate T. B. Rice, of Greensboro, Ga., as a member of the board of Trustees. This nomination will have to be confirmed, or rejected by the Georgia Baptist Convention when it meets in Atlanta. Following this nomina- tion, the Executive Committee of Mercer saw fit to ask this Trustee to act as chairman of a state-wide campaign to raise the sum of $25,000, for some greatly needed repairs to some of the old buildings on the Mercer Campus, viz; Penfield Hall, which was the first building erected after Mercer was moved to Macon, the cottages where married ministerial stu- dents and their families live, and to add another story to one of the dormitories. The campaign has been on for several
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY
months, and at this time, Oct. 1935, practically half the amount has been raised, while less than half the state has been covered.
EXCERPTS FROM ORIGINAL RECORDS
(By T. B. Rice)
By way of preface, the following excerpts were taken from two books that are the original records of the Mission Board of the Georgia Baptist Association, and the title page reads as follows:
"Minutes and Proceedings of the Mission Board Ap- pointed by the Georgia Association in the year 1816."
"At a meeting of the Mission Board held at Whatley's Mill Greene County on the 17th day of January 1817. The following members at- tended (viz) Bretheren Mercer, Mathews, Davis, Rhodes, Reeves, Roberts and Rabun. After solumn prayer had been made,the following officers were chosen viz.
"Elder James Mathews, President; William Rabun, Sec- retary; Elder Joseph Roberts Treasurer."
"Elders Mercer and Rhodes were unanimously appointed dele- gates to represent this Board at the Missionary Convention of the Baptist denomination of the United States, to be held in Philadelphia on the first Wednesday in May next."
"Ordered that the Secretary prepare suitable credentials for them."
This book gives accounts of all the meetings of the Mission Board up to the year 1833, and merges into the first book of minutes of MERCER INSTITUTE.
Following this, comes the first book of minutes of Mercer Institute, and the title page reads:
"Mercer Institute May 7th 1833"
This book contains the minutes of Mercer Institute, Mercer University, and the Georgia Association Mission Board up to October 31, 1845.
The proceedings are headed, Mercer Institute" up to January 1839, after that date the minutes begin with PENFIELD. (This may indicate that the town was incorporated about that time and was named Penfield.)
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