USA > Georgia > Tift County > History of Tift County > Part 16
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Upon arriving at the old home place, Leach found, as Grady said, "his house in ruins, his farm devastated, his stock killed, his barns empty, his trade destroyed, his money worthless, his comrades slain, and the burden of others heavy upon his shoulders." What did Leach do? This soldier stepped from the trenches into the furrow, and fields that ran with human blood in April were grown with the harvest in June.
Beverly Patton Leach, Tift County's lone soldier in gray, lives at Chula, Georgia. Although eighty-six years old-he will be that age on May 3-Leach is still active enough to manage a store, in which he sells school supplies and candy to school children. This affable old gentleman's pseudonym is "Granddaddy Leach."
Like many others of the sixties, Mr. Leach had no educational advant- ages. Being the oldest of eight children, he spent his time behind a stub- born mule instead of at a desk to the tune of a hickory stick. Despite the fact that his school days numbered only seven, Granddaddy Leach re- joices that the youth now has opportunities minus the hickory.
The same indomitable spirit that characterized the brave lad in gray has permeated the life of this Confederate soldier. He has lived through three wars and is still able to smile a greeting to the modern generation. He has fought and won in the battle of life.
May the sun in all its splendor rise many more times for Tift County's lone soldier in gray! When finally at sunset the evening star beckons him on, may he follow with a heart still loyal to the gray, to the immortal white flag that waves over a land of eternal peace !
ELDORADO by Mrs. A. N. Adcock
Eldorado was named by the Georgia Southern and Florida Railroad soon after its completion in 1888. The name signified the rich growth of pines. Even the wiregrass grew almost high enough to hide a horse and buggy.
Many years ago Enoch Bowen had guano shipped to Eldorado for farm- ers, and he had to deliver the fertilizer in a wagon. He once said, "The grass was so high and rich looking that I had difficulty finding an open space where I could tie my horse."
Years later the fact that there was another town named Eldorado caused a confusion about names. The post office at Eldorado was changed
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to Fender, the namesake of Frank Fender, a turpentine operator, who went to the town more than fifty years ago. Fender can boast of being the smallest town in Georgia with two names.
About one mile west of Fender was the Union Road through which Sherman's army passed on their march to the sea.
A. N. Adcock, Sr., owns a farm with an old settlement log house, where Sherman let his men stop to drink from the old well.
The first school was known as the old Mt. Vernon school as it was taught in the Mt. Vernon church and located about two miles north of Eldorado on what is now one of T. E. Phillips's farm.
About the year 1900 Mr. T. E. Phillips and P. D. Phillips came to South Georgia and bought Fender's interest in the turpentine still and also began farming. The Phillipses lived near the station. In 1902 they built a little one-room school building, which the Baptists and Methodists used also for church services. In 1905 each denomination built its own church. Several years later, the new consolidated school was built.
Mr. J. P. Davis and family moved to Eldorado in 1898. His daughter, who was the first child born on the mill ground was named Eldora for the town. As far as we know, she is the only Tift County citizen named for a town. This family moved from Eldorado to Tifton in 1905. His daughter, Maggie, affectionately known as "Miss Maggie" worked with the tele- phone exchange for years.
HISTORY OF THE EXCELSIOR DISTRICT
When Mr. John Y. Sutton moved into the Excelsior community on January 14, 1893, there was no school nearby. He sent his two children to the Warrenton School located between the Logan Glover and J. J. Warren farms. This building was in no condition to be used for the 1896 school term.
For two years, 1896 and 1897, Mr. W. H. Partridge furnished a tenant house for a school. The next year 1898, Mr. William Gibbs furnished a house. The 1899 term was taught in one of Mr. John Y. Sutton's houses.
Growing tired of these arrangements, Mr. John Y. Sutton, Mr. William Gibbs and Mr. James Gibbs decided to build a school house. During 1900 they built and equipped a school house on the old Pittman place, owned by Mr. Bill Warren at that time. This was called "Willis School." Here the children were happy until 1905 when Mr. W. H. Willis bought the land, and moved a family into the house.
Something had to be done so that the community would never be without a school again. A community meeting was called and plans were made for the erecting of a school house that could not be disposed of.
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Both Mrs. William Gibbs, daughter of Mr. W. H. Partridge, and Mr. John Y. Sutton gave two acres of land. The place for the building was chosen where the Omega-Ty Ty road and the Tifton-Pine Forest road meet. The Downing Company gladly gave enough timber that had been blown down by a storm for the building. Mr. William Gibbs gave $125.00, Mr. John Y. Sutton gave $100.00, Mrs. M. P. Young gave $50.00, Mr. M. Tucker $50.00. The remainder of $50.00 needed for erecting and equip- ping the building was given in small donations. Rev. James Gibbs gave the name "Little Creek" to this school. This building was used as a meet- ing place for any denomination as long as the services did not interfere with the school activities.
The first teacher was Miss Ida Middleton, of Tennessee. She changed the name to Excelsior, meaning "Yet higher or ever upward." Everyone has learned to love the name even though the name was changed over the protests of those who first furnished the name and the building.
This building was used until 1928. At this time the old Ty Ty, Salem and Excelsior Schools were consolidated into the present Excelsior School. Two-thirds of this school yard was given by Mr. George Ford, Sr. The other one-third was given by Mr. J. S. Taylor. Ten grades were taught at this school for three or four terms; since then the tenth and eleventh grade students have been carried to the Tifton School. During 1929 the old Salem school house was moved over to the Excelsior school yard to be used as a teacherage.
( This sketch was compiled by Mrs. Hazel Whittington Fowler as given to her by Mr. J. Y. Sutton, pioneer of the Excelsior School Community. )
HISTORY OF HARDING
(Mrs. Dan Sutton)
Harding community was begun about sixty years ago with a tramroad built by Captain H. H. Tift. This tramroad was used to haul logs from across the Alapaha river to Tifton. People living at Harding at that time often road on this road. Charlie Jenkins was the engineer. After Fitz- gerald was settled, Captain Tift built the tramroad on into Fitzgerald. and the day of all days for the settlers of Harding were those when excur- sions were run between Tifton and Fitzgerald. The tramroad was sold to the A. B. & C. Railroad and later became the A. B. & C. Railroad. Today the A. C. L. Railroad owns it.
Sixty years ago Captain H. H. Tift bought six lots of land at Harding for $150 per lot. He cut the two lots around Harding Station into forty- acre tracts and named them the Harding Fig Farm. The name Harding was taken from the name of a town on the railroad where Captain Tift lived
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in Massachusetts, and he hoped that the forty-acre tracts would be develop- ed into fig farms. Instead there was only one fig tree, and it was in Dan Fletcher's yard.
Azor Paulk owned four lots of land around Harding and these were cut up into farms for his children: Charlie, Mack, Hillsman and Jim Paulk, and Effie Paulk Jenkins, Faithy Paulk Hall, and Becky Paulk Gibbs.
Dan Fletcher was one of the very first settlers at Harding, and at his death he was a large land owner there. Other families who have bought homes at Harding or have lived there for several years and have had a great part in the growth and development of the Harding Community are E. L. Vance, L. L. Simmons, J. D. McAllister, Y. E. Matthews, John Goff, Sr., Jacob Hall, Jim Ellis, W. H. Kelley, R. Arnold, C. S. Garner, H. D. McAllister and Harding Vance.
E. L. Vance bought part of the fig farm land and he and Dan Fletcher set up a cotton gin. Later Mr. Vance purchased the gin, and until three years ago, he ginned cotton for the Harding farmers as well as for many others.
John Churchwell from Brookfield built the first store at Harding and sent J. L. Gay over to Harding to run it. Later Mr. Churchwell sold the store to William Matthews who in turn sold it to Dan Fletcher. The store went out of business for a few years and was again opened by Dan Fletcher and E. L. Vance. Today Mr. Vance owns the store and does a good business there.
About forty years ago the Harding post office was opened with Dan Fletcher as postmaster and his wife, Mattie Churchwell Fletcher as his assistant. Dave Branch carried the mail from Waterloo to Harding on horseback. J. R. Fletcher who carried the mail from Tifton to Irwinville picked up the mail at Harding Post Office. The Harding Post Office was a trunk and was kept at either the house or the store. Soon rural routes were opened up and the post office was abolished.
Captain Tift had a large turpentine still at Harding and did a big business turpentining the timber. Turpentine is one of the major enter- prises at Harding today.
The first school was taught in Liberty Baptist Church. Two terms of school were held in the Antioch Methodist Church with J. J. F. Goodman as the teacher. Then the first real Harding schoolhouse was built, being a one-room wooden building. Miss Gussie Hines was the first teacher. Soon another room was added and later the school was consolidated with Brighton School and became a three-room school. In 1926 a four-room brick building with an auditorium was built at Harding. Today the Harding school runs nine months. They have nine grades, the tenth and eleventh
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grades being taken to Tifton on a bus. They have a lunch room where they serve hot lunches to all the children.
There are two churches in the Harding Community-the Liberty Baptist Church, constituted about fifty-five years ago and the Harding Methodist Church, constituted thirty years ago.
Cotton, tobacco, and peanuts are the main crops grown in the commun- ity, but plant farming has been begun. Many of the farmers practice soil conservation by terracing, rotating their crops, and planting winter cover crops. Some are dairying on a rather large scale. Most of the farming is done by tractors now. Many of the homes now have electricity and are constantly adding conveniences.
MIR. AND MRS. DAN FLETCHER HARDING COMMUNITY
by Mrs. Dan Sutton
Dan Fletcher was born in Berrien County in 1867, a son of Elbert and Katherine McMillan Fletcher. In 1891 he married Mattie Churchwell of Brookfield, a daughter of John and Fredonia Churchwell. They lived with Mr. Fletcher's parents two years, and then moved to the Fort Place for a short time. Later they purchased a large plantation and settled at Hard- ing where his family still lives. The following children were born to this union : Erris, Melvin, Mrs. Fredonia Simmons, John H. (who is national- ly known as Big John Fletcher, the football player), Dan, Jr., Mrs. Edgar Pritchett, Sarah, and Mrs. Virginia Corley, all of whom are living.
Mr. Fletcher was a large land owner and livestock man. He liked better than anything else to ride the woods among his livestock.
Mrs. Fletcher is a charter member of Mount Olive Primitive Baptist Church, Mr. Fletcher becoming a member after the church was organ- ized. They were big-hearted Christian people, always attending faithfully not only their own church services, but also the services of the other churches in the community. They were well-wishers to all with whom they came in contact. They were real friends to teachers and preachers. They were active participants in the civic and religious organizations of the community. They were good neighbors. Hundreds of men, both white and colored, have lived on his farms, and they held him in highest regard. This was proved by the large number of colored people who filed by his bier for the last look.
Mr. Fletcher was a great financier. It has been said of him that even though he was ill, he could make one dollar go further than any one else could make ten dollars. He survived successfully such disasters as years
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when he expected to gather three hundred bales of cotton and gathered twenty-six.
The Fletchers were a very devoted family, and the children always found help in time of need. The large family of children have always gathered at the old homestead at least once a week if possible.
Mr. Fletcher died early in 1946. He has been sorely missed by his be- loved family, his friends, and his neighbors since his death. Mrs. Fletcher still carries on and is greatly beloved by all who know her.
MR. AND MRS. JOHN GOFF HARDING COMMUNITY by Mrs. Dan Sutton
John Goff was born in Irwin County near where Liberty Baptist church now stands Oct. 29, 1841. Even though he was not of military age, he served the four years of the War Between the States. He served at first for another person who paid John to serve in his place. Then John enlisted for himself. He was a drummer boy. He saw action in the battles of Gettys- burg and Bull Run.
Just after the war, he married Nellie Hall of Irwin County, who was born Nov. 23, 1852. They purchased several hundred acres of land sur- rounding Liberty Baptist Church and here they reared a large family of children who have been influential in the church and civic life of Harding. The children are: Kano (now deceased), George (better known as Kip), Mrs. Lou Goff Goodman, Jack, Jake, Mrs. Lettie Goff Ellis, Mrs. Ma- lissa Goff Thigpen, Hilburn, Milton, Dan (these three deceased), and John.
Mr. Goff served Irwin and Tift Counties as Road Commissioner for sixteen years. He donated the land on which Liberty Baptist Church was built, and was a charter member of that church. Both were faithful mem- bers until their deaths. Their descendants largely make up the church today. Rev. L. B. Allen has been their faithful pastor for many years, and under his leadership, the church is growing and prosperous.
Mr. Goff was trustee of the Harding School for years.
Mr. and Mrs. Goff were fine Christian characters, good neighbors, great- ly beloved by those who knew them, hospitable in their home, and good citizens.
Both were good singers and this trait has been handed down to their posterity. One can still hear Mrs. Goff singing treble as they sang the grand old hymns of their day. Today these two rest side by side in the cemetery of Liberty Baptist Church they loved so well.
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MIR. AND MRS. JACOB HALL HARDING COMMUNITY by Mrs. Dan Sutton
Jacob Hall was born in 1856 in Irwin County. His mother died when he was very young, and Jacob lived with Warren Paulk near Ocilla until he was grown. He spent his young manhood working at odd jobs wherever he could find them. In 1880 he married Faithie Paulk, daughter of Azor and Judy Fletcher Paulk. Jacob Young performed the marriage ceremony.
They purchased a farm in the Harding community, on the old Ocilla highway and here they spent all their married life.
Mr. Hall was sheriff of Irwin county for at least one term, was a mem- ber of the Tift County Board of Education for 16 years, and was on the building committee which built the modern brick school that Harding now has. Mr. Hall donated the land for the first Harding school.
Mr. and Mrs. Hall were staunch members of the Mount Olive Primi- tive Baptist church for many years. One can still see Mrs. Hall shaking hands with the people who came to church, for she was a friendly person, and saw to it that no one ever left her church without being spoken to.
Their home was a hospitable one. Large crowds of people, both old and young, often gathered there from church and they were always welcome. Mr. and Mrs. Hall always met visitors at the gate if possible, with a friendly smile, and the visitors knew they were welcome as soon as they arrived. Mrs. Hall was a wonderful cook and was neatness itself. Her house and surroundings were always spotlessly clean and her larder was always full.
In later years Mr. Hall was not able to do hard work and he spent much of his time sitting on the front porch where he could see his neighbors when they passed. One can see him now in his old accustomed place. Both were kind to the unfortunate and the sick.
Their children are Walter who resides at the home place, Albert, Gil- bert, and Ada now deceased, Charlie J., Shesley M., and Mrs. Perry Mix- on. Those now living own homes and are substantial citizens of the Hard- ing community.
Mrs. Hall died in 1938 and Mr. Hall in 1940. They rest side by side in the cemetery at Turner Church, one of the oldest churches in Tift County.
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MR. AND MRS. AZOR PAULK HARDING COMMUNITY (Mrs. Dan Sutton)
Azor Paulk who married Judy Fletcher was one of the very first settlers of what is now Harding community. Because the records were burned, much information is unattainable. They had a large family of children. They owned a large section of what is now Harding. Their plantation has now been divided up into many homes. Rigdon's still quarters are on a part of their land.
Mr. Paulk was a big livestock man, owning hundreds of sheep, cattle, and hogs. Sheep-shearing was a great time on their plantation. The men of the community would get up before day and ride for miles to bring in the sheep. As the sheep were brought in, they were penned in barns. The lambs were placed in a pen by themselves. The next morning the hungry lambs would run to their mothers and each lamb would then be marked in the owner's mark. Neighbors came in to help with the shearing. Often the women had a quilting party while the men sheared the sheep. The women prepared and served bountiful dinners at the sheep-shearings, mutton being one of the main dishes. These sheep-shearings took place on all the large plantations.
Mrs. Paulk outlived Mr. Paulk for several years. They are buried near their home.
HISTORY OF OMEGA (by Mrs. Lois Grimes)
In the year 1889 the Union Lumber Company built a railroad from Tif- ton to Thomasville. It was called T. T. and G. Tifton, Thomasville and Gulf. Later it was called A. R. & A., and then A. B. & C. About ten miles southwest of Tifton, on this road the little town of Surrey was laid off by a Mr. Hall. It was located on the land of G. W. Ridley and B. L. Smith. It had five avenues : Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Florida. It had six streets: Cedar, Oak, Maple, Chestnut, Cypress, and Pine. The population was fifteen. Later the name was changed to Omega. The 1940 census showed a population of 602, but in 1947 it is at least one thousand.
The first store was built by a Mr. Scarboro, on the south side of the depot. Later a store was built by Joe Marchant, on the north side of the railroad. In 1911 J. W. Lang went into the mercantile business. The drug store was built in 1912. G. W. Ridley, George Robinson, and Miles Cowart built brick stores about 1918.
shipping points for vegetable plants in the United States.
AIR VIEW OF OMEGA-Enterprising Tift County community and one of the largest
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Omega has been burned out four times, but in 1947 it has an up-to-date drug store, six grocery stores, one general merchandise and grocery store, five meat markets, hardware store, furniture store, ten cent store, two mod- ern cafes, two barber shops, two beauty parlors, five filling stations, four garages, dry cleaning establishment, theater, park, cannery, grist mill, four warehouses, two blacksmith shops, and a feed mill. This mill averages about a car of dairy feed a day for six months of the year. The City Hall, jail and fire truck are all housed in a brick building. A volunteer fire department was organized in 1936, and they have done a good job when- ever fire broke out.
In 1936 a deep well was dug and water works installed. Lights are fur- nished by the Georgia Power Company.
The first cotton gin was built by Joe Marchant, in 1901. W. C. Mobley put in a more modern gin in 1915. Omega now has two electric gins, owned by H. A. Hornbuckle and Omega Plant Farms, Inc,
A Georgia State Bank was organized in 1912 with a capital of $25,000. It closed in 1926, and Omega had no bank until A. G. Jones established a private pank in 1937.
J. W. Taylor was postmaster of the first post office, which was fourth class. Earl Tolbert is postmaster, and the office is now second class. There is one regular clerk and two substitutes, who work regularly during plant season.
The Baptist Church was organized in 1887, with a small membership which has grown to 343. They are giving Christian training to a large number through their Sunbeams for small children, R. A.'s for small boys, G. A.'s for small girls, and training unions for young people and adults. They have a large, active missionary society.
The Methodist Church was organized in 1901, with twenty members, and has grown to 204. They have an active youth's organization, Women's Society of Christian Service, and a Missionary Guild.
A beautiful spirit of Christian cooperation is shown by the way Sunday School and prayer services are conducted. Both churches have half time service and Sunday school is held at the church having preaching. Prayer meeting is held one week at the Baptist and next at the Methodist. The same people attend both churches. Both churches have a building fund and plan to build new churches as soon as it is practical. The Methodists have a nice parsonage and the Baptists plan to build a new pastorium. They rent a very nice place for the pastor.
Omega is very proud of its school. The first school was held in the Baptist Church, with about forty pupils. The first teacher was Miss Beulah Watkins, and her salary was $18.00 a month. The first school building was a two-story wooden structure, and was built on an acre of land given by G. W. Ridley. He also gave an acre for each church. The top story was
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used as a Masonic Hall; later they sold their part to the school and this building was used until 1923 when a new brick building was erected on the northwest side of town. Since that time two more rooms have been added, a four-room wooden structure built for the primary grades. The old pump house was converted into a class room now used for music.
A ball shell, built several years ago, has recently been remodeled. A nice brick agricultural building has also been added. The school has an enroll- ment of 451, operates two busses and has twelve teachers. It has a fine Vocational Agriculture and Home Economics Department. The music teacher also has a large class. Instead of one acre the campus now has six acres. The school also has a nice home for the principal.
Omega owes its growth to the fact that it is surrounded by some of the best farm land in Georgia. Peanuts, vegetable plants, and tobacco, are three of the best money crops. In 1946 over a million dollars worth of pea- nuts were sold in Omega. The first vegetable plants grown for sale in Omega were grown by E. L. Patrick, H. Roberts, and W. M. Ponder, in 1918. To begin with Patrick and Roberts planted about one acre of cab- bage and bedded about 2,000 bushels of potatoes. E. L. Powell began his plant business in 1921. He began by planting five pounds of cabbage seed, and last year his son planted about five tons. They began growing tomato plants for sale in 1922. There are now a number of vegetable plant com- panies shipping cabbage, tomatoes, onions, pepper, lettuce, broccoli. cauli- flower, and beets. There are six packing sheds in Omega. Roy Ponder has recently erected a large shed of cement blocks, just inside the city limits, on the Tifton road. Harry Hornbuckle was the first one to ship vegetable plants by plane. It is estimated that three hundred million plants were shipped from Omega in 1946. Recently a number of farmers have planted vineyards. Mrs. T. M. Hornbuckle and Mrs. Colin Malcolm are the first to grow flowers for sale. They have gladioli and chrysanthemums.
Omega's first newspaper was the "Civic Bulletin," edited by Earl Tol- bert, in 1936. This was a very small paper. In 1938 W. L. Lang began publishing a weekly, "The Omega News." This is a standard size news- paper.
The civic clubs have been instrumental in the growth of the town. The Lions Club was organized in 1943, and has thirty-six members. They are responsible for the dial telephone system, and for the stop lights. They have played a large part in remodeling the ball shell. Together with the Wom- an's Club they are erecting a brick club house in the park. Ed Moore of Tifton, formerly of Omega, gave the land for the park and it is called Joe Warren Memorial Park, in honor of his deceased son. The Lions Club had the arch built over the entrance to the park.
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