USA > Georgia > Tift County > History of Tift County > Part 33
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The Station was governed by the Board of Trustees until January I, 1932, when the Reorganization Act of August 28, 1931, placed the Station in the University System of Georgia under the control of the Board of Regents, to which the Director of the Station is directly responsible.
The original Station farm consisted of 206.22 acres. This land was prac- tically all cut-over and swamp land with only 36 acres in cultivation. The only building was a four-room cottage.
It has been wisely said that an institution is but the shadow of a man. This was true in the growth of the Station. The first director of the Sta- tion, Mr. S. H. Starr, was appointed by the Board of Trustees on October 17, 1919, and assumed his duties on November 15, 1919. Mr. Starr served continuously from this time until the time of his death in November 1942. During his service, the Station made tremendous strides. From 206 acres, the land holdings of the Station increased to approximately 4,000 acres, and from the four-room cottage to buildings valued at a half-million dollars. Two thousand acres were located north of Tifton. In an effort to reach other soil types and farming conditions, land was acquired in Cook County, Berrien County, and Decatur County. In 1920, the Station staff consisted of the Director, farm superintendent, and two research specialists. In 1942,
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the staff had grown to the Director, the farm superintendent, and 25 specialists.
Two members of the original staff are now at the Station-Mr. Fred Bell, Farm Superintendent, and Mr. Otis Wooward, Horticulturist. Lack of space forbids the naming of all specialists employed during the years. These are available in the Station library.
In November 1942, Mr. George H. King, who had been President of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College for eight years, was elected Direc- tor to succeed the late S. H. Starr. Since this time some 1,200 acres of land have been added, giving the station possession of over 5,000 acres of land. Several new departments have been established, so that the Station now consists of the Director and 32 specialists.
SILAS STARR by E. Pickard Karsten
Born in Starrsville, Newton County, Georgia, April 3, 1888, son of Joe A. and Mattie Elliott Starr, Silas Starr attended the public schools of Mansfield and prepared for college at the University School for Boys. He was graduated from the Georgia State College of Agriculture at Athens, in 1910. Thence he went to Bolton College, Brunswick, Tennessee, where he was assistant principal and then principal, and also taught agriculture.
From Bolton Starr returned to his alma mater and taught agronomy and became professor of farm management. These positions he held until 1917.
On December 27, 1917 Silas Starr enlisted in the United States Army during World War I. He served as lieutenant in the Field Artillery and was for seven months with the American forces in France. After the close of the war he returned to America and was mustered out January 22, 1919.
Starr after his army service returned to the Georgia State College of Agriculture where he remained until he was appointed Director of the Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station at Tifton, November 10, 1919. His work from then until his death in a Thomasville, Georgia, hospital fol- lowing a leg amputation, was the work which, together with that of the other men at the station, has contributed greatly to the agriculural success of his community. His biography after coming to the station is the history of the station, for he devoted himself wholeheartedly to the interests of the station, and during the time when he headed the institution numerous important experiments were made and much knowledge useful to the farm- ers of the country was gained. He headed the station from the time of its establishment, January 1920, until his death, November 6, 1942.
In manner one of Tifton's most unassuming citizens, Dr. Silas Starr was one of the community's most eminent men. Governors, senators, and scholarly educators were his close friends, yet he spoke with friendly kindli- ness to the tiller of the soil to better whose position was his life work.
CHAPTER XXVI MISCELLANEOUS PART II NEGRO PIONEERS by E. Pickard Karsten
No history of Tift County would be adequate did it omit mention of those high-type Negroes whose faithful and efficient service and upright character made a large contribution to the building of Tifton.
Too numerous to mention by name are the faithful and strong mill hands whose service at the Tift Mill helped build the town.
Memory's tribute of appreciation goes to Herbert, long gardener to H. H. Tift, and in charge of fire building in the Tift home. How brightly burned those fires, and how fragrant was the sweet pine lightwood, and the fragrance of the burning rosin chips! How bright the tall brass and- irons! How memory goes back to when my mother asked Uncle Herbert what he wished as a gift, and her surprise at his answer "A dictionary !" She gave him one. He was a preacher.
In the Tift home as maid, and nurse to me when I came down to Tif- ton, winters, was sweet Bertha Copeland. She taught me much of what I learned in those early days, and I remember her always as kind and cheer- ful and a gentlewoman in her ways. Also, I recall how good tasted the sweet potatoes she would bake for me in the ashes of the fireplace. In after years I tried to bake some thus, but mine never tasted like hers! The last time I saw her was the day when she came to see me after my aunt, Bessie Tift, died. Bertha had come to the funeral and when she learned I was here she came to see me. I cried on her shoulder as I had, when hurt, in my child- hood, and, as then, I found solace in her large kindliness, healing to the soul.
There was Flora, for forty years laundress to Mrs. Tift; and no laundry could excel Flora's beautiful work. Her daughter, Lillian Forrester, was a power for good among the people of her own race, and the last time I saw her, her face shone with so much sweetness and goodness that I felt humble in her presence. I was not surprised when, soon afterward, I learned that she had gone from this world. It was evident that she was ready to go.
Jane, whose meals were prepared with great skill, Julia, Jerry, all skilled cooks in the H. H. Tift household; Jeff Mathis, in the service of H. H. Tift, Jr., for many, many years, from childhood until Mr. Tift's death; Sally Ivory, nurse to my own children and later cook to my mother, and again, after my mother's death, cook in my home again, in all a period of thirty years; Matilda Grant, nurse in my mother's household for thir- teen years-these, many of them long passed from this world, are yet with me in memory, and I recall with gratitude the part they had in making life much richer and sweeter than it would have been without them.
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WITH TIFT COLORED FOLKS
Top left-The day's pick in one of Tift's cotton fields. Top right-Young Dennard, who has celebrated his 101st birthday.
Center, left-Pulling tomato plants in one of the many fields in Tift County. Bottom-Group singing in the colored school at Tifton
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In more recent years, yet now for a long time, have been here Lelia Brooks, and William Brooks. Lelia's patience and kindness with children is such as made her charge eagerly await her hour to come each day, and reluctant to have her leave. Brooks, who for many years has been the one to thorough-clean the library with its many shelves of books, is also effi- cient at parties, and at any thing he undertakes.
In addition to these there is another whom I wish to mention but whose name I do not know. When I attended the funeral of Sallie Ivory, the woman I refer to sang, and I think I shall never forget the sweetness of her voice, as she sang "Nothing Between Myself and My Savior." Such music is a gift of God.
NEGRO CITIZENS by Mrs. N. Peterson
A great many of the older colored citizens of Tifton and Tift County came to Tifton with Capt. Tift and worked with him in his mill in the woods felling and hauling logs to the mill or else working in the turpen- tine forests.
Most of the wives of these men were maids, nurses, cooks, and washer women for many of the housewives of Tifton.
Space will only permit the naming a few who are still living in Tifton where they reared their families, who in turn are doing their bit toward making Tifton and Tift county a better place in which to live.
The first family I shall name will be Charlie and Flora Forester, who came from Albany with Captain Tift. Charlie helped to build the first mill and worked as block setter in the mill until his death. His wife Flora was laundress for Mrs. H. H. Tift for forty-one years-having the laun- dry in her home at the time of her death. Their daughter Janie married Fred Rutherford, who helped Johnny Wilson to raise funds to build the first Tift County Industrial School. He also served in World War I.
Henry and Maria Wilson were the parents of Johnny Wilson to whom credit is given in the chapter on Tift County Industrial school. Henry worked as a mill hand during his life time. Aunt Maria is still living in Phillipsburg-a unique character in that her mind is still so clear for one her age. She was cook and laundress for Tifton white folk for years.
Doan and Joanna Winters came to Tifton with Capt. John A. Phillips who built the old Sadie Hotel. Doan was general cook and porter for the hotel-his wife was general maid. Clark Winters, their son, now a faith-
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ful employee of the local Georgia Power Company, was one of Johnny Wilson's committee to raise funds for the Industrial school.
Jim and Ida May Manuel were early citizens. Jim worked on Capt.
Tift's log train while Ida May's hobby was cleaning and taking care of the young men's offices down town.
Tom and Lucy Mathis were faithful employees of Captain Tift. Their son Jeff, when a very young boy started working on the tram engine for the mill.
The story goes that Captain Tift would often run the engine himself to the woods to haul the log train into the mill. On these trips he would take Jeff to stand on the front of the engine to run the stock off the track to keep from being hit by the engine. Jeff drove for the Captain during horse and buggy days and also his automobile as long as Captain Tift lived. He then took over as general house boy for Mrs. Tift until her death. Jeff did fine service in 1929, driving Mrs. Tift's car for six weeks to take some pupils to a night school for adult illiterates taught by Miss Marian Ragan. Jeff now owns and operates a good dry cleaning establishment on Seventh Street.
Wesley and Cherry Holt were old timers. Wesley was a farmer, but worked in turpentine when Captain Tift needed him. Cherry was one of the first mid-wives in this section. She practiced for both white and colored as long as she was physically able. She is still living in Unionville, but is very feeble.
Ned and Lula Manning were good colored farmers of the Chula sec- tion of the county for a number of years. This fact is evidenced by their son, Nathan Manning, who has been the faithful janitor at the Tifton post office since July 1921. He owns his own home and has given his chil- dren a good education. His oldest daughter has a college education.
Lewis King was an old mill hand. His wife died when his daughter Clara was quite young. She grew to womanhood and married Gus Small, who is a butcher by trade. Clara has been janitress at the Tifton Post Office since 1918.
Jerry Copeland was fireman and blacksmith at Tift's Mill. He passed his trade on to his son, Bill, who is considered one of the best blacksmiths and mechanics in Tifton. His work rated so high that the government took him as a mechanical trainer for colored boys during World War II. He also assisted Johnny Wilson in raising funds for the Tift County Indus- trial School.
There are several colored pastors that should be given a place in the annals of Tifton's history. I refer to Brother Dan Mosely, pastor of old Shiloh Baptist Church. Another pastor is Cam Whitterker, pastor of Springfield church.
There are a few individual characters who stand out with the older
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citizens of Tifton. Who does not remember old Uncle Herbert Nichols, who was always soliciting funds with which to build a new church; old Aunt Dina Jones, mid-wife and baby nurse for all who could secure her services when there was a new baby in the home?
There are many others who have left their imprint for good on the lives of both white and black. Could we have done without them ?
NEGRO CHURCHES by B. L. Powers
Shiloh Baptist Missionary Church, which is the First Baptist Church in Tifton (colored)-organized 1882 near Tift Quarter in a small building. It was later built between Tift Quarter and Unionville, a larger building. In 1922 we moved into the present building which is a brick structure.
The first pastor was Rev. Anderson Whitaker ; second pastor, Rev. Ben Jones ; third pastor, Rev. D. A. Mosley. He served nearly 40 years. Fourth pastor, Rev. H. T. Tarver, served 13 years; fifth pastor, Rev. W. A. Tucker. This year is his seventh. Present location, south of Tifton near the National highway. Present value of church about $15,000. Name of pres- ent pastor, Rev. W. A. Tucker; name of present clerk, Mrs. B. L. Pow- ers. Membership, 196. Preaching days, second and fourth Sundays.
Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church was organized in the Everett Chapel C. M. E. Church, May 1912, with 18 members under Rev. A. J. Rucker. He served nine months. Second pastor, Rev. D. J. Jackson ; third pastor, Rev. G. W. Marlon; fourth pastor, Rev. J. C. Carter ; fifth pastor, Rev. B. J. Drummer. Present location, S. Park Avenue, Phillips- burg. Present value of church, about $8,000. Membership 300. Wooden structure. Rev. B. J. Drummer, pastor ; Mrs. Julia Folley, clerk.
I Hope Church of God Apostolic. Organized 1941 with 8 members. First pastor, Rev. Louie Odoms. Location, Collins Quarter in Tifton, Ga. Present location, Ind. Drive. Present value of church $4,000. Name of pastor and only pastor of this church. Rev. Louie Odoms. Membership, 83. Number of churches in this town, one. Type of church, wooden structure. Rev. Louie Odoms, pastor ; Mrs. L. M. Odoms, clerk.
Primitive Baptist Church was organized ten years ago under the Rev. L. Carter, south of Unionville on Peachtree Street. First and only pastor, Rev. L. Carter. Present value of church about $500.00. Membership 50. Present pastor, Rev. L. Carter.
Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, organized 1900. First pastor's name was Rev. Guss Mingo. Location of church, on the Hill in Phillips- burg, near Mrs. Eloise McCloud's home. Second pastor, Rev. W. D.
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Watson ; third pastor, Rev. G. B. Moseley ; fourth pastor, Rev. N. A. Mil- ler ; fifth pastor, Rev. J. S. Murray ; sixth pastor, Rev. Jake Parson ; seventh pastor, Rev .. Henry Strong; eighth pastor, Rev. W. F. Flamman. Present location, Park Avenue, Phillipsburg. Present value of church about $12,000. Membership, 150. Pastor, Rev. W. F. Flamman; clerk, Mr. A. McCrae.
Beulah Hill Missionary Baptist Church, organized, 1900. First pastor, Rev. L. M. Mathis, served 29 years. Location in bottom back of Phillips- burg, near Mr. Jeff Mathis's present home. Second pastor, Rev. R. D. Arline ; third pastor, Rev. E. D. King; fourth pastor, Rev. R. H. Williams ; figth pastor, Rev. B. J. Jordan; sixth pastor, Rev. Picket; seventh pastor, Rev. E. G. Kirk; eighth pastor, Rev. H. W. Wilburn; ninth pastor, Rev. L. T. Sanders. Present location about the center of Phillipsburg. Present value of church, about $7,000. Membership -? Present pastor, Rev. L. T. Sanders. Present clerk, Mrs. Fannie King.
Springfield Missionary Baptist Church, organized April 8, 1886 at Vanceville, Ga., under Rev. Boss Williams. First pastor, Rev. Bill Mitch- ell; second pastor, Rev. Sam Jordon; third pastor, Rev Nesbia Johnson ; fourth pastor, Rev. Dick Jackson; fifth pastor, Rev. C. W. Whitaker ; sixth pastor, Rev. J. H. Sanders. Present location, Ind. Drive. First Deacon of this church Mr. Aaron Thomas; first mother of this church, Mrs. Sarah Thomas. Membership, 188. Present value of the church which is a brick structure, about $10,000. Rev .. J. H. Sanders, pastor ; Mrs. Lula Tyrus, clerk.
The First A. M. E. Church in Tifton called Isabella Chapel was found- ed by the Rev. I. G. Glass who served as its first pastor. The church was located south of what is now the A. B. and C. Railroad. Other pastors : Rev. Edwards, Rev. C. O. Mitchell, Rev. Davis, Rev. E. B. Brown, Rev. S. E. Crews.
Allen Temple located on Allen Street was purchased by Mrs. Patsy Lassiter. Rev. Hightower served as its first pastor. After Isabella Chapel burned the members moved to Allen Temple.
Other pastors: Rev. A. T. Tompkins, Rev. R. B. Sheffield, Rev. G. W. Robinson, Rev. J. W. Hall, Rev. C. P. Hobbs, Rev. S. M. Gilliard, Rev. I. N. Middleton, Rev. Lawrence, Rev. Randall, Rev. E. L. Miller, Rev. A. W. White, Rev. Cox, Rev. Gordon, Rev. Cole, Rev. R. W. Williams, Rev. Woods, Rev. Purcell, Rev. Grant, Rev. Lissimore, Rev. Gissentanne, Rev. N. F .. Fedd.
Allen Temple was moved to its present location on South Park Avenue by the Rev. R. W. Williams. The value of church $7,000. The present pastor, Rev. James Debro. Membership, 150. Number of churches in town of this denomination, one. Type of church, brick veneered.
Everett Temple Church was organized in 1908 at Phillipsburg with 12 members. First pastor, Rev. N. T .. Everett of Albany, Ga. Several pastors
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followed. Some are as follows : Rev. W. H. Pettigrue, Rev. C. W. Lawson, Rev. H. W. Armestor, Rev. N. T. Patterson, Rev. J. N. Davis, Rev. W. E. Brown, Rev. R. C. Magee, Rev. W. R. Smith, Rev. L. Barton, Rev. A. Bell, Rev. S. A. Thomas, Rev. N. T. Tenseley, Rev. M. C. Pettigrue. Present pastor is Rev. M. D. Davis with membership 148. Present value of church about $6,000.
JOE REEVES
Joe Reeves, janitor at the Tifton High School, is one of the best janitors in the state. He has worked at the Tifton High School for about a quarter of a century. During the war Joe worked in a chemical laboratory in New Orleans and received certificates of distinction for meritorious labor.
There was rejoicing among students and teachers at the Tifton High School when Joe returned last year. He is efficient and honorable in per- forming his tasks.
CHAPTER XXVII TRUE TALES OF WIRE GRASS GEORGIA by J. L. Williams
TIFTON'S FIRST TORNADO AND WHAT BROUGHT IT ABOUT
In April, 1906, I manufactured building material in Tifton. I had in my employ as a cabinet maker a Baptist preacher, J. S. Weathers. He was a little past middle age and a much better looking man than the average. He was of fair personality and had better than a fair vocabulary. He lived in one of what we called at that time the knitting mill houses. The location was right where the big power station is now, just past the swimming pool.
Weathers was a regular preacher at the Tifton Cotton Mill church. Many times he and I talked of his ministry at the mill. He told me the people were not responding to his preaching as he thought they should. He worried about it considerably. His answers to my questions lead me to believe that he was afraid to really speak out to his flock.
At that time I had heard Sam Jones and the other leading evangelists of the country. With a view of helping Brother Weathers and his con- gregation I suggested that he let me write a sermon for him, and I sug- gestel that he study it and deliver it in the way I suggested. He readily agreed. Going into further details I wanted to know exactly what response came from it. The word used now is: the congregation's reaction. He and I began to work out the details which were these: The sermon was to be delivered on Sunday night. I was to be on the outside of the church and just before beginning I was to enter. Then, the brother seeing me enter the church, and on account of my being his employer, he was to invite me up on the rostrum so I could look the congregation in the face for the reaction.
Well, we were quite busy, time passed and the work was put off from day to day.
During that time one day while sawing with a handsaw the saw jumped out of the wood and scratched the knuckle of my thumb. It was a minor scratch and went unnoticed until a couple of days when blood poison set in ; it began to look very dangerous. The entire arm was swollen to double normal size. It was wrapped in cotton and kept wet with a liquid solution to counteract the poison. I had to hold that arm up with the other arm.
At that time we had three small children. The youngest was less than a year old and the others just a little older. The middle one was down with typhoid fever at the time I got my hand hurt. He was growing worse day
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by day and the swelling in my arm had reached into the shoulder. I was spending about half time at the shop and the other at the house helping with the sick and treating my hand. Weathers was working at the shop at the time.
One day at the noon hour I was at home, which was on N. Central Avenue, the next block from the ice house. I was in great pain. The weather looked threatening. The sick child was pale and motionless. While I was walking the floor in the hall holding the poisoned arm with the other, I saw the blackest cloud I thought I had ever seen coming from the east. Suddenly there was a heavy downpour of rain, and more suddenly I heard something sound like a half dozen fast trains running; it was over in the direction of the Post Office. Getting to the front door I saw it was a tornado. I saw lumber, shingles and limbs flying through the air. I felt a great pressure against the house. The Presbyterian church then was located where the Touchstone family lives now. I saw the church go down. I rushed to the bed and took the sick child up with one hand and went to the door, telling the wife and another woman that was living in the house to get the others and get out. They had not seen what was going on out- side. They were alarmed only at me. They thought I had suddenly gone crazy. When I got to the door I saw the wind tearing up the barns on the alley behind the Julian and Paulk houses. Thinking it had passed I put the sick child back on the bed. The wind was in a great circle in the air, rolling over and over. Sweeping the ground and then rolling up about 200 feet. There was a sash and door factory where Newton's plumbing shop stands now. It had a metal roof. The roof was torn off. The smokestack was blown down across the steam pipe from the boiler to the engine. The escaping steam made the strangest and most distressing sound I had ever heard. On my looking out the second time I saw all that roofing, brick- bats, wood shingles and wagon wheels away up in the air and rolling back towards me. I ran for the sick child and told the women that it was com- ing back and to get ready and get out with the other children.
When I got to the door that time I saw the four knitting mill houses blowing away. One was the preacher's house. One man in one of the houses was pinned under and hurt badly but not killed. A calf was blown up and killed against the trees. The furniture and bed clothing of Preacher Weathers' house as well as the others was in the top of the trees as far as Little River.
During all that time Weathers was working at the shop, but left and went to the place where his house was, finding his wife unhurt he returned to the shop. When I got to the shop I found him packing his tools in his box. I asked what he intended to do. He said he was quitting, that he was going to the picture gallery and get the man there to go and make a picture
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of the wreckage; he said further that he thought he could take the picture and start on an evangelistic tour and make some money.
The next day he brought the picture and told me, with that in a revival he thought he could get such collections as was really due him.
It was several months before I saw Weathers again. I asked, what luck? "Mighty poor, Brother William, mighty poor," was his answer .He said it had been a good season for tornadoes, but on account of the time of year that the farmers were busy the attendance was off.
Now fellers, don't ever fool with a preacher by way of helping with a sermon, lest you start a big blow.
TRIBUTE TO J. L. HERRING AT A MEMORIAL MEETING AT THE LIONS CLUB IN 1923
Tifton Lions set aside all business and entertainment at the regular meeting Thursday and held an interesting memorial exercise in honor of the late J. L. Herring.
Good talks were made by Dr. F. C. McConnell, Jr., W. B. Bennet, Roy Thrasher, M. C. Owen, John Etheredge, C. W. Fulwood. Mrs. H. H. Tift, and J. L. Williams.
Tift County's Greatest Man
In his talk to the Lions, Mr. Williams said :
"To my mind the greatest man in any community is the man that does the most good for the most people and does it in an unselfish way. That man in Tifton and Tift county was undoubtedly John L. Herring.
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