USA > Georgia > Tift County > History of Tift County > Part 43
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Irvine W. Myers on December 22, 1899, in Atlanta, married Pearl Willing- ham, handsome youngest daughter of Cecilia Baynard Willingham and the late Thomas Henry Willingham, formerly of Albany, Georgia, and prior to the War Between the States, of "Smyrna," near Old Allendale, South Caro- lina. Pearl had grown up in Albany, and, after her father's death, had lived in College Park, where she made her home with her brother, Benjamin Wil- ingham, and his family, and where she attended Cox College. Pearl was youngest sister of Bessie, wife of Henry Tift, founder of Tifton.
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Irvine had come to Tifton when eighteen. Immediately upon arrival he became clerk at Hotel Sadie. Later he became proprietor and part owner. After the Sadie burned he operated the Hotel Myon which replaced the Sadie. Also, he owned and operated a large farm, and he had interests in the Fenner Tobacco Warehouse in Tifton. He was an officer in a Tifton bank, and he had various other business interests. He was a charter member of the Tifton Rotary Club, was a member of Tift County Board of Trade and later of the Tift County Chamber of Commerce.
To Irvine and Pearl Willingham Myers were born two children, Marguerite, an exceptionally pretty girl, graduated from Washington Seminary, Atlanta, married Le Roy Miller, and lives in Washington. Henry Tift Myers, born in Tifton, attended Culver Military Institute; graduated from Georgia School of Technology. As early as 1931 Bessie Tift wrote in a letter to a niece: "Brother Myers is here (in Tifton) for Christmas and he has won the high- est honors in his aviation class in everything ... "
By 1937 Henry Myers was a pilot with the Eastern Air lines with head- quarters in Texas. In October of that year, Irvine went from Tifton to Ten- nessee to meet his son and fly with him. He did so and had a glorious ex- perience. To Pearl he wrote that it was a thrill of a lifetime to ride at an altitude of eleven thousand feet, and at more than two hundred miles per hour! The letter reached Pearl on Thursday afternoon, and at six of that same afternoon Irvine died of a heart attack suffered in a Nashville, Tennes- see hotel. His body was brought back to Tifton and buried here where all mourned his passing.
After Irvine's death, Pearl bought the other heir's interest in the Myon Hotel, and she operated it until recently when she leased it to a hotel com- pany which operates a chain of hotels.
Henry Myers continued his aviation and in World War II entered the United States Aviation Corps in which he is Lieutenant Colonel. He piloted the famous "Sacred Cow," used by President Truman. During President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration, Myers often piloted the plane used by Mrs. Roosevelt. He now pilots President Truman's new plane. During the War Col. Myers was pilot of the plane which took the five senators on their famous inspection flight around the world. It was on this flight that he made the hazardous and long flight of four thousand miles above water, the first time that so great a distance above water had been attempted. For this he had made innumerable long flights over land in order to assure himself and his superior officers that the long flight was possible.
In Texas Henry Myers had met Miss Maidee Calaway Williams, daughter of Mrs. Henry Washington Williams and the late Mr. Williams. Miss Wil- liams and Colonel Myers were wed on Saturday, December 1, 1944 at a cere- mony performed at Bethesda, Maryland. Of this union is a son, born Wash- ington, D. C., Monday, April 28, 1947.
BENJAMIN HILL McLEOD
Benjamin Hill McLeod, son of Daniel W. McLeod and Catherine Parker
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McLeod, from North Carolina, was born at Sumner, Georgia, September 14, 1885. He attended the public schools at Sumner and at Tifton where his par- ents moved during his boyhood.
On January 1, 1900, when a lad of only fifteen, Ben began work at the Bank of Tifton. After six years he was made assistant cashier; he became cashier in 1912; in 1922 he became vice-president, and, in 1945, executive vice-presi- dent, his present position.
In January, 1912, B. H. McLeod was elected the first secretary-treasurer of the Country Club at Gun Lake.
On June 18, 1912 Benjamin Hill McLeod and Hortense Mulloy were united in marriage. Mrs. McLeod, a young woman of exceptional beauty, was daughter of Professor Mulloy, superintendent of schools, first at East- man and later at Tifton. Of this union were two children, Mildred Floyd Mc- Leod (McLanahan), born January 13, 1914, and Ben Hill McLeod, Jr., born October 23, 1919.
Mr. McLeod, Sr., has two sisters, Mrs. J. J. Golden and Mrs. D. B. Har- rell, both prominent in the woman's work of the Tifton First Baptist Church. Mrs. Golden has been choir director at that church for thirty-five years; Mrs. Golden has since the death of Bessie Tift, been teacher of the Bessie Tift Bible Class of the First Baptist Sunday School. Also she was for several years president of the Woman's Missionary union of that church; and Mrs. Golden is treasurer.
The McLeods, during the childhood of B. T. McLeod, Mrs. Golden and Mrs. Harrell, lived in the large house which formerly stood at the northwest corner of Park Avenue, at Fourth Street.
THE McMILLAN FAMILY
Daniel McMillan and his wife, Margaret, were married in Scotland and had six children, of whom the sons were John, Malcolm, and Archie. Prior to 1812 the family emigrated to America and settled in Virginia. Thence they moved to North Carolina; thence to South Carolina, and thence to Georgia, where they settled in Irwin County on the place where in 1912 lived Joe Fletcher, near Alapaha station. John, Malcolm and Archie were among the pioneers of Irwin County.
John McMillan married Sally, eldest daughter of Jacob Paulk, son of Micajah Paulk, and had thirteen children, Dan, John, Jim, Malcolm, Jacob, Archie, George, Margaret, Mary, Sarah, Betsy, Malissa, Kate.
Malcolm McMillan, son of Daniel and Margaret, married Rachel Sumner, daughter of Jesse Sumner. They had fifteen children: Archie, John, Jesse, Jim, Malcolm, Ashley, Randall, William, Burrell, Alexander, Mary, Margaret, Nancy, Jane, Viney.
Archie McMillan, son of Daniel and Margaret, married Margaret Young, daughter of Thomas Young, first. Children of Archie and Margaret Young McMillan were: Red, whose real name was Malcolm McMillan; John, Mary, Jane, Margaret, Thomas, Kate, Becky, Jacob (Jake).
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Red Malcolm McMillan, above mentioned, was born October 24, 1853. On November 21, 1873, he married Narcissa Henderson (born November 3, 1858) daughter of Elizabeth Paulk Henderson (born March 26, 1841, daugh- ter of John Jaulk) and Robert Henderson (born February 12, 1831; married March 12, 1857), son of Rhoda Whitley Henderson (born June 5, 1804; mar- ried September 19, 1820) and John Henderson (born October 15, 1789, son of Daniel Henderson who married Sallie McBride in North Carolina, prob- ably prior to 1810, and settled in Irwin County about nine miles S. E. of Ocilla at a place later known as the Wyatt Tucker place but then a wilder- ness still inhabited by Indians and full of wolves and deer. Daniel and Salie had nine chidren and members of their families became well known through- .out Turner and Irwin Counties. They produced fifteen members of the House of Representatives of the Georgia Legislature and six state senators, through the year 1926.
Red Malcolm McMillan and Narcissa Henderson McMillan had nine chil- dren: Sarah, Elizabeth, Archibald, Margaret, Catherine, Robert H., John H., Edwin, Viola. Of these seven lived to maturity. To each of the girls who lived to maturity R'ed gave half a land lot, that is, 250 acres or its equivalent in money. To each of the boys who lived to maturity he gave one land lot, that is, 490 acres. Archibald's portion fell in what is now Tift County and there he settled. Robert H. settled at Brookfield.
Archiebald McMillan of what is now Tift County, married Mittie F. Car- ter, July 9, 1903. To them were born: Aubrey, Lucile, L. D., Julian, Archi- bald.
Robert H., who settled at Brookfield, married Mattie Irene Connell. To them were born: Mabel, Inez, R. H. II, Edwin W., Emory D.
Of the above, R. H. McMillan II married Gladys Greene, of Tifton, daughter of Mrs. Louise Greene, daughter of Mrs. Arjane Fletcher, daugh- ter of James W. Overstreet, son of Moses Overstreet, Mrs. Fletcher being the oldest living member of the Overstreet family, pioneer residents of what is now Tift County.
Children of R. H. McMillan II and Gladys Greene McMillan are Martha Louise, R. H. III (Tim), Patricia, Christopher Paul. This family now lives at 419 Park Avenue, Tifton.
For further information regarding the McMillan family, see the book, "Henderson and Whiddon Families" by William Henderson.
SILAS AND DUNCAN O'QUINN
At a huge O'Quinn reunion held some years ago near Odum, Appling County, Georgia, more than fifteen hundred persons were present.
The first O'Quinn to come to America came from County Cork, Ireland, to Charleston, South Carolina. There also came from Ireland to South Carolina many years ago Elias Branch and his wife, Mary DeVaughn Branch. Elias and Mary had six children: Dave, Jim, and Nancy, who settled in Irwin County; Mike and Elias, who settled in Appling County: and Rachel, who married Duncan O'Quinn and settled in Berrien County after the War
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Between the States. Duncan was judge of the Inferior Court of Berrien County.
Children of Judge Duncan O'Quinn and Rachel Branch O'Quinn were Silas, Elias, Dave, Martha, and Susan.
Of the above children, the sons married as follows:
Silas married, first, Maggie Robinson, of Wayne County; second, Tina Rowland. Elias married Charity Herring. Dave married Sally Edge.
Children of Silas and Maggie Robinson O'Quinn were John, who married Leah Bennett; Ida, who married J. B. Wallace; Marcus; Robinson, who mar- ried Minnie McClellan, in 1898.
Children of Silas O'Quinn and Tina Rowland were Gus, Lamar, who mar- ried Fannie Morris; Elias, who married Lucy B. Mitchell; Unie, who mar- ried J. M. McSwain; Florie, who married G. H. Mitchell; Silas; Donie.
Elias and Charity Herring O'Quinn had the following children: Mattie (Mrs. L. G. Rutland); T. H .; Elias, who married Mattie Whiddon; Charles, who married Maggie Paulk; Estelle, who married M. B. McClellan; Cath- leen, who married Ed Willis (of Willis Dairy).
Chidren of Dave and Sally Edge O'Quinn were Daisy, H. M., Varney, Arzula.
The sisters, Martha and Susan, daughters of Duncan and Rachel Branch O'Quinn, married, respectively, Red Bennett and John Bennett.
Children of Red and Martha were Rachel, Viola, Becky, Roxie, Ralphael. Children of John and Susan were Ruby, Pearl, Gordy, Britt, Essie.
Silas O'Quinn, the elder, and his brother, Elias O'Quinn, were farmers and both lived on farms, which they owned, near Tifton. Silas came to Tif- ton about sixty years ago and was a blacksmith working for H. H. Tift at the Tift Mill. Silas died in 1933.
Of Silas, the editor of the Tifton Gazette wrote, in July, 1895: "Mr. Silas O'Quinn came around early in the week to make peace with the devil with a lot of peaches ... the finest specimens ever brought to this office. The devil is full of peaches and gratitude."
THE OVERSTREETS
The Colonial Records of Georgia, Vol. XXII, page 245 quote from a letter of General James Oglethorpe to accountant in which he mentions "a loan in cattle to one Overstreet, an industrious man with a wife and six children in Augusta." This was in 1739.
In 1743 a document in London set forth that the township of Augusta outside of the garrison embraced only a few white people, traders with In- dians. Among the list of sixteen names of settlers at the fort was Henry Overstreet.
In 1762 at a meeting of Council in Savannah, on May 4, was read a petition of Henry Overstreet, lately come into the province of Georgia with his wife and six children in order to settle. He was granted 150 acres of land about three miles above the mouth of Briar Creek, famous in history as the stream believed by Georgia's early historian, Jones, to be that which De Soto and
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his men swam in their march through Georgia. Also it was the stream near which was captured the valiant Colonel John McIntosh, American patriot of the Scotch colony of New Inverness, later called Darien. Near this stream Overstreet was granted additional acreage and this became the Georgia home of the Overstreets. Thence one crossed over into South Carolina and wed. This was James Overstreet who, in 1771, married Sarah Booth (born Dec. 10, 1756, died December 24, 1818). Sarah was daughter of Mary and John Booth, who wed in 1753. John Booth served with the upper Granville County regiment of the South Carolina Militia and was killed in action at Hutson's Ferry 1779 (see Memoir of Tarleton Brown, reprint of 1894, pp. 5 and 6). For this Revolutionary patriot the John Booth Chapter of the Sons of the Ameri- can Revolution, Columbia, South Carolina, is named.
To James Overstreet and Sarah Booth Overstreet was born a son, James Overstreet, Jr., born in Barnwell District, South Carolina, February 11, 1773; married, in 1795, Eliza Holcombe Brown (born April 13, 1773; died September 6, 1817) whose mother, nee Holcombe, was a daughter of the widow Holcombe who married Bartlett Brown, Sr., uncle of Tarleton Brown, a captain in the Revolutionary War. James Overstreet, Jr., was a lawyer, was justice of the peace at Barnwell, in 1807, and was representative from South Carolina to the 16th and 17th congresses. He died at China Grove, North Carolina, May 24, 18? , while returning from Washington, and Congress ad- journed in respect to his memory and a sketch of him was printed in the Congressional Record.
Sarah Booth Overstreet, wife of James, Sr., received 125 acres of land from her mother, and the deed was recorded April 9, 1801. By her will, recorded November 29, 1818, Sarah left property to her son, James Overstreet, and others. Sarah is buried in the Brown graveyard, Barnwell, South Carolina. Sarah Booth Overstreet and James Overstreet, Sr., had six children: James, John, Henry, a daughter (Mrs. Brown), Mary, Samuel.
Of the above family of Overstreets, Moses Overstreet (born about 1798, died March 1, 1852; buried at Royal's Church, Coffee County, Georgia), mar- ried in March, 1819 Elizabeth Carter. Of this union were ten children: 1. Henry Josiah (born Sept. 25, 1820; never married); 2. James W. 3. Sarah Ann (born Feb. 25, 1825; died May 5, 1898; married William Royal). 4. Jane Elizabeth (born December 5, 1827; died July 20, 1828); 5. Mary A. (born July 11, 1829; died Sept. 27, 1829) ; 6 Moses William (born March 10, 1832; died Jan. 9, 1852 never married); 7. Martha Amanda (born Oct. 21, 1835; married Griffis Richatson); 8. Seaborn Franklin (born July 28, 1838; killed in War Between the States, May 26, 1865); 9. Benjamin Jacob (born May 13, 1841; killed in War Between the States, June 29, 1862); 10. Mary Cath- erine (born July 25, 1843; married John Spell.
Of these children of Moses and Elizabeth Carter Overstreet, James W. Overstreet was the only son to survive the War Between the States and leave descendants. He was born in Burke County, Georgia, October 27, 1822. On February 3, 1852 he married Susan Ann Solomon (born in Coffee County, May 16, 1836; died May 30, 1925; buried at Ty Ty Church), daughter
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of Godwin Solomon. James was reared in Screven County; later went to Worth County; apparently he or one of his name went from Screven County over into South Carolina but later moved back to Georgia. James was among the pioneer residents of what is now Tift County. He lived on a large farm which he owned near Little River, on the Omega Road, and he had built the Overstreet Bridge which formerly stood near his plantation. This old bridge has been replaced by a concrete structure. James was a Godly man, interested in charity work and is said by some, "to have done more of this personally than any other man of this section in his day." He was interested also in building schools and roads. James and Susan had a large family of children and James died March 6, 1900, and is buried at old Ty Ty Church.
Children of James and Susan Ann Solomon Overstreet were: 1. Delilah: 2. Henry Clay; 3. Elizabeth; 4. Mary Jane; 5. Martha Ann; 6. Seaborn Franklin; 7. Arjane; 8. Susan Clayton; 9. Moses Oscar; 10. James W., Jr .; 11. Josiah; 12. David; 13. Lilla; 14. Lula; 15. Benjamin Jacob.
Of the above fifteen children fourteen lived to maturity. Of these several lived in Tift County. Of these was Judge Seaborn Franklin Overstreet, born August 18, 1864, Coffee County, near Durham's Mill, died Sept. 17, 1941; buried Tifton; married Mary Ann Eason Wills (born May 30, 1872, Worth County) daughter of Dempsey R. Willis and Mary Ann Baker. Issue were: Bessie, C. Crandall, Henry C., N. Russell, Seaborn Franklin, Jr., Julian (Dock), Flora Kate, Lillian. Flora Kate Overstreet (Mrs. Emerson Mitchell) is possessed of an extraordinarily sweet soprano voice, and for many years sang in the choir of the Tifton First Baptist Church.
Arjane Overstreet, born March 17, 1866, Coffee County, married, June 24, 1880, in Irwin County, George Washington Fletcher (born Nov. 11, 1858; died Feb. 17, 1920) son of Jehu Fletcher and Matilda Sumner Fletcher. To Arjane and G. W. Fletcher were born Susie, Leonard and Louise. Early left a widow, Mrs. Fletcher reared her orphaned children and also her orphaned grandchildren. At more than eighty, she is still a beautiful woman; and her piety and shrewd common sense are of exceptional order. Of her grandchil- dren, Martha Louise Greene was Miss T. H. S. the year of her graduation from Tifton High School. She is a young woman of great beauty. Another granddaughter, Mary Catherine Driskell, is an unusually beautiful blond. An- other granddaughter, Gladys Greene, a talented writer, married R. H. Mc- Millan (see article on McMillans).
Lilla Overstreet, born Dec. 13, 1876, Worth County (now Tift); died Jan .. 18, 1930; buried Ty Ty Church, Tift County; married Feb. 23, 1893, in Worth, now Tift, George Washington Crum (born Feb. 25, 1869; died Feb. 11, 1913; buried Ty Ty Church). Issue: Jewel, Homer P. (married Ted Wallace) ; Elder Lloyd, Jim, Robert, William Paul.
For several years prior to World War II the Overstreet. Family held a reunion at Abraham-Baldwin Agricultural College, Tifton. Several hundred members of the Overstreet family were in attendance. Mrs. Arjane Over- street Fletcher, of 419 Park Avenue, Tifton, is the oldest living member of the Overstreet family (in 1947).
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A more comprehensive genealogy of the Overstreet family is contained in the book, "The James W. Overstreet, Sr., and Allied Families," by J. V. Chapman.
PADRICK BROTHERS, MERCHANTS
In 1890 W. O. Padrick, a native of Bainbridge, Ga., came to Tifton and opened a dry goods store in the Julian building on Railroad Street. One year later he was joined by his brothers, Geo. H. and Jno G. Padrick, and the business was moved to a large store which they had erected on Main Street in Block No. 12, about where Dismuke's store now stands. This was a department store, carrying dry goods, millinery, groceries, furniture, hard- ware and all kinds of farm implements. They enjoyed a large trade from the surrounding counties.
In 1896 Padrick Brothers erected the large brick store just across from the Myon Hotel, then the Sadie Hotel. It is now known as the Boatright building.
After conducting a business there for several years they sold to Mr. J. R. Cole, of Newnan, Ga. W. O. Padrick then went to New York where he lived for some years, and Geo. H. moved to Lakeland, Fla., where he still resides. Jno. G. remained in Tifton until his death two years ago last No- vember.
All three of the brothers were active in civic and church work, being stewards in the Methodist church for many years. A younger brother, J. L. Padrick, now lives in Tifton and is connected with the city office; he also is a steward in the Methodist church.
Geo. H. Padrick was a director in the Bank of Tifton when it was first organized. W. O. Padrick was one of the first stockholders in the Tifton Gazette.
THOMAS JEFFERSON PARKER
Thomas Jefferson Parker was the name given to the son born to Joshua Browning Parker and Serena Wright Parker in Henry County, Georgia, December 27, 1850. In his youth he joined the Philadelphia Church (Presby- terian), in Clayton County.
On December 12, 1872, at Forest Park, Georgia, Parker married pretty Martha Rowena Mclendon (born Pike County, June 6, 1850), daughter of Preston and Missouri Rucker Mclendon. The bride was of the Forsyth Ruckers, and her grandmother Rucker had attended Monroe Female College. Rowena was well educated and had taught school and also was a newspaper correspondent. During her childhood she had joined the Baptist Church.
Not long after marriage the T. J. Parkers moved to Roswell, Georgia. Both of them loved the place. Roswell was picturesque and its historic homes, Mimosa Hall, Bullock Hall, girlhood home of Mittie Bullock, mother of President Theodore Roosevelt, Barrington Hall, which bore the family name of Catherine Barrington, wife of Roswell King, founder of the town, were among the most stately and beautiful in the state. There, also, was
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Colonial Place, the home of Dr. Francis Robert Goulding, author of "Young Marooners" and other books for children, and also the inventor of the sew- ing machine, some time prior to Elias Howe's invention. At Roswell, too, were the great Roswell Mills, established so long ago by Roswell King, that they were in operation at the time of the War Between the States and made some uniforms for the Confederate Army. All of these things interested the Parkers and they took pride in Roswell's history, and they and the Parker children, who grew up there, loved the town. The children were Verna, an only beloved daughter, and her brothers: J. Cliff, G. R., W. H., Harry E., and Charlie. Everything would have been wonderful had not Jefferson Parker had asthma; but asthma he had:
In 1886 Jeff and two of his Roswell neighbors, Bill Gunter and Charles Talley decided to take a trip. They decided they would go to Gainesville, Florida, and see if they saw any land which they would like to buy. The three of them set out. They traveled in a wagon drawn by four mules, and the men would camp out nearly every night.
At Arabi the travellers sojourned for two days with a Mr. Pitts. There Pitts offered to sell Parker a thousand acres of good land for a thousand dol- lars; but they did not trade. Instead the party proceeded south, passing through Tifton and on to Florida. In Florida Talley remained until his death, but Parker returned to Roswell.
However, Mr. Parker could not get Tifton out of his mind. In 1889 he returned there and stayed for a while with John T. Hightower, who built the Tifton, Thomasville and Gulf Railroad. While in Tifton Mr. Parker was free of asthma, and enjoyed everything as he had not for years. He decided the thing to do was to move to Tifton.
Back he went to well loved Roswell to get his family and his possessions. He left his family at Roswell until he could make ready for them in Ber- rien. In 1900 he sent his stock and sixteen mules and horses through country in charge of fourteen men. He went by train. When he arrived in Tifton the first man he saw was John B. Greene, whom he asked if he had seen a number of men from North Georgia. They had dined at his restaurant the night before, Greene told him.
Mr. Parker bought land at Omega, set up a sawmill there, and there built a house for his family and several houses for the mill hands. He sent for his family, and the Parkers lived at Omega for one year then went to Docia where he had a sawmill and where he and his family remained for another year. There they were neighbors of the George W. Warrens. Mr. Parker owned eight sawmills near Tifton.
In 1902, Thomas Jefferson Parker and his family moved to Tifton. Here Mr. Parker built fifty-two houses. The first home here was one of nine houses which he built. From this he moved to the Love Avenue house now occupied by S. A. Youmans. This Parker built, and his son, Charlie, built the house next door, now the C. B. Holmes residence. After three years in the Love Avenue house T. J. Parker built and moved into the home which now for many years has been called "Parker House," on Central Avenue, next to the corner of Twelfth Street.
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Mr. Parker farmed also; he owned eight large farms, and of his farming venture made a tremendous success. He became famous in the community because he cleared $3,000.00 one year on a two-horse farm. He was a be- liever in wheat growing and said he longed to see Tifton have a flour mill.
Parker's eldest grandson was Tift County's first volunteer in World War I.
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