USA > Georgia > Tift County > History of Tift County > Part 8
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Since there had been trouble between Tifton and Nashville, to effect a conciliation, Mr. Fulwood in a letter requested the Honorable John Knight, Berrien County representative, to help frame the county bill. Mr. Knight granted the request and promised not to oppose the bill.
The Gazette, meantime, was busy. This paper carefully reported every development in the plan. Opinions of prominent citizens here and else- where were quoted. To stimulate interest in the movement, Editor Herring wrote a series of front-page attractive editorials, in which he argued every phase of the county question. Some of the subjects were :
"It Originated Here," "The Necessity for It," "In Keeping With Prog- ress," "Territory to Spare," "Crowded Superior Courts," "The Question
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of Expense," "Tifton's Resources," "Tifton's Accessibility," "Business Growth," and "Unanimously Endorsed."
To carry on the work in Atlanta, the following committee was appoint- ed: S. M. Clyatt, chairman; W. W. Banks, treasurer; Charlie Parker, C. W. Fulwood, and H. H. Tift. Chairman Clyatt scarcely let the capitol out of his sight for sixty days. According to his statement, the other mem- bers of the committee usually spent their week-ends in Atlanta, planning for the next week's activities. Charlie Parker, whom Mr. Clyatt consider- ed the most valuable man on the committee, was in Atlanta the most of the session. J. H. Hall, of Macon, chairman of the house committee on new counties, and Clayton Robinson, a capable lobbyist of Milledgeville, deserve special appreciation.
A news story, dated July 15, in the Atlanta Constitution gave a brief account of a problem :
"The proposed new county of Tift, with Tifton as the county seat, had the first innings before the senate and house committees on new counties yesterday.
"The committee room was crowded with members of new county dele- gations who gathered to hear the proceedings. Senator Crawford Wheatley, of the thirteenth, chairman of the senate committee, and Mr. Hall, of Bibb, chairman of the house committee, presided.
"Tift County occupies the unique position of not only having no opposi- tion to its establishment, but of having members of other people on all sides of it who are anxious to get into the new county, but who have not been included in the territory mapped out. They were represented before the committee and earnestly requested that their territory be included in Tift County. This very fact, however, caused considerable opposition to develop as the hearing progressed. Mr. C. W. Fulwood presented maps showing in detail the lines of the old counties as well as those of the pro- posed new county.
"J. L. Herring presented the claims of Tift County. The new county of Tift, Mr. Herring said, proposed to take ninety square miles from Ber- rien, ninety-five square miles from Irwin, and sixty-eight square miles from Worth.
"R. C. Ellis, of Tifton, made an appeal in behalf of the citizens of Enigma and of a strip of territory comprising about forty square miles on the southeastern border of the new county, who wanted to be incorporated in Tift County.
"Mr. Knight, representative from Berrien County, strongly opposed the petition declaring that the people of Berrien County were unwilling to give up any more of her territory than had originally agreed upon.
"M. L. McMillan, of Berrien County, said he lived ten miles from Tifton and seventeen miles from Nashville. He wanted to be incorporated
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in the new county of Tift so that he could be nearer the courthouse. He owned about 3,500 acres of land.
"W. E. Williams, of Ty Ty, said the people of his town all wanted to go into the new county instead of being divided by the new county line, as is now proposed.
"W. B. Parks, of Ty Ty, appeared and requested that two additional Worth County lots be taken into the new county so that his farm would not be divided.
"Mr. Alford, of Worth, said requests had been made to take in more Worth County lots than had been agreed on, and all his people would like to have a hearing before any action was taken."
Before the bill was finally passed. the question of whether the first county commissioners should be appointed or elected was discussed. H. H. Tift. C. W. Fulwood, and W. W. Banks were the leaders of the faction favoring appointment of the commissioners. In a speech before the senate's committee, Mr. Fulwood stated that the primary need of the new county was a sound business administration and that it would be the height of folly to trust the selection of such important officials to popular vote. S. M. Clyatt, E. A. Buck, and Perryman Moore argued for adherence to democratic principles. When the matter stood at a deadlock and neither faction seemed willing to break it, the investigating committee decided in favor of the appointment of the first county commissioners. The recom- mendation of W. S. West, state senator from the district in which Tift County was to be included, settled the argument.
In the latter part of August, the voters of Tift County held a mass meeting for the purpose of organizing a democratic club. J. L. Herring was elected permanent chairman; J. H. Price, secretary. The members of the first democratic executive committee were: Omega District, Joab Taylor ; Chula District, B. B. Sumner ; Ty Ty District, William Gibbs; Harding District, J. L. Gay; Tifton District, C. W. Fulwood, chairman, and C. C. Hall. The voters signed a resolution of thanks to the county committee, to J. H. Hall, and to J. L. Herring for efforts in securing the new county.
The following were nominations of Tift County's first primary :
Ordinary-W. S. Walker Clerk-J. E. Peoples Sheriff-J. B. Baker Collector-J. Henry Hutchinson Tax Receiver-J. A. Marchant Treasurer-S. F. Overstreet Surveyor-J. T. Webb Coroner-J. E. Johns
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First election in Tift County was held October 4, 1905; the first term of Superior Court November 6, 1905 in building on the southwest corner of Love and Second Streets. Robert C. Mitchell was first judge.
The first Grand Jury was :
Dempsey W. Willis, J. N. Brown, Henry Sutton, J. T. Mathis, J. R. Mason, W. B. Parks, J. R. Sutton, J. J. Baker, Geo. Smith, T. E. Fletcher. I. W. Bowen, T. A. Shipp, T. E. Phillips, I. S. Bowen, L. J. Gray, J. J. Hall, G. W. Crum, William Gibbs, G. W. Guest, John A. Branch, C. W. Haistings, J. M. Branch, G. T. Phelps, Briggs Carson, J. R. Moore.
There were seven militia districts: Tifton, Chula, Brighton, Ty Ty, Dosia, Eldorado, Brookfield.
The problem of defraying the cost of the first court was solved in an unusually interesting way. Very secretively some men dropped hints to Judge Mitchell about prominent citizens' gambling. When the sheriff brought them before Judge Mitchell, he fined them enough to pay the cost of the court.
CHAPTER IX AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL
"From Turrets peak to Donjon keep
The Salvos of glad tidings sweep
Blare the trumpet and roll the drums
The Hallelujah Day has come!" Tiftonites proclaimed in November 1906.
"Tifton's father did it with his little hatchet!" exclaimed J. L. Her- ring upon receiving the news that the agricultural School for the Second Congressional District would come to Tifton. A zealous committee had been working: J. L. Pickard. H. H. Tift, R. Eve, C. L. Parker, J. H. Scales, J. J. L. Phillips, P. D. Phillips, W. W. Banks, Perryman Moore, T. J. Parker, J. W. Hollis, J. L. Brooks, W. T. Hargrett, E. P. Bowen, J. N. Horne, P. W. Robertson, W. W. Timmons, S. S. Monk, I. W. Myers, C. C. Hall, J. W. Baker. C. A. Williams, C. C. Guest, W. B. Parks, J. T. Mathis, E. L. Vickers, Briggs Carson, W. S. Walker, R. C. Ellis, and O. L. Chestnutt.
In October a mass meeting of Tifton citizens decided to make a bid for an agricultural college. H. H. Tift volunteered to give the necessary two hundred acres of land and offered to increase any sum the county might raise as donation by one-sixth. Late in November, the Tifton com- mittee went to Albany to enter the contest for one of the proposed state institutions. J. L. Herring gave an interesting account of the event.
"The committee went with $32,000 raised by individual subscriptions from the people of Tift County, to secure the location of Agricultural School of the Second Congressional District, to be decided upon by the Board of Trustees.
"Organization of the Board of Trustees was perfected by electing Judge Frank Park, of Worth, chairman, and A. J. Lippitt, of Dougherty, secre- tary . . .
Soon after the opening of the afternoon session, at 3 o'clock, the bids were submitted, the counties being called in alphabetical order.
"Dougherty came first, with an offer of $20,000, 200 acres of land, an artesian well and free lights and water for ten years.
"Camilla offered to raise $51,000 cash, donate 300 acres of land, build- ings, and timber estimated at $4,000, and free lights and water for five years. When called to close figures on the cash proposition, it was ad- mitted that only $10,000 was at hand.
"Pelham offered the choice of several fine tracts of land, free lights and water and a certified check for $19,000.
"Tift County's offer was 315 acres of land lying along the G. S. & F.
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HISTORY OF TIFT COUNTY
right-of-way, one mile north of town, and $30,000 in cash.
"Ashburn's offer was 250 acres of land, lights and water for five years and $45,000 in cash.
"Hon. Jos. S. Davis, a most eloquent gentleman, and fluent speaker, presented Dougherty's claims, fifteen minutes having been allowed each applicant after the bids were opened by the secretary. Judge W. N. Spence and Col. I. A. Bush spoke for Camilla, Hons. H. H. Merry and D. C. Barrow for Pelham, and Col. J. D. Hutchason for Ashburn.
"When he arose to fill five minutes of the time allotted Tift County, Mr. Tift presented an amended bid of $55,000 in cash, free lights, water and telephone service for ten years, a sewerage system, and 315 acres of land worth $50 per acre. Later, learning that the timber on the land was de- sired for forestry study, he contributed this also, it being valued at $4,500. The raise of $25,000 at a jump caused the audience to catch its breath.
"After the committee went into executive session, Pelham's bid was raised to $32,500 cash ; Camilla's to $58,000. and Ashburn's to $60,500. Mr. Tift added $5,000 to Tifton's offer, making $60,000 in cash. Of this he gave $36,400 cash, the land, $4,500 in timber, and a portion of the lights and water offer. It was estimated in the committee room that Tif- ton's total offer netted $95,700. Mr. J. J. L. Phillips gave the telephone service.
"After the financial question was settled, it was a tug of war between personal influence of Mr. Tift and J. L. Hand, of Pelham.
"Inside the committee room J. L. Pickard, nobly assisted by J. J. Knight, and after Albany dropped out of the contest, by A. J. Lippitt and other strong friends, was having the fight of his life.
"It was decided, there being eighteen votes in the committee, that ten should decide the winner. On the first ballot, Tifton led with seven, Pel- ham having six. Camilla started with three, and held them through the contest. Ashburn, although the highest bidder, never stood any show, re- ceiving only three votes.
"Tifton led in every ballot, and in the fifth had nine, while Pelham reached seven, its high-water mark. Finally, in the eighth ballot, Tifton received eleven, one more than necessary to win."
"Here the good news had preceded us, and we were met by the blasts of whistles, boom of fireworks, and an enthusiastic delegation seated Mr. Tift in a wagon and pulled him through town to the courthouse corner, where he and Mr. Pickard made few minutes' talks, and the crowd was told how the fight was won.
In 1907 the first faculty for this school was composed of J. D. Smith, of Griffin, principal; L. O. Freeman, of Sylvester, assistant principal ; K. C.
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Moore, of Thomasville, agriculturist ; Miss Russell, of Milledgeville, home economist; and Mrs. Wilson, of Pike County, matron.
Besides the winning of the school in 1906, there was another important event: the changing of the name Monroe College to Bessie Tift Col- lege, in honor of Mrs. H. H. Tift, a graduate of this institution at For- syth, Georgia. Mr. and Mrs. Tift were benefactors of the college.
The following telegram announced the news to Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Tift :
Cartersville, Georgia Nov. 21, 1906
"With profound pleasure I announce to you that the Board of Trus- tees of Monroe College, in regular session, last night, by most hearty and unanimous vote, changed the name Monroe College to Bessie Tift College.
"This crown we cheerfully place upon the brow of the unfailing friends of our beloved college.
"J. L. White, Pres. "Board of Trustees."
The building program expanded during this period. In the spring of 1906, I. W. Myers contracted with Hugger Brothers, of Montgomery, Alabama, for the rebuilding of Hotel Sadie at a contract price of about fifty thousand dollars. After the completion of the building there was a contest to determine a name. Over three hundred names were submitted, and the first prize was won by Judge Eve, who suggested "Hotel Myon," My for Myers and on for Tifton. His prize was a month's free board at the hotel.
During the same year E. E. Slack gave to Mr. Millegan the contract for the erection of a brick building on Second Street. In 1907 S. M. Clyatt let the contract to T. E. Amason for a five-story building, Tifton's first skyscraper, on the corner of Second Street and Love Avenue. Between 1906 and 1910 numerous smaller houses were built in Tifton and Tift County.
Especially important was the erection of public buildings. During three years Tift County schools made more progress than they had ever made before. In 1906 the Omega correspondent of the Gazette reported that a school house was being built. In the same year the citizens of Ty Ty planned to erect a five-thousand dollar building. The next year the Nipper, Fletch- er, Brighton, Zion Hope, and Midway school districts planned the con- struction of school buildings.
A school survey at the time of the creation of Tift valued the school property at seven thousand dollars. In December, 1908, the evaluation of the school property was one hundred fifty-five thousand dollars. The survey showed further that Tift built more school houses in 1907 than any other county in the state. Every school building in the county had been rebuilt
7
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ABRAHAM BALDWIN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE Top-Modern auditorium and gymnasium on the campus Center-Air view of the main college buildings Bottom-View from the administration building
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HISTORY OF TIFT COUNTY
or remodeled during the previous three-year period. The rise in the valua- tion of school property was due to agitators led by Superintendent Jason Scarboro and Captain H. H. Tift, who urged that Tifton should have new and adequate school buildings. A bond election authorizing the con- structin of a twenty-thousand-dollar school building was voted in the fall of 1905.
The lot chosen as a school site was bought from H. H. Tift for twenty- five hundred dollars. S. N. Adams, of Tifton, was awarded the contract at twenty-three thousand five hundred seventy-five dollars. In July Tifton voted for local taxation for a public school. Then for the first time the school would be town owned and operated.
On August 10, the corner stone was laid with appropriate ceremony ; a majority of the business houses in town closed. Chairman W. W. Tim- mons of the Board of Education was master of ceremonies ; J. D. Duncan, chief speaker.
Students headed by Professor Scarboro and teachers marched to the site selected for the building. A scrape was secured to which a hauser with three ropes was attached pulled by boys and girls and guided by Professor Scarboro and Mosley. The first scoop of dirt was pulled by merry chil- dren. The building and furniture cost $30,000.
Nineteen-six marked Tift County negroes' first interest in education Sometime before a negro newspaper, the Afro-World, the editorial policy of which was that Southern negroes should be good Democrats or Con- servative Republicans, had urged its following to turn to education for salvation. During this year the negroes of Tifton began a school building that was to cost two thousand dollars.
At a meeting of the congregation of the Baptist Church in Tifton early in 1906 the question of building a new church was considered. A commit- tee to solicit pledges to build a twenty-five thousand dollar edifice was ap- pointed. About twelve thousand five hundred dollars was subscribed at the meeting. During the summer a lot was bought from E. P. Bowen and the contract for the new building was given to Wagener and Dobson, of At- lanta and Montgomery, for twenty-six thousand dollars.
On October 31, the cornerstone of Tifton's new church building was laid with appropriate ceremonies. The Reverend Henry Miller, pastor of the Baptist Church, and the Reverend J. W. Domingos, pastor of the Methodist Church, conducted the devotional program. The cornerstone was laid by Amos Tift with the same trowel with which his oldest brother, Henry, laid the cornerstone of Tifton's first brick church building, Mon- day, April 8. 1895.
The new church building was dedicated in June 1908, with Dr. S. Y. Jameson, president of Mercer University, delivering the dedication ser-
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mon. A financial statement from the building committee showed a total cost of forty-two thousand dollars.
Other buildings in the city were the handsome new home of the Bank of Tifton, steam laundry, and McClure's Five and Ten Cent Store, which opened on December 14, 1906.
Another sign of progress during this period was the city waterworks and sewerage system. The same bond issue that assured Tifton of a public school building also provided for a twenty-thousand-dollar waterworks plant. In May 1907, the waterworks system was ready for the city. The cost of a building constructed by the city ran the total cost to twenty-five thousand dollars. A short time afterwards Tifton authorized the issue of thirty thousand dollars in bonds, fifteen thousand dollars for sanitary sewerage. Another improvement in the sanitary division was the street sprinkler, which arrived on July 30, 1909.
Plans for county building also were effected in 1906. Early in the year, Ordinary W. S. Walker purchased from H. H. Tift the vacant lot facing the Tift brick building on Second Street as a site for Tift County's new courthouse. A short time afterwards the ordinary gave the contract for a new jail. The successful bidders were Wagener and Dodson; the contract price was eight hundred and ninety-four dollars. The contract called for the completion by September.
Important organizations which began during this period were the Twentieth Century Library, the Charlotte Carson Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and the Tifton History Study Club. The Board of Trade was revived.
Further marks of material progress were the new lumber company, Phillips Pine Company, owned by J. J. L. Phillips, P. D. Phillips, H. H. Tift, and H. H. Scarboro with a capital stock of $25,000, the Tanning and Plumbing Company, with R. W. Terrell, manager, and the half million deposits in the four banks. Tifton in 1906 had a banking capital and a surplus of over $200,000.
There were two important, but widely different, meetings in 1907. The wool growers of Tift and portions of Irwin, Berrien, and Colquitt Counties met in Tifton for the purpose of selling that year's clip. Between 15,000 and 20,000 pounds brought $5,000. The Georgia Federation of Women's Clubs were entertained by the Twentieth Century Library Club of Tifton. Twenty delegates, headed by Mrs. Lipscomb, attended the con- Vention.
Interesting Items from the Tifton Gazette:
1906
"Jan. 26-Keith Carson is the new commander of the Tifton Rifles, replacing R. Eve, who has resigned.
"Judge Eve while expressing an intention to never again take to the
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HISTORY OF TIFT COUNTY
sword, acknowledges that the glare of stars and stripes, roll of drum, and voice of bugle will never cease to arouse him and stir his patriotism. He was Captain of Co. F, 4th Infantry National Guard of Ga.
"Population of Tift is 13,000; area of Tift is 308 sq. miles.
"Feb. 2-Wiley Branch remembers when four acres of land, where Hotel Sadie was built, was once traded for a horse, a bridle, and a saddle. This property is now worth, without improvements, $25,000.
"Feb. 16-Brookfield-Two creditable brick blocks have recently been built; one by the McMillan Supply Company, consisting of two store rooms occupied by this company, carries dry goods, groceries, and a full line of farmers' supplies. The second, built by Bowen and McMillan, has two store rooms.
"March 9-Dr. John A. Peterson has a beautiful practice having been here for fourteen years. Dr. Peterson was born in a mighty good county, Coffee ; Douglas was his home. He was graduated from Atlanta Dental Col- lege in 1890, and later began practicing in Tifton, uses Wilkerson chair, hydraulic engine, and everything modern that can be used in Tifton. He has an elegant suite of rooms.
"Tifton post office receipts will soon enable the post office to be a first class post office. Mr. John M. Duff is postmaster.
"March 30-E. P. Bowen has been elected Tift County's first repre- sentative with a majority of 263 votes over S. M. Clyatt.
"April 27-The board of trade was reorganized last week with the following officers: J. L. Herring, president ; Briggs Carson, vice-president ; H. W. Brown, secretary ; J. D .. Duncan, treasurer.
"May 11-The Taylor Furniture Company has formed a stock com- pany, embracing many businessmen of this section. It proposes to incorpor- ate with a capital stock of $25,000, and do a general furniture and hard- ware business under the name of Taylor Furniture and Hardware Com- pany. The stockholders are J. S. Taylor, R. S. Short. J. L. Cochran, J. L. Brooks. G. W. Crum, J. W. Taylor, J. L. Gay, J. N. Horne. W. W. Fender, H. W. Clements, J. D. C. Smith, R. E. Dinsmore, and T. E. Maultsby. Mr. J. S. Taylor is president of the company.
"June 8-Omega-'Our town is small, but young; we have two churches, a nice school building started, five dry goods and grocery stores, one drug store, one livery stable, two blacksmith shops, two cotton gins, plenty of good water, good health, and good people.' Correspondent.
"June 15-Tuesday afternoon, about 1:15, a severe wind, scarcely at- taining the force of a cyclone yet far beyond the average whirlwind, struck Tifton, inflicting a damage of $8,000 and injuring three persons. The Presbyterian church was totally demolished and the plant of the Tifton Manufacturing Company was seriously damaged.
"June 22-It was decided last week to reincorporate the Merchants'
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HISTORY OF TIFT COUNTY
and Farmers' as a national bank, and to increase the capital stock to $50.000, with a surplus of $10,000.
"July 13-W. J. Henderson is convinced that he has found a good loca- tion for an oil well one and one-half miles northeast of Tifton.
"Aug. 3-Tift County's taxable property is estimated at $3,500,000.
"Aug. 25-Contractor W. A. Taylor, who is building the new A. B. & A. depot has the work well under way and the framing up.
"Oct. 5-According to appointment, a representative number from the churches of all denominations in Tift assembled at Zion Hope church on Sunday last, to organize the Tift County singing convention. The con- vention was organized with the following officers: J. J. Baker, president ; W. B. Johns, vice-president; J. L. Jay, Jr., secretary. The following were elected as an executive committee : W. H. Spooner, chairman ; Wm. Gibbs, J: L. Jay, J. B. Livingston, and David Whiddon."
1907
"Jan. 18-The formal opening of the new school was held Monday with H. H. Tift, W. W. Timmons, and Jason Scarboro addressing the students and parents.
"Jan. 25-Arrangements have been made by the county board of edu- cation for opening a school this week at the Tifton cotton mills.
"April 26-In an expression, declamation, and music contest with Nash- ville, Valdosta, and Moultrie, Miss Florence Rice, of Tifton, won the music medal.
"May 24-For the first time in five years, Tifton has an elaborate pro- gram of commencement exercises for the public school. The students who will take part in the programs are: Amos Tift, Lennon Bowen, Agnes Scarborough, Charles Soule, O'Zelma Crosby, and Edwin Scarborough.
"June 28-In a baby show held in Tifton last week, the following won prizes : 3 months to I year old, Lois Sineath; I to 3 years old, Harriet Evans ; 3 to 5 years old, Banks Carson. Mrs. E. L. Vickers was awarded the prize for the most handsomely decorated cart.
"July 5-This contract and agreement made and entered into this the Ist day of July, 1907, by and between the city of Tifton, acting by and through the mayor and council of the city of Tifton, of the first part, and L. P. Thurman, I. W. Myers, W. W. Banks, O. Daniel, J. E. Cochran, E. F. Bussey and J. J. L. Phillips of said county and state, of the second part, witnesseth :
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