| In 1895 there was a bath house
in Moultrie! Holloway
Company, located on East Broad (now First Street), operated a Bath House
Department in the summer of 1895. After a hot and dusty tip into town on
horseback or in a wagon, many an adult was ready for a bath. News reports
of the day said the bath house was "well patronized."
W. H. Cooper, first editor and
publisher of The Moultrie Observer, was recognized as the "youngest editor
in Georgia" in 1894. He established the newspaper when he had hardly
turned 20 years of age.
A PTA was formed in Norman Park
back on November 14, 1927. Sponsored by the Moultrie organization of
Parent-Teachers, the new group named Mrs. O.F. Creech, president; Mrs. W.
O. Sharpe, Vice-president; Miss Jewel White, secretary-treasurer; and Miss
Lillian Branan, corresponding secretary.
Four rural free delivery mail
routes were being operated from the Doerun Post Office in 1907.
In 1895, Gum Creek was a pretty
little community in northern Colquitt County. It had a creek flowing
through what land authorities described as "some of the best land in the
county."
Professor I.M. Folsom of Randel,
Georgia, was teaching school in the community of Gum Creek. Rev. Cox was
preaching at regular intervals at the Antioch Church. Does anyone know
exactly where Gum Creek was?
Kingwood, east of Moultrie, was
once a thriving sawmill and naval stores center. In the old papers is a
photograph of a summer school closing. Identified in this wonderful old
picture are: Clyde Pittman, Dewey Hammock, Charlie Burch, Mary Lee Hay,
Ruby Hiers, Ollie Hay, Georgia Brooks, Leroy Gay, Roy Cowan, Hughie Gurr
and Mr. Roland. You can also see Annie Roland, Minnie Cowan, Birta Lee
West, Miss Mollie Hiers, Harry Hiers, All McArthur, Cora Burch and Pearl
Hay. Does anyone know where Kingwood was?
Flournoy Clark is recognized as
one of the earliest of the circuit riding preachers in the Colquitt County
area. He died in 1884 and his wife, Mrs. Cynthia Clark, passed away
February 14, 1908 at the age of almost 80. Most of the Rev. Clark's
ministry was accomplished riding horseback and walking through the dense
forests from place to place.
Remember the great Colquitt
County historian, Elton Clark? If I am right, and I think I am, Flournoy
Clark was Mr. Elton Clark's grandfather. There's a story that Mr. Elton
Clark told to me that's not written down anywhere that I know of. I'll
share it with you…
Mr. Elton Clark said: During the
days of the War Between the States, the group from Colquitt County was in
Virginia in the dead of winter. It was snowing and very cold and sentry's
were freezing to death as they had no heat and inadequate, ragged
clothing. One freezing cold evening, my grandfather saw a sentry who
obviously was in serious trouble from the cold. "I'll stand the rest of
your watch. You go to the fire," Flournoy Clark said to the sentry. A few
days later, the men were all gathered around the campfire. Mr. Flournoy
Clark said, "I'd surely love to go home. My wife is expecting a baby in a
few days." The soldier whose life Mr. Clark had saved by relieving him of
his icy duty spoke up. "Mr. Clark, you go home to your wife and I'll stand
your duty while you're gone." Flournoy Clark walked from Virginia to
Georgia and arrived home in Colquitt County just in time to hear the first
cry of his new son…who was Mr. Elton Clark's father. The soldier whose
life had been saved by Flounoy Clark? Why that was John Gay, my husband's
great grandfather. John Gay is buried at Pleasant Grove Cemetery and his
headstone simply says, "John Gay, 12 GA Mil." |
