News Blurbs for January, 1917

At this point in time the Douglas County Sentinel was published each Friday. The Editor and owner was ZT Dake.  A one year subscription costs $1.50

You could purchase a swan hat at Stewart Brothers.

GW Gilland was looking for a few customers to take five gallons milk off his hands.

A Ford touring car was $389.25 (delivered) at Duncan & Selman and a roadster was $374.25.   The dealership was located where Hartley Rowe & Fowler is located today on Broad Street.

An obit regarding WW Strickland in the January 5, 1917 issue stated, “WW Strickland was buried here Monday, a prominent citizen and former postmaster at Austell. He was buried at the Douglasville City Cemetery Monday. He was a former citizen of Douglasville, many friends, and the brother of Mrs. WA James of this city. A member of the Methodist Church. Leaves widow and no children.  Sixty three years old.  His brother, Parks Strickland  of Texas was here along with his sister for the funeral.

Another obit also appeared in the January 5, 1917 issue as well titled “James Aderhold Dead”.  It said….”former citizen of Douglasville, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Aderhold of Douglasville died in an Atlanta sanitarium Wednesday at age 45 – lingering illness of several months.   Leaves a wife, one daughter, his parents, three brothers – Dr. Charles W. of Oklahoma, Ernest of Gadsden, Alabama; and Mat of Atlanta.  Three sisters as well – Mrs. JL Giles, Mrs. JE Wilson, ad Mrs. IB West. The remains were brought to Douglasville Thursday.

The January 5, 1917 issue also had some news regarding the Oddfellows. Douglasville Lodge No. 162 for the Oddfellows has recently reinstated more than fifty members due to the effort of “wide awake secretary, Brother EL Hopkins.  “The value of a man like this to lodge and to a community is inestimable. Common sense and energy, reinforced with the principles of the order, make a well nigh resistible force.”

New Elected Officials Taking Office - January 5, 1917

Under the heading “New Officer Takes Charge” the following people were sworn into office:

TL Pittman, clerk of Superior Court

Ralph Morris, Tall Collector, succeeding FM Winn Jr. and GS King, respectively

Judge JH McLarty, Ordinary

JW James, Tax Receiver

WS Ragan, Treasurer

AS Baggett, Sheriff

GT McLarty, School Superintendent

Social and Personal - January 12, 1917...Part Two

More from the social column……see part one here

Nat Mozley has bought the Gordon Smith residence and will move in the next few days.

Mr. and Mrs. JH Griffith spent several days recently with their son Wilburn at East Point.

Miss Edith Dake is suffering this week from a genuine case of measles.

JD Enterkin of Winston was a pleasant caller at the Sentinel office this week.

FM Giles has moved to his new home

CC Johnston, a popular merchant from Winston was here Monday.

VR Smith left Tuesday for Florida where he will spend about ten days

Mrs. Viola Bullington, Route 6, had her subscription set forward a year this week.

Dr. JO Morgan of Pittsburg, Pa. spent Saturday with Dr. RE Hamilton

Mr. and Mrs. DP Burson was called to Atlanta this week on account of the illness of

their daughter, Mrs. JH Lane.

FH Souter of Route 1 and WJ Walker of Route 6 are among the new Sentinel readers this week.

WC Jones of Villa Rica has moved to Douglasville and opened a shoe shop in JH Smith’s store.

OH Gable of Winston was in Douglasville Wednesday.

Miss Willie Tackett of Route 6 is among those advancing their Sentinel subscriptions

JW McKinley who has some large contracts with the government at Mobile and other places spent the holidays here with his family.

Fifteen young ladies met at the home of Miss Nannie Love Selman last Saturday and organized a D.D. Club. Their motto is depend on the D Ds.   Their colors: black and white.  Flower: Dew Drops.

Mrs. JW Souter has moved to Austell.

Social and Personal - January 12, 1917....Part One

The Social and Personal column mainly served as a way for the Douglas County Sentinel to post the comings and goings of people through their offices to renew their subscriptions, but occasionally some good tidbits of information show up.

Two children of WW Estes have measles.

The Carnival has gone, for which let us be thankful.

Mrs. Cassie Baggett is very sick this week.

Born Saturday to Mr. and Mrs. IS Hathcock, a son.

FM Yancey of Route 4 was in Douglasville this week.

LB Chapman, Route 1 has a Sentinel visitor this week.

Dr. Reed of Bill Arp was in Douglasville Wednesday.

Dr. and Mrs. WS Tomlinson have moved into the house of Mrs. Louise Longino.

Miss Golden of Bremen is visiting her sister, Mrs. Astor Merritt.

FD Parsons of Hiram was a caller at the Sentinel office this week.

Hon. John T. Duncan visited the experiment station at Griffin this week.

Captain JC Joyner of Lithia Springs was here Monday to attend the funeral of WW Strickland

CE Hesterlee of Bill Arp was a pleasant visitor at the Sentinel office last week.

Mrs. TW Shannon of Atlanta is a guest of her sister Mrs. OT Selman

Mrs. Thad McKoy has as her guest this week Miss Cleo Bryant of Lyerly

Duncan & Selman have begun work on a 60 x 70 brick building for a Ford service station.

Vivian Collins who has been connected with the fifth district A & M School at Monroe has moved back to the farm and is again a citizen of Douglas County.

WR Smith of Villa Rica, a skilled painter and paper hanger has moved to Douglasville and is occupying the Mrs. Lela Smith residence.

 See part two here…..

The News from Midway Community - January 12, 1917

I found this charming little article in the Douglas County Sentinel….

It has been some time since Midway has had a letter in the Sentinel, but it is not because we  have lost interest in our county paper, but because the writer  has been confined at home with rheumatism and has not been able to get about and get any news worth writing.

There have been many changes since our last writing. Many of our old acquaintenances have moved away and new folks have come to take their place. We hope these changes are for the better.

Frank Rainwater has been very ill for the last few days.

Clark Neal has moved his saw mill on CF Hallman’s place near the residence of Joe Rainwater.

Mrs. WH Bobo visited Atlanta last week.

Miss Evelyn Hatchett was a guest of her sister, Mrs. Tom Fargarson, Sunday and Monday.

Mrs. GS King and Miss Nellie and Mrs. Colson spent Monday afternoon with Susie Rainwater.

D. Morris of near Hiram was in our community Monday.

Mrs. Ida Huckaby of Douglasville is visiting her daughter, Mrs. Grady Roberts.

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur King spent Sunday with Vollie Rainwater and wife.

Best wishes for our paper and editor for this year.

No Name

 

A Woman and Her Ferry

It is often discussed how Maime Weir owned and operated the Campbellton Ferry from time Alfred Austell, Jr. died until the 1950s when a bridge was finally built crossing the Chattahoochee River. 

Some might even think Maime Weir was the only female ferry owner in Campbell/Douglas County, but they would be wrong. 

Pull out an issue of the Southern Banner dated January 11, 1844 you would see the following blurb under state of Georgia legislative news, “An act to authorize Leah Rice to keep a ferry across the Chattahoochee River in Campbell County.”

The image below is the ferry crossing at Campbellton some 60 years later, but I would imagine it hadn't changed that much.

 

 

So, as early as 1844 a woman owned a Campbell County ferry – the one that operated right near the current Highway 92 bridge.

Regarding Mrs. Rice I want to point out that legally she owned the ferry, but I do not think she actually operated it.  The prior ferry owner had been her father, Armistead Bomar who owned property on both sides of the river including the Irwin-Bomar-Rice-Austin-Bullard House which still stands along Highway 92.  His will mentioned his mill and ferry.

 

Leah Rice Bomar was married pastor Thomas Sherod Rice who had passed the year before his wife took control of the Campbellton Ferry.

Presently, I’m not sure where Leah and her husband lived.

Ten Hats for Ten Daughters

Towards the end of Reconstruction a blurb appeared in the Southern Watchman dated March 31, 1869 that said, "A lady residing in Campbell County visited Atlanta one day during the present week and purchased at Kisers ten hats for her ten daughters. The Constitution says she deserves a medal."

I'd have to agree.

Shopping with one daughter is a monumental undertaking - shopping with or shopping for ten daughters - well, I can't even imagine.

It seems totally plausible that this woman would go to Kiser's store - or as it was more formerly known - M.C. and J.F. Kiser & Company. It was a wholesale drygoods store owned by the Kiser brothers, and more than likely the mother knew one or both of the brothers because in the 1820s the Kiser family moved to Campbell County to farm.

Here's an ad from an issue of The Atlanta Constitution dated March, 1869. Notice that at the time the store was located at Old Stand Talley and Brown, Whitehall Street in Atlanta. Later, they would move to the corner of Pryor and Wall Streets.  

M.C. Kiser (Marion Columbus) would be wildly successful with his business with little or no formal education. In 1887 he was a Fulton County Commissioner and during Lithia Springs resort days Mr. Kiser would the president of the Piedmont Chautauqua working with Henry W. Grady to present a wonderful program of speakers and entertainers each season.

When Marion C. Kiser died in 1893, he left the largest estate to that point in Atlanta history.

Now I have to wonder….how many women in Campbell County during the year 1869 had ten daughters?

Hmmm.....

Is there really such a thing as an egg-sucking dog?

An article in the Campbell County News during May, 1883 stated, “One of our citizens has recently been troubled with suck-eggs dogs. He suspicioned a dog belonging to [someone] in the neighborhood."

"Finally, on last Saturday night he and his wife decided to leave a dose of strychnine near the nest, and thus rid the settlement of so worthless a cur. Imagine that gentleman's feelings when he arose the next morning and beheld his own faithful yard dog lying cold in the embrace of death.”

I guess it never occurred to this unidentified Campbell County man that the dog going after his eggs was his own hound.

A suck-egg dog.

What in the world is a suck-egg dog?  I've led a sheltered life away from the propensity of dogs to suck eggs.

Who knew?

Apparently, a suck-egg dog is one that  goes after the eggs your chicken lays.

Perhaps I'm naïve regarding this issue due to the fact I've never owned chicken.

At least that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.