by
George
Gillman
Smith, D.D.
Originally published c. 1901
Submitted
by K. Torp
BULLOCH.
Bulloch was laid out from Screven and Bryan in 1796, and named in honor
of the excellent Archibald Bulloch, governor of Georgia. The Ogeechee
river is on one side of it and the Canoochee on the other. There was
some good oak and hickory land on the rivers, but much of the county
was piney woods, presenting the usual features of such a section. It
had been settled by stockmen, and White gives as the first settlers:
Benjamin Cook, Barnard Michael, John Everett, Jehu Everett, Andrew E.
Wells, George Threadcraft, Chas. Mc Call, Alex Stewart, M. Buckhalter,
A. McKenzie, Daniel Lot, Arthur Lot, Wm. Mizell, L. Lanier, C. Lanier,
D. Hendrix, N. Sweat, Mr. Oliff, Mr. Shorter, the Groovers and Hodges.
There is very little save in the matter of personal detail to
distinguish one piney woods county from another. The physical features
are the same, the pursuits of the people are the same, and their
features of character are almost exactly alike.
Bulloch was for many years a county where men owned large areas of
land, which was valued at not more than twenty-five cents an acre. On
this land the cabin was built, and in the wide wire-grass pastures the
cattle fed. Every man was a landholder and every man was independent.
There were so few people that schools and churches were rare, and the
children had very limited opportunities for school training.
The larger body of the people of any religious faith were Baptists, and
when the division of that denomination took place they were mostly
found among the Primitives, but the Methodists had a footing in the
county from it first settlement.
Life in these pine woods in the early days when the people found it
difficult to go to the markets was very simple. The farmer raised for
family use upland rice, corn, potatoes toes, cattle and hogs. He had
his own syrup kettle and sugar-mill. His sheep furnished him with wool.
His house was of logs, built by his own hands, and, while plain, was
sufficiently comfortable for his wishes. He raised some sea-island
cotton and carried a few bales to Savannah, where, with the produce of
his hides, tallow and beeswax, he secured enough money to buy some
salt, calico, cotton and woolen cards and nails, and these were about
the extent of his purchases.
There were in all this section, however, a few families of large wealth
who had plantations on the richer lands and lived in decided comfort,
but for many years after the county was settled life was very
primitive. With the building of the railroads, the opening of the
turpentine farms and the setting up of the sawmills, the same results
followed of which we have spoken elsewhere, and now Bulloch is one of
the best of our inland counties.
HISTORY OF
VILLAGES, HAMLETS AND TOWNS
Gooding, a post-hamlet of Bulloch county, is a station
on the Central of Georgia railroad, about four miles southwest of
Statesboro.
(Georgia: Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions,
and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form. VOL III Publ. 1906.
Transcribed by Marilyn Clore)
Hubert, a post-village in
the southeastern part of Bulloch county, is a station on the Savannah
&
Statesboro railroad and in 1900 reported a population of 108. It has
some
mercantile interests and does considerable shipping.
(Source: Georgia Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, VOL II, by Candler & Evans, Publ. 1906.
Transcribed by Kim Mohler)
Jimps, a village of Bulloch county, is six miles
southwest
of Statesboro, on the Dover & Brewton division of the Central of
Georgia
railroad, and in 1900 had a population of 81. It has a money order
postoffice,
some mercantile interests, and is a shipping point of some importance.
(Source: Georgia Sketches of
Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions,
and
Persons, VOL II, by Candler
& Evans, Publ. 1906.
Transcribed by Tracy McAllister)
Ludovic, a post-hamlet of
Bulloch county,
is about five miles north of Arcola, which is the nearest railroad
station.
(Source: Georgia Sketches of
Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions,
and
Persons, VOL II, by Candler
& Evans, Publ. 1906.
Transcribed by Joanne Morgan)
Myers, a
post-village of Bulloch county, with a population of 94, is on Big
Lott’s creek, about four miles north of Pulaski, which is the nearest
railroad station.
[Source: Georgia Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events,
Institutions, and Persons, Vol 2, Publ 1906. Transcribed by Renae
Donaldson]
Metter, a town in
the western part of Bulloch county, was incorporated by act of the
legislature on August 17, 1903. It is on the Central of Georgia
railroad, about twelve miles east of Stillmore. It has a money order
postoffice, with rural free delivery, express and telegraph service,
some manufacturing and mercantile interests, does a good shipping
business, and in 1900 reported a population of 400.
[Source: Georgia Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events,
Institutions, and Persons, Vol 2, Publ 1906. Transcribed by Tracy
McAllister]
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