Georgia Genealogy Trails "Where your Journey Begins"

McDuffie County, Georgia                         A Proud Member of the Genealogy Trails Group Hello and welcome to the Genealogy Trails Biographies for McDuffie County, Georgia Hon. George Washington Lokey A great historian once said, "The history of a country is best told in a record of the lives of its people," and this saying applies with equal force to any separate community, whether city, county or state. Among the citizens of McDuffie County, Georgia, whose lives are worthy of record as a component part of its history is George Washington Lokey, of Thomson, who is now holding the position of county ordinary. Mr. Lokey was born in McDuffie County, January 8, 1873, the son of Samuel and Jane (Garrison) Lokey, both parents being natives of Georgia. The father was a blacksmith and farmer by occupation, who served four years in the Confederate army. After the war he settled down to farming in McDuffie County, where the family continued to reside until 1875, at which time they moved to Augusta. Here Samuel Lokey engaged in blacksmithing and wagon manufacturing and was thus occupied until 1898, when he sold out and, returning to his farm, remained there until his death, at the age of sixty-three years. His widow, who is now seventy-four years old, having been born in 1841, resides with her son, Charles E. Lokey. She is a Methodist in religion, as was also her husband, both being active in church work. Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Lokey were the parents of eight children, four of whom died in childhood, the others being as follows: Walter, deceased, who for a number of years was actively engaged in farming in McDuffie County; Carrie L. first married Harrison Mangum, by whom she had four children—Clara, Lulu, Hillery and Byron. After Mr. Mangum's death she became the wife of Colin King and now resides at Grovetown, Georgia. George Washington, the next in order of birth, is the subject of this article and will be more particularly mentioned herein. William, a railroad engineer, married Annie Johnson and resides at Augusta, Georgia. He has five children. George W. Lokey was educated in the public schools of Augusta, which he attended until reaching the age of seventeen years. He then began to assist his father on the farm and in the ginning business, continuing in this line of industry until several years after the father's death. He then gave up the ginning business and has since devoted himself to agriculture, having a fine thirteen-plow farm, and successfully raising cotton, corn and watermelons. In 1913 he was elected to the office of ordinary, in which he is still serving, and which he has filled to the entire satisfaction of the people, having a peculiar tact in bringing about the settlement of estates without resort to the courts, or to a lawyer's office. In politics he is a stanch democrat, while religiously he is affiliated with the Methodist Church, in which he has been a Sunday school teacher for fifteen years. Mr. Lokey was married in McDuffie County to Miss Julia Lee Culpepper, the daughter of Washington and Cassie Culpepper. Their home has been blessed by the advent of eight children, seven living: Winnie Dell, Allene, Earl, Harold, Leonard, Ruth (deceased), George Washington, Jr., and James. Mr. Lokey may fitly be called a self-made man, as he owes what he is chiefly to his own exertions. He is generally recognized as one of the most progressive citizens of Thomson, taking a keen interest in the welfare of the city and county, being in favor of all modern improvements, such as a water system, new jail, sewerage, and a worker for good roads and whatever will make Thomson and McDuffie County a more attractive place to live in. Prospective settlers writing him for information in regard to local conditions and opportunities are cheerfully answered, fully and without exaggeration. As a man of high character, correct morals and genial disposition, his popularity is as great as it is well deserved. Source: A standard history of Georgia and Georgians, Volume 4 By Lucian Lamar Knight Transcribed and Contributed by Friends for Free Genealogy Benjamin Franklin Johnson. It is an American's proudest boast that be is a self-made man, the architect and builder of his own fortunes. This has come to be true of the South to a much larger extent than it was in antebellum days, when large estates were handed down from father to son, and there were few manufacturing industries to give rise to opportunities for self advancement. Today, however, the South is full of active, enterprising men, who are investigating and developing her resources, and with the advent of the mill and factory has come a wider and more substantial prosperity in which all the people participate. Among those who are thus aiding in the development of the City of Thomson, McDuffie County, Georgia, is Benjamin Franklin Johnson, a leading business man and banker of this city, which he is now serving in the office of mayor. Mr. Johnson was born in Warren (now McDuffie) County, Georgia, December 11, 1864, the son of John F. and Effie Reese Johnson, who were natives of this county. The father, who was a well known planter, died in May, 1865, his wife dying at the age of seventy-two years. They had but two children: Joel Wigfall, now a prominent citizen of Augusta, engaged in the real estate business; and Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin Franklin was only six months old when his father died. He was educated in the country schools and the public schools of Thomson, and at the age of eighteen years began farming in a modest way in McDuffie County. After being thus occupied for six years, he came to Thomson, securing a clerkship with the J. A. Shields Mercantile Company. He remained nine years in their employ and then resigned, accepting a position with the T. A. Scott Mercantile Company, with which he remained seven years. With these two concerns he gained valuable experience, as they were the leading mercantile houses in Thomson at that time. With a laudable ambition to be his own master and become a power in the business world, Mr. Johnson assisted in organizing the McDuffie Oil and Fertilizer Company, of which he took the active management, and with which be has been thus connected up to the present time. During the years that have since elapsed this concern has grown and prospered, and now employs about thirty people, crushing annually about 4,000 tons of cotton seed and distilling about 180,000 gallons of cotton seed oil, for which a ready and profitable market is found. Mr. Johnson is also the vice president and a director of the First National Bank of Thomson. This flourishing institution was organized in 1901 with a capital of $25,000, subsequently increased to $90,000, and has a surplus of undivided profits of $25,000. That Mr. Johnson's fellow citizens have full confidence in his ability and integrity is proved by the fact that in 1913 they elected him mayor of the city, which office he still holds. He avails himself of every opportunity to promote local interests and will at any time cheerfully answer letters of inquiry from prospective settlers pertaining to the industrial or agricultural conditions and possibilities of this locality. Aside from his personal interests already mentioned, he is actively engaged in farming, raising cotton, corn and oats. He affiliates religiously with the Methodist Episcopal Church and is a member of the Masonic order. Mr. Johnson was married in Thomson, Georgia, in 1902, to Miss Mary Lou Lewis, of this city, a daughter of Thomas N. and Lou (McLean) Lewis. Her father, who was for many years a well known merchant of Thomson, is now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are the parents of two children: Effie Lewis, horn May 17, 1904, and Mary Ruth, born April 17, 191"). The career of Mr. Johnson, as thus depicted, presents an inspiring example to ambitious youths who are gifted with the necessary qualities for success—ambition, diligence, perseverance and integrity. Source: A standard history of Georgia and Georgians, Volume 4 By Lucian Lamar Knight Transcribed and Contributed by Friends for Free Genealogy Marshall Wellborn Dunn. Every community has its recognized leaders to whom the people look for initiative action when any important measure is proposed for the general good, or on whose exertions they chiefly depend to bring about its final consummation. To this class properly belongs Marshall Wellborn Dunn, one of the leading merchants of Thomas, McDuffie County, who is now serving as county superintendent of schools. Mr. Dunn was born in Columbia (now McDuffie) County, Georgia, September 5, 1855. His parents were Dr. William A. and Ada Louisa (Wellborn) Dunn, both natives of Columbia County. The father, who was a graduate of Athens (Georgia) College of Medicine, also of Jefferson College at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, practiced his profession for many years in his native county, until he was forced to retire owing to a serious injury caused by a fall. He purchased the old Isaac Ramsey Plantation of 1,000 acres, in McDuffie County, and operated it successfully for a number of years, aside from his medical practice. His death, which took place in 1898, when he was seventy-six years old, was much deplored, casting a shadow over the entire county. The reason was not far to seek. A generous hearted southern gentleman of the ante-bellum type, of a genial and joyous disposition, he never failed to respond to the call of duty, cheerfully giving his services to all who were unable to pay for them; so it is little wonder that all who knew him loved and honored him. During the war he volunteered as a Confederate soldier, but was sent home by the Confederate Government to care for the wounded left behind. He was a member of the Masonic order, and both he and his wife were active Methodists in religion. The latter died in 1902 at the age of sixty-eight years. Of their family of seven children two died in infancy, the others being as follows: Marshall W., subject of this biography, who was the eldest born; Ethleen, wife of W. R. Dobson, of Ashburn, Georgia; Claudia, who married E. H. Burnside and died in 1908; John Clarence, who is a planter on the old homestead, the Ramsey plantation at Cobbham; and Derrelle Duboise, who is a railroad conductor in the employ of the A. B. & A. Railroad and resides in Atlanta, Marshall Wellborn Dunn was educated in country schools, which he attended until reaching the age of sixteen, at which time he left school in order to assist his father in the management of the plantation, of which he later took entire charge, residing on it until 1909. He then organized a partnership with W. T. Parish, under the style of Dunn & Parish, and founded a general mercantile and supply house, which is now one of the leading business concerns in Thomson, the enterprise having been successful. Mr. Dunn has long taken a strong interest in educational matters, and his fellow citizens, knowing him to be a good man to entrust with school matters, in 1899 elected him a member of the board of education. After serving efficiently for several years, in 1904 he was elected as county school superintendent, which position he still retains. He took a leading part in the erection of the tine new high school, completed in 1911, and which cost $20,000. In putting through this project to its final consummation, he had to work hard to overcome the strong opposition against it on the part of many citizens who objected to the city's incurring so great an expense, but persuasion and argument finally prevailed, and it would now be hard to find anyone who does not take a pride in this magnificent and commodious building, or who would wish to go back to the old condition of things. Mr. Dunn was first married in 1884 to Miss Mamie Boyd, who died in 1902. She bore him four children, two of whom died in infancy. The survivors are: J. Boyd, born February 13, 1888, who is associated with the firm of Dunn & Parish, and Marion W., born December 25, 1891, who is cashier of the First National Bank of Elba, Alabama. On June 21, 1903, in Cobbham, McDuffie County, Georgia, Mr. Dunn married for his second wife, Miss Mattie Neal, daughter of B. L. Neal, a Confederate veteran residing in Columbia, Georgia, who was the son of Basil Neal, a soldier of the Revolution. Of this second union Mr. Dunn has had three children born to him, of whom one died in infancy, the two survivors being: Marshall Neal, born April 19, 1904, and Eugene Palmer, born August 27, 1905. Mr. Dunn is an active member of the Methodist Church, he and his amiable wife doing what they can at all times to advance the cause of religion and morality. Their friends are numbered by the score, and there are few families in Thomson better known or more highly respected. Source: A standard history of Georgia and Georgians, Volume 4 By Lucian Lamar Knight Transcribed and Contributed by Friends for Free Genealogy Copyright © Genealogy Trails All data on this website is Copyright by Genealogy Trails with full rights reserved for original submitters.