Turner County, Georgia Genealogy and History - Presented by Genealogy Trails History Group

THE FIRST SETTLERS.

The first settler lived in his one room log cabin, stick and dirt chimney and often with a clay floor. Sometimes the floor was hewn out of large trees and was frequently fourteen or fifteen inches wide and about five inches thick. So well hewn were many floors that they were very smooth and even, with small cracks between each piece of hewn plank. The roof was of boards some-times five or six feet long, split out of choice trees with a tool called a "froe." A hole was bored in each board and a peg driven in and then hung over a pole in the center called a ridge pole. Each layer of boards was held down by a rich heart pine pole split out so as to have a flat side. This was also pegged down to keep the boards from being blown away.

The cracks between the logs were ceiled with split boards. Each house had one door and some of the most pretentious had a window with shutters, also of split boards.

A small log crib with a shed on the side constituted the barn to house the stock.

Of course everyone then cooked in the fireplace and had nice tables made of split wood and hewn boards, home made bedsteads, nicely hewn and dressed off and frequently nicely carved after the manner of the day, held snugly together by cords in the rail-ings, a cow hide thrown across the rope and mattress. Nearly all had feather beds, no springs were needed.

Frequently men of more means would come and build more pretentious dwellings, double pen log houses. Some years later they began to use nails and at first they were home-made by negro blacksmiths, as some of the settlers would own a few negro slaves.

No towns of importance were nearer than Savannah and Augusta in the early days of this section, for Bibb County itself is a younger county than old Irwin.

Nearly every settler had cattle from only a few in number to a hundred head or more and owned sheep in proportion and each had his mark and brand and each respected and protected the other's property, as no better class of citizens ever lived than the majority of the old time settlers. Self respecting and honest, the most of them were scions of the best blooded families of England, with adventurous spirits, brave and generous to a fault.

The women with their spinning wheels and home-made looms, made all of the clothing for the family, as sewing machines were then unknown, and all the sewing and dressmaking were done entirely by hand. The counterpanes they wove were very beau-tiful and were even better than many we buy today.

Their wardrobes were made by boring holes in the logs, putting pegs in the holes and placing boards on the pegs one above the other and were called "clothes shelves."

They also wove woolen blankets called "coverlets" of beautiful designs and colors. A few of these can be found among the oldest families today. Some are kept as souvenirs of days gone to return no more. A custom was to get clean, white sand out of the boil of springs and sprinkle on the floors, a custom learned from the Dutch housewives.

The cows were milked for a few months in early summer. The butter was packed away in earthen jars and the top covered a few inches in salt and kept for cooking purposes throughout the year and strange to think, how well it kept.

Matches were unknown, fires were kindled by a piece of steel striking quickly against a flint rock with scorched cotton called tinder; it would quickly ignite. Men would carry their flint and steel and box of tinder with them to light their home-made pipes, filled with home raised tobacco.

Their crops were small, but were planted on rich cow-penned lands and the harvests were always bountiful.

They made all of the food for family and stock, wheat, com, oats, and potatoes being raised. Money was not needed as there was meager opportunities for its expenditure.

The Old Stage Road from Columbcs to Tallahassee and St. Mahts Known As the Old Hawthorne Trail. In the early days, traveling was done by stage coaches, which usually could carry about ten or fifteen persons and were drawn by horses and traveled from thirty to forty and sometimes fifty miles a day. Old people said it took about two months to go from Georgia to New York.

There were several of these roads in Georgia. One went from Savannah to Augusta and on to Athens. Another from Savannah to Macon. One from Augusta to Milledgeville, Macon and on to Columbus. One ran from Columbus to St. Marys.

At Camilla, Georgia, the Daughters of the American Revolution erected a marker, claiming that William Hawthorne of Stewart County, surveyed and blazed the road in 1818.

William Hawthorne was a member of the Georgia Legislature at that time and was prominent in early Georgia history. He was a brother, it is said, of Nathaniel Hawthorne the greatest of all American Novelists.

The old stage roads were probably opened up at the expense of the state, and were leased to the highest bidder.

In addition to the passenger traffic, they also carried and distributed mail.

At convenient stations along the road every eighteen or twenty miles they exchanged horses where inns or taverns were erected for travelers to rest and get their meals or spend the night.

When approaching a station, and sometimes along the road, the drivers would blow their bugles or tin horns, so that every thing would be in readiness for them and from the signals given by the bugle, the inn keeper knew how many guests he would have to provide for.

As the inn keeper would begin to prosper others would put up "grog shops" and grocery stores until many of them became quite important villages.

The towns along the old Hawthorne Trail, or Columbus and St. Mary's road were as follows:

After leaving Columbus, the road meandered eastwardly to Buena Vista, Tazwell, Pondtown, now Ellaville, Hamburg, Tyler, now Oglethorpe; and crossed the Flint River at Travellers Rest two miles from Montezuma, then to Drayton, Warwick, Pindertown, Bainbridge, Thomasville, Troupville, Milltown and on to St. Marys.

At Milltown, the old inn has been remodeled into a modern dwelling. This old inn was operated for many years, I am informed, by an old gentleman known as Uncle Jimmie Carroll, who was said to be one of the best inn keepers on the road.

From Milltown it went ramblingly along, around swamps and bogs, on to St. Marys. I have been told that the late Captain Lawton of Sycamore, in his courting days, traveled this road by stage coach in going from Smith ville to Savannah.

Another stage road was opened up about this time, from Milledgeville by old Hartford or Hawkinsville, Vienna and joined the old Hawthorne Trail somewhere southwest of the present site of Vienna.

After Florida was organized a territory in 1822, the road was extended from Camilla on to Tallahassee, thus connecting the Capitals of two different states.

Old man Clements, the father of the late Mrs. J. S. Pate of Cordele, once kept the rday of horses and an inn.

Uncle Billie Whiddon says that in 1824 the state opened up a shorter route to St. Marys, by leaving the Hawthorne Trail at some point north of Warwick, on by Worth, Ga., through the Live Oak settlement and on to St. Marys.

It was reported that the state gave a surveyor ten thousand dollars to survey and open the road. He traveled in a house on wheels drawn by oxen, with two negro laborers and a negro woman cook.

This road was never operated, except as used by the old pioneers and some portions of it is still traveled.

We know by the establishing and discontinuing of post offices, that it was operated as a stage coach line from 1825 till 1844, and probably as late as 1856.

Many great and distinguished men had traveled on this old road and probably was used by Gen. Jackson while he was governor of Florida in going to the Hermitage and back again.

An old time gentleman, who remembers the old stage coach said that the bus lines of today with their honking of horns and stopping to pick up travelers reminded him very much of the old days and that it seemed to him that the pendulum of time was swaying back again to the old customs, only by methods used in our modern age.

History of Old Pindertown, Indian Village.

The story of Goldsmith's Deserted Village has been read, for ages and by millions of people, but right here at home we have a small sequel in the true history of old Pindertown on the Flint River.

According to Indian legends, handed down by the old Pioneers, old Pindertown was quite an important Indian village, when London was the cow pen of the aborigines of England.

The Indians only used permanent villages as winter quarters and usually remained at home in the spring long enough for their squaws to get the crops planted and growing, and then went on great hunting excursions that kept them away for several months and had many places for their summer abode. They generally returned late in the fall bringing in their winter supply of furs and hides, which was very valuable to the white man.

Trails were blazed and frequent trips were made to old Pindertown, and among others, one known as the Ten Mile Trail, came from the Ocmulgee River near Donniny's mill through Turner County to this trading post, and many others led to the same place.

Finally these traders established little stores, where they bartered for furs and hides, which they sold to the traders or manufacturers at enormous profits.

So we see by the time of the treaty at Fort Jackson in 1821, when the Indians ceded to the whites all the lands north of the boundary of 1818, which gave to the whites Dooly and some other counties, old Pindertown had become an important center of trade-

There the old pioneer came to trade and barter to buy powder and shot, his coffee, and the few luxuries that even the earliest enjoyed.

It was here that old man Willis had a blacksmith shop, long before the Indians killed his family near Dakota in 1837.

Here it was that Richard Story and Joe Pate, came to get whiskey and coffee, on that fateful day, when Story was drowned in Deep Creek near Amboy during the Harrison freshet in 1842.

Here came the oldest inhabitants. Rev. William Pate, Samuel Story, Indian Jim Brown, the Hamiftons, the Whiddons and others too numerous to mention, to barter or buy powder, shot, coffee, tobacco or some small luxuries that the old pioneer could afford.

Here they had their shooting matches, horse racing, whisky drinking and fighting. Here it was as the tale is told, that Uncle Samuel Story whipped seven bullies in one fight.

It was here that the old pioneers came to sing, pray and preach. It was in the pulpit here that Rev. William Pate died after preaching in 1841 at the advanced age of 91.

It was in the old field school here, that many an old pioneer's son learned to read, write and "cipher."

It was at the Inn here that the old stage coach stopped for a fresh relay of horses and from its bar many a careworn traveler drank and often joked, but would not insinuate against the back woods, for he knew the old rough clad pioneer was brave and honest and would fight. Good old days, gone to return no more.

A tavern was erected. The old stage began to pass, and the old pioneers could hear stones from travelers of the world beyond the wiregrass regions of Georgia.

A post office was established here as early as 1825, and was not discontinued till 1856.

The postmasters were as follows: John B. Coleman, 1825-1836; M. G. Lefoy, 1833-1834; Simon H. Holliday, 1834-1835; Wm. J. Ford, 1835-1840; Andrew I. Tyson, 1840-1842; J. J. Williamson, from April till November, 1849.

It was discontinued and reestablished in 1850, with Robert A. McCombes as postmaster, and was succeeded by J. J. Williams, Asa M. Giddens and the last of all by John Turner who resigned in 1856 and the post office was discontinued.

Many travelers stopped at the old tavern, many a pioneer drank at its bar, many a sad story could it tell, but stands a silent sentinel, that will tell no tales of its friends and foes who have passed away.

The Falling of the Stars in 1833.

On the night of November 13,1833, the stars fell like snow flakes and fireballs darted back and forth in the heavens, like children at play, making a grand and awe-inspiring display. Instead of admiration and joy, it brought fear and terror, for Peter, in Holy Writ, says: "The Stars shall fall" and the terror stricken pioneers, being somewhat familiar with this passage, fled, from ten to fifteen miles around, to the home of Rev. William Pate. This aged man of God, probably did not know much about this natural phenomenon, but did his best to quiet their fears and drive their terrors away.

That night Uncle Billie Pate, as he was familiarly called, read the most comforting passages in God's word. They sang hymns, often full of pathos, and often confessions were made of sins, and such prayers from terrified souls as were poured out to the God of Mercy, would often bring conviction to others less penitent. The long night was spent in reading, singing and praying, till old "Sol" again began to show his face and throw his smiling rays around, and to bring consolation to frightened men and women.

The night had made a record groove in their memories and the children of that day would often tell their grandchildren of that terrible night. When day came with its welcome light (the stars were still falling), the terror began to give place to hunger, so old Aunt Tempy Pate, put herself and children to work, to "feed the multitude." James and Elijah, the two boys, were put to digging potatoes and getting wood, while the girls, Nancy, Sarah and Polly were put to cooking; frying venison, beef and pork, baking bread and potatoes and boiling coffee; for no one was allowed to leave hungry

Although Uncle Elijah lived to be a very old man, yet in his latter days he often said, he was never as tired in his life as he was that morning digging potatoes. Elijah and James both reared large families and long since have passed away.

Polly Holt, Sarah Johnson, Betsey Story and Nancy Blanchard lived to be very old women, but neither ever forgot, to their dying day, that night and the great crowd that they had to cook for and feed that morning in their humble log cabin, half hidden by towering pines.

How the Early Pioneers Lived.

One hundred years ago, the settlers, each had his log cabin miles away from his neighbors with a few acres of cleared land, pony horse, hound dogs, flint and steel musket and hand mill where he ground his own meal, sometimes a few sheep, and generally a few range cows that were milked for a few months in the early summer.

His wife with her spinning wheel and home-made loom, with a large family of hale and hearty children, constituted a family of easy circumstances, while the wealthier class that came in about this period with hundreds of head of cattle and a greater number of sheep, built double pen log houses with large halls and wide piazzas. Many homes were models of neatness.

All used the flint and steel and box of tinder for building fires long after matches were invented. It was said that Uncle Make Watson could with his flint and steel and box of cotton tinder, which he always carried in his pocket, light his home-made pipe filled with home raised tobacco while riding his wiregrass blind pony in a gallop.

Game was plentiful, chiefly deer and turkeys. Wolves were numerous and swarmed the country in packs and were a great menace to those raising sheep and hogs. Black bears were frequent visitors while ammunition was scarce and was a valuable asset in every home, and was never wasted. So scarce was ammunition that powder was sometimes mixed with coarse sand, believing it would go further and do fully as well.

Money was scarce and trading deer skins, cow hides and tallow and the few articles of produce that the farmers could spare was done mostly in Pindertown, a small trading station near the Flint River, about twenty miles away, and later sometimes in Macon, especially at a later period when cattle raising became the chief industry.

But at the period of which we write, the pioneer's wants were few, as he generally made all of his corn and wheat for his own use, which he carried to the water mill to have ground into meal and flour, often twenty or thirty miles away. Many families used the old-fashioned hand mill

The wife spun and wove all the clothing for the family and household purposes. She could weave counterpanes, a kind of coverlet, of very beautiful designs. The chief thing to buy, therefore, was ammunition consisting of kegs of powder and several pounds of lead that were moulded into bullets.

The pioneers were in frequent danger or fear of attacks from the Indians when they went on their hunting excursions. When fearing an Indian attack whole families would sleep in their cow pens, as cattle could scent an Indian for more than half a mile away, and would stampede off in the opposite direction, showing the pale faces which way to flee to the places of safety. Aunt Betsy Story and several of the old settlers said they had slept in their cow pens many nights.

During 1860 and 1865, people on the east side of the county got their mail at Abbeville, those on the south side at Irwinville, on the west side at Isabella and on the north at Warwick. Turner County being situated on the dividing line between the Ocmul gee and Flint Rivers and far removed from boat landings, and of course no railroads, placed the people in this section far behind the more favorably located communities on water routes, in schools, churches and general development, especially in population, and by those people were called backwoodsmen, a name they resented with all of their patriotic fervor, for they felt that in blood and lineage they were the equal of any man. T hey were honest and each respected the other's rights. Their words were their bonds and to doubt a man's word was to give an insult, and every man would resent an insult. The better class would forfeit their lives before their word, no promissory notes were ever given or taken. Men loved each other in those days and were Biblical neighbors to each other, and each was his brother's keeper.

Men fought in those days, for fighting was a game between friends to see who could whip, but men were brave and fought fair. Uncle Samuel Story remained an undefeated champion, and was never whipped.

Some Old Customs of the Pioneer.

When a neighbor wanted to build a house he cut his logs, hauled them to where the house was to be built; got the bark peeled off with a drawing knife, then invited his neighbors in from miles around, and gave them a good dinner and his house was soon up.

Another custom was "log rollings" when a piece of forest ground was to be cleared, the trees were belted or, as it was called, "deadening trees." In this decaying condition they were continually falling. In the winter or spring they were cut into convenient lengths for piling. Again all of the neighbors were invited and they all cheerfully came to pile them for burning. Upon these occasions, feats of strength and activity were a part of the program for the day. The young man who could pull his partner down at the end of a hand stick, out-jump, out-run or throw down his opponent in a wrestling match at the noon hour, was considered the best man in the community. He was greeted with a cheer, by mothers of marriageable daughters, a slap on the shoulder by the older men, and the admiring glances of the pretty girls, whose hair needed no curling irons and whose cheeks needed no rouge.

Sometimes it would end at night with an old-fashioned country dance. When the old fiddler would begin to tune his instrument for "old cotton eyed Joe" each hale and hearty young man would seek his partner from the bevy of country belles and when the trumpet voiced cotillion caller would yell "Partners on the floor," "Honor your partner," the festivities and real fun and frolic

would begin. The old farm house would ring that night with a rural jubilee and when the caller yelled, "Balance all," the damsels and dames in hoop skirts, some eight or ten feet around would gracefully dance a "Jig" and then the country swains in home-made and home-woven suits, home-tanned and home-made shoes, would cut the "pigeon wing," the "doubleshuffle"or the*"buzzard lope," with such dexterity and skill as to make a negro minstrel weep with envy. Some were pretty well "tanked up" on cane skimmings beer and who cared how the hours flew, for sometimes the festivities lasted until the break of day. Sometimes the old-fashioned minuet was danced by the old folks, sometimes it was the old Virginia Reel, but whatever it was, it was carried on with a zest for pleasure.

Then the happy privilege of escorting the lady of your heart home, all on horseback. Buggies were almost unknown. Sometimes both rode the same one-eyed wiregrass pony,—but always accompanied by the father, mother or older brother, which left no chance for the modern day "spooning."

The old quilting parties were a pleasure to attend. What a place to gossip, for women gossiped then as well as now. What a necessity? Each young lady must have a chest full of the finest quilts, sheets and pillow cases, that could be made before she was eligible for matrimony. At these parties, all of the fine quilts and best linens had to be displayed before criticising feminine eyes, to be talked of for weeks afterwards. When quilting, each young lady tried to do the nicest work, for the young men were liable to find out who could do the nicest work with a needle. Were they not happy on these grand occasions? Were they not satisfied with their lot in life?

Human nature is the same in all ages. Whether in the city or backwoods, it is the same daily grind; each to be happy, must love, each must work to live; each must suffer the ills of human nature; each must live and each must die. Then what advantage did those in congested centers of population have in peace, love and happiness over the backwoods youngster, in their native haunts among the pines?

Carts.

Every settlement, as a rule, had at least one man who was called a good workman.

With a pair of iron tires, one iron ring six inches in diameter with a six inch staple, two iron cylinders for boxing to fit the wooden axles.

With a good cross cut saw, froe, axe, auger, drawing knife, chisel and hand saw, he would go out into woods and would soon have an outfit ready for hauling.

Pine tar was always used to grease those old wooden axle carts and wagons.

Religion of the Old Timer.

Religion has always played an important part in every man's life. From the cradle to the grave is the only part of our existence that we are much interested in as viewed from the standpoint of the average business or professional man, and sometimes they become very religious, if it adds to their personal prestige. But not so with the old timer, for he who professed religion in those days had a personal experience, and knew of a spiritual warfare within.

Some of those old time preachers and leading churchmen, in many cases may have been ignorant of some things, but they were very conscious of the presence of sin, of offending God, and the propitiatory sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, whom they preached with all their fervor and with such zeal for lost souls, that men were stricken with conviction of sin, and in agony of soul would cry unto God, until the burden of sin would roll away and be lost in the Sepulcher of Christ.

Giving and paying preachers was not taught, and they who preached, did so at tremendous sacrifice. Some would plow all the week, ride horseback twenty-five miles, preach to from a dozen to a score of people and ride back home and plow again the next week. The worst of sinners had a reverence for the man of God, and the church, and they who served well were counted worthy of double honor.

Religion in those days had a good deal of sentiment in it, and they could be quickly brought to tears. They believed in prayer and at every invitation both saint and sinner went and asked for an interest in the prayer. Once a month meetings were held and only few would lead in prayer. There were no Sunday Schools and prayer meetings.

On Sundays the children, as their fathers had done before them, would ramble through the beautiful forests of pines, whose boughs, sighing in the sweet dew-laden zephyrs from the orangeries of the South, was to them, as if it had been the rvstle of an angel's wing and the brooks would sing their songs, as they purred and murmured on their way to the sea, carrying straws and leaves, reminding them that they too were but genrs, born upon the fleeting stream of time to a spiritual destination. For their Christian mothers around their knees, had taught them of God, of good and evil, of the adirinist ration of angels, and of a Heaven and a hell. If all mothers would do this, what need would there be for a Sunday School and of Sunday School teachers; but all mothers will not do this, hence the necessity of a Bible school on the Lord's day.

Should the names of those pioneer mothers be forgotten? For their names are inscribed on high.

Should those pioneer preachers, those heroes of faith and righteousness be forgotten? They have fallen asleep, but their work still goes on. Then let the names of William Pate, Warren Dykes, Ed Bullington, E. D. Hunter, Zarah Paulk, Dunwoody, Everett, Lanier, Tucker, Booey, burn into your memory, for they were the means in the hands of God of leading our fathers and mothers to Christ, and made this section worthy of habitation. They climbed no ladder of fame to inscribe their names in rainbow colors on the face of time, but they climbed the ladder that Jacob in his vision saw and wrote their names in the blood of their Master upon the scroll of Eternity, to abide forever.

Occupations of First Settlers.

The chief industry of the old settlers was the raising of cattle and sheep. Each cattle or sheep owner, in driving up his stock in the spring, along about April or May, would get a lot of his neighbors' stock with his, and would always put them in his large woods pasture, and take special care of them until the neighbors would gather and separate their own and drive them home, and around from neighbor to neighbor, which of course took considerable time. Their wiregrass ponies were so well trained, that a cow or sheep had only a small chance to escape. They could jump over gopher holes, dodge trees or whirl around quickly enough to cut off the escape of the fleetest five or six year old steer.

The cow hunters would always announce their approach by the constant crack of their fifteen or twenty feet whip, making a noise almost equal to the shooting of a rifle. So expert were they in the use of their long cow whips, that astride of their horses in a swift gallop, they could almost split the cow's hide with the crack of their whips and it didn't take a cow long to learn that it was best to stay in the herd. They had all of the streams, hills and valleys named. So familiar were such names as Wolf Creek, Wolf Head, Snap Finger, Big Hollow, Race Pond, Dozier Field, Buck Skin and many other such names, that it was no trouble to tell your neighbor where you last saw such of his stock as he might inquire about. To the old cow hunters the woods and streams and their names were as familiar as the modern highways are to us.

After the cattle had been rounded up and "penned," marking and branding of calves were in order. Sometimes late calves would go over until next year and as they were always wild, they would give the "youngsters" a fairly good tussel before being thrown and securely held for the marking knife and branding iron. Sometimes a three or four year old yearling would have to be caught and if teased the least, would show fight; when cornered he would dash either at his would be captors, or for liberty. In either case the most athletic would seize him by the horns and the others would leap upon him like hounds on a fox and in a moment's time he would lie stretched on the ground and firmly held and the only privilege be then enjoyed was to bellow with all of his might, which he frequently did.

In July, August and September, cattle buyers would come through buying up the best steers to be driven to the nearest cities as beef cattle. In these cases, one man would act as treasurer, getting pay for the entire herd and would bring the money home in a shot sack. He would put a ten or twelve year old boy on a horse, give him the sack of money sometimes containing a thousand dollars or more and send him to each one who had cattle in the herd. Each one would count out his own money, give the sack back to the boy and he would go to the next with the same result and when all had got their money, he would bring the sack and remaining money back, with the exact amount of money left.

May was also the month for gathering and shearing sheep. In the winter months, sheep would scatter and have no certain stay places at night, but in the spring they would have regular camping grounds and would gather at night from miles around, and such camping places would be miles apart. The hunters would arise long before day and be at the camp before the sheep would scatter, and drive the whole herd in and separate his from his neighbors' sheep. After shearing his sheep, and frequently there would be several hands hired to shear the sheep, they received a good price, sometimes paid by the day, more frequently so much per head. Then the lambs would be marked and branded, and of course no two owners would have the same mark and brand. A cow was always branded on the hip, but a sheep had to be branded on the nose. A sheep, like an Indian, never begs for mercy, no bleating and bellowing, when the hot branding irons were applied.

The neighbors would bring your sheep and get theirs, or else you would carry them theirs and get yours.

Sometimes a man would buy a herd of cattle or a drove of sheep, or build a house and get in need of more money than he had and all he had to do was to go to his neighbor who would take an old shot sack out of some cracks between the logs, and count out the money to him, sometimes five hundred, sometimes a thousand dollars, and tie the sack up and put it back in the same hole between the logs. No notes were ever given or taken. No one would bring the money back with interest for no interest was ever charged. They were men of integrity and character. No thief would be allowed to remain in the community. Locks were almost unknown for no one ever locked his house or barn. Lawyers and court-houses were not needed. Courts never lasted but one or two days each year.

Running up the Bride-groom.

A peculiar custom at all pioneer weddings, was the rough and hilarious habit of running up the bride-groom.

When the would-be-groom was approaching the home of the happy bride-to-be, he was way-laid, about one mile from his destination, by sometimes, a dozen—a score and sometimes by half a hundred horsemen, with cow whips, shot guns and pistols, who would rush in behind him, lashing all horses to full speed, the cracking of whips, firing of guns and the mad race was begun, that ended at the bride's door. The groom, the hero of the hour, no longer timid or hesitant, for the excitement had driven these away.

Source: History of Turner County. Atlanta, Ga.: Pate, John Ben.. Stein Print. Co., 1933.