Rolling fields of corn and soybeans stretch on either side of the road and the houses tucked into coves and on hilltops are scattered in wide intervals.

Everybody knows everybody else. Providence was once a bustling community that included a post office, two community stores and several church. Doug Cobb says he has seen a lot of changes in 62 years but this is a good place, a quiet place to live. Cobb recalls the roads were all gravel when he was growing up and most people traveled with mules and wagons. The doctors would come out to the house but we would often pull them out of a mudhole with mules so they could make it to the next house.

The Elizer family has seen even more changes.. they live up the road, on a farm established in 1876. The farm is a designated Century Farm, meaning it has been owned by the same family for more than 100 years. Georgia Elizer taught school in Crockett and Haywood counties for 38 years. She and her husband of 87 years raised a son and a daughter on the farm. She said the old log cabin built by her great-grandfather stood on the farm for many years until they sold it to someone in Atlanta.

The Catalpa post office was opened by B.M. Williamson, one of the largest landowners during teh 1800's. Williamson also donated land for teh Providence Methodist Church, which was established in the 1860's and was once one of the largest country churches innnn the Methodist conference. The church is still in operation. Every sumer the church would have weeklong revival services . they had services twice a day.

Article from the Jackson Sun July 7, 2008
by Mariann Martin