special history study november 1991 by William Patrick O'Brien JIMMY CARTER NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE AND PRESERVATION DISTRICT • GEORGIA UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR / NATIONAL PARK SERVICE TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS v PREFACE vii INTRODUCTION 1 VISION STATEMENT 2 MAP - PLAINS AND VICINITY 3 PART ONE: BACKGROUND AND HISTORY BACKGROUND AND HISTORY 7 SOUTHWEST GEORGIA - REGION AND PLACE 9 SOUTHWEST GEORGIA - PEOPLE (PRE-HISTORY TO 1827) 11 SOUTHWEST GEORGIA, SUMTER COUNTY AND THE PLAINS OF DURA (1827-1865) 14 FROM THE PLAINS OF DURA TO JUST PLAIN "PLAINS" (1865-1900) 21 THE ARRIVAL AND PROGRESS OF THE CARTERS (1900-1920) 25 THE WORLD OF THE CARTERS AND JIMMY'S CHILDHOOD (1920-1941) 27 THE WORLD OUTSIDE OF PLAINS (1941-1953) 44 THE END OF THE OLD ORDER AND THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW: RETURN TO PLAINS (1953-1962) 46 ENTRY INTO POLITICS (1962-1966) 50 CARTER, PLAINS AND GEORGIA: YEARS OF CHANGE AND GROWTH - THE RISE OF THE NEW SOUTH (1966-1974) 51 PRESIDENTIAL VICTORY, PRESIDENTIAL DEFEAT (1974-1980) 55 THE CHRISTIAN PHOENIX AND THE "GLOBAL VILLAGE" - CARTER AND PLAINS (1980-1990) 58 CONCLUSION 63 PART TWO: INVENTORY AND. ASSESSMENT OF CULTURAL RESOURCES - JIMMY CARTER NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE AND PRESERVATION DISTRICT INTRODUCTION 69 EXTANT SURVEY ELEMENTS - JIMMY CARTER NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE AND PRESERVATION DISTRICT 71 I. Prehistory to 1827 71 II. 1827-1865 72 III. 1865-1900 74 IV. 1900-1920 78 V. 1920-1941 94 VI. 1941-1953 100 iii VII. 1953-1962 102 VIII. 1962-1966 106 IX. 1966-1974 106 X. 1974-1980 108 XI. 1980-1990 109 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL SURVEY ELEMENTS PLAINS, GEORGIA . 110 PART THREE: RELATIONSHIP OF CULTURAL RESOURCES TO THE CARTER STORY: PLAINS AND SUMTER COUNTY AS A CULTURAL LANDSCAPE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK STATUS FOR PLAINS PRESERVATION DISTRICT 123 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH 124 BIBLIOGRAPHY 127 iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The following persons and organizations were of great help in providing information and assistance in the research and writing of this study. Heartfelt thanks is extended to each. Sincere apologies are extended to anyone that has been omitted: Mr. Alan Anderson Reverend Dan Ariail, Pastor, Maranatha Baptist Church, Plains, Georgia Ms. Elizabeth Barthold, Historian, Historic American Building Survey, Washington, D.C. Mr. Fred Boyles, Superintendent, Jimmy Carter National Historic Site and Preservation District Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Carter President and Mrs. James Earl Carter, Jr. Mrs. Sybil Carter Mr. Dale L. Couch, Archivist, Georgia Department of Archives and History Ms. Madeline Edwards Mr. Martin Elzy, Assistant Director, Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, Atlanta, Georgia Ms. Laura Feller, Historian, History Division, National Park Service, Washington, D.C. Mr. Charles Hicks Dr. Steven Hochman, Carter Center, Atlanta, Georgia Ms. Grace Jackson Ms. Rae Nacke Mr. John Pope Lake Blackshear Regional Library Staff, Americus, Georgia Dr. Patricia Limerick, University of Colorado, Boulder Dr. Elizabeth Lyons, Georgia Historic Preservation Officer, Atlanta, Georgia Mr. John R. Morgan, Archeologist, Georgia Department of Natural Resources Mr. Robert B. Moss, M.S.A., Superintendent, Southwest Georgia Branch Station, University of Georgia College of Agriculture, Plains Georgia Ms. Karen Oliver, Historic Preservation Planner, Middle Flint Planning Commission Dr. Robert Pois, University of Colorado, Boulder Ms. Maxine Reese, Plains Historical Society Dr. Henry King Stanford, President Emeritus, University of Georgia Mr. Kenneth Thomas, Jr., Historian, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Atlanta, Georgia Mr. Jim Small, Ranger, National Park Service Mr. Don Schewe, Director, Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, Atlanta, Georgia Ms. Jewell Wiley Mr. Joe Wilson, Executive Director, National Council for the Traditional Arts, Washington, D.C. A number of specific acknowledgements are in order. Especially helpful were the oral histories recorded by National Park Service Chief Historian Edwin C. Bearss and Ranger Jim Small. Through their efforts, valuable information that otherwise would have been unavailable was recorded and preserved. Without such foresight, cooperation and expertise, such studies would be impossible. v The professional assistance and expertise lent the project by Ms. Rae Nacke of Denver, Colorado is gratefully acknowledged. Without her skill and patience as an oral history transcriber, much of this information would not be available. Mr. Kenneth H. Thomas, Jr.'s genealogical studies concerning the Carter family were of great help in understanding the background and history of the family in southwest Georgia. Reverend Dan AriaiTs generosity in spending the better part of an afternoon explaining various subjects relating to the South, Southerners and religion proved invaluable to this Missouri native. This study is the richer for his review and patience. The article entitled "Historicism, Marxism and Psychohistory: Three Approaches to the Problem of Historical Individuality" by Dr. Robert Pois of the University of Colorado at Boulder served as one of the center themes for this study; his classes, intellectual insights and generosity of spirit will always mean a great deal to me. Dr. Henry King Stanford and Dr. Steven Hochman, both of the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site and Preservation District Advisory Commission were generous enough to give of their busy schedules to review drafts of the study and lend valuable assistance. Their criticisms and insights were crucial to the fine tuning of this work. I am indebted to both for their help and patience. The fine research and documentation accomplish by Ms. Elizabeth Barthold and the HABS/HAER team in 1989 made the second section of this work possible. Heartfelt thanks is extended to them and their remarkable office. Finally, thanks to my colleagues at the Denver Service Center of the National Park Service and the Southeast Regional Office; their review of drafts and discussion of difficult questions has made this a better study. All interpretations or errors in fact, of course, remain the responsibility of the author. William Patrick O'Brien vi PREFACE On January 26, 1976 the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site and Preservation District was determined eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places at the request of the General Services Administration. The nomination was certified by the keeper of the National Register on June 28, 1984. On December 23, 1987, the 100th Congress of the United States of America, under Public Law 100-26 formally established the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site and Preservation District in Plains, Georgia as a unit of the National Park Service, United States Department of Interior. The legislation empowers the government to "(1) preserve the key sites and structures located within the historic site associated with Jimmy Carter during his life span; (2) provide for the interpretation of the presidency of Jimmy Carter; and (3) present the history of a small rural southern town." Since the park's nomination to the National Register and establishment, various studies have been accomplished by the National Park Service, including a Research Report On Structures and Sites for the Proposed Jimmy Carter National Historic Site (Sandra Dixon, Southeast Regional Office, 1985); a Statement for Interpretation (No Author, 1988); a Statement for Management (John Tucker, Superintendent, 1988); and the Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record's Survey of the Plains National Historic District (Elizabeth Barthold, et al., 1989). In addition, the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism contracted for A Study of Tourists Who used the Georgia Visitor Information Centers During 1988 (1988, Davidson-Peterson Associates, Inc.) One such center is located at Plains. In 1988, an Advisory Commission for the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site was established to assist future planning for the resource. In addition, the Plains Task Force, a local planning group, also meets regularly with the National Park Service to assist in planning for future projects. vii INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study is threefold. It places the extant cultural resources of Plains, Georgia within the context of an American presidential hometown. It assesses those resources that reflect important themes in the life of the 39th President of the United States as he grew to adulthood in the region of southwestern Georgia in the first half of the 20th century. Finally, it offers analyses and recommendations for specific cultural resources and future interpretation. The special history study is a general guide to future study and interpretation, not a definitive historical analysis of the Carters and Plains. Our knowledge of Carter and his hometown is limited; little research has been accomplished concerning the social history of Plains as it applies to Jimmy Carter and his political evolution and career. Research and writing of this study was accomplished over a nine month period, concurrent with the transcribing and editing of approximately 1,300 pages of audio and video taped oral history interviews by National Park Service staff from 1988 to 1990. The interpretation presented in the following pages relies on these primary source materials and other secondary source information. As such, the product is a document broad in scope, attempting to call out specific stories and ideas important to the park's general planning and interpretation. This preliminary