Ga. Miss Alma Stacy Flemington, Ga

ors ree STORY OF THE COMMUNITY AND HER PEOPLE THROUGH 200 YEARS Bird and Paul Yarbrough Editors A Project of Taylors Creek Cemetery Association Press of The Atkinson County Citizen Pearson, Georgia 1963 COMMITTEE FOR PUBLICATION OF Taylors Creek History A Project of Taylors Creek Cemetery Association GENERAL COM~llTTEE Wyman May, Chairman P. o. Box 523 General Treasurer Hinesville, Ga. Miss Alma Stacy Flemington, Ga. Mrs. c. J. Martin P. o. Box 277 Taylors Creek Cemetery Assn. Hinesville, Ga. Fraser F'. Rambo, President George c. Martin Hinesvi'lle, Ga. Ellabell, Ga. FlNANCi COMMl't'tEE Judge J. T. Grice, Chairman Mrs. Marian Laing Wallace Glennville, Ga. 465 Fourth St. N. A. Jelks Waynesboro, Ga. Hinesville, Ga. Mellie Martin Uvalda, Ga. Judge Paul E. Caswell Hinesville, Ga. John A. Martin 109 W. Perry St. Miss Ann Flowers Savannah, Ga. Hinesville, Ga. Mrs. Corrie Yarbrough Mrs. Rosa Lee Phillips P. 0. Box 76 Ludowici, Ga. Waycros~, Ga. Mrs. L. M. Branch Mrs. Dorothy Harper Ludowici, Ga. 609 E. Jones St. Statesboro, Ga. Marcus May R.F.D. Mrs. Waalace Daniel Pembroke, Ga. Claxton, Ga. Homer Dianie:l George Shuptrine Claxton, Ga. Odum, Ga. Roland Darsey Mrs. Mary s. Tootle Lyons, Ga. Reidsville, Ga. Mrs. Warren Hendry Mrs. w. H. Cohan 1163 Lake Forest Blvd. Manor, Ga. Jacksonville, Fla. Mrs. Louise Dasher Mrs. Shelly Harvey 856 Briarcliff Rd., N.E. 4921 E. Broadway Atlanta, Ga. Tampa, Fla. S. B. McCall Emory Martin Adel, Ga. Crescent City, Fla. iii The Editors Family ties with the Taylors Creek Community induced the editors of this volume to accept the momentous task of organ izing and rewriting much of the copy handed to them in 1960. Further research in old records and the accumulation of other materials became necessary to shape an appropriate story of the community and her people. Rev. Bird Yarbrough of Pearson, son of Mrs. Corrie Bradley Yarbrough, a native of Taylors Creek, agreed to serve as editor and publisher of this volume, assisted by his son, 1Paul Yar brough. Mr. Yarbrough is a retired member of the South Georgia Confer ence, The Methodist Church. He re ceived his education at Young Harris College and Emory University. Mr. Paul Yarbrough did outstanding research on this work, and as a graduate journalist did the bulk of the editorial work. A native of Waycross, he is an honor graduate of the University of Georgia, and for the past three years has done graduate work at Iowa State University, where he is working toward the Doctor of Philosophy Degree. Mr. Yarbrough's other two sons, Mark Bradley Yarbrough (Georgia Tech '60), and Daniel Keith Yarbrough (Emory Uni versity '65) have assisted in the typesetting and press work, as time perrnitted, out of sheer interest in this devoted task. The Committee on Publication iv Preface If readers of this long-announced work have pre-conceived ideas of what it is to be they are likely to be somewhat dis appointed. In the first place, it is not pure and simple history, al though history weighs heavily in its content. In the second place, it is not a book of genealogy of the Taylors Creek com munity, although genealogy, too, is included. And, in the third place, a book like this does not purport to be complete. Rather, this volume attempts to use the approaches of interpretive history and gene·alogy to divine the unique spirit which has endeared the small area of land known as Taylors Creek in the hearts and minds of those who knew and loved the community. With the best of references, such a goal is difficult to attain. In this case it is even more difficult because the re f ere nee material has been gathered over a period of many years by many persons from many sources. As Editors we have made an effort to properly assemble, supplement and interpret this material. We feel that we have been able to expose several well ingrained myths about the community's origin and the lives of her inhabitants. There undoubtedly remain some ei'rors of fact and intrepretaition for which we ask forgiveness. Space does not permit us to thank all the persons who have contributed to this book. Yet, several do deserve special recognition. Heading our list are Mrs. C. J. Martin and Miss Ahna Stacy whose sheer determination and countless hours of work have assured this publication. Not only have they con tributed heavily to the editorial content, they have also been responsible for gathering materials others have written and V have p]ayed a leading role in the financial drive which makes such a publication possible. We also owe special thanks to Wyman May, chairman of the Taylors Creek History project. His forebear an c e and understanding of the many unforseen delays is deeply appreciated. Thanks also go to those who have borne major responsi bilities for sections c,f this book: The Church, Mrs. C. A. May; Campground, Mrs. C. L. Cowart; Industry, Mrs. D. J. Martin; Military, Wyman May and Richard C. ~Jhan; Recreation, Mrs. C. J. Martin; and Cemetery, Mrs. J. S. Shuptrine. Special thanks go to Mrs. Almeida Olmstead Jelks for loan of the 1841-1865 quarterly conference minutes of the Taylors Creek Methodist Church. This original source material has proven invaluable in connecting people with events throughout the book. Mrs. Je,lks also contributed much in preparing t,he material on the community's professional p,eople. The editors as well as members of the committee are deeply indebted to Judge Folks Huxford, publisher of "Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia", (four volumes) for his work. It is felt some of the information contained in this volume originally came through his research. In several instances he has given per mission for use. All four volumes of his work are available and may be secured from him at Homerville, Georgia. Our ap,preciation to Mrs. Paul Yarbrough, Ames, Iowa, who helped assimulate the text material and type manuscripts. Also, to Mrs. Keith Yarbrough, Atlanta, who drew maps and revised other art work. Last but not least, our apologies and thanks to all the people who graciously contributed their ideas and words of encouragement. We have not always acted on their suggest ions, but we do appreciate their aid and counsel. The Editors vi Table of Contents Preface V Introduction "The Sounds of Times" 1 PART I THE COMMMUNlTY Chapter I - Myth, Legend and The Community 7 Chapter II - War! 37 ~ PART II THE INSTITUTIONS Chapter III - Church 59 Chapter IV - Camp Meeting 75 Chapter V - School 87 PART Ill THE PE:OPLE Chapter VI - Professional People 103 Chapter VII - Cemetery 123 Chapter VNI - Family Sketches 147 Chapter IX - Additional War Service Records 263 APPENDIX Advance Subscribers 273 vii INTRODUCTION The Sounds of Time IT is a quiet place. But ocassionally the silence is broken by the leaping run of a deer, the cry of a bobcat, or 'coons and 'possums scampering through the underbrush. And, perhaps, the 'barely audible, cracking of twigs as an Indian searches for gam,e. Once in a while, a zephyr tosses the violets, lilies and "heart leaves" while· from ove·vhead comes a low mourn as branches of a budding hickory sway lazily in the gentle breeze. On high and dry pine bar'rens a woodpecker hammers out his echoing beat. In lowland swamps a brown thrasher vies to "out-sing', other birds, of almost every description., that perch in gum and cypress trees. From the brambles beneath comes the whistle of a quail, his mate resounding the call from afar. Across the sand ridge slithers a diamondback rattlesnake. Back in the lowlands an alligator tires of sunning himself and splashes into the murkey deep of his tannin stained pool. It is beautiful. It is symphonic. It is a life-giving day of Spring in this area around the juncture of Canoochee and Taylors Creeks. It is also part of the Georgia frontier wilderness in 1760. Only eighteen miles to the east lies the1 advanced Puritan society of Midway; only twelve miles f urthier is Sunbury's bustling seaport; only forty miles north is the colonial capitol, Savannah. Thirty years have passed since the state was col onized, but during these years and the eons past, white man's 1 2 foot has not tread this ground, and until 1760 the tentative harmony of nature remains unchanged. Today, as two centuries ago, nature's silence is broken by the same pleasantness. The thrasher still sings, the deer still frolicks, the alligator still splashes into his pool. There 1s beauty - - pure, simple, natural. But there is a cliff erence. Pleasantness is now accompan ied by unpleasantness. Man with his man-made distractions. Military man with his hell of distracting noises -- the boom of artillery, the squeaking rumble of tanks, the sporadic chatter of machine guns clash with nature's softness. For two decades -- since 1941 -- Canoochee and Taylors Creeks have been enveloped in the 400,000 acre vastness of Fort Stewart Military Reservation. Once this area knew a different timbre. Man-made to be sure -- yet imparting an air of wholesomeness. These were the sounds which interspersed the 181 years between 1760 and 1941. These were the accompanyments of the rise, glow ing life and adrupt demise of Taylors Creek Community. To the eye, Taylors Creek wasn't much. Never incor porated, its loose boundries ranged no more than two to three miles from the juncture of the creeks. Even the creeks themselves weren't much as creeks go. Taylors, the smaller, was little more than a trickle and subject to drying up com pletely under August suns.

Load more