18 January 1831: A Local Census Tally

On this day in 1831, the Athenian posted this breakdown of the population count for Clarke county and the city of Athens:

In 1831, Clarke county was significantly larger than it is today, including all of the land now in Oconee county, which cut Clarke in half when it was created in 1875.

The black population is almost equal to the white population, but most interesting is the 29 "free colored" people living in Clarke county in 1831. Georgia had some of the harshest laws for free blacks, including forbidding them from becoming masons or mechanics, skills that would likely lead to economic stability. Georgia and Virginia were the only two southern states that did not allow free blacks to vote.

The state also gave anyone who suspected their supposedly white neighbors of  only pretending to be white to take them to court to make them prove they had less than 1/8th "Negro blood," lest they continue to have the privileges of marriage, literacy, suffrage, and professional employment. However, despite such hardships, free African-American communities did exist, such as Springfield near Augusta, Georgia.

Learn More:

• Athenian, January 26, 1827 - March 13, 1832 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
• A Story Untold: Black Men and Women in Athens History by Michael L. Thurmond in the Heritage, young adult, and general collections.
• Life Upon These Shores: Looking at African American History 1513-2008 by Henry Louis Gates in the new books collection.
• Freedom: Georgia's Anti-Slavery Heritage, 1733-1865 by Michael L. Thurmond in the general collection.
• Neither More Nor Less Than Men: Slavery in Georgia, edited by Mills Lane in the general collection.
• Black Heritage Sites: An African American Odyssey and Finders Guide by Nancy Curtis in the reference collection.
• Springfield: A Free African-American Community in Georgia website.
• "I Was Not Born a Slave, Nor in a Log Cabin" by UGA history student Daniel Jenkins.
• Antebellum African-American Resources from the free Archives.com Experts section.
• Before Freedom Came: African-American Life in the Antebellum South, a bibliography compiled by the Smithsonian Institution.
• Free Blacks in Antebellum America in the African American Odyssey exhibit of the Library of Congress' American Memory site.

14 January 1903: The Athens Chamber of Commerce Is Organized

On this day in 1903, the initial members of the newly created Athens Chamber of Commerce elected their first officers and formally established the organization and committees. 

The officers were L. F. Edwards, President; W. F. Bryan 1st Vice President; M. G. Michael, 2nd Vice President; T. W. Reed, Secretary; and C. H. Phinizy, treasurer.

Earlier in the month, the Weekly Banner published this list of charter members of the Athens Chamber of Commerce:

Abbott, S. K.

Abney Brothers Co.

Anderson, J. T.

Arnold Grocery Co.

Arnold, John L.

Ash, W. C.

Athens Banner, The

Athens Gas Co.

Athens Hardware Co., The

Boley, Sidney

Bondurant, E. J.

Brandt, R.

Brooks, A. L.

Bryan, W. T.

Burnett, W. B.

Carithers, J. Y.

Collett & Ingle

Conway, H. C.

Cooper, J. C.

Darwin, John A.

Davison, A. H.

Dearing, A. P.

Dornblass, J.

Dorsey & Funkenstein

Dorsey, E. H.

Dorsey, J. H .

Dozier & Co.

DuBose, R. Toombs

Edwards, L. F.

Eppes-Wilkins Co.

Flanigen, C. D.

Fleming, T. & Sons

Fleming, W.

Globe Racket Store

Green, T. F.

Griffeth Implement Co.

Griffeth, J. H.

Griffith, A. E.

Griffith, C. B.

Haselton, D. P.

Head & McMahan

Hodgson Cotton Co.

Hodgson, A. H.

Hodgson, C. N.

Holder, Jr., B. F.

Hulme & Co., Geo.

Humphrey, J. E.

Hunnicutt, J. A.

Johnson, M. C.

Joseph, Max

Kenney, D. M.

King & Co., J. S.

Klein & Martin

Lipscomb, F. A.

Mallory, W. A.

McCurdy, J. M.

McGregor, D. W.

McMahan, J. C. C.

McNeely, W. A.

McWhorter, Hamilton

Michael Bros.

Miller, D. F.

Morton, I. P.

Morton, John White

Moss, R. L., Jr.

Motes, C. W.

Nicholson, G. R.

Nicholson, M. G.

O’Neal, W. B.

Orr Drug Co., The

Palmer, H. R. & Sons

Peeples, W. J.

Petrie, C. B.

Philpot, S. T.

Phinizy, Billups,

Pitner, J. A.

Quillian, D. D.

Reed, T. W.

Rhodes, Alex

Rhodes, J. F.

Shackleford, T. J.

Sizer, R. W.

Skalowski, M. H.

Sledge, E. D.

Smith, E. I.

Stern, Chas. & Co.

Strickland, J. J.

Talmadge Bros. & Co.

Talmadge Hardware Co.

Thomas, W. W.

Tuck, H. C.

Turner & Hodgson

Vincent, T. P.

Vonderau, W. P.

Webb & Crawford

Wilkins, J. J.

Williamson, G. H.

Willis, E. F.

Wingfield, W. C.

Mayor J. F. Rhodes was chairman of the committee to draft a constitution and by-laws for the organization, and after his presentation, both passed with "a few minor amendments." 

The meeting schedule would be on the 2nd Tuesday of every month, with quarterly items on the agenda in January, April, July, and October, and their annual meeting in January. 

A total of 17 committees were being formed, covering Agriculture, Education, New Enterprises, Express Service and Railroad Transportation, Advertising and Publicity, Postal and Telegraph Service, and one covering Streets, Roads, and Parks.

The Board of Directors would be the officers and the chairmen from the Arbitration, Finance, and Manufacturers committees. Once committees were organized, they would "take up several matters of importance to the city and discuss and act upon them."

Stated the Weekly Banner, "It is the universal opinion that this new business organization will do much toward advancing the interests of the city."


Learn More:

• Weekly Banner, Aug. 1902 - Dec. 1905 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
• Athens Historic Newspaper Archive in the Digital Library of Georgia.
• History of Athens and Clarke County, Georgia by H. J. Rowe in the Heritage and general collections.
• Athens of Old by the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce in the Heritage collection.
• Athens, Georgia: In the Heart of Expansion, a Very Pleasant Place to Live by the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce in the Heritage collection.
• Athens, Georgia, the Classic City: Tradition with Progress by Donald A. Smith in the Heritage collection.
• Localvesting: The Revolution in Local Investing and How to Profit From It by Amy Cortese in the general collection.
• World Class: Thriving Locally in the Global Economy by Rosabeth Moss Kanter in the general collection.
• Athens Area Chamber of Commerce website.

15 December 1909: A "Christmas Suggestion"

On this day in 1909, the Southern Land Company offered a free piano to anyone buying one of the few remaining lots in the relatively new Lynwood Park subdivision.

Lynwood Park was originally part of the Ferdinand Phinizy estate, near the Cobbham area. In 1906, the suburb was mapped out into lots, spanning from Milledge Avenue to the city limits, and included the West Hancock and Reese Street areas. It became "a little town within itself" for the African-American doctors, dentists, educators, builders, ministers, business owners, and other professionals lived and worked.


Learn More:

• Athens Banner, January - December, 1909 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
• Strolls About Athens During the Early Seventies by Sylvanus Morris in the Heritage and general collections.
• A Story Untold: Black Men and Women in Athens History by Michael L. Thurmond in the Heritage and general collections.
• A Portrait of Historic Athens and Clarke County by Frances Taliaferro Thomas in the Heritage and general collections.
• Cobbham Historic District by Christopher W. Barry in the Heritage collection.
• African-American History Driving Tour (pdf) on the Athens Welcome Center website.
• Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for Georgia in the Digital Library of Georgia.
• A Natural History of the Piano by Stuart Isacoff in the general collection.
• The Everything Piano Book by Evan A. Copp in the general collection.
• Piano: An Easy Guide by Chris Coetzee in the general collection.

Are You Reading Our Heritage Room Newsletters?

On this day we'd like to remind you to subscribe to our two fantastic Heritage Room newsletters. They will be delivered to your email Inbox, and are a great way to keep up with all that is going on in genealogy and history throughout the year, and especially during the busy holiday season.

Our Genealogy and History Events newsletter covers everything from Haunted History tours in Athens and Macon to free webinars about Irish ancestor brick walls and getting started with Native American genealogy. Find out where to hear historians talking about their latest books, or when the dedication ceremony for a new historical marker will be held. Autumn is a busy time for cemetery tours, and with the newsletter, you can take your pick of tours in Athens, Cartersville, Atlanta, and McDonough. The commemoration of the sesquicentennial of the Civil War continues apace, with a variety of symposia, lectures, programs, and book-related events. Don't regret not doing something because you didn't find out in time--just read our newsletter!

Our Genealogy News and Tips newsletter makes sure you will not miss out on the information you need for your research, even as everyone's schedule speeds up this autumn. We cover practical information, such as the increase in copying fees at all National Archives locations and updates about the status of the Georgia Archives, to new resources online such as Mercer campus newspapers from 1920-1970 and Scottish post office directories. We even include information on how to fit your research into a busy schedule, such as Family Tree magazine's list of "Weekend Warrior" genealogy projects.

Click here (or either newsletter link above) to subscribe. It couldn't be easier, so sign up today!

7 October 1898: "Hansomest Coroner in Georgia...to Indulge in the Luxury of a Kiss."

On this day in 1898, the Weekly Banner published a strange story on the front page of the paper about "A Kissing Bee on Broad Street."

Despite much discussion amongst our library staff, we have no earthly idea why the coroner was raising money (and quite little of it) by kissing other professional men in town, or why the story ended when Tom Hunnicut, superintendent of the Athens Electric Railway, appeared. 

It seems to be yet another example of the different standards of journalism that existed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, where it was apparently not at all unprofessional to publish, on the front page of the weekly paper, inside jokes. 

If you have any ideas about this story and why the coroner would have had to kiss for coins, please let us know via the comment section below, or our This Day in Athens email address, Heritage.Room.Blog@gmail.com.


Learn More?

• Weekly Banner, Aug. 1898 - Oct. 1899 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
• Athens Historic Newspaper Archive collection in the Digital Library of Georgia.
• History of Athens & Clarke County, Georgia by H. J. Rowe in the Heritage and general collections.
• 237 Kissing books in various collections at the Athens-Clarke County Library.

Rally to Save the Georgia Archives on October 3rd!

On this day, we'd like you to mark your calendar for Wednesday, October 3rd at noon when a rally to Save the Georgia Archives is planned for the Capitol Rotunda in Atlanta. Show up early, and bring as many friends as you can.

Though Governor Nathan Deal stated that he would restore funding for the Georgia Archives at the Georgia Archives Month proclamation signing on September 19th, no plans for funding before the closing date, and the termination date of the seven archivists who will leave the Archives without experienced staff, have been made. Secretary of State Brian Kemp remains committed to taking the entire 3% of his department's budget cut from the Georgia Archives. 

Without action in October, the people of Georgia will lose access to their own history and public records, while the professionals who have preserved and made available this collection will be forced to move on with their careers. As all researchers know, a knowledgeable staff makes all the difference for finding relevant, useful, and accurate information. 

For more information about the rally, and what else you can do to help save the Georgia Archives, please visit the Friends of Georgia Archives and History website and the Georgia Genealogical Society website.

What You Can Do About the Closing of the Georgia Archives

On this day we'd like to offer some suggestions about what actions you can take in light of the news that the Georgia State Archives will be closed to citizens as of November 1. 

To start, you can write to our Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Secretary of State.

Though the Lieutenant Governor did not enact this budget cut, he may run for governor in the future, as may our current Secretary of State, Brian Kemp.  Write to them to ensure they all understand the importance of the Georgia Archives.

Governor Nathan Deal

Mailing Address:
206 Washington Street
Suite 203, State Capitol
Atlanta, GA 30334

Phone:
404-656-1776

Fax:
404-657-7332

Contact Us form:

http://gov.georgia.gov/contact-us-0

Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle

Mailing address:

240 State Capitol
Atlanta, GA 30334
Phone: 
(404) 656-5030
Fax: 
(404) 656-6739

Contact Us form (at bottom of the page below)

http://ltgov.georgia.gov/contact-lt-governor

Secretary of State Brian Kemp

Mailing address:
214 State Capitol
Atlanta, GA 30334
Phone: 
404-656-2881
Fax: 
404-656-0513

Contact Us form:

http://sos.georgia.gov/cgi-bin/email.asp

You can also contact your state representatives. To find the contact information for your State Senator and Representative, use this Find Your Legislator page. Our representatives must know that this budget cut is unacceptable.

This Saturday, September 15th, 2012, is the Annual Meeting of the Friends of the Georgia Archives & History at the Archives building in Morrow. The meeting is expected to end around noon, and a brainstorming session will take place afterwards. For more information, contact the organization via email, at FriendsofGeorgiaArchives@yahoo.com, or by phone, at 678-364-3732.

Please also sign the petition to keep the Georgia Archives open to the public, and follow events on the Facebook page, Georgians Against Closing the State Archives. 

PLEASE NOTE: Even if you aren't in Georgia, you are still encouraged to sign the petition and write to our Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Secretary of State. Many people had ancestors who came through Georgia and just because you don't live in Georgia, doesn't mean you will never need these Archives. It also sets a terrible precedent that other states may try to follow. Politicians need to know that citizen access to their government records is important.

Important Information about Heritage Room Book Collection!

While we had hoped to have the current Heritage Room book collection remain available as closed stacks during the final phase of renovation, space and furniture realities have made it necessary to greatly reduce the number of books that we will have available. 

We plan to have the following books available as closed stacks (i.e. you must request the books from a librarian) during this brief, final phase of construction:

• Clarke County books, including Athens city directories, but minus UGA history, much of which can be found in our circulating collection, the Digital Library of Georgia, and/or UGA's library;
• Elbert County books;
• Greene County books;
• Jackson County books; 
• Madison County books;
• Oconee County books;
• Oglethorpe County books;
• Wilkes County books;
• Much of our Daughters of the American Revolution collection, including the Patriot Index set;
• Loyalists in the Southern Campaign set;
• Pension Roll of 1835 set;
• Roster of the Confederate soldiers of Georgia, 1861-1865 by Lillian Henderson;
• Georgia Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 by Janet Hewett;
• Compendium of the Confederate Armies set by Sifakis;
• Federal and some state census index books for states of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia, spanning the 1780s to the 1870s;
• Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses, 1790-1920 by William Dollarhide;
• Virgil White's pension and service books, covering 
• War of 1812, 
• Mexican War, 
• Indian Wars, and 
• American Revolution;
• Virginia Marriages and Wills books;
• Virginia Cavaliers and Pioneers set;
• Virginia Purse and Person set;

We may have more available; we just aren't sure yet what our space will allow. The microfilm collection that is currently available in Reference will continue to be available during this last phase of construction.


THIS WEEKEND, August 18-19, 2012, will be the last weekend for several months where the book collection currently available is still openly available to researchers. 

If you have research you have put off, please consider coming to the library this weekend and early next week to pursue it. 

Sometime in the next week, the books will start to be put into storage until the end of the library's renovation. We are happy to help you find what you need, and if we do not have it, can find out where you can get it. 


Please contact us if you have any concerns or questions, either by calling the Reference desk (706-613-3650, ext. 356) or emailing us at either Heritage.Room.Blog@gmail.com or heritageroom@arlsmail.org. 

We apologize for such a last minute announcement of this situation, but once you see the new Heritage Room, we hope you will agree that a few months of inconvenience were worth the wait. Thank you so much for your patience and understanding during this time!

25 July 1902: What Is Summer Without a Fish Story?

On this day in 1902, a great fish tale was published in the Weekly Banner:

BIG CATCH OF CAT FISH.

Athens Fishermen Get Big Haul in Oglethorpe.

Messers. Wellborn and Marion DuBose have returned from a fishing trip to Oglethorpe, and not only report a big time, but bring evidence of genuine fisherman's luck.

They were fishing with trot lines in Edward's pond in Oglethorpe county and Wednesday made a catch of a blue cat weighing 26 pounds, another weighing 12 and about fifty pounds of smaller fish.

This catch has seldom been equalled in this section of the country and proves that there are "good fish in the seas as ever were caught."

-Weekly Banner, 25 July 1902, p. 2, col. 3.

The brothers did not indicate how long their trotline was to bring home such a haul of fish, and there was no announcement of a large fish fry at their family home on the 26th.




Learn More:

• Athens Historic Newspaper Archive collection in the Digital Library of Georgia.
• Catch of the Day: A Fish Cookbook by Carol Cutler in the general collection.
• The Ultimate Freshwater Fishing by John Bailey in the general collection.
• The Smart Cook: Fish by Delia Smith in the general collection.
• Peterson First Guide to Fishes of North America by Michael Filisky in the general collection.
• Fish by Shirley King and Chuck Williams in the general collection.
• Fifty Fish to Catch in Your Lifetime by John Bailey via PINES.
• Cook's Guide to Fish and Shellfish by Kate Whiteman in the general collection.
• The Complete Fishing Manual by Henry Gilbey in the general collection.
• Sushi American Style by Tracy Griffith in the general collection.
• Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions by Daniel Wallace in the fiction collection.