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World
War I
The
cutting of hardwoods in Early County created big business in the
early years of the century. Early County shouldered the
responsibilities in the conflict "to make the world safe
for democracy." The Early County men who gave their lives
during World War I were Willie Fleetwood Alexander, Thomas F.
Hartley, Bertchall Odum, Alba Leon Roberts, Guerry Temples, and
Grover C. Willis.
Post
World War I
The first
streets in Blakely were paved in 1923. The court square
and the two main thoroughfares running north and south were
paved. This greatly improved the downtown area. One
of the first Civilian Conservation Camps was located at the site
of the present Kolomoki State Park. They built the
concrete steps on the temple mounds. The land was given to
the state of Georgia in 1938 resulting in establishment of
Kolomoki State Park, one of Georgia's most beautiful parks.
The coming of rural electrification to Early County was another
important milestone in the county's history. Agriculture
extension work and the teaching of agriculture incorporated into
school curriculum educated both adults and youth in good farming
practices. The planting of pine trees stimulated the
economy.
Women's
Suffrage Comes to Blakely
On August 26,
1920, the nineteenth amendment to the United States Constitution
became a reality. On May 5, 1921, four leading members of
the Civic Club of Blakely broke the ice in Early County by
recording their names on the permanent registration book of
Early County and also registering as voters in the city of
Blakely. The Albany Herald reported October 19,1921, that
the "first ballots ever cast in Early County under the
nineteenth amendment find women solidly for progress."
The matter at stake was the authorization of a $15,000 bond
issue to be applied to paving Cuthbert Street from its
intersection with Arlington Street, around the public square on
all sides of the court house, and South Main Street to its
junction with Liberty Street. Thirty nine ladies were
registered to vote and 26 of those cast their first political
ballots. Mrs. Glessner was the first to vote and all 26
supported the bond issue.
Silent
Movies in Blakely
In 1909,
Blakely's first movie theater opened in the Sam Howard store
building at the southeast corner of the South Main and Liberty
Streets. It was called "the Pictorium."
Straight back wooden chairs, about 150 in number, placed in rows
with a five foot aisle down the center provided seating
for viewers. These seats faced a white screen about
ten feet by ten feet, suspended from the ceiling.
The store "theater building" had an eight foot wide
low porch facing South Main Street which extended across the
width of the building. In the center of this porch, a six
foot by six foot structure was erected and attached to the front
wall of the theater. A platform inside this structure was
constructed but with a trap door to permit the operator of the
movie machine to enter the operating area. Immediately below was
located the ticket office with an opening through which tickets
were sold. The machine utilized carbon sticks about 1/2
inch in diameter by 12 inches in length. These carbon sticks,
the same as used in Blakely's street lights in those days, were
connected into an electrical circuit. By carefully
maintaining a gap or space of about 3/8 of an inch, electrical
current jumped this gap and thereby created a dazzling white
light which, when directed against the exposed movie films, cast
the image appearing on the film onto the viewing screen.
There were no take -up reels used at that time and after the
film was cranked through the machine, it was captured by
directing it downward into a sugar barrel located in a corner of
the ticket office via a length of guano distributor pipe.
The operator had to be extremely careful to catch the end of
film before it disappeared and "got lost" with in the
barrel and also to keep a cool and careful eye on the film as it
was exposed to the heat of the carbon ore light beam.
Between reels, the audience sat with the theater lights on and
gossiped. It required about five minutes to rewind the
reel. Later, a phonograph furnished music between reels.
Then came "slides" of nonmoving scenes.
Auditorium
When the
auditorium was first built it was simple. It had no
dressing rooms. Anxious children had to dash up and down
strange red stair steps to the dark cloak room or to a small
space at the foot of the stairs for a program. These were
at the northeast and northwest corners of the building.
The area behind the curtain was mysterious. The auditorium
seemed hued with a large wood- burning fire place on either side
not too far from the stage. Mr. Bowden, Superintendent of
the Blakely school was a supporter of the building of an
auditorium. However, in 1913, Mr. Bowden announced he
would become a candidate for State School Superintendent.
The auditorium was once a skating rink. Gray powder on the
floor was flung into the air giving a gray tinge to everything.
Cohelee
Covered Bridge
Cohelee Creek
Covered bridge is in Early County, Georgia, nine miles from
Blakely, Georgia. It is the southernmost covered bridge in
the United States. Enhancing the beauty of Cohelee Creek
bridge is a wealth of natural beauty, for the site abounds in
flowers and shrubs. Cohelee is a narrow, rambling creek
originating about five miles west of Blakely. The covered
bridge was built in 1891 across the creek at a point known as
McDonald's Ford. The euphony of the word Cohelee may have
appealed to the first settlers just as it does to the
descendants.
The
building of the bridge was recorded in the minutes of the May 2,
1883, Early County Commissioners meeting. Eight years went by
from the first mention of the need of bridging Cohelee Creek and
the actually building of the bridge. The minutes of the
July 7, 1891, commissioners meeting revealed this action:
The committee on bridges are proceeding to build four bridges in
Early County in detailed contracts and by day labor whereas said
labor has to be paid off weekly as well as other small bills.
The chairman of the bridge committee was authorized to draw from
the county's treasury such sums as may be required to meet said
small bills and day labor. Amounts should not exceed the sum of
$200. The four bridges were located at Damascus, Howard's Mill,
Singletary's Mill at Mill Creek, and Cohelee Creek. The
wages varied with laborers receiving daily wages of $.75 to
$1.20.
Technology
The Blakely
Telephone Company issued its first directory in the summer of
1898. The printing job was done by Jack Powell, editor of
the Blakely Observer. In 1898, Early County had three
newspapers. The October 24,1907, issue of the Early County
News stated that the Early County News was established
forty- eight years ago by E. H. Grouby. Grouby was
postmaster at during the war.
Industries
in Blakely in the early 1900's
In 1904, the
Flowers Lumber Company was one of the biggest saw mill plants in
southwest Georgia. Other industries were the Cotton Seed
Oil Mill and Fertilizer plant and the Creosote Factory.
Blakely now owns and operates its own water and electric light
plant. The prices for water are fifty cents per month for
one tap or for one dollar one can have as many hydrants on
their premises as they wish. The lights are furnished to
individuals at three for one dollar per month and every corner
in the city has a large arc light. The city has about $
30,0000.00 invested in these plants and is making money at these
figures, in fact it is proposed to reduce these prices at an
early date. The farming section around Blakely is the
finest to be found in Georgia.
Interesting
Excerpts from the Early County News
3-16-1905 - In digging out the foundation of the new
court house some days ago, some old decayed timbers were
unearthed which were said to have been a part of an old
stockade which was built there during the Indian troubles of
1836. Some of the old timbers were not yet completely
rotten. Many families used the stockade as a place of
refuge during the troubles with the Indians in those days, and
General Andrew Jackson and his soldiers encamped around it on
their return from Florida during the Indian Wars.
10-24-1907
- The old, wooden building on the northwest corner of the square
occupied by Grimsley's market and Bowman and Ellis groceries,
caught fire and was partially burned. The greater part of
their stock was damaged.
Note:
As taken from the Collections of Early County Historical Society
1979 Volume II.
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