Oglethorpe, Georgia

Native Roots and Early Settlement

Long before Oglethorpe became an incorporated city, only the Uchee tribe of the Creek Confederation lived in the area on the banks of what they called the Thronateeska River. Thronateeska is a Muskogee Creek word that means “flint picking up place”; this would eventually be named the Flint River. An Englishman named Timothy Barnard left his newly immigrated family in North Carolina in the 1770’s to establish a trading post among the Creek Indian tribes in this area with his Indian trader license in hand.

Barnard purchased land from the Uchee tribe and sought out help from them with the labor of constructing the first buildings. He ended up remaining in the area, marrying a woman from the tribe and together had ten children. They continued working in the area, building a ferry a few miles down river from his home, naming it the Traveler’s Rest Ferry. They planted extensive acreage near his trading post home, and his sons carried the first mail from this post up the river. In 1820, Timothy Barnard died at approximately 80 years of age. Today, parts of Oglethorpe and Macon County, including a trail and a creek, are named for him, and he remains one of the most daring figures of that time in Georgia’s history.

Trail of Tears and the Founding of Oglethorpe

Sadly, a few years after Barnard’s passing, was the time of the Trail of Tears in which the American Indians walked west to their new home. Their lands in the area returned to the wilderness, the trading post fell, and no one lived in the area until a man named M. Cabaness arrived and carved out a town close-by, which he named Oglethorpe, for James Edward Oglethorpe. He placed an advertisement in the Macon Journal and Messenger on October 24, 1849, advertising the sale of lots in the town of Oglethorpe where the Southwestern Railroad would terminate.

Railroad Boom and City Growth

By 1851, houses were under construction in the city limits and the city streets were laid out as: Randolph, Baker, Sumter, Macon, Marion, Lee, Stewart, Crescent, Chatham, Cuyler, Anderson, Church, Washington, Franklin and Jefferson. At that time, Baker Street was the main business street, and Randolph was the main residential street; today Sumter is the main business street, and Baker and Randolph Streets are mostly residential. At the city’s largest time, there were 80 business houses, including drugstores, grocery stores, 10 cotton warehouses, and 8 livery stables, with the population having been between 12,000–20,000 people, depending on the year. The growth was truly incredible due to the railroad business at that time, and Oglethorpe was one of the largest cities in the Southeast during that time.

A Near Capital City

One of the most interesting parts of Oglethorpe’s history revolves around the relocation of the capital of Georgia from Milledgeville. At the time they wanted it to be located closer to the heart of Georgia, and a list of ten cities was on the list. As the story goes, Oglethorpe lost by only one vote to make it onto this short list for the future capital.

Hotels and Cultural Life

Oglethorpe later became the county seat and continued growing to the point that the city boasted four hotels, including The Magnolia House, The Empire Hotel, the Oglethorpe Hotel, and The Eagle and Phoenix. At one point, The Eagle and Phoenix was four stories high with wings and annexes, along with a large ballroom where dances with live local entertainment were held nightly.

The Smallpox Epidemic of 1858

In 1858, Oglethorpe was hit by a smallpox epidemic when the Methodist Circuit Rider, Reverend May, contracted a virulent form of smallpox on his journeys and brought it back home with him. At that time there was no known remedy. Rev. May and his entire family all died from the disease, and it soon spread throughout the town like wildfire. People died by the hundreds daily and grave diggers included townspeople who were recruited in order to deal with the horrors.

Every night wagons traveled the town to pick up the bodies and they were buried without any means of identification. Big fires were kept burning all night for the grave diggers to see where the trenches were in order to bury the bodies at night. Survivors of this tragedy were told that the bodies were buried at night to keep the townspeople from being even more frightened of the situation. Homes where entire families died were burned with all of their belongings and furniture locked inside in order to try and contain the illness, but that didn’t even contain the spread of smallpox. Many people who were not affected fled south to Americus, leaving everything they had behind in order to survive.

Aftermath and Legacy

The disease finally faded out over time, but Oglethorpe would never again return to the bustling city it once was. It took years for the town to return to some semblance of normalcy. Not one person has been buried in the old cemetery — which has since become known as the smallpox cemetery — since 1858.

The town has remained small ever since the epidemic hit Oglethorpe over 150 years ago. After the town stabilized in the years following the smallpox outbreak the downtown business sector refocused on Sumter Street around the county courthouse. The community still holds tight to its rich history with its twists and turns and is currently working to revitalize the downtown district and create a lovely Southern hamlet for all to enjoy.

Agriculture as Economic Backbone

While the railroad plays a significant role in our past, agriculture and agriculture-related businesses are the backbone of the Macon County economy. In fact, Macon County is number one in Georgia for dairy, peaches and sod (turf) production and ranked in the top 10 for livestock and aquaculture production and fruit and nut production.

Macon County produces more milk than any other county in Georgia, with a staggering 293.3 million pounds of milk produced in 2013, more than double the production of second place Putnam County.

Poultry and Peaches

Poultry has become a major business in Macon County. Tyson has a breeder farm, hatchery and feed mill in the county and more capital is invested in modern chicken houses and equipment each year.

Peaches have always been a mainstay in the county. Sam Henry Rumph of Macon County developed the Elberta Peach. This variety is responsible for establishing Georgia’s reputation as the Peach State.

A wide variety of other crops is grown in Macon County including cotton, peanuts, soy beans, tomatoes, squash, bell peppers, pecans, corn, wheat, oats, peas, and the list goes on.

Forestry and Paper Industry

Georgia is home to nearly 1,400 forest product manufacturers and is consistently ranked near the top in pulp and paper production and in the top ten lumber-producing states; forest products play a very important part in the local economy in particular. International Paper has a large pulp processing plant in Oglethorpe. This plant employs more than 500 people, and hundreds of others are employed by support industries related to this factory. Southern Wood Suppliers also has a large chip mill in Oglethorpe that produces hard wood chips and these chips are used in the manufacturing of paper.

Georgia forest land has been gradually increasing over the years. Forests now cover a majority of the state’s land area, making Georgia the largest timber-producing state in the southeastern U.S. The forest-product industry in our state is environmentally friendly, based on a renewable resource wisely managed by professional foresters. Forest products are recyclable and biodegradable, making them a natural choice for today’s environmentally conscious consumers, making this Georgia’s largest renewable resource. Oglethorpe has several smaller forestry farms that play an important role in this economy for the community.

Local Family Farms

In our city outskirts, you will find several large farms who play a vital role in our local and state economy.

Chase Farms, Inc. is a nationally-recognized farm; it is a family operation owned by Glenn Lee and Ellen Chase along with their son Donald Chase and his wife, Michelle. This outstanding family farm consists of sweet corn, field corn, peanuts, and broiler houses. Chase Farms has received several awards over the years, including the 2018 top peanut producer for the state of Georgia. Georgia is the number one peanut producer in the country, providing more than 45% of the country’s annual peanut crop.

During the months of June and July (or whenever their sweet corn sells out!), you can purchase the Chase’s sweet corn along with tomatoes, melons, cucumbers, peas, onions, squash, blackberries, and other delicious fruits and vegetables from their roadside farm stand located at Highway 26 East and Stage Coach Road in Oglethorpe. People from all over central Georgia, along with people who moved away from the area, always find a way to get some of the Chase’s famous sweet corn every summer!

Chase Farms is also in the solar energy farming business which is the fastest growing renewable energy source in the United States. Solar energy provides outstanding economic and environmental benefits that demonstrate the growing demand for solar energy. As Donald Chase explains, “We believe in solar energy because we understand the importance of harvesting the sun. The sun is a natural, powerful resource and harnessing its energy is beneficial for both the environment and our community.”

William L. Brown Farms is another very well-known farm in our community. The Brown family farm was founded by the late William “Farmer” Brown and his wife, Debra. Today the farm and the market are operated by their children Howard Brown and his sister Kim.

Howard’s son Witt also works at the farm and market continuing the Brown family tradition.

The farm has 2,500 acres that produce traditional Southern row crops like cotton and peanuts along with fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, string beans, and Elberta peaches. Although their business is located in Montezuma, some of their peach orchards are also located in Oglethorpe.

Over 30 years ago, the Brown family started a roadside stand where they sold peaches from their farm in paper sacks. Over the years the roadside stand was expanded until the current facilities were constructed a few years ago. The spacious market now features not only peaches and vegetables, but also a wide array of gourmet foods and home decorating items.

Southern Pecan has been owned by the Levie family since they purchased their farm in Montezuma in 1910, and it has been a working farm ever since. They originally grew cotton and peaches while raising hogs, cows, and mules. Around 1918, the first pecan orchard was planted with later plantings after World War II.

Newer varieties have been planted periodically, and under its fourth generation owner David Levie, they continuously improve their orchards to produce the highest quality pecans in Georgia. David’s son, Daniel, has joined David in managing the farm and will eventually take over. They have also extended the pecan orchard business into Oglethorpe.

Southern Pecan Products has been a working farm, owned by the Levie family for more than 100 years. The first pecan tree was planted in 1918 and is still being harvested. Southern Pecan Products sells fresh Georgia Grown Pecans and Pecan Candies at a great price.

Sources

Information, stories, and details on Oglethorpe’s history were taken from Lois E. Payne’s Historical Sketches of Oglethorpe, Georgia, Macon County Life 1933–1983 by Ryland Dean Fowler, and History of Oglethorpe by George Tracy Cunningham.