The building pictured above was still operating as a country store when I made the photograph. It’s probably one of the oldest stores in the area. Dianne Morgan Thompson shared some great memories of Arabi: I grew up and lived in Arabi all my life until I married and moved away. There are some fond memories packed away in that hometown. I wished you would contact some of the kids from the older merchants that were booming in 1959 and 1960’s. One of the favorite hang outs was the McKinney’s Drug Store. There was an old gas station which was the main place for gas on the left side of the road just as you came into Arabi from the North and an old grocery store on the left just as you enter from the South. Both were on the curves as you entered this once quiet little town. Long been torn down as many places are that would have been a landmark, like the Bedgood house. T. Graham Brown, aka Tony Brown, lived there as a child across from the Methodist Church and we were family friends for as long as I can remember. There was a train wreck there in early 1960’s that Tony, Ronnie Morgan (my brother) and I stole washing powders from and got in big trouble. As I grew up my sister, Elaine and I had the first convertible in town and every teenager that was friends and not wanted to cruise around town with us. My daddy bought it when we were 13 and 14 years old so we couldn’t go far but we felt like a pair of queens. The Arabi Baptist Church was on front street until late 1960′ and then move in the old Arabi High School building which it remains today. I was the first person to marry in this new Church in 1968. Yes, all of the young’uns are gone or moved away that have the best memories of the town of Arabi.
The building on the left was a post office. I’m not sure about the other one. Bradley Waters notes that his father was postmaster here from the 1950s until he retired in 1985.
Vanishing Georgia: Photographs by Brian Brown 
Brian, you had a picture of my husband’s grandmother’s old house on Facebook one time. It was kind of light blue Craftman style. Time has not been kind. We mostly used it for storage. At one time I imagine it was beautiful. smckinney
If I remember correctly, the Gas Station you mentioned being on the left as you come into Arabi from the north(Cordele end) was Green’s Station owned and operated by Joe Green and his wife. The store on the left coming in from the north(Ashburn end) was Pate’s Grocery.
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I also have very fond memories of Arabi since I spent some of my best boyhood days roaming the country side and hunting on the property of Dianne Morgan’s grandfather John William Worley. My final resting place will be in the Arabi Cemetary.
I grew up and lived in Arabi all my life until I married and moved away. There are some fond memories packed away in that hometown. I wished you would contact some of the kids from the older merchants that were booming in 1959 and 1960’s. One of the favorite hang outs was the McKinney’s Drug Store. There was an old gas station which was the main place for gas on the left side of the road just as you came into Arabi from the North and an old grocery store on the left just as you enter from the South. Both were on the curves as you entered this once quiet little town. Long been torn down as many places are that would of been a landmark like the Bedgood house. T. Graham Brown aka Tony Brown lived there as a child across from the Methodist Church and we were family friends for as long as I can remember. There was a train wreck there in early 1960’s that Tony, Ronnie Morgan (my brother) and I stole washing powders from and got in big trouble. As I grew up my sister, Elaine and I had the first convertible in town and every teenager that was friends and not wanted to cruise around town with us. My daddy bought it when we were 13 and 14 years old so we couldn’t go far but we felt like a pair of queens. The Arabi Baptist Church was on front street until late 1960′ and then move in the old Arabi High School building which it remains today. I was the first person to marry in this new Church in 1968. Yes, all of the young’uns are gone or moved away that have the best memories of the town of Arabi. Thanks so much for including us in your photos.
Thanks for these memories, Dianne! My favorite thing about Vanishing South Georgia is when people reminisce like this.
I’ll be dogged! Ronnie Morgan was in my class in HS. If I am right, your dad worked at Treadaway Motors? My father built the “new” building for that dealership in the 60’s. Time flies. Am I crazy, or was there at one time a drug store or maybe just a store in Arabi that served ice cream? Got my Sabin polio vaccine at the Arabi School around 1960.
I have to ask, Fred Gleaton, if you are related to the late Jeannette Gleaton, of fabulous Cordele cake fame? We worked with her a little on a couple of big events and she made our wedding cake and managed our reception. I still use some of the catering and cake decorating tips she taught me. Such a dear lady and fabulous baker.