This property has been farmed by the same family for at least four generations. It was recently sold and I was asked to document it. Thanks to Brad Lindsey for inviting me and for sharing a bit of his family’s history.
This appears to have served as a corn crib at one time.
Pictured above is an old packhouse and its interior is shown below. Wilt Jones remembers fertilizer being stored here and notes that the bags hanging on the right might have held guano. He remembers his Papa Jones called it guy-anner. If you’re from South Georgia I’m sure you’re familiar with that old-time pronunciation.
The skeletal remains of a tobacco barn are a reminder of the favored crop of mid-20th century Georgia.
I grew up in the Chula area. I also knew Grady Jones. It was nice to see these pictures. Very interesting.
If they intend to tear down these old buildings, my family would love to have the opportunity to try to reclaim some of the barn wood. We love using it in our old house for frames, furniture and other small projects.
Interesting post. Brian, I grew up in North GA and my grandma lived in the country between Buford and Gainesville. She often spoke of using “gyou-honor” but I never knew until your post that she wasn’t simply using a brand name for a fertilizer. Now I realize she was using the “above the gnat-line” dialect word for guano.
Isn’t guano bird droppings?
Yes.
Indeed, now that I think of it, in the area around Gainesville (The “Poultry Capitol of the World!”) it was…perhaps still is…common for people to have trucks bring the shavings, sawdust and litter scooped from the floor of chicken houses when they were cleaned out. The entire mess was spread it as fertilizer. I can still remember the “fragrant” aroma of the lawn at the courthouse and city hall after every delivery!
It is rather pungent. We had chickens all in the yard. Has a special trough just for washing your feet.
Yep, Mama and Daddy called it gue-anner! I remember washing gue-anner sacks in the creek as a child. That was so much fun because you got to swim after you got done washing sacks. Wonderful childhood memories.