This logo on the side of the Little Ocmulgee Electric Membership Cooperative caught my eye. I knew I’d seen it somewhere before. It’s Willie Wiredhand, spokesman for sensible energy use. He was actually born of a controversy surrounding his predecessor, Reddy Kilowatt.
Vanishing Georgia: Photographs by Brian Brown 
Brian,
Willy Wiredhand is a cute fellow but every time I see Little Ocmulgee attached to anything, I am reminded that the original Native American name was much different. Though “Ocmulgee” is an Indian name with which we are all familiar, the true name of the “Little Ocmulgee” water way was Auchenehatchee Creek or River. The name appears on many of the old maps back to the early 1820s. Some of the early map makers used both names —- “Auchenehatchee or Little Ocmulgee River.”
Names seem to evolve on their own. Further down the Ocmulgee beyond its merger with the Oconee, the bluff on the Altamaha that is today called Towns Bluff was shown on old maps as Town Bluff with no “S”, and probably referred to an Indian town at that place on the Altamaha River. Even in my time, the community name in the area was Tallahassee, a Muscogee Indian name meaning “old town.” It surely would make understanding history easier, if people would stop changing names of things.
Brian Your “Vanishing South Georgia” offers a great forum. Thanks for your work
Brian, I wanted to share how your post about Willy Wirehand led to me figuring out the significance of some train cars I photographed a couple of years ago. http://fleetingfarms.wordpress.com/2014/03/31/gopher-state-railway-museum/
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I’m sure most of us remember the promotional mascot “Reddy Kilowatt” the lightening bolt and the gas supplier’s answer… the blue “Handy Flame”. Well ther was another mascot. For many years my father was the superintendent of the water dept in Gainesville, GA. Back in the 50’s the American Water Works Assoc decided they too needed a mascot and introduced the cartoon water droplet known as “Willing Water”…it flopped.
I’m sure I am among only a very small handful that even knew of Willing’s existence .
I looked for “Willing Water” via Google images, but to no avail…
Actually Brian I did a bit of research too after recalling the old days. The American Water Works Assoc did come up with the idea of Willing Water and trade marked the image. They used it for several years but let the trade mark expire in the 80’s thus setting Willing free. Several community and private water companies still use the image of image of Willing Water in their logo…so ole Willing is still alive if not kicking. I think I googled AWWA.