Raines Station was a whistlestop on the Albany & Northern Railroad. The Albany & Northern was founded about 1895, so the Raines settlement would have come into being sometime soon thereafter. The tracks once ran beside this old store, owned by Confederate veteran Isaiah Williams, who served with the 60th Georgia Volunteer Infantry. The store was open as recently as the late 1970s. Thanks to Mr. Williams’ great-great grandson, Fred Gleaton, for sharing the history of the place.
Lori Odom Jones wrote: As a child I remember going to Raines Station to get collard greens and other stuff. I still remember the inside of the store and that they had an old Ouija Board in there. That was the first time I ever saw one. I begged and begged for one and my mama finally bought it. Sadly…it predicted the age my mama would die as 43 and she did. Coincidence? I threw that thing away. Funny how reading these posts bring back so many memories.
Clyde Watson recalls: I remember this store very well in the early 1950’s it was operated as Barry Mercantile Company, by John C Spears. I went to West Crisp School and would work for John on Saturdays and after school on the days he needed me. At that time there was a Grist Mill to left side of the store and I ground meal for customers on Saturday, I was able to work there for three years. Also sometime before maybe there was a store as well but the upstairs was a doctor’s office. When I worked there the remnants of the doctor’s office was still there, some old papers and such, but John and his mother Mrs. Arlette did not want anyone up there very long at the time.
Vanishing Georgia: Photographs by Brian Brown 
I remember this store very well in the early 1950’s it was operated as Barry Mercantile Company, by John C Spears. I went to West Crisp School and would work for John on Saturdays and after school on the days he needed me. At that time there was a Grist Mill to left side of the store and I ground meal for customers on Saturday, I was able to work there for three years. Also sometime before or maybe there was a store as well but the upstairs was a doctor’s office. When I worked there the remnants of the doctor’s office was till there some old papers and such, but John and His mother Mrs. Arlette did not want anyone up there very long at the time.
Fantastic!
Wonder if Fred Gleaton was related to Hugh Gleaton.
I would like to know if he is related to the Gleatons in Arlington, GA?
Very familiar with Raines. My great uncle married a Williams and I often went there with my cousins.
Albany Northern ran from Albany to Cordele. It crossed the Swift Creek portion of Lake Blackshear upstream from Smoak’s Bridge and crossed the Flint River below the Lake Blackshear dam. The portion of the line west of the river was no longer running by the 60’s, but the line continued to ruin from Cordele to the coal-powered electric plant on the east side of the dam for many years after the Albany leg was abandoned. Alas, it never went to Arabi, which was, I believe, on the main N-S line of the Southern Rwy.
Thanks, Fred. I didn’t mean to imply the rr ran to Arabi but I know that’s how it looked. I hope to get back up there soon. There seems to be a lot of neat stuff in the area. I got so distracted by the Sandhill Cranes that I didn’t have as much time as I would have liked.
Thanks Brian. It always makes me happy to see such pictures but sad to see such a wonderful building which will obviously soon be no more unless something is done to save it. Any prospects of such for this place?