Between Summerville and the Alabama line on Georgia Highway 114, Lyerly is located in one of the most scenic areas of Northwest Georgia. It’s not known exactly when Lyerly was established but it has close ties to the nearby lost towns of Glenwood and Melville. The Chattanooga Rome & Columbus Railway built a depot in what would become Lyerly in 1888 and the town was incorporated in 1891. It’s thought to be named for Tennessee bank president Charles Abner Lyerly, who had investments in the area.
I grew up in Jeff Davis County, but late in life I have moved to Northwest, Georgia. I have a small tree farm not far from Lyerly and often drive through there . The place is quaint and is like a village our great grand parents might have lived in. Its old buildings on Hwy. 114 draws you in, making you wonder how life might have been in days gone by. One can easily imagine dirt streets, mules, wagons, cotton bales and hay. Often I pass log trucks, tractors, and farming equipment, but a local factory provides much of the employment. It is only a few miles to the Alabama State line. The Chattooga River flows peacefully near by the town.
My mother was raised on a farm in Lyerly. My grandfather’s main crop was strawberries which were sold all around that area. My mother and her sisters and brother worked in the fields, milked the cows and did many tasks related to farming. They traveled by horse and buggy for many years and they attended church regularly. I remember spending time some fun times in the summer riding the mule, gathering eggs and enjoying my grandmother’s delicious meals. My mother and her sisters lived to be in their mid 90s so you can see the hard work made them tough and healthy.
my home town, i’am 68 lived here all my life, town goverment is still f unctionan anf provides, fire protection, water and sewer, garbage pick-up, street lights, parks and recreation,street maintenance
Hello… I would like to contact the photographer to request a copy of the first image in this series.
Thanks for sharing I was delighted to see this in my feed.
The building Marie referred to as Ragland gas station is partially correct. It was a gas station, but was offically Ragland’s garage. They worked on cars, trucks and tractors, and fixed flat tires. They also did welding and anything else you needed done. Selling gas was probably just a small part of their business. You could always count on them for quality work and reasonable prices. Prior to that it was Sittion’s garage.
The building Marie referred to as Ragland gas station is partially correct. It was a gas station, but was offically Ragland’s garage. They worked on cars, trucks and tractors, and fixed flat tires. They also did welding and anything else you needed done. Selling gas was probably just a small part of their business. You could always count on them for quality work and reasonable prices. Prior to that it was Sittion’s garage.
The last picture used to be Ragland gas station. In later years they had stored some old cars in there. The Ragland brothers donated it to the City of Lyerly a few years back. The green building is owned by Dickie Tanner. Years ago it was the Dinner Bell Cafe. The Tanner’s used the building for their glove mill. Later a Christian Book Store and bakery was on the right side of the building and a church was on the left side of the the building.
Thank you so much, Marie! I will update this soon.