Among North America’s largest birds, Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) are quite familiar during their annual migrations from the northern reaches of the continent to the southern United States and Mexico. They’re known for their loud calls and their habit of gathering in large numbers. I encountered around a thousand individuals yesterday feeding in freshly plowed fields saturated with recent rains.
1B Grade-Cordele Public School, Unknown Photographer, Circa 1911
These real photo postcards, made by an itinerant traveling photographer, provide a nice portrait of South Georgia schoolchildren in the early 20th century. They were acquired through the estate of a cousin, whose husband is identified in a couple of the cards. These are important social documents as they bear witness to the early days of the concept of government-funded public schools. They were still a relatively new concept in America, especially in the rural South at this time.
2B Grade-Cordele Public School, Unknown Photographer, Circa 1912
I’m not sure why there are two different views of the second grade class; perhaps they were made in different seasons. Somewhat odd to me is that the teacher is only pictured in one of the images (below).2B Grade-Cordele Public School, Unknown Photographer, Circa 1912
This is located on Haw Pond Road, near the Turner County line. It’s in poor condition but has been stabilized with a new roof.
This was one of the highlights of an otherwise dreary section of downtown. It was demolished on 1 June 2016. Its gigantic Coca-Cola mural is one of the largest I’ve seen in South Georgia. The front of the structure is visible at right in the photo below.
Heard Grocery, along with others which have been dubbed commercial blight have been removed to make way for a new satellite campus for Darton College. People often want to blame communities for the loss of such places, but it’s a systemic problem. Mel Wright notes: It’s sad, but I grew up around Cordele and was born in 1959 and I don’t think that building has been used for any purpose for about 4 decades… I see it all over the state. The challenges are real. I will opine, however, that it’s sad that neighborhoods are ever allowed to fall into this condition in the first place. Not only is the mural now gone, but those marvelous fanlights are, as well.
Cordele Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
It’s a real shame that these structures are in such terrible condition. A section of the street is fenced off, giving one the impression of being in the inner city of a much larger place. The fanlights on the buildings at right in the lower image are an important architectural feature, increasingly rare today.
Update: As of 2018, all of these structures have been razed.
Cordele Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
See more comments and a night view, here.
Cordele Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
These are typical late-19th and early-20th century commercial structures.
Cordele Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Place
Cordele Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Cordele Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
According to Michael Pittman, this was razed as of mid-May 2014.
Cordele Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places