Several restaurants have been located here over the years.
Mark’s Bar-B-Que, Cordele
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Category Archives: –CRISP COUNTY GA–
Cordele Recreation Parlor, 1939
The “Pool Room” opened in 1939, and features marble floors. It is a landmark not only in Cordele, but a treasure for all of Georgia. Thanks to Melvin Wright for pointing out that there was no image of the “pool room” on Vanishing South Georgia. I can’t believe I forgot to post it, but here it is.
A fire on 6 January 2018 did extensive damage to the interior of the pool room but the owners have stated they will be repairing and reopening in about six months.
Burnam Electric, Circa 1944, Cordele
Edith Ann Burnam Maletsky writes: The Hotpoint building contained Burnam Electric which was founded by my Daddy, John Henry Leonard Burnam aka “FumDiddy” c. 1943-44. He contracted electrical work all over South Georgia, Alabama and North Florida. One of the jobs he was most proud of was the Crisp County Hospital in the early 1950’s. and the first modern hospital in town, but he also “wired” many other buildings there.. He had the Hotpoint franchise for a large area of South Georgia, a lighting franchise, and a repair shop for small appliances, all housed in that building. The front room of the building was a showroom for Hotpoint appliances and a ceiling lighting display. The rear of the building housed his warehouse and workshop, and he often collected charitable donations there as well…..for example, the Masonic charity of Thanksgiving and Christmas, boxes for needy families were stored there for later delivery. He was very successful, and had a lot of government contracts post-War, grew too large for this building and later built a larger shop elsewhere. That Hotpoint sign represents my Daddy’s dreams, his blood, sweat and tears….and it gave me a college education.
Cordele Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Richmond Albert Bedgood Monument, Arabi
Richmond Albert Bedgood (13 August 1847-4 February 1904) was the founder and namesake of Arabi, Georgia. Bedgood enlisted in July 1864 in Company G of the 7th Georgia Infantry, Wilcox County. A life-size marble monument marks his gravesite in historic Arabi-Antioch Cemetery.
From Historical and Genealogical Collections of Dooly County Georgia Vol. III : Richmond A. Bedgood, an enterprising business man of Arabi, was born Aug 3, 1847 in Washington County, Ga. He was the son of a farmer, Henry Bedgood, from whom he was separated by death in 1856. The boy received a very limited education, enlisting in the seventh Georgia Militia in 1864, when he had scarcely completed his seventeenth year. Since the war closed, Mr. Bedgood has engaged in farming and has a large sawmill and a successful business in Arabi. He is a respected member of the masonic fraternity. The first wife of Mr. Bedgood was Elizabeth Brown, whose father was the well-known Maj. Brown of Cordele. Mr. Bedgood’s second wife was Susan Clements, daughter of J. J. Clements of Dooly County. He is the father of four sons and five daughters, one of his sons, John H., being his father’s partner in business.
R. A. Bedgood House, 1894, Arabi
This was the home of R. A. Bedgood, namesake and founder of Arabi. Thanks to Frances Fisher for the identification.
This is a view of the house, probably made soon after it was built. [Courtesy Arabi City Hall]
Arabi’s namesake, Mr. R. A. Bedgood, and family, date unknown. [Courtesy Arabi City Hall]
Arabi, Georgia
The building pictured above was still operating as a country store when I made the photograph. It’s probably one of the oldest stores in the area. Dianne Morgan Thompson shared some great memories of Arabi: I grew up and lived in Arabi all my life until I married and moved away. There are some fond memories packed away in that hometown. I wished you would contact some of the kids from the older merchants that were booming in 1959 and 1960’s. One of the favorite hang outs was the McKinney’s Drug Store. There was an old gas station which was the main place for gas on the left side of the road just as you came into Arabi from the North and an old grocery store on the left just as you enter from the South. Both were on the curves as you entered this once quiet little town. Long been torn down as many places are that would have been a landmark, like the Bedgood house. T. Graham Brown, aka Tony Brown, lived there as a child across from the Methodist Church and we were family friends for as long as I can remember. There was a train wreck there in early 1960’s that Tony, Ronnie Morgan (my brother) and I stole washing powders from and got in big trouble. As I grew up my sister, Elaine and I had the first convertible in town and every teenager that was friends and not wanted to cruise around town with us. My daddy bought it when we were 13 and 14 years old so we couldn’t go far but we felt like a pair of queens. The Arabi Baptist Church was on front street until late 1960′ and then move in the old Arabi High School building which it remains today. I was the first person to marry in this new Church in 1968. Yes, all of the young’uns are gone or moved away that have the best memories of the town of Arabi.
The building on the left was a post office. I’m not sure about the other one. Bradley Waters notes that his father was postmaster here from the 1950s until he retired in 1985.
Food Fare, Wenona
Wenona Community Center Clubhouse
Autry Cown’s Store, Wenona
Thanks to Allen Musselwhite for the identification. Mark Autry Cown (1903-1971) was the son of John Simon Cown (1875-1969), who came to Crisp County from Walton County.
Chero-Cola Mural, Cordele
