Fewer than 500 people live in the little town of Pineview, on the Wilcox-Pulaski County line, so there aren’t many places to eat. When I made this photograph a few years ago, the trailer beside this store was the only place selling food, and was going by the name “Smoke House Grill”. The store was the M & M Convenient Store, and appears to have been a service station and garage before that. I think they built a Dollar General across the road after they tore down the most important landmark building in town, the old Clements Drugstore.
Shell’s Bonded Warehouse is one of at least two such facilities in Pitts, which isn’t surprising considering the importance of farming in the area. I’m fascinated by these old buildings; they’re not architecturally interesting, I suppose, but they represent the lifeblood of many small towns whose economies were and are based on agriculture. The old ones are getting harder to find, but many are still in use. I wouldn’t be surprised if this one is still busy in season.
From their website (abridged): The First Baptist Church of Rochelle was organized in 1888 with the Rev. T. B. Fuller and the Rev. J. C. Andrews constituting the Presbytery. There were 14 charter members.
The first place of meeting was in a wooden store house located on the southeastern corner of First Avenue and Gordon Street. Services were later held in a school building on the corner of Lee Street and Sixth Avenue and for some months in the Methodist Church. In 1892, the membership began worshiping in their partially completed building which was located on the corner of Gordon Street and Third Avenue. The same wooden building was being used twenty years later when the membership had increased to 158 and classrooms were needed. Plans were formulated for a new building to be built on the same site where the old building stood. That necessitated moving the old building and making arrangements with Masons for the use of their building as a place for worship. Finally, in April 1917, the new brick building was begun and was completed May, 1918 The total cost of the church without furnishings was $23,047.00 On April 27, 1919, Dr. Walter M. Lee preached the dedication sermon. The building was designed by J. J. Baldwin, Architect of Anderson, South Carolina, who made a specialty of designing church buildings.
This is actually a perspective view of the church, as I was unable to make a photograph of the front, but I think it illustrates the architecture well. J. J. Baldwin and other architects of the era must have really liked this style, as there are scores of similar churches throughout the country.
I’ve documented thousands of Folk Victorian houses over the years. Like Eclectic styles of the early 20th century, the Folk Victorian style was usually the marriage of different sensibilities. This house, ostensibly Queen Anne, and well executed to that end, is actually a central hallway cottage with applied Victorian details. They may be original to the house, or may have been added later, but the overall effect is achieved.
Rochelle’s historic residential neighborhood is small but I think there are enough notable properties to warrant inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. This fine home is a nice example of the Eclecticism popular in the early 20th century. It has the form of a Georgian Cottage, with Neoclassical elements and Colonial Revival decorative accents.
This mural is a landmark in Rochelle. It’s been here for at least 15 years. It’s one of those, “you know you’re in Rochelle when…” kinds of places. I made the photo in 2010 and thought I had lost it, only recently realizing I had shared it on another platform at that time. Problem solved. Hillbilly Produce raises fresh vegetables and sells them here and in Pitts during the summer months. As the mural suggests, you can expect watermelons, corn, onions, and peas, for starters. They also sell seasonal items in the fall.
Kara Kidder wrote, in 2023, that this house had been in her family for over 100 years and that they were still researching its origins. A sign outside indicates it was built in 1905. It’s a perfect example of a Folk Victorian farmhouse and is well-maintained. It is located among fields that go on for miles in all directions.
Abbeville’s claim to fame used to be that Jefferson Davis spent a night in the town as he was fleeing Union forces prior to his capture and imprisonment, and that was once the focus of the town’s annual public gathering.
But times have changed and Abbeville is now known far and wide as the home of the Ocmulgee Wild Hog Festival. Ashburn gets its inspiration from fire ants. Camilla celebrates Gnat Days. So why not hogs?
They’re an invasive species, after all, and wreak havoc on our native ecosystem.
But they’re most prevalent in the South, and hunting them is a longstanding tradition. It’s very popular in the thick swamps that radiate in all directions from the Ocmulgee River near Abbeville.
Technically, the hog in question is the Eurasian or Russian Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) and it’s one of the most widely distributed mammals on the planet, due to its introduction in places not original to its range in Europe and North Africa.
Innocently enough, settlers brought them to America as soon as America was settled, for a readily available food source, but things quickly got out of hand.
Since modern science frowns on introduced and invasive species, there are no limits on hogs for hunters, as there are for most species.
There are multiple varieties in existence today because the species readily cross breeds with domesticated stock. Ironically, the wild boar is also the progenitor of the pigs we raise for pork today.
Abbeville became the de facto center of hog hunting in Georgia in 1955, the year the late Boo Addison began hosting an annual Wild Hog Bar-B-Que to kick off the state legislative session, a tradition that continues today.
The Addison family follows Boo’s footsteps today, literally and figuratively, guiding hunts in the area and teaching many newcomers the particulars of the sport.
One of the highlights of the Ocmulgee Wild Hog Festival is the baying competition, which starts early, and really shows off the skill of these specialized dogs.
Baying, or keeping the boar at bay, refers to the dog cornering and harassing the hog, barking loudly to bring in the hunters. Wayne Wilson ran this event for many years.
There is no abuse to the animals in the baying competition.
It’s actually amazing to watch a small but tenacious dog come face to face with a wild boar.
Back to Abbeville…the county seat of Wilcox County since its formation in 1857, the town was sited along the Ocmulgee River to take advantage of its bustling trade.
The Ocmulgee Wild Hog Festival is one of the biggest events in the area and the town’s population of around 2700 probably reaches 10-15,000 from the influx of visitors from all over.
It’s truly one of the most unique festivals in South Georgia and you should try to visit at least once. There are great vendors and entertainment, and you’ll probably run into someone you know. People really do come from all over to witness this fascinating event.
It’s held the Saturday before Mother’s Day every year at Lion’s Club Park in Abbeville.
Known locally as “The Boils”, this natural Eden is an oxbow of House Creek, a tributary of the Ocmulgee River near the Wilcox-Ben Hill County line, which has been protected by the Fuller family for the better part of two centuries. There are several other well-known boils in this area, including Oscewicee [pronounced ossi-witchy] Springs and Lake Wilco. None of these are open or accessible to the public, though Oscewicee Springs once was. Elizabeth Sizemore recalls another site north of The Boils, Poor Robin Springs near Abbeville.
In South Georgia, the term “boils” is commonly used to describe natural springs found in creeks, rivers, oxbows, and swamps. Water rises rapidly from an underground fissure and appears to be bubbling or boiling. With an average temperature of 68-70°F year-round, unaffected by the air temperature, they are warm in winter and famously cold in summer.
Native Americans would have been the first humans to appreciate these mystical places, using them in much the same ways we use them today. They were likely sacred to the tribes who knew them, both for their beauty and their unique qualities when compared to other aspects of the nearby terrain.
One of their most appealing features is the clear water which gives them a blue appearance, looking more like a tropical sea than a Coastal Plains swamp. Since tea-colored or muddy waters are the norm in these parts, they really stand out. I have treasured memories of swimming in these places as a young man, especially on holidays when we’d float watermelons near the sides to keep them cool.
In the 1940s, biologist Brooke Meanley did fieldwork here, some of which eventually appeared in his book, Swamps, River Bottoms & Canebrakes. Local farmer and naturalist Milton Hopkins and renowned woodcarver C. M. Copeland were also regular visitors for many years, welcomed enthusiastically by “Uncle Guy” Fuller. Hopkins made detailed observations on local birdlife and C. M. Copeland ventured into the surrounding swamps and collected cypress knees to use in his carvings.
The site was documented by David Stanley for the American Folklife Center circa 1977, as well. Some of his notes and images can be found in the Library of Congress.
Ken Fuller
I’m grateful to Ken Fuller for allowing me to photograph this incredibly special place and to share it with you. My father and I really enjoyed our last visit here, as we do all our visits with Ken and family.
We saw some amazing trees.
This view from the House Creek “side” of The Boils, along with Ken’s lifelong memories of the place, was ample reward for our hike.
According to Cara Cobb, who suggested the location, this historic Plantation Plain was originally known as the Fuller property. Captain Fuller was one of the first family members to settle in the area and he opened a store at the crossroads which eventually became known as Forest Glen. There was also a grist mill and schoolhouse nearby. The house was built later and I can’t confirm a date, but Cara recalls: A long time ago, two dear ladies, the Fuller sisters came by. They had grown up in the house. [This suggests the house may date to the early 20th century, though it looks older, and could be].
The property was known as the Fitzgerald Farm until it was purchased by the New Covenant Christian Community in 1977. Though the house has been sold, some of the property is still part of New Covenant.
