Tag Archives: Georgia People

Farewell to the Mayflower: The Last Call at the Oldest Restaurant in Athens

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James Horton and Jamie Holland bid farewell to the Mayflower Restaurant, 12 November 2023. Photo courtesy James Horton.

When James Horton and Jamie Holland visited the Mayflower Restaurant on 12 November 2023, it would be their last visit, as this Athens landmark, the oldest restaurant in town in its original location, closed on that day. James wrote: “[We were] trying very hard to produce a smile on such a sad occasion as the last time this will ever be. Many other people were taking their last photographs that day, as well, and there was much talk inside the restaurant about memories of past times there. Rick and Lisa put out an empty notebook for customers to write their memories and thank-yous and to provide a way for customers to express their sadness about the loss.  Special places like this disappearing leave a gaping hole in the lives of those who loved and appreciated them so much.“

A typical scene at the Mayflower

The Mayflower Restaurant opened in 1941, “across from the arch”, and survived for 81 years. The Vaughn family purchased the business in 1963 and Rick and Lisa Vaughn operated the place for over 30 years after Rick’s parents turned over the business to him. Rick did the cooking and Lisa managed the dining room.

The Mayflower’s breakfast menu

The Mayflower breakfast was an Athens tradition for many and the restaurant attracted people from all walks of life, students to lawyers and bankers. Tourists were always as welcome as regulars and Lisa Vaughn made sure no one felt like a stranger.

The stainless steel workspace at the Mayflower

James and Jamie owned and operated the Wiregrass Restaurant in Quitman for 13 years, so James was amazed by the workspace in the Mayflower. He noted that the stainless steel food preparation counter equipped with refrigeration, a flat grill, fry station, sandwich board, coffee station, cold drink station, and soda fountain with ice cream freezer was a rare set up to still be in existence and fully functional in 2023.

Mayflower customers pose in front of the Athens landmark on its last day in business

A Chipotle restaurant now occupies the location. I’m sure Rick and Lisa wish them well, but it’s a bit sad to see a place like the Mayflower fade into history.

Rick and Lisa Vaughn, owners of the Mayflower Restaurant. That’s Tammy, who bussed tables and did light serving and drink refills, in the background.

Memory:  On one visit to the Mayflower, James Horton saw a lady come out from the back kitchen with flour all over her apron and he knew she was the biscuit lady – he stood up from his table and announced “Hey everybody, it’s the biscuit lady” and the whole restaurant cheered and clapped for her – she loved it.  That lady could make some big, fluffy, hot, steamy biscuits that couldn’t be found anywhere else – this is the real Georgia way.

Though it isn’t a new story, I’m so grateful to James for sharing these photos and memories. I, too, was a big fan of the Mayflower and am sad to see it gone.

Saving Cedar Grove: Janisse Ray Brings Her Passion to a Country Church

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Janisse Ray welcomes patrons and friends to Cedar Grove. Paintings by her husband, Raven Waters, line the walls of the church.

Janisse Ray is known for her thoughtful books that seamlessly weave narrative with an appreciation for our fragile natural environment and over the years she’s been a fearless advocate for fostering community involvement in her beloved South Georgia.

Cedar Grove Methodist Church

One of her causes has been the restoration of Cedar Grove Methodist Church, which she now owns with her husband, Raven Waters. It has been a labor of love for Janisse, who has devoted many hours raising money and locating carpenters and artisans to complete the project. I’ve proudly served on the board with her, though Janisse has made it all happen.

Lindsey Levine, Alec Bruns, and Lucki Wilkerson accompanied Janisse as she read a poem dedicated to Cedar Grove

When Hurricane Helene roared through Tattnall County this past September, the work was nearly complete. Javier Ramos had just put the finishing touches on exterior repairs when the storm came.

Walter Parks

Janisse shared the following on her Substack account: “Surveying the damage after a hurricane is like waking up after surgery. You’re bleary-eyed and half crazed, but you’ve got to see what’s forever gone…I found that the damage was relatively minor. A few trees down, a few holes in roof…Thanks to a lot of generous people, the church got a roof for 12K. Then it got handmade windows, built by an 80-year-old carpenter. Then a new pulpit. Then all the repairs inside were finished. Every one of those jobs has a story. The roof story was told in “A Roof for Cedar Grove” a segment of Saving Grace, which aired on Georgia Public Broadcasting…”

Walter Parks and Swamp Cabbage

Undaunted, Janisse acted quickly to raise more funds to remove fallen trees and put the finishing touches on Cedar Grove. On 14 December 2024, she hosted a lunch at Red Earth Farm and then treated patrons to a concert inside the church, featuring Walter Parks, who once toured the world with Woodstock opening act and musician extraordinaire Richie Havens. Walter’s band Swamp Cabbage accompanied him.

Author Janisse Ray has led the effort to save historic Cedar Grove Methodist Church

Janisse first learned of Walter’s work in a New York Times article detailing his use of historic hollers from the Okefenokee Swamp in his music. This wasn’t lost on Janisse, who has long championed the swamp and its folklife. And it somehow seemed appropriate for celebrating an historic country church. I’m constantly inspired by Janisse Ray and am grateful for the community she’s created in her corner of Tattnall County.

Farewell, President Carter (1924-2024)

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James Earl Carter, Jr. (1 October 1924-29 December 2024)

As I read reports of President Carter’s transition into hospice care, I recalled my personal encounters with him with great fondness, and was not surprised to read so many tributes to him from all walks of life and political persuasions.

When I first began seriously pursuing photography, I entered and won a contest sponsored by the National Park Service, focused on photographs of the president’s boyhood home in Archery. The prize was a book signed by Mr. Carter. I felt I had come full circle as I had first visited the property during its dedication in November 2000. It was a wet and miserable day, but an overflow crowd gathered under a huge tent, eagerly listening to Mr. Carter’s reminisces about his life there. Since then, I’ve felt a fondness for the place that many others who have visited feel.

I was also privileged to visit Maranatha Baptist Church, like countless thousands of others over the years, and hear one of Mr. Carter’s Sunday School lessons. It was a moving experience, which I will always count among the greatest days of my life. There’s no way you could attend one of those special Sunday services and not understand what a good man he was. No one, certainly not Jimmy Carter, thought he was a saint, but his good works elevated him to a place few of us are able to reach. For his inspiration, I will be forever grateful.

Montford Point Marine C. C. Hall: A Lifetime of Service & Leadership

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Mr. C. C. Hall at Fitzgerald’s 2024 Veterans Day Remembrance. Photo Courtesy and © William E. Brown

Charles Cargile “C. C.” Hall was born in Madison, Georgia in 1925. He was drafted in 1943 and enlisted with the Marines at Camp Montford Point in Jacksonville, North Carolina, among the first African-Americans to serve in the Corps. His World War II service included stints at Guam and Hawaii and he was honorably discharged in 1946. After the war, he received a degree from Savannah State and went on to receive a Masters Degree from Columbia University in New York.

He came to Fitzgerald to teach at Monitor High School after completing his education, and he never left. Working a side job at Riggs Funeral Home to supplement his teaching salary, he eventually became a partner. When Mr. Riggs died in 1959, Hall became the sole owner and renamed it Hall’s Funeral Home. The business remains successful today, though at 99 years old Mr. Hall isn’t involved in day to day operations. Throughout the years, he has also been actively involved in civil rights issues.

In 2012 Mr. Hall and other surviving Montford Point Marines received the Congressional Gold Medal from President Obama. He has been a respected businessman in Fitzgerald for over 65 years and has received numerous honors for his service. Part of Monitor Drive was even renamed C. C. Hall Honorary Drive in tribute.

Thanks to my father for getting this photograph.

Ocmulgee Wild Hog Festival, Abbeville

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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.

An estimated seven million of the unwieldy European imports roam the country, from Oregon to North Carolina, with populations scattered throughout other parts of the country.

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.

Savannah Officially Dedicates Taylor Square

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Patt Gunn (second from right) and friends pose with the newly revealed Taylor Square sign

Mayor Van Johnson summed up Saturday’s dedication of Taylor Square, noting that “We’re not rewriting history…and we’re not making history. We’re making sense.”

For the first time in its nearly 300 year history, one of Savannah’s signature squares has been named for a woman, and an African-American. A large and festive crowd numbering in the hundreds was on hand on Saturday to see the dedication of Taylor Square, formerly known as Calhoun Square. Its previous namesake, vice-president John C. Calhoun, was a fierce advocate of slavery.

Susannah “Susie” Baker King Taylor (1848-1912) Courtesy Library of Congress

Its new namesake, Susannah “Susie” Baker King Taylor, was born into slavery and went on to become the first African-American nurse in the U. S. military and the only African-American woman to publish a memoir of her Civil War service (Reminisces of My Life in Camp). She was also a staunch advocate of creating educational opportunities for Black children and is believed to be the first Black teacher to openly teach African-Americans in Georgia. She established two schools in Savannah and another in Liberty County.

Savannah City Manager Joseph Melder introduced the event.

Reverend Jamie Maury of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia led the ceremony with a prayer.

Patt Gunn

Patt Gunn, of the Susie King Taylor Center for Jubilee, who with Rosalyn Rouse spearheaded the effort to rename the square, thanked those in the neighborhood for their support. She also made references to her Gullah Geechee roots.

Donald Lovett

Donald Lovett, chairman of the Liberty County commission, spoke of Mrs. Taylor’s Liberty County origins.

Music was provided by the Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church choir.

Hermina Glass-Hill

Hermina Glass-Hill, who leads the Susie King Taylor Women’s Institute and Ecology Center in Midway, is the foremost authority on Mrs. Taylor’s life. She noted, “I can assure you that this revolution of unity in the city of Savannah…would certainly make her [Mrs. Baker] proud.”

Mayor Van Johnson

Mayor Johnson described the effort to rename the park, thanking those who led the effort and countless volunteers.

Dr. Bertice Berry

Dr. Bertice Berry inspired the crowd.

Rev. Ben Martin

Rev. Ben Martin is the senior pastor at Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church, which faces Taylor Square. He noted that the congregation was proud of the work done here.

The city hosted an all-day celebration in the square, with activities throughout the day.

This was a source of pride for the historic district.

Letha Moore (r) and Gena Taylor, who serves as Executive Director of the Greenbriar Children’s Center

I was honored to meet Letha Moore and even let her take my picture. She told me that she’s the unofficial photographer for her church.

People of all generations took in the festivities.

Hermina Glass-Hill poses with friends.

Van Johnson, Edna Jackson, Otis Johnson

Here, Mayor Van Johnson prepares to reveal the new sign, while former mayors Edna Jackson and Otis Johnson look on.

Savannah Historic District, National Historic Landmark

Lena Baker, The Only Woman to Die in Georgia’s Electric Chair

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Lena Baker Mugshot, Georgia State Prison, Reidsville, 2-23-1945. Public Domain. No Known Restrictions. Via Wikipedia.

The mugshot above is a haunting reminder of the failures and atrocities of the Jim Crow government that dominated Georgia well into the 1960s. Made at the Georgia State Prison in Reidsville just ten days before Lena Baker became the only woman to be executed in Georgia’s electric chair, it instills a sense of fear and sadness. This was, ultimately, a legal lynching.

Lena Baker was born near Cuthbert in 1900 to a family of sharecroppers and followed the typical employment pattern of black women of her time, working as a maid for little pay for middle class white families in order to support her three children. She was later forced into a sexual relationship with an elderly white employer, Ernest B. Knight. It was well-known and frowned upon throughout the county. When Knight realized that Ms. Baker was determined to end the relationship he locked her in his gristmill, as he had done many times before. When she tried to escape, they “tussled” over his pistol which fired and killed him. She immediately turned herself in and claimed the shooting was in self-defense. She also admitted that she drank alcohol with him, but also, not by choice. Not surprisingly, the all-male, all-white jury in the ensuing sham trial found Ms. Baker guilty of capital murder and sentenced her to death. This is likely due to the fact that the family of Ernest Knight was embarrassed by the breach of social order the case represented, even though Knight’s proclivities were already well known. It was a neat way, on the part of a white family, to put this sorry episode to rest at the expense of a woman’s life. She was executed at Reidsville on 5 March 1945 and buried at Mt. Vernon Baptist Church near Cuthbert. Her last words were: “What I done, I did in self-defense or I would have been killed myself. Where I was, I could not overcome it…I am ready to meet my God.”

That this was a tragic, if typical, miscarriage of justice was confirmed when she was granted a pardon by the state in 2005, thanks to the advocacy of Ms. Baker’s grand-nephew, Roosevelt Curry. Sadly, though, at least one member of the parole board, Garland Hunt, said the board didn’t see the pardon as striking a blow against racial injustice or righting a historical wrong. He just thought it was a good thing for the family.

Lena Baker (8 June 1900-5 March 1945), Mt. Vernon Baptist Church Cemetery

Church members placed a headstone on her unmarked grave in 1998 and family members pay tribute every year on Mother’s Day.

Sardis Methodist Church, 1855, Stewart County

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Sardis Church Cemetery

Located in rural Stewart County, Sardis Methodist Church was established in the 1840s. According to Mr. Joe Barge, who gave us a fascinating tour of the property, the church building dates to circa 1855. It was built by Joseph Sessions (1794-1856) and his nephew, Benjamin Franklin Barge (1810-1873).

Joe Barge

The Barge family has been a part of the congregation since its inception and much of the farm and timberland around the church has been in the family during that time. The area is known as Trotman, though appears on maps, incorrectly, as Troutman. If I recall correctly, Mr. Barge said that seven generations of his family are buried in the cemetery.

Church interior. The pews were divided down the middle. Men sat on one side and women on the other, in the early days of the church.

The church had fallen into serious disrepair by the 1970s. Restoration was the only option members felt was viable and the work was completed by 1982. One gets a sense of the pride that members have in their church, from the well maintained cemetery and churchyard to the interior. I believe the congregation meets just once a month now, but they’re still active and take excellent care of this special place.

The altar and light fixtures aren’t original, but fit within the historical context.

Country churches like Sardis are becoming much less common these days, as families disperse from rural areas, but they’re still among the great rural landmarks of Georgia. It’s inspiring to see congregations embracing and preserving their history, and Sardis does as good a job as any I’ve seen in my travels.

The vernacular Greek Revival exterior is largely unchanged from its circa 1855 appearance, with the exception of the added steeple, which wouldn’t have been an element of the original.

Pine Needle Bathing Suits Helped Promote Georgia Turpentine

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Eliza Peeples*, Spirit of Turpentine, Circa 1936, from an Atlanta newspaper

Eliza Peeples must not have been too bothered by the sharp pine needles that made up the bulk of her bathing suit, but she was wearing the outfit to help promote turpentine. As part of its promotional push, the American Turpentine Farmers Association (ATFA) began holding an annual Miss Spirits of Turpentine beauty pageant in 1940, where this costume, as well as a pine needle tiara, were part of the show. This photograph is scanned from a newspaper article published in one of the Atlanta papers soon after the association was formed, so I think Eliza was more of a mascot than an official “queen”. I can’t locate the paper in my archives at the moment, so I don’t have an exact date. I don’t know when the pageant was phased out, but the last “turpentine queen” was crowned in 1995, long after the disbanding of the group.

Harley Langdale of Valdosta formed ATFA as a cooperative of naval stores producers in 1936. They came from the “Turpentine Belt” states of Georgia, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. And Georgia was usually the leading producer. Judge Langdale led the organization for 29 years, but the industry, which boomed during World War II, reached its peak by the late 1940s. Innovations such as fire breaks and controlled burns were adopted early by ATFA members, and their benefits are still integral to forestry today. For a time, turpentine was one of the biggest employers in the rural South. Numerous factors, primarily modernization and competition from the chemicals industry, as well as the loss of labor due to the Great Migration, spelled the end of ATFA, and broad scale production, by 1975. Memories of the industry are fading from the collective consciousness but a few of the old turpentine shacks, commissaries, and stills can be found scattered throughout Georgia.

*- I was able to learn that Eliza Peeples McLemore (1920-2011) lived in Griffin, Georgia, for most of her adult life, and that she had a twin sister, Louie Peeples White (1920-2009). They were the daughters of Russell Alexander Peeples and Ethel Orr Peeples.

Victoria Nephew, Long County

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Victorian Scott Nephew (4 May 1913-3 April 2019)

I regret that I never got to meet Mrs. Sarah Victoria Scott Nephew (Vicky to her friends and loved ones), the longest-lived person in Long County. As someone who was raised around older people and had a great-grandmother and great-uncle who both lived over 100 years, I always loved their stories and wisdom. Centenarians have always fascinated me.

Mrs. Nephew’s great-grandmother Sarah was born enslaved in 1840 in South Carolina. She was subject to repeated assaults by her enslaver and bore him five children. She eventually married Benjamin Scott, and she named one of the children born of her enslaver Marcus Scott, Sr. His son, Marcus “Big Bubba” Scott, Jr., (1890-1977) was the father of Victoria. Her mother was Maggie Williams Scott. The Scotts moved from Spartanburg to Burke County in 1895, and to Liberty County in 1908. They owned and operated a turpentine and timber farm in the Broad Level community, in what is now Long County. Maggie died in 1926 and Bubba married Lena Rountree (1906-1972), of Savannah. I got the impression that Victoria was not very fond of Lena. Big Bubba was a member of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church and served as its clerk. He was ordained to the ministry in 1949 and was an assistant pastor at Mt. Zion Baptist Church.

Victoria attended school, through sixth grade, in Sandfly, and told Margie Love, in a 2017 interview, that her teacher at the Sandfly School, Professor Read, and her great-grandfather, were slaves together. She said through their attending the white children on the plantation, they “picked up a little education there.” [Please follow the link above, and read all of Margie’s wonderful interview. There are some great stories there.]

As a young woman, Victoria was sent to Ossabaw Island to babysit for a Mr. Strouffer, the English gardener of the Torrey Family, who owned the island. While there she married her first husband, Sandy Jackson, whose mother was from Ossabaw and father was from Liberty County. Sandy died during World War II, when a tree fell on him while cutting timber for war ships. They had no children.

Around 1947, Vicky married John Nephew, a Darien native. They lived in the Broad Level community, with John working in turpentine, and were regular members of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church. They had four children. John died in a car crash in 1968.

She told Margie Love that she had been dipping Navy Snuff for about 90 years and that she didn’t take store-bought medicine, preferring local medicinal plants, especially life everlasting (Hylotelephium telephium). There must be something to it, as Mrs. Nephew lived a long and rich life, passing away just a month before her 106th birthday.