Brinson’s is a well-loved institution in Jenkins County. Located south of Millen on West Old Savannah Road, you’ll know it’s open if there’s a plume of smoke pouring from the pits behind the simple cinder block building and a parking lot full of pickup trucks. Unless you have a big appetite, order the small barbeque plate. I ordered the regular and it was enough food for two people. (They also have a large plate). The sauce is a bit tangier than you’ll find further south in Georgia, but it was very good. And the Brunswick stew was served over rice, not something often seen in restaurants. Three slices of Sunbeam bread, a generous helping of potato salad, and Brinson’s sweet tea complete this classic Southern meal. Brinson’s actual address, in case you need to put it in your GPS: 3924 West Old Savannah Road, Millen, Georgia 30442. Their telephone number is (478) 982-4570.
Johnny Morehead and family run a great country store and restaurant in Irwinville. Stop by for lunch if you’re ever in the area. There’s some nice Irwinville memorabilia in the store, too. Also, Johnny is one of the largest pecan brokers in the area, so if that’s something that interests you, inquire within.
Karen Igou Holcomb remembers: Best hotdogs in the world. He used to deliver also. If he had enough orders he would drive the 10 miles to Baxley to deliver for lunch. He was a very nice man and his mother was the sweetest.
This 70s landmark was once one of the most popular restaurants in Valdosta. Today, just an empty building and this old sign remain. I’ve been told that Burt Reynolds used to pass through Valdosta on occasion and always picked up a pile of barbeque at C. H. Mitchell’s when he was there. Don’t know if that’s true, or just urban legend, but I like it.
This was originally a grocery/general store, but it has recently been renovated and is now known as Lottie’s Pocket, a restaurant specializing in barbeque.
Wes Carter writes: I grew up in Berlin and lived there until 2002. I remember this was General Brownings barber shop. There was a red, white and blue barber pole out front and then Berlin Diner which is what the sign you see in the picture said, although now faded. Jonie Nicholson adds that it also served as Berlin’s first youth center. For those not in the know, Berlin is pronounced BUR-luhn.
Though there is some debate as to its specific use, this is thought to be one of few remaining interlocking/signal towers in Georgia. At this time, it can only be confirmed that a telegraph office was located on the second floor and the Van Roy Restaurant on the first floor. I’m not sure as to the date of construction but I would guess 1910s.
Fort Valley Downtown & Railroad Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
In preparation for an upcoming documentary, I’ve been reviewing my archive of over 2,000 photographs made on various film cameras before I made the switch to digital in 2007. I’m sharing some of them here and hope they are of interest. Amazingly, most of these structures are gone now and remind me why I do what I do. The image above, of a wintry landscape adorned with a crude pioneer cabin with a fieldstone chimney, was among my first favorites. I had 8x10s printed and looked at them with a sense of awe at the loss that was accelerating around me. As with many of the places I shoot, I’ve wished many times that I’d returned to this quaint little cabin for more photographs. I’m not quite sure when it was demolished but it was gone before 2010. Such stories of loss motivate me to photograph nearly everything I can that I believe to be of cultural or historical value and I hope my work inspires others to pick up their cameras and do the same in their neck of the woods.
Hunter’s was a local favorite and welcome stop for travelers along Highway 32 for years. They even had parking for semi-trucks. Their goat sandwich, with chips & Coca-Cola was my favorite. Though Hunter’s closed not too long after this photo was made, it’s legendary barbeque sauce has been resurrected by the Hutto family, who now operate the location as Hutto’s Barbeque. It’s just as good!
I can’t count how many times I passed this store traveling between Fitzgerald and Tifton over the years, though I honestly don’t remember it ever being open. It was razed in early 2012. (I’m not sure of the spelling of the owner’s name, but thanks to Dale Bledsoe for the information.)
This Folk Victorian, long a landmark in the area, was demolished before 2007. Thanks to a recent (2016) message from Daphne Griffin, I now know a bit more about the place: My father grew up in that house beginning around 1941. His name is Charlie Jesse Griffin, known as C.J. He grew up there with his mother, Osteen Roberts Griffin, his grandfather, Charlie Roberts, and his three brothers, Denzil, Herman, and Therman Griffin. My grandmother Osteen lived there until around 1960. The house was owned by Otto Griner at the time they lived there.
If you’re in Wrightsville around lunchtime, stop here for a great old-fashioned meal. It has a wonderful view of the courthouse and surrounding square. I had fried chicken, turnip greens, fresh creamed corn, and hoe cakes. The sweet tea was perfect, too.
Before it was Nana’s Kitchen, this building was home to Sims Grocery, a longtime landmark of Wrightsville.
