Two historic freight warehouses survive along the tracks in Cairo. As a shipping point for syrup, they were quite busy, especially during the 1930s, when the town gained attention as the nation’s leading cane syrup producer.
Cairo Commercial Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
This photograph was made in 2013, so I’m unsure if this structure is still standing. It was located on the right side of the boat ramp as it descends to the Ogeechee River. It has the appearance of a storage barn or warehouse, but its proximity to the water is interesting. Perhaps it was a pump house. I hope to learn more.
This large warehouse is presently owned by Coolidge Fertilizer and likely has performed other functions to local agribusiness over the years. I believe there was another long frame building across the tracks until a few years ago.
This building, at the edge of Elko, has always been a mystery to me. It obviously serves a storage purpose today, but the arrangement of the doors suggest it was originally a warehouse of some kind. It’s not near the railroad track, but some have suggested they thought it was a depot. I hope to update soon.
I first thought this are to be a community known as Jalappa, since the road is named Jalappa and a list of U. S. post offices makes reference to a post office at Jalappa from 1851-1855. Further research is required on Jalappa. However, as to the places seen here, Sammy Lester writes: This is my family home. It was a plantation at one time. The mail came from Montezuma by horseback. The name is Capron. My Grandfather named the post office after the first officer that fell going up San Juan Hill with Teddy Roosevelt. Once there was a cotton gin, grist mill, a shingle mill and blacksmith shop along with the general store. The wooden building (above) is the original store and you can still see the mail slot. Capron circa 1898!
The brick storefront (below) dates to 1910, and most of the structure is gone.
Warehouses like this were once a feature in almost every South Georgia town, from the smallest villages to the cities.
This is one of several structures that comprise the Midville Warehouse complex.
When I first photographed this site, there were three silos. I believe one was lost in October 2018, as Hurricane Michael barrelled through Donalsonville.
Donalsonville Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Vanishing Georgia: Photographs by Brian Brown 