Foggy day

The American and Georgia flags fly over the Taliaferro County Courthouse in Crawfordville, Georgia.

All in a day's drive...

Ok, so I have been noticeably absent from cyberland for a few days, but now I have to show a one day tip. So The kid managed to get so much Christmas loot, that we couldn't even haul it all home, so I had to go back and get it. Not one to turn down an oppurtunity, I made a few stops. Somehow I wound up in the DEAD CENTER of nowhere, and after arriving in Crawfordville, GA, I realized I had no money. Then I found out there was no ATM in town. I had to go 12 miles away to find the closest one. Word to the wise, ya know. Anyway, it was well worth it, as the next post will show. For now, above is the Taliaferro county courthouse in Crawfordville.

Couple markers on the way to Crawfordville. Also middle of nowhere.

On the Courthouse grounds

The colonial road from Charleston to Vicksburg followed the highway at this point. The route, used by Col. Langdon Welch on his expedition to the Mississippi in 1698, was thereafter followed by British traders. Through Taliaferro Co., it followed the present route, Raytown to Crawfordville to Union Point, then Ogeechee River Old Town. Wm. Bartram, celebrated traveler, crossed here in 1773 with the party, headed by Col. Barnett, which surveyed 2,000,000 acres of land ceded by the Creeks and Cherokees to the Colony of Georgia. Lafayette followed this road on his American tour in 1825.

This County, created by an act of the Legislature Dec. 24, 1825, is named for Colonel Benjamin Teliaferro, Revolutionary soldier in Lee's Legion and a member of Congress from 1799 to 1802. In this city stands Liberty Hall, now a State Shrine, beloved home in life and the last resting place of Alexander H. Stephens, affectionately known as "Little Alec" and "The Great Commoner." Born in a log cabin in this county in 1812 and graduating from the University of Georgia in 1832, Mr. Stephens began his public career by serving six consecutive terms in the Georgia legislature with distinction. He was elected to Congress in 1843 and served through 1859. He voted against secession in the Georgia Convention of 1861 but accepted his State's decision and was a delegate to the Montgomery convention at which the Confederacy was born. Elected Vice President of the Confederacy he served throughout the war, opposing many of the policies of President Jefferson Davis. Mr. Stephens was elected to the United States Senate in 1866 but a seat was refused him. He was again elected to Congress in 1873 and served until 1882, when he was elected Governor of Georgia dying in office on March 4, 1883. Among Taliaferro County's first officers were: Sheriff Asa C. Alexander, Superior Court Clerk Marcus Andrew, Inferior Court Clerk Henry Perkins, Coroner Solomon Harper and Surveyor Henry Stewart.

1917-1918

Dedicated to those of Taliaferro County, GA.

Who offered their lives in Humanity's defense

in the War of the Nations

and in memory of those who gave

their full measure of devotion.

A tribute from the Crawfordville Woman's Club

Confederate monument

In sacred memory of the men of Taliaferro County who mad the supreme sacrifice

World War I

Roy Dozier

World War II

L.A. Cason

Henry C. Simons

Roger W. Gunn

Charles Roberts

On fames eternal camping ground, their silent tents are spread and glory guards with solemn round the bivouac of the dead.

"They died that we might live"

Ok, so here is Union Point, where I had to drive to find an ATM

This monument read "Commemorating the site of the First Regimental reunion of Confederate Veterans. Survivors of the 3rd Georgia Regiment met at the Union Point Fairgrounds July 30-31, 1874."

On the ground

Ok, so since I showed you Woodbine from the air, I thought I would show what's here on ground level. This is the Camden County Courthouse square, which was shown on the previous post from the air. So to let you know what you are seeing, above is the old courthouse, which is in the top left of the aerial photo, on the eastern side of the courthouse square. The building below is the new courthouse, on the northern side of the square, therefore the top left of the picture. The bottom, or southern side of the square is the Sheriff's office, and nestled sorta in between the new couthouse and the Sheriff's Office, on the left side is the Bryan-Lang Historical Library.
The town of Woodbine grew out of Woodbine Plantation, founded on the Satilla River by John Bailey, then passed to his son Henry, and then to his children. The plantation, which grew rice, was then purchased by James King Bedell, now considered the town's founder. He was the one to grant land to the railroad, with the stipulation that the town that would grow here carry on the name Woodbine. The town was incorporated in 1908 and laid out in a "railroad strip community" style. In 1923 it became the county seat, and the old couthouse and square, designed by Julian de Bruyn Kops, were built in 1928. The library and Sheriff's office were added in the late 80's and the new courthouse was opened in 2004.

County monument to the armed forces.
Monument for police of Camden County who have fallen in the line of duty.

Supposedly, there should be a marker here somewhere for the county itself, but I have looked several times to no avail.

Funnel vision

Ok, this is Folkston, GA, about twenty miles west of Kingsland. It is the county seat for Charlton county, and was founded August 19, 1911, named after Dr. William Folks, a local physician. For a number of years, the city of Folkston was the self-proclaimed "Marriage Capital of the world". The city embraced this nickname because Floridians who could not endure their state's waiting period before tying the knot would cross the state line to wed.

Folkston is best known for its trainwatching at the "Folkston Funnel", where almost all rail traffic going in or out of Florida passes. The platform built by the town features lights, ceiling fans, and a scanner to listen in to radio traffic between trains. Adjacent to the platform are picnic tables, a grill, and a new restroom facility for our guests. Seen here used to be the train station, but now serves as a visitor center.

Speaking of trains....
Just another sleepy little southern town. Note the store named Chesser's. We have seen that name before and we will see it again soon.

Mill's Courthouse

Ok, this is the Kershaw County courthouse in Camden. The third one on this site, it was designed by Robert Mills, a Charleston native best known for designing the Washington Monument. It was built in 1825 and served as the courthouse until 1906 when a new one was built. It curently houses the town Chamber of Commerce.
Inside the main room of the courthouse

Across the street, the place where Andrew Jackson was imprisoned by the British.

Hang 'em high

Ok, this is McFarland State Historic Park in Florence, a town that prides itself in its "Old West" feel, and architecture, unchanged since the days that miners and cowboys roamed the streets. While Esteban Ramirez laid the first claim in the area in 1866, the town got its real begining in 1873 when the land office was established. The town's central location made it the ideal location for the seat of the newly formed Pinal County in 1875, the same year a major silver mine was discovered in the nearby mountains. In 1909 the Arizona Territorial Prison was moved from Yuma to Florence, and still exists today. The town thrived on a system of irrigation, like the Hohokam Indians who lived in the area before.

The State Park is located in the old Courthouse, built in 1878, now the oldest standing courthouse in the state. Pay attention East Coasters: This is a historic site and museum where you can take PICTURES. This is how things should be. "The local "Vigilance Committee" stormed the sheriff's office in this building in 1888, dragged two men from their cells and hanged them in the corridor of the jail. Those two had been charged with holding up a stage and killing Johnny Collins, the guard. A coroner's jury later found that the two prisoners had met their deaths "at the hands of parties unknown." A short time later, the same "vigilance" group attempted to lynch four other prisoners under the same circumstances but were thwarted in their efforts when Michael Rice, the jailer, armed the prisoners, took them upstairs and faced down the mob from the windows above the street." From the State Park website.

When a new courthouse was built in 1891, the old courthouse was converted into a county hospital, recreated by this portion of the building.

Medical supplies
A vacuum pressure pump

Some pieces from historic buildings around Florence
In 1943 a POW camp was established just north of Florence for German and Italian prisoners. The site is now a retirement community. Seen here are an Italian bottle and German helmet.
Artifacts from the Italian camp
Piece of wood with pencil drawings found in the camp.

The courtyard of the courthouse, where the original, small jail was located. Damage due to weathering can be seen on the right side. A combination of moisture and the concrete porches (added during the building's days as a hospital) has been cracking the building's adobe walls. In 1938, the building became a welfare and public health center, and later, in 1963, the Pinal County Historical Society acquired and maintained the building as a museum until 1970.

Ernest McFarland was born october 9, 1894 in Earlsboro, Oklahoma, and graduated the University of Oklahoma in 1917. In WW1 he was in the US Navy, until he suffered from a bronchial infection, when he moved to Phoenix, AZ. After saving enough money, he attended Stanford University, graduating in 1921, when he began law practice in Casa Grande (near Florence.) He became assistant attorney general of AZ from 1923 to 1924, Pinal county attorney from 1925 to 1930, and superior court judge from 1934 to 1940, when he was elected to the US Senate. He is probably best known as the "Father of the GI Bill", working diligently to get the bill passed in 1944.In 1952 he was defeated in the Senate, and in 1954 became Arizona State Governor. Leaving the office in 1958, he returned to his law practice until being elected associate justice of the Arizona Supreme Court in 1964, and serving as Chief Justice from 1968 to 1970. In 1974, former governor Ernest W. McFarland purchased the building and donated it to the Arizona State Parks Board for a historic park. He died in Phoenix on June 8, 1984, the only Arizonan to have served in all three branches of government.
Various artifacts from his personal collection, above and below.

His pet Gila Monster, Mussolini

Front outside of the courthouse
The Silver King Motel, opened in 1876 and named for the Silver King mine. The current building was built in 1893 after the original burned down.
A mostly deteriorated adobe structure behind the Motel, possibly an old addition.
Main street Florence, Arizona