The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1904-02-03
DAWSON IN ITS EARLY DAYS
q FORMER CITIZEN WRITES OF TIME
WHEN 1T WAS A VILLAGE.
The People Who We're in Business Here
Forty Years Ago. Great Changes
Have Taken Place.

Have TAKEN race
BELLEVUE, La. Jan. 30, 19O4.-The
Dawson News comes to US once week
aud we all welcome its coming VIII
pleasure. We take seven papers, anc
The News is the first paper read. Hou
see. il is from our old home, and il
brings back memories of our childhood
DAYS and of friends of many years ago,
1 lived in Dawson several years; how
ever, I was born in Boiler parish, La,
In 1856 aud moved to Dawson IN. 1900
Dawson was then a small but lively
llttle town; | don't rememb Der the pop
ul&tion, but it was small. The South
western was the only railroad to the
towu. The old car shop was the only
factory 10 the place, and worked 70 or
so hands and put up six cars week.
The shop was owned by company
aud Major 0. O. Nelson was president
He was% good, pious man, and ala
great d cal for the poor of the town.
He employed several orphan boys at
good wages, who supported widowed
mothers. | was one of those boys.
Dawson was always noted for good
men and women. Her bows were good,
but were fun-loving, and sometimes
did a great deal of mischief at Christ
mas times, such as ringing the council
bell at night, taking gates of OF the
htuges, turning over street bridges,
Milling boxes on sidewalks, hanging
6uggies up in trees, changing sign.
boards and many other things. The
iowa was built in a square, and the
court house, two-story frame build
ing, stood in the center. There was
not q brick building in the town. The
Masonic lodge stood to the east, and
was the only building on chat side.
There were four buildings on the
s0uth--a shoe and tobacco house run
by Turuer Lewis, family grocery run
by Greer q Simmons, a family grocery
run by old Uncle Ben Gibson, and the
postoffice. Billie Baldwin vas post
master. On the north side were three
buildiugs--a grist mill run by Captain
Allen, livery stable run by DR.. Las
seter, and a gun shop run by John job
sou. ON the west side there were gen
eral stores. DR.. Cheatham owned a
drug store, Farnum & Sharp Jack
Catuer, Ed Cutner, Harrison Rogers,
Or. Ross, Mr., Mann, A. J. Baldwin,
William Johnson, william Fulton
aud Bird & Orr conducted dry goods
stores. Pat Ward ran bar and was
marshal of the town.
There were two churches-Baptist
and Nethodist-bOth small One-stOrY
buildings. Dawson had a big fire Ia
1870, and several business houses we're
buroed down. They were rebuilt
with brick. In 1872 she had another
fire, and more brick stores were built.
Ia 1873 the car shop went down, ana
] believe they built but few if any more
cars. | forgot to mention the Dawson
Journal 1t was published by Steve
Weston. Randall Ware, negro, had
a blacksmith shop, and Jack Ealey,
negro, run wood shop. Judge Parks,
Counts Wooten, MIR. Harper and RUDE
Simmons were the lawyers. Dr. Hold
nett, Or. Cheatham and DR.. Mckenzie
we're the physicians.
Dawson had no waterwOrks or lights.
The merchants kept open Until nine
O'Clock at night, and used tallow can
dies for lights. The council bell al
WAYS rang at nine o'clock, and all
S soves closed.
[ left Dawson in 1874, and came back
co Louisiana. However, before l land
ed here l travelled IA few years in Ala
baua, Arkansas and Texas. have
been farming % years, raising corn,
cotton, etc, and hogs, COWS and other
stock, I am cOntenced and happy
old man, and wish everybody else the
same good blessing,
j. n. KAUFMAN.