The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1916-04-12
Daz0SOn Fifty Years Ago

! Editor Dawson News: Dawson is the
county site of Terrell county, Georgia, and is
on the Southwestern railroad between Ma
con- Ca and Eufaula, Ala. The road was
completed to Dawson in 1858. The court
house was built in the center OF the square,
in a beautiful grove surrounded by fence.
! The county officers were: Dr. Las5eter,
sheriff; w. G. Parks, ordinary; j. C. F.
/ Clark, clerk superior court; w. r. Baldwin,
county treasurer; John Daniel, coroner. At
that time there was not a brick or plastared
building in Dawson-all plain wooden build
ings cheaply constructed. There were five
houses on the north side of the square and
three on the east. On the south side there
was not vacant lot, and the same way Oh
the west side. On the west side OF Main
street were two blocks built up, but the
east side was vacant except Farnum &
Sharp's stables on the corner nearest the
square. The east side was built up in the
next few years with wooden buildings
During my stay in Dawson there were
four large fires. The first burned out the
west side, the second burned out two blocks
west of Main street, the third fire burned
out the east side of Main street, and the
fourth fire burned one block on the south
side on the east corner.
When left Dawson in 1888 there had been
but one building put up on the north side,
Melton brothers, and one on the east side,
U. NJ Powell's wagon shop. On the south
side there was but one building left, an old
dwelling that stood in front of the old ten
pen alley. The west side was built up to
A. J. Baldwin's store, leaving several va
cant lots north. All buildings after the first
fire were built of brick.
Time flies, and with it many changes have
taken place within the last so years. Among
those that 1 remember were Capt. j. M. Al
exander. Pat Ward, James Savage, B. H.
n Co m
Brown, DR.. Perryman, NJ. H. Baldwin, Jack
Baldwin, A. j. Baldwin, w. R. Baldwin,
Speight Baldwin, David James, Morgan Pee
pies, Clark Peoples, Sam Loyless, j. NJ. bod
we'll, Dr. c. A. Cheatham, Ed Cutner, M.
Rich, Capt. R. F. Simmons. j. NJ. Simmons,
n. c. Greer Capt. Garrard, VIM Walker,
VIM. Wooten, Major c. B. Wooten, H. Y.
Grayson, j. l.. Tucker, B. K. Tucker James
Harris lack Harris, J. B. Avant, Frank
Byrd ~ Kenney, VIM. Coker Major o. o.
Nelson, w. d. Stanton, Mr.. Atkinson VIM.
Sessions Rev. Crowell, DR.. Price, DR.. Price,
Gese, Charley Jordan, Mr.. Benjamin, Frank
Harper, Thos. Harper, Thos. Hart, S. R.
Weston, Joe Weston, Mr.. Norman, Rev.
Hoyl, Col. L. c. Hoyl j. B. Perry, III S. Lee,
DR.. Farnum, J. Sharp, j. A. Fulton, John
Crouch Capt Mckinney, w. H. Orr, Jacob
Reed, Ben Gibson, John HERS; T. M, Jones
Wyley Jones, Abner Jones, j. A. Bishop,
Marshall Bishop, Judge Rogers, Judge Rog-
ers, Jr., Harrison Rogers, John Crit
fin, j. B. Loyless, ]. w. Loyless, Poney 10y
less, VIM. Kaigler, VIM. Johnson, Dug
Prince, Joe Prince, B. III. Hood, c. c. Truss,
j. B. Grim, j. P. Allen. j. G. Smith, Alex
Johnson, Tom Smith, Kite Sullivan, and
many Others Out of all the names that
have mentioned I know of but one of them
still living in Dawson, and that is A. j. Bald
win The others have either died or moved
away. While l am told that many changes
in the little town have taken place there
have been more in the people who lived
there Dawson may build up and her people
prosper, but she will never be again the
same hospitable place where everybody SEEM
ed to be on the same footing. Prosperity
brings selfishness and vanity. Every one
thinks of self, and no one else. But I am
glad to know that my old home town is forg-
ing to the front, for l spent some of the
happiest days of my life there. I was mar
ried, and there my wife is sleeping her last
sleep in the quiet little cemetery south of
town. w. III. ANDREWS.
20 Hayden Street, Atlanta, Ga.