The Dawson news., 1925-03-10
History of Terrell County
Compiled and Furnished The Dawson News Publication by the
Stone Castle Chapter, Daughters of American Revolution

Among the first merchants were DIR.
r A. Cheatham, J. B. Perry, Cheat
ham, Simmons & Co., Orr-Reed &
co. s. Block, James A. Wilson, Lew
: Sylvester, Spearman- Welborn &
70. Glass & Whitlock, Moses H.
baldwin. Bunch & Carter, Mayo
Bishop B. U. & J. t. Walker and
Brooks & Thornton.
The first law firms were Wooten
& Mathis, Harper & Glover, Williams
& Blair, Simmons & Leonard, Bass
& Kimbrough, James & Wilson, Reu-
hen F. Simmons, Reuben Fitzgerald
lanes K. Bynum and William Hors
The first doctors were c. A. Cheat
ham, John T. Lamar, S. F. Lasseter
H. c. Johnston, James w. Shropshire,
Joseph Gelphin, B. r. Reeves, w. C.
Kcndrick, DR.. Hough, Dr. Richard.
son and DIR. Hodnett.
Dawson had the honor of furnish
ing the only national representative
that ever went from Terrell county,
the Honorable James Mathews Grigg5.
James Mathews Griggs.
lanes NJ. Griggs was born at La
Grange, Ga. March 29, 1901. He num-
bered among his ancestors the follow
ing distinguished men: Governor
Samuel Mathews, of Virginia; Moses
Mathews, of Virginia, maker OF guns
ior Sumter's army; James Mathews,
Of South Carolina, soldier of the
revolution; Barnaby McKinnie, Of
Edgecomb county, N. c., Judge of
general court in 1925 and member of
the house of Burgesses, 1725; John
Pope, OF Edgecomb, N. c., member
Of the house of Burgesses in 1740;
Johu Pope, of Wilkes county, Ga,
captain in the war of the revolution,
and William Griggs, soldier of the
revolution from Virginia.
Having acquired a rudimentary ed
ucaton in the common schools OF the
state, he entered Peabody Normal in
1879 and graduated with honors in
1881 After this he spent three years
teaching; was admitted to the bar in
1888, practicing first at Alapaha, Ber-
rien county, and was for a short time
engaged in the newspaper business.
He moved to Dawson, Ga, in 1885,
making this town his home for the re-
naming years of his life.
His real public career began in 1888
when he was made solicitor general of
4 the Pataula circuit, holding that Of
i fee until 1898 He was judge of the
circuit from 1898 to 1895, and was
5 elected as congressman from the Sec
& ond congressional district in 1896 as a
+ member of the 55th congress. After
q that he was elected to the 56th, 57th,
3 59th, Goth and 61st congresses, dying
E while in office.
Able in mind, kindly and genial by
nature he early won success. Loyal
and steadfast he gained friends and
bound them to him with hooks of
steel. A close student of the history
Of his country he was soon recogniz-
ed in national affairs, being chosen a
delegate to the national convention OF
the democratic party in 1892.
In 1904 he was made chalman OF
the democratic congressional cam
paign committee and as recognition
81 OF his capability in meeting the re-
quirements of his trying position he
was again in 1906 chosen as head OF
the committee. No one can say to
what public life he might have attain
ed had his life been prolonged. He
\ died before reaching the age OF 81
years Half of his life was devoted to
# his state and country.
In the heart of Dawson, his home
town, where Stonewall and Lee
streets intersect, there stands SUI
perb memorial to Judge Griggs, re-
Aecting esteem in which he was held
by his fellow citizens.
The memorial, work of art, consists
Of two beautifully polished columns
resting upon a granite base. These
columns are surmounted by a cornice
on which is chiseled fthe mamie
"Griggs." Between the pillars, resting
on stone block, is bronze bust, a
splendid likeness of this citizen and
statesman, whose fame will be tender
ly cherished A tablet on the west
side OF the monument bears this IN
scrption: "To the memory OF James
Mathews Griggs, who represented with
conspicuous ability and fidelity the
Second congressional district from
March 1907 TO the date of his