|
In 1953, the Elks Aidmore
Auxiliary Chapter No. 1277 was organized with Mrs. Jack Ladson, Jr.,
serving as its first president. The purpose of the organization was to
support Aidmore, the Georgia BPOE Hospital for crippled children and to
promote fellowship wile assisting the members of the Lodge in their civic,
social and charitable projects. The Auxiliary sponsors benefit bridge
parties, dances, cake sales, bingo parties and other fund raising
projects. A Brownie Troop was sponsored by the Auxiliary ever year. At
Christmas, an Aidmore child was furnished with clothes and gifts from the
Auxiliary sponsored Brownie Troop. Mrs. Mario Eberle service as the send
president and later Mrs. W. Leon Pippin served. Other officers included
Mrs. James Riddle, Mrs. John R. Hall, Mrs. J. R. Hackett, Jr., Mrs. Dan
Simpson and Miss Genie Pope. The directors were Mrs. Elkin W. Taylor, Mrs.
Homer G. Ray, Sr., Mrs. Mario Eberle, Mrs. Houston Gibson and Mrs. Al
Hays.
The Dixie Air Dome Theatre
opposite the old Moultrie Post Office was opened in mid-1910 by W. E.
Warman and featured silent pictures and vaudeville acts.
Meigs is partly in Thomas and
partly in Mitchell County. How did Meigs become Meigs?
Hostile Indians fought the
first settlers who erected the first turpentine still on the site of what
is now Meigs.
A Mr. and Mrs. George Meigs
showed up at the turpentine still one day, as the story goes, in a rickety
two-wheel cart. Mr. Meigs inquired about work and was hired as head man.
His presence as a permanent resident gave others heart to settle in the
territory despite the threats of Indians. Malcolm "Make" Williams, his
wife and two sons, John and Dutch, occupied the other of the first two
houses there.
A Mr. Wilkes and J. L. Hand of
Pelham erected a store of wood slab with a tin top. A couple of years
later, Wilkes and Sons bought out Hand and enlarged the store. In the
meantime, Wilkes had bought additional land at about 40 cents per acre. He
sold some of the land for home sites and erected a post office.
It wasn't before long until a
bank appeared and then a school and then several churches. The community
had to have a name. Citizens were grateful for the first permanent
settlers, the Meigs, and named the township in honor of Mr. and Mrs.
George Meigs.
H.R. Wilder, early in 1895,
set up a ten-day penmanship and mathematics school in Norman Park (Obe)
and in Rocky Ford.
An Emerson Club was formed in
Moultrie in 1895 for "literary, social and religious purposes." The
organization, which made quite a reputation for itself in the next several
years, was designed to "raise the social standards and provide both
recreation and entertainment." A wide variety of subjects was discussed by
the members of the organization.
A "mystery man" refused to
reveal his identity for an entire day in Moultrie, a 1926 police blotter
story discloses. Taken into custody because of his "queer actions," the
man applied for work at a local plant, but would not give his name.
Finally, after some hours in the "cooler," he gave a name, but refused to
disclose his age or birthplace. The "mystery man" said he was a sign
painter by trade.
Sent home by the Confederate
Army to recuperate from a leg wound, Captain John Sloan was elected
sheriff of Colquitt County in 1864-1866. He was then elected tax receiver
for 1868-71. Sloan was born February 3, 1833 and was reared in the area
close to the old Moultrie Junior High School are Westview Cemetery are now
located. He died January 19, 1907. Sloan was described as one of the men
"who carved Colquitt out of the wilderness and was prominent in developing
orderly government." |
