A History of Rentz, Georgia

                             
Rentz, Georgia is located in central Laurens County, Georgia, about thirteen miles from the county seat of Dublin.   It is named for Edward Pierce Rentz, a banker, a sawmill operator, and president of the Dublin and Southwestern Railroad. E.P. Rentz was born in 1862.  He was a son of  Rev. Joseph Rentz and Martha McGeehee.   Joseph was a minister in the Methodist Church.  His family, originally called “Von Rentz,” settled the German Salzburger community at Ebenezer, Georgia. Martha McGeehee’s family’s roots were deep in Methodism.  Her brother, Rev. John McGeehee, the founding minister of  the First Methodist Church in Dublin, still holds the distinction of being the longest serving active minister or presiding elder in the history of the Methodist Church in Georgia with 65 years of service.   E.P. Rentz married Katherine Gaston, whose family traced its roots to Bishop Lovick Pierce and George Smith, two major stalwarts in 19th century Georgia Methodism.

E.P. Rentz, president of the Citizens Bank of Swainsboro, joined one of Dublin's leading businessman, J.D. Smith, in organizing the Citizens Bank of Dublin in August of 1902.  The bank was located on South Jefferson Street in a building designed by Rev. George Thompson, a local minister and architect, and built by local contractor, E.J. Fuller.  This modest, granite-faced building still stands and is today occupied by attorney, Charles Butler.  Early in 1906 the bank was sold to a new group of investors.  The City National Bank opened with $100,000 in paid in capital, making it the largest bank between Macon and Savannah.  It joined the First National Bank as a part of the national banking system. The new board of directors also included E.P. Rentz.   Rentz purchased a stately colonial home on Bellevue Avenue in Dublin from J.D. Smith.   He sold the home after a few years.  Today the home is known as the W.E. Lovett House.

The area around Rentz was once fields of wiregrass and virgin  yellow pine trees.   During the 1880s, timber brokers began coming into the area to harvest the coveted yellow pine.    Once pine trees were harvested, farmers began planting cotton and corn in their place.   On January 1, 1880 J.D. Bates bought Land Lot 131 of the 17th Land District from John T. Rogers.   The land would eventually encompass over two thirds of the Town of Rentz.  The property was later acquired by W.B.Rogers. Rogers lost the property when the Merrimack Savings Bank foreclosed a judgment lien against the property in 1894.

The area was formerly known as Reedy Springs.   The name comes from a nearby spring, which undoubtedly had a lot of reed plants around it.   The Reedy Springs Militia District was created on October 5, 1883.    After the Civil and Indian Wars, the necessary of each militia district was no longer necessary.   The militia districts then began to function as voting districts and Justice of the Peace Court districts.

The Reedy Springs community was also known by the name of Bluewater. That name was derived from a nearby creek to the north and west.  In 1883, the Reedy Springs District had four churches (all Baptist), a common school, a steam gin, a grist and a saw mill.  Farmers produced 800 bales of cotton, 800,000 board feet of lumber, and 8,000 pounds of wool.  The farmers of the area, which extended down to the current day Cadwell area and over to Dexter were: E.F. Alligood, H. Alligood, I. Alligood, A.J. Barron, H.D. Barron, J.H. Barron, W. Barron, W.T. Barron, J.D. Bates, A. Bedingfield, J. Bedingfield, R.A. Bedingfield, W. Bedingfield, W.A. Bedingfield, G.W. Belcher, Eliza Clarke,  H.C. Coleman, W. Coney, J.E. Crumpton,R.H. Crumpton,  C.C. Gay, Hardy Gay, Mrs. M. Gay, Stephen Green,  D.Y. Grinstead, E. Grinstead,  P.E. Grinstead, Robert Grinstead,  J. Hobbs, A.B. Holliday, W.F. Holliday, L.H.  Hudson, S.B. Johnson, W.D. Joiner, A. Jones, W.J. Kinchen, W.F. Kinchen,   G.B. Knight,  J.T. Knight, R.G.B. Knight, B.  Lewis, S. Lewis, T.J. Lewis, J.R. Locke, J. Lowery,  W.A.N. Lowery, G.W. McDaniel, H.R. McDaniel, J.R. McDaniel,  R.F. Mathis, C. Mullis, J. Mullis, W.H. Mullis, R.F. Register,  and A. Rountree.

The local businessmen were A.J. Adams, machinist; H. Alligood, sawmiller; J.M. Bass, miller; W.B.F. Daniels, general store; J.T. Rogers, general store; R.L. Faircloth, machinist; James Lovett, wheelright; J.R. Sheperd, general store; and Wynn Brothers, general store.  Local ministers in 1883 were N.F. Gay, D.E. Green, J.W. Green, T.J. Hobbs, J.T. Kinchen, J.T. Kinchen, Jr., J.I.D. Miller, J.T. Rogers, C.B. Smith, and C.R. Winham.  L.A. Bracwewell was Justice of the Peace and A.B. Clark was the Notary Public and ex-officio Justice of the Peace.

The Williams Lumber Company had built a tram road from Eastman to Rentz where the mill of the Georgia Shingle Company was located.  In 1899, W.D. Harper and John J. Simpson established a saw mill.   By 1902 all of the available timber was located between the mill and Dublin.  The company decided that a new railroad could be built at only a slightly higher cost.  The original plan called for a railroad that would  intersect the Macon, Dublin, and Savannah Railroad near the Dublin Cotton Mills in West Dublin.  Among the early backers of the project were the Macon, Dublin, and Savannah Railroad, with Col. J.M. Stubbs as being the driving force behind the project.  In 1904, Edward P. Rentz and his partners, W.D. Harper and J.J. Simpson purchased the property for $75,000 from Merrimack Savings Bank, which had been leasing the property to Harper and Simpson. E.P. Rentz, a Dublin banker,  took a keen interest in the project, becoming the main owner in partnership with Harper and Simpson.
                                                       
Grading of the Dublin and Southwestern Railroad began on March 2, 1904 near the cotton mills in Dublin under the supervision of E.P. Rentz and superintendent Frank S. Battle.  The organizational meeting of the railroad was held in the Citizens Bank on April 6, 1904.  E. P. Rentz was elected president.  J.J. Simpson and  W.D. Harpe, were elected as vice president and traffic manager/treasurer respectively.  William Prichett, J.M. Stubbs, and David S. Blackshear of Dublin were elected to the board of directors.  The first spikes were driven and the workers raced to complete the road to Rentz by mid May.

The first scheduled train from Rentz to Dublin ran on June 29, 1904 with two daily trips to follow in July.  Engineer J.P. Pughesly immediately began laying out the road along the old tram road to Eastman while Col. J.M. Stubbs was seeking subscriptions from Eastman and Dodge County businessmen. Originally there was only a little interest in Dodge County but when McRae offered to buy into the road, the citizens of Dodge came through with the necessary capital.    Battle's crews began laying rails.  Construction was delayed by legal actions by some Eastman citizens. General Manager W.J. Kessler moved the headquarters of the railroad to Eastman in May of 1905.

Conductor B.W. Hightower guided the first freight train out of Eastman on May 5, 1905.  E.P. Rentz, W.J. Kessler, and Supt. C.E. Rentz were on board the inaugural train. Within a week the first load of freight was received in Eastman. President E.P. Rentz arranged the inaugural passenger service to coincide with the May term of Dodge County Superior Court. The train left Dublin early in the morning of May 15, 1905 with attorneys and clients bound for the nine a.m. court on board.  Passenger service was born as the train arrived just in time for court.

Rentz and his associates had done such a good job in building the road that the Wrightsville and Tennille became interested in the project.  Finally after a year of offers, the W. & T. purchased the Dublin and Southwestern Railroad. The Wrightsville and Tennille made its new runs on July 1, 1906.  Thirty-five years later the story ends when the railroad and an era were closed forever.    

The Town of Rentz was born on October 5, 1904.  E.P. Rentz, acting on behalf of the Rentz Lumber Company, made an agreement with an adjoining landowner, J.D. Bates.  Bates owned sixty acres of land east of or opposite the Rentz Lumber Company Mill.  The railroad bed split the two tracts. Bates agreed that the title to his land would belong to E.P. Rentz.  In exchange for the promise, Rentz promised to lay out lots for sale.  Rentz, Bates  and a member selected by both were appointed to an advisory committee to determine the terms of sale.   The 11.4 acre Faulk Reserve located just north of the intersection of Bates Ave. and Bedingfield Ave. was to be held for sale until Bates agreed that it could be sold.

The Town of Rentz was laid out in a kite-like shape.  The tail of the kite was the intersection of Bates Avenue and Bedingfield Avenue on the eastern end of town. The top of the kite stretched from the academy lot on the north to the Rentz Lumber Mill pond on the south.   There were twenty business lots on the west side of the railroad and twenty four business lots on the east side.  On the west side of Davidson Street there were 10 residential lots.  On the east side of Proctor Street there were thirty eight residential lots.   The streets were named for the early and prominent citizens of the town.    Bates Avenue was named for the co-founder, J.D. Bates. Simpson Avenue was named for J.J. Simpson, a co-owner of the Rentz Lumber Company.  Bedingfield Avenue was named for Dr. W.E. Bedingfield, one of the town’s first doctors and original city councilmen.  Pughesly Ave. was named for J.P. Pughesly, the town’s first mayor and the railroad engineer.  There was Railroad Street West and Railroad Street East which ran from north to south along the sides of the railroad.  Davidson Street was named for A.W. Davidson, an original councilman and the town’s first businessman.  Proctor Street was named after J.L. Proctor, businessman and original city councilman.    Taylor Street is named for Dr. T.J. Taylor.   Church Street is named for the two churches, Methodist and Baptist which are located in the eastern part of town.  On the west side of town around the lumber mill were a dozen or so shanties.  J.P. Pughesly owned a large lot on the west side of the railroad at the southern end of town.  Dr. C.E. Rentz’s house was a little further down on the east side of the railroad.  A hotel lot was laid out on East Railroad Street just south of the corner of the southern margin of Simpson Ave. and the eastern margin of East Railroad Street.  The Academy was  at the northwestern end of town.

The business lots were sold to C.E. Evans (1), Flora Edmondson (2), Francis C. Walker (10), C.E. Rentz (13-16),  W.H. and Eliza Bonner (34), W.F. O’Connor (35), W.E. Bedingfield (37), J.L. Proctor (39), J.H. Proctor (40),  C.F. and J.T. Ussery (42), and C.E. Rentz (48).   Residence lots were sold to C.E. Rentz (48), J.L. Proctor (62-63), H.C. Coleman (84-85), and H.C. Woodard (92).

On March 11, 1905 the post office of Rentz was established.  John S. Edmondson was the first postmaster. Other postmasters were J. Eldredge Chambless, General M. Knight, Lovett  N. Mullis, Olin D. Barron, C. Thurmon Grinstead, Ray Chambless, Billy Payne, and Betty Register.   The office effectively replaced the old Reedy Springs Post Office which had been established on October 27, 1873 with John T. Rogers as postmaster.  This office was discontinued on December 31, 1901.  The mail was forwarded to Dexter.  John F. Silas and George P. Bugg were early mail carriers.

The town of Rentz was incorporated by the Georgia Legislature on August 21, 1905.   The city limits extended to one-half mile in each direction from the intersection of Bates Avenue and the railroad.  The first mayor was J.P. Pughesly. J.L. Proctor, A.W. Davidson, J.E. Guy, Dr. C.E. Rentz, and Dr. W.E. Bedingfield were the members of the first city council.  

As the railroad became a reality, more and more families began moving into the area.  E.P. Rentz offered choice building and residential lots for sale.  A 60 x 100 foot lot could have been bought for $25.00.    Half acre home lots were being sold for $35.00 to $50.00.  A.W. Davidson was the first to build a store  house.    His house store was located on Lot 7, with his home on the adjoining Lots 26 and 27.   He traded under the name of Davidson and Grinstead in partnership with J.T. Grinstead.    Davidson also built the first home in town.  Doctors W.E. Bedingfield and T.J. Taylor established the first drug store in 1905.   J. P. Pughesly established a large general mercantile store.   The store  traded under the name of The  Rentz Trading Company.  Investors in the corporation were T.J. Taylor, J.F. Graham, W.A. Bedingfield, and P.E. Grinstead.   The store, which contained 3500 square feet was considered one of the largest in Laurens County.     Houses and businesses were going up at a fast pace.  Dr. C.E. Rentz built a two-story home on the south side of town along the railroad tracks.  Cullen Evans completed his dry-goods and grocery store in the spring of 1905.    H.C. Coleman, Jr. began construction of his residence in the summer of 1905.    That same year, Haywood Proctor began the construction of a furniture store.    Proctor’s store was modern 20 x 70 foot building with plate glass windows.    J.G. Gay began building his house near the home of J.P. Pughesly in southwestern Rentz.  J.S. Knight built the first cotton gin and grist mill.   J.S. King was also one of the first merchants in  Rentz.  In 1906, T.J. Taylor incorporated his general mercantile business, The Taylor Mercantile Company, with the aid of Joe F. Graham and A.T. Barron.

During the town’s first two years of existence, Rentz was plagued by a series of four fires.  The second and most destructive fire came in April 1906 when the wooden stores of the Rentz Trading Company, Davidson & Grinstead, and the Rentz Pharmacy went up in flames.  A fourth fire resulted in the loss of the $5000 store of J.M. Outler in 1906.  A financial cataclysm struck the firm of Roundtree, Knight & Coleman in 1907, when the firm petitioned for protection from its creditors under the bankruptcy code.

If the railroad was king, cotton was queen in Laurens County.    From 1911 to 1918, Laurens County was a perennial leader in the production of cotton in Georgia. In 1912, the county produced more cotton than any other county in the history of our state, before or since.    John Rigby built a cotton gin which burned in 1908.  Dr. Taylor built a gin a year later.  M.E. Burts of Dublin built the Planters Gin.  In 1923,  O.D. Barron built still another gin.   Several cotton warehouses were located in Rentz.  The Farmers Union Warehouse was established in 1910.  The original building was destroyed by fire in 1940, along with 800 bales of cotton.  H.Y. Grant built a warehouse in 1923.   R.A. Register later established the Planter’s Gin Company.  The last cotton gin, owned by John Lowery, closed in 1978.

  In the early spring of 1906, Rentz suffered a devastating fire.  The stores of J.P. Pughesley and A.W. Davidson were destroyed along with the drug store of Doctors Bedingfield and Taylor.   The losses were estimated to be between thirty and forty thousand dollars.    The  businessmen of Rentz were not to be deterred.  Police Chief R.A. Watson, broke ground for Dr. Taylor’s new two story store building in May of 1906.    Most of the new buildings were to be built of brick.  The people of Rentz hoped to have seven brick stores, a bank building, an opera house, a city hall and  a Masonic Lodge,  all within three months.

On September 28th, 1906, the Rentz Lumber Company, composed of E.P. Rentz, Dr. C.E. Rentz, W.D. Harper, and J.J. Simpson, sold their interest in the lumber mill to two Dublin agri-businessmen, W.B. Rice and W.T. Phelps.   The conveyance included 12 shanties in the southwestern section of town, three dwellings, the hotel lot, and commercial building lot # 4, along with the lumber yard.
The fifteen hundred dollar sale price indicates that there weren’t a lot of improvements located on the property at the time.

A school was constructed in 1905 under the direction of Hamp Williams on the Academy lot in western Rentz.  The original school was located on the site of the last school in Rentz.  The patrons of the school met and elected J.P. Pughesly, A.W. Davison, J.L. Proctor, Dr. Charlie Rentz, and B.O. Rogers as the school’s trustees. In its first days, enrollment approached 200 students.   In 1914 a two-story brick school building was constructed.  Rev. N.H. Burch and O.K. Jolly served as superintendents for many years.  Among the early teachers were Miss Carswell, Dan Metts, Ida O’Neal, Mr. Miller, Mr. Lawson, and Mr. Murchison.   In 1924, Miss Sadye Wilkinson taught the first classes in home economics.  C.A. McMillan was the first Agricultural teacher.   Many area schools were consolidated into the Rentz School District.  L.H. Cook was the new superintendent.  He was succeeded by E.A. Rusk and W.M. Ouzts.  A vocational building was added in 1939, followed by a business training program under the direction of Gladys Fields.   Six man football, a program designed by school superintendent Elbert Mullis, began in October of 1938.  Teams were fielded by the high schools in Rentz, Dudley, Brewton, Cadwell, Dexter, and Cedar Grove.

The Bank of Rentz was established  in 1910.   T.J. Taylor was President of the Bank.  H.D. Barron was the Vice President.  F.M. Kirkpatrick was the cashier.  John D. Walker served as Financial Agent.  The Board of Directors was composed of J.T. Mercer, H.D. Barron, John D. Walker, T.J. Taylor, J.F. Graham, P.C. Coleman, W.E. Bedingfield, W.A. Bedingfield, and B.O. Rogers.

The Rentz Banking Company succeeded the ill fated Bank of Rentz.    The new bank was reorganized in May of 1914 with the help of several Dublin businessmen. Dr. J.M. Page, founder of the Commercial Bank of Dublin, was elected president of the bank.  H.D. Barron and W.E. Bedingfield were elected vice-presidents.  H.K. Murchison was hired as cashier.  The original board of directors included A.W. Davidson, S.T. Hall, J.S. Adams, W.A. Bedingfield, E.S. Baldwin, Alex D. Blackshear, and J.W. Rowe.  The bank was located on the main street along the Railroad in Dexter.   In 1920 Olin D. Barron was President with H.D. Barron and W.E. Bedingfield serving as Vice Presidents.   In the latter years of the bank, Mr. and Mrs. O.D. Barron, Barron Smith, and Foster Taylor were officers of the bank.  The bank and its assets were purchased by the Citizens and Southern Bank in 1974.  The bank continued to operate as a branch for nearly twenty more years before closing.

On Oct. 29, 1903 the Thaggard Masonic Lodge No. 460, F.& A.M. was chartered on the Thaggard Turpentine still grounds south of Dublin in lower Laurens County.  The charter officers included P.E. Grinstead, Worshipful Master; J.F. Grinstead, Senior Warden; P.D. Couey, Junior Warden; and J.C. Gay, Secretary. In 1905 the Lodge moved to Rentz to a lodge built on city lot 23 and donated by E.P. Rentz on November 17, 1905.    The trustees of the lodge were P.E. Grinstead, R.L. Faircloth, and J.L. Hobbs.    Over the next 55 years, the lower floor of the two-story lodge building was used as a school, canning plant, voting precinct, and the Reedy Springs Militia District Courthouse.  The Masons of Rentz built a new concrete block building in 1960 just in front of where the old building stood.  When the new building was constructed, the officers of the Lodge were J.A. Dominy, Jr., Worshipful Master; G.B. Lindsey, Sr., Senior Warden; J.L.F. Lowery, Junior Warden; Kermit R. Lowery, Secretary; and Leon Keen, Treasurer.  On Halloween night in 1906, the men of Rentz formed a Lodge of the International Order of Odd Fellows.    The institution of the lodge was brought about by the members of the Dexter Lodge.  The original members of the lodge were W.B. McLendon, Frank Lavender, W.D. Register, H. T. Beckworth, J.B. Rowe, D.E. Mullis, D.J. Faircloth, J.L. Gay, S.E. Warren, W.D. Warren, E.D. McDaniel, T.R. Taylor, L.L. Frierson, J.S. Frierson, W.J. Mullis, A.W. Smith, James R. McDaniel, J.W. McDaniel, D.J. Grinstead, J.A. Coleman, H.C. Coleman, J.T. Grinstead, H.C. Burch, J.A. Burch, W.F. Coleman, J.H. Coleman, P.D. Couey, W.E. Silas, Washington Hobbs, L.H. Currie, G.B. Knight, F.M. Sanders, W.E. Bedingfield, J.T. Gay, E.O. Alligood, B.F. Dixon, W.D. Dixon, T.J. Taylor, W.O. Minton, L.L. Ward, J.E. Faulk, W.B. Gay, H.J. Alligood, H.L. Faircloth, G.W. Culbreth, W.H. Bedingfield, W.H. Tate, and J.W. Rowe.   Those admitted from the Dexter Lodge by card were C.C. Hutto, R.L. Faircloth, A.T. Barron, C.H. Wyatt, Otis Davidson, M.R. Mackey, Will Ward, Luther Knight, and Robert Knight.

The officers of the Lodge were R.L. Faircloth, Noble Grand; W.E. Silas, Vice Grand; J.R. Gay, Conductor; J.T. Grinstead, Recording Secretary; Washington Hobbs, Financial Secretary; J.W.  Rowe, Treasurer; J.H. Coleman, Chaplain; W.H. Bedingfield, Jr., Warden; A.T. Barron, Right Support Noble Grand; E.O. Baggett, Left Support Noble Grand; O.W. Davidson, Right Support Vice Grand; W.H. Tate, Left Support Vice Grand; W.W. Warren, Right Scene Supporter; E.O. Alligood, Left Scene Supporter; W.J. Mullis, Inner Guard; and L.G. Knight, Outer Guard.  The Odd Fellows met in the Masonic Lodge.

E.P. Rentz sold a lot to the Laboring Friends Society for their Lodge on April 29, 1905.  The  Lodge was located between the Colored Methodist Church and the Colored Reedy Springs Baptist Church.   Wiley Ginn, John Anderson, and Seaborn Rozier were Trustees of the Lodge.
       

The Baptists of Rentz organized a church on June 28, 1905.  They met at the L.G. Knight home.  The fourteen charter members were Mr. and Mrs. B.O. Rogers, Mr. and Mrs. L.G. Knight, Mr. and Mrs. G.M. Knight, Mrs. John T. Rogers, G.W. Knight, John S. Knight, D.J. Knight, Mr. and Mrs. W.F. Cooper, and Mrs. George Coleman.  They moved to a brush arbor and the Methodist Church before moving into their permanent church in 1906.  E.P. Rentz sold the church Lot No. 69 for $1.00 on August 5, 1905.  The deacons of the church were B.O. Rogers, W.S. Cooper, J.S. Knight, J.W. Barron, and J.P. Pughsley.  The first pastor was J.T. Smith.  Other early ministers of the church were T.J. Hobbs, T.Z. Bush, T. Bright, O.O. Williams, T.E. Toole, J.R. Kelly, L.N. Jessup, T.J. Barnette, W.E. Harville, Frank Synder, C.H. Hornsby, J.C. Daniel, Otis Garland, F.B. Pickern, E.A. Price, W.O. Brown, J.W. Harper, William Burns, C.E. Vines, Thomas E. Moye, Harry W. Bentley, Charlie Smith, Hugh Harber, Francis F. Bush, Billy Lee, Richard D. Hinely, Hubert F. Woodyard, Jack Sapp, Otis Bentley, and Grady H. Mimbs.   Among the earliest deacons of the church were J.F. Cooper, B.C. Coleman, B.O. Rogers, W.F. Cooper, and H.Y. Grant.  J.E. Chambliss served as a deacon for 40 years.   L.H. Cook served over 50 years as deacon.  Clerks in the church included A.W. Couey, A.J. Cooper, A.W. McCleod, G.M. Knight, F.M. Barron, L.A. Gibson, F.C. Taylor, D.P. Knight, W.W. Fordham, J.E. Chambless, H.A. Rountree, Mrs. Adon Woodard, Linda Morton, and Ruby Knight. The first church was torn down in 1929.  Until the new church was completed in 1931, services were held in Grant’s Cotton Warehouse and in the Methodist Church.

The Methodist Church was organized in 1905.    E.P. Rentz sold a lot to the Church for $1.00 on April 27, 1905.   The property was conveyed to C. E. Rentz, E.P. Rentz, RL. Shy, J.T. Warthen, and J.E. Gay as Trustees .    Among the early members were Mr. and Mrs. C.E. Rentz, Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Warthen, Mr. and Mrs. J.S. Pughsley, and Mr. and Mrs. Joe Keen.

E.P. Rentz sold a lot for $1.00  to the Reedy Springs Colored Baptist Church on November 29, 1905.  Richard Allen, Richard Moss, and Henry Roberts were the Deacons of the Church.   Rentz also sold a lot the Colored Methodist Church, but there is no indication that the deed was ever recorded.

The lights came on in Rentz in the early 20s when the town operated off a Delco battery system.  On April 1, 1927, Georgia Power began furnishing power to the town.   In a history of Rentz written by Charles L. Schell in 1998, a list of the men providing law enforcement for the Town of Rentz were town marshals Rawls Watson, Will Coleman, Charles Tipton, W.D. Register, J. Frank Schell, Alfred Davidson, and Prentice Coleman.

Despite the growth of area in the early years, the population of the Reedy Springs Militia District dropped from 1,904 in 1900 to 1,619 in 1910.  The trend turned around in 1920 when the population rose to 1, 886.    In 1910, the first census was taken in the Town of Rentz.  The population was 275.   Ten years later following the war and the coming of the boll weevil, the population dropped to 219.   The population of Rentz climbed to 400 in 1940.

Last Train in Rentz

The death blows to the growth of the small towns along the Dublin and Southwestern Railroad came in 1941.    The world was at war.   The railroad tracks were pulled up.    At the pinnacle of the history of Rentz, the following merchants and businesses were located  in Rentz: Grant Warehouse, Farmers Union Warehouse, Barron’s Pharmacy, J.R. Chambless Hardware and Electrical Store, J.A. Daniel Gen. Merchandise, E.J. Woodard, Gen. Merchandise, J.A. Davidson Dry Goods, James L. Davidson Grocery, Allen D. Davidson Hardware, J.G. Register Grocery, Z.C. Register Grocery, Eugene Couthern Grocery, P.R. Coleman Grocery, R.A. Register’s Service Station, Mack Strozier’s Lunch Room, O.D. Barron’s Rentz Service Station, F.R. Phelp’s Service Station, Z.C. Register’s Barber Shop, Rentz Wagon Works, O.D. Barron Gin Company, Planter’s Gin Company,  and O.B. Barron’s Stables.

Many people say the best thing to happen to Rentz since the coming of the railroad was the formation of the Rural Telephone Cooperative, Inc. in 1953.  The founding officers were C.J. Burch, President; L.K. Keen, Vice President; W.B. English, Treasurer; and J.B. Fordham, Jr., Secretary.   The original party telephone lines were completely replaced by private lines by the early 1970s.  By the mid 1970s, extended area service gave residents the third largest free calling center in Georgia.  Since the installation of fibre optic lines, the cooperative serves over 5100 customers located over an area of 500 plus square miles.

The drug store, then owned by Herbert Bedingfield, closed in 1955.  Dr. T.J. Taylor and Dr. W.E. Bedingfield died in 1948 and 1942 respectively.   The Rentz school closed.  Students went to Laurens High and then to West Laurens High.  A new post office was constructed in the 1960s.  A new city hall was built in 1985. Despite all the changes, the town of Rentz perseveres.

Congratulations to the people of Rentz and may you always remember your heritage.

Professor L.H. Cook

WHEN BASKETBALL WAS ALL WE HAD

The 1945-46 Dudley Basketball Teams


It was a time when hardly anyone could dunk a basketball, a time when guards on the girl’s team had to stay back at their end of the court. The war years were tough on everyone. There wasn’t a whole lot of money to be spent on fun.  Some kids were lucky enough to have battery-powered radios with long antenna wires, which were hung on tall poles or trees in the front yard. On Tuesday, Friday and some Saturday nights from November to early March, there was basketball. In the days before there were state championships in high school sports, the Holy Grail of high school basketball in rural counties were the County Championships. Nearly every community still had their own school. Rivalries were often intense, but were frequently friendly, not filled with some of the unsportsmanlike ferocity of today’s rivalries. From Lovett to Cedar Grove to Dudley, the highlight of the school year was basketball. The winter of 1946 was no exception.

One of the top teams of the late 1940s were the teams from Dudley High School. The kids had little time to work on their game. Many of them were farm kids, and chores demanded priority over basketball practice. Still, years before they were penned as the Cardinals, the boys and girls from Dudley dominated other Laurens County teams, all without the luxury of having a true basketball coach.

You see in those days, schools were hampered by tight budgets and were compelled to have sponsors accompany the team at home and on the road. Sometimes a school got lucky when the teacher knew a lot about the game. The boy’s sponsor at Dudley was vocational education teacher, Troy Edwards, while the girls were sponsored by the home economics teacher, Mrs. G.S. Crews.

The girl’s team was led by the Hogan sisters, Betty Ann and Barbara, both crack shooters. Winnie Mae Raffield was the third starting forward. Keeping the other girls away from the Dudley basket was more than adequately handled by starting guards Grace Willis, Delores Lister and Mary Radney. Substituting for the starters were Catherine Woodard, Kate Willis, Ann Radney and Celestine Barfoot.

The boys were led by center and high scorer Billy Crafton. You know him as Don Crafton, long time president and CEO of Morris State Bank. “Billy” was a name penned on the lanky center by his grandfather. Starting at forward were Don Haskins and Captain Fisher Barfoot, a future vice president of Piggly Wiggly Southern, community leader and Georgia state representative. Tom Brown and Mike White started at guard for the boys. Coming off the bench to spark rallies or preserve a victory were substitutes Billy Kibler, Atys Bowles, Rabon Lord, Roy J. Chappell and Rowell Stanley.

During the 1945-6 season, Dudley played Laurens County teams from Rentz, Cadwell, Condor, Brewton, Cedar Grove, Lowery, Wilkes, and Dublin High School.  Road trips were fairly short with games against Soperton, Jeffersonville, Irwinton, Wrightsville, Toomsboro and Cochran. Among the stiffest competition the Dudley boys faced that year were the boys from Condor High School. The eastside young men lost only one game during the regular season, that coming at the hands of Dudley, and suffered a stunning and fatal loss in the county tournament.

It wasn’t until the 194os that most schools had gymnasiums. Prior to that, many schools were forced to compete on dirt courts enduring unfavorable winter conditions. Don Crafton remembered, “Basketball was king. People lined the walls of the wooden gymnasiums to root for their teams. Gymnasiums were heated mostly by large pot-bellied wood-burning stoves.”

Perhaps the most exciting regular season game came on a cold Tuesday night in the Condor gym. A mistake in the scheduling forced the teams to shorten the quarters to five minutes each. At the end of the first quarter the girls were tied 4-4.

Dudley held on to garner a highly spirited 23-12 victory over the Condor girls. The boys game was much closer and even lower scoring than the girls game. In a slow downed game, the Dudley boys defeated the highly touted Condor five 13-9, ten of those points coming from center Don Crafton.

In much more satisfying games, the Dudley teams smashed the hoopsters from Wrightsville. Betty Ann Hogan, the team’s leading scorer for the season,  poured in 26 of her teams 33 points in a 33-7 romp. Don Crafton contributed 18 points and Tom Brown another 15 points in a 54-14 stomp of the Johnson County
quintet.

Dudley’s closest rivals were the teams from Dexter, Cadwell and Rentz. The teams were so well balanced that the outcome of games were virtually never certain.  With another 20-point night, Betty Ann Hogan led the girls over nearby Rentz, 28-21. The Dudley boys struggled, but with a dozen points from Crafton, managed to eek out a 28-27 come from behind road victory over Rentz.

In those days, Dublin was included on Dudley’s schedule, even though their school was much bigger and was the only school in the county to have a football team. Near the end of the season the teams met at the Hargrove Gym on North Calhoun Street. The Dudley girls defeated the girls from Dublin by a whopping margin of 38 to 15, with Betty Hogan putting 30 points on the board. The boys game was tied at the half, 18-18. Tom Brown scored 15 points and Fisher Barfoot added 12 more as the Dudley five defeated the Dublin five 39-38.


The highlight of the season was the Laurens County Basketball Tournament in February. Tom Brown led the Dudley boys with 21 points in a 55-20 smashing of Cedar Grove on the second night of the tournament, which was held at Brewton High School. In the semi-final games, the Dudley girls easily defeated the Brewton six by the score of 34-13. As usual, Betty Ann Hogan topped the scoring list with 20 points. Tom Brown led the boys again matching the entire Brewton teams total in a 39-15 smashing.

In the county championship, both Dudley teams faced the hard charging teams from Rentz. In a close game, the Dudley girls pulled away in the 4th quarter to register a 40-27 championship victory. The boys game was much closer, too close for the nervous fans of both teams. During the entire game, the teams remained within four points of each other. When the final buzzer sounded, Dudley sneaked by Rentz in a hard-fought 25-24 victory to capture the school’s second county championship.

Both teams advanced to the District tournament. The Dudley boys defeated Sandersville in the first game and Dublin in the semifinals, only to lose to a more powerful team from Cochran in the finals. The girls captured the district title, bringing home first place trophies in the county and the district. The team’s four trophies and many similar ones were tragically lost in a fire a few years later. The highlight of the district tournament was the naming of Betty Ann Hogan to the All-District team. For decades after she graduated high school, people asked her if she was the young girl who was such a great basketball player for Dudley.

In today’s basketball world, basketball in March is called “March Madness.”  A half century ago it would have been better termed “March Sadness.” The end of the county and district tournaments signaled the end of the game until the return of winter and a void in the lives of the kids who depended on the game. To some, basketball was all they had.

CADWELL

Main Street of Cadwell, 1918


CADWELL
THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS


Today August 21, 2007 marks the end of the first one hundred years of the town of Cadwell, Georgia. Tomorrow, a new century will begin on the anniversary of the incorporation of the town on August 22, 1907. Over the last century, Cadwell has risen from a tiny village to a bustling farm town and railroad depot, settling in as a quiet place to raise a family and spend the waning years of retirement.

The origin of Cadwell actually goes back more than a mere 100 years. The area was formerly known as Reedy Springs. The name comes from a nearby spring, which undoubtedly had a lot of reed plants around it. The Reedy Springs MilitiaDistrict was created on October 5, 1883. After the Civil and Indian Wars, the necessity of each militia district was no longer necessary. The militia districts then began to function as voting districts and Justice of the Peace Court districts.

The Reedy Springs community was also known by the name of Bluewater. That name was derived from a nearby creek to the north and west. In 1883, the Reedy Springs District had four churches (all Baptist), a common school, a steam gin, a grist and saw mill. Farmers produced 800 bales of cotton, 800,000 board feet of lumber, and 8,000 pounds of wool. The farmers of the area, which extended down to the current day Cadwell area and over to Dexter were: E.F. Alligood, H. Alligood, I. Alligood, A.J. Barron, H.D. Barron, J.H. Barron, W. Barron, W.T. Barron, J.D. Bates, A. Bedingfield, J. Bedingfield, R.A. Bedingfield, W. Bedingfield, W.A. Bedingfield, G.W. Belcher, Eliza Clarke, H.C. Coleman, W. Coney, J.E. Crumpton,R.H. Crumpton, C.C. Gay, Hardy Gay, Mrs. M. Gay, Stephen Green, D.Y. Grinstead, E. Grinstead, P.E. Grinstead, Robert Grinstead, J. Hobbs, A.B. Holliday, W.F. Holliday, L.H. Hudson, S.B. Johnson, W.D. Joiner, A. Jones, W.J. Kinchen, W.F. Kinchen, G.B. Knight, J.T. Knight, R.G.B. Knight, B. Lewis, S. Lewis, T.J. Lewis, J.R. Locke, J. Lowery, W.A.N. Lowery, G.W. McDaniel, H.R. McDaniel, J.R. McDaniel, R.F. Mathis, C. Mullis, J. Mullis, W.H. Mullis, R.F. Register, and A. Rountree.

The local businessmen were A.J. Adams, machinist; H. Alligood, sawmiller; J.M. Bass, miller; W.B.F. Daniels, general store; J.T. Rogers, general store; R.L. Faircloth, machinist; James Lovett, wheelright; J.R. Sheperd, general store; and Wynn Brothers, general store. Local ministers in 1883 were N.F. Gay, D.E. Green, J.W. Green, T.J. Hobbs, J.T. Kinchen, J.T. Kinchen, Jr., J.I.D. Miller, J.T. Rogers, C.B. Smith, and C.R. Winham. L.A. Bracwewell was Justice of the Peace and A.B. Clark was the Notary Public and ex-officio Justice of the Peace.

Situated along the rail line of the Dublin & Southwestern Railroad was the defunct town of Mullis, or "Mullis Town." Mullis, which was incorporated as a town in 1906, was located just north of the northern city limits of Cadwell. An intense rivalry began between the citizens of Mullis and Rebecca Lowery Cadwell Burch, who had plans of her own to develop a town of her own. Shortly after Cadwell began to flourish, Mullis Town, at least in its official status, faded away.

Rebecca Burch had intended to name her new town "Burch" in memory of her late husband. Mrs. Burch knew that the town would have to have a post office, so after making an application for one, she discovered that the name of "Burch, Georgia" had already been taken. As an alternative choice, Cadwell's founding mother submitted the last name of her first husband, Matthew Cadwell. When Matthew Cadwell was buried in Lowery Cemetery, he was buried with his horse, the same horse that he was riding when he was struck by lightning.

The owner of a fine tract of land, Mrs. Burch hired Zollicoffer Whitehurst to survey and lay out a design for a new town to be named in honor of her late husband, Charlton O. Burch. Whitehurst's original design, completed in 1905 - two years before the incorporation of Cadwell, contained 52 commercial lots and four larger lots on the northeastern side of the just completed rail line. Initially, Whitehurst placed five streets in his design. Snow Hill, Burch and Coleman streets paralleled each other running in a northwest to southeast direction. Dexter (Georgia Highway 117) and Dublin (Railroad) streets intersected these streets at right angles.

The original limits of the town included all of Land Lots 11 and 20 of the 17th Land District of Laurens County and encompassed an area of 405 acres. Two years after Cadwell was incorporated, the town actually shrunk in size, down to 1000 square yards in a square shape centered around the intersection of Dexter and Burch streets. It would be another forty-six years before the the size of the town was doubled in 1955 to encompass 2000 square yards.

The town of Cadwell's first mayor was J.W. Warren. Warren was appointed to lead the first town government by the Georgia legislature with the wise counsel and guidance of the initial slate of councilmen, James Burch, Joe Ethridge, C.C. Cadwell and Ed Walden for a period of two years until a new election could be held.

According to the first census of Cadwell, one hundred and fifty four persons lived in Cadwell in 1910. Among the heads of families that year were: Uriah Woodard (telegraph operator,) Arthur Mullis (salesman,) Daniel Harrell (house carpenter,) John Weaver (barber,) William Mullis (farmer,) Hershall Jones, James Fason, Henry Smith, Willie Powell, Robert Pullen, Robert Pannell, William Curry, Leon Joiner (turpentine laborers,) Thomas Wood, Allan Carter, Thomas Bird, James Gallimore, Josiah Griffin (railroad laborers,) Murl Coleman, Isaac Coleman (telephone operators,) James Mullis (farmer,) Simeon Bland (physician,) Henry Bedingfield (farmer,) James Burch (bank cashier,) Robert Burch (drug salesman,) Henry Coleman (farmer,) H.C. Stonecypher (merchant,) Hiram Mullis (merchant,) Horace Mullis (telegraph operator,) Robert Ridley (hotel keeper,) John Ridley (laborer,) Bennett Bedingfield (farmer,) William Colter (salesman,) C.C. Cadwell, and Victoria Cadwell.

Cadwell's charter was repealed and a new one put in place on August 19, 1912. H.C. Burch was named Mayor by the new act. A.T. Coleman, A. McCook, H.R. Bedingfield and J.A. Burch were appointed councilmen. The new law gave the town government the right to establish it's own public school system, a novel power not given to other Laurens County towns. In 1925, the Cadwell Public School system was abolished and the town's school became part of the county public school system.

Yet another charter was issued in 1914. H.C. Burch remained in the position of mayor, but A.M. Johnson, L.T. Harrell, H.R. Bedingfield and E.E. Hicks were named as new members of the council.

The first post office in Cadwell was established on August 17, 1908 after being moved from Mullis. Arthur Mullis served until September 21, 1910, when Bennett J. Bedingfield assumed the duties as postmaster. Other Cadwell postmasters were Joseph A. Warren (1912-1914), Homer Mullis (1914-1918), Hiram Mullis (1918-1935), John B. Bedingfield (1935-1936), Belie B. Hicks (1936-1943), and Katherine F. Underwood (1943-).

Laurens County's third bank, the Cadwell Banking Company, was granted a charter on January 5, 1910 with an initial capital of $25,000.00. The original incorporators were L.B. Holt and G.C. Wood of Sandersville, H.C. Coleman, Jr., W.H. Mullis, Sr., J.A. Burch, H.C. Burch, H.R. Bedingfield, A. McCook, H.C. Stonecypher, and W.B. Coleman of Cadwell. A brick building was onstructed on the southwest corner of Dexter and Burch Streets. L.B. Holt served as the first president. The bank acquired the assets of the Citizens Bank of Cadwell in 1916. The new board of directors chose H.R. Bedingfield as president, H.C. Burch as vice president, J.A. Burch as cashier, and H.H. Burch as assistant cashier. The bank failed to open on fall day in 1928 and Cadwell was without a bank.



Cadwell Banking Company, 1918


C.R. Williams led a group of local citizens in forming the Citizens Bank of Cadwell which was granted a charter on November 5, 1913. Many of the incorporators were listed among the shareholders of the Cadwell Banking Company. They included A. McCook, Mrs. R.E. Burch, B.K. Smith, S.F. Scarborough, C.J. Barrs, L.P. Lavender, C.C. Cadwell, T.R. Taylor, Victoria Cadwell, J.M. Gay, J.B. Bedingfield, H.R. Bedingfield, J.L. Watson, D.W. Alligood, L.W. Lavender, O.S. Duggan, A.H. Duggan, A.J. McCook, W.W. Warren, B.J. Bedingfield, J.H. Barron, W.J. Mullis, J.F. Graham, A.F. McCook, J.A. Warren, H.B. Warnock, J.B. Colter, Mutual Telephone Exchange, H.C. Stonecypher, A.M. Johnson, J.W. Bass, Sr., J.W. Bass, J.E. Rogers, J.F. Etheridge, C.C. Hutto, and A.B. Daniel.

The citizens of Cadwell regathered and formed a new bank in the early months of 1929. The bank was a private bank owned by J.B. Bedingfield, J.F. Graham, W.D. Parkerson, and L.K. Smith, who served as cashier. The bank underwent a series of name changes from the Graham, Sikes, and Company Bank to the Graham, Smith, and Bedingfield Bank, and finally to the Farmers Clearing Bank. W.A. Bedingfield joined the firm after J.B. Bedingfield was elected Clerk of the Superior Court. W.D. Parkerson left the firm and the bank reorganized with L.K. Smith as president and W.A. Bedingfield as cashier.

In 1966 the directors received a state charter and became the Farmers State Bank. Early officers of the bank included L.K. Smith, W.A. Bedingfield, W.B. Coleman, and Kennon Smith. The bank moved to the former post office location on Burch Street, the site which it still occupies today. In 1980 the bank was purchased by Farmers Bancshares of Douglas. Edward E. Morris took over as president of the bank, a position which he still holds today. Dan Rowe was elected cashier. The bank opened its branch office in Dublin on Veterans Boulevard in October of 1984.

The single most important factor in the establishment and growth of Cadwell into an economic center of southwestern Laurens County was the establishment of the Dublin & Southwestern Railroad. E.P. Rentz, a Dublin banker, owned a saw mill in Rentz and took a keen interest in the project, becoming the main owner of the railroad.

Grading began on March 2, 1904 in western Dublin along Marion Street near the Dublin Cotton Mills in Dublin under the supervision of E.P. Rentz and superintendent, Frank S. Battle. The organizational meeting of the railroad was held in the Citizens Bank on April 6, 1904. E. P. Rentz was elected president. J.J. Simpson and W.D. Harper were elected as vice president and traffic manager/treasurer respectively. William Pritchett, J.M. Stubbs, and David S. Blackshear of Dublin were elected to the board of directors. The first spikes were driven and the workers raced to complete the road to Rentz by mid May.



Cadwell Depot

From its intersection with the Macon, Dublin and Savannah Railroad, the D & S RR ran southwesterly and crossed the present day Industrial Boulevard on the site of Flex Steel. The line ran in a southerly direction as straight as possible crossing Turkey Creek at Tingle, later known as Garretta. From that point the road turned in back to the southwest through a small station known as Mayberry (at the site of Southwest Laurens Elementary School) and thence to the lumber mill in Rentz. From that point on, the old tram road bed allowed the owners to cheaply, and fairly rapidly, complete the railroad into Eastman.

Engineer J.P. Pughesly immediately began laying out the road along the old tram road. Col. Stubbs traveled to Eastman on June 27th to solicit monetary and moral support from the businessmen and farmers of Eastman and Dodge County. In return for their subscription of shares for the twenty to twenty-five thousand dollar project, the investors would be given a share of the company. Eastman investors were reluctant to get involved. However, when the city of McRae invited the directors of the D&S RR to turn the course of the railroad in a southerly direction, the men of Dodge County put their names on the dotted lines. S. Herman, W.H. Cotter and W.H. Lee of Dodge County were added to the railroad's board of directors.

The first scheduled train from Rentz to Dublin ran on June 29, 1904 with two daily trips to follow in July. Battle's crews began laying rails in mid-August. The old tram road bed was in fairly decent shape, two years growth of weeds and saplings excepted. Next along the line was the town of Mullis.

From Cadwell, the railroad turned again toward Eastman, running first through the community of Plainfield. Construction was delayed by legal actions by some Eastman citizens along the route of the railroad and the City of Eastman as well. General Manager W.J. Kessler, a highly successful former manager of the Wrightsville and Tennille Railroad, moved the headquarters of the railroad to Eastman in May of 1905, with the ultimate intention of extending the road on the Ocmulgee River.

Any town needs a church, or two or three churches. John Burch was the first to put that belief into motion. He organized a Sunday School for children in one of the Frierson Company houses. The adults became interested and Mrs. Rebecca Burch came through with an ideal spot on the corner of Snow Hill and Walnut streets. On September 10, 1909, the first organizational meeting was held and the Cadwell Baptist Church was born. John Burch and A. S. Jones were elected as deacons. Jim Burch took on the duties of church clerk. The founding members of the church included John Burch, H.C. Burch, J.A. burch, C.C. Hutto, A.B. Daniel, A.S. Jones, A.F. McDaniel, Mrs. M.A. Burch, Mrs. A.B. Daniel, Mrs. Leo Lewis, Mrs. Neily Cadwell, Miss Lola Burch, Miss Ellis Lewis, Mrs. Flora Graham and Mrs. J.F. Ridley. Those present at the initial organizational stages elected the Rev. E.W. Evans as the church's first pastor.

The original church, a fairly large wooden structure, was completed in 1910, though the building was not painted on the outside until 1913. In 1919, the members of the church finished their new and current building on the corner of Dexter and Snow Hill Streets. An annex building was erected in 1957.



Cadwell Baptist Church, circa. 1915-1920



Despite the large contingent of Baptists in Cadwell, there were a few of the Methodist persuasion. Again Rebecca Burch stepped up and deeded a tract on Walnut Street to J.E. Perry, Beulah Burch and Mack John as trustees of the of Methodist Church. The first pastor of the Methodist Church at Cadwell was the Rev. Silas Johnson, who in 1943 became the president of Wesleyan College in Macon. The church's first stewards were Mrs. R.E. Burch, Mack Johnson and W.J. Ballard. The Methodists built their first and current building, a modest wooden structure, in 1913 on a lot which adjoins the old Cadwell school site.



Cadwell Methodist Church, circa 1915-1920



Cadwell Methodist Church, circa. 1948.


A second and more important essential element of a new town is the establishment of a school. In yet another public spirited donation from Rebecca Burch, H.C. Burch, B.J. Bedingfield, J.E. Faulk, A.W. Mullis and D.W. Alligood, appointed by the Laurens County school board, took title to a two-acre tract at the corner of Snow Hill and Dexter Streets in 1911. The first school was a large wooden building with a tall belfry on the southern end. It suffered the usual fate of all too many wooden buildings when the school burned in 1928.



Cadwell School, circa 1915-1920

Jim Smith was the community's first school teacher and principal. He was followed by Mr. Marsh and H.L. Lawson. An additional school was built in 1916 on the present school site. It was two-room brick building with an adjoining auditorium. After giving up it's charter as a separate system in 1925, a newly created school district was formed under the leadership of H.C Burch, J.B. Bedingfield, J.F. Rivers, J.T. Jones and D.W. Alligood. Cadwell students excelled in a wide variety of subjects, particularly in the fields of agriculture, home economics and as the Cadwell Bulldogs in the sport of basketball. Children attended school in Cadwell until the 1960s when the students were transferred to Laurens High, which later became a part of West Laurens High School.

The following is a tribute written to Cadwell, which at one time was being promoted as the county seat of Northern County, to be named in honor of Gov. William J. Northern (1893-1894.) The movement, like several others of its kind, to crop off an extremity of Laurens County never materialized.



A TRIBUTE TO CADWELL

Cadwell is a beautiful city,
Capital of Northen County,
Contains one thousand people,
and pretty girls in bounties.

When a good place to board is wanted,
Stop with Mrs. Ridley on the hill,
Three young ladies to entertain you,
You will never regret the bill.

Miss Fannie B. plays the piano,
Miss Della B is in love, I am aware.
Miss Arbelle is so good and quiet,
You would hardly know she's there.

But they are all fine, I tell you,
I love them all you bet.
But Buren and Swanson have got me beat,
To my sorrow and great regret.

But I must soon leave you all,
And bid you all good bye.
It make me feel so lonesome,
and I feel like I could cry.

I have enjoyed my stay immensely.
You have been so nice and kind.
I thank you all ever so much
and this is all my little rhyme.

For a more detailed history of Cadwell see 70 Years, A History of Cadwell, Georgia by Fannie Jo Bedingfield Holt. It is with great honor and respect I dedicate my capsuled history of Cadwell to Mrs. Holt and to all the fine people who have ever called Cadwell their home.

CADWELL, GEORGIA

THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS

August 21, 2007 marks the end of the first one hundred years of the town of Cadwell, Georgia. Tomorrow, a new century will begin on the anniversary of the incorporation of the town on August 22, 1907.   Over the last century, Cadwell has risen from a tiny village to a bustling farm town and railroad depot, settling in as a quiet place to raise a family and spend the waning years of  retirement.

The origin of Cadwell actually goes back more than a mere 100 years. The area was formerly known as Reedy Springs.   The name comes from a nearby spring, which undoubtedly had a lot of reed plants around it.   The Reedy Springs Militia District was created on October 5, 1883.    After the Civil and Indian Wars, the necessity of each militia district was no longer necessary.   The militia districts then began to function as voting districts and Justice of the Peace Court districts.

The Reedy Springs community was also known by the name of Bluewater.  That name was derived from a nearby creek to the north and west.  In 1883, the Reedy Springs District had four churches (all Baptist), a common school, a steam gin, a grist and saw mill.  Farmers produced 800 bales of cotton, 800,000 board feet of lumber, and 8,000 pounds of wool.  The farmers of the area, which extended down to the current day Cadwell area and over to Dexter were: E.F. Alligood, H. Alligood, I. Alligood, A.J. Barron, H.D. Barron, J.H. Barron, W. Barron, W.T. Barron, J.D. Bates, A. Bedingfield, J. Bedingfield, R.A. Bedingfield, W. Bedingfield, W.A. Bedingfield, G.W. Belcher, Eliza Clarke,  H.C. Coleman, W. Coney, J.E. Crumpton,R.H. Crumpton,  C.C. Gay, Hardy Gay, Mrs. M. Gay, Stephen Green,  D.Y. Grinstead, E. Grinstead,  P.E. Grinstead, Robert Grinstead,  J. Hobbs, A.B. Holliday, W.F. Holliday, L.H.  Hudson, S.B. Johnson, W.D. Joiner, A. Jones, W.J. Kinchen, W.F. Kinchen,  G.B. Knight,  J.T. Knight, R.G.B. Knight, B.  Lewis, S. Lewis, T.J. Lewis, J.R. Locke, J. Lowery,  W.A.N. Lowery, G.W. McDaniel, H.R. McDaniel, J.R.  McDaniel,  R.F. Mathis, C. Mullis, J. Mullis, W.H. Mullis, R.F. Register,  and A. Rountree.

The local businessmen were A.J. Adams, machinist; H. Alligood, sawmiller; J.M. Bass, miller; W.B.F. Daniels,  general store; J.T. Rogers, general store; R.L. Faircloth, machinist; James Lovett, wheelright; J.R. Sheperd, general store; and Wynn Brothers, general store.  Local ministers in 1883 were N.F. Gay, D.E. Green, J.W. Green, T.J. Hobbs, J.T. Kinchen, J.T. Kinchen, Jr., J.I.D. Miller, J.T. Rogers, C.B. Smith, and C.R. Winham.  L.A. Bracwewell was Justice of the Peace and A.B. Clark was the Notary Public and ex-officio Justice of the Peace.

Situated along the rail line of the Dublin & Southwestern Railroad was the defunct town of Mullis, or "Mullis Town."  Mullis, which was incorporated as a town in 1906, was located just north of the northern city limits of Cadwell.  An intense rivalry began between the citizens of Mullis and Rebecca Lowery Cadwell Burch, who had plans of her own to develop a town of her own.  Shortly after Cadwell began to flourish, Mullis Town, at least in its official status, faded away.

Rebecca Burch had intended to name her new town "Burch" in memory of her late husband.  Mrs. Burch knew that the town would have to have a post office, so after making an application for one, she discovered that the name of "Burch, Georgia" had already been taken.  As an alternative choice, Cadwell's founding mother submitted the last name of her first husband, Matthew Cadwell.  When Matthew Cadwell was buried in Lowery Cemetery, he was buried with his horse, the same horse that he was riding when he was struck by lightning.

The owner of a fine tract of land, Mrs. Burch hired Zollicoffer Whitehurst to survey and lay out a design for a new town to be named in honor of her late husband, Charlton O. Burch.  Whitehurst's original design, completed in 1905 - two years before the incorporation of Cadwell, contained 52 commercial lots and four larger lots on the northeastern side of the just completed rail line.  Initially, Whitehurst placed five streets in his design.  Snow Hill, Burch and Coleman streets paralleled each other running in a northwest to southeast direction.  Dexter (Georgia Highway 117) and Dublin (Railroad) streets intersected these streets at right angles.

The original limits of the town included all of Land Lots 11 and 20 of the 17th Land District of Laurens County and encompassed an area of 405 acres.   Two years after Cadwell was incorporated, the town actually shrunk in size, down to 1000 square yards in a square shape centered around the intersection of  Dexter and Burch streets.  It would be another forty-six years before the  the size of the town was doubled in 1955 to encompass 2000 square yards.

The town of Cadwell's first mayor was J.W. Warren.  Warren was appointed to lead the first town government by the Georgia legislature with the wise counsel and guidance of the initial slate of councilmen, James Burch, Joe Ethridge, C.C. Cadwell and Ed Walden for a period of two years until a new election could be held.

According to the first census of Cadwell, one hundred and fifty four persons lived in Cadwell in 1910.  Among the heads of families that year were: Uriah Woodard (telegraph operator,) Arthur Mullis (salesman,) Daniel Harrell (house carpenter,) John Weaver (barber,) William Mullis (farmer,) Hershall Jones, James Fason, Henry Smith, Willie Powell, Robert Pullen, Robert Pannell, William Curry, Leon Joiner (turpentine laborers,) Thomas Wood, Allan Carter, Thomas Bird, James Gallimore, Josiah Griffin (railroad laborers,) Murl Coleman, Isaac Coleman (telephone operators,) James Mullis (farmer,) Simeon Bland (physician,) Henry Bedingfield (farmer,) James Burch (bank cashier,) Robert Burch (drug salesman,) Henry Coleman (farmer,) H.C. Stonecypher (merchant,) Hiram Mullis (merchant,) Horace Mullis (telegraph operator,) Robert Ridley (hotel keeper,) John Ridley (laborer,) Bennett Bedingfield (farmer,)  William Colter (salesman,) C.C. Cadwell, and Victoria Cadwell.

Cadwell's  charter was repealed and a new one put in place on August 19, 1912.  H.C. Burch was named Mayor by the new act.  A.T. Coleman, A. McCook, H.R. Bedingfield and J.A. Burch were appointed councilmen.  The new law gave the town government the right to establish it's own public school system, a novel power not given to other Laurens County towns.   In 1925, the Cadwell Public School system was abolished and the town's school became part of the county public school system.

Yet another charter was issued in 1914.  H.C. Burch remained in the position of mayor, but A.M. Johnson, L.T. Harrell, H.R. Bedingfield and E.E. Hicks were named as new members of the council.

The first post office in Cadwell was established on August 17, 1908 after being moved from Mullis.  Arthur Mullis served until September 21, 1910, when Bennett J. Bedingfield assumed the duties as postmaster.  Other Cadwell postmasters were Joseph A. Warren (1912-1914), Homer Mullis (1914-1918), Hiram Mullis (1918-1935), John B. Bedingfield (1935-1936), Belie B. Hicks (1936-1943), and Katherine F. Underwood (1943-).

Laurens County's third bank, the Cadwell Banking Company, was granted a charter on January 5, 1910 with an initial capital of $25,000.00.  The original incorporators were L.B. Holt and G.C. Wood of Sandersville, H.C. Coleman, Jr., W.H. Mullis, Sr., J.A. Burch, H.C. Burch, H.R. Bedingfield, A. McCook, H.C. Stonecypher, and W.B. Coleman of Cadwell.  A brick building was constructed on the southwest corner of Dexter and Burch Streets.  L.B. Holt served as the first president.  The bank acquired the assets of the Citizens Bank of Cadwell in 1916.  The new board of directors chose H.R. Bedingfield as president, H.C. Burch as vice president, J.A. Burch as cashier, and H.H. Burch as assistant cashier.  The bank failed to open on fall day in 1928 and Cadwell was without a bank.

C.R. Williams led a group of local citizens in forming the Citizens Bank of Cadwell which was granted a charter on November 5, 1913. Many of the incorporators were listed among the shareholders of the Cadwell Banking Company.  They included A. McCook, Mrs. R.E. Burch, B.K. Smith, S.F. Scarborough, C.J. Barrs, L.P. Lavender, C.C. Cadwell, T.R. Taylor, Victoria Cadwell, J.M. Gay, J.B. Bedingfield, H.R. Bedingfield, J.L. Watson, D.W. Alligood, L.W. Lavender, O.S. Duggan, A.H. Duggan, A.J. McCook, W.W. Warren, B.J. Bedingfield, J.H. Barron, W.J. Mullis, J.F. Graham, A.F. McCook, J.A. Warren, H.B. Warnock, J.B. Colter, Mutual Telephone Exchange, H.C. Stonecypher, A.M. Johnson, J.W. Bass, Sr., J.W. Bass, J.E. Rogers, J.F. Etheridge, C.C. Hutto, and A.B. Daniel.

The citizens of Cadwell regathered and formed a new bank in the early months of 1929.  The bank was a private bank owned by J.B. Bedingfield, J.F. Graham, W.D. Parkerson, and L.K. Smith, who served as cashier.  The bank underwent a series of name changes from the Graham, Sikes, and Company Bank to the Graham, Smith, and Bedingfield Bank, and finally to the Farmers Clearing Bank.  W.A. Bedingfield joined the firm after J.B. Bedingfield was elected Clerk of the Superior Court.  W.D. Parkerson left the firm and the bank reorganized with L.K. Smith as president and W.A. Bedingfield as cashier.

In 1966 the directors received a state charter and became the Farmers State Bank.  Early officers of the bank included L.K. Smith, W.A. Bedingfield, W.B. Coleman, and Kennon Smith.  The bank moved to the former post office location on Burch Street, the site which it still occupies today.  In 1980 the bank was purchased by Farmers Bancshares of Douglas.  Edward E. Morris took over as president of the bank, a position which he still holds today. Dan Rowe was elected cashier.  The bank opened its branch office in Dublin on Veterans Boulevard in October of 1984.

The single most important factor in the establishment and growth of Cadwell into an economic center of southwestern Laurens County was the establishment of the Dublin & Southwestern Railroad.     E.P. Rentz, a Dublin banker, owned a saw mill in Rentz and took a keen interest in the project, becoming the main owner of the railroad.

Grading began on March 2, 1904 in western Dublin along Marion Street near the Dublin Cotton Mills in Dublin under the supervision of E.P. Rentz and superintendent, Frank S. Battle.  The organizational meeting of the railroad was held in the Citizens Bank on April 6, 1904.  E. P. Rentz was elected president.  J.J. Simpson and  W.D. Harper were elected as vice president and traffic manager/treasurer respectively.  William Pritchett,  J.M. Stubbs, and David S. Blackshear of Dublin were elected to the board of directors.  The first spikes were driven and the workers raced to complete the road to Rentz by mid May.

From its intersection with the Macon, Dublin and Savannah Railroad, the D & S RR ran southwesterly and crossed the present day Industrial Boulevard on the site of Flex Steel.  The line ran in a southerly direction as straight as possible crossing Turkey Creek at Tingle, later known as Garretta.  From that point the road turned in back to the southwest through a small station known as Mayberry (at the site of Southwest Laurens Elementary School) and thence to the lumber mill in Rentz.   From that point on, the old tram road bed allowed the owners to cheaply, and fairly rapidly, complete the railroad into Eastman.

Engineer J.P. Pughesly immediately began laying out the road along the old tram road. Col. Stubbs traveled to Eastman on June 27th to solicit monetary and moral support from the businessmen and farmers of Eastman and Dodge County.  In return for their subscription of shares for the twenty to twenty-five thousand dollar project, the investors would be given a share of the company.    Eastman investors were reluctant to get involved.  However, when the city of McRae invited the directors of the D&S RR to turn the course of the railroad in a southerly direction, the men of Dodge County put their names on the dotted lines.  S. Herman, W.H. Cotter and W.H. Lee of Dodge County were added to the railroad's board of directors.

The first scheduled train from Rentz to Dublin ran on June 29, 1904 with two daily trips to follow in July.   Battle's crews began laying rails in mid-August.    The old tram road bed was in fairly decent shape, two years growth of weeds and saplings excepted.     Next along the line was the town of Mullis.

From Cadwell, the railroad turned again toward Eastman, running first through the community of Plainfield.  Construction was delayed by legal actions by some Eastman citizens along the route of the railroad and the City of Eastman as well.  General Manager W.J. Kessler, a highly successful former manager of the Wrightsville and Tennille Railroad,  moved the headquarters of the railroad to Eastman in May of 1905, with the ultimate  intention of extending the road on the Ocmulgee River.

Any town needs a church, or two or three churches.    John Burch was the first to put that belief into motion.  He organized a Sunday School for children in one of the Frierson Company houses.  The adults became interested and Mrs. Rebecca Burch came through with an ideal spot on the corner of Snow Hill and Walnut streets.    On September 10, 1909, the first organizational meeting was held and the Cadwell Baptist Church was born.  John Burch and A. S. Jones were elected as deacons.  Jim Burch took on the duties of church clerk.  The founding members of the church included John Burch, H.C. Burch, J.A. burch, C.C. Hutto, A.B. Daniel, A.S. Jones, A.F. McDaniel, Mrs. M.A. Burch, Mrs. A.B. Daniel, Mrs. Leo Lewis, Mrs. Neily Cadwell, Miss Lola Burch, Miss Ellis Lewis, Mrs. Flora Graham and Mrs. J.F. Ridley.    Those present at the initial organizational stages elected the Rev. E.W.  Evans as the church's first pastor.

The original church, a fairly large wooden structure, was completed in 1910, though the building was not painted on the outside until 1913.  In 1919, the members of the church finished their new and current building on the corner of Dexter and Snow Hill Streets.  An annex building was erected in 1957.

Despite the large contingent of Baptists in Cadwell, there were a few of the Methodist persuasion.  Again Rebecca Burch stepped up and deeded a tract on Walnut Street  to J.E. Perry, Beulah Burch and Mack John as trustees of the of Methodist Church.  The first pastor of the Methodist Church at Cadwell was the Rev. Silas Johnson, who in 1943 became the president of Wesleyan College in Macon.    The church's first stewards were Mrs. R.E. Burch, Mack Johnson and W.J. Ballard.  The Methodists built their  first and current building, a modest wooden structure, in 1913 on a lot which adjoins the old Cadwell school site.

A second and more important essential element of a new town is the establishment of a school. In yet another public spirited donation from Rebecca Burch, H.C. Burch, B.J. Bedingfield, J.E. Faulk, A.W. Mullis and D.W. Alligood, appointed by the Laurens County school board, took title to a two-acre tract at the corner of Snow Hill and Dexter Streets in 1911.  The first school was a large wooden building with a tall belfry on the southern end.  It suffered the usual fate of all too many wooden buildings when the school burned in 1928.

Jim Smith was the community's first school teacher and principal.    He was followed by Mr. Marsh and H.L. Lawson.   An additional school was built in 1916 on the present school site.  It was two-room brick building with an adjoining auditorium.   After giving up it's charter as a separate system in 1925,   a newly created school district was formed under the leadership of H.C Burch, J.B.  Bedingfield, J.F. Rivers, J.T. Jones and D.W. Alligood.  Cadwell students excelled in a wide variety of subjects, particularly in the fields of agriculture, home economics and as the Cadwell Bulldogs in the sport of basketball.  Children attended school in Cadwell until the 1960s when the students were transferred to Laurens High, which later became a part of West Laurens High School.

  The following is a tribute written to Cadwell, which at one time was being promoted as the county seat of Northern County, to be named in honor of Gov. William J. Northern (1893-1894.)  The movement, like several others of its kind,  to crop off an extremity of Laurens County never materialized.

A TRIBUTE TO CADWELL

Cadwell is a beautiful city,
     Capital of Northen County,
Contains one thousand people,
     and pretty girls in bounties.

When a good place to board is wanted,
     Stop with Mrs. Ridley on the hill,
Three young ladies to entertain you,
     You will never regret the bill.

Miss Fannie B. plays the piano,
     Miss Della B is in love, I am aware.
Miss Arbelle is so good and quiet,
     You would hardly know she's there.

But they are all fine, I tell you,
     I love them all you bet.
But Buren and Swanson have got me beat,
     To my sorrow and great regret.

But I must soon leave you all,
     And bid you all good bye.
It make me feel so lonesome,
     and I feel like I could cry.

I have enjoyed my stay immensely.
     You have been so nice and kind.
I thank you all ever so much
     and this is all my little rhyme.

         For a more detailed history of Cadwell see 70 Years, A History of Cadwell, Georgia by Fannie Jo Bedingfield Holt.  It is with great honor and respect I dedicate my capsuled history of Cadwell to Mrs. Holt and to all the fine people who have ever called Cadwell their home.