Oconee County (135) - Watkinsville

Oconee County, named for the nearby River, was once part of Clarke County.  It was founded on Feb. 24th, 1875.  Today is it essentially a suburb of Clarke County notable for its shopping malls located along the Oconee/Clarke County borders.  The county seat is Watkinsville.  

Located in downtown Watkinsville, The Eagle Tavern is considered one of the oldest buildings in Oconee County.  Most sources are unsure of the exact date when the tavern was built. It seems that the tavern was in existence as early as 1801 with some sources stating that it could have been built as early as 1794.  There is also speculation that the site was home to Fort Edwards.

If you would like to take a tour of the tavern you will need to go to the Welcome Center located across the street Monday thorough Friday from 10 am to 4 pm.  



Street Address:  26 North Main Street, Watkinsville, GA 30677
Mailing Address :  P.O.Box 959, Watkinsville, GA 30677  
Telephone:  706-769-5197
webpage:  www.visitoconee.com/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/EagleTavernMuseum/

Georgia Writers : Marion H. Montgomery Jr.

Marion H. Montgomery Jr. was born on April 16, 1925 in Thomaston (Upson County), GA. He served in the U.S. Army during WWII and also served as a guard during the Nuremberg Trial.  After the war he studied at the University of Georgia.  He earned both a bachelor's and master's degree there.  After teaching at private schools and studying at the University of Iowa Montgomery returned to UGA where he taught for 33 years.  His last book , With Walker Percy at the Tupperware Party: In Company with Flannery O'Connor, T. S. Eliot, and Others,was published in 2009.  Montgomery died on November 23, 2011 in Crawford (Oglethorpe County), GA.

Suggested Readings:

Novels
The Wandering of Desire (1962)
Darrell (1964)
Fugitive (1974)

Poetry
Dry Lightning (1960), 
Stones from the Rubble (1965)
The Gull and Other Georgia Scenes (1969)

It might be a little hard to find copies of his novels.  Check your local library.  When I searched for copies of Fugitive I found 15 copies in the Pines (Public Information Network for Electronic Services) system.  There are about 284 Georgia libraries participating in this system. Check with your local library.

Oglethorpe County (18) - Lexington

Oglethorpe County was founded on December 19, 1793.

Oglethorpe County Courthouse

Downtown Lexington

Historic Oglethorpe County Jail

Muscogee County (69) - Eugene J. Bullard (1894 - 1961)

Photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org

Eugene J. Bullard, one of the greatest heroes of World War I,  was born in Columbus, Georgia. As a teenage he escaped the terror and racism that was rampant in the U.S. and made his way to Scotland. There he became a boxer and entertainer.  He eventually made his way to Paris.  At the outbreak of World War I he enlisted in the Foreign Legion.  He is wearing his Legionnaire uniform in the above picture. In 1916 he volunteered for the French Air Service.

After the war he became the owner of several nightclubs in Paris and was a very successful businessman.  When World War II broke out he enlisted in the 51st Infantry Regiment.  He was wounded and returned to the U.S. settling in New York City.  Life in the segregated United States was hard and he endured much.  The most notable incident was a beating at the hands of a racist mob which included police officers.  This was the infamous riot at the Paul Robeson concert in Peekskill, New York.  His last job was as an elevator operator at Rockefeller Center. He died in 1961 in New York and is buried at the Federation of French War Veterans Cemetery in Flushing, Queens, New York.

Need a Travel Idea This Week?

In looking around this week I found some intriguing places to visit.  If one of these sites are near, you might want to check them out:

1. Savannah - The Lutheran Church of the Ascension
    This year marks the 275th anniversary as a congregation of this church.
     Check out The Lutheran Church of the Ascension

2. Vidalia - Vidalia Onion Museum
     In 1990 Governor Joe Frank Harris signed the General Assembly Act that designated the Vidalia        Sweet Onion as Georgia's official state state vegetable. Wanna know the rest of Georgia's state            symbols?  Click here.
     Check out the Vidalia Onion Museum

3. Columbus - The National Civil War Naval Museum
    Located next to the Chattahoochee River, this museum has replicas of famous ships as well as             wreckage of the USS Chattahoochee.
    Check out the National Civil War Naval Museum


Happy Exploring!


Chattahoochee Chattahoochee

Appling County (40) - An Introduction to Georgia's 42nd County

Located approximately 92 miles east of Savannah, Appling County has a lot to offer.  Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy paddling on the Altamaha River or hiking the Moody Forest Nature Conservancy. 

Visitors should stop at the Caroline Miller house.  In 1933 Caroline Miller won the Pulitzer Prize for her book, Lamb in his Bosom. She is the first Georgia to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. She also won France's Prix Femina in 1934. In 2014 citizens of Appling County formed the Friends of Caroline Miller to help preserve the home in which she lived when she wrote her award winning novel and to preserving her memory.

Appling County is also home to another literary great, Janisse Ray.  A 2015 inductee in the Georgia Writer's Hall of Fame, Ray grew up in Appling County.  She discussed her childhood in her award winning book, Ecology of a Cracker Childhood.  Subsequent books,  Wild Card Quilt: Taking a Chance on Home and Pinhook: Finding Wholeness in a Fragmented Land feature her return to Appling County and her work to restore the area.

Here are some more interesting facts about Appling County

• County Seat - Baxley
• Named for Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Appling, a soldier in the War of 1812.
• 42nd county created in Georgia
• Established by an act of the Georgia General Assembly on December 15, 1818.
• Communities include - Baxley, Graham, and Surrency
• Historic Sites:  Appling County Courthouse, Bank of Surrency, Citizens Banking Company,C.W. Deen house, Post Office Baxley
• Appling County was once known as the turpentine capital of the world
• Part of the wiregrass region of Georgia

Wilkes County (8) - Washington

Washington, GA is a charming town with some excellent restaurants and museums.  Check out this little snippet.  Enjoy!

Clarke County (25) - Oconee Hills Cemetery

 Established in 1856

Sexton's House