Gloryland train: a history of the Old Ruskin Church, Ruskin, Georgia, 2015

PrefaCB

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Since no nearby buildings date from the same time penod, any passerby would be cunous about its history.

Eudora Welty writes at the beginning of her essay "Some Notes on R1ver

was livBd

Eudora Welty goes on to say that this fire of a place "flares up. It smolders for

Country," "a place that ever was lived in is like a fire that never goes out". This

in is likB

some time, it is fanned or smothered by circumstance, but 1ts bemg is intact,

fire is what I feel when I visit a place and why I think the preservation of the

afirs that

forever fluttering within it, the result of some original1gnition." That 1s certainly

past matters. The arrangement of the windows and doors in a building, ancient trees surrounding a home place that no longer exists, rural churches located on back roads leadmg to abandoned

UBVBf ~OBS
out."

true of the Old Ruskin Church. The environment surrounding the church has been "fanned and smothered" several times since the church's formation in 1896, as various economic endeavors

settlements --all of these tell a story about the drew residents to the area and drove them away.

builder, the ways a place was used, and the people Thanks to the congregat1on and community that

that used it. In the case of the Old Ruskin Church, love and treasure 1t; the church rema1ns beautifully

I felt the essence of its past the first time I entered intact. I believe that the anginal ign1tion was not

it and that fire burns brighter with the study of it. only reverence but also a determination to inspire

Located on a narrow, unpaved road that tunnels the young commun1ty to dream big.

through planted pines, the church 1s enchanting because of its distinctive architecture but also because of its Incongruous setting. The church is located about seven miles southwest of Waycross in

I hope that this study of the Old Ruskin Church helps to preserve this architectural treasure and answer some of the questions about its history.

an area of Ware County that now consists of planted Sharman Southall

pines and wetlands-more akin to the wilderness Sen1or H1stor an

of the Okefenokee Swamp than to a community. Georgia Department of Transportation

Introtluction
In the early 1990s, plannng began to wtden U.S. H1grway 84/SR 38 from Waycross to Homervi le dS part of the Governor's Road I'Tiprovement Program (GRIP). The GRIP was onginal y adopted tn 1989 by the Georg1a General Assembly w1th tf--e purpose

of st1Mulat ng ecorOMIC growt., v a ar i 11proved trd'lspo'1at or network with r tre state. Becat..se the proposed w1den1ng wou d errploy federal fund ng, Section 106 of the Nat1onal H1stor c Preservation Act of 1966 required the Georgia DepartMent of Transporat on (GDOT) to taKe into account the effects of th s undertaking on htstoric properties. Our ng the plann ng process for the

transportation project, a nu'llbe~ of ach tectua historians surveyed the area to identify h1stor c resources located withm the area of potent1a effects of the proposed project. The earliest surveys for historic resources identified the Old Rusk1n Church as eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places ~or its significance in the area of architecture. Although the proposed road

would not phys1ca ly affect the chuch, the widened road would be located closer to it, constituting a v;sual change and an adverse effect. Because of the adverse effect, GDOT agreed to mitigate the impact Initial mitigation plans called for the planting of additional trees in front of the chu ch to screen the view o~ the widened roadway. Because the area is prone to fires, and the proximity of trees potentially hazardous, the congregation felt that it would be more valuable to the church to research and document its history

Researching the history of a small, rural church has particular challenges. Many rural churches are not affiliated with lager associations or councils. If the church does not keep written records or the written records have been ost, other methods must be utilized, and this is true of the Old Ruskin Church . The oral trad1tion of current members 1s one way to document past act1vities. The Old Ruskin Church has a few long-time members who assisted 1n this endeavor. Reverend Johnn1e Crumbley currently serves as the pastor o+ the church and has been a member since he returned to the area after World War II. Reverend Raymond Strickland was also interviewed because he has been a pastor for this and other area churches smce the 1970s. At the time of the interviews, both men were in the1r 90s, both were born in Ware County and feel a strong connection with the area around the Okefenokee Swamp. Research on the early days of the Old Ruskin Church relied heav ly on the South Georg a Historic Newspaper Arch ve which conta ns dig1tal and searchable records of the Waycross Headlight, the Waycross Herald, and the Waycross Journal from 1884 through 1914. Considerable research has been conducted on the utop1an comMunity that was located in the area known as Ruskin. Although the church formation preceded this settlement and has outlasted it by over 100 years, the existing research provided some information about the

eertifi<'ale i!' 1a~ablt> iu I

the OllilllOUWl'a)tl&. b ut

when si;!ucd 1:) tlte 1

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or ~ai d ('o

(Top) Ruskin, a utopian community, was established in the area in 1899. Scrip issued by Ruskin Commonwealth was used as local tender by its members between 1899-1902. Courtesy of the Georgia Archives, Vanishing Georgia Collection, war015 . (Left) Photograph of church at Ruskin Colony, Ruskin , Ware County, Georgia, 1899-1902. Courtesy of the Georgia Archives, Vanishing Georgia Collection, war016.
built environment, soc1al act1vities, and educational development of the area in the early 1900s. The most difficult years to document were between 1920 and 1968. During this period, rural populat1on was in decline, and newspapers seldom reported church news, especially 1n a Sf"lla I rural community.
The purpose of th s history IS to tell the story of the Old Rusktn Church as an institut1on, describe the mfluence it had on the early settlers and the rural lives they led, and record the architecture of the build1ng that so beautifully represents the long h1story of the church. This document 1s div ded mto n ne chapters followed by the references used and a collect1on of newspaper articles about the church and school Photographs and tmages of tl,e church and area are also mcluded.
2

The Si~nificance
of Rural Churches in Geor~ia

The church once symbolized community in the South. In areas too small for a depot, store, or school, a small clapboard budd1ng occasionally topped with a steeple embodied the spmtual and social heritage of an area. In addition to the commemoration of deaths, births, and marriages, the rural church could also serve as the center of education, commerce, and politics. Political and social movements began or were reinforced at the pulpit or on the front steps. It was the place where you wore your Sunday best, got the latest community news, and sang hymns with your neighbors. The church promoted a sense of belonging and ameliorated the isolation of everyday life on the farm. Rural churches as a whole are important historical resources and help tell the story of rural development across the state.
These early churches, like the Old Ruskin Church, ranged from primitive buildings to more elaborate structures, and they were hand built with whatever local materials were at hand. Though simplistic in design, they projected civilization, order, and safety with an architectural dignity that was appropriate for the center piece of a rural life.

Trinity Methodist Church, Waycross, Ware County, circa 1900. Courtesy of the Georgia Archives, Vanishing Georgia Collection, war095 .
have managed to survive, some are barely holding on, and some have become dormant. The simple buildings and the way of life they represent are both endangered.

Many of Georgia's historic rural churches still stand, but the communities that once worshipped in them have declined as famil1es abandoned farming and moved to cities. Some churches and congregations

The Old Ruskin Church is one of these churches. It IS in excellent phys1cal condit1on, and the congregation, though small, is active and holds regular services. However, the members also recognize that their

3

numbers have dwindled and that both the beauty Suwannee Canal Company with the intention of

and historical importance of the building must be cutt1ng the large growth timber and then draining

documented.

the land to use for crops. The company began

to construct a canal from the St. Mary's River into

Early Ware County and nuks

the Okefenokee Swamp, but this undertaking was abandoned. In the early 1900s, most of the holdings

When Georgia was a colony, it was controlled by an elite group of planters located around Augusta and Savannah. Between 1805 and 1833, the state of Georgia conducted eight land lotteries in which land located in the interior of the state was dispersed to small yeoman farmers based on a system of eligibility and chance. As soon as a new wave of pioneers

of the Suwannee Canal Company were acquired by the Hebard Cypress Company, which built tram roads into the swamp to transport lumber to its mill. 1 The harvesting of cypress and other timbers, the building of railroads, and the wilderness of the Okefenokee influenced the lives of early settlers and the citizens of Ware County today.

moved into an area and began the process of clearing land and planting crops, places of worship quickly appeared. Sometimes the congregation met with barely a roof over their head in a "brush arbor," a simple open-air structure. But soon there emerged a communal place of fellowship and worship that usually involved a simple, one room building with various structural enhancements that were part of the accepted religious architecture of the time.

William Stacy Bailey, born around 1848, settled in the Waycross area with his family around 1855. He would eventually own 490 acres in Duke, the site of a railroad camp used during the construction of
the Atlantic & Gulf Railroad. Mr. Bailey established
a sawmill, built a home, and cultivated the land. In 1892, his son, James Stacy Bailey was appointed postmaster of Duke, as the community surrounding the Old Ruskin Church was known at that time.

Ware County was formed in 1824, and Waycross was designated the county seat in 1873. Located in extreme southeast Georgia, the Okefenokee Swamp dominates the lower portion of the county. In 1889, part of the swamp was purchased by the

Detail from 1864 map shows early Ware County, prior to establishment of Waycross at the intersection of the Savannah & Gulf Railroad and a trunk line from the Brunswick & Florida line to Waresboro. Source: U.S. Coast Survey Map , Northern Part of Florida, 1864, http:// georgiainfo .galileo .usg.edu/ histcountymaps/ ware1864bmap .htm .

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(Right) Walter T. Lott (1857-1896) was instrumental in the construction of the church.
Source: http:!/www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/ fg.cgi?page=gr&G Rid=53567 432.

he announced his candidacy for City Ordinary. Walter Thomas Lott married a daughter of William Stacy Bailey and lived in Duke where he operated a sawmill with C. L. Thigpen, James Stacy Bailey, and Henry C. Williams 3 Walter T. Lott was said to be a very devout man who gathered his workers in the morning for prayer. His family believes that he "built or helped build" the church in Duke. 4 Unfortunately, WalterT. Lott died on December29, 1896 and would never see the church building completed. Calvin L. Thigpen was also related by marriage to Mr. Bailey and operated the aforementioned sawmill with Bailey and Williams. According to census records, Daniel Blackburn was a farmer in the area between Duke and Needham. One of the illegible signatures on the deed could be James Knox Jr. Mr. Knox was

employed by the bank of Waycross as Mr. Warren Lott's assistant and was also an appraiser for the City of Waycross5
Newspapers from this time period refer to the Methodist Church in Duke but do not discuss an actual church building until 1902. An article dated

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...If the faith of these pilurims be measured by the time they spend at their devotions, they all oeserve ahiUh
place ... "
Photograph of a group of colonists arriving by train, Ware County, Georgia, Sept. 16, 1899. Courtesy of the Georgia Archives, Vanishing Georgia Collection, war002.

out and had noth1ng to say; yet each occupied about two hours to get nd of that nothing." One can imagine that the services held n the Old Ruskin Church were similarly long and passionate.
The letter continues by describing the segregation of men and women and also reinforces Mr. Jackson's opinion that the length of the service was excess1ve. "The men and women were separated during the services, and everyth.ng was conducted in a very democratic way. Men, women and children would go out and return as often as they desired, the sleepy slept, and the thirsty made repeated trips to the water bucket Generally, however, the behav1or of the congregation was devout, and there were beyond doubt many good people present. [But] the exercises were entirely too long and wearied out everybody."

fluke Becomes Ruskin
At around the same time as the formation of the church, a utopian community would briefly occupy the rural community of Duke. lnit1ally referred to as the Rusk1n Commun,ty at Duke, Georgia, the ared soon became known as Ruskin. The name was also applied to the church, and both the community and church retain that name today.
Socialist communities had grown in America around the turn of the twentieth century. The Panic of 1893, which was the worst economic depression the United States had ever experienced at the t1me, caused many people to lose faith m the American government, industrial cap tal1sm, and the capitalistic dream SoCialism was an alternat1ve, and over 250 cooperative or utopian communities, self-sufficient and separated from the capitalistic system, were established as havens from economic oppression 9 Most of these communities failed due to impracticality and infighting, and the Ruskin Commonwealth was fated to last only two years.
Fleeing from a failed colony in Tennessee, 240 individuals moved over 600 miles on a chartered train to their new home in Duke in 1899. They merged with the American Settlers Association, a smaller group established a year earlier and comprised of a group of farmers from Ohio and Indiana, to form the Ruskin Commonwealth. The group wished to establish a way of life that expressed their stated goal "to create good homes, scientifically constructed, supplied with every convenience that the rich enJoy .. " 10
After the first year 1n Georgia, the number of colonists dropped by half. Unlike the earlier location n Dickson, Tennessee, Ruskm was not surrounded by fertile land and good sources of water. Ruskinites were plagued with disease, unprofitable business

(Above) 1899 map showing Duke, Georgia. (Below) 1915 map showing name changed to Ruskin , Georgia . Source: http :// georgiainfo .galileo.usg .edu/ histcountymaps/ warehistmaps .htm.

(left) Part of Ruskin Community showing the Hotel and other buildings adjacent to railroad. (Bottom) Sawmill of George and W. H. Thrift, Sr., Ruskin, 1901 . Courtesy of the Georgia Archives, Vanishing Georgia Collection, war039 and warOSO.

ventures, and a cont.nual slide irto poverty thdt eventually led to the auct1or of the property that they had acquired to settle 1ts debts. The Ruskin Commonwealth was effectively disbanded in the
autumn of 1901. Some members stayed, some
moved to form a new Ruskin co any in Flor da, af"'d others returned north.

Wh e the Ruski'1 tes inhabited the land, they
operated several factories that produced brooms, coffee, leather belts, and suspenders. They also farmed, operated a sawmill, a planing mill, and a cobbler shop. Using the pnnt1ng equipment that they brought from the r Ternessee locat.on, they
cant nued to publish Commg Nation, a socialist

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cOrr''T'unal st '1ewspaper w1th a circu atio'1 of 150,000 to 200,000 Today rr'any
assume that the Old Ruskin Church was also built by the colonists, but rel1g1ous affdiat on was not part o the econom1c purpose o the Ruskin Commonwealth, and tre colo'1y had disbanded by the t1me the church was constructed Although some of the colon1sts may have attended services with the congregation, the church was formed prior to their migrat1on to the area and would last long after the demise of the Ruskm Commonwealth.

From reviewing loca newspaper articles published during the time of the Ruskin Commonwealth the text reflected acceptance of the presence and activities of the colonists by the residents of Ware County. The social activities, includmg a band, dances, and a 4' of July celebration were highlighted The business activities were described in pos1t1ve terms as well.

(Top) The Coming Nation, Ruskin, Printing Office and Dining Room . (Above) The Coming Nation 's Printing Office Force (From Left to Right .) Charles McDill (Son), Dr. Henry Clay McDill (Colony Notes Man). Harp McDill , J. H. Denny, J. K. Calkins, May Kennedy, Mrs . Bernard, Grace Kennedy, L. 0 . Roselle, Clara Jackson, Mrs. Shaw, Jere Rogers, Verne Reed . (Below) Ruskin Band at Ruskin Hotel, Ruskin, Ware County, Georgia between 1899 and 1902. Courtesy of the Georgia Arch ives , Vanishing Georgia Collection, war009, war014, and war019.

According to some current members of the church, a school was once located next to the church on the adjoining two acres. It was a public school and not strictly associated with the church, but because historical information about the school was difficult to obtain and because the school and church convey the aspirations once held for this community, the members' descriptions and

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tloa of Prot. 8ettiN Ia his 1110o
claLioa with ua durlnc tho term wblcboadtoday, dopua tholol 1-1ag 1'8101utloaa:
"l'hat we deeply appreelato the
late.,.t ho bu takea Ia Ul
papUa. . Tbat wofHI that wo h1vo made
merlred procrflll aader hi tui
tloG. Tb1t we plodge our~elrea tn
foUow Ida p.-ptlla ntallorl of edueatJon ucl to eadeavor to baUd up oducatloa Ia our com maaltJ.
That WI a~IJ eYer chorleh tho memorlel of oancbool diJ' with blm 1acl oat fellowhoohnatel . . . bn.Jit lpo& ID 0111' llYeL
E.A.&uD,
Elie.aa ORMIDI IDA lb..uluua, I
u.:u.. Br '"KBIIIDf,
D.ur Jlr.ACDIIIUf1 .Ia.

Newspaper clipping . Source: Waycross Weekly Journal, Volume XXI , Number 35 , October 20, 1900, Page 7.
Beginning in 1894, almost 3,000 rural school houses were constructed with locally ra1sed money. Prior to this t1me period, it was common to reuse donated agricultural buildings or other buildings for use as a school. Like the church, it is possible that the Duke community supported

selected newspaper accounts are

the construction of a school with

included here. In 2013, Reverend Crumbley, one of labor and materials. By 1897, a school had been

the parishioners interviewed about the history of the established in Manor while a school would be

church, remembered the school and had attended established in Glenmore by 1901.

class there. Reverend Crumbley thought that the two-acre plot for the school had been donated
by W. T. Lott and J. S. Bailey similar to the church
property. He also remembered that the school building was often used during church revivals and the church was often used for school performances. The earliest mention of a school was found in a Waycross Herald article from February 23, 1897 that stated that the trustees of the Duke School were being elected. Mention of the Duke School was also found in the Waycross Weekly Herald issue dated October 20, 1900. This article identified the pupils, described as "studious and polite," as follows:

The first principal of the Duke School was Sterling Preston Settles, a well known educator in the Waycross area. Professor Settles had organized the first high school for boys in Waycross in 1885. Many years after being a student at the school, Inez Blackburn described Professor Settles as a "stout man, and he knew how to teach. He knew everything. He was a good teacher, and he liked history." 13 Judging by newspaper reports on other schools being established during this time, the Duke School was likely funded by patrons who selected several trustees to attend to the operation of the school.

E. A. Barber Edgar Chambers Ida Blackburn Belle (Isabelle) Blackburn Daniel Blackburn
Due to the reference of the Duke School in the 1897 newspaper article and the statewide efforts to provide education, it is quite possible that the

In late 1899, the Ruskin Commonwealth also established a school "in a rickety, abandoned church on colony property." 14 A total of 110 students were taught by four teachers. J. W. Denny, the principal of the school, managed to recruit a few local children who paid a small tuition fee in an attempt to supplement the lack of county funding. By March of 1901, the financially strapped school

building for the school preceded the construction had closed, and most enrolled their children in the

of the church.

public school.

Throughout the early 1900s the public school at Reverend Johnnie Crumbley, the current pastor of

Ruskin (also renamed when the area was referred Old Ruskin Church. The house currently located next

to as the Ruskin Commonwealth) was mentioned to the Old Ruskin Church (east) was constructed in

in Waycross newspapers as it "progressed very the approximate location of the old school building.

nicely." By 1903, it had been expanded into the high school grades w1th Miss Simpson as the teacher. In 1907, the school term in Ruskin was listed as five months, and teachers were paid a $35 salary. Since the teacher's salary was paid from local taxes, the article also touted the benefits of offering education to children, particularly in a rural location.
School consolidation occurred during the years

Reverend Crumbley remembers the school as a oneroom, wood frame schoolhouse that had two rooms added in the late 1920s, making the footprint of the school L-shaped . There were three rooms, and the newer two rooms featured bands of windows. The exterior was painted, and the windows were glazed, according to his recollection.

between the two world wars. A major study by
Oltl Ruskin Chumh After 1920 the State Board of Education in 1920 determined
that so many decentralized schools were costly to

maintain and operate. The study recommended The history of the church from 1920 through present

fewer, better schools. In 1923, schools in Thrift, day was more difficult to research and relies on the

Griffin, and Ruskin were consolidated and located memories of the remaining members due to the

in the school building in Ruskin 15. About 10 years slow, steady decline of the rural population of Ware

later, the school in Ruskin closed and students were County and the congregation of the Old Ruskin

transferred to Manor in another consolidation effort. Church. Local newspapers did not report news for

The school building survived this change and was purchased by Toomer Crawford and used as a house until it was demolished around 1960, according to

small churches as frequently as those located within
The 1930 Population Census recorded only 16 households in Ruskin , the majority of which were either associated with the turpentine industry or farming .

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This photograph taken in 1961 along the tracks indicates that Ruskin was a place name for a once thriving community. Courtesy of the Georgia Archives, Vanishing Georgia Collection, war020.

the city of Waycross, so aside from confirming to Reverend Crumbley, Dr Hams conducted

that services continued to be held in the church. interviews with church members and may have

no information was denved from local newspaper obtamed some of the church records during

accounts.

this work. At the end of this reseach, Dr. Harris

In researching the church's history, the library and archives of the Arthur Moore Methodist Museum in St. Simons Island, Georga was contacted. When the staff accessed the Method 1st archives, on y one entry in the 1968 Journal of the South Georgia Annual Conference was found. It stated that Ruskin on the Gilchnst Park charge was d1scont1nued. In the past,

presented a program "Ruskin: Why Early Socialist Commun1t1es Faded" at the college on April 5, 1989. Unfortunately, Dr. Harris died in 2004, and h s papers were not archived at Waycross College or any other mstitution. 1 It is not known if these papers included any additional information about the church's h1story.

the Old Ruskin Church was also on charges or on What remams of the history of the Old Ruskin

the c1rcuit with New Prospect, Glenmore, Wood's Church was obtained through interviews with two

Chape , St. John's Chapel, Winona Park, and Manor long time members and pastors of the church and

churches. 16 When the charge was discontmued, natives of Ware County.

the church records should have been given to the

Gilchrist Park Un1ted Methodist Church wh1ch was
Reverend Johnnie Crumbley still an active church in 2014. Unfortunately, no one

from that church was able locate the records when contacted. The Old Ruskin Church continued to hold services after 1968. but the denomination of the church was no longer considered Methodist by the congregants or pastors.

Anyone familiar with Ruskin recognizes that Reverend Johnnie Crumbley IS the man most responsible for the preservation of the Old Ruskin Church and its memories. He has been a member all h1s life and has been act1ve in the pastoring of

During the 1980s, Dr. Ted Harris with Waycross the church for the past 50 years Johnnie Crumbley

College' contacted the church in connection w1th was born m 1922 in a house ocated two miles from

his studies of the Ruskm Commonwealth. According the church. As a child, he attended the church and

Reverend Johnnie Crumbley on the Ruskin Church porch , 2015 . Courtesy of Sharman
Southall.
studied at the Ruskin School until it was closed and the students transferred to Manor. He recalls walking to the school and church on an unpaved wagon road that roughly follows Griffin Road. He also remembers using a tram road to get to the school and church.' 9 After suffering injuries in World War II and being held as a Prisoner of War in Germany, he returned to Ruskin and worked for the railroad. In 1964, he became the Superintendent of the Sunday School at the Old Ruskin Church. At the encouragement of his wife, Mary Belle, he began to deliver the sermon on Sunday and was ordained by E. P. Nelson in the late 1960s.

In the late 1970s, he asked Raymond Strickland to preach a sermon at the church, and he accepted the invitation. They continued to preach together and conduct baptisms in the St. Marys River until Mr. Strickland left the Waycross area in 2012. At the time of this writing, Reverend Crumbley is 92 years of age and still preaches at the Old Ruskin Church.
Over the years, Reverend Crumbley has been an
ardent caretaker of the church building and the souls within it. Both the interior and exterior of the beautiful little church have been well-maintained and appear to be generally unaltered. Whether it was Mr. Bailey, the original trustees of the church, or another unnamed builder who designed and built it, the Old Ruskin Church would be immediately recognizable to these men who have been gone nearly 100 years. Although the historic setting once included a railroad camp, various sawmills and turpentine camps, and a utopian community, the current setting is simpler now but continues to change subtly with the growth of pines and their subsequent harvest.

Hevemntl Haymontl Stricklantl
Raymond W. Strickland was born near Braganza 1n Ware County on February 22, 1921. His first memories of the Old Ruskin Church are of visiting family in the area during the 1920s with his father. He remembers that a Model T Ford had been modified with train wheels to run up and down the abandoned tram line to deliver the mail. The sight of a car driving along the tracks delighted all of the children 1n the area. By 1931, both of Mr. Strickland's parents had died, and he and his brothers lived with various family members. He worked the fields for his Uncle Dock for room and board. For a time, he lived with his uncle's family in the former log cabin of Obediah Barber, whose exploits earned him the title the "King ofthe Okefenokee." Today the cabin is part of a National Historic Landmark and is known as Obediah's Okefenok. At age 19, Mr. Strickland enlisted in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). After telling the recruiter in Homerville that he was

Before becoming a pastor, Reverend Raymond Strickland had a musical career that included performances at the Grand Ole Opry. Courtesy of Reverend Strickland.

willing to travel, he was assigned to Camp Tulelake in California, a base for the CCC that would transform the newly established Lava Beds National Monument by building roads and trails, install electric and telephone lines, and construct the park administrative and visitor services buildings. For his work, Mr. Strickland received room and board in an Army-style camp and $30 a month, of which $25 was sent home to his family. Mr. Strickland sent this allotment to his Uncle Dock Strickland, whom he encouraged to buy a radio. While at the camp, Mr. Strickland met Johnnie Crumbley, also assigned to Camp Tulelake. The men immediately became friends and traded stories about their lives on opposite sides of the Swamp. After his service at Camp Tulelake, Mr. Strickland worked at various jobs in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Montana. A cattle-brander, laborer, tobacco picker, and soldier, Mr. Strickland taught himself the harmonica and began to play professionally in bars and "hanky tanks."
By the 1970s, Mr. Strickland had returned to Waycross, married, had become a stepfather and father, and had begun to preach at the Woodard

Chapel Congregational Methodist Church with Reverend Emerson "Pete" Hayes. Thirty years after meeting at Camp Tulelake, Raymond Strickland encountered Johnnie Crumbley by chance while attending a meeting at the Ware County Courthouse. The two exchanged details about their lives since Camp Tulelake and discovered another parallel-they were both preaching. Reverend Crumbley invited Mr. Strickland to deliver the sermon the following Sunday at the Old Ruskin Church. Mr. Strickland preached that sermon and many more. In 1997, the members of the Old Ruskin Church, mcluding his wife Lucy D. Stnckland, signed a certificate of ordination. Reverend Strickland also brought his considerable musical talents to the church and the area. Along with other local musicians, he recorded a gospel song compilation entitled "Gospel Train." On the cover of the compilation is a photograph of the Old Ruskin Church.
When Reverend Strickland prepared to leave Ware County in 2012, a reporter called Reverend Strickland "a legend" in the area. When mterviewed for this history, Reverend Strickland quickly denied that he was a legend "but a srmple country preacher."

At tre t1me of tris wr t r>g, Reverend S~ic.i<la'ld 1s 94 years of age and lives .n Law'e'lcev I e, Georg1a w1th h1s daughter Dunng an interview for this document, he played several gospel songs on h1s harmon ca and sang several more, including "Gospel Train" which is his daugrter's favonte . When asked what he m1ssed most about the 0 d Ruskin Chuch, he replied "be ng arou'ld good peop e."

we I as its el!'bellisrrre'lt T'1e steeply p ~c 1-,ed roof, Sode bracl<ets USed on the porch tO mimiC arcres, and the decorative verge boards are featues ot the Goth1c or Goth1c Revival style. The Gothic Rev val style bega'l in England in the mid-eighteenth
century and migrated to Ar'ler ca n 1837. Tf-.1s
architecture was a so used for rouses, but the style was not used as prominently n the South as in otl,er parts of the country.

The Architecture antl Setting of the Oltl Ruskin Church
Most historic rural churches that dot the Georgia rural andscape are somply des1gned and constructed. Although the 0 d RusKin Church shares the simple floor plan of most rura churches, the embellishment generously applied to the exterior is not humble. The decorat1ve wood shingles 1n the gables, elaboration along the eaves, scrolled brackets, and ornamental porch balustrade are the same elements featured in abundance on bui d ngs n the Waycross H storc District, which was home to many of the town's community leaders and listed
in the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Although separated from this neighborhood, the church possesses a high degree of sophistication considering its location at the threshold of the Okefenokee

(Top) This church in Talbot County is classically designed with formal columns and triangular pediment over the entry. (Bottom) The Gothic style of the Old Ruskin Church is reflected in the steeply pitched lines of the roofs, the pentagonal roof vents, the peaked drip molds above the windows, and the porch brackets that form arches .

In genera terms, the form of small rural churches can be classified as either classical or gothic.l A rural church employing a classical style commonly has a full width integral porch with vernacular classical columns supporting the triangular pediment on the front fa<;:ade like the example pictured at right. Viewed from the front, the shape of tn s church s sguare. Tre arcritecture of the Old Ruskir Church would be general y classif1ed as gothic because of tre verticality of the structure, as

(Left) The louvered window openings on the bell tower allow the sound of the ringing bell to carry over the surrounding area . The bell can be rung by pulling a rope located in the interior of the church .
(Opposite) The interior of the Old Ruskin Church features four rows of wooden pews separated by a half-wall in the center of the sanctuary. The barrel ceiling is also visible in these photographs.
(Opposite Center) Ruskin Church's Floor Plan. Drawn by Terri Gillett, 2015.

Tl-,e architectural style of the Old Ruskin Church can also be descnbed as Carpenter Gothic which is the vernacular form of Goth c Revival. By the end of the nineteenth century, Carpenter Goth1c houses and small churches became common in the United States. These structures adapted goth1c elements such as pointed arches, steep gab es, and towers to trad t.onal American wood frame construction. The invention of the scroll saw and mass-produced wood moldings allowed a few of these structures to mimic the elaborate fenestration of the H1gh Gothic style. But in most cases, Carpenter Gothic buildings were relatively unadorned, retaining only the bas1c elements of po1nted-arch windows and steep gables.

associated wth embe I srfl'ent.:;, tre Old RusKin Church is distinguished by 1ts Victonan decorat1ve detail1ng applied to 1ts s1mple +arm. Spindlework fnezes suspended +rom the porcf, ce I ng, decorat1ve wood shingle gable and tower detad1ng, elaboration

The Old Ruskin Church has a rectangular +ootprint with a front gable roof and a roof top belfry. This is the most commonly used floor plan of rural churches found in Georgia. The windows and doors are arranged symmetrically, w1th four w1ndows on each side elevation, and a partial front porch protects the three-bay entrance The budd1ng 1s onented to face northwest, with its fac:;ade running parallel to the railroad. The budding rests on cypress blocks. Reverend Strickland has been under the church and has noted that the s,l s are 1Ox 10 heart pine t1mbers He bel1eves that th,s wood IS impervious to termites and resistant to decay.
Wrile one would expect a rural churcr design to be ut I tanan with little decorat on due to the expense

(Above) The double doors at the front entrance are capped with a pediment. The spindlework friezes and the ornamental porch balustrade are examples of components that were being mass-produced during the period of rapid industrialization from 1860-1900.

along the eaves, scrolled

brackets, the use of pentagonal

gable vents, and ornamental

porch balustrade are featured on

the extenor of the church. Most

of th1s decorative woodwork was

likely prefabricated and made

readily available by the railroad.

I

The window surrounds have a

simple pediment or drip-mold.

The bell tower features louvered

pentagonal vents on all four

sides. The church bell remains

Rest

intact and is rung by pulling a

rope from the interior of the

church.

beadboard was shaped to form

D

the arch. This material has the

capability to go around corners

readily, a un1que attribute for

wood products. Narrow boards

can be nailed up to follow a

curved piece of molding to

J

create a ceilmg with a graceful

camber. This feature illustrates

the creativity of the builders

of both churches. The Ezekial

Church is thought to predate

Rest Room

the Old Ruskin Church and may

have served as an inspiration

for its des1gn.

The interior of the church is also largely unaltered. The wood plank floonng is painted. Windows and the double door entrance are surrounded by complex trim with rosette blocks at each corner. The cedmg and walls are covered with beadboard, and the ceiling s barrel-shaped---a feature which was also observed in the Ezekial Church located 1n Ware County. The barrel ceiling is an interesting feature of both churches. Barrel ceilings or barrel vault ceilings often rely upon a series of arches to form the semi-circular support beneath the plaster, wood, or stone finish. Since the ceilmg of the Ezekial Church is collapsing, the presence of trusses rather than arches can be seen. Rather than us1ng arches to form the ceiling, a th1n variety of

Ezekial Church (Inset) shows many of the same architectural details as the Old Rusk in Church in this 1960 photograph . Ezekial Church (Below) in 2014.

(Above and Right) Four rows of pews face the altar. (Below) Wall-mounted oil lamps were the primary source of
lighting, historically.
The pews in the Old Ruskin Church are made of pine put together with screws and nails . The style of the pews is simpler than other "furniture" in the sanctuary. The bench ends go to the floor and are curved but have no elaboration or carving. All pews face the altar. Lighting h1storically came from two swinging oil chandeliers in the center of the room and oil lamps on brackets along the side walls. Although the church was electrified in the 1950s, the hooks for these earlier fixtures remain As was common at the t1me
of construction, the men sat on the nght of the sanctuary and the women on the left. A unique feature of the Old Ruskin Church IS a half-wall that runs between the pews. Oral tradition asserts that the purpose of the wall was to provide pnvacy for breast-feeding mothers. There are seven rows of pews on each side of the half-wall with

e1ght rows of pews flank~r,g tl-"-em. (The pews form an interior arrangement of pews-aisle-pews-halfwall pews-aisle-pews).

The altar is raised and surrounded by altar rails that have a similar des1gn to the exterior porch balustrade. The pulpit is flanked by wood pedestal plant or candle stands. The lectern 1tse f IS centered and features an angled shelf atop a wide flat top, which is supported by decorative brackets. The altar rails, pulp1t, and candle stands have been painted white within the last 10 years. A credence table has been placed in front of the pulpit. Th1s marble topped table reflects the Eastlake style that was popular from 1870-1890 This table would have been mass-produced rather than handmade. It may have been a gift from a congregant or purchased from one of several furniture stores operating m Waycross during the early twentieth century.

(Above) The altar is raised on a platform that has also been used to stage performances by nearby school groups . In the
1970s, Reverend Crumbley resisted requests to carpet the sanctuary. He carpeted the altar to make kneeling there more comfortable. (Below) Although proposed locations of 214 lots were planned long ago, the Ruskin Cemetery, as the site map
is labeled, has never been used .

On the rear intenor wall of the church, there is a
paper site map of a cemetery containmg 214 plots
set in a plain wooden frame. When asked why the proposed cemetery was never used, Reverend Crumbley replied that "nobody here wants to d1e."
The builder of the church is unknown . Since W. T. Lott, C. L. Thigpen, and James S. Bailey were trustees of the church and owned sawmills, it 1s

"nobody
hBfB
wants
to
OiB."

Surrounded by the planted pines that characterize much of this area, the Old Ruskin Church continues
to serve as a very special place to worship and stands as an architectural treasure.
possible that they donated the building materials for the church Dr. Daniel Lott, Warren and Walter's father, had erected a wooden courthouse when the county seat moved from Waresboro to Waycross in 1874. The design of the wooden courthouse bears a resemblance to the Old Rusk1n Church, but this comparison is inconclusive. It IS also poss1ble that Walter Thomas Lott influenced the design. He also operated a sawmill, and the Lott family's oral tradition attributes the design and building of the Old Ruskin Church to him.2
Reverend Crumbley be ieves that his grandfather Jesse Crumbley, a Civil War veteran who was born m 1844, worked on the construction ofthe church with his son Joe. Both Jesse and Joe were carpenters as well as farmers. Most likely the construction of the

church was a collaboration, built by members of the commun1ty with local materials.
The setting of the church tells part of the story of the church and the surrounding commun1ty. Accessed by a d1rt road, the building is oriented to the railroad rather than U.S. Highway 84. The community of Duke, the school, the Old RusKm Church, and the Ruskin community were built along the railroad, which was completed in this area in the late 1850s. The pos1tion and orientation of the church speaks to a time before good roads when the railroad was the pnmary form of transportation The Ruskin community is no longer extant but was located on both s1des of the railroad tracks west of the church. Both Reverends Crwnbley and Stnckland remember that many of the houses were extant when they were children and that the area was vibrant through the 1920s. They also remember a train depot and store located just north of the railroad track. Reverend

Crumbley and his brother would walk to the store each day to pick up the family's mail, which was delivered by train and held at a post office w1thin the store. These buildings are no longer extant.

Georgia Bay Complex- one of the largest fires m the South and, indeed, 1n the nation. The governor of Georgia made a disaster declaration, making Ware and Brantley counties eligible for government a1d.

Conclusion
In Apnl to June 2007, wild fires raged in Ware County and ultimately became the largest fire in the h1story of both Georg1a and Florida. On Apr I 16, a downed power line started the fire on Sweat Farm Road, located southwest of Waycross. On April 21, 1t entered the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge. By April 30, 1t had burned about 80,000 acresapproximately 20% of which was in the refugeand had also destroyed 22 homes, and forced the evacuations of over 1,000 people. Close by, another fire was ignited by lightning on May 5. By May 20, the two fires converged and became known as the

In the early days of the fire, the Ruskin area was threatened and concerns about the Old Rusk1n Church, as well as other structures in the area were voiced. Firefighting techn1ques which concentrated efforts on protecting structures were employed by the Ware County F1re Department. Th1s strategy worked well, particularly along U.S. Highway 84 around Ruskin and along Swamp Road, where many homes, Obediah's Okefenok, a National H1storic Landmark, and Swamp Road Baptist Church were saved, some of them more than once. Although the area around the Old Ruskin Church was evacuated, several members and neighbors came to the old church and raked pine straw away from it in order to protect it from the encroaching fire.24

When a community is founded, a church is often that was once the domain of yeoman farmers and

the first permanent building erected. In the case of this community, the Old Ruskin Church is also the last historic building standing. Once a railroad camp, a bustling town of 240 people, and a center of timbering, the Old Ruskin Church stands as the solitary trace of these eras and the aspirations of each.

the slow, steady decline of its rural population. The church has also witnessed a devastating fire and still stands as proof of its value to the community. The architecture supplies us with a conduit to the spirit and character of this time, this place, and its people. The v1sion for this community so vibrantly expressed by the architecture of the Old Ruskin

The Old Ruskin Church was built by community leaders and lumbermen at a time when the rim of the Okefenokee Swamp was transforming

Church appears not to have been realized here. But the perfectly proportioned little church with
its sophisticated woodworking provided

from a frontier to a railroad society. The

the congregation with a very special

church has witnessed the economic

place that reinforced their reverence and

changes wrought by timbering an area

devotion.

EntlnotBS

although no year was given. Mrs. Hoover was listed in the 1930 Census as residing in Waycross and her occupation was teacher.

1 Waycross Journal, October 2, 1914, Page 7 2 Owen, Page 305

16 Note: The Old Ruskin Church was associated with other Methodist churches 111 the area such as the New Prospect Church (now named the New Prospect United Methodist

3 Clark, Pages 212-213

Church and located on Manor Millwood Road} and the

4 Clark, Page 212-213

Manor Church (now called the Manor United Methodist

Church and located on U.S. Highway 84/SR 38 in Manor}.

5 Waycross Herald, June 26, 1895, Page 16

17 Note: On January 10, 2012, the Board of Regents of the 6 Note. By 1902, the commun1ty of Duke was also referred to
Univers1ty System of Georgia approved the merger of the as Ruskin due to the location of a utopian community. This
school with South Georgia College. The two mst1tuttons

utop1an community wdl be discussed in the next chapter

were consolidated into a new institution named South

7 Personal correspondence Julie Hutson, Descendant of Rev.

Georgia State College on Jan. 8, 2013.

Moses Thrift, January 27, 2014

18 Note: Unsuccessful attempts were made to contact Dr.

8 Robmson & Young, Page 8

Harris' daughter concerning hts papers and the church in

9 Brundage, Page 49

2012

10 Hurst, Page 92 11 Waycross Herald, September 16, 1899, Page 6 12 Ray, Page 7 13 Hurst, Page 64 14 Brundage, Page 156 15 Note: It is assumed that the Duke/Ruskin school was racially
segregated. In the History of Ware County published 1n 1934, an African-American school was also reported m Rusk1n. It was descnbed as having a teacher, 7 grades. and 16 pupils. Theodos1a Hoover was Identified as the teacher,

19 Note: According to Mr. Crumbley a small, flat railcar called a tram was used to haul lumber out of the woods to a sawmill located 1n Ruskin when he was a boy. These roads were used to travel the area on foot.
20 Note: "Gospel Tram" is popularly known as "This Train" or "This Train is Bound for Glory"
21 Morgan, Page 50 22 Strtckland, November 5, 2014 23 Clark 2008, Page 351 24 Strickland, November 21, 2014

Bibliography

Morgan, William 2006 American Country Churches. Harry N. Abrams
Publishers, Inc. New York.

Anchors, William E. 1990 Rusk1n, Georgia: Materia/ Relating to the Ruskin
Commonwealth. The Compiler Dunlap, Tennessee Bennett, Mary Louise.
1951 "Ruskm: Ware County's Vanished City:" Georgia Review 5. 193-99: Athens, Georgia.
Brundage, W. F1tzhugh 1996 A Socialist Utopia in the New South, The Ruskin
Colonies in Tennessee and Georgia 1894-1901. University of Illinois Press, Urbana and Chicago.
Clark, Susan Lott 2008 Lott-Bailey Families & Their Relationship to Waycross.
Privately Published, Ware County, Georgia.
S. L. Clark 2010 The Unusual Story of the Okefenokee Heritage
Center & Southern Forest. S. Clark, Waycross Georgia. Corbett, Lillian Lee 1964 A History of Ruskin Communal Colony at Rusk1n, Georgia. Thesis University of Georgia
Crumbley, Johnnie March 13, 2013, July 22, 2014, August 11, 2014,
October 2, 2014 Interviews

Ray & Associates "Public Elementary and Secondary Schools in Georgia, 1868-1971 ,"available at http:!/ georgiashpo.org/historic/schools

Rowland, David July 21,2014 Interview.

Smith, George G. 1913 A History of Methodism in Georgia from 1786 to
1866. A.B. Caldwell Publisher. Atlanta, Georgia.

Strickland, Raymond November 5 and 21, 2014 Interviews.

Robinson, Lori & De Young, Bill

1982

"Socialism in the Sunshine: The Roots of Ruskin, Florida:" Tampa Bay History. 5-20: Tampa, Florida.

Walker, Laura S1ngleton 1934 H1story of Ware County. J.W. Burke Company.
Macon, Georgia.

Waycross City Directories 1908, 1912, 1914, 1917, 1921, 1923, and 1925, R.L. Polk & Company

Georgia Humanities Council 1996 The New Georgia Guide. The University of
Georgia Press, Athens, Georgia.

Georgia Department of Natural Resources,

Historic Preservation Division

1991

Church Types in Georgia, available on line

at http://georgiashpo.org/h istoric/religious

Hurst, Robert Latimer 1982 This Magic Wilderness: Historical Features
of the Wiregrass, Parts 1 & 2. Wilderness Publications. Waycross, Georgia.

McNamara, Denis R.

2011

How to Read Churches A Crash Course

in Ecclesiastical Architecture. Ivy Press.

Lewes, East Sussex, UK.

Owen, Christopher H. 1998 The Sacred Flame of Love: Methodism &
Society in 19'" Century Georgia. University of Georgia Press, Athens, Georgia.

Appsndix 1- Church flBBd
WARRANTY DEED.

'.
-'

-'t~tt of G;torgia, J
~- ---- -- COUNTY.)

--........... ..
W ARR A NTY D EE D .

/ '!.- .2!.c ry (jj
.d f : J . between_

I b in. s ~ull c uhn c, made thi> the

/ tJ -'f"l<

~ -~ --/~in ~~~-';:. ') .ffi~ the ycac of one thou.and eight hund<ed and

l(
_

day o[
~
__

J of~~~-. -~and /r_~ of the State

County of

of the fir~t ~art

and - Jt-,.rZ~ C,_,L <f

~ --~ ~- /Jo.-L~

~



_..

..__ C

_, A =>' ~ ::;;/2- _..;: - ...,__

of the seco~ part
of the ti rst part

1n hand paid by the said

of the ~ond part at or before the

ensenling and delivery of the~ present:., tbc recCtH wh ereof i-; hereby :ILL: nowlcdgcd, ha'" ~an ted

bargAi ned, sold nud convcytd , ancl by thcs~: prc~entl' do.ti'"- ~ro~.nt . ba rj!um, sell ;uH,; ~:onvc~ unto the said
-~~~ ~d~~J::-j f '2w-~~ - ~-=~

-....a-.+ ;,;;,-M-i..! - -tlA .1-.L../.,...,_ J j - "- - ;..:_ - ' .L

'_

-~ -\ / ' _ia.-:../"'V-f -;ev

~
I

(~
~

DA

... ........ 189..
DBBO
Walter T. Lott Calvin L Th1gpen
D. J. Blackburn J.S. Bailey

together with- all and singular the righ ts, members,

appurtcnnnces the r e to in :tny wi se nppertaining ur belong in,.:- to the o u l pro r u se, benefit and be hoof

of the said

~ ~

- .

":V of t he "seco nd pari V'V

.,..........e.e..c.

-heirs and ns 'c uJ;~~CS-'-' buplleoe Jc.o~vcr.

And t he !taid

-- .

k :. _. of the first p.1.rt will and

heirs, executors llnd admmistr:aton s all the afore granted p rcuuses unto sn1d

~

.of the second part ~ heirs. e:cecnt o r11,

admini5trntor: nn d ns!ti~ns, forever wa r ra nt a nd defend, by vi nue of the ~te presents.

IN WITNESS IVI/EREOF. the said

~

of the F IRST jX'rt h a.<.n-

hcreunto set ~ handS: and lt'al ~ the dny a nd yenr u.bovc writtc u

Signed, St>alrd and Delit~rtd in PrtsMcll ,f
rrr~ ~

[I .. S.J

d?fr~

fL. S.J
r~ s

J

First row, standing-Rev. C. L. B. Davis, R~v. J. M. Glenn, Rev.
E . M. Whiting, Rev. R. A. Brown, Rev. ]. C. Gillespie. Second ;owRev. T . M. Christian, Rev. W . H . Thomas, Rev. W. T. McMichael,
Rev. W . H. Scruggs.

Aooentlix 2-List of Known Pastors antl Teachers

Preachers

_n.
1894
1895 1897
1902 1903
1906 1907

111 C At.. ttr {Fa kstor rirc..Jtt tn 1894)
Georg W Mat'>ews (Ftr~t M 1, Idi Church n 1892)
WilltatT H Scruggs (Suuqgsl ltst"d (phoo) n H ~tory
of War' a af%ated wttr Tr"' y M&hodi t but also served a Ftrst Bapttst Chur 1886-'908 at J later at
Cer1tral Baptist fabernac per Walker
G B Culpepper {J. P. I ted as pre lr red at t& 1t mE'Ptings tn Walk r:
J W Domtngo {DotTJtngoe.s "'Walker: assO(tated wtth F rst Metrodi ,t) R E Bradley
Moses Th ft R A Ratclt+fe
R A Ratcltffe G C Ingraham ABWall
Rev. J Robert McDonald
B C Prickett

1911

B A Harper (a ltst of Tr 1tty m ntsters throug. 1930 does rot conta111 a"ty ot th above exrept Rev Suuggs) 1920 Legtslature passed art to canso. dat._ schools by 1923. Thrift, Griffit & Rusktn would be con sol dated and located ir Ruskin

Late '960s Present Rev Johnnie Crumbley

Early 1970s-Present Rev. Raymond W. Str ck 3r'd

Tsachsrs

. 9L_ 1903

Pr_ressor Denny Professor Ster' :1g PrestOP Settle {also tn Waycr0ss dnd Waresboro 111 '887)
Mtss Simpson

1907

Vesta Denham
Lena Good (Miss Lena Philltps taught at Gtlchrtct 1913). Alco mvolved 111 he Worr>en's Chnstran Ter1perance G'1ion {WCTU)

'v1ae Wilson Pr ncrpd 3 t arhers

'v1yrtle BarK tot {not ure of years, D"vtd Rowland mer1ory; 1940s?)

AppBntlix 3 Ruskin Uhumh
HBlatBtl NBwsoaoBr Uliooin~s

SGhool ArtiGIBS

Dllslr lllL

An oxcellonL ACrlea or moieLingH
aro beinl( hoiflthl wrok by that old fnlthful 110hlior or tho eros, Uncle Curmlchaol. Ill dl6 couraoo~ huv~ been Umoly and able. He promi110o w rea<l a JIG per to Lho pGplla of Lh" school

l!aturday Rltornoon.

!!peaking or tho Dtille achool, we aro glut to roali&O tho immenoo good It bu wrought and worlr (S>r our JIOOplo; and wo aro el""'lll' proud or tho Wayrn>M boys who aro nttondlng. Tho atllltlon of Mr. Bon tiirm&n'o oouo to tho roll tlnllghlcd both to&chon anl pupiiL Aloo Mr.
l!teeclly from the Mal{ic City.
They arc &II aludloao &nd poiiLo roung men.

Tho farmon b&vn oav01l tboir

fodder Ia nlee condition, and bavo

plenty or corn, rico, potaL<M!II and

bul{ll to follow. Thoy a ork hard

and m&ko plenty.

Vrou..

Waycross Weekly Journal, Volume XXI, Number 27, August 25, 1900, Page 1

.....-. . ITEII.
' .,.._~

0.. FoiL U-lor. .1. W. ......

w.,.._ oro..._, -~a--~Y

~~~~~~an,,J

Jon..

, .._ir..l-'lu.n..,...

Tlie ..*'-' ~"' ,......, .....,.111a...a E..,..lo!,orw..,.

on.....,_ ~.. eo.p~~

ollllo

odoool . .l

I l!o&udor&e ..... . - . ... . - .....

' - -.,ab ,_,_ T1oor trlU-

op1.o .. lllo ""'o()broL w......

,&bo_ y will..G<'*o<~&Ia_d.o.l.o ... ole<l IIMir

JAr. T. J . Wll~ lo lo - ,....,, Nro. Cnwloy, ol w.,.,..., wbn U. - daitlaa loln. &igloo, ..._ "'""'""
h......

Waycross Journal, Volume 1-No.6. June 11, 1909 Page 1

......_.cnuu.
We, the pupil of tho Oilii echool, In tokea of our apprecia tloo of Prof. Selll.. Ia hla auociaUoo wilb uo llurln1 th o term whlchondtody, dopuo thefol lowiDI' reoolutiouo :
Tbat deeply apprecia te lho Inte-l ho hu tokou Ia YO papiiL
That we ft'el that wo h..e made marked protrr... undor bio tui tloa.
Tbat "" plOIIge ouroclreo tn follow hio P"""'PLA in noallcro or eclnc&llon aud to eadeavor to ball4 up education io nur com maalty.
'l'bat we ab4ll efer oberlob tho -orlea of ouracbool dayo wltb bloa aad oar fallotrboohoataa
u & bn.hL apollo oar u,... J:.A.&ua, ..IDe... Oll.ul-, IDA llu.CUIIIIII, llal.a lti.Acma!D, D.ur JILACDIIIUI, .Ia.
Waycross Weekly Journal, Volume XXI, Number 35, October 20, 1900, Page 7

Tbot tbo tll'orla made witllla tbe PMl )'Ur for betttr ~ iu U. to...uk.r dilrit:.t. made an lmprn.ioa that for .~t~mrtllinc ia nidrat iD wllida bave ~ftl r.eeind

.... ,.
lhf
Untr

l)'11 Whtn the Yanor ..,hoot el..., "

ith nn th e twt ni)'Dinlh of lhi mOnlb

th~ qu...tion of lutal tasat.ion will n

,,... pruhably he di~~<n< tborourlt
, in 1), and Jruf. t;. A. J'ound ot tbi h

ic:ta eity. ha befon :ukrcl to tallc oa h

>ad the molter. Tbe lliiiliiii otliiiil b

im eln... on Seplemloer third. IIDd lo- tl

the ea l tautiun will be t1ktn up luro t'
tan abo. Other cliatrirta ot the ooun. f1

tbr ty wiU be brartl from ia rrgard ti

n tn thi nt au rarly c!atc... aot1 c1n b

tf"nlratf'd A'!Uon may thm he e!'C )

r.nt I~'Ct~l

1'1

fiGHT SCHOOl ~ .~ISTRICTS HAVE

fS JOUD FOR lOCAl TAX l

a:t lloore, ..rarueatov.'D. Pint .Vlow, 111 Rt11kin, Oriii!D, Manor. Mill-
wood and Pine Valier HII\'C Dr. .r ttrmlncd 141 Lc11,thm School ,\ . , Tmo and Provl4t Betwr

c: lehoola.

I t:iJ:hf ,.. hcwl .n~tritl~e iu \\'ur 1'1' i-cuul.'' hll\'t with in 1hc Jlll lil it:hl

'I'- ruuu1hoo \'ultt l in frl\ur uf 1\ lnul
ir ~IX (ttr ~~ purpu:"tl'!f. Tlu -s.
'"II , j)l"tJ,ftt'!(."'i\ pnrt~e ttf lht t'ctUIII,\'
11 , .art\ ll .. r. llillwnutl, lllilliln~
cul Phil' \'iew uuel l'irtt Ytt11,\', 1,.. . ;~hrn arr ~UIII' iultl'\.,..1 in ~or

.fnrl in' tun!U'"rlinn with lht""''

;;: :t)i"'fti(bt ' Tht'"'l' JII'U)lft )UI\' t tlf'ltr- \
tf bllurtl In impru\ lhl" luu""' ur "

11u.:ir hiltlrt:u . In th Nu ' ,Ji,.tril'l" :1
r. thrf' r -I!JU chiltll"f'u f ~ow iMul t
1...,. 1'-'' ' nul uf 11 tu:nl ~ lmul pt puiM - ,. ,.; (iu u i ll fi ll' I'H\1111 ,\ ' u( :!'.!"'fl. IIIII
fu o:itJ( uf \\'y1 rH~' IIUikittll llf'Arly
..r,;J. II fourth tt f 1hr Kt'flflfll (1Hf'lllftt iuU trhirh i14 1111\V in thi rlhdrirlr4 r.... n )rinl( n 11 tax (u r ,..,,,'"'' JUt I" pnt<rH. fl I.e Jllttitl aiiU"' thMt nwr~
1h\1a Ulll'-fmu1 h of th " 'tnlth ur 11 th,: ,.,,uutr~ ,Ji,..lri..t"' i~ tu lw
fnllllfl in thr"'l' iahl ,fiJ.dri l'loc.
or our tl&cln havr rnilt-. llttl. f l \\
lthonr and t rlrtrRJh p ti , if r 'l!~!t. l'i 1Pi1... .,, ..:.h in MIL
"' Tlw lfMnl tux mean ~ ill 11 ......1 "' t~e rhlklrtn or li.trirt
IC hP\' iii'C' n -.t hikJI tr~l"lll u ( r(l llr nr 1
thc mnnlhiC, tht ~ w ill lln\'t1
A <et.o~..,iuu ct ( ,.j~ht "'" uhlt' uwnth-.
tl l"tulr th e lmMI twx 1. mnn T ~; IWt Wt r j,_ rmt intu tftr hnutl.oc nr fill' \ '
,., hr.. ,f lf11d f'f'1'f l\h n lllltt llll:l' tht tf '" lrw11l ..,.,. fH~I \'rrr nuwh uoc tlu lr
j,.,. Juoh 11ul l.nn t' l drM~ in I )t,. it 1: r.. uu rl l lll\' 11111. Th~P fl'll ~ frr~ hf! \'1'
tllf' JMr\nr t) r'U Jn.,._,., . till' lrAhrN p
uu d fot ituprll\'o thr Jo:thrttl 1'~"~ '1"'1' ,)

ty . , , .... humllt t he hllllll',\ ' ur lu 1ht ,Ji,.f ritf, ltrtfh ticAl rrum IJ.,. lr

' ' " '"' IN!t 11nrl whnt thr Mlwul r,..
,.,.j, ,"' frum llu ftofnh nu, J tt tllllf ,\ ',

u1 J)

in,.tutl " ' l "lt\'in~ 1hr ,,.Ju"t l 1 I'll

or I li 1"11 l,\' 11ntfrl'" thf' toutruJ

fill'

.,r t'ltUnt~ l.ru:trtl

tothhttlinn tt nd Ill

,, th rtlllll,\' Ji:- hHul t'tllttnr iK)iutwr. 111

lr fhr \'uh in ftn'Jr nf ''"'"' tx

I' fn r Jll' ho ul( ftllrpf)t~ l '"' l' otrtl ifllt ,.. Iff

runt li thr

l'll t . .., wlt ulc l'flllll

11 l y "ill lua,. th i.. ,.~.,.,,, , , \\'il :ti u Mt l lw Jlxl Y''MI' uw l 11 hulr. .

Waycross Weekly Journal, Volume XXI, Number 35, Feb1uary 27, 1900 Page 5

Waycross Journal, Volume 2-No. 152 AugL.st 28, 1908, Page 6

Church ArtiGIBS

"E\\' CHURCN .

Strvlcu ..I~ ltar -

aad scnral

llltllttrs Wtrt Rcuhtd .

l:t .. '-" li ., ,, July i .-Tho l

r.n nr!l nro rojui ou i.: tu ...". tl u

J ~ruutul tlqittt.:: IT os:niu '" t hoy o'Mit l'lt. \\'IHit.' lluo ~1"1 Jtt

1 nn iujurtd \ n llltnh I ru11l r lhnt th JMuplo will hant.-t

1 ~"l tiiUJ:h fo r lhtr "'"''''"I nu t .>~. ~lr. ll nly 'l'hrih luu ultlld,.

lur.. nt ul huJ,C"'' ami i uv.... lt-.1 lht~

ar,..,, ,.,,,. ' ' n mulo l anL !\1 r Bntl I"' ruut ti ll): "II11Urlllh iu,: t io

1

l o u ~it oo' "" lto r.

'l'ht lllhiiUU ,.. Iand i i1 l'fi 'J.: f tll>llill)l I

,.. nuio th.

f

~Jr. U J. IU.. ,&.Iuu:t h"l': ,::a. ,.: l

IIil'tmuul lt,,c"th"o'liUthiU. iu farm iu tl11 t
:i:;."~~ i~.~.~.~\~'!~~~.~~::::,:"i'::!i::~ r

1lu mau\ tak.. in th t- Oktlluukt"' I ~lr. lfnny Cnf,,r,r,. fm i l_,..
lrllhr , 1111 l' r.,f. , ,.,., h kk
::.1:: :~;t~,}~r:~:~~ ~:.~~:.!.~~ '~,N~:

..uuth ,,( \\'an r,~ ''H t hf" \r1t111

ruatl. 'l'h ...,~j,.,,,. "''''' udueh._l l

lv (t,., . M""*"1'hri(t nml lt ihrud t

1.

n,..,, Aht r pnnchiu)lt

~1-*' ,,

'l' hnil m :uJ tt knn11o11 ''' th" I~ "''" " I'''' Iha t thu l '~'rl nf lh hur..h

"',., ,. ,,,..... a ulthr"' t' IUlll frw a rd ,.

:uul .,.,.,... r....,.l\,.,1 iult full tnln

, ,,. ,,)u p .
r11" """ll""' . ..111 ''lh'"''' ~ridtn
.h:h I, !.:r lh 11-:wbtf tutitutd.

'l'h ~uuda\ ..(btktl i 1nakuu:

1:'"'1 1' 1"1-,:r.-.. h,.r...

)ln.. )1. F:. .Junl ..llftU "fwnec1 " Jlri\'n tt! MC' huu f llumfuy.
,.r A uuml-"' r the rntrut who
ar ,,, th.. Prin1ithc Bapti..t lx>-
lirr l111cl w il htlrrnm thtir rhilclren
frm the- ru!Jiie adwul IH"'CaUJie
Uu tt1uolwr, llix-. l..tnn .(J iu}'tl, "l"'llt-c1 Jwr 1whnol fly r nclin~ 1\
I ft w ,.,..._...,. fl'lln th BiLico, ,,.ith
Ut ,.,,nmunt. nntl flMl,\rr.

Waycross Journar Weekly Add1t1on, Volume 1, Number 163. September 20, 1907, Page 4

.." ._ ..-- - --- _ , . ---.
at THE PULPIT, THE PARLOR or 1

ot THE PREIJ!.

1

'1 Ia tloe plao ~- 110& for 1r- loli. I

IlL eor,' .. wlhe ..,. c:lnuda aMrinr r

!0' or -plcclon a plaoll at wollhlp lhe 1

' prlaltln BAJIIIo& with Eldn



ol

.. ..... with _ _ . .

<k -benhlp al dot Baboall8 tribe. k t:

......... -bnetl the& about 26 ,.... '

od .,., there wu a dlYiaiaa ID dot chnR!b a

:a...t ao alllch .-heelIa &woCadloaa al Raben- 1
a- 11oa dot a.....ul.., whde lhe p

n ~ wonhlp .. lhe opp>tlta a
.w. altlao nllap'll O...p 'Bruch lo

Claardt with Beor. lolultll)' M puiOr 1

;1- ud a -bonhlp alabouUI.dT . k

Waycross Journal, Volume 11, Number 10, February S, 1907, Page 1

v\laycross Journar, Volume VII Nurnber 7SS, July 8, 1902,
Page 6

d BBUTIFUL NEW

I~

PUBLil! BUIDINO

!! frectroo ''Gnu U"..wm lit

srane Wit" a ston wane.

try At a

meeting Tattlday

enuiol{, it wu decided tba' tbo

tNetioD or tbt propotod DOWbuild

iug fer Once Jo;piiCOpal chu rch be

bo,!au atdbco.

Tho huildior of thio ..., church

ba1 Lue u iu

(or llteflll p

yean and a fund ba1 been accumu 'I

lhtl 1 laliDI ror it, 10 th1' a good por w

&ion or tho mouoy t.o l>uild

ft

or l 1 edifice ha. been 1ubrcribttd .

11

The OnaucierinKat:d buildiug

tbtt oburcb h ~~~ put i11to tb

1 baud ol Mo ten. W . M. 'l'uo mer

1 and A.M . Kurght and th v have 1D 1 alread7l.Htguu lobe prupuatio fur 1
bu il ding, 10010 or Uao 1na1u r1al

btti11g now on lobe lot. ou Lh u co r. Ja
ner of fdodlet.ou aud Mary a\rets ll. ll Tb now plauo for lho builchnlt ~
are err athaotive and it wilt be ec or lbo baudoom..tlitllo church "'

" Jl:'ll&nrl JJ&r1y tu n nurn lur I
tl, .;r :.-;.;;.!,,. !i;:~ :r: !::; :::~~.
~lr. .\llrt Jlorlocr ft ll<l wile nr

1 \\'ayr r''''" ,i it.,J fluk'n lrirrut.
Suutlay.
,Jntnt...,. O'x:..,f. \\' h O i C'fU
,,,.,,,.~, in fh tt fll r "'"rlut of nay.

"""""' ~ruut ~uruln~ \\ith hiN pllr-

rh.

~ln. llartin Anti clau11ht r r , lli1<

f:nra, arc the gu"'l ur ~ln . J . .

l'nlclor.

. ,

The T. II. Cirdc h<lol it WO<'k ly tncttifiA' in - {r' ffUl~ Cirel{'

rnmu. th tir.t in twu m~tuth.. &Ill

it \\'aA uceup j..,..J ly uut u( th l'

nrnl"' llr. T. E. \\"alch'on, wb <t

i uu.,.. ilhu'AII.

able An

1'>1 rl

bc up t'Ctiuu

a

r

ter
f

hio lun~e unler rx

lf ftA hclcl uith tl~r l ulluwilllf fl'

ttl! : Ruruo Dlnelc hun. pn.'lli-

I,Jeut: Ruhert lllarklmnJ, v!
torti< l<nl : llnid Wnhlrou, octn-
1tnry: F. H. llir.-, ,.,.,.,.u.,.~. ~lno. '.\1. l:. ,Junws:au nt<D<~l a

(lri\'nt n ~Whnol l[f)mlny.

,\ nurnl><Jr .nf the pat run who

sr rot Jilt' l'rinailivc llftptit "' :

lirr hntl rithtlmwn tht'ir thilclrt n

(rtIU thr J1Uh(i c twhnu( h t"CAI.PI'

Ill<' tcndwr, l!i>t. [,cnn {loc l.

np+rwel lll'r whonl ly r.rttliUJt ft.

roll' ,......... ffllDl the llihl~. with-

Ut tumnll'nl. nntl pra~rr.

j

ArtiGIBS RBiatBtl to

Ruskin Gommonwsalth

~o~uu' uc ...,. uuwa up oae or oar D...C

".!,":;'; wa,.blro ~ad kill..t oro t.ban a haD4Nd

1

oeamn. Wbat will )ld~ller do

The mill at Dub, bco&w~ bfte nd

.o...,.,... t

o. Way.,._, it i.t aaid,
byth~

hao

ben rarehued 1_ Baller A

Pa.l lonner owa... or the proper&r. ha..

-'P w. mn..d tu Cn8'te MUDIY to -..bllall a 111ill tbtre. ,, Ia 'Dol t .... Jel

what the purcb_,a nltbe old Ill tit

poet to do with it. tbouab it will proba-

bly bco a>ond tn a'>llle pi- na t.be At.-
laatit,, Yaldnela aDd w..~ra road.-

Yalduota Timeo.

Waycross Weekly Herald, Volun e XVIII, May 8, 1897, Page 1

MiSGBIIanBOUS ArtiGIBS

RBiatBO to DUkB

~
Be-

)lr.

ud

li&n.

Scicw

made

a

r..t

I \

rip lO G . t . ~ra: I""\ . Tuadoy j c

o4<okl&

I

'

~

~1 Ja':" ~ it d&inc a t~ri ina ~II- ~ )

l"d 1W.,'r*-t ben.

(

Oliii

bat a\ laos ~Carted 10 ~-

:'be ""J'JDIIH 01111 .. ] IIIII bloo(, .... .;

..,. ...,_ .WU :au_,.~ ~

aft of laM to .:NDfl lDcl i l1111.

'IVrn. llalobrltlr bu apia trtlled l
....- "-'~" ,..,.A. wUI l

Waycross Weekly Herald, Volume XVIII February 19, 1898 Page 7

,I''CL l'nnQ 0' IIUIICIN

L

Dl.IHDII IOCIA~tUI ,

\r.,,.,.. tTo TIM' 1!.1dtor,
10ov11r

Jlnlld:

I n I rf"f'f raUt d .,... to

C'ftUII

... atalt!'.f'Dia ""'"11.7 IUdf" ., - of

I'~ \\'a) rr<~~~ JUalr.-r. k" tUI

llocUtla:. adu,...,.. ..,..... '""'".. To
. . II ap,.-.rs a.toeta.laa ai - ..) -

:H .,., aad """''--"' lat.tr or tiMo r.-,.1. IM.mkl ,.,,............. oplalaaa

ll*'lt a lllilllt>r nf urb WtKid wt4ho Ia
"tna ,..,..._. Sorialbhl wltttutlt
tt ~~ ..... , tt.wlaiiDI ......... aa4
hi II "'nb Int. tW Ia II .. I ..e
AaiiHdb:l_.,_., nott tl II aohoro:ttf"

:I) '" F'r....,..lo~~nr.''
..1n...Suci.1lll.11:u f.. ~~ tulall)' rlh:luu" II ,.lil tld ,. , ,.,. Ja"tk-o anti w..,.,.
i... In tho ll'ut tra tlnt l ll lhiNI nl .. ,,_. . f7 IJtr. II p~un lo~ h.t IMDblt lod t, lrl~l d1 l'olhkal nl , .,,....r,...lal ,....,.....rr.

nl>aUatlun lkl , ,raaa r. and lu ,,.....

r7 Ilk IM'u lt., ma.. lwc It ,.. .11.1.. fof'

t~lll ru "'''"'"' ta..-w. ..h ..,. tnllr to - llt't' t~ 111...1 P'll.., mnral lh-. Ia
....... ,f tltrUJIDc lhf' ltllltlf' If ,111 drlftuJ' th"" ~ t~ llrUbfol, lttll ,. .,...,.. lnJJIM', nl fM'Itl.,.al rornp~~r....

Uti Ill ttn1fr"f't thr bMIIf', lal....t uf - ..,.,....I..OU".-

,T II UI drlrGJ .... . ... ttNnctaalr

,.. dt1M11tpuN" uuaa Ill htt ur aaaa. II
o. Ill put an ..,. tu all u..,,.....nar) raar

rta1n~. h .-111 au''" tnarrr..... ,,,..

'It Tltt ': J))\' t-: ""-''"' 111kl Ill ra k'" Ill IBflnllrUWnali h nfll.. I <W I ulrl) ,,.,

- f'f! Qibr.l lnr Itt. l>t.twtlun IIIII hlllilll nt...,. uln..alihttl. 1r nnt1 l '~t ,.,,. 111111
1 ottl~r hottor:tltl 11nd lntrlllcraf lt"'UUI wll lta k.- 1h"" .,,,ubi,. tu "''"lr ~11
1 llQn tlluutttt:hlr. rtutr Ill nal lhf'rM
,.h "" 1~ 1 IJ r-o:t uft, In u rlpturr, h)' thnrlt1w nof tlwlr u..

,Jij:,QI,.) ltfoiM4 In "'uppoM II '""!''IIJ,
a11 cbtorrttr ....., brl t.c"''

Uro4h-rbood Pf ~ .
Vrrt n ........-u..l,.
J. u. JUf"

Waycross Journal, Volume 8, Nurrber SO. June 10, 1904, Page 8

Waycross Journal Weekly Addtion. Volume 1, Number 163, Septembe 20, 1907, Page 4

Waycross Evening Herald. Volume XVII. Number 190, January 29, 1910, Page 3

~