PrefaCB "... aplacs that BVBf 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 ,. 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 . . 0 l . UJ L1J 0 jI ~z ~w. .. <( a: ~- a: ~ <( ~ ~~ ~ ~ ., . I I I u /~ II l,i, 0, 0..0.. ~ ~ Cl Source: Ware County Deed (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 B ...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 \l 10 ." 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 ........ tl'lblb. - We, tbe puplle of the Dilll ~ebool, In \olrea of our appreell 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 . [ .-:' 1- ,. .' Jl- ~ ~~ "" '-1- t- " 1-t-t- " ,, ... . . () " .'14-:t- ~~.:,_-< ::'t_,... - ~~ ,. : ~ -'.1..; ~.....J.., .l:..1.. t - ~A{ 0 /1 f- + -:::-:: ,,.. .. (2~ ~~ .>'< -j 1"--r: - ..z- "-- :: '-cr.l.~ . fj-~~ A':;.. '!:....- "'~..,.,""'.-"" __, .3 I ' 4}1~ 1}1. t I '-" 1> 1f' l 9 '':.fl ;;,;1 ~ --:::<; ~ ~~- ...., ,~fs- l ,r, ~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ - _ 1-~ - ~f-- ~ I)~ f.jl""' ff. ~~Z: ~- ~ ...."aI~. "'-"_'Jjl A){., ~ ~ ~ f!_ ,. :l iAr ., -t. ""- - 6 ='1-~ -,;1' *""'"""- . ..~ . . I ,. .. '- I~ ~ ~ .- :, 'I' -,:: " " ~ ~ '~- .,.. ;:,..,... I -1--~ ~~:# 1'-':!- "-~ t- ~"t- ., IJf: .. " " 1!. ..l-f7 ~ , . _ -~ ~~ 1- t- ,, 1-~"'"( ~ )~ ~~ ~ r. ,, I J. ~ I;;, I u. ,'....._. ..:;t; ---., '" " ~~ w !!h i- Jz. :::;: -,;: 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 the / tJ -'f"l< ~ -~ --/~in ~~~-';:. ') .ffi~ the ycac of one thou.and eight hund' ~ ::;;/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 rear 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, potaLad 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~. ~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 _ _ . . 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 ll1 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< lt. [,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 o4r 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 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 ~