Death of Dr. Isaac Gray Woolsey

04 Jan Death of Dr. Isaac Gray Woolsey

September 11, 1902

Death of Dr. Isaac Gray Woolsey

Dr. Isaac Gray Woolsey for whom the town of Woolsey Georgia is named for died of heart failure on September 11, 1902. His funeral was held on September 16^th at the Baptist Church there and was said to have been the largest ever attended in the history of Fayette County, with an attendance of over 2,000. Woolsey had been born in Cumberland, Kentucky and came to Fayette County about 1875 and bought the Gay family home, which is still standing. He had taught school, served as a doctor, and had fought in the War Between the States as a captain of the 8^th Tennessee Cavalry. He was wounded at the Battle of Chickamauga. After the War he was ordained as a Baptist minister, engaged in the mercantile business, and became a gentlemen farmer, all while tending to his medical practice. In his adopted town, he donated the land for the depot as well as the school, established a post office, ministered the Baptist Church, and helped charter the Masonic Lodge. Because of his benevolence and tireless efforts, the citizens of the community name the town “Woolsey” in his honor.

Sources: The History of Fayette County 1821 – 1971,

Fayette County Georgia Heritage Book,

Atlanta Journal,

Memoirs of Georgia

By John Lynch