Wordie Newsom Daniel Dixon

Wordie Dixon was the first to hold the title of School Superintendent for Fayette County. He went around the county to the community schools checking on their progress. In addition, he became the Editor of the Fayette County News on January 4, 1909 and was part owner. For nine years they set type by hand. From about 1918 until his death, Wordie served as County Agent and keeping a daily record of his activities.

In 1918, he built a house in Fayetteville on what is now James W. Dixon Drive. Wordie was a member of the Methodist Church and a Royal Arch Mason.

Wordie died of tuberculosis on February 12, 1921 at age 47. All the schools in Fayette County closed for his funeral. He is buried at Liberty Chapel Cemetery in Inman.

Adapted for article by Elizabeth Dixon Prince in The Fayette County Georgia Heritage Book

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Usebius Slaton

Usebius Slaton was born October 8, 1809. He married Gencie “Jane” Nixon before he was 20 years of age. After Jane died (about 1852) he married Orasha Clifford Paston. A newspaper clipping from Fairburn Georgia dated December 1, 1889, states the following about Usebius: “Usebius Slaton who died last week in Fayette County was a remarkable man in many respects. He was 80 years old and had lived in the same house for 61 years. By his first wife had 17 children. By his second wife 15 children. Around his bedside when he died was 17 of his 18 living children. He was 6 ft. in height and been sick only a few hours before his death. Last week he went to Palmetto and to a store and called for 10 hats, saying he wanted them for Christmas gifts for his sons. The merchant said that if you will call your 10 sons into my store now, I will give them each a hat. Mr. Slaton went to the door and called the boys until the ten stood in a row before the merchant and received their hats.”

After he died on December 1, 1889, he was buried in the Hopewell Methodist Church Cemetery.

Adapted from an article by Sue Dodson Stewart in the Fayette County Georgia Heritage Book

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The Hanging of Uriah Glass

Former Fayette County Sheriff Uriah Glass was legally hung on October 17, 1834 in Fayetteville for the shooting death of Charles Pearson. The shooting had happened at Coker’s Tavern in Fayetteville in early September of 1834. Both men had been drinking. Glass was represented by Obadiah Warner, who presented the case of self-defense, with his client stating that Pearson had hit him with a chair. Glass admitting shooting Pearson twice with his gun and he leapt over a rail to the open space of the tavern attempting an escape. Sheriff Wyatt Heflin had arrested Glass and held him in the county jail until September 11, when the trail was held. The jury found Glass guilty but recommended mercy. Judge Hiram Warner, brother of the defense attorney, sentenced Glass to hang adding “and may God Almighty have mercy on your soul.”

BY: John Lynch

Source:

A Glass Family History; Fayetteville Enterprise article by Lester Dickson; Scarlett’s Letters

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Morgan Mill

Morgan Mill was built before 1880. The 1880 Census list shows Loranzo Morgan with a mill on Whitewater Creek with 8 HP waterwheel. In the 1883 Georgia State Gazetteer the following mill was listed in the Brooks Station community: Walter T. Morgan; owner. Morgan mill was powered by Whitewater Creek just below where Haddock Creek joins. This is near the former brickyard and community of Chestlehurst. This mill could ground corn finer than at Starr’s Mill but was not built to ground wheat. The miller swapped corn mill for flour with the miller a Starr’s Mill. The one-story building was set up to ground only corn. Aubrey Elmo Jones was the miller in the 1930s During dry weather Starr’s Mill would have water in the daytime and as it trickled down to the mill pond, the miller could operate Morgan’s Mill at night. The site also had a syrup mill outside the grist mill. The mill stopped running in the 1940s and the building rotted down. All that remains are two large concrete pillows. William Barney “Dock” Tinsley of Senoia bought the mill from the Morgan family.

Adapted from an article in The Fayette County Georgia Heritage Book by Sandra Grist Woods

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Lois Brown Seawright

Lois Brown was born in the Shakerag District of Fayette County on May 7, 1888. Her parents were F. B. (Tobe) Brown and Elvira Bunch Brown. Her father was the Sheriff of Fayette County from 1904 to 1918. Lois married Dr. Eugene C. Seawright on June 19, 1907. While her husband practiced medicine, she worked in the pharmacy. They had two daughters, who she raised while working in the pharmacy. When Dr. Seawright died in 1940, she continued to run the business. For more than 25 years she operated a bus station and the drugstore. Her son-in-law Jack Day operated the pharmacy until 1965 when he died.

In 1965 Lois leased the part of the building that was the drugstore and bus station to Hometown Loan Corporation. The bus station moved down the street to Ward’s Pharmacy,

“Miss Lois” was active in the community. She served as a County registrar, a notary public, and a member charged with landscaping the Courthouse grounds. In 1957, she was appointed the first woman bailiff in Georgia’s history.

Lois died October 14, 1976 and is buried in the Fayetteville City Cemetery.

Sources: Fayette County News October 20, 1965

Cemetery Records Fayette County Georgia published by the Fayette County Historical Society

By: Tony V. Parrott

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Lizzie McEachern Brown

In 2002 Lizzie Brown was recognized as Georgia’s oldest resident. She was born on October 11, 1891. When she died in 2003 at age 111, she was the oldest resident in Georgia and the 3^rd oldest in the United States. Many historians sat at her side to interview her or to hear stories, as she had a father who fought in the Civil War, and she herself had witnessed many historical events; the sinking of the Titanic, US entering WWI, bombing of Pearl Harbor, man walking on the moon, and the Berlin Wall going up then coming down to name a few.

Lizzie McEachern grew up as a farmer in Northern Fayette County. She became a teacher. She taught at Ebenezer School. There she met her husband Marcus Brown Jr. They married on New Year’s Day in 1913. They moved into their Fayetteville home in 1941. After moving she continued to be active in the historic Ebenezer Church but also attended Fayetteville United Methodist Church. She retired from teaching after 30 years.

As a centenarian, she spent much of her time relaxing, reading, and watching “Wheel of Fortune” or “Jeopardy”. She also enjoyed tending flowers in her yard, and quilting and crocheting. She attributed her longevity to hard work, clean living and faithfulness to her church.

Sources: Confederate Veteran Volume Five 2001; article by Penny Hagner Vogler and John W. Lynch, Guest Author. Georgia Magazine, January 2001; article by Collin Mitchell Kelley. Atlanta Journal: Bill Banks

By Angela Pendleton

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Herb Frady

Herbert “Herb” Frady was Peachtree City’s fifth Mayor, having been elected for the first of his two 2-year terms in 1978. With a population of just over 5,700, the City celebrated its “20th Birthday Party” in March 1979, with more than 1,800 people attending. The first traffic light within the city limits was installed in 1979 at the intersection of Georgia State Routes 54 and 74. The Golf Cart Ordinance was amended in September 1980, with no carts allowed to travel on, or cross over, highways 54 and 74 except where crossings were provided. A busy year continued into 1981 as a “handicapped parking” ordinance was adopted, the communication system was updated, and building codes were amended. As 1981 came to a close, the City moved towards activating the Water & Sewerage Authority, and Recreation Authority. Herb Frady completed his second and final term as Mayor of Peachtree City in December 1981. Frady was elected to the Fayette County Board of Commissioners in 1993 and served until 2012, completing his service as Chairman.

Frady was born October 24, 1930 and died February 22, 2018. He is buried in Westminster Gardens in Peachtree City.

Source: City of Peachtree City, City Council Meeting History

By Janis Hooper

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Grady L. Huddleston

Grady Huddleston was born on October 7, 1923 in then Clover Community of Fayette County. Grady graduated Fayette County High School, earned a BS degree at the University of Georgia and an L.L.B. degree from the Woodrow Wilson College of Law. He considered his avocation to be farming, but Grady served the County in many ways. He was a 1^st Lieutenant in the U.S. Army during World War II, serving in North Africa, Italy, and France. During his service, he received the Bronze Star Medal and the European Theater ribbon with two battle stars. He served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1947-1960. He proposed the legislation to establish Peachtree City. After serving more than 20 years for the State of Georgia, he served 13 years as a Fayette County Magistrate Judge.

Grady was a past master of the Tyrone Masonic Lodge 614 and the Fayetteville Masonic Lodge 711. He was also a member of the Fayetteville Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion.

He died February 20, 2001, and is buried in Westminster Memorial Gardens in Peachtree City.

By Tony Parrott

Sources State of Georgia: Georgia Official Register 1959-60.

Cemetery Book Fayette County Georgia

Fayette Citizen February 28, 2001

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Fayette County Fair

On this date the Fayette County Fair kicked off as the “Greatest Fair” ever with fine exhibits and fun “Galore”. The basketball building was filled with “Farm products, quilts, bedspreads, table-cloths, center-pieces, aprons, rugs, dresses, canned fruits and jellies: all produced and crafted by Fayette County women. Of special interest was a display containing “many relics of pioneer days”. Among them a Seth Thomas clock over 100 years old, with wooden works said to have come over on the Mayflower (placed in the fair by Mrs. John Weldon); a deer hunting gourd between 150 and 200 years old (the property of W. D. Reeves); a facsimile of a 50-dollar gold piece minted in California in 1849 (contributed by W. T. Howell); a picture album 60 years old (entered by Mrs. A. B. Jones), a quit pieced in 1871 (belonging to Mrs. A. L. Flowers); a quilt pieced in 1883 (displayed by Mrs. J. E. Huddleston); and a very old biography od Lewis Wetzel (entered by F. M. Farr). Other exhibits included poultry animals (chickens, ducks, turkeys, and pigeons) and livestock (cattle, hogs, and mares) all vying for prize ribbons.

By John Lynch

Source Fayetteville Enterprise October 1, 1937

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Dr. E. C. Seawright is Declared Elected

The decision in the contest of the municipal election held July 13^th has been rendered by Judge Mundy, Ordinary of Clayton County, acting for Judge Davis, who was disqualified on the grounds of relationship with one of the contestees.

The decision declared Dr. E. C. Seawright legally elected Mayor of Fayetteville over Mr. W. W. Redwine, present Mayor, and Mr. O. E. Travis Councilman over Mr. John M. Jackson, a member of the present Board of Councilmen.

The other members of the Council stand as elected: Dr. J. A. Lester, J. A. Burch, B. D. Murphy and Y. H. Longino.

A number of votes cast were held illegal and not counted.

Source: Fayette County Times

BY: Tony V. Parrott

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