Georgia Southwestern State University - Gale Yearbook (Americus, GA)

Page 13 text:

'X Mft? 75.1 of this great war, Americus and its vicinity had furnished two regi- ments . . As a result of that war, our country came into possession of another city, an eternal monument of a grim sort, the now famous An- dersonville Prison Park and Ceme- tery. At that prison, between Feb- ruary 1864, and October, 1865, over 13,000 Northern soldiers died, to be buried there. During this time, 52,345 prisoners incarcerated there, as many as 33,000 at one time. The food and medicine blockade imposed upon the South, the cutting of railway lines, and the demoralized condition of the farms caused great deprivation even to the Southern soldier and civilians, and they naturally brought intense suffering to prisoners of war. ln 1884 an Americus gas plant was built. ln 1889 an electric light system was added . . . The first electrically driven street cars in the state were intro- duced I1 8891, but since most of the residents kept horse-drawn vehi- cles, the city was forced to discon- tinue the electric cars, and tracks were removed. ln 1891, the Windsor Hotel was completed forthe sum of S150,000. The hotel was the scene of the most elaborate social functions and many distinguished visitors enjoyed its hospitality and lavish entertainment in the 1890's. Americus has been slow to ac- cept the doubtful advantages of change . . . They fdiehardsl liked their easy way of life, their exclu- sive society, and the didn't care 9

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Qilhurch of C11l11'i5f county seat. The county was in honor of General Thomas Sumter, distinguished commander of South Carolina troops in the Revolution . . . At that time he was the last living general of the Revolutionary War. . . . There were many private schools in Americus prior to the establishment of the public school system in 1872 . . . ln 1859 . . . The Furlow Masonic Female Col- lege KFMFCJ was incorporated. . . . The Masonic Lodge made provision for many girls to attend the school IFMFCJ who were not 8 financially able to do so. ln order to save these girls embarrassment, all girls attending the college were required to wear sunbonnets and to tie their hair with shoestrings in- stead of ribbons. All the girls who finished the school were not per- mitted to graduate - a number of fathers did not think it fitting for a young lady to appear on stage. . . . Churches were established in Americus soon after the public square was laid out 1 about 1 854 J. Q Georgia Review continues with information about small towns established in Americus vicinity. These towns, the story goes, were wide open, with their saloons, gambling halls, and prostitutes. The men were described as gun- totin, straight shooters, who drank hard liquor and voted the Demo- cratic ticket. The advent of the railroads ended these towns. With a record of fighting achieved in the various Indian Campaigns, Sumter County was alert to give both men and means to the Confederacy. Before the end

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5, !X'fXf! ' .i sn in at fy' about new-comers moving in. We hardly know whether ours is a city or a town: but we think we are enjoying the advantages of both. Our tree-lined streets are, most of them, paved. We have good shops where the best of food and clothing may be found. . There is little poverty here, and the very rich and those not so for- tunate mingle on equal footing. Our garden clubs work constantly for more beauty, and most of us live in comfort and peace. Besides all 10 that, we are so located geographi- cally that we can drive easily to one of our larger cities if we need something we cannot get at home. Altogether, most people who live in Americus love it. The February 12, 1971 issue of -lie magazine describes a 1963 demonstration in Americus where five civil rights leaders were ar- rested and charged with insurrec- tion. The possible maximum penal- ty was that of death. Also in the QQ article is the description of a 1965 racial incident. The article states that a Negro woman, candidate for Justice of the Peace, was arrested for standing in a white only voting line. The incident set off mass marches and jailings which later ended in the shooting to death of a white youth. The November 12, 1971 issue of the Q Street Journal reports that a black youth charged with simple battery ffighting in schooll was jailed under 83,000 bond. By com- parison, a man, one year previous-