AMERICUS — July 1, 1950: “Mr. and Mrs. Walter Blair Mayes and Miss Margaret Ann Salona, of Miami, are visiting Mr. Mayes’ mother, Mrs. D.B. Mayes.”

July 3, 1950: “Mr. and Mrs. Roger Holland, Harriet and Pop Holland, returned yesterday after attending the Holland family reunion at Dasher’s Lodge near Savannah.”

July 17, 1950: “Mrs. C.M. Blanton and daughter, Carol, and Mrs. W.J. Parker and Merinda Barbre, all of Waycross, are the guests of Mrs. J.C. Speer and other relatives.”

July 19, 1950: special REA edition of T-R;  “Mr. and Mrs. John B. Crowley, Mrs. W.M. Crowley, Pate Crowley, of Tacoma, Washington, and Mrs. W.H. Howell, of Blakely, are visiting the former Mrs. Crowley’s [sic] parents, Mr. and Mrs. Will Sullivan.”;  “Leslie News – Mrs. Herbert Speer of Canal Point, Fla., and her daughter, Miss Bettie Speer, of Athens, have been the guests of Mr. and Mrs. H.L. Speer this week.”

Aug. 1, 1950: Captain Richard Walter Williams Jr., grandson of prominent black contractor Bright Hill, was first Sumter Countian wounded in the Korean Conflict.

Aug. 1, 1950: “Mrs. Aline Hardy has returned from Mobile, Ala., where she was a guest of her son, W.E. Hardy, and Mrs. Hardy.”

Aug. 2, 1950: Spud Bass, announcer, for new Radio Club affiliated with the Youth Center;  “Leslie News – Mr. and Mrs. H.L. Speer, and daughter, Mrs. C.J. Cheves, are spending this week at Ochlochnee with Mr. and Mrs. Alva Speer.”

Aug. 4, 1950: “Hospital Notes – CITY HOSPITAL – Mrs. Buddy Lister of Americus is a surgical patient.”

Aug. 7, 1950: “Mrs. Sam Gunn and children, Nan and Tommy, have returned from a weeks’ vacation at Virginia, Savannah and Tybee Beach. They also visited Vidalia.”;   “Mr. and Mrs. Earl Hatcher and Mr. and Mrs. Sam Gunn and son, Tommy, visited Mrs. Hatcher’s daughter, Mrs. Evans Fleming, of Atlanta over the weekend.”;  “Mrs. O.S. Bass Sr., of Americus and her sister, Miss Nell Walters, of Plains left for Savannah today to visit Mrs. Bass’ son and family, Mr. and Mrs. H.T. Bass, for a few days.”

Aug. 21, 1950: “Mrs. Charles Speer honored her son, Russell, on his first birthday with a party at her home on Jackson Avenue … ”;  “Cynthia Snyder, 11-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.L. Snider, of Atlanta, is the guest of her grandmother, Mrs. O.S. Bass Sr., on South Lee street.”

Aug. 23, 1950: “Mrs. Sam Gunn has returned from Macon, where she has visited her brother, Theron Joyner, who has been seriously ill at the Macon Hospital.  Mrs. Gunn reports his condition as better.”

Sept. 1, 1950: Private First Class Luther H. Story, of Americus, was killed in action in the Korean War and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the only one in the history of Sumter County.

Sept. 15, 1950: Mr. and Mrs. Ray Ansley Jr., of Albany, announce the birth of a son on September 11. He has been given the name of Ray Bruce Ansley III.”  

Sept. 25,1950:  “Mr. and Mrs. E. O’Steen and children, and Mr. and Mrs. McCormick of Jacksonville, Fla., and Mr. and Mrs. Judson Strong of Albany, were weekend guests of Mr. and Mrs. M.T. King.”

Sept. 26, 1950: Mr. and Mrs. Zimori Addy, of Preston, announce the birth of a daughter on August 25 at the City Hospital.  She weighed seven pounds, one ounce, and has been given the name of Norma Kathryn.  Her mother is the former Christine Harbuck.”

Sept. 29, 1950: A.S. Staley High School’s football field was completed on the site of the old orphanage between Jackson and Lee, just south of Northside Drive.

Oct. 3, 1950: “Mrs. C.M. Blanton and daughter, Carol and Mrs. W.J. Parker have returned to their home in Waycross, after spending the weekend with their parents, Mrs. J.C. Speer.”

Oct. 6, 1950: Joy Lister, Tommy Bass, et. al., guests at Tommy Bruner’s sixth birthday party Oct. 4th

Oct. 12, 1950: “Mrs. John Rushin is a patient at Prather Clinic.”

Oct. 19, 1950: “Mr. and Mrs. John B. Crowley have moved from 509 South Lee to 334 South Lee street.”;  “Mr. and Mrs. Will Connor Sullivan have moved into their new home on Fairfield avenue.”

Oct. 24 ,1950: Charlie Speer, et. al., pallbearers at funeral of Otto E. Liggin, died Oct. 23rd;  “Beth Bass, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Bass, broke her right arm while playing yesterday.  She is resting comfortably today, it is reported.”

Oct. 25, 1950: “Mrs. Judson Strong and children, Martha Ruth and Johnny of Jacksonville, were guests of Miss Ella Cameron, Sunday [Oct. 22] coming to be with her on her 82nd birthday.”

Oct. 27, 1950: “Ellaville News – Mr. and Mrs. John Hugh Robinson and Mrs. Dallas Spurlock have returned from a visit to Mr. Robinson’s sister, Mrs. H.M. Mills and Mr. Mills, in Albany. Returning home they were guests of Mrs. Spurlock’s son, in Dawson.”

Oct. 30, 1950: photographs of municipal candidates:  Mayor Fred P. Bowen, Claude Morris, H.G. Teaford, George W. Davis, Theo Baldwin, C.E. Lee and Charles S. Hogg Jr.

Nov. 1, 1950: “THIRD DISTRICT TO HONOR PACE THURSDAY - WILL BE HONORED HERE - … after 14 years service … ” with photograph of Congressman Stephen Pace

Nov. 3, 1950: Sam Gunn, et. al., guests at Betty Jean McClung’s sixteenth birthday party Nov. 2;  “Housing Authority In Request For Bids Hire - For Construction Of 150 Units - … ”   

Nov. 14, 1950: “DATE OF OLD HOUSE TRACED IN BRICK - PLAINS, Ga. - Last Christmas a very old house burned on the old Daniel Estate in the Concord Community a few miles from here.  Since that time efforts have been made to find out just how old the old house was but nobody seemed to know. During the past year the debris from the old house has been moved away and a new house is now under construction in the same spot.  Yesterday, workers decided to use some of the old hand made brick from the old house in the building of the steps for the new house. As they started using the old material they found one brick with the date 1788 inscribed in it with some sharp instrument.  It is now assumed that the old house that burned on Christmas Day was built back in that year because the brick and all the material for the house was made there on the estate. The aged brick has been placed in the bottom step of the new house, which is owned by Ross Parker, for all to see.”; “WORK EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON MODERN HOSPITAL SOON - … [rendering of Americus and Sumter County Hospital - Chas. H. McCauley, architect]

Nov. 22, 1950:  “Coleman Speer, head of the Veterans Service Office here, is one of the 64 Georgians appointed to American Legion committee posts by the National Commander, Erle Cocke Jr., of Dawson … ”

Nov. 23, 1950:  “Mrs. W.F. Livingston, of the Albany road, will celebrate her 85th birthday Thursday, November 23, at her home.”

Nov. 28, 1950:  “Sumter County Was Former Part Of Lee County; A Land Of Plenty - History Traced By Local Man - By W.T. McMATH - On December 11, 1836, when Lee County was organized by the Georgia Legislature it was a great empire, which had been acquired from the Indians by purchase in 1825 … composed of parts of Macon, Schley, Marion, Chattahoochee, Clay and all of Sumter, Webster, Stewart, Terrell, Randolph and Quitman … named for Major General Henry Lee (Light Horse Harry) … first election for officers of Lee county was held at Pondtown, now Ellaville, on the first Monday in May, 1827. Levi W. Moore, James R. Lyons, E.H. Hall, Elbert Milton, and Axum Webb were elected Justices of the Inferior court, Nathan Powell Sheriff; the clerk of Superior Court was Joseph White. The county was placed in the Chattahoochee superior court circuit and Walter T. Colquitt was the first Judge.  Samuel A. Bailey was Solicitor General.  The first session of court was held at or near Starksville, which was made the county seat  …  first brick building was erected in Bumphead, 10 miles north of Americus … It was indeed a land of great promise to DeSoto and his army, who were well fed now at DeSoto, Ga., Mch. 28th and 29th, 1540 … ”

Nov. 30, 1950: “Col. J.E.D. Shipp Dies In City Hospital Yesterday - Widely Known As Author, Scholar - Col. J.E.D. Shipp, 92, one of Sumter County’s oldest and most prominent citizens, died late yesterday afternoon … following a lengthy illness. Col. Shipp was a retired lawyer and farmer and formerly served in the State Legislature. He was one of the founders of Cordele as well as one of the founders of the Seaboard Railway. He first moved to Americus in 1884 and at one time served as vice-president of the old Bank of Americus. Col. Shipp was born in Chattahoochee county.  He received his A.B. degree with honors from Alabama Polytechnic Institute in 1879 and was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. At one time he lived in Cordele but later moved back to Americus and Sumter county. He was a member of the Rehoboth Baptist Church. Col. Shipp was famous for his book collection. He and his hundreds of books have been featured in stories in important newspaper periodicals from time to time. Col. Shipp was widely known as a scholar, author and historian. He was a member of the legislature in 1887-88 when a $1,000,000 appropriation was proceed to construct the present state capitol building. He published a biography of William H. Crawford in 1909 and has written numerous historical articles for magazines and newspapers. He was once a school principal in Cusseta where he began to practice law. He established Cordele in 1888. Survivors include, other than his wife, two daughters, Mrs. Roy S. Bell of Dublin and Mrs. L.L. McCleskey of Americus; two sons, Edgar Shipp Jr. and H.B. Shipp of Americus; one sister, Mrs. Z.A. Littlejohn Sr., of Americus; three brothers, Dr. Wilmot Shipp and Dr. Henry H. Shipp of Woodsboro, Tex., and Dan F. Shipp of Atlanta, and a number of nieces, nephews and grandchildren … Active pallbearers were announced today as B.T. Finch, Childers Sheppard, Urben Bowen, Claude Harvey, Ben Stephens and Frank Myers … ”

Dec. 6, 1950:  “C.F. Giddings is quite ill at Prather Clinic.”

Dec. 7, 1950:  “C.F. Giddings Is Called By Death - Charles Fort Giddings, 83, beloved resident of Americus since 1881, passed away at the Prather Clinic at 5:50 o’clock this morning, following a lingering illness. Mr. Giddings was born in Eufaula, Ala., May 6, 1867. He spent his childhood at Talbotton, Ga.  When he came to Americus in 1881, he became associated with L.A. Morgan and J.C. Dixon, in the operation of the Americus Press.  Later, he was employed by the Americus Times-Recorder, the Sumter Republican, the Government printing office in Washington, D.C., and the Bank of Commerce, of this city. Mr. Giddings was retired from his position with the local bank in 1939. Mr. Giddings was a member of the First Methodist church of Americus and was active in its affairs until ill health prevented. He was an active steward for 60 years and at the time of his death was an honorary steward and trustee of the church. On Nov. 14, 1888, Mr. Giddings was married to the former Miss Nannie Sue Daniel, a daughter of James A. and Teresa Cobb Daniel. Surviving, besides Mrs. Giddings, are five sons, James I., of Glenwood, Ga.; Charles D., of Jacksonville; Marvin A., of Tampa, Fla.; and L. Edwin and Wilbur, both of Americus; and one sister, Mrs. G. T. Sullivan, of Bennettsville, S.C.  Funeral arrangements are incomplete. Announcements regarding same will be made later by the I.B. Davis Funeral Home.”;  “Mr. and Mrs. Frank Belcher, of 204 Furlow Street, announce the birth of a son Thursday, December 7, at city hospital, who has been named Frank Allen Jr.  Mrs. Belcher is the former Miss Evelyn Temples, of Blakely.’

Dec. 9, 1950: J.H. Rushin, Charles Crisp, Evan Mathis, Sam Heys, Johnson Matthews and Willis Shiver pallbearers at funeral of C.F. Giddings

Dec. 18, 1950: “Mr. and Mrs. W.F. Livingston are celebrating their 62nd wedding anniversary today at their home on the Albany road. Mr. Livingston is 90 years old and Mrs. Livingston is 85. They are members of the First Baptist Church.”

Dec. 19, 1950: photograph of planned Third District Ga. Forestry Commission office, Hwy. 19 north, W.E. Bowen, contractor



Alan Anderson, archivist of the Sumter Historic Trust, lives in Americus.