-Chapter IV- TOWNS, COMMUNITIES, AND MILITIA DISTRICTS (1880-1980)
The Ball Ground Area
The Ball Ground area received its name in Cherokee days as Indians met in the vicinity to play ball in a game similar to lacrosse. Even now older residents sometimes refer to the spot as "ihe Ball Ground." Ball Ground has always been an important community because five roads meet there. The road on the west joins Ball Ground with Casey Springs and is sometimes called the May Hill-Ball Ground Road, while the one on the north connects Ball Ground with the Center Hill area. Two roads are on the east with the upper road crossing Rock Creek and leading to Ramhurst. while the lower road crosses Sugar Creek and goes to Coniston and Carters.
The May Hill-Ball Ground Road forked east of Casey Springs and the south-em branch curved toward Montgomery's. Off this road was the Macedonia Baptist Church. Mr. Elijah Pitts deeded this property in land lot 227 (8th and 3rd) to the church on December 14, 1900. The church was joined to the Eighth District by another road which connected with the Fidel Road. Among the families who attended Macedonia were the Pates. Pitts. Scotts. Maxwells. Bakers, and Holdens (who had three children buried near the church). M.O. Casey, G.W. Thomason, and Kirby Young were among the pastors of Macedonia before the congregation disbanded in the early 1940"s. Joe Robinson once had a store near Macedonia.
Long-time residents in the area west of Ball Gound were the Elrod. Ballew, Hayes. Pritchett. Davis. Cagle. and Walraven families. Tom Elrod (1823-1896) was a miller, Oliver Pierce Ballew ran a blacksmith shop, and Henry P. Ballew had a syrup mill. Two of these families-the Elrods and Pritchetts-gave their names to schools in the locale.
The Elrod school was established in 1890 on the old Elrod farm south of the Ball Ground Road near where Jim Cagle later lived. The first building was made of logs and was also used for Sunday school. Elisha Allen was the teacher in 1891. From 1893 until 1900 Elrod's was known as Pritchett's school since that family also lived nearby and provided two teachers at the school: M.W. Pritchett (1893-96) and W.H. Pritchett (1897 and 1900). Wesley Everett was the teacher in 1899. In 1908 J.H. Pritchett deeded part of land lot 192 (8th and 3rd) fora new Elrod facility and a nice wooden structure was erected. Other teachers at Elrod School included Victoria Bagley, Pritchett Tucker (1916), Ernest Pritchett (1920). Will Welch. C.P. (Paul) Brindle, Willie Mae Pritchett. Hattie Cochran (1917). Jessie Mae Wells. Posey Wells. Luke Cantrell. Joel Carney,.Will Smith, and Alfred C. Puckett (1921-22).
John Pritchett and Mr. McRee had stores near the Elrod School which was officially named East Point in 1917. In the early 1920's the Elrod/East Point School burned and a deed of September 3, 1923 mentions "the land on which the East Point School is now located." Rebuilding had resulted in a new location for the school on a more public road, but some still refused to call it East Point.
The new East Point school was about 1& miles south of the old spot and about 2 miles north of the Gordon County line at Mashburns. The structure here was also wooden, but many felt the construction was inferior to that of the old Elrod building. One teacher at the East Point School was the late Icy O'Neal Plemons who wrote the following:
"I taught at East Point or Elrod one room school in 1929-32. One boy (Floyd Mathis) was in 10th grade. His mother had died and he could not leave his father to board and go away to high school. The next year he went to Calhoun and graduated. The children-and sweet children they were-were families of Elrod, Mashburn, Moore, Scott, Johns, Mathis, Sosebee, Cagle, Blankenship, Johnson, and Jenkins."
Other teachers at this school were Clara McEntire, Viola O'Neal, Azzie Mc-Brayer (1928-29), Maggie Woods (1932-33). Opal Jenkins (1934-36), Ralph Richards (1933-34. 36-37). Neptha Rogers, Walter Richards (1937-38), and Ainslee Vaughn (1938-39). Trustees here included W.W. Shelton, Lee Yother, J.S. Rogers. Jeff Mashburn, J.D. Elrod. and W.I. Blankenship. The school was consolidated with Casey Springs.
Ironically, just over a decade after the Elrod school was moved south, another school was established a short distance north of the old Elrod location. In 1933 W. Gordon Mann and James Q. Steed deeded 1 acre of land lot 155 (8th and 3rd) "for school purposes." Some thought of this school as a new Elrod School, but its name was officially "Coosawattee"—though it was not that close to the river. The first teacher here (1934-36) was Miss Nina Middleton who reported that she had about 20 students with most of them from the Elrod, Cagle, Wal-raven, and Pritchett families. The reason for building this school was that the area was not on a bus route and it was some distance from other facilities. Other teachers here were Ruth Middleton (1936-37) and Mrs. Pauline Middleton (1937-39).
The new East Point School had been built at a high point east of a very old settlement called Montgomery's and later McEntire's. These related farnilies were large landowners and had been slave holders. They had a fancy surrey and were described as "well fixed." Coosawattee River steamboats stopped at their farm to load wheat to take to market at Rome. The Montgomerys operated a at the river for many years—until about 1917 when the first Montgomery Bridge was built. The Montgomery Ferry had once been Reel's Ferry.
Other families in the area were the Brogdens. Martins, and Berrys. In 1880 and 1881 a school operated at the Berry farm with a Miss Spruell as the teacher. This school soon closed, but in the 1890's the Montgomery School opened. Teachers here included F.J. Leamon (1891), Minnie Daily (1893), Miss Jennie Gilbert (1894), Mary Edmondson (1895). J.H. Berry (1896-97), Lizzie Keith (1896). B.T. Freeman and W.H. Pritchett (1899), and George Berry (1900).
Residents of the area remember a tornado that hit on the river in the mid-teens. They also think that the Montgomerys had the first telephone in the area. Across the river in what is now Gordon County a post office called Humphreys had briefly existed in 1848 with Mr. Enoch Humphrey as postmaster. In the late 1800's a post office called Coosawattee was located here (not to be confused with Coosawattee in Murray County).
The Montgomery Cemetery is south of the old homeplace near the river. It is the final resting place of the family patriarch. Hiram Montgomery, who was born in 1796 and died in 1867. Most of the burials here are relatives of the family and include Littles. Davises. Berrys. Brodgens. and McEntires (the most recent interments).
North of Montgomery's on the road toward Ball Ground (sometimes called the Montgomery or McEntire Road) was the community of Wells, founded about 1880. The Wells post office was established December 15, 1885 with George W. Johnson as postmaster. Later postmasters were Alfred Smith (1886-93). William L. Smith (1893-1908), and Marcus L. Bagley (1909). The office was discontinued June 15. 1909 as rural free delivery was begun. For many years the Carters rural route served the area. Wesley Everett delivered the mail in his buggy and John Tucker was his substitute.
Generally the post office was combined with a country store as was the case with Mr. Bagley, Besides the store and the post office. Mr. Bagley had the first car (a two seater) at Wells and was co-owner of a cotton gin with Fred Tolar. The Wells community also boasted a blacksmith shop. Fletcher Blaylock's grist mill. Gazaway's sawmill, and George Martin's store. Drs. J.F. Gilbert (1900) and J-A. McGuire (1892) had Wells addresses and for a time the "courtground" or vt>ting place was just above Wells on the Carter's Road. Candidates for office were certainly on hand at the annual Fourth of July barbecues held at Wells for many years. Families in the area were the Hollands, Strouds. Whites, Mitchells. Deals, Blacks, Cowarts, Stepps. Haneys, Nixes. Owens', and Pulliams.
The school at Wells was begun before 1906 when J.F. Petty deeded 1 acre on land lot 201 (8th and 3rd) for a school. In 1917 the school became known officially as Sugar Creek. Teachers at Welts included Victoria Pritchett Tucker, Jessie Mae Wells. Hulda Runyan (1916), and Lee Jones (who later moved to Dalton and became a successful banker). Other teachers at Sugar Creek were J.S Moore (1917), Minnie Barksdale, Charles Pannell, Sr..W.T. Richards (1928-30), "Madeline Pulliam (1930, 32-34). Maxie Harris (1934-35). J.P. Mosteller (1935-36, Robbie Sue Wilson (1936-37), Sue Tanksley (1938-39). Wayne Westmoreland (1938-39). and Mattie Bagley.. Trustees included George Overby (1921), J. L. Manley. J.B. Sitton, Bug Pulliam, Horace Stafford (1931), George Dyer (1930), J.R. Dooley (1932). Mel Pulliam (1934), and J.E.Jones (1933).
At Ball Ground itself the long-time landmark has been the Mt. Herman Baptist Church. On January 31, 1852 E.S. Rains deeded land for the church to Trustees Charles Wood. Stephen White, and John Cerce (Searcy?). From the location given in the deed this first church must have been just east of the cemetery (land lot 160. 8th and 3rd). About 1890 another church was built on the site of the present building. A deed dated December 30. 1902 lists J.D. Durham, O.P. Ballew. and Dillie Smith as deacons of Ball Ground Baptist Church so with the move the name must have changed. When Mr. Will Pritchett was dying in 1908 the newer building had not been sealed and Mr. Pritchett instructed his wife, the former Victoria Bagley. to use money from his estate to pay for work on the building. Some pastors at Ball Ground or Mt, Herman included W.R. Lackey, J.A. Austin of Resaca who served several years between 1910-1920, W.C. Haddock, Rev. Thomason. M.O. Casey, Berry Waters, and M.H.Welch (about 1920).
In 1870 Giles Dunn was pastor and the church reported 51 members to the North Georgia Baptist Association. Leaders at that time were A.M. Ford, U.S. Stephenson, and Mr. Pritchett. Later leaders were Oliver Pierce Ballew, W.R. (Rob) Ballew. John Pulliam. Newt Holcomb, and John Smith, while members of the Glass. Scott. Burger, Thomason, Phillips, McRee, Brarnblett. Bennett, Bagley and Cowart families were faithful members. T.J. Cowart was a special singer at the church and Mrs. Jim Bagley was the organist. In recent decades the church has had an uneven history with services held irregularly. However, not a year has gone by that some meetings were not held. The Ball Ground Cemetery, with marked burials as early as Daniel Ballew in 1861. is the final resting place of many early settlers of this area.
Before the days of the Wells School. Ball Ground was the site of an educational institution. Classes were held in the old church as early as 1880. W.C. Martin (later a well-known resident of Dalton) taught there in 1881 and Mr. Meady Shields was the teacher later in that decade. Miss Jennie Gilbert was the teacher in 1891. 1899, and 1900 while Eula Edmondson taught in 1893 and 1895. Other teachers at Ball Ground School were Nora Warmack (1894). Miss M.L. Wilson (1896). Bertie Payne (1897). and Mollie Glass (1899). This school closed in favor of Wells/Sugar Creek.
Also at Ball Ground Mr. Jim Bagley was a blacksmith and operated a store and mill. He made and sold coffins there as well. The "courthouse" was near Ball Gound in later years and another church had also existed at Ball Ground just a short distance west of the present building on lot 158. On February 9, 1858 Jacob Goodwin deeded property to Trustees William A. Marshall, Jacob Humphreys. Uriah H. Duncan, John Connally, and Benjamin Brenn? of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. Evidently this effort at establishing a Methodist church in the area was unsuccessful-possibly due to the coming of the War Between the States. This church could have been named Goodwin's Chapel.
After the war another Methodist church was founded northeast of the 1858 property. A deed dated November 24. 1888 reads as follows: "C.D. Gilbert... for and in consideration of the love he bears to the cause of Christ... donates, transfers. and conveys to the M.E. Church South, three acres of land situated on lot 130 8th District. 3rd Section ... (on Spring Place & Ball Ground Road) where Friendship Church is now situated. Said premises shall be kept, maintained, and disposed of as a place of divine worship . . ." The church was successful for a time, but then declined and disbanded. No other information has been discovered about Friendship Church.
The area to the north and east of Ball Ground was and is sparsely settled. One reason for this is that a few families owned rather large farms or plantations in this section of the district. The Brambletts owned several acres on Sugar Creek where Harris Bramblett was "bushwhacked" while working in the fields in 1900. He was buried on a hill overlooking the creek. Later, his wife. Barbara, and other members of the family were buried in the cemetery. Another story is that when some counterfeiters in the area were about to be captured, they hid the plates on the bank of an old field road on the Bramblett farm. Some of the counterfeiters were caught and served time in prison. Also, the White Caps, an off-shoot of the KKK who were involved in protecting the moonshiners of the district, reportedly hanged a man north of the Bramblett property. A grave was dug beneath the tree where the hanging took place and the rope was cut to let the body fall into an unmarked grave.
Two branches of the Connally family moved to Murray County in the 1840's and became prominent citizens. William Connally who received land in the 1832 land lottery and his brother Samuel moved to Murray from Franklin County. Their nephew, Thomas "Cushi" Connally came to Murray in 1843 and served as sheriff in 184648. According to family members he bought over 1,000 acres in the Ball Ground District and lived there the rest of his life. Thomas (1808-1878), his wife Mary (1806-1870), his son John W. (1835-1879), and infant Elijah Connally (1877) were buried in a family cemetery on their farm west of the Ramhurst to Ball Ground Road. The graves were surrounded by an iron fence and were left on a barren hill when the timber was cut in the 1970's. In 1982 two of the markers were stolen.
Samuel Connally (1797-1878). his wife Pyrene (1808-1891). and son Drewry (1832-1853) are buried in the Mt. Zion Cemetery. William and his wife moved to Walker County and are buried there. Other Connally family members moved west to Texas where many became prominent political figures including Governor John Connally. In recent years members of the Texas Connally family have visited Murray County in search of their roots.
The Hemphills. Edmondsons, Loves. Wrights. and Stewarts were also large property owners in the area. Mrs. Laura Holbrooks Wright ran a post office "ear Holly Creek from 1902 until 1904. Located on her family's farm, the office was known as "Prune." For a time a school operated near the Love farm and was named for that family. Among the teachers at the Love school ^ere Florence Barksdale (1928-30). Mattie Bagley (1930-31). Mrs. W.B. Adams (1932-33). and Rachel Middleton (1933-34). Trustees included Felton Quarks (1932). John Glass. Belle Morrison. John Morrison (1935). James Stoker (1933), and Bloomer Moore (1934).
Near the convergence of Holly and Rock Creeks. James Moman Venable had a plantation with slave labor by the 1850's. He was a purchasing agent when the Civil War began, but he died in 1862. Mr. Venable was buried near two of his children in a cedar grove on his farm. His widow, for former Martha Welch, continued to operate the farm and later married another Confederate veteran purchasing agent, Charles D. Durham. Thus the Venable name gave way to the Durham farm following the war. Mr, Durham, who was related to the well-known tobacco Durhams of North Carolina, was an excellent businessman and well-to-do in his own right. In Murray County he formed a partnership with Mr. John Hawkins in a successful merchant business. When Mr. Durham died in 1895 his son. Charles F.. took over the business. After his mother died In 1920, Charles F. Durham sold the Venable-Durham farm to Berry Bennett, a well-known figure in the area. The "Berry Bennett Place" is now a familiar point of reference for residents of the vicinity.
During her lifetime, Martha Durham corresponded regularly with her daughter Mrs, Richard (Mary) Bramblett whose family, like so many others from Murray, had moved west in the 1880's. Her great-granddaughter. Mrs. Jackie Gray of California, has returned some of Mrs. Durham's letters to Murray County and they give wonderful insights into life in Ball Ground before and after 1900. The earliest, dated June 13. 1885. says (keeping her spelling and style)1
Dear Daughter and family
• • • 1 have been busy this week cooking for Ivins and children to hoe out Pritchett's crop. We have had so much rain everybody got in the grass, some had to plant over. Brasky (Willerson) had 12 acres drown out . . . times are harder here than 1 ever saw ..... . Fanny (daughter) is gone to Ballground to meeting today, tomorrow is communion day. They had the graveyard cleaned off and decorated in May. I spent the day with Mrs. Gilbert this week , . , W.C.M. sends his kind regards . . . Jeff goes to see Mary G. but some how 1 don't think it will be a match. Mrs. Woods hasn't walked in six weeks, the calf pulled her down against the edge of the veranda floor-hurt her hip. Josephine Carter is very bad off ... I don't think she will last long. She has a verry smart daughter ... she is 11 ... does all the house work and waits on her mamma , . . Mr. Durham came home . . . from exploring the gold ... he found a little . . . but not the vein . . . C _____'s wife had been down 11 weeks . . . with consumption. Mint was hoeing in a big field of grassy corn by herself, her mother can't hoe attall this year . . . Ella lives close by ... Bart works with Brasky . . . Louis and family lives where Wilson lived last year . , . Louis has good health . . . Mary takes 'he children out in the orchard and hoes cotton . . . Betsy's cow giving a little milk. I have not seen any of Tom B(tamblett) folks this week . , . Jennie and B.L. are rite "ice girls, got ... much politeness , . , and fixes nice with what they have to fix with. Bob Smith goes to see Jenny , . . Harris has bought a heap of com and flour this year. Ma and Aunt Pol Connolly staid a week with us ... Aunt Pol is lively as a girl . . told about Texas folks ... Jim Smith is going west this fall. Milas (Welch) and family are well and got a tolerable fair prospect for a living . . . fresh land in this year ... I ^w Colonel B(ramblett) two weeks ago ... all was well . . . Bill Brarnbletts also was well . , . Well, we have got all sorts of vegetables but beets . . . planted peas the second time ... got about 60 chickens ... If there is any "excursion" the 4 of July, 1 will "lake my shadow at some Te\as hut soon after ... I was told there was to be excursion-$7.5O to any part of Texas-30 days. If so, goodby Georgia ... 1 will quit . . .
Your loving mother
Martha Durham
P.S, Martin gave a lecture to sabbath school this morning which was interesting-large attendance, washing feet.
Now past 70, Martha wrote the following on January 18,1902:
Dear Daughter,
there has been some very cold weather here and lots of rain . . , people have to buy feed this year to make crops . . . Some can't make crops attall . . . there will be land plenty that will lie out. Mr. John Edmondson died about two months ago. his family have moved to the May hill. Mrs. Willison died the 17 of December . . . Bart has been dead one year today . . . this is the 21 and its rained all day ... Fannie is piecing her a crazy worsted quilt . . . She don't believe in spiritualists no mote . . . Jeff (Durham?) lives at the Shields place or the old Jim Adams place-was all well last week, the kids going to school . . . this is the 21, its rained last knight and today & is cold. 1 have protracted this letter thinking I would hear from the boys . . .We had a new post office ... the rider left our mail at home-it was so nice, but somehow it stop! . . . Sometimes there is nothing hear to brag about , . . few have enough to make another crop . . . lots of labour going to public works . . . Ella Mullins washes all around & can't keep bread. Tom went to Ala &. married. Brasky has 5 kids & in debt . . . yet he feeds Nan &her kids .. .is cloudy, muddy. 1 have been in the house till I can't hardly get my breath. We do all our work except washing. Have all our com & flour to buy like Texas folks, 1 feel like quitting . . .
Your devoted mother,
Martha Durham
Martha did not quit, but did eventually leave the farm. On January 17, 1920 she wrote a much shorter letter with the heading of Ramhurst. Though in her 90th year, she said:
... 1 am well except my back. Mrs. Henson's health has been bad 2 years . . . C.P. came in ... reported a hundred cases of flu at Spring Place . . . Maggy Seward? died about a month ago at 91. Sindy Smith is dead, 1 forgot if 1 wrote you about Patience (a former Venable slave who died at Spring Place in 1919) . . . Mrs. Butler lost 2 of her girls last year, one with flu ... Mandy's boy (Charles Bramblett) was killed in action . . . Berry Bennett's girl & Tint Mitchell's boy married last week. Mrs. Sarah Bell lives near us &. helps churrn & gets milk & butter ... We have a plenty of good neighbors, plenty to eat, but not room enough. 1 can't keep house or I would buy one ... We all get along well. Did your war boys get back . . . love . . .
Martha Durham
A few months later. Martha Venable Durham died and was buried at Ball Ground. With her died apart of Ball Ground's history.
Murray County Heritage