Thank you, Rena Cobb, author of "A History of Marion County, Georgia Motherland to Many" for her willingness to allow use of this photograph.
Morgan Towne House Restaurant and Bed & Breakfast of Buena Vista was the home built for Dr. W.A. Drane. See Obituary below. The attractive old home is at the corner of Church Street and Fourth Avenue, Buena Vista. This was also the childhood home of Ernest Stevens and was referred to as the Stevens House. Bob Swearingen boarded in the front upstairs bedroom to go to high school in Buena Vista due to lack of transportation from Tazewell.
Pat Lowe
I believe this was the home of Ernest Chappell Stevens
and Ann Ansley Allison, dau of Charles Aaron Allison
and Sophronia Ansley. I don't know any more about his
parents/siblings etc.
But I do have some info on his wife, Ann Allison Stevens, who died, in 1952, when her two sons were 3-4 years old. Therefore, her sister Miss LaVerna Allison came to live with her brother in law to help raise the boys. Miss LaVerna never married and was a school teacher in Buena Vista, Ga.
Here is a little biography of her from "Thomas Ansley, a history of descendants, Warren County, GA" vol 1, p 58-59 by Phyllis Ansley Griffin. La Verna Allison graduated from college in College Park GA. She was the principal of the Lyons High School in Lyons, GA. She also taught school in Buena Vista, GA in the Jr. High School and retired from teaching there. She was Superintendent of Sunday School at the Oglethorpe Ga, Baptist Church. She also ran a gift shop in Buena Vista GA. She was a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma sorority and Outstanding Teachers of the World. After her sister, Ann, died, La LaVerna helped to raise Ann's children.
In her later years, LaVerna and her sister Katherine, then a widow, lived together in the Atlanta area. I visited with them in their home in Marrietta and found them to be very charming and gentile women. They were very well educated and articulate women. Quintessencial southern women!
They were able to confirm a few details for me about my (our) ancestor, Henry L Allison and his three wives, Ann P Rainey, Mary Ann Lanier and her sister, Ruth Lanier. They never knew he had 3 wives. They descend from the middle wife, Mary Ann Lanier, but always thought that the last wife, Ruth Lanier, was their grandfather's mother since apparently she raised the younger children.
My 2nd great grandfather is Francis Randolph Allison, (child of Henry L Allison and Ann P Rainey, and their grandfather, William Peter Allison are half brothers.
Here are my sources for William Peter Allison
CENSUS: 1900 Marion Co Ga with Genie
1850 Census Randolph Co Ga
1860, 1870 Marion Co Ga
1920 Marion Co ED 74-9 liv with wife Genie and grdau Rosie Nutt
MARRIAGE: Marion Co GA Bk b p 156
FAMILY HISTORY: Info from Katherine Turner & LaVerna Allison grand daughters say WP is buried in Providence Cemetary,Marion Co Ga
DEATH: WP was 83 year old when he died from general dability (sic), old age, and worn out. Residence in 948th dist-Brantley Ga
FAMILY HISTORY:Uncle Leon told me that he read an article in the Atlanta Constitution about WP Allison who was the oldest Baptist preacher in GA. but since it is not indexed, I haven't found that article yet.
CHURCH HISTORY: Mercer University, Macon, Georgia; Baptist Ministerial Directory 1899 by Lasher;
Note: William P Allison, born Terrell Co Ga, licensed in 1880, ordained Mar 14, 1882, minister of New Providence Church 1883-85; Friendship Baptist Association Union Ga 1885-92; (Mt Zion Missionary Baptist Church) Cusseta GA 1890-1891; Emmaus 1887-98; Tazewell 1893-96; Brantley GA 1899.
I happened to notice a mention of William P. Allison in the email about the Drane-Stevens Home in Buena Vista. Rev. Allison was the Pastor of the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Chattahoochee County while my GGGGrandfather, William P. Fielder, was the Clerk of the Church.
If anyone is interested, I transcribed the minutes of this church several years ago and they are posted on the Chattahoochee County page. The dates that Rev. Allison served at this church are listed below. Carla Miles
THE CHURCH MINUTES OF MT. ZION BAPTIST CHURCH CHATTAHOOCHEE COUNTY, GEORGIA DECEMBER 31, 1882 - JULY 1, 1893 Pastors of the Church: G.W. Weekley, December 31, 1882 - January 6, 1884 W.P. Allison, February 3, 1884 - December 5, 1891 H.H.E. Hawkins, 1891 - July 1, 1893 (The book ends as of this date)
d h deci JUNE 9, 1932 BUENA VISTA, GEORGIA THURSDAY
DR. William A Drane Passes Early Monday
The passing of Dr. William Arthur Drane at six o'clock at his home, Monday morning has thrown a pall of gloom over the town. His death was not unexpected as he had been critically ill for more thatn a week from an illness extending nearly a year.
Dr. Drane has been for 46 years an eminently successful practionere in Buena Vista. He was a man of brilliant intellect and possessed many noble traits of character. HE was progressive and public spirited and an outstanding citizen of the county.
Dr. Drane was particularly fond of children and his gentleness in administering to their ills made him beloved by all and his successful treatment of childrens diseases gave him an extensive practice.
Funeral services were held Tuesday morning from residence which was attended by a large representation of sorrowing friends and relatives.
A tender tribute was paid Dr. Drane by Hon Ed Mathis, of Americus, who couched in lovely words the affection existing between the two and called to mind many noble virtues of the deceased.
Rev C R McKibben, assisted by Rev G A Briggs conducted the services. Interment took place in the family plat in the Methodist Cemetery.
Dr. Drane was born on Oct. 27, 1860 and was a son of William Margrauder Drane and Margaret Bryan Drane, prominent families of the county.
In early life he was married to Miss Elizabeth Lou Butt, a daughter of Judge Edgar M. Butt, a colonel in the Confederate army, an ex-judge of the Superior court of the Chattahoochee circuit and a leading attorney in Middle West Georgia. To this union six children where born: William E. Drane of Columbus, Mrs. Mary Lou Drane of Ellaville, Mrs. Minnie Burt of Americus, Mrs. Marguerite Lowe and Mrs. Elizabeth McMichael, Buena Visa, and Dr. Arthur Hall Drane (deceased). His present wife who was Miss Suzanne Bennett of Columbus.
He is also survived by two sisters, Mrs. O C Bullock and Mrs. E B Hornady of Columbus, 18 grand children and 3 great grand children.
The following grandsons and nephews acted as pall bearers; Horace Holmer Lowe, Frank Lowe, Jr. Arthur Drane Jordan, Edgar and Joseph Drane and Floyd Bullock.
NOTE: Burial in Buena Vista Cemetery
DRANE, Dr. W.A. b. 10/27/1860 d. 01/06/1932
Dr. Drane's daughter, Mary Lou, married Roney Jordan SR. of Ellaville. She was instrumental in starting the nursing program at Ga. Southwestern College and a portrait of her hangs in the lobby of the nursing dormitory.
This was written on the back of the picture.
Home of Attalissa Sparks and Hampton Stevens. They married in Putnam County Georgia in 1820. 1828 they moved to Harris County, Georgia. In 1848 they moved to Marion County, Georgia. This home was built during the 1850's, It burned in about 1912.
From Judy: Hampton and Attalissa were married 19 January 1829. They gave this home to their son Putnam Sparks Stevens and his wife Louisa Josephine Hurt Stevens after their marriage in 1857. Sometime after the 1860 Marion county census Hampton and Attalissa moved to Randolph County, GA. They are buried at Prospect Methodist Church Cemetery, Shellman, GA. Putnam and Josephine lived here until their deaths in 1913 and 1914 respectively. Their son Robert W. Stevens inherited the home and it burned to the ground. Robert and his wife rebuilt the home to its exact specifications and that home also burned a few years later. The original Plantation was called "Peachtree". The small town of Putnam, GA was named for Putnam Sparks Stevens as he gave the land to the railroad for the Depot.
Gloria S. Corales graciously contributed this photo. This plantation was located in Marion county, almost on the Schley county line.
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Many thanks go to Mary Kathryn Kozy, Virginia Crilley, Harris Hill, Carla Miles & Angela Covington for their work on the site over the years.