HOBOKEN OR NAHUNTA?
PREFACE:
Researched and written by Thomas "Earl" Cleland. We believe this to be the "MOST unbiased account of the county site relocation" ever written. Earl was born near Nahunta, but resided in Waycross for the first 12 years of his life. His family returned to Nahunta in December, 1942, where he graduated from Nahunta High School in 1947. During those adolescent high school years he developed friendships on both sides of "Fire Tower Ridge. This appraisal of facts is dedicated to those friendships.
Nahunta stole the county seat! This accusation causes most "east county" folks to cringe and become a little defensive. They are never accused of stuffing the ballot boxes with "unregistered votes," and never with "fast counting" the election returns, but with "stealing the county seat!"
The east county folks snickered and giggled over the years having you believe that the "night-time removal of county records" from Hoboken actually constituted authority for the county site being at Nahunta. As we look back on history, the removal of county records from Hoboken to Nahunta was not as big an issue as most 'old timers' would have your believe. If, in fact, the county site was stolen, it was at the election booth, or in the counting of votes. The accusations and petitions coming out of that process represented the basis for many of the west county arguments, and was the basis for the Supreme Courts final decision.
Barely had the birth pain of Brantley County disappeared when divisive factions began to flourish east of fire tower ridge. The newly elected county officials, mostly east-county citizens had moved into their new offices at Hoboken on January 1, 1921, as scheduled. None of them liked traveling back and forth across Kneeknocker from Nahunta to Hoboken on a daily basis. It appeared their main priority after taking office was to solve the problem of growing dissension over location of the "county site." It would have been advantageous to most of the newly elected officers to have their county offices in Nahunta, since their homes were located east of fire tower ridge.
The subject of county site location had been a topic of discussion in the General Assembly at the time the new county was being reviewed, but had been overruled. While it appeared that the "decision of choice" should would rest with the voters of the new county, the General Assembly made the choice for them; a choice which took the Supreme Court three years to correct.
"Power of the people" is a phrase heard most loudly in a democratic society. The "passenger list of east county voters" headed to Hoboken on December 8, 1920, clearly favored the east county constituents as having the heavier voting power. Their slate of candidates were elected unanimous, overcoming that initial threat of ballot boxes being located at the Hoboken school house.
Regardless, arguments were built by folks from all voting sectors of Brantley County to support their preference for a County Site. A time when the discussion of "weather" took back seat to politics.
CITIZEN'S COMMITTEE: HONORABLE MEN: The dissension over location of the county site must have been disappointing news to such men as Senator John Knox Larkins, who had headed the "Citizens Committee" and had introduced the bill creating the new county. In stead of being able to rest on his laurels, and reap in praise for "good works", he was destined for a three year battle to determine county site location.
Special recognition should be given to Senator J. K. Larkin and his Citizen's Committee. They did the work, and were ignored. Benjamin D. Brantley, a native of Pierce County was the honoree.
We have not been able to identify where the concept of a new county originated; perhaps it was a local citizen or citizen group who solicited the assistance of Senator J.K. Larkin; or perhaps the Senator himself, who had the contacts and knew hall-ways of the Georgia Legislature. Also working with Senator Larkin in the Legislature was Simon P. Sweat, a Representative from Blackshear.
John Knox (J. K.) Larkins, born at Point Caswell, North Carolina on December 23, 1875, and died January 3, 1947. He was married to Sarah Riggins of Ware County, born on August 28, 1880, and died December 8, 1958. He served in the State Senate of Georgia, representing the 46 district in 1920. As a citizen, he was one of leading men in his community; being actively engaged in the turpentine business (naval stores) for many years, and also farming. J.K. Larkins was one of the very first farmers of southeast Georgia to engage in tobacco farming, at a time before "nicotine and smoke" were identified as dangerous to health. A son of John Knox Larkins was J. Floyd Larkins, who was also a distinguished citizen of Charlton, as well as Brantley County.
Regardless, the proposal creating Brantley County was a masterful concept. The area now designated as Brantley County was, to an great extent an unappreciated land. It was a "back-woods" to both Pierce County and Wayne County. A new county was needed to assure equality of State resources, and Senator Larkin spear - headed the action. An interesting comment by Martha Mizell Puckett of Snow White Sands, who lived in the "back-woods" of the Satilla River Basin area near the Smyrna Church, "going through the back-woods to Nahunta", which had not yet grown into prominence in the early 1900's.
The Citizen's Committee, made up mostly of Hoboken folks, must be given credit for creation of Brantley County. Most certainly they did all the leg-work and cleared the hurdles of coordination with the three counties affected. They were all respected men who recognized a need and worked feverishly with Senator J. K. Larkin to get the job accomplished.
No family could have been more respected than the Banner Mixon (B.M.) Thomas family which had three members on the committee; B. M., the progenitor of the Thomas clan in Brantley County, and his sons; Robert (Bob) Dillworth, a superintendent of schools in both Pierce and Brantley County; and Walter, a prominent attorney in Brantley County, and later Superior Court Judge Ware County.
There were two Doctors, Dr. A. C. Dorminey, and Dr. J. R. Orr (Veterinarian) who was involved in the court action up through to the very last. Others, R. R. Kelley, later a county Judge, W. M. Gear, W.F. Advise, J. R. Raulerson, W. L. Dowling, G. J. Dryden, B. B. Moore, A. B. Newton, W. M. Woodward, and L. A Druehl, all prominent citizens and champions of the people in Brantley County.
HOBOKEN: THE PROPOSED COUNTY SITE: When the proposal for Brantley County was prepared it called for Hoboken to be the County Site. Logical yes; practical, perhaps?
A pamphlet published by Kenneth K. Krakow describes origination of the name "Hoboken": "Incorporated as a city August 16, 1920. This town in the western part of the county has a name from the Algonguian word HOPOCAN, meaning 'tobacco pipe or pipe country'. It may have been named from the city in New Jersey."
The town of Hoboken had definite merits in being the county site, and might have had a slight edge over Nahunta in industry. Perhaps one of the biggest advantages for Hoboken being the county site was it's nearness to the distribution outlets of Waycross, about 15 miles. In addition, Hoboken had a population of 1,000, a fine graded public school, two naval stores establishments, two sawmill plants, and a number of live business enterprises, two churches, and was recognized as a rapid growing trade center of the area with rail connections to other towns of the new county.
The Citizens Committee had coordinated and gained approval through the losing counties, and made the choice of county site from their vantage point to serve the area of their interest. The general voting populace of the newly proposed county area were not consulted. There is no evidence to indicate that a vote taken by the people prior to the proposal being reviewed by the General Assembly of Georgia.
In defense of these actions, "How do you conduct a popular opinion election within an area involving three counties, that has not been clearly defined." Consultation with the general voting populace would have been almost impossible.
First of all, the recommendation submitted to the General Assembly was nothing more than a proposal. There was no way of knowing what the final conclusion would be on the boundaries of the new county.
Second, how could they identify potential voters, obtain registration, and conduct a ballot to determine their choice. Perhaps it might have been possible; yes, but it would have been a monumental task.
To the committee which had responsibilities for drawing up the proposal, Hoboken was the preferred choice for the county site. There appeared to be no east-county participants on the "Citizen's Committee". Was east participation not invited?... or Were they invited, and chose not to participate?
It's inconceivable to think that east county folks were not aware of the Citizen's Committee or their endeavors. Members on the committee had family relations in Nahunta, Hickox, and Waynesville . We have not been able to uncover an unbiased answer to these questions. Some say yes; others, no!
Folks east of "fire tower ridge" say that the Georgia General Assembly was furnished a map showing Hoboken to be centrally located in the proposed new county area, whereas, Hoboken is several miles west of the center of the county. Regardless, the establishment of the new county was a logical process by the General Assembly.
WOULD YOU HAVE VOTED NAHUNTA FOR COUNTY SEAT?
If you had been on the "Citizen's Committee", would you have recommended "Nahunta for county site"?
Why should Nahunta be the County Site? Well, it had a central county location with a train-crossing running north, east south and west, which was expected to create an economic boom. Implementation of the "Jesup - Folkston Short Line Railroad" through Nahunta in 1902 had brought about some population growth and tourist travel through that area. Migration from the Satilla river basin communities to Nahunta had already occurred; J.W. Brooker, Dr. D.L. Moore, and others.
Some say that in 1920 Nahunta had the biggest advantage of all in being the new county site. Where else in Brantley County could "officials" conduct court house business before noon, launch a flat-bottom fishing boat within the city limits, catch a "mess" of fish and still be home in time to clean them for supper?
It has been said that "fishing water" surrounded the Nahunta Train Depot on all four quadrants, and that "war-mouths and bream" were biting better around the Depot than at White Ford, Strickland Landing, Long Lake, Jonas Lake, and the Ole Barn near the Satilla.
Another tale which has grown each time it is told, and probably untrue, is that the "east county constituency" lost half of their voting power on December 8, 1920 (election of county officials) by voters riding the voting trains into Nahunta, off-loading and going fishing at the Depot, by-passing the opportunity to cast a ballot at Hoboken.
At the time, early 1900s, Nahunta still faced economic competition from more prosperous communities such as Hickox, Hortense, Lulaton, and Raybon.
Waynesville had experienced the early 19th century growth of being the County Site of Wayne County, as well as a retreat for coastal plantation owners. Hickox had already become the first incorporated township in the area.
WOULD I HAVE VOTED NAHUNTA FOR COUNTY SEAT?
My answer: Where's home? If I had lived east of fire tower ridge, Yes!
On the other hand, if I had lived "west of fire tower ridge" in 1920, and had been a part of the "Citizens Committee," Hoboken would have been my choice.
And you know, if I had been on the Citizen's Committee, I would have fought just as hard as J. K. Larkin, Doctor Jerome R. Orr, the Thomas family, and others. I might have even been a friend of Blackshear Attorney S. Forster Memory, who was a catalyst for democracy, fighting for a fair, legal process for three years.