Schley County

Schley County SCHLEY COUNTY TOWNS

Ellaville

Ellaville is named for Ella Burton, daughter of Robert Burton who sold the land for the townsite. Nearby Pond Town was settled in 1812.

She was the first woman to drive a car in Americus. Her automobile was a Baby Maxwell with brass carriage-type lights on each side of the windshield. It had to be cranked by hand.

Andrew Chapel

--Southern Schley county, just north of
Sumter county line on U.S. 19, received it's name
from the Methodist Church, which was named for
Bishop James O. Andrew, South & North Georgia
Methodist Conference.

Bumphead

Located on State Hwy 271. Take US 19 South from Ellaville, turn left on State Hwy 271 past La Crosse east to Bumphead. Very near the Schley-Sumter County line near Andersonville, GA

Concord

Located on State Highway 240 between Tazewell and Murray's Crossroads.

COUNTY LINE

--on Bumphead road, near LaCrosse, S.E.
of Ellaville. Before Schley county was formed, this
community was on the line of Lee, Marion, and Macon
counties.

EBERNEZAR

--S.W. of Ellaville, on Ebenezar Rd., in
GMD 785, in the area known as Lickskillet.

HAMBURG

The Schley County News Thursday, August 8th 1895 No. 31

WHO REMEMBERS THIS OLD TOWN?

Very few people, perhaps, are aware that a flourishing town once existed on what is now the Oglethorpe road. It was located about half way between Ellaville and Oglethorpe, and was built before either of these towns were thought of. It is possible that some of our oldest citizens remember the place which was called Hamburg. It was built in the early part of the century long before the progress of the pale face had driven the red man from his happy hunting grounds. There is no trace of the quaint old town and the early settlers who once thronged its streets, have long since passed away. It would be interesting to know more of its history, before it passes entirely into oblivion.

(Note: Hamburg appears on maps from 1846 to 1864 and then disappears. It would have been in what is today Macon Co. on Big Whitewater Creek. On the 1864 map, it was at the intersection of 5 roads.)

Hopewell Community

Hopewell Community took its name from Hopewell Church, and is located west of Ellaville on Georgia Highway 26.
Early pioneer settlers included: Snipes, Walls, Chapmans, Sniders, Stevens, Walters, Sellars, Barrows, McCorkles, Bivins, DeVanes, Pooles, Easons, Tondees, Owens, Myricks, Collums, Fouches, Tysons, and Raineys.
As with most communities in the 1850's life in Hopewell centered around the church, school and home. Buck Creek was a favorite spot for Hopewell residents to enjoy picnics and swimming ....near the Fouch home.
Near there was Walls Crossing where Mr. Henry Wall had a cotton gin around 1880. In 1884, the railroad came to Walls Crossing and farmers shipped cream to Columbus from the train stop. Grain was also shipped by the carload to community farms in the area.
On the Lawson Snider place, the railroad placed a water tank. Luke Springs was located there, and was an ancient Indian camping ground. Arrowheads were frequently found there.
Walls Crossing also developed the peach business with the McMath, Wall and Stevens packing houses. These employed many local people.
In 1932 the population of Hopewell had 55 white and 55 African American families. Today the community is much smaller.

JORDANVILLE

The Schley County News Thursday, August 15th 1895 No. 32
A NEW POST OFFICE We congratulate the good people of the Shiloh community that they are to have a post office. It will be located near the residence of Mr. Sid Jordan and will be called Jordanville.

La Crosse

Located on State Hwy 271. Take US 19 South from Ellaville, turn left (east) on State Hwy 271 to reach La Crosse. The highway runs north-south through the town. The railroad also runs through the town.

Lowe/Fellowship

--E.N.E. of Ellaville near the Macon
county line.

Midway

--East of Murray's Crossroads near Macon
County line.

Myrtle Springs

- is an old very dear memory to me. I know it from the late 1940's, till about 1955. It was the place we went to swim during the long hot summers. There was a swimming pool, a large open air barn where dances were once held. There were rooms for changing your clothes.
The swimming pool was Spring fed and cold. The man whose name I have forgotten lived just up the hill, just as his parents did. There were very large old Magnolia Trees, a few tables for eating. An Office type building where one would pay or buy a snack. I do remember a Juke box, "Unchained Melody", and the best tasting water ever.Being the youngest child had it's draw backs. I never went to a Saturday Night Dance at Myrtle Springs.
Years later I was back in Schley County. I left the house on what is Green Road to go see that memory in person. I came back crying... I could not find Myrtle Springs, they had paved the Roads, houses that marked the turning place were gone, new houses where there was nothing but fields before. My uncle assured me that it was still there but I never got back. It was in the North/West of Sumter County.
Jeanette Mills

Murray's Cross Roads

Located on Intersection of Hwy 19 and State Highway 240 north of Ellaville, just west of Sellers Store and between Concord and Fountainville.

Pond Town (1812-1859)

PPond Town named for its proximity to several ponds had beginnings as a relay station for the stagecoach line which ran from Hamburg to Preston. Some say white men were living in the area as early as 1808 certainly by 1812.

Located on the border between Sumter and Marion Counties Pond Town became a lively little community with horse racing and whiskey drinking as favorite amusements. A post office was established in 1833 with Lovett B. Smith as postmaster.

In 1840 there was a migration of some 20 families to Mississippi which almost depopulated Pond Town. At this date there was as yet no church building. A Baptist congregation was organized in 1843. Schley County was formed in 1857 and a central site was chosen for the county seat.

This site Ellaville was 1/2 mile north of Pond Town. Ellaville's charter in 1859 effectively sealed Pond Town's fate and several families moved their houses to the new site.

Today the site of Pond Town is occupied by the city cemetery.

Putnam

--on the county line between Marion and Schley
counties. N.W. of Ellaville, actually in Marion
county.

Schley

--North of Buck Creek in North Central Schley
County.

Walls Crossing

Located on State Hwy 26 between Buena Vista and Ellaville. Take Hwy 26 south from Buena Vista, through Doyle, Putnam and then to Walls Crossing.

Can anyone give me historical data about any of them? Thanks.

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