This Day in Athens

12 February 1878: Farm Proverbs

2012-02-12T11:00:00.001-05:00

On this day in 1878, the Southern Banner published these bits of wisdom:

Learn More:

Southern Banner, Nov. 6, 1877 - Mar. 14, 1882 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
A Century of Georgia Agriculture, 1850-1950 by Willard Range in the Heritage and general collections.
The Best of the Old Farmer's Almanac, edited by Will Forpe in the general collection.
In One Place: The Natural History of a Georgia Farmer by Milton N. Hopkins in the general collection.
Building Small Barns, Sheds, and Shelters by Monte Burch in the general collection.
The Secrets of the Soil by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird in the general collection.
Farm Tools Through the Ages by Michael Partridge in the general collection.
Making Your Small Farm Profitable by Ron Macher in the general collection.
The Seasons of America's Past by Eric Sloane in the general collection.
The Complete Guide to Small-Scale Farming by Melissa G. Nelson in the general collection.
See You in a Hundred Years: Four Seasons in Forgotten America by Logan Ward in the general collection.

7 February 1922: "A Brand New Joy for a Nation!"

2012-02-07T12:00:00.065-05:00

On this day 90 years ago, in 1922, the Athens-area was experiencing their first Eskimo Pies after the Joseph Costa Company licensed the patented method of creating the chocolate-coated ice cream bars:

(click to enlarge image)

Ads in anticipation of the new product's availablity on Monday morning, the Costa Company urged Athenians to "jump out of bed and dress as quickly as you can; then beat it to the nearest soda fount" to "get the treat of your life."

Created by an Iowa sweets shop owner, Christian Kent Nelson in 1920, the chocolate-covered ice cream squares were originally called "I-Scream" bars. Nelson patented his method of adhering chocolate (or any candy coating) to ice cream, then partnered with chocolatier Russell Stover in 1921, the name of the treat was changed to "Eskimo Pies," and licenses were sold to regional manufacturers.

The Costa company paid between $500.00-$1,000.00 for the license rights to make the Eskimo Pies, plus a small royalty fee on each pie sold. According to the Smithsonian, by 1922, Nelson was earning $2,000.00 per day on the royalty fees from the 2,700 manufacturers in the United States making the ice cream bar, who were selling 1 million pies per day.

In Athens, the pies were available at a dozen locations, including many drug store soda fountains, the New York Cafe, Thornton's Cafeteria, Boston Candy Kitchen, John Petropol's, and the Q Room. They were likely available as well as Costa's own shop on College Avenue, in the center of the bottom floor of the Southern Mutual building. As recalled by Dean William Tate, "'Costa's' -- that was a magic word with us students in the 1920s, and with Athens people, too. "

Learn More:

Athens Banner, Nov. 1921 - Feb. 1922 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
Athens Historic Newspaper Archive collection in the Digital Library of Georgia.
Strolls Around Athens by William Tate in the Heritage and general collections.
A Postcard History of Athens, Georgia by Gary L. Doster in the Heritage and general collections.
Athens: A Pictorial History 1801-2001 by James K. Reap in the Heritage and general collections.
Smithsonian Archives Center web page, History of the Eskimo Pie.
The Great American Ice Cream Book by Paul Dickson in the general collection.
Ice Cream by Mary Goodbody in the general collection.
Should I Share My Ice Cream? by Mo Willems in the children's easy reader collection.
Ice Cream for Breakfast: If You Follow All the Rules, You Miss Half the Fun by Leslie Levine in the general collection.
Ice Cream Larry by Daniel Pinkwater in the children's picture book collection.

2 February 1892: 80-Year-Old Man Never Takes Medicine

2012-02-02T15:00:00.001-05:00

On this day in 1892, the Weekly Banner took note of a longtime citizen of Athens:

Sadly, Mr. Culp would die in October of 1892, after having "been sick for some time." In his obituary, he was hailed as "an honest man in the highest acceptation of that term, despising all shams or deceits." He left behind his wife of 57 years, Martha, three daughters, and two sons.

Mr. Culp moved to Athens in 1860, and served in the Lipscomb Volunteers, part of Athens home defense during the Civil War. He was an active member of East Athens Baptist Church for 45 years, and served as Warden for the first ward in 1870.

His son Benjamin F. Culp served with Troops Artillery and Cobb's Legion during the war, and was first appointed to the police force in 1875, becoming the city's Chief of Police in 1896.

The Culp family is buried in Oconee Hill Cemetery.

Learn More:

Weekly Banner, Jan. 1891 - Jun. 1892 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
Athens Historic Newspaper Archive collection in the Digital Library of Georgia.
Oconee Hill Cemetery, Athens, Georgia, Volume I by Charlotte Thomas Marshall in the Heritage and general collections.
Annals of Athens, 1801-1901 by Augustus Longstreet Hull in the Heritage collection.
The Blue Zone: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived Longest by Dan Buettner in the general collection.
Younger Next Year: A Guide to Living Like 50 Until You're 80 and Beyond by Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge in the large print collection.
Nature's Cures: The Ultimate Guide to the Best, Scientifically Proven, Drug-Free Healing Methods by Michael Castleman in the general collection.
Walking for Fitness and Health by Klaus Bos in the general collection.
Feed Your Family Right: How to Make Smart Food and Fitness Choices for a Healthy Lifestyle by Elisa Zied and Ruth Winter in the general collection.
Sitting Kills, Moving Heals by Joan Vernikos in the general collection.

31 January 1861: Julia A. Flisch, Author and Women's Education Advocate, Is Born

2012-01-31T16:46:00.001-05:00

On this day in 1861, Julia Anna Flisch was born to Pauline and Leonard Flisch in Augusta, Georgia. While Julia was still an infant, her family moved to Athens, where her parents, German immigrants, ran a sweets shop across the street from the University of Georgia, selling cakes and ice cream to college students. Julia grew up in Athens; her family lived above their store, and were active in the community, including the First Presbyterian Church, where her father was an Elder. She later noted that "the history and traditions of my childhood were the history and traditions of the University of Georgia."

After graduating with honors from the Lucy Cobb Institute in in 1877, Julia wanted to attend UGA, but her application was rejected because she was female. Her family returned to Augusta a few years later (according to Augustus Longstreet Hull, college boys who bought on credit and never paid made the business unprofitable, and the move was "self defense").

In 1882, she wrote a letter to the Augusta Chronicle titled "Give the Girls a Chance," calling for more educational and occupational opportunities for women in the South to "work out their own sense of independence" and "to be of some active use in the world." She signed the letter only, "A Young Woman." The subject stirred the Augusta population, and two weeks later, the paper published that Julia Flisch was the author.

Over the next few years, she wrote frequently on the subject of women's education, and criticized the common education provided to girls at the time--with a focus on sewing, music, and decorative arts--as "defective education" that denied women the ability to properly support themselves.

Julia herself went to Coopers Union in New York to study secretarial skills, such as shorthand and typewriting in 1883 and 1884. She returned to Augusta and worked as a bookkeeper while writing and publishing articles, stories, and her first novel, Ashes of Hope. She also covered 1887 commencement season in Athens for the Augusta Chronicle, bemoaning that the school was for the "sons of Georgia" alone.

She urged women to pressure the state to provide more opportunities for women's education, and in 1889, after more overwhelming pressure via petitions and letters from the women of Georgia, the legislature passed a bill approving the first women's industrial college. Despite the widespread support of many prominent women in the state, only Julia Flisch was part of the official program for laying the cornerstone for the Georgia Normal and Industrial College (now Georgia College and State University) in Milledgeville in 1890.

Julia joined the school's faculty, teaching the secretarial skills she had learned in New York and later ancient and medieval history. She continued to write for newspapers, and spent her summers studying at the University of Chicago and Harvard. In 1899, 22 years after she had first applied to study there, the University of Georgia granted her an honorary degree, the first degree UGA ever gave to a woman; 19 years later, the first women students were admitted to UGA.

In 1905, Julia left her position to attend the University of Wisconsin. In 1908, she earned her Master's degree in history, and was offered positions at universities around the country. She chose, however, to return to Georgia, and took a position at the Tubman High School for Girls in Augusta. In 1925, she published her second novel, Old Hurricane and took the position of Dean of Women for the newly established Augusta Junior College, the first junior college in Georgia (now Augusta State University). Julia Flisch retired from teaching in 1936 due to her failing vision. She died in 1941, and is buried at Magnolia Cemetery in Augusta.

Georgia Women of Achievement honored Julia Anna Flisch, as well as Margaret Mitchell, Emily Thomas Tubman, Ruth Hartley Mosley, and Carson McCullers, as one of the important women in Georgia's history.

Learn More:

Annals of Athens, 1801-1901 by Augustus Longstreet Hull in the Heritage collection.
Higher Education for Women in the South: A History of the Lucy Cobb Institute, 1858-1994 by Phinizy Spalding in the Heritage collection.
Lucy Cobb Institute Messenger 1876 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
The Georgia Historical Quarterly, Volume LXXX, Number 3, Fall 1996 in the (stored) Heritage collection.
Confederate Athens by Kenneth Coleman in the Heritage and general collections.
College Life in the Old South by E. Merton Coulter in the Heritage and general collections.
Women in the South: An Anthropological Perspective, edited by Holly F. Mathews in the general collection.
Julia A. Flisch collection at the Georgia College and State University library.
All-American Girl: The Ideal of Real Womanhood in Nineteenth-Century America by Frances B. Cogan in the general collection.
Torches of Light: Georgia Teachers and the Coming of the Modern South by Ann Short Chirhart in the Heritage collection.
America's Women: Four Hundred Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines by Gail Collins in the general collection.
Smart Choices: A Woman's Guide to Returning to School by Anne Bianchi in the general collection.
Georgia Women of Achievement Honorees web page.

26 January 1872: Christmas Eve Mischief Funds City

2012-01-26T16:45:00.001-05:00

On this day in 1872, the following story appeared in the Southern Banner:

Following the night of mischief, the Banner had called the Christmas Eve events "unseemly noises and actions which might well have frightened old Santa Claus from his mission" and "it was more like the imps of pandemonium hailing the birth of a new devil." The paper concluded at the time that

"If civilization is not a failure, and it is proposed to maintain the forms of civilized life, measures ought to be taken to detect and punish the authors of such vandalism, and prevent its recurrence. If we are bent on becoming savages, we may as well abolish the mockery of law, and abandon the pretences [sic] of order and decency."

The type of pranks that came to Athens that Christmas Eve--fireworks, pistols, removal or switching of gates and fences--were typical of a British tradition known as Mischief Night that dates to the 1700s. Normally occurring between October 30th and November 5th, young men would set off fireworks, knock and run from doorsteps, and stole or switched gates and signs from homes and businesses.

The night is still common in northern England, with more common pranks such as gum under car door handles and throwing eggs or flour (or both) at doorways. In fact, some grocery stores in the areas where Mischief Night is still common ban the sale of flour and eggs to those under 16 in the weeks leading up to Halloween.

Learn More:

Southern Banner, Jan. 1869 - Mar. 1872 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
Athens Historic Newspaper Archive collection in the Digital Library of Georgia.
"Watch Out...It Is Mischief Night" from BBC News Magazine.
Amazing Pranks and Blunders by Peter Eldin via PINES.
Fences, Gates, and Trellises by James Barrett in the general collection.
Mischief Maker's Manual by Sir John Hargrave in the Young Adult collection.
Ancient and Annual Customs by Dwayne E. Pickels in the general collection.
The Fence Bible by Jeff Beneke in the general collection.
The Spookster's Handbook by Peter Eldin in the children's collection.
Holidays Around the World by Joseph Gaer via PINES.
I Fooled You: Ten Stories of Tricks, Jokes, and Switcheroos by Johanna Hurwitz in the Young Adult and children's collections.
Causing a Scene: Extraordinary Pranks in Ordinary Places by Charlie Todd via PINES.
Building Fences and Gates by Richard Freudenberger in the general collection.

23 January 1845: Marriage & Death Announcements from Around the State

2012-01-23T12:00:00.154-05:00

On this day, the following marriage and death announcements appeared in the Southern Banner:

(click on image to enlarge)

The announcements are not only covering local marriages and deaths, but from all around Georgia. A smaller population, and the need to fill all the space in each week's paper, made publishing such notices a normal practice by many early newspapers.

The wide scope of such announcements is also why we advise researchers not to limit themselves to the newspapers from the city or county where their family lived. Many counties did not have their own newspaper in the 1800s in Georgia, and even those that did have gaps in their collections, have not been abstracted or digitized, or maybe were lost entirely over time.

The dates for the deaths are from January ("instant" or "inst" indicates the same month as published), while the marriages are from both January and December ("ultimo" or "ult" indicates the previous month).

The marriages, as was the custom at the time and often today, were held in the bride's home county. This tradition makes such announcements an important part of tracking where to look for marriage certificates and maternal lines, especially when the county where your family "has always lived" has few of the vital records you would expect to find.

Two people from "Clark" county with the last name of "Lester" were married on the same Thursday. Much like the Carlton siblings two years earlier, it is possible this brother and sister married on the same day. Because these couples were wed in 1845, we can use the 1850 United States Census to peek in on their lives just a few years later.

In 1850, Josiah (now 26) and Emily (now 23) Lester were living in High Shoals with their three-year-old daugher Elizabeth J. and one-year-old daughter Regina E.; Josiah Daniell (now 23) and his wife Elizabeth Susan (now 21) are living in Watkinsville with their three-year-old son James W. and one-year-old son Young H. The name of the younger son could indicate that the family was Methodist (if the child was named for Young L. G. Harris).

Though it is difficult to find Absalom Gray in the 1850 Census, in 1860, he is now 56 years old and still living in Griffin, with a different wife, 45-year-old Mary A. Gray. The two children in the house, Mary J. E. Gray (21 years old) and Francis A. Gray (18 years old) would have been born to Sarah before her death.

It's worth your time to check several papers when trying to find reference to an ancestor or that maternal line that seems to have just disappeared into the past.

Learn More:

Southern Banner, Mar. 18, 1842 - Mar. 6, 1845 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
Ancestry Library Edition via GALILEO.
Athens Historic Newspaper Archive collection in the Digital Library of Georgia.
1850 United States Census available through FamilySearch.org.
1860 United States Census available through Fold3 History and Genealogy Archives via GALILEO.
What Did They Mean by That? A Dictionary of Historical & Genealogical Terms Old & New by Paul Drake in the Heritage collection.
Clarke County (Athens), Georgia, Newspaper Abstracts 1808-1829, compiled by Faye Stone Poss in the Heritage and general collections.
Athens, Georgia, Newspaper Clippings (Southern Banner) 1814-1847, compiled by Elizabeth Evans Kilbourne in the Heritage collection.
Newspaper Abstract books in the Heritage collection.

Don't Miss Out! Sign Up for Our Newsletters!

2012-01-19T12:50:00.000-05:00

On this day, we'd like to remind you to subscribe to our two free Heritage Room newsletters.

Our Genealogy and History Events newsletter covers everything from webinars by the National Archives in Atlanta about the 1940 Census and lock-in research evenings at the Oconee County Library in Watkinsville to exhibitions about George Washington Carver at the Carter Presidential Library in Atlanta and furniture by Athenian Henry Eugene Thomas at the Georgia Museum of Art here in town. Rather than keep up with a million postcards, flyers, and emails, we put all the coming events of the month into a neat package or two that you can use to ensure you don't miss a thing.

Our Genealogy News and Tips newsletter keeps you in the loop with the latest resources available for research, such as the Tennessee Death Records recently added to the Ancestry database and a link to the new searchable online index of Alabama probate records. It also covers updates about the release of the 1940 Census (available on April 2, 2012, at 9am EDT) and fun things, like the new Henry Louis Gates PBS program, Finding Your Roots, and when the new season of Who Do You Think You Are? returns.

Click here (or either of the above newletter links) to read the current newsletter and subscribe to have them delivered. It couldn't be easier, and is a great time saver, so sign up today!

14 January 1890: Preserve Your Meat in Charcoal During an Unseasonably Warm Winter

2012-01-14T12:30:00.032-05:00

On this day in 1890, the following advice was republished from an earlier edition of the Athens Banner in the Weekly Banner:

The charcoal here would be fresh, cool wood charcoal dust, and was intended, according to A. Hausner's 1902 book, The Manufacture of Preserved Foods and Sweetmeats, to keep meat "in a completely unchanged state, so that it can be cooked without further trouble."

The problem with preservation methods with this goal was that "they demanded ... a certain amount of skill in the preserver." Results of preserving in charcoal, Hausner said, "vary much," and it was therefore recommended that that form of preservation be reserved "for short periods, e.g. when it is necessary to send meat on an ordinary journey by rail."

Today, most modern food preservation guides do not include charcoal as a method of safe meat preservation.

Learn More:

Weekly Banner, Jan. 1890 - Dec. 1890 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning by the Gardeners & Farmers of Terre Vivante in the general collection.
A Guide to Canning, Freezing, Curing and Smoking Meat, Game and Fish by Wilbur F. Eastman, Jr. via PINES.
Well-Preserved by Eugenia Bone in the general collection.
Everywoman's Canning Book by Mary Catherine Hughes via PINES.
Pickled, Potted, and Canned: How the Art of Food Preservation Changed the World by Sue Shephard in the general collection.
The Complete Guide to Preserving Meat, Fish, and Game by Kenneth V. Oster via PINES.
Stocking Up III by Carol Hupping in the general collection.
The Big Book of Preserving the Harvest by Carol W. Costenbader via PINES.
A History of Food by Magnelonne Toussaint-Samat in the general collection.

Library Closed on Monday, 16 January 2012

2012-01-12T13:15:00.016-05:00

On this day, we'd like to remind you that the library will be closed on Monday, January 16th, 2012, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

This year, the holiday falls one day after what would have been the Civil Rights Leader's 83rd birthday. Several Day of Service events will be held around Athens that day.

The library will reopen at 9am on Tuesday, January 17th, 2012.

Learn More:

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service website.
Athens, Georgia, Event Listings for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service on AthensPatch.com website.
Voice of Deliverance: The Language of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Its Sources by Keith D. Miller in the Heritage biography collection.
There Is a Balm in Gilead: The Cultural Roots of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Lewis V. Baldwin in the general collection.
A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings of Martin Luther King, Jr., edited by James Melvin Washington in the general collection.
Parting the Waters: America in the King Years, 1954-1963 by Taylor Branch in the general collection.
Pillar of Fire: America in the King Years, 1963-1965 by Taylor Branch in the general collection.
At Canaan's Edge: America in the King Years, 1965-1968 by Taylor Branch in the general collection.

9 January 1910: "When Milady Goes Shopping"

2012-01-09T11:15:00.005-05:00

On this day in 1910, the following suggestion was made to the married men of Athens:

Athens Transfer & Livery Co. was owned by the Deadwyler family, who also were in the cotton broker business, also on Clayton Street, approximately across the street from where the Last Resort Grill is today. The Deadwylers had sold mules and horses in Athens for years, as well as feed and some other livestock-related supplies.

Their ads in the 1909 Athens city directory indicate that they offered "The Best Livery Teams in Town" and could do "All kinds of hauling," including "Household Goods," not just taking potentially cranky women into town to gather provisions for the home.

Learn More:

Athens Banner, Jan. 1910 - Jun. 1910 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
Athens Historic Newspaper Archive collection in the Digital Library of Georgia.
1909 Athens City Directory on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for Athens, Georgia, in the Digital Library of Georgia.
For Her Own Good: 150 Years of the Experts' Advice to Women by Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English in the general collection.
Women in the South: An Anthropological Perspective by Holly F. Mathews in the general collection.
The Truth About Women by Georgia Witkin in the general collection.
You Just Don't Understand: Men and Women in Conversation by Deborah Tannen in the general collection.
The Complete Horse Book by Elwyn Hartley Edwards and Candida Geddes in the general collection.
When Difficult Relatives Happen to Good People by Leonard Felder in the general collection.
Love Is Never Enough by Aaron T. Beck in the general collection.
Myths of Gender: Biological Theories about Women and Men by Anne Fausto-Sterling in the general collection.
International Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds by Bonnie L. Hendricks in the Reference collection.

Heritage Room Genealogy Classes at the Council on Aging

2012-01-04T13:00:00.073-05:00

On this day, we'd like you to know that the Heritage Room librarians will be offering a series of genealogy courses this year in conjunction with the Athens Community Council on Aging.

Rather than the longer, comprehensive single classes we offered in the Heritage Room, these courses are focused on certain areas of research, such as Military Records (such as service records and pension applications), Courthouse Documents (such as deeds, wills, and tax records), and Milestone Documents (such as birth, marriage, and death certificates).

Each class is independent, so if you are set on the basics, but want to know more about tax records or using newspapers in research, just take those classes when they are offered later in the year. (No final schedule has been set; please see the ACCA's program schedule for class dates and descriptions.)

Our first course will cover Getting Started with the Basics on Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012, from 1-2:30pm in the Harris Room at the ACCA's Hoyt Street location. The class is free to members of the ACCA's Center for Active Living. Though free for members of CAL, registration is required.

In this class, we'll cover such introductory information as how to fill out and use pedigree charts, family group sheets and family trees; how to use vital records, federal census records, and newspapers to piece together a family history; how to use family-kept records and papers, such as Bibles, scrapbooks, letters, etc.; and the importance of interviewing not just relatives, but family friends and neighbors when trying to fill out the many leaves on your family tree.

For more information about the classes, please call us at the library, (706) 613-3650, extension 356; to register, please call the Athens Council on Aging at (706) 549-4850 or consult their online program catalog, Senior Center Scene.

1 January 1917: "A Great Deal of Excitement Was Caused"

2012-01-01T13:00:00.052-05:00

On this day in 1917, news of an eclectic collision on Milledge Avenue was reported in the Athens Daily Herald:

Learn More:

Athens Daily Herald, Jan. 1917 - Jun. 1917 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
A Postcard History of Athens, Georgia by Gary L. Doster in the Heritage and general collections.
Horsecars, Cable Cars, and Omnibuses by John H. White, Jr. in the general collection.
Breaking Gridlock: Moving Toward Transportation That Works by Jim Motavalli via PINES.
Getting There: The Epic Struggle Between Road and Rail in the American Century by Stephen B. Goddard in the general collection.
Henry's Wonderful Model T, 1908-1927 by Floyd Clymer in the general collection.
Saddlery and Horse Equipment by Sarah Muir in the general collection.
Cable Car by Christopher C. Swan in the general collection.
Harvest of the Cold Months: The Social History of Ice and Ices by Elizabeth David via PINES.
Get Up and Go: The History of American Road Travel by Sylvia Whitman in the children's collection.
Automobile Age Atlanta: The Making of a Southern Metropolis, 1900-1935 by Howard Preston in the Heritage collection.
Buses, Trolleys, and Trams by Charles S. Dunbar in the general collection.
The Athletic Horse: His Selection, Work, and Management by Carol Foster in the general collection.
Wheels for the World: Henry Ford, His Company, and a Century of American Progress, 1903-2003 by Douglas Brinkley in the general collection.
Divided Highways: Building the Interstate Highways, Transforming American Life by Tom Lewis in the general collection.
Travels with Zenobia: Paris to Albania by Model T Ford, A Journal by Rose Wilder Lane in the biography collection.

27 December 1936: New Social Security Office to Open in Athens

2011-12-27T15:30:00.078-05:00

On this day in 1936, more than a year after the act was signed into law, news that the Social Security Board would be opening an office in downtown Athens made the front page of the Athens Banner-Herald.

The Social Security Act had been signed into law on 14 August 1935, but Georgia's governor at the time, Eugene Talmadge, had been adamantly against most New Deal programs. However, in 1936, Georgia Speaker of the House Eurith D. Rivers was elected governor with 60% of the vote promoting New Deal programs such as rural electrification, and supported Georgia participating in the Social Security Program.

According to the brief story in the paper, a long-term lease had been signed for offices in Athens, in "a suite of rooms ... next to Lumpkin street" on the first floor of the Holman Hotel. No employee names had been announced, but the office would open after January 1st, 1937. The paper reported that "it is expected that the office will have charge of Social Security activities for this immediate territory." Today, there are 33 SSA offices in the state of Georgia.

Located on the corner of Clayton and Lumpkin Streets, the nine-story Holman Hotel was built in 1913 by William S. Holman, originally intended to be office spaces. The top floor was arranged for meetings, banquets, dances or other social functions that provided a view of the city. It was converted into a hotel, and "became the major competitor of the Georgian Hotel which had opened in 1908."

Holman came to Athens from Kentucky after the Civil War, was on the Board of Commissioners, helped develop the northwest part of town, and was one the major investors in the Athens Electric Railway Company, which later became the Athens Railway and Electric Company. He died in 1931, and is buried at Oconee Hill Cemetery.

The Holman building was fully renovated in the 1960s when Citizens & Southern National Bank took over the property. In 1991, it became NationsBank, which later became Bank of America, who still has offices on the property.

Learn More:

Athens Banner-Herald, November 1936 - March 1937 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
The New Deal in Georgia: An Administrative History by Michael S. Holmes in the Heritage collection.
Social Security Applications: A Genealogical Resource by Desmond Walls Allen and Carolyn Earle Billingsley in the Heritage collection.
The Great Depression: America in the 1930s by T. H. Watkins in the general collection.
Social Security, Medicare, and Government Pensions by J. L. Matthews in the general collection.
The Coming of the New Deal by Arthur M. Schlesinger in the general collection.
Everyday Law for Seniors by Lawrence A. Frolik and Linda S. Whitton in the New Books collection.
The Battle for Social Security by Nancy Altman in the general collection.
A Post Card History of Athens, Georgia by Gary L. Doster in the Heritage and Reference collections.
Athens: A Pictorial History by James K. Reap in the Heritage and general collections.
Oconee Hill Cemetery of Athens, Georgia, Volume I by Charlotte Thomas Marshall in the Heritage and general collections.
Social Security History page on the Social Security Administration website.

24 December 1897: "No Postage Having Been Placed Upon the Chicken..."

2011-12-24T12:30:00.033-05:00

On this day in 1897, news of this holiday surprise was published in the Weekly Banner:

Learn More:

Weekly Banner, Feb. 1897 - Jul. 1898 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
Athens Historic Newspaper Archive collection in the Digital Library of Georgia.
Mailability Standards of the United States Postal Service.
Extraordinary Chickens by Stephen Green-Armytage in the general collection.
Master the Postal Exams by John Gosney in the general collection.
The Joy of Keeping Chickens by Jennifer Lynn Megyesi in the general collection.
We Need Mail Carriers by Lola M. Schaefer in the children's collection.
Raising Poultry the Modern Way by Leonard S. Mercia in the general collection.
Postal Clerk and Carrier by John Gosney in the general collection.
The Complete Guide to Poultry Breeds by Melissa G. Nelson in the general collection.
Mailman: A Novel by J. Robert Lennon in the fiction collection.
The Hoboken Chicken Emergency by Daniel Manus Pinkwater in the children's fiction collection.
Can You Ship It? page for the United States Postal Service.

21 December 1906:"Many Improvements In and Around the City of the Dead"

2011-12-21T14:15:00.038-05:00

On this day in 1906, news of plans to upgrade the home of the sexton of the Oconee Hill Cemetery, and change the entry site to where it is currently located was published in the Weekly Banner.

The new burial lots were made available when the sexton's house was moved in February, 1908.

Learn More:

Weekly Banner, Jan. 1906 - Dec. 1908 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
Athens Historic Newspaper Archive collection in the Digital Library of Georgia.
Oconee Hill Cemetery, Athens, Georgia, Volume I by Charlotte Thomas Marshall in the Heritage and general collections.
Oconee Hill Record of Interments in the Heritage collection.
Friends of Oconee Hill Cemetery Newsletters in the Heritage collection.
Georgia Cemetery Directory and Bibliography of Georgia Cemetery Resources by Ted O. Brooke in the Heritage collection.
Your Guide to Cemetery Research by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack in the Heritage collection.
Cemetery Research by Nancy Ellen Carlberg in the Heritage collection.
The Cemetery Book: Cemetery Preservation, Restoration, and Recording by Ted O. Brooke in the Heritage and general collections.

Our Holiday Hours

2011-12-20T15:35:00.029-05:00

On this day, we'd like you to be aware that the Athens-Clarke County Library will be closed Friday, December 23rd through Tuesday, December 27th for the Christmas holiday, and closed Sunday, January 1st and Monday, January 2nd for the New Year holiday.

We will be open until 9 pm on Thursday, December 22nd, and will be open our regular Saturday hours (9 am to 6 pm) on New Year's Eve.

We hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

18 December 1896: For Children, "Dolls, Knives, Etc."

2011-12-18T14:25:00.014-05:00

On this day in 1896, McGregor's Bookstore, which also sold athletic equipment and stationery supplies, much like college bookstores do today, ran this advertisement of their holiday offerings:

At the time, David W. McGregor's store was on the corner of Broad Street and College Avenue, across from the University, where Starbucks is located today.

Learn More:

Weekly Banner, Aug. 1885 - Jan. 1897 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
1897-1898 Athens City Directory on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for Athens, Georgia, in the Digital Library of Georgia.
Children at Play: An American History by Howard P. Chudacoff in the general collection.
Children of a New Century by Jane A. Schott in the children's collection.
Huck's Raft: A History of American Childhood by Steven Mintz in the general collection.
The Collector's Guide to Switchblade Knives: An Illustrated, Historical, and Price Reference by Richard V. Langston in the general collection.
The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn Iggulden in the general collection.
The Daring Book for Girls by Andrea J. Buchanan in the general and children's collections.
The Double-Daring Book for Girls by Andrea J. Buchanan in the general collection.

15 December 1885: Robert Toombs Oak Is Not Struck by Lightning

2011-12-15T16:15:00.000-05:00

On this day in 1885, General Robert Toombs died at the age of 75, at his home in Washington, Georgia, after years of declining health. Despite long-woven tales to the contrary, the oak tree outside the Chapel at UGA where Toombs supposedly gave a great speech after his expulsion in 1828, was not struck by lightning.

Augustus Longstreet Hull recounted the myth in his 1894 book, A Historical Sketch of the University of Georgia, and explained that neither the speech nor the lightning strike actually happened:

A story of Robert Toombs has swung round the circle of the papers of late years, which represents him expelled from college for gambling, standing beneath the old oak in front in front of the chapel at commencement, pouring forth such burning words of eloquence that the chapel is deserted and the speakers left to declaim empty benches. And from this circumstance, the old tree has ever since been known as the "Toombs Oak." It has even been said that on the day of Mr. Toombs' death, the old oak was struck by lightning and destroyed.

There is not the semblance of truth in the story. It was a fabrication of Henry W. Grady, who, in an admiring sketch of the great Georgian, wrote charmingly of his overwhelming eloquence and pointed it with a story drawn from his own vivid imagination.

In 1985, 100 years after Robert Toombs died, the Georgia General Assembly passed a resolution to have an historical marker placed on the University of Georgia campus, commemorating General Toombs and the "legend" of Toombs Oak. The marker is located between the Chapel and Demosthenian Hall on North Campus.

Learn More:

The Toombs Oak, the Tree That Owned Itself, and Other Chapters of Georgia by E. Merton Coulter in the Heritage collection.
Robert Toombs by Pleasant A. Stovall in the Heritage collection.
College Life in the Old South by E. Merton Coulter in the Heritage and general collections.
A Walking Tour of the University of Georgia by F. N. Boney in the Heritage and general collections.
Annals of Athens, 1801-1901 by Augustus Longstreet Hull in the Heritage collection.
Robert Toombs of Georgia by William Y. Thompson in the Heritage collection.
A Historical Sketch of the University of Georgia by Augustus Longstreet Hull in the Heritage collection.
The Life of Henry Grady, Including His Writings and Speeches by Joel Chandler Harris in the biography collection.
Robert Toombs Oak State Historical Marker page on the GeorgiaInfo site via GALILEO.

13 December 1902: Santa to Visit at the International Doll Show

2011-12-13T09:00:00.035-05:00

On this day in 1902, Santa Claus made an appearance at the doll show benefit raising funds for Winnie Davis Hall:

(click to enlarge image)

Learn More:

Athens Daily Banner, May 1902 - Oct. 1903 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
Athens Historic Newspaper Archive collection in the Digital Library of Georgia.
Miss Rutherford's Scrapbook by Mildred Rutherford in the Heritage collection.
The Collector's Encyclopedia of Dolls by Dorothy S. Coleman, Elizabeth A. Coleman, and Evelyn J. Coleman in the Reference collection.
The Dolls of Yesteryear by Eleanor St. George in the general collection.
Cornhusk, Silk, and Wishbones: A Book of Dolls from around the World by Michelle Markel in general collection.
The Doll Source Book by Argie Manolis in the Reference collection.
Dolls of the Art Deco Era 1910-1940: Collect, Restore, Create, and Play by Susanna Oroyan in the general collection.
The Fairytale Doll Book by Valerie Janitch in the general collection.
Sewing Victorian Doll Clothes: Authentic Costumes from Museum Collections by Michelle Hamilton in the general collection.
The Book of Doll Making by Alicia Merrett in the general collection.
Dolls: A Complete Bibliography by Nancie Anne Lutz in the Reference collection.

5 December 2009: It's Our 2nd Blogiversary!

2011-12-05T16:30:00.061-05:00

On this day in 2009, we started this blog, This Day in Athens, in hopes of bringing a glimpse of Athens past to Athens present.

This Day in Athens has shown how Athens has grown, expanded, and changed over time, but also how some things, like rooster issues on Pulaski Street, an obsessive love of Georgia football, and a passion for Farmer's Markets, are timeless truths of this town.

Our hope is that as you travel around town or are on the University of Georgia campus, you'll think of Hajos's Photography Studio, of Union prisoners guarded by Mitchell's Thunderbolts, of the Hancock Street sidewalks being laid in 1906, of the literary club meetings at the State Normal School, of fires that could not stop progress, of the water power and railroads that fueled the growth of Athens and the University.

Thank you for all the kind and encouraging words over the past two years, for passing along items to friends, for suggestions for wonderful post ideas, and adding information where you could. We hope you've found book titles that peaked your interest in our Learn More section, have subscribed to and enjoy our Heritage Room newsletters, and we hope you'll keep reading in the coming years. If you have a favorite post, or a topic you would like us to cover, please let us know!

1 December 1907: Of Interest to Women: Christmas Pudding, Of Course!

2011-12-01T15:00:00.071-05:00

On this day in 1907, in the regular newspaper feature Of Interest to Women, included amongst the club meetings, teas, and engagement parties this recipe for a traditional Christmas pudding.

This recipe is far more detailed than most from this time period, when it was understood that women knew how to cook generally, and all they really needed to create a new dish were approximate ingredient amounts. Rather than standard "cups," this recipe calls for "wineglassfuls" and "teacupfuls."

Of Interest to Women was the society page for the Athens Banner. It often included a week's calendar of society events, along with news about travels, visitors, parties, fashions, cooking, clubs, and school pagents or presentations.

(click image to enlarge)

Learn More:

Athens Banner, Mar. 1906 - Dec. 1907 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
Athens Historic Newspaper Archive collection in the Digital Library of Georgia.
Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years by Elizabeth Wayland Barber in the general collection.
Mrs. Beeton's Christmas Book by Mary Isabella Beeton in the general collection.
Out to Work: A History of Wage-Earning Women in the United States by Alice Kessler-Harris in the general collection.
Women in the South: An Anthropological Perspective by Holly F. Matthews in the general collection.
Nigella Christmas by Nigella Lawson in the general collection.
Memorabilia of the Athens Women's Club by Marguerite Sheffer in the Heritage collection.
The Christmas Cook: Three Centuries of Yuletide Sweets by William Woys Weaver in the general collection.

29 November 1945: "Cheer Up! Bacon Long Dreamed of Is Coming Soon"

2011-11-29T12:15:00.000-05:00

On this day in 1945, the Athens Banner-Herald announced that "the supply of pork has overtaken the demand," so bacon, and other pork products such as lard, would finally become more available in the near future. According to the story, "cold weather has brought on a heevy [sic] hog slaughter on southeastern farms, but...most of the meat and fats would be used replenish home shortages." Thus, the paper's encouraging headline to "Cheer up!"

During World War II, many items were rationed by the United States government, including meat, rubber, sugar, shoes, metal, dairy products, and gasoline. An Office of Price Administration was established in 1941 to place ceilings on prices for some goods to keep prices within the reach of most Americans, and to ration the items that were most needed by the troops during the conflict. Though meat rationing ended in November, 1945, labor shortages meant lower crop yields in the months following the end of the war.

Learn More:

Athens Banner-Herald, August - December 1945 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
World War II on the Home Front: Rationing web page from the University of North Carolina School of Education.
The Home Front War: World War II and American Society by Kenneth Paul O'Brien in the general collection.
The War by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick in the DVD collection.
The Second World War: A Complete History by Martin Gilbert in the general collection.
Pork & Sons by Stephane Reynaud in the general collection.
The Useful Pig by Roberta Wolfe Smoler in the general collection.
Living With Pigs: Everything You Need to Know to Raise Your Own Porkers by Chuck Wooster in the general collection.
Storey's Guide to Raising Pigs by Kelly Klober in the general collection.
Don't Forget the Bacon! by Pat Hutchins in the children's picture book collection.

24 November 1910: Thanksgiving at the Athenaeum Cafe

2011-11-24T10:00:00.022-05:00

On this day in 1910, the Athenaeum Cafe downtown offered the following reprieve from cooking at home:

(click image to enlarge)

The price of 50 cents would be equal today to a charge of $11.80.

The Athenaeum Cafe was next door to the Athenaeum pool hall, and both were below the two floors of the Athenaeum Hotel, owned by Victor Petropol. In the 1909 Athens city directory, some travelling salesmen and the hotel's clerk, W. G. McNair, list the hotel as their residence.

Today, the space where the hotel was located has been divided. The pool hall is occupied by Frontier, and the cafe is occupied by Native America Gallery.

Learn More:

Athens Banner, July 1910 - Dec. 1910 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for Athens, Georgia via the Digital Library of Georgia.
1909 Athens City Directory on Microfilm (1889 - 1927) in the Heritage collection.
Measuring Worth website.
Thanksgiving: An American Holiday, An American History by Diana Karter Appelbaum in the general collection.
Thanksgiving Dinner by Kathryn K. Blue in the general collection.
The Southern Heritage Pies and Pastry Cookbook by Southern Living in the general collection.
The Thanksgiving Cookbook by Holly Garrison in the general collection.
Wild Turkeys: Hunting and Watching by John J. Mettler in the general collection.
The Pie and Pastry Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum in the general collection.
Holiday Feasts: Festive Cooking for Family and Friends by Lou Seibert Pappas in the general collection.
Turkey Monster Thanksgiving by Anne Warren Smith in the children's fiction collection.
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving by Charles Schulz in the children's DVD collection.

22 November 1871: Let the Babies Ride!

2011-11-22T12:35:00.124-05:00

On this day and several other days in the winter of 1871, the Hodgson Brothers carriage company ran the following ad for their baby carriages in the Southern Watchman:

In the 1870s, baby carriages were becoming more popular items for Victorian baby care; as seen in this ad, the Hodgson brothers were not making these for their customers, but stocking standard carriages aimed at the general public.

Baby carriages typically mimicked the shapes of adult-sized carriages, and were made of wood or wicker with cushions inside the bed. Some came with an attached cover while others installed a parasol over the cushioned bed for the child.

Fancier models could be custom ordered. These more elaborate baby carriages were constructed as though they were miniature horse-drawn carriages, complete with glass windows, lanterns that held candles, and a suspension system intended to smooth the ride. An elaborate baby carriage was also a status symbol for the Victorian mother, a symbol that still exists today.

Learn More:

Southern Watchman, Mar. 1871 - Dec. 1873 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
The Carriage Maker's and Painter's Guide by G. W. Clark via Archive.org.
The Golden Age of Carriages by Anne Katherine Brown on the Victoriana magazine website.
The Victorian Nursery Book by Antony and Peter Miall in the general collection.
"This is How We Roll" by Faye Penn in New York magazine via GALILEO. (call 706-613-3650 for password)
The Victorian Home in America by John Maass in the general collection.
Wanderlust: The History of Walking by Rebecca Solnit in the general collection.
The Encyclopedia of the Victorian World by Melina Corey in the Reference and general collections.
"Stroller Envy Hits the Streets" by Adrianne Pasquarelli in Crain's New York Business via GALILEO. (call 706-613-3650 for password)
The Victorian Home: The Grandeur and Comfort of the Victorian Era by Ellen M. Plante in the general collection.
Parenting, Inc. by Pamela Paul in the general collection.
"Have Baby, Will Travel" by Kim Schworm Acosta in Fit Pregnancy magazine via GALILEO. (call 706-613-3650 for password)

19 November 1953: Opening of the Ilah Dunlap Little Memorial Library

2011-11-19T12:35:00.203-05:00

On this day in 1953, the new Ilah Dunlap Little Memorial library opened on the North Campus of the University of Georgia.

Ilah Dunlap was born in February of 1874 to Mary Anne and Samuel Scott Dunlap in Bibb County, Georgia. She was the fifth daughter in a family of six children. Her father was a Captain in Phillips Legion during the Civil War, who started out as a farmer, then later became a successful merchant and city alderman in Macon.

In 1896, Miss Dunlap married Leonidas A. Jordan. Mr. Jordan owned Oakland Plantation in Lee County, Georgia, and died within four years of their marriage. In 1900, Mrs. Ilah Jordan is listed as the 26-year-old widowed head of a household in Macon that included her brother Samuel S. Dunlap, Jr.; her profession listed as "Capitalist." She was regularly featured in the Macon Telegraph Society page, often in relation to bridge club meetings or trips to Atlanta and New York.

In 1906, she married John D. Little, an Atlanta lawyer, and moved to Fulton County. She was already widowed when she died in late July, 1939, on a vacation with a friend in German-occupied Czechoslovakia, just one month before Hitler's invasion of Poland and the start of World War II. Though her will left $400,000.00 to the University of Georgia for a library, the settlement of the estate took a prolonged period of time. Much of her jewelry and effects took more than a year to be returned to her executor in Macon, as both the American consulate and German officials had greater priorities than her estate, and faced disruption in communication, the latter sometimes noted in the communiques between various government agencies.

Mrs. Little's bequest gave the impetus to fund a much-needed upgrading of University of Georgia library facilities. UGA had only 185,000 volumes, compared with 751,000 at the University of Texas and 352,000 at the University of Kentucky. The cost to build the library was $2,000,000.00, and the operating budget for the library was increased dramatically as well. The University of Georgia President, Harmon Caldwell, argued that a $1,000,000.000 operating budget was necessary to make the library one that could compete with other southern schools after World War II.

The day after UGA's library opened , the Georgia Institute of Technology had the grand opening of their new Price Gilbert Memorial Library, and the weekend was a series of festivities in both cities to celebrate the events.

Among those who participated in the celebrations were now University System Chancellor Harmon Caldwell; University of Georgia President O. C. Aderhold; Georgia Attorney General Eugene Cook; and members of the University Board of Trustees. Invited guests included Dr. K. Y. Metcalf of Harvard University; Derner Clapp, Acting Librarian of the Library of Congress; and Ralph Ellsworth, Director of Libraries for Iowa State University. Claude Davidson, Jr., director of the UGA news bureau, even composed a poem for the occasion.

In his dedication address, Dr. Ellsworth praised Georgia for opening two major libraries, stating that, "Only a vigorous University can overcome the terrible inertia that always seems to develop when a new library building is needed. Universities that are on the decline don't build new libraries."

UGA recently completed construction on a new Special Collections Library on Hull Street. Such collections as the Richard B. Russell Library, the Hargrett Rare Book & Manuscript Library, and the Peabody Awards collection are in the process of moving into their new space. The building will open officially in January, 2012.

Learn More:

Athens Banner-Herald, August - December, 1953 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.
University of Georgia Libraries website.
History of Macon, Georgia: 1823-1949 by Ida Young, et al. in the Heritage collection.
Lee County, Georgia: A History by the Lee County Historical Society in the Heritage collection.
Civil War Macon: The History of a Confederate City by Richard W. Iobst in the Heritage collection.
Compendium of the Confederate Armies: South Carolina and Georgia by Stewart Sifakis in the Heritage collection.
Reports of Deaths of American Citizens Abroad, 1835-1974 collection in the Ancestry Library Edition database via GALILEO.
Confederate Service Records collection in the Fold3 database via GALILEO.
U.S. Census collection in the Ancestry Library Edition database via GALILEO.
Georgia Marriages collection via FamilySearch.org.
The University of Georgia: A Bicentennial History, 1785-1985 by Thomas G. Dyer in the Heritage and general collection.
The University of Georgia under Sixteen Administrations, 1785-1955 by Robert P. Brooks in the Heritage collection.
In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson in the New Books collection.
The Dedication of the Ilah Dunlap Little Memorial Library in the Hargrett Rare Book & Manuscript Library at the University of Georgia.
MS 3357: Account Book 1939-1964 for the Estate of Ilah Dunlap Little in the Hargrett Rare Book & Manuscript Library at the University of Georgia.