By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
More memories of Allenhurst
Liberty lore
Placeholder Image
In my last column I shared an interview about Allenhurst that William Cox did Wardlaw Griner. This is another interview Cox did 1995 with Molena Johnson, wife of Wesley and mother of Carl Johnson, a former Liberty County Commissioner.
"White people lived on Bean Row. Black folks lived this side of the railroad...
"Dr. Gibson from Burke County was our first doctor and a very good one whom all the local people used. His office was in the present Dennis Waters' office. My family would go from Riceboro to take malaria mosquito shots.
The next building was the paymaster office. The workers were paid with metal checks. Sometimes they received money. The metal checks kept the people from going anywhere else to trade. So the mill money stayed with the mill people. They made their purchases at the commissary, a building 60 feet long and 20 feet wide. Mr. W. L. Black was commissary manager.
"Next was the post office and the Wethsones twins, Ruth and Naomi, worked there. They had two brothers. One used a crutch and was not able to work. Mrs. Amber Kiddy was postmistress at one time before W. Williamson. A swimming pool was located between the Troha house and Donald Downs' house.
The Jones Hotel had two stories and a porch that ran all across the front. Mrs. Green was the manager. In 1917-18, weekly rates were $5 which included room and three home-cooked meals a day.
"One Saturday afternoon a friend and I were in the Jones Hotel playing records on an old phonograph which you had to wind up to play. Wesley Johnson came in and Mrs. Jones introduced him to me. As Wesley left the hotel he said to himself, 'That's going to be my wife!' Later, the same fellow playing music charged him $3 a mile to come to see me.
"After a year's courtship we were married on Feb. 24, 1924. We spent our honeymoon in Allenhurst, Georgia! It was a big town then. Wesley could not get off work. He was the planing mill oiler and the lumber had to keep rolling.
"On the right the schoolhouse set on a hill. Mrs. Grace Hendry was the teacher. We used the schoolhouse for preaching on Sunday.
"On Sunday nights, Malcolm and Herbert Moody and Wilhelmia Hutto entertained us with their musical talents. They had plays and Wesley had a part.
"The sawmill was behind the commissary parallel with the Atlantic Coastline Railroad. Logs were brought in by big trucks and work train to the half-acre vat full of water and some chemicals to remove the pine bark before sawing trees into lumber.
"A ballpark was between the vat and Mr. Dunlevie's home. A group of men formed a baseball team and Mrs. Dunlevie bought them baseball uniforms. They played games in Savannah, Jesup and Ludowici. They won some games. Wesley played with them. I was told that Mr. Dunlevie could sit on his back porch and watch the games being played...
"People would go down to the depot to see who was coming in or out. They had four tracks. Number 21 train went south about 4 p.m. and Number 57 came north about 9 p.m. Seems like there were two more trains, Number 22 and Number 58 coming and going.
"The present Sapp house was built for Charlie Robinson. He was in charge of the supplies, shop and shipping. The house on the other side of Donald Downs was at one time a store owned by Mrs. Marlowe (Davis Darsey's mother). It was sold to Mrs. Bet Williamson (Warren Williamson's mother) who operated it until her death. The store was then closed...
Several of the houses still exist in Allenhurst from the lumber era. But, now, one could never tell it had been such a bustling little town around 1920.
Sign up for our e-newsletters
Visit with children a real eye-opener
Placeholder Image

One of my favorite activities as a state senator is when I get to speak to students at our local schools. This year, I spoke to third-grade students at May Howard Elementary and Marshpoint Elementary in Chatham County and Button Gwinnett Elementary in Liberty County.
The students from each of the schools had been studying civics and were familiar with the three branches of government — executive, judicial and legislative. I explained my role as a senator in the legislative process and told the children how the citizen legislature in the state of Georgia works.
Presenting each of the schools with a Georgia state flag, I explained the three principles for which the state flag stands — wisdom, justice and moderation — and had them recite the pledge to the flag with me. 
The students at all three schools were bright, respectful and well-disciplined — a tribute to their families and especially to their teachers, who had prepared the students for my visit with ideas for great questions.
The students in Ms. Hutchinson’s class at Marshpoint Elementary were impressive in singing the preamble to the Constitution during my visit. What a great way to learn such an important part of our nation’s history — another wonderful example of the great job our teachers are doing.
I was delighted last week to receive thank-you letters from some of the students. Here are excerpts from a few of their letters:
 
Dear Mr. Carter,
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to come speak to us. I learned so much! I learned that there are two kinds of Pledge of Allegiances. That is pretty cool.
Do you travel all over the world do you? I really like that you taught me more about the three branches of government.
— Megan
 
Dear Sen. Carter,
Thank you for telling us about your job and your favorite thing about your job. I liked the Georgia state flag. I still have more questions. Do you have to work on Saturday and Sunday? Are you the only one who makes the laws?
Yours truly,
Ryleigh 


Dear Sen. Buddy Carter,
Thank you for coming and letting us have a little bit of your time. I want you to know that I learned something new. The Georgia pledge! Justice, wisdom and modesty! Thanks again!
— Liam
 
Dear Sen. Buddy Carter,
Thank you for coming and helping us learn more about the government and some of your job. Thank you for giving us a Georgia flag. It was fun when you came. Thank you for giving us some questions so we could answer them.
P.S. Did you ride in a limousine? I was going to ask you a question but then I forgot. But now I remember. How many rooms are there where you work? You can send me a note if you can.
Your friend,
Erin
 
I’m uncertain whether the students learned as much from me during my visit as I learned from them. One thing that I was reminded of was the honesty that comes from the innocence of childhood. I wasn’t quite sure how to interpret some of the questions, such as the one asked in this letter:
 
Dear Sen. Carter,
I loved your speech. Thanks for coming to our school. I think my favorite part was when we held the flag. It was so fun! I have a question: How many people voted for you?
Sincerely,
Shelly
 
I also was more than a little concerned about a recurring question in the thank-you notes that was posed to me during one of my visits by a beautiful, brown-eyed girl who, with a very serious look on her face, asked “Did you ever get re-elected be-fore?”


What a great group of young people! My faith and hope in our future has been reassured. What an amazing job our families and teachers are doing on a daily basis to support and encourage our next generation. Thank you for your dedication to teaching our leaders of tomor-row.

Sen. Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334. His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109

Latest Obituaries