Peachtree City Timeline by Joel Cowan by charlie-printgraphics

Historical Time Line & Comments Joel H. Cowan & Peachtree City August 16, 2003 Key: H=History, P=Personal

DATE

EVENT:______________________________________________________

900-1600 A.D.

The Mississippian period in Georgia, Etowah is a significant cultural center in what eventually becomes part of Bartow County, near Cartersville. (The Atlas of Georgia, 1986, p.67) CARTERSVILLE

1732

Georgia is established as a colony. GEORGIA

July 4, 1776

January 2, 1788

1835

The Declaration of Independence is approved by the Second Continental Congress. H

Georgia ratifies the Federal Constitution, making it the fourth state in the new nation of the United States of America. (The Georgia Studies Book: Our State and Nation, 1998) GEORGIA Cherokee delegation signs the Treaty of New Echota with the United States government, consenting to relocate for $5 million in compensation. (The Georgia Atlas, 1986, p. 69) GEORGIA

1838

Under armed escort of the United States Army, an estimated 18,000 Cherokees leave Georgia in a forced march westward; eventually known as the “Trail of Tears,” due to the deaths of several thousand men, women and children during the march. (The Georgia Atlas, 1986, p. 69) GEORGIA

1850s

E.W. Leach, one of first residents of Aberdeen, purchases 100.25 acres of land from Bureel A. Ware. Abon Brown owns 400 acres. A Mr. Fisher owns 500 acres, which is rented out. Aberdeen has four grocery stores. They are Charlie Whitlock’s Grocery, Will Parrott’s Grocery, Abon Brown’s Grocery and Neal Cochran’s Grocery. Aberdeen also has a jug factory, a planter factory and a gin. (FC News, 04/23/71) FAYETTE COUNTY

Late 1800s

Community located between Flat Creek and Line Creek in western Fayette County is named “Aberdeen” by resident known as Mr. McDerrott, in deference to Aberdeen, Scotland. (Fayette County News, 0/23/71) FAYETTE COUNTY

1893

The Reverend Doctor Isaac Grey founds the town of Woolsey in south Fayette County. (from historic plaque) FAYETTE COUNTY

1894

H/P

The world’s first outdoor Coca-Cola wall sign is painted on the brick exterior of Young Brothers Pharmacy in downtown Cartersville, where it remains today. (Cartersville/Bartow County Convention and Visitors Bureau, 2000) Copyright: Joel H. Cowan, 2003 Page 1 of 94

CARTERSVILLE JHC NOTES 1900

William McKinley is reelected President of the United States.

Early 1900s

A few communities with cotton gins, general stores, exist on the Peachtree City land which also is hunted, fished by Creek Indian Chief William McIntosh’s tribe; tribe’s settlement is on land which eventually becomes Carroll County and Lake Jackson. (AJC/ South Fulton Extra, 04/26/84) FAYETTE COUNTY

1902

H/P

Dr. Harvey Hoyt Kemp and Virginia (Jennie) Jackson Attaway marry. Dr. Kemp, known as Hoyt, was the son of William Henry (Sol) Kemp and wife, Sylvania Emmeline. Jennie Kemp, the second wife of the widowed Hoyt, is the daughter of Lewis Manassas Attaway and wife, Elizabeth Taylor. Both Hoyt and Jennie originally were from Cobb County, Georgia. (Bernice Cowan 1982 journal) COWAN HISTORY DR. KEMP

1904

H/P

Mr. Luther Church becomes Dr. Kemp’s first patient at Starr’s Mill. Mr. Church is a Civil War veteran of the Battle of New Hope, fought in 1864 in what eventually becomes Paulding County, Georgia. As Mr. Church is reminiscing about his participation in the war, he and Dr. Kemp are amazed to realize they had met many years earlier in Cobb County, under an altogether different set of circumstances. At that time, Mr. Church, a soldier in the Confederate Army, had come to the assistance of a little boy who was being taunted by a northern soldier. The Yankee had used the tip of his bayonet to lift the child’s hat from his head, and then refused to return it. It was at that point Mr. Church had intervened, retrieving the hat for the little boy and sending him safely on his way home. As it turns out, that little boy was none other than Dr. Kemp, in whose care Mr. Church finds himself in l904. (Bernice Cowan 1982 journal. Theodore Roosevelt is elected 26th President of the United States. The Atlas of Georgia, c. 1986, p.83) DR. KEMP

1907

Mother’s Day first observed in the U.S.

1908

H/P

Bernice Kemp, first child of Hoyt and Jennie, is born in the Coweta County community of Starr’s Mill, three miles outside Senoia proper and across Line Creek from PTC on SR85. Baby sister, Sylvania, known as Swaney, is born five and one-half years later. William Howard Taft elected 27th President of the United States. (Bernice Cowan 1982 journal) MOTHER BERNICE

FLOY FARR MEMORIES of BOYHOOD IN FAYETTE COUNTY (Floy Farr is a native of Tyrone and long time partner and friend of JHC) Floy recalls: “In Tyrone, we had both Baptist and Methodist churches. The pastor of the Baptist Church in Tyrone was a Mr. Gary, from College Park-a great guy. He’d ride the train down to Tyrone-we had Saturday meeting, as well as Sunday-he’d ride the train Saturday morning to Tyrone and stay over until Monday. Our home was a large home there, and we had plenty of

Page 2 of 94

room, so he’d stay at our house there.” The spacious Farr residence was located just off Tyrone’s Main Street. “Mr. M.D. Collins, who eventually was elected Georgia’s state Superintendent of Schools, also was a Baptist minister. We had him to come down to Tyrone to carry on a revival. My father was a deacon at the (Tyrone) Baptist Church; my mother was always very active in the Methodist Church. She was very close to the Methodist Church, and my father was very close to the Baptist Church. Mr. Collins came down and was preaching a summer revival. During those summer revivals, we usually had a deacon go around, and visit all the people to try and get them to come to church.” MD COLLINS Floy’s father and uncle also owned a farm on the north end of Peachtree City, along Flat Creek. On this farm was an old house, which, according to Floy, “wasn’t hardly fit to live in. Well, a guy came along and asked my father about moving into this house. My father told him it wasn’t in condition for him to move into, and he said, ‘Well, I’ll kind of fix it up,’ and my father agreed to it. My father said, ‘Well, if you want to fix it up, you go ahead and fix it up, and I won’t charge you any rent.’” PTC “The tenant was named Spurgeon Kemp, Floy says. “I’ll never forget the name. Spurgeon Kemp was his name.” By trade a peddler, Kemp had “an old car and he had chicken coops on the side of it. He’d go around to the farms and buy chickens, and buy butter and…eggs through the week, and then he’d carry them up to College Park or East Point and peddle them out to the houses. I guess he must have had something else on the side, too, but my daddy didn’t know it. I think (Kemp) peddled a little moonshine liquor, along with it. They found out later. My father didn’t know it--he wouldn’t have let him live there,” says Floy. (Spurgeon Kemp was not related to Dr. Hoyt Kemp) SPURGEON KEMP Floy continues the story: “We had a family living right south of–and I don’t like to call names-living right south of PTC. He was a deputy sheriff, but his son was a bootlegger; my mother had opened up a little store at that time, and (the deputy had) bought some stuff from her and wouldn’t pay her. She kind of got a little upset with him, and he got mad with my family. Anyway, the deacon had carried Mr. Collins around, and he happened to call on this guy; this guy didn’t like my daddy.” The deputy proceeded to inform the visiting pastor and deacon that he would go to church, but the church had some deacons who “let bootleggers live in their house and sell liquor,” Floy says. The deputy claimed that, consequently, he had no confidence in the church. “And his own son was a bootlegger, and I know that,” Floy says. M.D. COLLINS At that time, it was customary for families to sit together in church, Floy says. “We all went to church, and we sat pretty close to the pulpit-my father, my mother, my younger brother and me-we were sitting there. I don’t think my older brother was there. M.D. Collins got up and preached the sermon that night on my daddy, and pointed right down to him, and said that one of the deacons in this church had a fellow living on his farm in his house selling liquor!” Collins went on to advise the revival audience to “clean up their church. I never saw my daddy take a drink of liquor in his life,” Floy says. “He was as straight a guy if there ever was one. The fact of the business, Copyright: Joel H. Cowan, 2003

Page 3 of 94

my father was so straight, I never heard him cuss. The worse thing I ever heard him say when he got mad was ‘Darn!’” Immediately following that night’s revival service, Floy’s distraught father approached the visiting preacher, saying, “Mr. Collins, somebody has misrepresented this to you. I want you to get up in the pulpit tomorrow night and tell ‘em so! I want you to go to the deacons tomorrow, and confirm this with the deacons, and let them straighten it out!’” What the deacons told the visiting preacher is anyone’s guess, but the next night, as the Farr family again took their seats for revival, they felt sure the Rev. Collins would do right and recant his dreadful character assault of the previous evening. “An error has been made,” he would say. “Mr. Farr is an honorable man, a good Christian,” he would say. Collins took the pulpit. Floy continues: “(Collins) pointed right down there at my daddy, and says, ‘The hit dog always hollers!’ My father got up, my mother got up, they got us kids, and we marched out of that church. My father never went back into that church another time, (for) as long as he lived.” Eventually, Mr. Farr began accompanying his wife and sons for worship in the Hopewell Methodist Church in Tyrone, and after several months, became a member there. HOPEWELL Years passed, and Floy was elected to serve on the Fayette County School Board. He was on the board responsible for construction of Fayette County’s first high school. The new school included a large auditorium, which the Board decided to name in honor of the county’s school superintendent, Mr. Ferrol A. Sams Sr. A great dedication ceremony was planned to open the new school, and proudly, Superintendent Sams decided to invite the state Superintendent of Schools conduct the long-awaited event. The State School Superintendent at that time? Mr. M.D. Collins. FERROL SAMS MD COLLINS Of that time, Floy recalls: “When we got it all built, Mr. Sams invited Mr. Collins down to do the dedication, and me on the board of education!” Although Floy’s father had passed away by that time, the injustice he had suffered those revival nights years earlier still evoked great anguish in the son. When the day arrived to dedicate Fayette County’s first high school and auditorium, Floy’s mixed emotions infringed on what should have been a celebration. His father was foremost in his mind. “I sat there and listened to Collins, and while he was speaking, I made up my mind that I was going to say something to him about it, Floy recalls. “Then I said, ‘Well, that wouldn’t be good, me on the board of education; he’s our guest down here. If I’m ever going to mention it to him, I shouldn’t do it here.’ So, I didn’t, but I sat there and listened to him, but I never voted for him as long as he was superintendent. He was there several years, and did a very good job, I guess.” FLOY FARR 1910

Father’s Day first observed in the U.S.

1912

Woodrow Wilson is elected 28th President of the United States.

1914

World War I begins.

Page 4 of 94

January 16, 1919

The 18th amendment to the United States Constitution, which makes prohibition the law of the land, is ratified.

1920

Warren G. Harding is elected 29th President of the United States.

1921

Ku Klux Klan activities in the South become violent; hooded Klansmen begin branding and whipping blacks and any sympathizers, destroying property. (The Timetables of History, r. 1991, p. 481) GEORGIA

1924

Calvin Coolidge is elected 30th President of the United States.

1925

Bernice Kemp Cowan graduates from high school as class valedictorian. Economic times are bad. (Bernice Cowan 1982 journal) Part of her practical solution for the future, Bernice Kemp completes a nine-month course at Draughon’s Business School in Atlanta, where she learns bookkeeping, typing and shorthand. Her father borrows $500 from the local bank to make Bernice’s business school education possible. Bernice simultaneously takes a correspondence course in history from the University of Georgia, fulfilling her mother’s desire that her daughter receives a liberal education. Bernice then becomes employed with the Golden Eagle Company in Atlanta. It is here she meets her future husband, Charles Allison Cowan, a co-worker. An automobile accessories company, Golden Eagle originally manufactured the “Golden Eagle Buggy.” Owned by Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Fischer, Bernice has many family connections with the couple and resides with them during the two months of the year, which require her to work evenings. (Bernice Cowan 1982 journal) MOTHER BERNICE Hugh Fischer is the younger brother of Dr. Luther Fischer of Davis-Fischer Sanitarium renown, and a friend of Bernice’s father. Crawford W. Long Hospital eventually evolves on the Sanitarium site. The remainder of the time, Bernice has her own room at the West-end home of Mrs. George Jones, who becomes a significant person in the life of the younger woman. Charles also resides in West-end at the time, and the young couple sometimes would ride to work together in his automobile. “Even then, Charles had a fondness for trading automobiles,” his wife later recalls. (Bernice Cowan 1982 journal) MOTHER BERNICE DR. KEMP

1927

Harlem Globetrotters Basketball Team is organized in the U.S.

1928

Herbert Hoover is elected 31st President of the United States; Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. In China, Chaing Kai-shek is elected President.

1929

Fayette County Public Library is founded by five local residents. (The Citizen,11/8/00) FAYETTE COUNTY

June 1930

Charles and Bernice decide they want to marry. (Bernice Cowan 1982 journal) COWAN

Page 5 of 94

June 26, 1930

July 1930

Charles Allison Cowan and Bernice Kemp marry at Mrs. Jones' church, The Church of the Incarnation in Atlanta. Reverend G.W. Gasque performs the ceremony, witnessed by Miss Emmy Boyd, the younger sister of the groom, and Mrs. Jones, who had coordinated the arrangements. The newlyweds spend their honeymoon night at the home of Charles’ surprised parents in Conyers, then travel on to Macon, where a rented apartment awaits their arrival. Both Charles and Bernice remain employed with The Golden Eagle Company, this time at the Macon branch. (Bernice Cowan 1982 journal) COWAN MOTHER BERNICE Charles and Bernice relocate to Cartersville, again for the Fischers and Golden Eagle. Over the next three years, Charles purchases a used auto parts and tire store for $125. (Charles framed and displayed the cancelled checks in the amounts of $100 and $25, which had been used to complete the transaction. (Bernice Cowan 1982 journal; JHC notes & quotes) COWAN MOTHER BERNICE The business evolves into a parts store, which segues into a DodgePlymouth franchise named, “Cartersville Auto Supply Inc.” by Charles. Bernice’s memoirs recall purchasing the used parts “kind of junk yard” from Tom Criswell of Rome, who threw in a l928 Chevrolet, “wrecked beyond repair.” Piece by piece, the young couple dismantled the Chevy and placed each part in a bin, Bernice recalled, and, “All of a sudden, we were in the used car parts business, with a working capital of $10.” (Bernice Cowan 1982 journal; JHC notes & quotes) CARTERSVILLE COWAN MOTHER BERNICE See B&W photo of JHC’s race car with, “Cartersville Auto Supply/24-hour wrecker” painted on side (JHC notes & quotes) CARTERSVILLE COWAN JHC NOTES PHOTOGRAPHS JHC recalls: “Golden Eagle Company was located near North Avenue and West Peachtree in Atlanta. The corner also was also significant as the site of Victory Motors and was near Crawford Long Hospital. Victory Motors was owned by John Landers and later renamed Landers Motors as a Dodge and Plymouth dealership. Dad maintained a long relationship with Landers, as a regional representative for the cars and parts. We would pick up cars and parts there frequently. ”This is the current (2000) site of the Bank of America Building. Somehow, the Golden Eagle Company, Victory Motors and Landers were related.(JHC notes & quotes) JHC NOTES JHC QUOTES JHC recalls: “Golden Eagle sent Dad first to Macon, then to Cartersville to manage a store for them. That triggered the marriage, I believe. Later, Dad bought a tire store for $125 dollars in two checks which of $100 and $25 the cancelled copies of which he had framed on his wall. Mother did the books

Page 6 of 94

and Dad everything else. This expanded somehow into parts, and then he got the Dodge Plymouth franchise, naming the business, “Cartersville Auto Supply, Inc.” During the war years, no cars were manufactured, so there was much trading and substitution, and a lively used car business was carried on. Tires were rationed, as was fuel, during these years. (JHC notes & quotes) “This business was located at 122-123 East Main Street in Cartersville, about mid block. Its telephone number was 621 and the home number was 484. At the east end of the block was the famous 4-Way Café, which stands on the same spot today. (See painting.) At the west end, next to the railroad, Dad acquired a store building and opened the Goodyear Tire and Auto Store-officially “Cowan Auto Supply” later to become known as, “The Goodyear Store.” This sold tires, but also all manner of auto accessories, and later, appliances. It was the RCA Victor dealer for radios, originating from car radios, and it sold the first RCA television sets to come on the market. (JHC notes & quotes) CARTERSVILLE JHC NOTES JHC QUOTES “Other merchants prominent on Main Street on the west side of the tracks were Young’s Pharmacy (some Coca-Cola fame at the fountain), Knight’s Hardware, Champion Drugstore (site of the infamous checkers game), First National Bank, Stein’s Department Store, and Cummings & Shellhorse Furniture. The Marietta Store (Don Booth), Dalton Store (Ed Hasty’s mother,) NAPA, and Jones’ Mercantile were among the Main Street merchants, as well. The Legion Theatre was also there (the second and minor theatre to the Grand Theatre,) and it was to this theatre that I took my first date at probably the age of 13. Of course, we were taken there by my mother, and I don’t recall who had the honors of the movie. (JHC notes & quotes) CARTERSVILLE JHC NOTES JHC QUOTES December 21, 1933

1933-34

May 23, 1936

June 23, 1936

Charles Allison Cowan Jr. is born in Cartersville (at home, actually.) He is the first of three sons born to Charles Sr. and wife Bernice. (Bernice Cowan 1982 journal). COWAN Charles Sr. presents Bernice with a piano shortly after the birth of Charles Jr. (Bernice Cowan 1982 journal) MOTHER BERNICE

Geraldine Matthews is born in Fulton County to parents Jason and Pauline Mansell Matthews. The couple’s sixth child, she joins two sisters and three brothers and eventually is followed by another brother. (biographer’s interviews; Family Treemaker) GERI MATTHEWS Joel Harvey Cowan is born in a Marietta, Georgia, hospital, which is the closest such facility to Cartersville, Georgia. He is second child born to Charles Sr., and Bernice and bears the name “Harvey,” in tribute to his

Page 7 of 94

maternal grandfather. The following year, Charles and Bernice build the house located at 126 South Avenue in Cartersville, where JHC and his two brothers spend their youth. The telephone number is 484 (JHC notes & quotes: Bernice Cowan 1982 journal) COWAN JHC 1939

Dr. Harvey Hoyt Kemp dies at the age of 83, having endured a lengthy illness. (Bernice Cowan 1982 journal) DR. KEMP

September 6, 1942

Third and final child, John, is born to Charles Sr. and Bernice in Cartersville. In turn, all three boys attend Miss Mary Lou’s (Munford) Kindergarten; the family is active in the local First Presbyterian Church. (Bernice Cowan 1982 journal; JHC notes & quotes) COWAN

1947

Electricity arrives in Aberdeen. (FC News, 04/23/71) Fayette County

1947

First railroad comes to Aberdeen; known as the Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic RR. Initially, depot is in Aberdeen; later is moved to Manchester. (FC News, 04/23/71) FAYETTE COUNTY

Early 1950s

Telephone service arrives in Aberdeen. (FC News, 04/23/71) FAYETTE COUNTY

January 31, 1951-52

August 3-13, 1951

December 1, 1953

JHC is Explorer Scout and member of Troop #18 in Cartersville. (JHC documents/Boy Scouts ID badge) JHC JHC is accredited member of Boy Scouts of American Jamboree official delegation at Bad Ischl, Austria. (JHC documents/Boy Scouts ID badge) JHC Cartersville High School boys’ basketball team starts season with defeat of Campbell High, 39-31, in new gymnasium. JHC among leading scorers, with six points. (The Daily Tribune News, 12/01/53) JHC is president of both his junior and senior classes, as well as football team captain; Joe Frank Harris is quarterback. (JHC awards; biographer’s interview) JHC HONORS JFH CARTERSVILLE See B&W photograph of JHC, JFH as part of CHS basketball team. (The Daily Tribune News, 12/01/53) PHOTOGRAPHS

1953-59

JHC on the Air National Guard:

“It was the end of the Korean War, and many men had resigned from the National Guard to avoid being recalled to active duty. The Air National Guard visited high schools, putting on an aerial display in an effort to recruit new Copyright: Joel H. Cowan, 2003 Page 8 of 94

soldiers. Since we had a eight-year military obligation, the thought was that the sooner one began this-i.e.., at age 17-, the sooner it would end, as opposed to waiting until after college to begin serving. JHC and a group of 15 or so classmates enlisted and began weekend drills once per month, plus two weeks each summer at Travis AFB in Savannah. JHC was assigned as a clerk typist in the headquarters squadron and rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant. After two years of college, where he was also enrolled in the mandatory ROTC program at Georgia Tech, JHC applied for the Air Cadet program, which would have taken him out of school but fulfilled a desire to fly. He passed the written exam but was turned down due to a recurring football/basketball injured knee. He had surgery to correct this -being told that this would also make him eligible for the draft- but, the operation was deemed unsuccessful, and he was denied. Later, he applied for a commission, but was turned down by an Officers’ Review Panel due to what he would say was politics. Later, by the time JHC had served six years and decided not to reenlist…in fact on his very last day, he met a particular officer who may have been responsible for JHC’s failure to receive the commission and was told “…Cowan, if you apply for that commission now, I think you will get it.” To this he announced that he had decided not to reenlist…and that was nearly the end. Later, he was called back into reserves to complete the rest of the 8 years. The meeting was above the old Roxy Theatre on Peachtree Street. After issuing uniforms and meeting five times, this reserve unit was disbanded, and his remaining years were spent passively with the eight-year meter continuing to run.” (JHC notes & quotes) JHC COWAN 1954

June 1, 1954

Bernice’s mother, Jennie, relocates from Senoia, where she has maintained her home since husband Hoyt’s l939 death, to an apartment prepared for her in Bernice and Charles’ Cartersville home. (Bernice Cowan 1982 journal) COWAN P

JHC graduates from CHS. Was president of the Junior and Senior classes and Co-Captain of a very unsuccessful football team. (JHC awards) JHC Joe Frank Harris, later to become Governor of the State of Georgia was vice president of the senior class.

H/P September 1954

1955

August 1956

JHC enrolls at Georgia Tech in Industrial Management, pledges Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. (biographer’s interview) JHC HONORS JHC’s brother Charles marries Margaret “Peggy” Campbell, with whom he eventually has three children: Charles III, Margaret and Mary. Bernice Cowan 1982 journal; Family TreeMaker). Charles and Peggy divorce in (need date here) COWAN

H/P

In Fayette County News interview, College Park real estate agent Earl Denny publicly confirms new development planned for western Fayette County, to cover 11,000 to 12,000 acres. Agent Golden Pickett is appointed purchasing agent, representing unnamed buyers; thereby holding authority to exercise options to purchase property; execute sales after October 16, 1956, with escrow funds to be deposited into the bank in Tyrone on October 16. Possibility of additional 5,000 acres in project’s future. Plans call for city

Page 9 of 94

hall, $475,000 elementary school building, and water supply fed by two lakes, to be constructed on Flat Creek, natural gas lines, sewerage system and disposal plant, electrical facilities, street/road system. Appropriate zoning to be established for industrial area, with remainder zoned residential, including some apartments. Shopping center part of original development, with set-asides for similar centers in future. (FC News 10/3/56) FAYETTE COUNTY PTC TYRONE Fall 1956

1956

H/P

FC appoints first female bailiff, Mrs. E.C. (Miss Lois) Seawright; serves in fall session of FC Superior Court. (FC News 10/03/56) FAYETTE COUNTY JHC recalls: “Earl Denny was the more aggressive of the Denny-Pickett team, and thus the one you heard from. He was in his 70s then and had retired from the chemical industry as a chemical engineer. He told many stories of life abroad in such way that one tended to question his credibility. He would approach Fayette County farmers in a similar manner, telling grand stories of a new town and painting word pictures of shopping centers, schools and churches. Of course, no one believed him, and they tended to ‘play’ with him, often getting his dander up. On one such occasion, he was waxing eloquent with Hugh Stinchcomb, the Sheriff of Fayette County. Hugh was known for many things, including having the shortest temper and the biggest hands (fists) in that industry line of work. He was renown for being able to raid a liquor still, catch one moon-shiner, disable him with a quick punch to the jaw, then run down another. Hugh never wore a gun. Well, the sheriff had had just about enough of Denny and delivered an open-hand slap to the old man. This encounter never slowed Earl down, nor was he openly vengeful, as most would be. (JHC notes & quotes) “Earlier though, Denny had stopped at the Redwine Brothers, Bankers in Tyrone and encountered W.F. (Floy) Farr, the manager. Floy, always the renaissance man trapped in a rural community, listened patiently to the two men from south-side Atlanta who were looking for listings of raw land for sale. Farr facilitated a connection with R.H. (Bob) Huddleston, who was willing to sell the several thousand acres in Fayette County he either owned or for which he was a mortgage holder. Denny, after listing the land at the exorbitantly high price of $30 per acre, approached Peter Seymour Knox Jr. of Thomson, Georgia, who was a large land and timber holder and whose family owned Knox Homes, a prefab housing manufacturer. Pete Knox was a true visionary and saw immediately the prospect for such vast acreage so near Atlanta. Knox had read a book about the British new towns, also known as satellite cities, and was fascinated by the prospect of such in Atlanta. So, the idea received a favorable reaction from Knox”, (according to JHC).In purchase agreements for this acreage, all land sellers were given the right to harvest the timber on their property and to rent it for continued farming. There were about 50 separate land contracts, with Mr. Huddleston’s being the largest.” (JHC notes & quotes) FAYETTE COUNTY PETE KNOX PTC TYRONE FLOY FARR PLANNED

Page 10 of 94

May 13, 1957

H/P

Front page article in The Atlanta Journal where Knox, president of newlyformed Fayette County Development Corporation (FCDC), announces plan to build a self-sustaining new town in western FC, at the intersection of state Highways 74 and 54, along Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. Accessible to South Expressway, 22 miles from center of Atlanta proper. (The Atlanta Journal 05/13/57; original issue on file) PTC FAYETTE COUNTY PETE KNOX PLANNED

H/P

JHC continues: “Intrastate stock offerings generally were successful at this time. Notably, one was led by then-Governor and future U.S. Senator Herman Talmadge’s successful United American Life Insurance Company. It seemed that one could offer up most anything with a suede shoe salesman traveling around the state selling the stock. Unfortunately, this issue was unsuccessful without such a name as Talmadge, and sales of common stock raised less than $50,000 in all. (See notes on repurchase attempts of this stock, the number who had purchased 1 share for five dollars etc.) The original investors had put up $175,000 and, due to the failure, had to add to this another $100,000 or so. The land had been either optioned or purchased with a down payment and a note. In sum, Fayette County Development Company was broke.” (JHC notes & quotes) PTC FAYETTE COUNTY GEORGIA PLANNED

H/P

A significant development at this time is the first visit in history of a commercial jet airliner. It touches down at 11:05 a.m. at the Atlanta Airport, 78 minutes after its 9:47 a.m. departure from Washington D.C. Jetliner averages 386 mph and reaches speeds up to 460 mph; carries 46 passengers. (The Atlanta Journal, 05/13/57) HARTSFIELD GEORGIA “This established Atlanta’s airport as the growth engine for the city. In turn, the airport was the growth engine which fed PTC. “(JHC notes & quotes) HARTSFIELD PTC GEORGIA

May l957

H/P

A junior at Georgia Tech, 21-year-old JHC reads the May 13 article in The Atlanta Journal, asks Alpha Tao Omega fraternity brother Pete Knox III if his father, Pete Jr. needs a mayor for the “new town.” JHC immediately cites his experience in community development, acquired while working with his father in Cartersville. Shortly thereafter, and without further word, an invitation is extended, and Mr. Pete (Peter S. Knox Jr.,) son Peter III, JHC lunch together at Atlanta Athletic Club in the 5th floor dining room. Mr. Pete says to JHC, “Peter tells me you’re a whiz.” JHC later visits Thomson for the weekend, during which he and Mr. Pete asks JHC to manage the new town project w/o salary during his senior year at Georgia Tech, receiving instead stock at close of the year. JHC continues to pursue industrial management

Page 11 of 94

degree at Tech and is furnished an efficiency apartment-#829- in the Darlington Apartments at 2025 Peachtree Street in Atlanta to office and live. While still at Tech, JHC is hired by Mr. Pete, the job is “to manage the Fayette County land, collect rent for leased farms, keep the creditor farmers happy so they wouldn’t foreclose, fight forest fires and help to plan the community. Now owned by Pete, along with 10 friends and about $50,000 worth of publicly-held stock, FCDC had made a down payment on approximately 6,000 acres but lacked funds to purchase the balance.” (JHC notes & quotes) GA TECH JHC PETE KNOX PLANNED 1956, 1957

Early planning was done by Willard C. Byrd who was just starting his career on Fairlie Street in Atlanta. He had a Georgia Tech Student/professor practicing with him named Walter Hunziker. Walter was a Swiss native and did several visionary things in Atlanta including a transit station way before that was much more than a dream JHC interacted with him and as noted below, someone noted his name on the first rendering and googled him. Following is the correspondence which followed: From: Walter Hunziker [mailto:e2sys@yahoo.fr] Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 5:02 AM To: Dave Kaufman Subject: Re : Sears - Atlanta -Walter R. Hunziker

Hello Dave: Thanks for the e-mail. Yes, I did that rendering plus another one on a down town station of MARTA (see attachment) for Bob Bivens, who had studied city planning with me at Georgia Tech, and was working for MARTA around 1958 60.. In that period I also developed the concept for Peachtree City with Willard Byrd (see att.). then, after ten years in the US, I went back to Zurich where I started my architect's office working for US firms. Dow Chemical, Hilton, Intercontinental, RCA Labs, Mantrust, etc. and later worked worldwide until I retired to Cannes, where I still dream up crazy projects, new towns in the alps and in Africa. What are you writing about? On Google, I sometimes try to find places I used to live ,e.g. 156 Peachtree Circle in Atlanta or Sea Island, where my aunt lived, but it's hard, there are so many new buildings.. with best greetings, Walter De : Dave Kaufman <kaufmanmail@gmail.com> À : e2sys@yahoo.fr Envoyé le : Mardi, 11 Novembre 2008, 2h49mn 05s Objet : Sears - Atlanta -Walter R. Hunziker Mr. Hunziker: I'm an author living in Atlanta, GA. An architect associate, David Green, forwarded me the attached rendering of "future" Atlanta as part of an urban development project he is working on. The rendering was signed by Walter R. Hunziker, Architect. Could this be your work? Regards, Dave Kaufman Hello Joel:

Page 12 of 94

Here is a short review of how I remember the beginnings of Peachtree City. Please check and correct me, and also add where you came in and how the city was incorporated. This was a major accomplishment to overcome an obstacle to most new city projects, as the land always belongs to en existing political structure which usually resists giving up vested interests. How did you do it? Then I add the few sketches and plans which I still have. What I miss most are pictures of the Cartways, which is a unique feature of PC, although Willard Byrd had already developed the concept in Parkwood N.C. ( a concept sketch/plan is enclosed).

November 15, 1957

H/P

JHC registers to vote in Fayette County based upon his “intent” to become a resident. (public records/Fayette County Voter Registration Card) JHC

November 27, 1957

H/P

Farr is elected to board of directors of FCDC to give local representation to the company. Of that time, JHC recalls: This formed a type of partnership between JHC and Farr that has lasted for over 45 years. ”We were constant mutual supporters and together bought land and the bank, which Farr had run for many years. We formed a type of small political machine and nonprofit community support system, which had significant influence on individuals and businesses. “Other FCDC directors include (1) James A. Hutchinson Jr. of Thomson as vice president, who is VP of Manufacturing, Knox Corporation; (2) Tom Z. Standard of Macon as secretary, who is president of Standard Development Company and currently serves as president of The Home Builders Association of Georgia; (3) Jack P. Schleifer of New York City as treasurer, who is a real estate investor, associated with his late uncle, Lewis C. Schleifer, and also is owner of Briarcliff and Henry Grady Hotels in Atlanta, as well as developer of $100 million+ of New York real estate; (4) Julian H. Roberts of Augusta, who is president and treasurer of Roberts Motor Company, president and treasurer of Columbian Heights Inc., and vice president of Winterlawn Sales Corp., all of Augusta; (5) Thomas G. Cousins of Atlanta, sales department of Knox Corp.; (6) Frank H. Story of Thomson, building construction; (7) Willard C. Byrd of Atlanta, landscape architect and planning consultant . Edwin Sterne of Nall, Sterne, Miller, Cadenhead and Dennis in Atlanta are attorneys of record. (JHC quotes; The Atlanta Journal, 05/13/57; FC News, 11/27/57) FLOY FARR PTC FCDC PETE KNOX

December 21, 1957

JHC and Geraldine Matthews marry. “The couple had met through a semiblind date arranged by JHC’s roommate, Jerry McNeely, and his girlfriend, Karen Bain. Geri worked at Lockheed as a secretary and attended Georgia State University at night. She had won the annual beauty contest at Lockheed and was thereby ‘Miss Georgia Division’ for 1956. Actually, JHC had seen Geri previously at the ATO house, where she had been the date of another Brother.” (JHC notes & quotes) The future bride resides with her family on a farm north of Roswell. This farm is on Houze Road and her parents were Jason and Pauline Mansell Matthews. COWAN GA TECH GERI

Page 13 of 94

JHC MATTHEWS June 7, 1958

H/P

JHC graduates from Georgia Tech with Bachelor of Science degree in industrial management. “FC Development Corp. did not have any funding and was thus unable to offer paid employment to JHC. To compensate him for the year already worked, JHC was given 60 acres of land provided he agree to build a house and move there. For the future, Knox offered JHC $600/month to work for Knox Homes and allowed him to keep the unpaid position at FCDC. JHC’s job with Knox was to prepare bids for projects on military bases for Knox Homes, but his heart was always in Fayette County. JHC continued to pursue the dream by networking in Atlanta to find proper financing. He also continued the master plan, although, without money, there was nothing but guesswork, as opposed to engineering, as to what might be done with the property.” (JHC notes & quotes) FAYETTE COUNTY GA TECH JHC KNOX PLANNED “In addition, having studied the matter, JHC concluded it would be desirable to incorporate the community into a city, which required an act of the Georgia General Assembly. Having no money, JHC turned to the longtime Knox lawyer Henry Neal from Thomson and John Mobley, a young bond attorney in Atlanta, to prepare a bill for the 1959 session of the General Assembly. The bill and charter were copied from others passed over the years, and therefore had some unusual language and powers.” (JHC notes & quotes) JHC KNOX PTC PLANNED Lacking funds for a survey of the property, the problem was how to define the land to be included in the city. “Many other cities merely used ’a one mile radius from the courthouse’ or similar descriptions. JHC searched the State Archives, locating the land lot and land district map, which had been used when the land was ceded by the Creek Indians. It was the only compiled map accurately numbering the land lots. Most of the land purchases which had been made for the development, used a reference to land lots, but some did not. This allowed JHC to get a general fix on which of these 202.5 acre land lots would be necessary to ensure that all the owned or targeted land was included in the City. The Flat and Line Creek watersheds were always important to the development plan, since they facilitated accumulation of all sewer flow to just one point in the south. This explains why the so-called West Village land was not included, since much of that land was not owned by the development company, and there was resistance from other landowners around Aberdeen to being included. (JHC notes & quotes) “Meanwhile, Mr. Pete had begun to reduce his involvement in development of the new town, leaving JHC with the responsibility for it to either sink or swim. Knox had only been to the site once or twice and then was not sure where the actual land was, since Earl Denny only had a vague idea himself. In fact, some of the land we thought we owned, Mr. Bob Huddleston had

Page 14 of 94

held back taking a “wait and see” attitude. As was his method of operation, Pete had conceived the vision, found a young enthusiast to implement the project, then withdrew his active participation. In fact, Tom Cousins recalls Pete asking him to try to sell the land at any price to recover some of the investment." (JHC notes & quotes) PETE KNOX PLANNED JHC operated “hands-on” in opening up the property, which consisted primarily of hilly forests and swampland. This often meant JHC would leave his Atlanta apartment in the middle of the night to help fight forest fires, as the State Forestry Service had limited resources and seldom would respond to nighttime outbreaks. (JHC notes & quotes) PTC November 29, 1958

H/P

To facilitate his move to PTC, JHC is given 60 acres of land, in lieu of the FCDC stock he had earned during that initial year of employment, 1957-58. JHC begins construction on house on the 60 acres of land in PTC, with the occupancy deadline of January 1st. (JHC notes & quotes) PTC COWAN “This was thought to be important due to the planned legislation creating the city which would name him Mayor.” (JHC notes & quotes) Using a Knox prefab house, JHC sets about to complete the 1,000- square-foot house on Shakerag Hill in 30 days. Friend and local builder Huie Bray accepts the assignment and successfully completes the pressing assignment. The Cowan house is constructed on Highway 54 on Shakerag Hill, which later on is graded down to accommodate an office building just east of Stephen’s Entry. (JHC notes & quotes) PTC JHC

January 2, 1959

H/P

Thirty days after construction is initiated, JHC and wife take up residence in new PTC house, with its carport roof propped up at an awkward angle in anticipation of its poured concrete floor. (See photo) GERI JHC PTC As had been planned, legislation proposing creation of the PTC charter is introduced by Grady L. Huddleston, state Representative of Fayette County, co-sponsored by Harry H. Redwine, Senator, 26th District, who died February 2001. JHC lobbied the proposed legislation, House Bill 242, through the Legislature. The charter designated “residents” Joel H. Cowan, mayor; and as council members, R. H. Huddleston Sr. and his son, R. Hugh Huddleston,, as well as John E. Robinson and J.A. “Albert” Pollard. (Section 8) JHC had selected the men, both as creditors and to gain the political support needed to allow the action to move forward. R.H. Huddleston was the father of Representative Grady Huddleston. The PTC charter provides that, “On the first Tuesday in December l961, and on the first Tuesday in December each two years thereafter, there shall be elected a mayor and four councilmen,” thereby setting the first election for the new town’s government, as well as the parameters under which elections were to be conducted. (Section 9) The charter provides that the city clerk “shall be the

Page 15 of 94

clerical officer of the city council and shall be the keeper of the seal of said city…” (Section 15) To save money, the bill essentially is copied from some standard city charters. Since the root language was quite old, the resultant charter provides for the power to “regulate and control all businesses and activities of every kind and character carried on within the corporate limits of said city, including, but not limited to markets, taverns, hotels, boarding houses, cafes, restaurants, saloons for the sale of creams, ices and such articles, barber shops and beauty shops, ice plants, laundries, waterworks, swimming pools, recreation establishments, pool rooms, opera houses, theatres, picture shows, drays, hacks, taxis, wagons, automobiles used for hauling of any kind, and vehicles used for, (sic) brokers, agents, auctioneers, itinerant dealers, immigrant agents, all fire or life insurance companies doing business in said city, traders of all kinds, itinerant dealers in merchandise, itinerant dealers in jewelry and medicine except such as are exempted by the laws of this State. Also any person running a flying-jinny, flying-horse, (sic) merry-go-round, shooting gallery, bicycle or skating rink and all circuses, side shows and all other shows or performances exhibiting in said city, and all persons, firms, companies or corporations, (sic) selling goods, wares and merchandise by sample advertisement of retail, or by wholesale, and all other businesses, callings or vocations which under the Constitution and laws of this State are not exempt from this license.” (Section 29) “The crucial element the founders sought in the PTC charter was the ability to issue tax-exempt bonds, as the thinking was to use this for infrastructure financing.” (JHC notes & quotes; also, Georgia Laws 1959, Incorporation of Peachtree City, Joel H. Cowan, Mayor, p. 2409-2430, compiled and published by the State of Georgia; press of Longino & Porter Inc., Hapeville, Georgia; The National Library Bindery Company, Atlanta, Georgia 30305.) PTC PLANNED GEORGIA JHC Naming of PTC: From members of the rather small group involved in creation of PTC come several suggestions for naming the new town. The most reliable recollection is that of Willard Byrd, the Atlanta-based first planner of the town; and a director of FCDC, who first suggests the name, “Peachtree City.” It is JHC who personally decides to go with the name, for reasons both practical and clever. JHC recalls: “At that stage of development, we really didn’t need a name for the town. Once I had presented the state legislature with the bill to create the charter, time was up, and I had to decide.” While much of the town’s allure can be attributed to its rural setting, the location complicated the already-challenging task of promoting the new community. (JHC notes & quotes) PTC JHC PLANNED “Since we were off the beaten path and lacked any advertising funds, I wanted a name, which would give the town identity anywhere in the nation. ‘Peachtree’ was universally associated with Atlanta,” JHC says. “This was aimed mainly at industrial development, since I saw that as the initial challenge. “ For clarification, the inclusion of “city” is necessary. “Otherwise, one would not know what it was,” JHC says. “This does make it rather clumsy, when legally, the town was known as, ’City of Peachtree City,’ Copyright: Joel H. Cowan, 2003

Page 16 of 94

but I didn’t think that was important at the time. I had some vague hope of stemming the northward push of Atlanta, which was occurring primarily along Peachtree Road, and I thought a little confusion might help. I always was convinced that, had we not chosen the name PTC, Portman’s Peachtree Center would have used it instead.” (JHC notes & quotes) PTC PLANNED

circa 1959

H/P

R.H. “MR. BOB” HUDDLESTON from recollections of W.F. “Floy” Farr Floy recalls: “At one time, Mr. Bob had about 300 mules, which also meant 300 plows. He had small farms located all around Fayette County. I’m not sure how many acres he tended through the years; later on, there weren’t as many. Mr. Bob came from a large family. He told me one time there were 26 children in his family, and he was the 24th one, I think. MR. BOB “Mr. Bob was a very conservative man, as I see it. He accumulated a lot of money, and during the Great Depression, and he would loan the farmers money and take a first mortgage on their farm. He didn’t believe in paying an attorney any money to do anything for him. He was a customer of mine at the bank in Tyrone. Mr. Bob would bring in a farmer with a deed and tell me, ‘Here’s the deed to this farm, and I’m going to loan this gentleman $5,000,’ or whatever the amount was. His interest rate was 6% simple interest. He didn’t care about them paying the principle; he just wanted them to pay the interest each year. At one time, he had a lot of money loaned to the farmers, and I would collect the interest for him during the fall of the year, when these farmers sold cotton. One time, I remember I collected $15,000 interest for him. I don’t know how many farmers had paid the interest to him that year and a lot of them didn’t pay the interest. “From the farmers’ indebtedness to him during the time of the Depression years, he accumulated first mortgages on probably four or five thousand acres of land in and around Fayette County. That was one of the reasons we were able to get the amount of land that we did for developing PTC. There was a great issue of these farmers signing the contracts on this land. At first, Mr. Bob would agree to survey off four or five acres of land around their house and release it, thereby ensuring that the farmer had his home and several acres of land, all debt-free. It was a great thing for these farmers during this period of time. Some of this was done before Joel came. MR. BOB JHC “Mr. Bob’s first wife died, and he had two sons, Grady and R. Hugh, and two daughters. Mr. Bob’s son, Hugh, lived here at the time in PTC when we started developing and was on the city council at one time. Joel was Mayor of PTC. Mr. Bob, Hugh John Robinson and Albert Pollard made up the council. MR. BOB GRADY HUDDLESTON R. HUGH HUDDLESTON ALBERT POLLARD JHC Mr. Bob and Floy served on the Fayette County School Board together. “I was on the school board for 11 years, during the period of integration. That

Page 17 of 94

was the worse time for anyone to be on the school board, especially in Fayette County. Our superintendent, who was Ferrol A. Sams Sr.-Sambo Sams’ father-he was the guy who was probably most against segregation in the schools in Georgia. He was totally against it. He was very outspoken about it. Mr. Bob was on the board at the same time I was, and I enjoyed serving with Mr. Bob. He was quite helpful, as he was already on the board when I was elected, and he was also on the board during integration. There’s a great story behind that: FERROL A. SAMS SAMBO “In WW I, there was a black family who lived on Mr. Bob’s place. The husband was drafted and went away to the army and was killed in the army. His wife was named ‘Iola.’ She collected $10,000 insurance money, as her husband’s death benefit. Iola wasn’t quite right, and they didn’t have any children, so Mr. Bob was appointed her guardian. Mr. Bob took that $10,000 and started investing it for her. Also, she lived on his farm, and he would give her what she needed, and also established an account for her to get groceries through Mr. Dave McWilliams’ store. He would keep it paid from the income of that $10,000. He made some great investments with that $10,000. He bought one or two stores on the square in Fayetteville, when things were real cheap. He kept them up and rented them out all those years, making other good investments for her. Iola had accumulated a lot of money-good year money. This was during the early part of segregation of our schools. When Iola died, Mr. Bob had this money, and she didn’t have any really close relatives, and this money was fixing to be paid to the state. Mr. Bob didn’t want to do this-he wanted to do something that would benefit Fayette County. He decided, along with the board and superintendent, they would build a colored school in Fayetteville. They built the first brick school for the colored-this was before the schools were desegregated-in Fayetteville. Along with this, they built a gymnasium with that money. He went to court, along with Mr. Sams’ help, and he got the money released through the courts for this purpose. The school is still in use now, but for everybody.” DAVE MCWILLIAMS MR. BOB FERROL A. SAMS IOLA Regarding the Fayette County Development Corporation, Floy says. “Pete Knox had put most of the money" into buying up the land. “A person like me, I was a stockholder in the company, but I didn’t have any money. I had put a little money in it-$500. It was all I had to put in it. It was a good investment for the city. When we sold out, they just paid the principal amount; we didn’t draw any interest back on it. But that was alright; we all agreed to that.” As for FCDC’s sell-out of the acquired land: “When the land was listed, they were supposed to pay, and did pay, 33% down payment. I think it was a guarantee of everwhat the contract was when it was deeded over to the developer. Then the second and third payments were a third each, over a period of three years. We bought a lot of this land as low as $30 an acres; the highest I remember being bought was $100 an acre, but few were paid that amount. Mr. Bob cooperated with the developers very well, and his family did. It was a very interesting time for all of us.” MR. BOB PETE KNOX FCDC Copyright: Joel H. Cowan, 2003

Page 18 of 94

“Joel had a real active part and a real important part in getting the land surveyed, bringing in the developers and getting the master plan organized. Of course, we didn’t have any city taxes during that period of time, and the developers were paying all the expenses. Nobody objected to that, of course.” JHC February 1959

H/P

With funds to continue the project depleting, JHC seeks investor, beginning lifelong “networking” modality for business. He is introduced to Judson Ackerman, an Atlanta broker, who has a friend at the New York firm William A. White Company, where Howard Auerbach also works. Auerbach’s wife was a good friend of Blanche, the wife of James F. Riley Jr., Vice President of Bessemer Securities Corporation of New York, who is in charge of real estate. Riley, for whom both Riley Field and Riley Parkway in PTC are later named, hopes Howard has found something in which he could be interested, as he wanted to help him out. The property is presented to Riley as 12,000 acres of raw land within 25 miles of Atlanta, not as a “new town” or development venture. Riley is willing to come and look but requires an option on the land before agreeing even to visit from New York. JHC calls Pete Knox, explaining the situation and asking if it “would it be alright to give such an option.” Mr. Knox answers, “Joel, you have carte blanche to deal with them.” After consulting the dictionary, JHC himself prepares an option agreement for $225 per acre and signs it. He also includes an option on his own home and acreage. JAMES RILEY PETE KNOX JHC Worrying about how to present the property in its best light, downplaying the lack of good road access was important. “We chartered an airplane to view the optioned property, landing at a dirt airstrip along Palmetto Road in Tyrone were it corners with Senoia Road. Floy (Farr) had left his personal car there—a ’57 Ford--with the key in it so we could drive around, thus masking the access weakness until Riley could see the property and hear the idea, “ JHC recalls. Immediately after takeoff in the chartered airplane, JHC becomes airsick. Seated behind Riley to enable him to point out the property over his shoulder, JHC barfs into a prearranged container, but manages to keep a steady flow of information going. “As the deal was made over the next few months, Riley unveiled what was going on in his mind during the pitch, including why he came to Fayette County in the first place. Part of his reasoning was the Auerbach situation and his interest in the land, and the other was to recruit someone to succeed him.” (JHC notes & quotes) Thus begins a lifelong friendship between Mr. Riley and JHC. PTC JAMES RILEY FLOY FARR JHC TYRONE

March 1959

96-year-old Mr. Blake Gilbert sells to Fayette Presbyterian Church five acres of land two miles north of Fayetteville for the low price of $2,500, then donates $1,000 to church building fund. (Church history publicationFayette Presbyterian Church) FAYETTE COUNTY

Page 19 of 94

March 9, 1959

H/P

Georgia Legislature charters City of Peachtree City, Georgia; twenty-twoyear-old JHC becomes first mayor of PTC, remains through 1963. Governor Samuel Ernest Vandiver Jr., Governor of Georgia, signs the legislation into law. Gov. Vandiver also owns a small amount of stock in FCDC, which he had purchased through his friendship with Knox. (public records; JHC notes & quotes) PTC GEORGIA ERNEST VANDIVER JHC PETE KNOX

May 1959

H/P

Official organization of Fayette Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville is established, with full church status in Atlanta Presbytery. Charter members are M/M Joel H. Cowan; M/M S. Moody Elliott Sr; Moody Elliott Jr; Linda Elliott; Donald Elliott; Mrs. Mark Johnston; M/M L.L. Perry; M/M Robert K. Price Sr; Roby Price; Gordon Price; Dr. & Mrs. Claude Thompson; Claudia Thompson; Cathy Thompson; M/M J. Oliver Thompson. (church history publication/Fayette Presbyterian Church) FAYETTE COUNTY FC CHURCHES

June 1959

H/P

C&S Bank, George Craft, Champ McNair, others & JFR’s visit. JHC recalls: “After the original visit of, and subsequent negotiations with, Mr. James F. Riley, Jr. of Bessemer, it appeared likely Bessemer would invest. Due to the structure of the deal, and my lack of knowing how to act if you have money, I ‘went to school’ on how money and connections could help promote Peachtree City. Champney McNair was then a junior officer on the bank floor of The Trust Company of Georgia, now SunTrust. (see notes on him and others of that era). BESSEMER CHAMP MCNAIR JAMES RILEY TRUST COMPANY SUNTRUST “I asked Champ how much of a deposit would be required to get good attention from the bank, particularly in industrial development. He said that a $100,000 deposit would get some attention, if left there without interest. In addition, since on the recommendation of Bessemer’s New York counsel we were going to use King & Spalding as our counsel, there was a lot of pressure for Trust Company, and they participated in the introduction. CHAMP MCNAIR TRUST COMPANY

“Came the day when Mr. Riley was to arrive from New York, and I had arranged meetings with Trust Company, First National Bank of Atlanta, now Wachovia; and C&S National Bank, now Bank of America. Our first appointment was with Mr. George Craft, at that time, the CEO of Trust Company. When Mr. Riley and I went in, we found he had been poorly briefed and was impatient to have the interview end. Our next appointment was with First National Bank of Atlanta, headed by Mr. Jim Robinson. He was quite cordial and gave a good impression. I came to know Mr. Robinson Copyright: Joel H. Cowan, 2003 Page 20 of 94

very well and also his son Jimmy, who was later to become CEO of American Express. JAMES RILEY GEORGE CRAFT JIM ROBINSON C&S FIRST NATIONAL WACHOVIA TRUST COMPANY BANK OF AMERICA “Upon entering C&S, virtually everyone knew who we were. They had obviously seen a memo, and they all could call him by name. Further, C&S had a full-time industrial development department, headed by Clayton McLendon; I had worked with Clayton with my father in his capacity of Mayor of Cartersville. The famous C&S Bank CEO, Mills B. Lane, was likewise ebullient and solicitous. C&S CLAYTON MCLENDON MILLS B. LANE “C&S won, and we deposited $600,000 in July of that year, where we continued to maintain a substantial balance for years thereafter. A smaller account went to First Atlanta, and nothing to Trust Company. C&S FSB TRUST COMPANY “The Trust Company banking floor in and of itself was a pretty interesting one, where I had many friends dating back to my Georgia Tech days. This was due largely to the presence at Trust Company of Merrill Lynch, where I spent a lot of time with my friend and networker, Allan West Wood. Trust Company’s banking floor there included Cleve Willcoxen, who later left the bank to join Jack Adair learning the art of real estate brokerage. Cleve eventually went out on his own and became a leader in the industry, almost dominating Coca Cola’s business by accumulating land around its headquarters. TRUST COMPANY ALLAN WEST WOOD CLEVE WILLCOXEN “Then there was Harvey Mathis. Harvey left The Trust Company to join Mike Gearon, who had founded the first suburban office park-Executive Park. Such a move was considered a risky proposition and certainly beneath the lofty reputation of ‘bankers.’ Not only was this successful, the two men acquired the land which later became Perimeter Center. They sold off the land for the shopping center and retained the adjacent office area. Harvey ultimately became one of the most successful real estate developers of that era, as he and Mac Taylor bought out Mike Gearon. Copyright: Joel H. Cowan, 2003

Page 21 of 94

HARVEY MATHIS TRUST COMPANY MIKE GEARON MACK TAYLOR “Bradley Currey was another. Brad stayed with Trust Company and rose through its ranks, until it became clear that the prize to be the CEO was between him and Jimmy Williams. Jimmy had long since been tapped by Mr. Robert Woodruff, whose support included placing him on the Coca-cola Board of Directors, where he still serves today. Brad left Trust Company to join Rock-Tenn and rose to become its CEO. This kept him in the ”family”, and he held the chairmanships of all the major civic institutions usually reserved for CEOs of the banks, including The Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. BRAD CURREY JIMMY WILLIAMS ROBERT WOODRUFF TRUST COMPANY “Champ McNair himself later rose to be president and COO of The Trust Company. Champ and I served many years together on the Rabun GapNacoochee School Board of Trustees. He was Chairman of the Board and nominated me to succeed him as Chairman. Coincidentally, Champ’s son Cam moved to Peachtree City after a career in the army and became city engineer. CHAMP MCNAIR RABUN GAP-NACOOCHEE TRUST COMPANY

July 30, 1959

H/P

With formation of new corporation imminent, lawyers, bankers and the old FCDC board keep JHC busy until the closing, scheduled July 30, 1959. Deal is closed as planned, forming Peachtree Corporation of Georgia, which is owned 51% by Bessemer, 49% by FCDC shareholders. Henry Phipps Estates, a Bessemer owned corporation and affiliate, purchases land surrounding the center of town, enabling FCDC debt to be satisfied. Bessemer puts $435,000 into Peachtree Corporation of Georgia, and FCDC puts in the center land. Deal enables first stages of development to proceed. (JHC notes & quotes) PTC BESSEMER FCDC PEACHTREE CORP. Land use plan is in place, based on feasibility study completed by Hammer & Company, with planning consultant Willard C. Byrd Study concludes PTC could offer sufficient advantages to attract residential and business on large scale, despite competition from other suburban developments in closer

Page 22 of 94

proximity to Atlanta proper; zoning is under development. (FC News, 8/05/59) Developers see potential population of 75,000 to 100,000. Construction of 450-acre lake in center of town to begin in fall 1959; lots for residential housing sites to be offered for sale spring l960. Negotiations with businesses underway for location of plants in proposed industrial park. Dubbed “dream city” in news articles. (JHC bio/1984) PTC Knox (Mr. Pete) becomes director of Peachtree Corporation, along with FCDC Director Julian H. Roberts. Other directors from Bessemer include James F. Riley Jr., Bessemer Vice President; R. Daniel Saxe Jr., Bessemer’s in-house counsel; and John Izard Jr., an attorney with the Atlanta firm of Spalding, Sibley, Troutman, Meadow and Smith, (later to become King & Spalding.) (FC News, 8/05/59) PTC BESSEMER JAMES RILEY FCDC PEACHTREE CORP. PETE KNOX The birth that day of the new corporation shares center stage with the equally-compelling arrival of PTC’s first baby, Joel Harvey Cowan Jr., delivered at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta. During that evening’s celebratory dinner, held at the Atlanta Athletic Club, Macon attorney Denmark Groover encourages the naming of the new JHC son a “junior,” which had not been the parents’ plan. The new Board agrees to give Joel, Jr. 100 shares of stock in the merged company; (this stock, however, never becomes valuable). (AJC, Sunday edition 8/2/59; FC News 8/5/59) COWAN August 1959

H/P

23-year-old JHC is recognized as being the youngest mayor of a Georgia town at the same time his father, Charles A. Cowan Sr. is mayor of Cartersville, Georgia, the only such father and son mayoral team in the country at that time. A reporter in New Jersey writes an article about this while JHC was attending a conference on the revitalization of downtown Pittsburgh. (FC News, 8/5/59) COWAN CARTERSVILLE There, during the conference, JHC studies the revitalization of downtown Pittsburgh, triggering his interest in helping downtown Atlanta as a member of Central Atlanta Progress, a.k.a., CAP. JHC later becomes vice chair of CAP, spending many years working to further the interests of downtown Atlanta in an effort to slow the movement northward, which was detrimental to PTC. (JHC bio) PTC CAP

Fall 1959

H/P

JHC operates the bulldozer and pushed through what would become Hip Pocket Road. Originally located with the use of a cheap Japanese surveying instrument, operated by JHC’s cousin, J.K. “Chip” Conner, Hip Pocket Road

Page 23 of 94

was thus named by JHC, as it had been “pulled out of his hip pocket.” A former student at Southern Tech, Chip possesses a modest amount of training in the operation of these instruments, prompting JHC to recruit his help. This results in Chip’s coming to work for JHC to manage the construction. Hip Pocket later is relocated somewhat, as sophistication and knowledge of the area grows. Development renderings from 1958 show Lake Peachtree as being located north of state Highway 54 adjacent to the road. Throughout the fall and winter of 1959, JHC tries to find a dam site, which would fit the plan, but is confounded by the broad area which eventually provides the site for Tinsley Mill Village and borders the Peachtree Conference Center. Trekking through the swamp created by beaver dams, JHC and Tom Mitchell from Fayetteville (a drag line crane owner), armed with ditching dynamite and a plunger, blow up these dams. The beavers, however, prove formidable adversaries, winning round after round with JHC. Out of his frustration, JHC heeds advice from Hugh Huddleston, who suggests he investigate another narrowing of the creek about a mile below Highway 54. Since the site is inaccessible by roads, JHC walks about a mile into the woods with Tom on the other side continuously calling to each other to establish location since you couldn’t see across. Eventually, Tom and Joel saw each other and immediately recognized the potential for this location. With the promise held by this new site, Chip and JHC attempt to run the potential lake level down from Highway 54 to determine how high the proposed dam would be since he wanted the lake visible from Highway 54. Although fairly inaccurate, this proves the feasibility of the site, and the entire plan shifts accordingly. Although early drawings show the town center adjacent Lake Peachtree where the conference center is located, this opportunity is lost when the lake site is relocated. (JHC notes & quotes) PTC JHC NOTES CHIP CONNER 1959-76

H/P

JHC opens Peachtree Corporation of Georgia office in the Palmer Building at the NE corner of Marietta and Forsyth Streets in downtown Atlanta. The extent of the office is two rooms for JHC and his secretary, Caroline Fox, who had worked in the Knox office. Thus JHC’s daily PTC to Atlanta commute, which began in 1959 with the Knox Homes office, continued, and does to this writing in 2003. (JHC notes & quotes) PEACHTREE CORP PETE KNOX Lake Peachtree, first city streets, water system/water tank are completed in PTC. (Atlanta Magazine, July 1969) PTC

June 1960

PTC Master Plan/Zoning Map and Zoning Ordinance are adopted, as are National Building Code; J.A Pollard is appointed PTC’s first building inspector. (The Fayette Sun, 3/1/79) PTC PLANNED

1961

Dixie Frozen Foods becomes PTC’s first industrial operation, employing 25 workers. Dixie later becomes Hi-Brand Foods. ((Fayette Sun, 03/01/79) JHC needs to add comments for story on Dixie, Vernon "Doc" and Leonard “Lennie” Lassiter. PTC

Page 24 of 94

January 1, 1961

Mark Kemp Cowan is born to Joel Sr. and Geri Cowan. (Family Treemaker)

February 25, 1961

H/P

The Lake Peachtree dam is breached. JHC recalls: “This was a day following a record rainfall. Of course, the dams and spillways were supposed to be designed to accommodate this. The firm of Wiedeman & Singleton in Atlanta was the engineer for the dam on Lake Peachtree, which I contracted out in 1960. Knowing that it would be the centerpiece of the city, and as such, would have valuable lake shore, I wanted it to maintain a constant pool level as was possible. The engineering solution the engineers came up with was a spillway 120 feet wide and three feet below the desired lake level. On top of this, there was a three-foot-high, tongue-and-groove wooden structure supported by three-inch steel posts. The posts were to be designed with grooves cut so that they would bend over when the water level rose another foot, allowing the flood water to be released. Afterward, we would rebuild the steel and wood structure. In theory, this would only happen once every 25 years they said. “Well, this 1961 rainfall was the “25 year flood” after less than two years! When I awoke that Saturday morning, my first thought was to get in the Jeep -there were no paved roads- and check out the lake and dam. When I drove across the Highway 54 bridge, I saw that the level was much higher than contemplated by the design and appeared to threaten the road itself. When I arrived at the dam and spillway, I was devastated! The water was pouring over the wooden structure, which was holding firm, the posts refusing to sacrifice themselves for the inevitable failure. With the level exceeding the protected sides, the water was fast eroding the eastern end of this 120-foot monolith. Frankly, had I not been so upset, witnessing the power of the water would have been awesome! “I went back to the house and called the engineers. Mr. Ben Hall, foremost authority in Georgia on hydraulics and part of the original design team, came down to Peachtree City that afternoon, and I drove him down to the eastern end in the Jeep. A very formal man, he was wearing a tie and carried a walking cane, which itself seemed a contradiction. He was in a state of euphoria! Since hydraulics was his life, this spectacle had great academic significance to him. Shorter than I, Mr. Hall and I would walk along the shore in the mud, with me talking about possible emergency actions to save the situation, when suddenly I would notice I was alone. For, periodically, his cane would punch into the mud, carrying him face down to the ground. I would lift him up, and we would proceed with our tour, only to have it happen again. BEN HALL “The bottom line was that there was no reasonable emergency plan of action for a dam breach of such magnitude and to stop the release would risk flooding Highway 54. By that afternoon, the eastern end of the dam had eroded, washing away some 50 feet of land, while the western end simply dropped to a lower level. The once proud structure was left twisted, as though it were a giant gate which had opened instead of sacrificing its breakaway part for the greater good; it stood ten feet lower than before the break. The dam itself was unaffected by the break and today (in 2001) is pretty much unchanged. The western portion of the structure also remains intact today, although the 120 foot long relic lies at a grotesque angle completely submerged in the lake.

Page 25 of 94

“How to rebuild became an obsession. The problem was that because a virtual canyon had been cut through the original location, the new engineers retained after the breach had designed a concrete replacement structure, a solution which was prohibitively expensive. A secondary issue was that of responsibility-- “who was at fault” in the failure of the original structure. The likely target was the engineering firm. With that in mind, I engaged the engineering firm of Robert & Company to critique the old design. Robert & Company, however, could not find a “silver bullet” design flaw. There were, in fact, multiple problems with both design and execution. We were caught between the designer and the builder, with each pointing the finger at the other…leaving us holding the bag. For instance, the steel posts were fabricated of the wrong material but would not have failed had a bulldozer, rather than floodwaters, been pushing against them. Further, the failure rings which were ground in the center posts to make them fail first had not been tested, thus there was no accurate method of predicting strength to the exactitude called for in our design criteria. This could be blamed on execution or engineering supervision. “I kept a set of the plans on the table in my office and talked with all the experts I could find who might have an idea, both as to what happened and to how to resolve it. We filed a lawsuit against the engineering firm, hoping to reach a settlement, but with no result. In fact, our own lawyers did not give me much hope. “Then one day, with the plans spread on the table but turned to an upstream view, the answer as to what was wrong came to me, like a thunderbolt out of the blue. The design had called for the tongue-and-groove boards to be installed overlapping, much like a brick wall construction. A vertical board was called for at each joint, bolting the alternating joints to the alternating solid boards. Just as a brick wall is strong, so too was this structure. It could have withstood the powerful pull of two bulldozers. It wasn’t a contest between bulldozers which assaulted the structure; however, it was the relentless rush of floodwaters. When confronted with this irrefutable truth, the engineers agreed to settle out-of-court.” (JHC notes & quotes) PTC JHC NOTES December 1961

H/P

The first PTC election is held on the first Tuesday of December, 1961, in accordance with the city charter, established by House Bill 242. JHC is elected mayor, unopposed. All 65 votes cast for JHC, none opposing. (public records, 1961) PTC FAYETTE COUNTY W.F. (Floy) Farr becomes president of Redwine Brothers, Bankers in Tyrone, which had then operated as a private bank since l912. (FC News, 5/23/73). JHC transfers membership in Fayette County Kiwanis Club to Atlanta; becomes member of Kiwanis Club of Atlanta, where he continues membership today. (JHC bio/2000) FLOY FARR

Page 26 of 94

Having acquired additional stock in Peachtree Corporation of Georgia from Jack Schleifer and some of the founding members, Bessemer holds 60% interest. Since it is clear that the project would require substantial additional funding over a protracted time period, JHC negotiates with Mr. Pete to buy out the founders’ interest on a basis which would give them three times their initial investment and offer a still higher price to the “public” shareholders, who had paid a higher purchase price. PEACHTREE CORP PETE KNOX JHC NOTES This is bittersweet for JHC, starting with the fact that the negotiations between the two were taking place at the same in table in the Atlanta Athletic Club 5th floor dining room, the exact spot where their relationship had begun in 1957. Further, since Mr. Pete is both a founder and mentor, it was like “leaving home”. But both men recognize the benefits to the dream and the correctness of the action for all concerned. In fact, just as he had done when the first contact with Bessemer was initiated, Knox tells JHC the proposal is fair and he has his complete blessing and support. There is no haggling in the negotiations. PETE KNOX JHC NOTES Under the buy-out plan, Peachtree Corporation of Georgia is to be liquidated after all of the stock, which could be acquired in the open market, has been purchased. JHC launches a tender, as well as making phone calls and other efforts to find some of the shareholders. “Remember that the ill-fated public stock offering had a salesman selling as few as one share to a person for $5, and many had changed addresses or otherwise had no interest. The tender effort brought Bessemer ownership to 99.25% of the outstanding stock.” PEACHTREE CORP BESSEMER A complication of the issue is the lawyers’ advice that, since the principle asset is real estate, using a distribution of assets in liquidation to convey title would be unwise. Their advice is that doing so could create a cloud on the title, in which a shareholder could be deemed to own a pro rata interest in all acres, rather than in all of just one acre for instance. Meanwhile, an early conglomerate, Standard Brands, had similarly liquidated the Jesse Jewell Company in Gainesville, GA and appealed the procedure up through the Georgia Supreme Court, where it was decided that if 90% of the shares were voting to sell for cash, the other 10% could be forced to sell, also. The dissenters would have the right of appraisal to ensure they were being properly compensated but must sell, nevertheless. Since less than 1% of Peachtree Corporation remains outstanding with a value of less than $8,000, this proves to be the ideal solution for the Bessemer purchase. Over the years, an occasional shareholder would surface, having found a certificate among a parent’s papers, and would check to see if it had value. JHC would explain the situation and send them a check. PEACHTREE CORP With the ownership 100%, the operation is folded into Bessemer Properties, Incorporated, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bessemer Securities Corporation. Deeds and other official documents, therefore, directly refer to Copyright: Joel H. Cowan, 2003

Page 27 of 94

Bessemer. Eventually, Bessemer Properties Inc. is folded into Bessemer Securities Corporation, the ultimate parent company, and Bessemer Properties becomes a division of BSC, which also is reflected in many deeds of that period. (JHC notes & quotes) BESSEMER 1962

Norman W. Paschall, buyer, seller and processor of cotton and synthetic fibers, as well as Exposaic Industries Inc., manufacturer of architectural precast concrete, locate in PTC. (The Fayette Sun, 03/01/79) PTC

1963

PTC Post Office opens in the former Knowles House. (Fayette Sun, 03/01/79). This house was located where the Peachtree National Bank is located today. (Editor) PTC

May 8, 1963

July 1963

H/P

In letter to Howard Brunsman, Chief of Bureau of Census in Washington D.C., Mayor JHC informs him that PTC had been incorporated by Georgia General Assembly March 9, 1959 and encloses a General Highway Map of Fayette County, Georgia, prepared by Georgia’s State Highway Department revealing the city limits of the municipality. Letter also queries the fact that PTC was not certified by Bureau as of l960 and possibility of certification three years late; notes importance of certification to PTC, as population is used as the basis for awarding grants, under State Aid to Municipalities Law in Georgia. Seeks advisement on proceeding with certification process. JHC initiated letter following telephone inquiry by a Mrs. McKeown of the Geography Division, Bureau of Census, Jeffersonville, Indiana, seeking to learn the whereabouts of PTC. (JHC documents/05/8/63 letter to Brunsman) PTC POPULATION During this decade, the Rural Electric Co-ops are finding that suburban growth is bringing an increasing amount of business their way as contrasted with the rural service for which they were created. This later evolved over the years to where the Co-ops offered full services to industry, as well as residential and also provided community development services, such as industrial development assistance so vital to Peachtree City’s growth. (JHC notes & quotes) EMC In this context, JHC’s negotiations which surround granting a franchise begin. Via contract, Georgia Power then acquires the rights to the industrial electric service. Georgia Power had a 44KVA line just across Line Creek But a great deal of money has to be spent to ensure the line is looped and has increased capacity for the industries. (JHC notes & quotes) GEORGIA POWER “Mr. Cy Wallace and Mr. Eugene Yates were the principle contacts at Georgia Power. It was quite clear that as they were taking an industrial prospect around the state, they had a greater return if they got some of the residential business, as well as just the industrial,“ JHC recalls. GEORGIA POWER “Since Floy Farr was a director (and later Chairman) of the Coweta-Fayette EMC, the unique partnership was again engaged to negotiate a service

Page 28 of 94

agreement where certain of the early residential areas to be developed would be given over to Georgia Power, and the city would grant a franchise requiring 3% of non-industrial electric bills to be paid by Georgia Power to the City. (JHC notes & quotes) EMC FLOY FARR This strategy works well for many years, and Peachtree City averages more than one industry per year from its start in 1959. “The industrial representatives always gave us good attention and contributed immeasurably to the city’s growth,” says JHC. Coweta-Fayette EMC was the largest beneficiary of this decision since it kept most of the remaining development and without paying a franchise fee. (JHC notes & quotes) Floy FARR JHC NOTES JHC QUOTES PTC November 1962July 1963 H/P

Peachtree Corp. of Georgia merges with parent company, Bessemer Properties Inc. of Palm Beach, Florida. Bessemer Properties is owned by Bessemer Securities Corp., a New York investment management company. To be known as Bessemer Properties Inc., merged company will continue to with its offices at 400 Palmer Building in Atlanta. There is no change in the beneficial ownership or management, so that JHC, manager of Peachtree Corp, remains so at Bessemer Properties Inc. BESSEMER PTC PTC at this point has 40 new houses, 250-acre lake, several miles of paved roads, four industries in 1,000-acre-plus industrial park: meat processor Dixie Frozen Foods Inc.; Norman W. Paschall Co., reclaimer of cotton waste; Mabie-Bell Company, manufacturer of pre-cast concrete products; Long-Bell Division of International Paper Company. Together, the four employ about 200. Georgia Power Company provides electricity, Atlanta Gas Light Company to provide natural gas. PTC has detailed zoning in effect. (AJC, 07/28/63) PTC

December 1963

H/P

JHC is re-elected mayor of Peachtree City. Early on, JHC recognizes and remains mindful of the delicate balance between his dual roles of developer and mayor of PTC. In the early years, the City as a legal entity was always defensive in nature. (JHC notes & quotes) JHC PTC PLANNED This is described in an interesting debate JHC had with famed Columbia, Maryland developer James W. Rouse. Columbia was simply developed as a part of Howard County, MD, and therefore was subject to the county’s zoning and governance.” (JHC notes & quotes) JHC’s view was that it would be expected there, as in Peachtree City, that the host County would take a less than charitable view toward the “new boy on the block”. JHC’s line of thinking:

Page 29 of 94

“First, zoning would be based on the rest of the County, and you therefore could not do anything imaginative or different. In new towns, if one makes a mistake in, say, mixed use, the developer is going to suffer, in that he would not be able to sell the next of what is built. Therefore, a free enterprise solution is present up to a limit where the public is somehow in danger economically or physically (building codes etc.). Further, the County government could not expect to ’give’ any benefit there that was not available to the rest of the County. This is important, since the developer typically puts in many extra amenities, such as parks, green space, transportation arteries, water and sewer. To maintain those facilities, then, requires a homeowners’ association, instead of a tax, since the County would not pay for these, despite their normally being open to public use for all of its citizens. The County is not likely to give credit for this in any way, since the rest of the County would complain that it was being treated unfairly. In fact, there is a kind of tax inherent even with a separate city, since the city taxpayer has to pay both municipal and county taxes. JHC continues: “Rouse’s view was that a new city government would turn against the developer and attempt to make extraordinary no-growth demands, thereby “raising the draw bridge”. He argued that a county some distance away would be more objective and have to make market place decisions palatable to the rest of the county as protection.” JHC’s response to that is to point out that the developer had to be responsive to its own constituents, even if not clothed in legal governance. “An example of this occurred in Columbia itself, where the developer wanted to put in a high voltage line overhead to serve its major downtown area. This was in conflict with Columbia’s self-imposed underground wiring policy in effect. While Howard County did not care, there was intense protest from the local residents, so Mr. Rouse had to accede to the request anyway.” Therefore, JHC argues, “You have to go along with most of the local requests anyway, so why not give them the power to govern defensively, as well? You can also use municipal finance for water and sewer and other facilities, as the need arises.” (JHC notes & quotes) Having said this, JHC is careful not to activate the city aggressively while he holds the dual posts as mayor and head of the development company. When anything, for which the city would normally tax and pay, including maintenance, is needed, he simply pays for it, as the developer. Such maintenance included operation of street lights and conducting street maintenance. JHC foresees electing a responsible, yet independent, mayor in the 1965 municipal election, to begin the process of making the town independent. JHC anticipates there would be difficult times during which the developer would have to “wean” the city from the free support provided, and he prefers not to be in charge of both the development and the city under those circumstances. JHC had always felt that the physical part of the development was the easiest. It was the human/social side that was key to establishing and preserving a special culture that was “the dream”. He divided these into three categories each requiring an institution; •

Governance was first. “When a group of people are given the power to arrest, as must surely be done, it is serious and not compatible with real estate development.” Page 30 of 94

•

Civic. “This includes churches and civic clubs. The most gratifying events to me were the formation of the Interdenominational Chapel (now the First Presbyterian Church) and the Rotary Club of Peachtree City.”

•

Third was finance. “If you think about it, the developer only had land and money. There was not a market for house sales, and you somehow had to use money to draw people to you. It was clearly impossible to openly subsidize or overly promote people or development. We did provide lake front lots at bargain prices, but without advertising the fact. We financed houses and other amenities, which could be done so without always pointing back to the developer and the resultant unrealistic expectations.” JHC thought a properly run bank would be the solution. (The story of how that was accomplished is elsewhere, but the Fayette State Bank became that instrument.) That is to say, when a transaction, or even assistance, is with a bank, it is understood by all parties to be a normal commercial transaction. Builders financed at the bank did not have recourse against the big developer. The bank’s self-interest was much the same as that of the power company: that is, the community must grow before your own institution could. Further, no one would bail you out of a bad banking decision, since there were no guarantees. The deal I sold to Bessemer was that they might have to insure that deposits were made available when we moved the bank away from any established market. Fortunately, the bank grew rapidly without any such assistance from Bessemer.” (JHC notes & quotes) JHC QUOTES

January 6, 1964

PTC conducts called session of city council. (JHC calendar)

January 8, 1964

Tyrone Bank is robbed. (JHC calendar) TYRONE

February 2, 1964