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Unincorporated communities’ role in county development
Communities played major role in Newton County’s development
By TOM SPIGOLON
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tspigolon@covnews.com
Some unincorporated communities may have had unclear boundaries but they also have plenty of history and have been major contributors to Newton County’s development. • Almon in northwest Newton is notable for being an early center of commerce and for the families whose names now adorn major roads in the area and operate longtime businesses, such as Berry’s Tree Farm.
The earliest recorded institutions were churches, including the first home of Springfield Baptist Church (now a Conyers megachurch) and Shiloh Methodist and Almon Baptist churches.
Three general stores, including the Rock Store owned by W.S. Marbut, Capes Grocery and Crowell’s Grocery operated there.
Grady Crowell operated a cabinet shop. The Dobbs and Berry families operated dairy farms. A grist mill, brick factory and cotton gin also were there, as well as a train depot that shipped out all the products of the community.
Harold Dobbs established the first water system, making running water available in 1954, according to the History of Newton County.
By 1959, a drag racing track called the Yellow River Drag Strip was operating off U.S. Hwy. 278 (now Access Road) next to the Yellow River in Almon. It hosted numerous races featuring some of the sport’s brightest stars, such as “Big Daddy” Don Garlits.
However, it halted operations in 1969 after an accident in which one racing car flipped into the stands near the track — killing 11 spectators and injuring 50. The March 2, 1969, incident was the country’s worst racing disaster. The old speedway is now part of Riverside Estates Mobile Home Park. • Brick Store in eastern Newton is the site of one of the oldest
Hugh McCart at Hugh’s Store (Rock Store) in Almon, circa 1942. File | Courtesy of Betty Smith
settlements in the county. A town called Winton was established there in 1818 and the first court sessions were held in the county’s first brick building. A tavern and inn operated near the Brick Store and were regular stops for stage coaches.
By 1870, the thriving community had more than 1,100 residents which was larger than Covington. It also was centered around such institutions as Mt. Pleasant Church at highways 278 and 229, and the area was often called Mt. Pleasant.
The Brick Store area later became known for The Hub, a store and gas station built in the 1930s that became a major bus stop because of its location
at the intersection of Highways 278 and 11. Major bus lines used The Hub as a transfer point and during World War II, more than 40 buses a day stopped at the station, according to the Historical Society.
Nearby, former Social Circle Mayor Hal Dally’s family operated the Tri-County Livestock Market.
Across Hwy. 11, future nationally known cooking expert Nathalie Dupree and husband David operated Mt. Pleasant Village, an antique store and French restaurant in the 1970s.
Mrs. Dupree went on to direct the Rich’s Cooking School in Atlanta; write nationally known cookbooks, including “New Southern Cooking with Nathalie Dupree”; and host hundreds of TV cooking shows on PBS and The Food Network.
For entertainment, The Hub Drive-In operated a few hundred yards south of the junction on Hwy. 11.
Also, the Newton County Drag Strip/Atlanta Speed Shop Dragway off Hwy. 229 hosted monthly hot rod races from 1960 into the ’90s.
From 1964 to 1972, it hosted one of the richest drag racing events in the country featuring a $10,000 purse and such racing legends as Don Garlits. The old drag strip is now Ewing Road and is the main street running through a subdivision. • Dial Town is located on Hwy. 81 north of Oxford. It is notable for its concentration of businesses and the highway’s intersection with four roads within a few yards of each other, including Gum Creek, Bryant, Starr Dial and Roy Dial roads. Legend has it that a school bus driver named the area Dial Town because so many children of the prominent Dial family of the area lived there. • Harristown was named for prominent resident, Bob Harris. It is located near the Covington Square and its roots can be traced to the 1800s. Significant landmarks include New Hope Baptist Church, Stokes Cafe and the Anna Malone House. • Salem is located in west Newton and was a farming community for most of its history. Prominent institutions of the area include the Salem Campground, which is the oldest continuously operating religious camp meeting in the nation, and Salem Church. Some stores, a cotton gin and post office also operated there in the early 1900s. The community now is part of a rapidly growing suburban and commercial area centered around Salem Road (Georgia Hwy. 162). • Sandhill was originally a high hill with sandy soil. The historically African-American community is located off Washington Street along West Street in Covington. • Springhill on Georgia Hwy. 162 was originally known as Scruffle Grit. The name is derived from a spring located on the campus of Springhill United Methodist Church. • Starrsville / New Starrsville began as a rural community in 1821 centered around a mercantile business called the Starr Store at the corner of County Hwy. 213 and Dixie Road. The area later became an educational center with a number of schools operating. Starrsville United Methodist Church on Dixie Road opened its doors in 1821 and recently celebrated its 200th birthday.
New Starrsville sprang from the Central of Georgia railroad building its tracks one mile north of the Starr Store. The center of business, including the community’s post office, moved to the railroad area where a station had been built and some stores located there. • Stewart is a community in southern Newton County centered on the intersection of Georgia highways 212 and 36. Prominent institutions include Stewart Baptist Church, while longtime businesses include Frank’s Restaurant on Hwy. 212.
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