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Eatonton: Where literature lives
Eatonton Eatonton
WHERE LITERATURE LIVES WHERE LITERATURE LIVES
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story by Brett McLaughlin
Brer Rabbit Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings t may often seem that the briar patch of modern-
Iday living is as tangled as it could possibly be. But not too far from Upstate South Carolina lies the original briar patch about which Uncle Remus told stories that remind us life has been complicated for a good while longer than we may think.
Brer Rabbit, the trickster hare who succeeds by his wit rather than his brawn, is as central a character in current-day Eatonton, GA, as he was in the
Uncle Remus stories told by 19th century writer Joel
Chandler Harris for whom Eatonton was home.
Since 1963 the Uncle Remus Museum has conserved Harris’ early years in Eatonton, offering insights into the life of a stuttering, shy child who went on to become a literary giant.
{above} The Uncle Remus Museum consists of a log cabin made from three slave cabins originating in Putnam County. The cabins are like the one that would have been occupied by Uncle Remus. Photo courtesy of the Uncle Remus Museum
Although he was born into poverty, Harris was surrounded by literature from a young age. However, he was poor and, at 14, he answered a newspaper ad for a “young, intelligent, white boy” to serve as a printer’s devil at Turnwold Plantation in East Eatonton.
According to Lynda Walker, director of the Uncle Remus Museum, it was at the plantation that Harris experienced the stories and language of the plantation’s slaves, absorbing experiences that would shape the famous stories he began writing after later accepting a job at the Atlanta Journal Constitution. In his words, the purpose of the stories was to “preserve in permanent shape those curious mementos of a period that will no doubt be sadly misrepresented by historians of the future.”
“He loved the people who shared these stories, and he related to them,” she said. “He never meant for these stories to be his fame. He always said he was just sharing childhood memories and stories that might have been lost. He even called himself a cornfield journalist.”
Joel Chandler Harris
However, the tales of Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox and Brer Bear skipping to and fro and scheming to outwit each other did become famous and, decades later, the people of his hometown made sure they would live on.
The Uncle Remus Museum is in Turner Park, three blocks south of the courthouse on Highway 441. It consists of a log cabin made from three slave cabins originating in Putnam County. The cabins are similar to the one occupied by Uncle Remus, whose stories are captured in shadow boxes containing delicate woodcarvings of “de critters” humanized by the author. The shadow boxes illustrate 12 of Harris’ best-known stories.
The museum also features painted murals that depict the years surrounding the Civil War during which the Uncle Remus stories are set. Another focal point of the museum is two pictures from the movie “Song of the South” donated by Walt Disney when the museum opened in 1963.
The museum also has a wing devoted to the relationship between Harris and his mentor, Joseph Addison Turner, who taught him the printing trade and provided Harris with the equivalent of a college education in writing and journalism. For museum hours or fees and more information call 706.485.6856 or visit www. uncleremusmuseum.org/
MORE ABOUT THE ANTEBELLUM TRAIL
Eatonton is one of seven communities featured on the Antebellum Trail, a 100mile trek that takes visitors through communities that were spared General Sherman’s famous “March to the Sea.” Each town provides a window to the history of the Old South.
Self-guided tours through Athens, Watkinsville, Madison, Eatonton, Milledgeville, Old Clinton and Macon highlight the lives and legacies of 19th century Georgians. Visitors will see lovely Greek Revival and other Antebellum architecture in historic house museums, learn from local tour guides and historians, browse through antique shops and dine on Southern delicacies.
For more information, visit: antebellumtrail.org
A young visitor finds that Br’er Bear is huge! Photo courtesy of the Uncle Remus Museum
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GEORGIA WRITERS MUSEUM
Eatonton, however, doesn’t boast connections to just one famous author. It is also the childhood home of two other renowned authors and is home to the Georgia Writers Museum — a not surprising fact given that nine authors in the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame have lived within 30 miles of Eatonton.
In addition to Harris, permanent exhibits at the GWM feature Flannery O’Connor, whose short stories probed human alienation and the relationship between the individual and God, and Alice Walker, best known for her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Color Purple.”
The museum features photos visitors won’t see anywhere else and provides glimpses into the unique lives of the three writers, all of whom faced challenging childhoods and went on to infuse heart and soul into their works.
Visit www.georgiawritersmuseum.com for hours, tours and more information on upcoming events and classes.
Eatonton visitors can also take the Alice Walker driving tour, which takes in the Pex Theater, ButlerBaker School, her birthplace and family home, the AME chapel and the chapel cemetery. The tour brochure is available at the Visitors Center and gives a timeline of important events in Walker’s life.
Walker was born in Eatonton in 1944 to African American sharecroppers. At four years old her mother enrolled her in school to keep her out of the cotton fields. Within four years she had retreated completely into books and writing. She graduated as valedictorian of her Eatonton class and continued her education at Spelman and Sarah Lawrence colleges.
After graduation, she worked for the Civil Rights movement in Mississippi, further enhancing life-long experiences that created strong awareness of racial inequality and social justice.
A HISTORIC CITY
Aside from its place in literary history, Eatonton has much to offer it visitors.
Local attractions include the Rock Eagle & Rock Hawk Effigies, the Memory Lane Classic Car Museum and the Old School History Museum.
The residential section of the historic district of the city features over 100 Antebellum and Victorian era structures, as well as many historic commercial buildings. The historic district also boasts several high style examples of Greek revival, Queen Anne, Folk Victorian and Gothic Revival homes. A selfguided walking tour passes by several historic homes throughout the downtown district. n
For more information on accommodations and dining in the city and a complete schedule of community events visit: www.visiteatonton.com.
Eatonton is about a three-hour drive from Upstate, SC. Take Highway 11 to I-85 and go south. Take exit 164 toward Carnesville. Continue 29 miles and turn right onto US-129/US-441 for approximately 44 miles. Turn right on N. Jefferson Ave./Madison Road. Go 1.5 miles to Eatonton.
Flannery O’Connor
Alice Walker
