THOMASVILLE, Gerogia HISTORY

"STEP INTO OUR PAST;

JOIN OUR FUTURE"

Formed in 1825, Thomas County is located in the Red Hills Region of southwest Georgia and borders Florida. It was once home and favorite hunting site for the Lower Creek and Apalachee Native Americans. Thomasville was established as the county seat in 1826. Thomasville soon became a center of educational, political, social, economical, and religious activities.

Situated 330' above sea level, Thomasville was free of lowland marshes that bred yellow fever and malaria carrying mosquitoes. The surrounding fertile land, southern climate and high terrain gained the town a reputation as a "Health Resort." The pine scented air was credited with the power to alleviate tuberculosis and wealthy patients were advised to visit Thomasville.

The current courthouse was built in 1858 and extensively remodeled in 1889. It is one of the oldest courthouses in Georgia continuously used for court activities.

In the 1860's Thomasville already boasted churches, schools, stores, hotels, and the services of many doctors, dentists, lawyers and architects. In 1861 the long awaited train link from the Port of Savannah arrived. In 1869 the completion of the railroad to Albany connected Thomasville to major populated areas in the Midwest.

Everyone was taking pleasure of Thomasvilles "hey day" from 1870 to 1906, also known as the "Hotel Era" or "Grand Resort Era." Wealthy Northerners traveled by rail to Thomasville, using the town as a popular winter resort of national and international fame. This influx brought local prosperity during a time when the rest of the state and nation were experiencing an economical downturn. Many new businesses opened to support the tourist trade and several old ones gained a "new life."

Visitors were lavishly entertained with fine dining, balls, carriage drives, golf, horse racing, bicycling, fishing, and hunting. The major attractions were hunting and shooting. The area offered (and still offers) many species of birds and other animals including deer, fox, flocks of turkey and coveys of quail. Some of the most luxuriously appointed hotels of "America's Gilded Age" were located right here in Thomasville. Thomasville was the "original" winter resort of the south before Henry Flagler built his railroad to Palm Beach, Florida.

Due to the varied wealth and tastes of Northerners and Midwesterners, Thomasville has nearly every style of architecture represented in the buildings located along tree-lined streets in the Historic Districts.

Thomasville's grand winter cottages, mansions, and plantation homes are now listed individually on the National Register of Historic Places. Thomasville is notable for the 7 official historic districts in a town with a population of only about 20,000 and approximately 42,000 in the county. Many of the plantations are currently owned by the descendants of the original families who built them.

The Glen Arven Pleasure Park was opened in 1888. The park had animals, a look-out tower, and scenic carriage ride paths. It evolved into Glen Arven Country Club in 1894. The new club now had a pavilion, club house, tennis courts, and the second oldest golf course in the south. In 1938 Glen Arven added tow new facilities to its complex. In the 1950's it was one of President Eisenhower's favorite golf courses.

Even after the Resort Era, 71 plantations remained in and around Thomas County. To this day this is the largest concentration of plantations in the United States covering over 300,000 acres. These plantations provided jobs, land conservation, and generous support for community improvements. Throughout the 1920's Thomas County was nurtured by the plantations' operations which supplied the needed cash flow.

Enterprising businessmen made Thomas County a center for turpentine and lumber from the pine forests. Diversity in both business and industry keep Thomas County a top location for new companies today. From locally grown companies to divisions of international concerns. Some of the 115 industries that call Thomasville home are:

Flowers Baking Company founded in 1919, is one of America's leading baked food companies.

Hurst Boilers, founded in 1967 by native Gene Hurst, a manufacturer and world distributor of industrial steam boilers.

US Filter-Davis Products grew from a local company into part of a multi-national corporation.

Caterpillar came to Thomasville in 1998 and now employs about 200 people.

These are but a few of the many companies in our area. As the Chamber of Commerce advertises: "With full fiber optic and broadband high speed data connections, Thomasville has the infrastructure to support the most demanding technology needs of business and industry."

Thomas County has 421 farms. Over half the county is in forest land. Cotton, peanuts, pecans, and corn are the leading crops. Livestock production, vegetables, and ornamental horticulture are also part of the agricultural economy. Thomasville has the second largest Farmers Market in the Georgia, the first being in Atlanta.

Thomasville has also seen its share of celebrities, famous and wealthy people. Joanne Woodward, the Vanderbilts, the Goodyears, the Rockefellers, Duke and Duchess of Windsor all have connections to Thomasville. Several U.S. Presidents have enjoyed hunting and golfing here: William McKinley, Dwight Eisenhower and naturally Jimmy Carter. Following the death of her husband, President John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy retreated to Greenwood Plantation. While visiting she attended services at St Augustine's Catholic Church. Built in 1881, it is the oldest standing church in Thomasville. The church was moved to its current located on Hansell Street by the Thomasville Landmarks and is now home to All Saints Episcopal Church.

Thomasville is one of the first "Main Street" cities in Georgia. In 1998 the town was given the "Great American Main Street Award" for the restoration. Today it is a favorite shopping and dining destination.

Thomasville's natural beauty, southern hospitality and wild life habitat continue to attract renowned guests to private plantations. Discriminating visitors frequent the plantations open for tours and hunting.

We hope you enjoyed reading a bit from Thomasville's past and present. Please come visit us and join in our future.

Lourdes M. Kowalski

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Members of the National Board of Realtors, Georgia Board of Realtors, REBAC, REALTOR.com & Thomasville Area Board of Realtors.

Lourdes speaks fluent Spanish.

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