Byron Bean - Piedmont College Student
In 1889 the present site of Demorest was known only as a sawmill
camp. A sawmill operated by Mr. Henry Rossignol was located near the
present dam site below the lake. The mill was run by water power
from a low wooden dam. Besides the saw mill there was a small
water-driven flour mill owned by Mr. Ripley near the present site of
the saddle-tree factory.
In this same year a small band of people from Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, Ohio and Indiana came to the present site of Demorest to
establish a prohibition town, beauty spot, health resort, industrial
and educational center. Among these people were: Messers. Jennings
Demorest, B. M. Davenport, Frank J. Sibley, F. H. Briggs, S. A.
Trowbridge, E. L. Champer, E. D. Hendrickson and George D. Stone.
These men and others bound themselves together in a company known as
the Demorest Home, Mining and Improvement Company, hereinafter known
in this paper as the company. The company bought several hundred
acres of land in Demorest. They employed J. A. Reynolds, a competent
surveyor, who laid out a beautiful plat for the town. Demorest was
named after one of this company, Mr. Jennings Demorest.
The town was organized with a distinct moral purpose in view. The
city ordinances were very strict in regard to whisky, gambling and
prostitution. In all land deeds made by the company the clause was
included that forfeiture of the land was to be the penalty for
practice of any of these evils on the property. Demorest was
organized strictly for the white race. To the present day the town
has no colored property owners.
The Company built a few scattered homes. In order to encourage
others to build and establish industries they offered to give
building lots and furnish water-power to anyone who would build a
factory or establish an industry. One of the first industries
established here was a hoop factory by Norton and Cooper at the lake
dam. Mr. C. W. Stambaugh built a novelty shop and furniture factory
near enough by to use the same source of power. At this latter
factory many kinds of school desks, chairs and church pews were
manufactured. The Stambaugh business was destroyed by fire in 1909.
A similar industry was rebuilt above the depot and continues today.
Some of the other industries were: Demorest Knitting Company,
Demorest Bath Tub Works, Demorest Foundry and Machine Works,
Saddle-Tree Factory, Wagon Factory, a spoke and handle factory and a
broom factory.
The story of the growth and development of these industries is
rather interesting. The knitting factory was organized in 1890 for
the manufacture of hosiery, knit goods of all kinds, yarn, cloth,
clothing, and textile fabrics of all kinds. Unfortunately this
factory finally went into bankruptcy. The bath tub produced by the
Demorest Company was known as the Goodrich, self-heating, folding
bath tub. The foundry and machine works, among other things,
manufactured shingles and syrup mills. In connection with this
industry an old iron mine was operated across the railway from the
town. This industry employed about twenty-five men. This business
was washed away by a flood. The saddle-tree factory was build and
operated by Mr. Edward Flor. In the beginning the factory employed
50 to 75 men. This industry is almost without competition in the
entire United States. The brick and tile kiln was located near what
we know today as picnic point on the east side of the lake. It was
owned and operated by E. D. Hendrickson. All the brick used in the
buildings of Demorest were produced by this yard. The wagon and
spoke and handle factory outlived some of the industries, but they
too eventually failed. The spoke and handle factory was moved to
Toccoa in an effort to exist but they finally ceased to be. The
broom factory continues today under the management of Mr. Wesley
Ritchie. It employs about six or eight men. The first business house
in Demorest is the one in which Demorest Drug Company is now
located. In 1890 there was operated in this building an up-to-date
printing office. A weekly, "The Demorest Times," was published every
Friday with 4,000 circulation. This paper was published for only a
short time. This publication was edited by W. A. Fowler and F. F.
Sibley. In 1896 a paper called "The Anagraph" was published in
Demorest, supposedly from the same office.
Butler Hall was about the next building to be erected. This building
was constructed for a bank. The lower story was used for the bank;
the second story was used for a suite of offices; and the third
story for an auditorium.
The first stores in Demorest stood where Commons Hall now stands.
There were three two-story structures and one single-story building
in a row. These buildings included two dry goods stores and two
grocery stores besides some dwelling apartments up-stairs. Mr. G. S.
Hunt, a resident of Demorest at present, owned on of these stores.
All of this group burned in one fire, during the early days of
Demorest. The Santor Hotel was erected at a cost of $25,000 on the
spot where the above buildings stood. The stock holders in this
hotel were: Messers. E. D. Hendrickson, W. M. Sosebee, Edward Flor
and Mrs. Lauders. All attempts to operate the hotel at a profit
failed. Mrs. Lauders bought out the other interests in the
enterprise. She sold her claim to a Mr. Miller, who in turn sold the
building to Piedmont College for $10,000. Before the building was
sold to Piedmont, all the lower story was used for stores and post
office. The post office was in the portion now used as a girls'
gymnasium.
The first post office was located in the building that is now used
by the college as a library. The original building has been enlarged
considerably since it was used as a post office. Dr. G. W. D.
Patterson, who operated a Drug Store and practiced medicine, was the
first postmaster of the town.
The rock dam near Stambaught's formed two large lakes. One of these,
however, has filled up. A pavilion was built in the center of the
larger lake. It was here that young people flocked for dances and
various night entertainments. Motor boats, sail boats, bateaux and a
steamer all piled the lake in the early nineties. The steam "Estes,
" said to have carried sixty passengers, carried people pleasure
riding upon both lakes.
The first school, church and Sunday School was in the top floor of
Mr. Henry Rossingnol's home. The building came later to be known as
the Mary J. Green Hall. It stood between Ford Hall and the
Auditorium on the College Campus. It was owned for several years by
the College and was used as a girls' dormitory. Fire destroyed the
Hall in 1920. The "Ole Pink Carpenter Home" was used for church
services, Sunday gatherings and general school purposes. This
building stands on the west end of Georgia Street. Later this
building was used for the Demorest Normal school which was
incorporated in 1893. The supervisor of the school was Professor J.
S. Jennings. It was the first nine months school in Habersham
County. On September 10, 1897, the Demorest Normal school was
chartered--J. S. Green Collegiate Institute. On September 6, 1899,
the name was changed to J. S. Green College, and on March 7, 1903,
the name was changed to Piedmont College.
In 1897 when the school changed names, Mr. J. S. Green donated
liberally to its promotion. The first president of the J. S. Green
Institute was the Rev. C. C. Spence, a Methodist Indian Missionary
from Michigan. When the school was bought by the Congregationalists
and the name changed to Piedmont, J. C. Campbell became president.
He served until 1907 when H. C. Newell was made president. He served
until 1911, when F. E. Jenkins succeeded him. Again in 1930 Dr. H.
C. Newell, who recently resigned, filled the president's chair. For
many years Piedmont College carried all the grades from the first
through College. It early dropped the elementary grades, and in 1928
the high school portion was also dropped. Today it only has the
college departments. The building now used as an Administration
building by the college was the Sosebee livery stable in the early
days of Demorest.
The first church built in Demorest was a northern Methodist church
built in 1890 by Mr. H. Willett. The brick building still stands on
the hill on Georgia Street a short distance about the Congregational
church. Today it is owned and occupied by W. S. Carpenter and
family. The Baptist church was built early in the nineties at its
present site. The present Methodist church was built in 1901-02. Mr.
J. S. Adams donated the land for the church. Mr. G. S. Hunt
solicited the money and promoted its building. The Congregational
church was built in 1908. Rev. G. S. Butler was one of the early
ministers. There are at present several active societies connected
with this church: The Woman's Benevolent Society, Woman's Guild and
W. C. T. U.
For years Demorest manufactured her own electricity. The plant was
owned by Mr. Edward Flor. It was located in the vicinity of the
saddle-tree factory. The Georgia Power Company bought this over a
few years after the World War.
In 1892 there was organized a Chautauqua in Demorest. By 1896 people
from several states were in attendance. A special car from Atlanta
brought visitors from Alabama and Florida. The chautaqua building
was used for teacher's meetings and various purposes.
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Bits of Habersham County GA History
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