Genealogy: Finding Your Folks

A history of Welcome, Conclusion

By Judy Fowler Kilgore
Genealogy Columnist

Judy Fowler Kilgore is the religion editor and genealogy columnist for The Citizen. She regrets that time does not permit her to do personal family research for others. She may be reached at jkilgore@thecitizennews.com or jodiek444@aol.com.

This will be the final installment of Rebecca Dickson Grimes’ story about
the community of Welcome which she told to a Western High School social studies class in 1967. Mrs. Grimes was the grandmother of Dickson Grimes who contributed this story.

We left off last week with the happenings around 1900 when land in Coweta was selling for “$10 an acre ...” Mrs. Grimes’ story continues:

“Stores of that day were owned by Mr. Mort Grimes, Xen Newman and Mr. Ben Dial, whose store was where Walt Storey lives, had two stories and was used as a Red Men’s Lodge, a civic club. He also operated a cotton gin. Other store keepers since that time have been: Guy Baxley, Doria Wortham, John Crain, Malvin Cox, and Thompson Morris. At this time we have three grocers: Tom Bridges, Hall and Vineyard and Joe Wortham. Mr. Donald Thomas operates a cabinet shop in the store formerly run by Thomas Luckie.

“During the War Between the States, most of the physically able men of this
community served their country nobly. There were no battles in this section but much foraging and stealing by Yankees. One such event took place at the home of Obediah Cavender who lived in a two story log house behind the home of Pierce Chappel, a grandson. They had hidden the livestock in woods and swamps and Mrs. Cavender seated herself on a chest in which they had stored treasured possessions. They failed to remove her and went into the pantry looking for food. They found an earthenware jug in which Mr. Cavender had made vinegar. Thinking it was whiskey, the Yankees took a good swig, spat it out and exclaimed, “ Pickles B’God.” When they left they shot Mr. Cavender through the hand, after threatening to hang him, but it was only a flesh wound and soon healed. Letters from soldiers tell of hardships endured and advice to the women and children on how to manage the farm. One in my possession tells the wife how to boil the dirt from the “smoke house,” strain and dry it so as to obtain salt, which
was very scarce.

“One of the many fine people who made a contribution to our community was Reverend Frank Amis, who served both Elim and Providence for many years.

“Mr. J.C. McKoy served on the County Board of Education and was also elected to State Legislature.

“Mr. Joe Dial, Mr. Sam Crain, Hewlette Grimes and Tom Bridges have served on the Board of County Commissioners. During World War I we sent about a dozen boys from this community and they all returned home safely. However, in World War II we lost two fine boys — Tom Pope, Jr. and Ware McWaters. At this time our boys are stationed in many far away places.

“During the past 25 years so many fine people have moved in, built and
remodeled, that I have not the time to name them all. But maybe 25, 50, or even 75 years from now, some of you boys or girls will be writing this history and you can still say that the Welcome community and its citizens set high standards for their living and accomplishments.

“By Rebecca Dickson Grimes, October 1967”

Rebecca’s grandson, Dickson Grimes, added the following at the end of the
story, clarifying a few points:

“Many of the names mentioned in this text were relations of Rebecca. Hewlette Grimes was her husband. The area referred to is next to the present Providence Baptist Church in Welcome.

“David Meriwether was Rebecca Dickson’s ggg-grandfather. He was born in Virginia in about 1759, married Susannah Smith and apparently died in Coweta County around 1829. David Meriwether was not Meriwether Lewis’ grandfather. Meriwether Lewis’ mother Lucy Meriwether would have been a second cousin to David. The Meriwether lines descended from Nicholas Meriwether, who came to Jamestown, VA in the middle 1600s.

“Included in these familiar names are Stephen Light Dickson and William White Dickson, great-granduncles of Rebecca.

“Many Dickson, Lazenby, Meriwether and other relatives of Rebecca are buried at Emory Chapel.”

This has been a delightful and unexpected experience to read a firsthand
account of the history of our area. My thanks, again, to Dickson for sharing it with us. If you are connected to the Dickson or Grimes families, you may reach Dickson at dicksongrimes@bellsouth.net.

If you would like to visit the Welcome area, take the Ga. Hwy. 34 bypass from Newnan to the Welcome Road exit and go west. I discovered Welcome more than 20 years ago when my daughter was a riding student at Wood’n Horse Stables, owned by Dick and Nancy Gosch. It is a beautiful area.

There is a great article about the community of Welcome in “A History of
Coweta County, Georgia,” published by the Newnan-Coweta Historical society and available in local libraries. Much in the article was taken from Mrs. Grimes’ memories.

I welcome your letters about genealogy and info on south metro Atlanta
families. Send them to The Citizen, Drawer 1719, Fayetteville, GA 30214; E-mail jkilgore@thecitizennews.com or jodiek444@aol.com. Any letters and/or e-mails I receive are subject to being used in the column.

Until next week, happy hunting!