Wednesday, July 10, 2002
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Wednesday, July 10, 2002 |
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Bray's long business tenure is a snapshot of Fayette County's history By CAROLYN
CARY
Local businessman Huie L. Bray was surprised Monday with an open house in honor of his 55th year in business. The Fayette County native served in the United States Navy in World War II. He returned in 1946 and began working for contractors in the area. Asked to build a service station in north Atlanta, he began his business July 7, 1947. He headed up the road with a 1940 Chevy, pulling a used trailer with a mortar box, two wheelbarrows, and his hand tools in the trunk. In 1951, Joan Neal and her husband, the late Ray Neal, purchased property on what is now Forrest Avenue, north Ga. Hwy. 92, and asked Bray to build them a house. It was the first one on Forrest Avenue and the first one he had built in his home county. Neal said they paid all of $50 an acre for the land and $20,000 for the house. On July 4, 1953, Bray married the former Bea Teate of Fairburn and built them a house on New Hope Road, just west of Hwy. 85. They lived in it for 7 years and began a bigger one beside it. Afer Bray got the sub flooring done, their son, Danny, now 48, was badly burned. Spending all their time for six months at a hospital, it had to wait. As they have over the years, Fayette Countians came to their rescue, took the plans for the house out of Bray's truck and proceeded to do as much as they could. "I didn't even know what color tile was in the bathroom," he said, "until we moved in. But we will never forget those who did this for us." They also have a daughter, Patsy Goolsby, 46, who manages his storage units. In late 1958, planner Joel Cowan wanted to present specific plans for a new city, to be called Peachtree City, in the Spring 1959 legislature. He had to be able to say he was a resident and called on Huie Bray to build him a house and it had to be done in 30 days. The Cowan's moved in their home, the second one to be built in Peachtree City, in January, 1959. It was begun in December, 1958. The first home, also build by Bray, was for Jim and Miriam Fulton, on what is now Lake Peachtree. Things were humming along in the building business until 1974 when a recession hit. He was left with several spec houses that were not paid for yet and took him two years to sell them. When asked at what point in his business life he began to feel in the comfort zone, he replied "after I made it through 1974, I felt things were all right. I felt I had enough assets and equipment that was paid for to feel comfortable." Beside building he also volunteered in various civic endeavors. He helped get the volunteer fire department going, served for a number of years with the Fayette County Kiwanis and working the county fairs it sponsored, was instrumental in 1975 getting the county emergency medical service in place. He and 40 other volunteers worked at no charge for a number of years operating the county ambulance service. He was chairman of the first Planning and Zoning committee for seven years, working with other Fayette Countians and the McIntosh Trail Area and Planning Commission to lay the foundation. The committee worked for 50 straight Saturdays to accomplish their goal. Scouting was always important in the Bray family, and he served in various posts, earning its Silver Beaver award. Other honors include being named Emergency Medical Technician of the Year for the State of Georgia, Builder of the Year by the Metro Atlanta Builders Assoc., REALTOR® of the Year in Fayette County, Fayette County Citizen of the Year and Business Person of the Year, which was given by the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce in 1992. "When I returned from World War II," he said, "my goal was to make Fayette County a better place for my family and my friends. I hope I have achieved that."
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