The Fayette Citizen-Weekend Page
Wednesday, December 23, 1998
Historian admittedly
not a 'know-it-all'

By CAROLYN CARY
Contributing Writer

I was privileged to be appointed as the Official Historian for Fayette County in March, 1982, by the county commissioners. I am the second person to be so appointed; the first one, in the 1930s, was the late Lester C. Dickson.

I got my love for history from my father, the late Harold L. Cline. We would sit and talk for hours about ancestors and tromp through one cemetery after another.

One either loves the subject or not, and it doesn't matter where you are residing, you become interested in the area's history. In my case, I have been fortunate to live in Georgia for the past 40 years and 33 of those have been in Fayette County.

When I moved here there were only 8,000 persons and most of us knew each other. Through my articles in the local newspaper, I learned who was related to whom and what their mother's maiden name was.

Consequently, I have been searching, researching, studying and otherwise storing county history and genealogy since the late 1960s. I've reached a point where my head is stuffed with a thousand pieces of information, and I have always been glad to get it out of my head into the head of whoever needs it.

I've written hundreds of articles and papers on Fayette County on subjects ranging from businesses around the Square at the turn of the century to the three political parties that have served here.

Now, I know a lot of things, but they all pertain to Fayette County. I can't help but resent those who ask me where their great-grandmother is buried in Douglas County, or chastise me for not knowing where their great-great-grandfather moved to in the 1840s when he left Fayetteville. I'm pleased that you pick up ancestors here in the 1830 census, but please don't slam the phone down when I tell you I have no way knowing where they came from before getting here.

I have been named as an Honorary Creek Indian for my work on their behalf here, but no, I don't know how many tepees there were here 2,000 years ago.

I have always spoken to school children and Scout troops and the Chamber of Commerce Leadership class and do so with a glad heart.

What I will not do, is write a paper for you for your English or History class. Not even when one of your parents begs me. I will be happy to steer you in the right direction, however.

The most unusual thing I have been asked? A psychic volunteered an insight regarding a woman who disappeared here several years ago and said they could see her buried under huge rocks by a metal bridge. So I was asked if a bridge answering a particular description existed in Fayette County but alas, I had to say no.

Unfortunately in this case, I couldn't even steer them in the right direction.

Even though the job is a volunteer one, I enjoy history and will always help you when I can.

Carolyn Cary is Fayette County's official historian and editor of "The History of Fayette County," published by the Fayette County Historical Society.

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