KING COTTON
The autumn fields of Laurens County once covered with "Georgia Snow" breathed life into a community decimated by the ravages of the late war. For most of the first two hundred years of Georgia's history, cotton was the number one cash crop. Laurens County was totally dependent on cotton. Cotton gave Dublin prosperity but in the end Dublin almost died when the boll weevil came, nearly wiping out the entire crop.
Most of the land in present day Dublin was once farm land. As late as 1891 the land between East Madison Street and the railroad was planted in cotton. Dublin was the center of the agricultural community of Laurens County. During the three decades prior to the Great Depression, Laurens County was a leading producer of agricultural products in Georgia.
Laurens County's size mainly contributed to it's claim as one of the largest producers of cotton in Georgia. The majority of the cotton lands were originally located on the large plantations of northern Laurens County. In the years before railroads came into the county, production was limited due to high cost of transportation. The southwestern third of Laurens County was filled mostly with virgin pines. With no railroads and slightly more than primitive river transportation, Laurens farmers operated at a disadvantage. The post Civil War era brought railroads and better river boats. Nationwide, cotton production increased five hundred percent in the forty years following the Civil War. New markets were opening out west and in Europe. The railroads brought the farmer more fertilizers and products which led to increased production of cotton. In the 1880s production in Laurens was limited to seven to eight thousand bales per year. The first of the railroads arrived in 1886. Although the impact was not immediately felt, the face of Dublin and Laurens County was about to change forever.
Cotton and the railroads were inseparable. Take away one and the other would follow. Nearly every old building you see, either in Dublin or in the towns of our county, owes it existence, either directly or indirectly to cotton. As cotton production increased various related business sprung up. The Georgia Warehouse and Compress Company, which still stands at the southeast intersection of South Franklin and East Madison Streets, was established in 1895. The company boasted of its ability to compress 70 bales of cotton per hour and to have a farmer's Monday morning cotton on a ship bound for Europe on Tuesday afternoon. By-products of cotton were used. Cotton seed were ground into oil. The seed was also used for fertilizer. One Dublin man, Henry C. Fuqua, Sr., claimed to be the first man to use cottonseed as a fertilizer - nearly a century before cotton became "king" in Laurens.
William Pritchett, Thomas Pritchett, H.E. Pritchett, C.W. Brantley and J.M. Finn led the establishment of the Dublin Cotton Mill in 1901. The 8000 spindle mill turned out cotton thread for use in making cotton fabrics. The mill, operating under the name of the Georgia Cotton Mill and the Oconee Cotton Mill, had a brief and not so successful life which ended when the building was destroyed by fire in 1913.
Three cotton oil companies, Empire Cotton Oil, Southern Cotton Oil, and Laurens Cotton Oil Company dominated the skyline of southeastern Dublin. The latter was located on the site of Southern Peanut and Storage Company. The warehouses of W.T. Smith and L.C. Beacham were among the largest in the city. These warehouses also served as some of the first public auditoriums and the first basketball and boxing arenas. With the coming of the telephone and the well established telegraph, cotton brokerage firms, like the Dublin Cotton Exchange were established. These firms also provided up to the minute election returns and play by play accounts of the World Series.
Cotton related business began to thrive. Fertlizer plants, like the Consolidated Phosphate Company, were established. Cotton's most important by-product was money. The beautiful old houses on Bellevue were all built with money which was obtained through the influence of cotton. With more money came more people. Those people had to buy clothes and food. They bought mules and cars. Dublin was growing so fast that it was penned as "The only city in Georgia, that's doublin' all the time." Out in the county, the number of farms was approaching 4000 - the most in the state. When prices were up and the weather good, the economy thrived.
Cotton production varied during the first decade of this century. The average yearly crop amounted to 34 thousand bales. Experts began warning farmers of the coming of the boll weevil in 1907. W.B. Rice, who owned the current site of the VA hospital, was a master planter. C.S. Pope produced ten bales on a three acre tract. Edward Talley, a five year cotton picker, was praised for picking 72 pounds in 7 hours, more than many adults could gather. Beginning in the second decade cotton production began to soar. Over one hundred thousand acres of land was covered with cotton. That 20% of Laurens County. Laurens County produced well over 61 thousand bales in 1911, which was the largest crop ever produced by a single county in Georgia's history. Laid end to end the bales would extend over 60 miles. Laurens County continued to lead the state for two more years.
During World War I the boll weevil made it to Georgia. The first ones were found on the Montrose farm of A.C. Ross in October of 1916. Cotton production was cut in half. Most of the banks and many stores closed. Tenant farmers left for better paying jobs. Ten years before the "Great Depression" Laurens County and its neighbors began suffering through the their own depression. Cotton production slowly declined reaching a low point of 635 bales during the sweltering summer of 1980. Slowly more farmers started planting. Then all of a sudden in 1994 production rose 400%. The yield was nearly two bales per acre. At that rate, 1911 farmers would have produced three times as much cotton. Last year the county reached its 1919 crop level. This year acreage has increased to over 14 thousand acres. With the right weather cotton is expected to continue its slow return to its throne.
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Most of the land in present day Dublin was once farm land. As late as 1891 the land between East Madison Street and the railroad was planted in cotton. Dublin was the center of the agricultural community of Laurens County. During the three decades prior to the Great Depression, Laurens County was a leading producer of agricultural products in Georgia.
Laurens County's size mainly contributed to it's claim as one of the largest producers of cotton in Georgia. The majority of the cotton lands were originally located on the large plantations of northern Laurens County. In the years before railroads came into the county, production was limited due to high cost of transportation. The southwestern third of Laurens County was filled mostly with virgin pines. With no railroads and slightly more than primitive river transportation, Laurens farmers operated at a disadvantage. The post Civil War era brought railroads and better river boats. Nationwide, cotton production increased five hundred percent in the forty years following the Civil War. New markets were opening out west and in Europe. The railroads brought the farmer more fertilizers and products which led to increased production of cotton. In the 1880s production in Laurens was limited to seven to eight thousand bales per year. The first of the railroads arrived in 1886. Although the impact was not immediately felt, the face of Dublin and Laurens County was about to change forever.
 |
| Add caption |
Cotton related business began to thrive. Fertlizer plants, like the Consolidated Phosphate Company, were established. Cotton's most important by-product was money. The beautiful old houses on Bellevue were all built with money which was obtained through the influence of cotton. With more money came more people. Those people had to buy clothes and food. They bought mules and cars. Dublin was growing so fast that it was penned as "The only city in Georgia, that's doublin' all the time." Out in the county, the number of farms was approaching 4000 - the most in the state. When prices were up and the weather good, the economy thrived.
Cotton production varied during the first decade of this century. The average yearly crop amounted to 34 thousand bales. Experts began warning farmers of the coming of the boll weevil in 1907. W.B. Rice, who owned the current site of the VA hospital, was a master planter. C.S. Pope produced ten bales on a three acre tract. Edward Talley, a five year cotton picker, was praised for picking 72 pounds in 7 hours, more than many adults could gather. Beginning in the second decade cotton production began to soar. Over one hundred thousand acres of land was covered with cotton. That 20% of Laurens County. Laurens County produced well over 61 thousand bales in 1911, which was the largest crop ever produced by a single county in Georgia's history. Laid end to end the bales would extend over 60 miles. Laurens County continued to lead the state for two more years.
During World War I the boll weevil made it to Georgia. The first ones were found on the Montrose farm of A.C. Ross in October of 1916. Cotton production was cut in half. Most of the banks and many stores closed. Tenant farmers left for better paying jobs. Ten years before the "Great Depression" Laurens County and its neighbors began suffering through the their own depression. Cotton production slowly declined reaching a low point of 635 bales during the sweltering summer of 1980. Slowly more farmers started planting. Then all of a sudden in 1994 production rose 400%. The yield was nearly two bales per acre. At that rate, 1911 farmers would have produced three times as much cotton. Last year the county reached its 1919 crop level. This year acreage has increased to over 14 thousand acres. With the right weather cotton is expected to continue its slow return to its throne.
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