Walton County Georgia

Sundown towns! Let’s talk about it. Walton county Georgia is 81st on the list.

Let’s learn history. 

Our ancestors were enslaved here. White people built generational wealth from our ancestors free labor in their cotton fields and homes. We were enslaved on large plantations like the one owned by Carter Hill in Good Hope where he and his family enslaved and sold hundreds of our ancestors. Like our ancestor Alonzo Franklin Herndon who was born into slavery in Walton county. He ended up being our first millionaire. His story is incredible. Please learn more about him Alonzo Franklin Herndon. And alf Richardson was also born into slavery in Walton county and he moved away right after emancipation and was our first representative in Georgia. 

After emancipation, our ancestors knew that church, politics, and education was needed to find success. And by 1867, we Missionary Baptist Church was founded and in 1868, according to the newspaper, our ancestors were already using their political voice and voting. And in 1873, we know a young black boy was unalived by Joseph Braswell, and the one who did it was on the run (1). Wonder if anyone was ever charged for this? Probably not because this was a brewing Jim Crow sundown county. And by 1879, Mr Berry sorrels was taken from his home, and in front of his family was unalived (2). 

quote capt lynch once more disposed of a negro in the field (3). 

But church was our safe place and in 1885, Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church was founded.  

But you can never be safe enough in a Jim Crow sundown town and in 1889 a man was shot in the back headed to Social Circle, by a white man over an argument. The newspaper named the shooter, yet he still somehow got away. And in 1890, was he lynched in Social Circle?

  Something tells me he was (4). 

 By 1895, this town was undoubtablly a Jim Crow sundown town when a black man, in Social Circle, was shot for no reason at all (5). But by 1898, baby our ancestors were stepping out dapper and having a cake walk at our historic negro Presbyterian Church. And by the turn of the century, education stayed a top priority for our ancestors so by 1906, we had a school in Monroe called pine Grove on West marabel street 

unfortunately I also learned about one of our schools and our Methodist church in loganville by a newspaper article about the unaliving of Ms. Irene white when someone shout through a window in 1909. And it wouldn’t be long before this Jim Crow sundown town made sure we knew our place In 1911 , tom Allen was taken from a train, in Social Circle, by a mob of over 200 white men on his way to trial and lynched. Not satisfied, this same mob found Mr. Allen’s friend, Richard watts in jail, and lynched him too (6 &7). And in 1916, a man was rushed to Athens from Walton county with the rope still around his neck. Seconds away from lynching in Walton county. 

But our ancestors in Walton county were still pushing forward, as we do, and in 1919 St James AME was dedicated, according to the newspaper. And in 1920, I had to giggle at what Mr. Robert Askins said to the judge…quote white folks is white folks..when they want things from us negros they gets em. Our place was clear in this Jim Crow sundown town  

By 1934 we had a school at Social Circle and they were competing in sports! Now listen Chile, idk what sport, it was a double header– and we had a boys and girls team, and by 1935 our ancestors attended Monroe colored high school. 

In 1941, the white population had a meeting and decided it was time to improve the general wellness of our ancestors in Walton county. But don’t get fooled, because Jim Crow will always show up. By the 1940s, the klan and night riders were in full effect. It was not safe for our ancestors to step out of their place during the day or night here. Roger Malcolm had an argument with a white farmer. An altercation happened, and 2 weeks later J L Harrison took Mr. Malcolm to jail to pay the fine. 

On the way back, a mob stopped the car. In the car was Mr. Malcolm, his 7 months pregnant wife, Mrs. Dorothy and their family Mr George and Mrs Mae Dorsey. 

Mrs. Malcolm knew exactly who was doing this, and because she could recognize them, all 4 Mr and Mrs Malcolm and Mr and Mrs Dorsey were lynched near the Moore’s Ford Bridge (8, 9, 10, 11). 

After all this history, our ancestors started leaving Walton county during the great migration. 

1948, the white population decided it’d be a good thing to do to help our community rebuild 2 of our churches and our school house, you know since they did lynch 4 of our ancestors and all, and that’s how they put it in the newspaper!

1968, we were still dealing with separate and unequal schools, and our families started demanding equality. We tried separate and equal, but it was never equal, so integration was the only way. But still in 1982 the klan was still in Walton county and stalking our civil rights marches. 

After all this….Can anyone share a first hand account about this place– past or present? Leave a comment below. Let’s have this conversation.