Screven, Georgia
Encyclopedia
Screven is a city in Wayne County
, Georgia
, United States
. The population was 702 at the 2000 census. Although it was a railroad town as early as 1847, it was not officially chartered until August 19, 1907.
to Screven (then known as Station Seven) was completed when then trestle was built over the Altamaha River
at Doctortown. Prior to this, the tracks connected the town to Thomasville
, then a popular resort destination for wealthy Northerners and Europeans. The town was named for Dr. James Proctor Screven of the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad. After Dr. Screven’s death in 1859, his son John Bryan Screven took over the railroad and developed it into the Savannah, Florida and Western Railroad. Both men served as mayor of Savannah. A section of the tracks just outside Screven on the Little Satilla is still known as the Abutment, the name it was given during the construction of the tracks.
The town was originally in the 4th land District of Appling County
and moved into Wayne County
when the county lines were redrawn after the American Civil War
ended. The Confederate States Army
had a training camp, Camp Harrison, in Screven for a short time in the Fall of 1860. The soldiers came by train to Screven.
Following the Civil War, Captain Christopher Columbus Grace, one of the Immortal 600, came to Screven and established himself in the turpentine
, ginning and trade store business. In 1877, he erected a sawmill that spurned the community’s growth. In 1880, he was a founding member of the Screven Methodist Episcopal Church, the first church established in the town of Screven. Other men of commerce came to join Captain Grace in the town of Screven. J. A. Hilton building the community’s first brick store and operated a hardware store in later years. The J. H. Walker Company opened a mercantile business in 1876 and J. C. Hatcher opened a store in 1899. In the mid 1890s's, the Royal family relocated to Screven to work with the Atlantic Coastline Railroad.
Railroad history was made on Screven’s tracks in March 1901 in an event that still holds forth in railroad lore. The Spanish-American War
had ended, but occupation troops were to remain in Cuba until 1902. Post Office Department officials, realizing the need for faster mail service, had begun drawing up a contract to award to either the Plant System (then known as the Savannah, Florida and Western) or the Seaboard Air Line Railroad
, both of which operated south of the ACL termination point of Charleston, South Carolina
. The Havana mail would depart from Jacksonville. Actually, Seaboard was favored because of her more direct route. The Plant Road detoured over 30 miles from Savannah to Waycross then to Jacksonville. And it was Jacksonville where the steam packet to Havana waited to load the mail. Both trains left Union Station in Savannah at 3:00 a.m. The SF&W’s route was a longer one since it traveled through Jesup, Screven, and Waycross before cutting over southwest to Folkston to travel on to Jacksonville. Twelve miles out of Savannah, the SF&W’s engines ran hot. After one attempt at repairing the engine failed, Engineer Albert Lodge made the decision to switch engines and start again making it from Fleming to Jesup in less than 33 minutes. Knowing he must make up an hour of time if they were to have a shot at the mail contract, Lodge ripped out of Jesup on Number 111 and made 11 miles in 9 minutes. More speed was added and the train traveled five miles in two and a half minutes – she was traveling at 120 miles per hour when she passed through the town of Screven and approached the Little Satilla Bridge. Dispatcher D. S. McClellan is quoted as saying, “I shall never forget the things that passed through my mind as this train reached the top of a little hill just south of Screven and started slowing down for the fill for the Satilla River. There is a little curve just after passing over the river, and I wondered if the engine were going to take that curve or if it were going to take to the woods.” When the train came into Waycross, the crew figured they had come the 40 miles from Jesup
in 28 minutes. The stop in Waycross
completed, the train headed south to Racepond and arrived in Folkston
in 25 minutes. Engine 111 arrived in Jacksonville at 6:31. The men had traveled faster than any other and their record would stay unequalled until 1934; to date, it has never been beaten.
Country schools dotted the landscape in and around Screven and the present school building is used for grades pre-k through five. The school was relocated to this location from an area around the old Screven fire department in the early 1920s. The upper building housing the pre-kindergarten classes and the office suite were built in 1922. A Works Progress Administration
construction crew constructed the auditorium and middle building as a part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal
legislation in 1936–1937 when P. D. Griffis was the chairman of the Screven Board of Education. This same WPA crew built the Jesup Post Office (now Jesup City Hall) and the Odum Elementary School gym and high school building. Consolidation of schools in 1966 marks the beginning of the decline in population in Screven. W.L.(Bill) Bohler was made principal of the school in 1966 and saw the school transition from a high school to an elementary and middle school(grades 1-7)and remained principal until 1972. His wife,Dorothy, was the schools math teacher for many years and was known for her progressive thinking and teaching methods. Their only son, J. David Bohler, D.V.M.,M.D., went on to become a nationally recognized physician and scholar in South Carolina and has been quoted as saying "If not for growing up in Screven, I wouldn't be were I am today. I'm the best educated Redneck to ever come out of Georgia". Dr. Bohler has also travelled the world as a big game hunter, taking trophies including the "big five" in Africa.
Screven was once the largest town in the county because of its association with the railroad. Following the ACL’s decision to locate Rice Yard in Waycross and Jesup’s growth as the county seat, its population began to decline. The Grace family continued to play an important role in Screven. Captain Grace’s grandson, Lindsay Grace, maintained an important presence in the town and contributed greatly to the county’s economy through his business ventures. Mr. Grace helped to establish the Lake Grace recreational area between Screven and Odum. Another member of the Grace family, Robert Lindsay Thomas
, a Screven farmer, served in the United States House of Representatives
from 1982 to 1992 and later served on the 1996 Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games.
In March 2005, Screven was hit by a tornado, causing the uprooting of trees, damaged homes and stores in the downtown area, and devastated Screven Cabinets into a pile of sheet metal and insulation. No one was killed, but some were trapped in their homes and businesses.
Screven is home to a former National Champion Turkey Oak tree but the tree sustained damage in a storm and is no longer the champion. The tree is located on property belonging to the Screven United Methodist Church on School Street in Screven. Screven is also home to the Southern Pride Agriculture Ride, a bike ride that starts and ends at Grace Community Center and the home of the Screven Ghost Light, a bouncing orb of light seen for over a century at the railroad crossing on Bennett Road. Those who have seen the light say it moves back and forth and glows bright and then dim. It reportedly is seen after rain and after a train has gone by. Bennett Road is located 4 miles out of Screven on Hwy 84 East.
The town celebrated its centennial in mid 2007 during the town's July 4 observance and with a community celebration on August 19.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 702 people, 291 households, and 196 families residing in the city. The population density
was 324.0 people per square mile (124.9/km²). There were 346 housing units at an average density of 159.7 per square mile (61.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 58.12% White, 39.60% African American, 0.28% Native American, 1.85% from other races
, and 0.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.14% of the population.
There were 291 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples
living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,714, and the median income for a family was $31,250. Males had a median income of $29,750 versus $20,536 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $18,308. About 12.8% of families and 18.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.1% of those under age 18 and 15.4% of those age 65 or over.
Wayne County, Georgia
Wayne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 26,565. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 29,046. The county seat is Jesup.-History:...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 702 at the 2000 census. Although it was a railroad town as early as 1847, it was not officially chartered until August 19, 1907.
History
In 1857 the Savannah, Albany and Gulf Railroad Company’s line from Savannah, GeorgiaSavannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
to Screven (then known as Station Seven) was completed when then trestle was built over the Altamaha River
Altamaha River
The Altamaha River is a major river of the American state of Georgia. It flows generally eastward for 137 miles from its origin at the confluence of the Oconee River and Ocmulgee River towards the Atlantic Ocean, where it empties into the ocean near Brunswick, Georgia. There are no dams...
at Doctortown. Prior to this, the tracks connected the town to Thomasville
Thomasville, Georgia
Thomasville is the county seat of Thomas County, Georgia, United States. The city is the second largest in Southwest Georgia after Albany.The city deems itself the City of Roses and holds an annual Rose Festival. The town features plantations open to the public, a historic downtown, a large...
, then a popular resort destination for wealthy Northerners and Europeans. The town was named for Dr. James Proctor Screven of the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad. After Dr. Screven’s death in 1859, his son John Bryan Screven took over the railroad and developed it into the Savannah, Florida and Western Railroad. Both men served as mayor of Savannah. A section of the tracks just outside Screven on the Little Satilla is still known as the Abutment, the name it was given during the construction of the tracks.
The town was originally in the 4th land District of Appling County
Appling County, Georgia
Appling County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population is 17,419. The 2007 Census Estimate placed the population at 17,946...
and moved into Wayne County
Wayne County, Georgia
Wayne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 26,565. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 29,046. The county seat is Jesup.-History:...
when the county lines were redrawn after the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
ended. The Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
had a training camp, Camp Harrison, in Screven for a short time in the Fall of 1860. The soldiers came by train to Screven.
Following the Civil War, Captain Christopher Columbus Grace, one of the Immortal 600, came to Screven and established himself in the turpentine
Turpentine
Turpentine is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin obtained from trees, mainly pine trees. It is composed of terpenes, mainly the monoterpenes alpha-pinene and beta-pinene...
, ginning and trade store business. In 1877, he erected a sawmill that spurned the community’s growth. In 1880, he was a founding member of the Screven Methodist Episcopal Church, the first church established in the town of Screven. Other men of commerce came to join Captain Grace in the town of Screven. J. A. Hilton building the community’s first brick store and operated a hardware store in later years. The J. H. Walker Company opened a mercantile business in 1876 and J. C. Hatcher opened a store in 1899. In the mid 1890s's, the Royal family relocated to Screven to work with the Atlantic Coastline Railroad.
Railroad history was made on Screven’s tracks in March 1901 in an event that still holds forth in railroad lore. The Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
had ended, but occupation troops were to remain in Cuba until 1902. Post Office Department officials, realizing the need for faster mail service, had begun drawing up a contract to award to either the Plant System (then known as the Savannah, Florida and Western) or the Seaboard Air Line Railroad
Seaboard Air Line Railroad
The Seaboard Air Line Railroad , which styled itself "The Route of Courteous Service," was an American railroad whose corporate existence extended from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line...
, both of which operated south of the ACL termination point of Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. The Havana mail would depart from Jacksonville. Actually, Seaboard was favored because of her more direct route. The Plant Road detoured over 30 miles from Savannah to Waycross then to Jacksonville. And it was Jacksonville where the steam packet to Havana waited to load the mail. Both trains left Union Station in Savannah at 3:00 a.m. The SF&W’s route was a longer one since it traveled through Jesup, Screven, and Waycross before cutting over southwest to Folkston to travel on to Jacksonville. Twelve miles out of Savannah, the SF&W’s engines ran hot. After one attempt at repairing the engine failed, Engineer Albert Lodge made the decision to switch engines and start again making it from Fleming to Jesup in less than 33 minutes. Knowing he must make up an hour of time if they were to have a shot at the mail contract, Lodge ripped out of Jesup on Number 111 and made 11 miles in 9 minutes. More speed was added and the train traveled five miles in two and a half minutes – she was traveling at 120 miles per hour when she passed through the town of Screven and approached the Little Satilla Bridge. Dispatcher D. S. McClellan is quoted as saying, “I shall never forget the things that passed through my mind as this train reached the top of a little hill just south of Screven and started slowing down for the fill for the Satilla River. There is a little curve just after passing over the river, and I wondered if the engine were going to take that curve or if it were going to take to the woods.” When the train came into Waycross, the crew figured they had come the 40 miles from Jesup
Jesup, Georgia
Jesup is a city in Wayne County, Georgia, United States. The population was 9,279 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Wayne County.-Geography:Jesup is located at ....
in 28 minutes. The stop in Waycross
Waycross, Georgia
Waycross is the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Ware County in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population was 14,725 at the 2010 Census. A small portion of the city extends into Pierce County. According the U.S...
completed, the train headed south to Racepond and arrived in Folkston
Folkston, Georgia
Folkston is a city in and the county seat of Charlton County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,178 at the 2000 census.-History:...
in 25 minutes. Engine 111 arrived in Jacksonville at 6:31. The men had traveled faster than any other and their record would stay unequalled until 1934; to date, it has never been beaten.
Country schools dotted the landscape in and around Screven and the present school building is used for grades pre-k through five. The school was relocated to this location from an area around the old Screven fire department in the early 1920s. The upper building housing the pre-kindergarten classes and the office suite were built in 1922. A Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
construction crew constructed the auditorium and middle building as a part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
legislation in 1936–1937 when P. D. Griffis was the chairman of the Screven Board of Education. This same WPA crew built the Jesup Post Office (now Jesup City Hall) and the Odum Elementary School gym and high school building. Consolidation of schools in 1966 marks the beginning of the decline in population in Screven. W.L.(Bill) Bohler was made principal of the school in 1966 and saw the school transition from a high school to an elementary and middle school(grades 1-7)and remained principal until 1972. His wife,Dorothy, was the schools math teacher for many years and was known for her progressive thinking and teaching methods. Their only son, J. David Bohler, D.V.M.,M.D., went on to become a nationally recognized physician and scholar in South Carolina and has been quoted as saying "If not for growing up in Screven, I wouldn't be were I am today. I'm the best educated Redneck to ever come out of Georgia". Dr. Bohler has also travelled the world as a big game hunter, taking trophies including the "big five" in Africa.
Screven was once the largest town in the county because of its association with the railroad. Following the ACL’s decision to locate Rice Yard in Waycross and Jesup’s growth as the county seat, its population began to decline. The Grace family continued to play an important role in Screven. Captain Grace’s grandson, Lindsay Grace, maintained an important presence in the town and contributed greatly to the county’s economy through his business ventures. Mr. Grace helped to establish the Lake Grace recreational area between Screven and Odum. Another member of the Grace family, Robert Lindsay Thomas
Robert Lindsay Thomas
Robert Lindsay Thomas is an American politician and businessman.Thomas was born in Patterson, Georgia. After graduating from Patterson High School in 1961, he attended the University of Georgia in Athens and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1966...
, a Screven farmer, served in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from 1982 to 1992 and later served on the 1996 Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games.
In March 2005, Screven was hit by a tornado, causing the uprooting of trees, damaged homes and stores in the downtown area, and devastated Screven Cabinets into a pile of sheet metal and insulation. No one was killed, but some were trapped in their homes and businesses.
Screven is home to a former National Champion Turkey Oak tree but the tree sustained damage in a storm and is no longer the champion. The tree is located on property belonging to the Screven United Methodist Church on School Street in Screven. Screven is also home to the Southern Pride Agriculture Ride, a bike ride that starts and ends at Grace Community Center and the home of the Screven Ghost Light, a bouncing orb of light seen for over a century at the railroad crossing on Bennett Road. Those who have seen the light say it moves back and forth and glows bright and then dim. It reportedly is seen after rain and after a train has gone by. Bennett Road is located 4 miles out of Screven on Hwy 84 East.
The town celebrated its centennial in mid 2007 during the town's July 4 observance and with a community celebration on August 19.
Geography
Screven is located at 31°29′6"N 82°0′59"W (31.485008, -82.016305).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 702 people, 291 households, and 196 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 324.0 people per square mile (124.9/km²). There were 346 housing units at an average density of 159.7 per square mile (61.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 58.12% White, 39.60% African American, 0.28% Native American, 1.85% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.14% of the population.
There were 291 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,714, and the median income for a family was $31,250. Males had a median income of $29,750 versus $20,536 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $18,308. About 12.8% of families and 18.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.1% of those under age 18 and 15.4% of those age 65 or over.