Washington County in the land of Dixie

Washington County, with approximately 21,000 residents is one of the larger rural counties in Georgia.  It is made up of 8 rural towns including Tennille, where I grew up and Sandersville, where I raised my children.  Washington County, established in 1784, was the first county to be named after our first president, George Washington.

The once thriving county, is located on the stage coach route between Louisville and Milledgeville long before the railroad transportation system began. 

In the early 1900's, Tennille was the hub of transportation and commerce producing cotton.  The busy little town of activity included 2 or 3 of every business of that of any of the larger towns in Georgia.

The Cotton Mill was the booming industry and the Nancy Hank transported consumers to and from Savannah, Gordon or Macon.

The Washington County courthouse stands on the original foundation built in 1899 before Sherman's march to the Sea.  The original bell continues to ring on each hour.

Kaolin is the leading mineral resource and industry in Washington County.  Kaolin, commonly known as "chalk" and referred to as "china clay", is used to produce many products including paper, plastics, rubber, paints, medicine and make-ups.  There are over 4400 Georgians employed in the mining process.

The First Church of the Nazarene, Sandersville started began as a tent revival in Tennille moving later to a two-door shop/garage in 1950.  My daddy was the pastor until his retirement in 1997.  He was later named Pastor Emeritus where he served as Pastor to the Senior Adults in the commuity until his death in March 2011. 

Sandersville United Methodist Church

Washington County features many historical homes with victorian columns.  The strip of homes on busy, North Harris Street takes you back in time to their pre-Civil War glory.

Fishing is a favorite pastime.  The Jordan Mill (pictured here) and Hamburg State Park are beautiful waters full of fresh water fish.

While kaolin is the chief mineral mined in Washington County, farming is a primary source of revenue for many. 

These tractors have been around for awhile. (located on the property of Jordan Mill.)

Many of our Washington County farmers collect farm equipment.  This is one of the few.

Special thanks to Katie Darsey for sharing her photos.

Hope you enjoyed your visit.  Ya'll come back now, ya here!