Gwinnett Historical Society

Hope you will be able to join us tomorrow evening for the Sugar Sugar Hill Historic Preservation Society's Speaker Series, "An Evening with Tom Martin."

Come learn about Tom's adventures and the history connected to the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area and Bowman's Island. Fall is the perfect time to go hiking and you can learn a lot about hiking in that area from Tom.

The event will begin at 7:00 p.m. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. A map of parking in Downtown Sugar Hill is included with this post.

The 2024 Elisha Winn Fair plans are well underway! Mark your calendar for October 5 and 6 for a wonderful opportunity to enjoy good, old-fashioned fun, food and history on a beautiful autumn day. Activities will be plentiful on this special weekend!
This year we are dedicating the Elisha Winn Fair to all the many members of the community who have supported the Gwinnett Historical Society (GHS) as we have worked to save, restore and maintain the Elisha Winn House.
We hope that the community is as proud of how
the Elisha Winn House looks now as GHS is. To mark 45 years of holding the Winn Fair and to say thank you to the community, admission will be free for the entire weekend.

Noah Tindall has chosen to do his Eagle Scout Project on the garden at the Elisha Winn Property. Members of Scout Troop 597 from the Hamilton Mill United Methodist Church were joined by Chapters of the Elisha Winn Children of the American Revolution, the Philadelphia Winn Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Button Gwinnett Sons of the American Revolution at Saturday's garden work day. New timbers with rebar stabilizing them were put into place to create four new raised garden beds. After completion of that task and filling the beds with amendments and garden soil, fall vegetables were planted. We are now growing broccoli, cabbage, kale, collard greens, radishes, carrots, and several types of lettuce!

Come and join us and the Atlanta History Center on September 16th.

The Gwinnett Historical Society office will be closed on Monday, September 2nd in observance of Labor Day. The office will reopen on Wednesday, September 4th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

All offices, with the exception of those operations required for the comfort and safety of residents, will be closed Monday, September 2 in observance of Labor Day. Offices will resume regular hours Tuesday, September 3.

If you're looking for something special to do Labor Day Weekend, consider taking a trip back in time to see what labor looked like on a Georgia farm in the 1930's. FREE guided tours of McDaniel Farm - located at 3251 McDaniel Road in Duluth - will take place between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday, August 31.

With origins dating back to an 1820 land lottery purchase, this former cotton farm was owned by the McDaniel family from 1859 to 1999. They lived off the land, producing everything needed from their 125-acre tract, including the timber to build the farmhouse in 1874. During the tour, you'll see the original barn, well house, chicken coup, blacksmith shed, and restored tenant farmer house, as well as a vegetable and flower garden. Now encompassing 134 sprawling acres, pack a picnic and explore the rolling grassy hills and wooded walking trails. It's one of Gwinnett County's many treasures!

2024 Winn Fair Quilt Raffle
Stars Over Gwinnett, pieced by Candy Hardy

Dear GHS Member,

The 45th annual Elisha Winn Fair will be held on Saturday and Sunday, October 5th and 6th, from 10 am to 5 pm, on the grounds of the Elisha Winn House, 908 Dacula Rd., Dacula, GA. All proceeds from the fair and the quilt raffle are for the restoration and preservation of the historic Winn House and surrounding buildings. We are happy that all original exposed wood floors of the Winn House have been historically restored using money from the Winn Restoration Account supported by Winn Fairs, quilt raffles, and donations over past years.
We are excited to announce the assistance on Saturday of Gwinnett County’s Dept of Community Services which will provide personnel to manage activities and stations focusing on the 1800s.

Being over two hundred years old, the Winn House has many areas that need attention and restoration. The wood on the outside of the house needs to be maintained by caulking and painting to prevent water damage. If water is allowed to get in the cracks and spaces between the boards, windows, and chimneys, the wood will quickly deteriorate. Tim Finch of Finch Finishes, a certified restoration specialist, has identified many areas of the Winn House that need immediate attention. Future fundraising efforts will focus on restoring and maintaining the outside integrity of the Winn House. The Winn House is so beautiful now and we want to keep it that way!
https://mcusercontent.com/35cc5f435c8446b1e863225f3/files/8a7d1cc1-f110-a734-4791-3b6a938d28b8/Quilt_Tickets.pdf

Click on the above link to download and print your sheet of 10 raffle tickets to be completed and returned to the Gwinnett Historical Society, PO Box 261, Lawrenceville, GA, along with your ticket money and donations by the end of September. You can return the completed ticket sheet and the GHS office will cut the tickets for you and place them in the raffle ticket container or you can cut them yourself and return them to the GHS office to be placed in the ticket container. All extra donations are greatly appreciated! The winning ticket for the beautiful handmade quilt above will be drawn at the close of the fair on Sunday afternoon, October 6th. The winner does not have to be present to win and will be notified by phone if not present.

Both individual and business sponsors are invited to support the 2024 Elisha Winn Fair. Donations of $50 or more and sponsors paying $100 or more will be recognized at the fair, on our website, and in The Gwinnett Heritage quarterly publication for one year. Feel free to contact us for more details. You can make a donation online by clicking here or mailing a check.

The beautiful 2024 quilt is designed and constructed by Candy Hardy.

Thank you for your generous support of the 2024 Elisha Winn Fair! All funds go toward restoring and preserving the historic property for future generations to enjoy!

The Elisha Winn Fair Committee

Gwinnett County's first library donated to Georgia Trust For Historic Preservation A 103-year-old building in downtown Norcross that once served as Gwinnett County's first library is being donated to the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation to ensure it remains a part

ATTENTION – JULY MEETING RESCHEDULED

Dear GHS Members,

Unfortunately, there was no electrical service at our meeting location last evening, so we were unable to hold the meeting and enjoy our speaker’s presentation. However, our speaker has graciously agreed to be available on Monday, July 22 so the meeting has been reset for then.

Hope you are planning to attend the Gwinnett Historical Society's General Membership Meeting tonight. Want to learn more about the migration patterns during Colonial times? You may learn something that will help you trace your family's genealogy!

Good News! The Gwinnett Historical Society Executive Council has just approved adding another tier to the First Families of Gwinnett program. This new tier will be designated as the Bronze level and will encompass the period from 1851 through 1880. If you can prove that your ancestors arrived in Gwinnett County by the end of December 1880, you can qualify for the First Families Program at the Bronze level.

With the addition of this new level, there are now three tiers at which families are eligible for First Families status, based on the time in which the earliest ancestor(s) can be documented to reside in Gwinnett. With this latest expansion, we have maintained the existing parameters for the Gold and Silver tiers. The three levels are established in 30-year increments, as outlined below:

• Gold – Ancestor(s) in Gwinnett by December 31, 1820.
• Silver – Ancestor(s) in Gwinnett by December 31, 1850.
• Bronze – Ancestor(s) in Gwinnett by December 31, 1880.

While the families who arrived in Gwinnett during the earliest periods had a very special role in establishing the foundation of the county, those who came to Gwinnett in the three decades after 1850 played a part during a turbulent and difficult time. In addition, there were enslaved African Americans in Gwinnett prior to 1850, but it is very difficult for their descendants to document this since enslaved individuals were not listed by name on census reports until after the Civil War. Instead, they were listed in the slave schedules by “owner,” gender, age and race (negro or mulatto).

Since the Bronze tier period includes two census reports after the Civil War, it provides needed flexibility for African American families seeking to qualify for our First Families program. It also acknowledges the significance of the contribution of families who came to Gwinnett by 1880.

We look forward to seeing many individuals take advantage of the expanded opportunity that the new Bronze level represents.

For more information about the First Families program, please contact Peggie Johnson, First Families Committee Chair, by calling the GHS office at 770-8225174.

Sharing these photos for descendants of Yellow River families from the late 1800s and early 1900s.

PHOTO REQUEST: We are asking if anyone has a photo of the old DeShong family home that was located near the junction of Bermuda and DeShong Rds. in Centerline. Please contact GHS.

There was a great turnout last night at the Yellow River event. The Hudson, Lee, and Nash families were well represented and stories were shared among the attendees. I’ve posted a few photos but if you have some you would like to share, please feel free to post them in the comments. Special thanks to the Gwinnett Community Services representatives who organized and hosted the event and provided off-site transportation. We enjoyed the step back in time and information related to all the historic buildings in the park.

Looking forward to seeing everyone tonight The weather is perfect so come on out and join GHS for this fun event.

Be sure and check the information for parking in the message below. We recommend everyone to try and arrive by 6 pm.

One of the legends of Georgia high school baseball passed away Friday, May 11th. Coach Sawyer touched many people's lives, not just the players he coached

John B. Sawyer, a 2019 Gwinnett Sports Hall of Fame inductee and the namesake of South Gwinnett’s baseball field, was 88 and had moved to Richmond, Va. His family and friends hope to host a celebration of life at South Gwinnett in the early fall.

Sawyer is among the state’s all-time leaders with 513 career victories over 36 years as head baseball coach at South, and he was active in Dixie Youth Baseball, USA Baseball and Junior Olympics programs. He also was inducted into the Georgia Dugout Club Hall of Fame and the Gwinnett Dugout Club Hall of Fame.

Sawyer coached at South from 1964 until his retirement in 2000. He was primarily a baseball and a football coach, but at one point he coached every sport the school offered except cheerleading.
“Coach Sawyer was more than a coach to so many,” said Roger Parham, who played for and coached under Sawyer at South. “For over four decades, he did it the right way. I was fortunate enough to play for him, coach with him and then eventually be his neighbor here at Lake Oconee. Three men have given me direction in my life. Jesus Christ, my father and John Sawyer. He truly loved his players. It wasn't something fake or trivial. He cared about the person, not the player. If you had an issue with Coach Sawyer, it was because you were the issue, not him.

“We throw the term ‘great man’ around a lot. John B. Sawyer was a great man that just happened to coach baseball. I love him and will miss him dearly. My heart goes out to his family and especially Miss Margie, his wife. She loved us all, too.”

Sawyer played baseball and football in high school, and was offered a pitching spot by the Cincinnati Reds. Instead, he attended Gordon College on a football scholarship until he suffered a knee injury. He then attended Georgia Teachers College (now Georgia Southern) as a pitcher before tearing his rotator cuff. After joining the Army, he went to Piedmont College and enjoyed a successful career. The 1963 Piedmont graduate was inducted into the college’s hall of fame in 2012.
https://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/sports/prep/legendary-south-gwinnett-coach-john-sawyer-dies-at-88/article_07e90826-0f36-11ef-907b-776ad1ec7f0c.html

Please join us for a very special event on Monday, May 20, 2024 to be held at the Historic Yellow River Post Office Site on Five Forks Trickum Road in Lilburn. While we will have a brief general membership meeting, the focus will be on touring the site and participating in interactive activities to learn about the history of the site’s restored buildings and of the surrounding community. Please note the schedule and other details listed at the end of this message.

To ensure we are prepared to comfortably handle transport of attendees, we would like to get a tentative count of those planning to participate. If you plan to attend this event, please call the GHS office at 770-822-5174 to provide a count of attendees. If the office is closed, please leave a message with this information.

The start time for this event is earlier than the usual time for our meetings so take note of the details for the event shown below. This event is not limited to GHS members so feel free to invite friends and family to attend as well.

Due to limitations at the site, parking will be provided offsite. Maranatha Baptist Church has graciously agreed to allow us to use its parking lot. Shuttles will run between the parking lot and the event site before and after the event. Specifics regarding parking and access for this event are provided below.

Time: 5:45 P.M. Arrive at parking area located at Maranatha Baptist Church and take shuttle to site.
6:00 P.M. Social time. Snacks and beverages will be available.
6:30 P.M. Business Meeting
6:45 P.M. Tour of Historic Yellow River Post Office site, including the Hudson-Nash House and outbuildings, with interactive activities by the Gwinnett Community Services staff and Gregory Bailey, GHS Vice President.

Place: Historic Yellow River Post Office
The site is located at 3519 Five Forks Trickum Road, Lilburn. Parking will be provided at Maranatha Baptist Church; use entrance to church parking lot at 1193 Martin Nash Road, Lilburn.

Shuttles will run between the parking lot and the site before and after the event.

The Salem Missionary Baptist Church Heritage Museum Project Committee is proud to present the April installment of our 2024 Lecture Series on Saturday, April 27th at 11:00 AM. Dr. Crystal R. Sanders, PhD will share with us on the topic of African American Education. Dr. Sanders is a historian who currently serves as Associate Professor of African American Studies at Emory University. Please plan to attend and bring a guest. Refreshments will be served prior to the lecture and the event is free of charge.

Historical records from Island Ford Baptist Church in Buford, GA and the Suwanee First Methodist Church are now available on-line. Great resources for genealogical research. The digitizing of the Island Ford Baptist Church records were part of the Suwanee Creek Chapter, NSDAR Island Ford Baptist Church and Cemetery project that received numerous awards for historic preservation.

Digital Library of Georgia The Digital Library of Georgia is a GALILEO initiative based at the University of Georgia Libraries that collaborates with Georgia's Libraries, archives, museums, and other institutions of education and culture to provide access to key information resources on Georgia history, culture, and life.

The pictures below show the newly restored kitchen floors and walls that were damaged last year due to water leakage from busted pipes at the Winn House. GHS members worked hard to make sure the restoration and repairs were done professionally and true to the period.

Recently, the beautiful flooring was completed by Tim Finch. Mr. Finch has restored flooring in other areas of the Winn House. GHS is hoping to purchase a farm house sink with a small cabinet for storage to go beside an old wood burning porcelain front stove that was donated by Richard E. Gilbert, on behalf of his wife, Susan Youngblood Gilbert, former President of Gwinnett Historic Society.

As always, GHS members are working hard in the background to ensure that the Winn House and other historical sites such as cemeteries are protected and preserved. Shout out to Betty Warbington for her dedication and commitment to making sure the Winn House and surrounding buildings are properly maintained.

The next GHS General Membership meeting is on May 20th and will be very special. Check out the GHS website at www.gwinnetths.org for the details.

It was one of the worst weather-related disasters in Georgia history. The tornado that struck Gainesville on this day in 1936 was part of a devastating outbreak of 17 tornadoes across the South. And it wasn’t the first for Gainesville- another tornado killed more than 100 people in January 1903…
Via: https://www.todayingeorgiahistory.org/tih-georgia-day/gainesville-tornado-of-1936/

Georgia on My Mind curated by Lisa Land Cooper

Join the Salem Missionary Baptist Church this coming Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 1:00 PM in Heritage Hall for the next installment of the Heritage Museum Project Lecture Series: The History of the Black Baptist Church will be presented by Deacon Gregory Bailey who is also Vice President of the Gwinnett Historical Society. The event is free and all are welcome!

Please plan to join us for the next general membership meeting which will be held on Monday, March 18. We are pleased to announce that Judge Ethan Pham will be our featured speaker. Judge Pham will share with us the story of his journey from Vietnam as a child to his current role in Gwinnett as a successful attorney, municipal judge and community leader. In many ways, his story is representative of the thousands of individuals from around the world who have become part of Gwinnett.

As you may know, Gwinnett County is the most diverse county in Georgia and likely in the entire Southeast, with no ethnic or racial group comprising a majority of its population. Over 25% of the residents of Gwinnett County were born outside the US and come from every area of the globe. Perhaps most astonishing is the speed with which the diversification of Gwinnett occurred; as recently as 1990, almost 90% of its population was Caucasian and just 6% was born outside the US. With the rapid change in Gwinnett’s demographics, we have seen history in the making.

Come hear the story of one man whose family sought refuge in America and who worked to create his own American dream. See attached for more information about Judge Pham.

Historic Preservation!