THOMASVILLE, Ga. (WALB) — Thomasville’s Big Oak has stood through droughts, storms, changing streets and generations of visitors. City officials say the tree’s survival after more than three centuries is not by chance.
The live oak dates to around 1680. That’s roughly 146 years before Thomasville was founded. Keeping the landmark healthy requires regular maintenance, inspections by certified arborists and specialized systems designed to protect its aging branches.
“It’s old. We try to just keep her comfortable,” Brian Allensworth, assistant superintendent for public works for the city of Thomasville, said.
Every so often, the museum receives a donation that includes a cookbook or recipe card. Sometimes the recipes are familiar comfort foods still served on many Thomas County tables. Others… well, let’s just say some recipes are best left in the past. This series highlights some of those recipes: from the classics to the experimental. If you try any of these recipes, successfully or not, let us know what you think!
Today’s recipe comes from Mrs. Pauline McKenzie in the book Our Favorite Recipes, a cookbook compiled as a fundraiser for the Thomasville Firemen’s Fund in 1969. The Fund set aside money for emergencies the firemen might face such as hospital bills incurred in the line of duty.
The cookbook includes a brief history of fire fighting in Thomasville starting with the first department organized in 1866.
Thomasville History Center Collections: Neptune Fire Company in Front of Thomas County Courthouse, 1868.
“The first Fire Protection Company of any type was organized in 1866 by the Mayor of Thomasville at that time, Col. Peter McGloshon [sic]. They were called the ‘Neptunes.’ For the next 30 years there were a number of men elected Chief of the organization although none of them were paid. Neither was there a Fire Station. After a particularly disastrous fire on Broad St. in 1873, there was quite a bit of dissension and misunderstanding in the organization. For the next few years four or five different men headed the Organization. Then in 1896 the ‘Neptunes’ asked the city to take over their equipment and disbanded the organization. In 1897 the first Engine House was constructed.”
Thomasville History Center Collections: Close up of Peter Alexander Selkirk McGlashan from Neptune Fire Company Photograph, 1870.
That engine house was located on the corner of East Jackson Street and Crawford Street, just a few feet away from the current location. The two story, brick building was divided into three sections: one room for storage, one room for the fire engine, and one room for the supply wagon. A small wooden structure on the side held the extra hoses.
Speaking of the engine, the cookbook goes on to describe the department’s vehicles over the years.
“In February 1913, the Department got its first motor driven fire apparatus. A Type 10 American LaFrance Pumper. In 1916 – a Type 12 Pumper. In December 1916, the Department suffered its first casualty. Chief Dawkins was killed in a wreck enroute to a fire. The accident occurred under the ‘Big Oak’ of Thomasville. He collided with an auto driven by Mrs. Frank Woodward. Oscar Davis, Sr. who was later made Chief, was injured in the same wreck. Chief Porter was elected Chief to succeed Dawkins. This was in 1918. During the next 30 years there were many improvements. An alarm system was installed, two new pumpers purchased, additional men were hired, until at present we have five pumpers and one 65 foot aerial truck. In 1954 another Fire Station was completed on Bartow St. The Department now operates with the Chief I. D. Golden, an assistant Chief, and 28 men. These men work 24 hours on duty and then are off 24 hours.”
The second vehicle mentioned above, the Type 12 American LeFrance Pumper, was donated to the Thomasville History Center in 1972. In 2016, a century after it first arrived in Thomasville, the engine was restored to its original appearance and remains on display at the History Center in the Flowers Garage.
Thomasville History Center Collections: Thomasville Fire Department Engines, 1936.
If you’re interested in learning more about Thomasville’s fire department history, drop by the museum to check out our exhibit on the department and see the LeFrance in all her shining glory. For now, let’s get back to the cookbook portion of our story – a little recipe for something called “Blueberry Yum Yum”!
Blueberry Yum Yum
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 8-oz. package of cream cheese
½ pint whipping cream (if desired)
1 cup sugar
1 stick margarine or butter
2 No.2 cans blueberry pie filling (a 21-oz. can in 2026)
2 packages of Dream Whip
Mix cracker crumbs with butter. Butter bottom of dish well. Pat half cracker crumbs into bottom dish. Mix Dream Whip and whipping cream (if desired), according to directions on package. Set aside. Mix cream cheese with sugar and add this to Dream Whip and mix well. Put half of this on crumbs in dish. Top with blueberry pie filling. Add other half of whip and cheese. Put rest of cracker crumbs on top. Chill and serve.
Mrs. Pauline McKenzie
Our Favorite Recipes: Presented by the Thomasville Firemen’s Fund of Thomasville, Georgia 1969
As Pre-K through 5th grade students across Thomas County return to school, they are joining Thomasville’s Historic Bicentennial Celebration. The Thomasville Bicentennial Committee is providing more than 4,000 students with “THOMASVILLE AT 200 a Bicentennial Activity Book” that will offer young learners a fun and engaging way to explore local history during the city’s 200th anniversary year.
“The activity books were created as part of the community-wide celebration marking Thomasville’s bicentennial,” said April Norton Managing Director of Marketing & Communications. “Designed with children in mind, the books feature interactive activities, illustrations, and age‑appropriate history lessons that help students learn about Thomasville’s past, its cultural heritage, and key moments that shaped the community.”
Coordinated with Thomas County Schools, the Thomasville City Schools, and local private schools, the distribution ensures that every elementary-aged student in the area has access to the commemorative book. “This project reflects the broader goal of the bicentennial celebration: honoring Thomasville’s history while inspiring future generations,” said Norton. “By placing these books directly in the hands of young students, the committee hopes to spark curiosity and encourage families to take part in upcoming bicentennial events.”
According to Norton, the Activity Book was made possible through the generosity of sponsorships and grant funding. “Funding for the Thomasville Bicentennial Activity Book project was made possible through a grant from the Cherokee Foundation Fund of the Community Foundation of South Georgia, along with generous sponsorships from USMA Westpoint Class of 1977, Hurst Boiler, Flowers Foods, Literacy for Thomas County, Thomasville Center for the Arts and Ponders,” said Norton. “Through their generous support, all Pre‑K through 5th grade students in Thomas County were provided with a high‑quality, engaging activity book that connects them to the Bicentennial celebration.”
“This incredible book was created by city partners including Jennifer Vanderbeek with Thomasville Center for the Arts, Meme Greitzer with Thomasville History Center, Sarah Byrne with Jack Hadley Black History Museum, and Kitty Spivey with Pebble Hill Plantation,” said Norton. “The time and efforts of this collaborative is a true symbol of why Thomasville has always been and always will be a special community.”
The City of Thomasville’s Bicentennial Celebration is in partnership with Pebble Hill Plantation, Jack Hadley Black History Museum, Thomasville Landmarks, Thomasville History Center, Thomas County Commission, Thomasville Center for the Arts, Thomas County Schools, Thomasville City Schools, Discover Thomasville, Thomas County Public Library, Imagine Thomasville, Hands On Thomas County, Thomasville Times-Enterprise, Genealogy Library and Supporting Citizens.
The Thomasville Bicentennial Celebration continues through 2026 with a series of programs, exhibits, and community activities recognizing the city’s rich 200‑year history. For more information about the City’s Bicentennial Celebration or to find out how to get involved, please contact the City of Thomasville’s Marketing Department at (229) 227-4015 or email events@thomasville.org.
If you’ve been following along on our social media in the last few days, you may have noticed our Road Trip! series took us to Ochlocknee. Our final stop for the day was at Pope’s Museum, a site dedicated to telling the story of Laura Pope Forrester and displaying over 200 pieces of sculpture and paintings she created to honor the men and women she admired. So who was Laura Pope Forrester, and just what was so special about her as to create a museum of work?
The Martha Berry Entrance Gate at Pope’s Museum – July 15, 2026
Laura Cordelia Atkinson was born on January 31, 1873 around the burgeoning town of Ochlocknee. When she was a child, her mother taught her to model clay and use berries to make paints and dyes. She attended a nearby school for her formal education which was conducted by Benjamin Hill Pope (1856-1911), a man almost twenty years her senior and her future husband whom she married in 1894. They moved into the one-story house that is now Pope’s Museum in the community of Spence (once part of Thomas County before being assigned to Grady in 1905). Ben opened a store across the street from their home while Laura took care of the house and their growing family of four.
Having a live-in maid to help with domestic tasks allowed Laura enough free time to work on her creative endeavors. Using what art skills she learned from her mother and her appreciation for history and literature, Laura’s creativity inspired her to honor the people and characters who shaped our nation; especially the women and veterans of wars.
Ben died in 1911 leaving Laura with two teenage sons to raise. In 1914, she married Julian Franklin Forester (1870-1949) who took over the family store allowing Laura to return to her artistic passions. These ideas manifested into paintings that covered every wall of her home, plaster statues that dotted her interior design, architectural embellishments on her house, and over 200 statues across the family’s property.
A Mural within Pope’s Museum – July 15, 2026
By the 1920s, her two sons were grown and ready to start lives of their own, and Laura was left in the same situation of many empty nesters who find themselves in need of something to keep them busy. With her extensive art collection at hand, she opened her doors to the public, creating Pope’s Museum, one of the earliest art environments in America. Her home was photographed by several local and national magazines further promoting her business and encouraging tourists and artists to visit. Even the Library of Congress sent a photographer down to record the interior of her home for posterity.
Laura continued operating the museum until her death in 1953 at the age of 80. One of her sons took over the stewardship of the museum with community help and kept the operation going until 1975. It was sold into private ownership, and the house was rented out as apartments, complete with the landlord special – a thick layer of paint hiding away the murals that covered the walls of Laura’s home. After decades of neglect and abandonment, the current owners have revitalized the property and are working to restore as much of Laura’s art as possible.
That was where we found ourselves in the timeline of this museum’s history last Saturday. Michelle Dean, executive director, guided our group through the house while telling us about Laura’s story, the history of the home, and her efforts to restore this local treasure. Her work to recover Laura’s art and story has led her through multiple archives and even the estate sale of a major movie executive who had collected one of Laura’s paintings. What Michelle has not been able to retrieve (yet!) she has displayed in interpretive panels throughout the house.
Detail of Pope’s Museum Balcony (constructed from iron sewing machine legs, wagon wheels, and concrete to symbolize the plight of women working in Georgia’s cotton mills) – July 15, 2026
Speaking of retrieving, we arrived under very special circumstances, as just the night before our trip, Michelle received four “lost” statues from Laura’s collection. The pieces had made their way out west under mysterious circumstances, but despite their unplanned journey, they have arrived home where Michelle hopes to have them restored. The works include Laura’s bust of Queen Marie of Romania, “Death With A Smile at Ninety” (part of her Footprints of Time series), part of a vase, and the form of a baby resting on its mother’s shoulder taken from her larger piece “Cupid’s Pond.” Michelle also informed us there were thirteen of Laura’s paintings arriving at the museum in the near future.
If you’re interested in learning more about this fascinating artist, her works, and her impact on her community and the world, why not take a trip to see Pope’s Museum? Can’t get out there? Michelle has worked with Bloomberg Philanthropies and their new Bloomberg Connects App to provide a free, digital tour of the museum and grounds. No matter how you get there, this place is worth the trip!
When you think of the Fourth of July in Thomasville, what comes to mind? Fireworks? Hot dogs and watermelon? Fighting gnats and searching for the best parking spot to see the light show? In honor of the Nation’s 250th, we’re looking back to see how this occasion was celebrated in Thomasville’s history. From baseball games to greased pig races, they really knew how to have a good time!
“Fourth of July at Thomasville,” Georgia Journal, July 5, 1832.
Let’s go back to the beginning, when Thomasville was first on the map. With the first celebration of Independence Day taking place as early at the 1770s, parties in recognition of the birth of the country were already in full swing by 1826. Historian William Warren Rodgers tells us in his book Antebellum Thomasville that “Next to Christmas, the most popular holiday was Independence Day.” Compared to our modern ideas of celebrating Independence Day, the Antebellum version focused the festivities in the day time rather than the evening and night.
The Georgia Journal out of Milledgeville recorded the events of the day for 1832. A crowd of Thomas County citizens met at Mrs. Seward’s Hotel, located downtown, and marched to the courthouse (then a small log building nothing like the one we have today). The Declaration of Independence was read followed by a speech, and once again the crowd returned to the hotel for a feast. A series of toasts were then given – 37 in total! During this time period toasts were done after the women had gone to the ladies parlor and could take several hours to complete. And you weren’t sipping your drink – you drank everything in the glass. So we can assume after 37 toasts, our Thomasville forefathers were pretty toasted themselves.
Over the next 25 years, the festivities became more co-ed which meant dropping the numerous toasts and adding a dance. An article from the Thomasville Wiregrass Reporter relayed the day’s events in 1858: the festivities began with a parade of the Thomasville Guard, a local militia group, down through the town to the Methodist Church on Broad Street (try to imagine a simple wooden structure in place of the beautiful brick one we see today). Everyone gathered in the church for prayer, a reading of the Declaration of Independence, and a speech on civil and religious liberty in America. After that, the parade went back out and down Broad to the very end where T.J. McBain’s home and hotel sat (right about where the railroad crosses Broad). There they had a large buffet followed by dancing and sipping Thomas Wyche’s home-made wine. This would be one of the last celebrations of Independence Day in Thomasville as the Civil War loomed around the corner.
Following the Civil War, many White citizens in Thomasville, the majority of whom had been supportive of the Confederacy, did not celebrate the Fourth of July. However, the newly freed Black population did mark the occasion every year starting in 1867. That year, a parade was held and various speakers, including some White Thomasville citizens, spoke on political topics. The Freedman’s Bureau got involved by flying the American Flag from the Courthouse and igniting gun powder (but not fireworks). The celebrations in the years following the War were mainly seen as a celebration for the local Black population and members of the Republican party in most Southern towns.
However, things took a turn in 1875. By this point, the South was nearly reintegrated into the United States and the period of Reconstruction was over. In Thomasville, the White citizenry felt more a part of the nation and resumed celebrations, or at least observation, of the Fourth of July. After a few economically rocky years where the holiday was mentioned but not largely paraded, the late 1880s and early 1890s saw a boom in interest in the holiday. In 1889, celebrations included a parade of the Thomasville Guards, newly reorganized following the War, through downtown followed by a picnic lunch in Paradise Park. The next year, another local militia group (the Thomasville Hussars) joined the parade, and the celebrations continued to grow incrementally over the next decade.
“Whatta Golf Match They Played!” Thomasville Times-Enterprise, July 5, 1940.
Through the early part of the 20th century, Thomasville citizens really ramped up the party. Every year featured parades which included the local militias in full uniform and the Black community provided brass bands. Speeches at the Courthouse were back on the menu. Unique contests from bicycle and greased-pig races to cutest baby and largest tomato competitions gained popularity. These events were punctuated by picnics in Paradise Park where copious amounts of watermelon were eaten. About this time the more familiar use of fireworks as part of the celebration trickled in. Later on in 1919, a golf tournament, known as the Piney Woods Championship Cup, was added to the list of festivities. This tournament is still held today making it the longest continually running amateur tournament in the United States.
After World War I, the parades and grandiose speeches gave way to much simpler observations of the fourth. Celebrating took place on an individual level (despite warnings from the Thomasville Times-Enterprise editor, Ed Jerger, extolling the dangers of fireworks, drowning, and automobile crashes that seemed to increase on the day). The one exception to individual celebration was a large golf tournament held at Glen Arven Country Club known as the Piney Woods Championship Cup. This tournament attracted golfers from all over the state and North Florida to compete for the title. To prove their dedication to the sport, the tournament was held even in the rain – which made its appearance almost every year through the first half of the 20th century. The annual deluge may have contributed to the death of the grand parade and parties of the 19th century.
By the 1950s, public celebrations of the Fourth were a distant memory. Newspaper editors across the country reminisced about celebrations of the past. Radio and television broadcasts of celebrations around the country combined with highways making travel to the beach easier than ever before made the need for a public celebration in Thomasville obsolete.
List of Independence Day Events, Thomasville Times-Enterprise, July 3, 1976.
It wasn’t until 1976, the bicentennial of the nation’s founding, that a public observance was suggested. The members of the Pilot Club led an initiative to ring as many courthouse, church, and school bells throughout the County as possible to mark the anniversary. Other organizations jumped on the bandwagon, including the Lapham-Patterson House which hosted an “Old Fashion Fourth” with watermelon, crafts, and demonstrations of historic skills. The celebration was punctuated with a fireworks show held at the Thomas County Central High School Football Stadium.
1976 marked a return to public celebrations, a trend that has lasted over the past fifty years. The location of our fireworks display has moved all over town from Remington Park to the Fairgrounds to Downtown and back again. Whether you attend these gatherings or prefer to observe the date at home, this year will be a truly monumental year for the United States as we mark 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. And if you decide to celebrate the old fashioned way, just remember – be careful with your toasts!
The Thomasville History Center, in collaboration with the Georgia Historical Society, is pleased to announce the reinstallation of the Georgia Historical Marker for Finney General Hospital, preserving an important public-history landmark connected to Thomasville’s World War II history.
Originally erected in 2006 by the Georgia Historical Society and the Thomas County Historical Society, Inc., now the Thomasville History Center, the marker commemorates Finney General Hospital, a World War II Army hospital once located in Thomasville. The hospital, named in honor of Brigadier General John M.T. Finney, was authorized on September 30, 1942, and dedicated on June 16, 1943. It was one of sixty Army hospitals built across the country to care for sick and wounded World War II soldiers. Before closing on December 15, 1945, Finney General Hospital treated 23,055 World War II veterans.
The marker, which had sustained damage, was recast and reinstalled through a partnership between the Georgia Historical Society and the Thomasville History Center, the marker’s local sponsor. Installation was completed by Pride & Sons Services, LLC, a family-owned Thomasville business whose roots in the community go back generations. The project reflects the shared commitment of all involved to preserving Georgia’s historical markers and ensuring that significant local stories remain accessible to residents and visitors.
“Historical markers are one of the most visible ways communities encounter their past,” said Austin Bell, Executive Director of the Thomasville History Center. “We are grateful to the Georgia Historical Society for its leadership in preserving this marker and proud to continue our role as sponsor. Finney General Hospital is an important part of Thomasville’s story, and this project helps ensure that history remains present in the landscape.”
During its operation, Finney General Hospital grew to include approximately 200 buildings, including hospital wards, a theater, gymnasium, chapel, bowling alley, and barracks for German prisoners of war. Citizens of Thomas County also supported the hospital and its patients through the Grey Ladies Corps, plantation picnics, use of the YMCA, and lodging for soldiers’ families in private homes.
Finney General Hospital was part of Thomasville’s 20th-century history and represents the community’s connection to broader national events. By restoring the marker, the project helps preserve public access to that history and supports continued awareness of Thomasville and Thomas County’s role in Georgia’s past.
“Georgia’s historical markers help tell the stories of communities across the state,” said Breana James, Program Manager, Georgia Historical Society. “We appreciate the Thomasville History Center’s continued stewardship of the Finney General Hospital marker and its partnership in helping preserve this piece of Georgia history.”
The marker is located near the intersection of South Pinetree Boulevard and South Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, on the south side of South Pinetree Boulevard along the sidewalk. Public parking is available at nearby Balfour Park.
The Thomasville History Center, in collaboration with the Georgia Historical Society, is pleased to announce the reinstallation of the Georgia Historical Marker for Finney General Hospital, preserving an important public-history landmark connected to Thomasville’s World War II history.
Originally erected in 2006 by the Georgia Historical Society and the Thomas County Historical Society, Inc., now the Thomasville History Center, the marker commemorates Finney General Hospital, a World War II Army hospital once located in Thomasville. The hospital, named in honor of Brigadier General John M.T. Finney, was authorized on September 30, 1942, and dedicated on June 16, 1943. It was one of sixty Army hospitals built across the country to care for sick and wounded World War II soldiers. Before closing on December 15, 1945, Finney General Hospital treated 23,055 World War II veterans.
The marker, which had sustained damage, was recast and reinstalled through a partnership between the Georgia Historical Society and the Thomasville History Center, the marker’s local sponsor. Installation was completed by Pride & Sons Services, LLC, a family-owned Thomasville business whose roots in the community go back generations. The project reflects the shared commitment of all involved to preserving Georgia’s historical markers and ensuring that significant local stories remain accessible to residents and visitors.
“Historical markers are one of the most visible ways communities encounter their past,” said Austin Bell, Executive Director of the Thomasville History Center. “We are grateful to the Georgia Historical Society for its leadership in preserving this marker and proud to continue our role as sponsor. Finney General Hospital is an important part of Thomasville’s story, and this project helps ensure that history remains present in the landscape.”
During its operation, Finney General Hospital grew to include approximately 200 buildings, including hospital wards, a theater, gymnasium, chapel, bowling alley, and barracks for German prisoners of war. Citizens of Thomas County also supported the hospital and its patients through the Grey Ladies Corps, plantation picnics, use of the YMCA, and lodging for soldiers’ families in private homes.
Finney General Hospital was part of Thomasville’s 20th-century history and represents the community’s connection to broader national events. By restoring the marker, the project helps preserve public access to that history and supports continued awareness of Thomasville and Thomas County’s role in Georgia’s past.
“Georgia’s historical markers help tell the stories of communities across the state,” said Breana James, Program Manager, Georgia Historical Society. “We appreciate the Thomasville History Center’s continued stewardship of the Finney General Hospital marker and its partnership in helping preserve this piece of Georgia history.”
The marker is located near the intersection of South Pinetree Boulevard and South Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, on the south side of South Pinetree Boulevard along the sidewalk. Public parking is available at nearby Balfour Park.
Last time, we left you on a cliff hanger: Who is “W” who wrote the original history of Boston, Georgia? And who were the “Watson and Graves” that featured so prominently in this origin story?
While unconfirmed, the most likely candidate for “W” is Shelby Walker Davis, or S.W. Davis, conveying stories from his father, John Davis. The elder Davis was a longtime Lowndes County resident who worked his way west through the years. It should be noted that at the same time “W” was writing for the Times-Enterprise in 1890, he was also writing histories for the Valdosta Times. Shelby Davis, was a lifetime “newspaper man” who later owned the Quitman Free Press and then founded the Thomasville Press. He was known professionally as S.W. later in life but also went by Walker or sometimes just “W.” Shelby’s father, who died in 1900, was a pioneer of Southwest Georgia, who even if he didn’t experience all of the stories told directly (which between the two newspaper story features almost no one could) would have heard many of them as a contemporary.
Thomasville History Center Collection: Presbyterian Church of Boston, c.1900.
Who Watson and Graves were may be more relevant, or at least Graves. Thomas Watson, the only Watson in Thomas County’s early years, moved from North Carolina in the 1830s. He did own property in the general vicinity of our Boston, but has no apparent ties to Boston, Massachusetts. Eli Graves (1803-1868), a Presbyterian minister, moved to Thomas County from Vermont when he was hired as the first pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Thomas County, located in land lot 271, the site of “Old Boston,” owned by Roderick McIntosh. He was in Thomas County no later than 1842. Most of the Graves family lived in and around Boston, Massachusetts.
The First Presbyterian Church of Thomas County, as it is named in deeds, later became known as the First Presbyterian Church of Boston. It is possible this early church, and settlement along with it, became known as “Boston” because Eli Graves named it. It is also possible that Graves and the devout Presbyterians in the area named it for another Thomas Boston – the one from Scotland, who 100 years earlier became well known as a Presbyterian theologian with a coarse demeanor, who was having a bit of a revival “moment” as a philosopher in the 1840s and 1850s.
So why, by 1923, did Irwin MacIntyre think Boston was named for Thomas Mickleberry Boston? Because there was a third Boston. Not Old Boston in land lot 271 nor “New” Boston but a third Boston, 20 miles west of the location of modern-day Boston on the Brooks County bank of the Withlacoochee River just off of U.S. 84. It was founded by Thomas Mickleberry Boston around 1848 or 1849 when it was still Lowndes County. He purchased some land around a sulfur spring he found there adjacent to the Withlacoochee and built a hotel, establishing what became known as Boston’s Spring. Soon a village emerged around it, which became known as Boston.
Thomasville History Center Collection: Irwin County District 13 – Land Lot 326 – Dec. 20, 1869 – Atlantic & Gulf to Daniel Horn
Moving forward to 1860, the Atlantic & Gulf Railroad was being built from Savannah to Bainbridge. Seeing the route through Quitman and Grooverville, the people of “Old Boston,” or so goes the story, believed the railroad would build through their settlement. Instead, the Atlantic and Gulf purchased right-of-way land about a mile east and half-a-mile south of where “Old” Boston was located on the far north-center of land lot 326 but enlarged to include part of land lots 327 and 365. This land was (conveniently) owned by former United States Representative James Seward. Stop Number 17 was first called “Seward’s Station” and then became known as Boston.
Soon after, Seward sold an acre to the trustees of the First Presbyterian Church of Thomas County. The story is smooth and easy and clean – they built the railroad southeast of Boston, so the whole town packed up and rolled over to new Boston! Except absolutely nothing works like that.
Deed records show that nothing really happened immediately. The land all around the depot was still owned by the Atlantic and Gulf Company – travel just a little beyond that and you’re including land that “Old Boston” people already owned. So by 1861, when they were calling the new depot stop Boston, there were three settlements named Boston along what is U.S. 84 today, all within 25 miles. “New” Boston didn’t really start to develop until 1869, when the Atlantic & Gulf Road sold all that land around the depot to Daniel Horn, who laid out and sold individual lots, and that’s really when Main Street and Jefferson Street started to become the heart of Boston. Things developed quickly and Boston, as we know it, was incorporated by Georgia in 1870.
Thomasville History Center Collection: Article on Boston Springs, July 15, 1868.
The third Boston, in Brooks County on the Withlacoochee, stopped being known as Boston, or Boston Springs, or Boston’s Spring through the 1860s, and by 1870 was known as Blue Springs, and was a fairly popular summer resort and recreation area for 30-40 years.
While it’s a bit more involved, the most likely explanation for Irwin MacIntyre attributing the founding of Thomas County’s Boston to Thomas M. Boston was a good ol’ fashioned mix up over time. He typically did not cite sources but was likely told all of this by an older member of the Boston community, or one of their children. I think it may be fair speculation that it was another well-known Thomasville citizen from a Boston family – Dr. Thomas Murdoch McIntosh – that likely shared this version of the story when he was older in 1923. The story also includes a side note about how the First Presbyterian Church of Thomas County became known as “McIntosh Presbyterian Church” in honor of Roderick McIntosh. There is no known contemporary evidence that the church was known by that name, only this claim from 1923.
Finally, there is one more “missing” bit of information: Why are there no contemporary accounts of Old Boston and New Boston? The first mention of there being an “Old Boston” is the 1890 history, which used it in the context of the church being moved. But it was really around 1892, 30+ years after the fact, that the term “Old Boston” as a place came into common use. We believe it is most likely that the original Boston – which was unincorporated and did not have formalized borders until 1870 – was a farm region or district of Thomas County. Most of the known landowners owned hundreds of acres of land, that easily traversed the areas that later became known as “Old” and “New” Boston.
Only over time did memories of the location of the first church and still existing graveyard in the McIntosh lands lead to the idea of there being an Old Boston. Add in a third Boston down the road, a reverend with family from the Massachusetts Boston, and a guy named Tom Boston, and you have a recipe for confusion. An absolute, ironclad answer to how the Thomas County city got its name may not be knowable; but at least we know what it is not.
TheThomasvilleHistoryCenterhasbeenawardeda$10,000 matching grant through the 1772 Foundation in partnership with the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation to support exterior rehabilitation of the historic Metcalfe Courthouse.
The award is part of $125,000 in preservation funding distributed this year to fourteen nonprofit organizations across Georgia maintaining historic sites and community landmarks.
Located on the History Center’s campus at 725 N. Dawson Street, the Metcalfe Courthouse represents the civic history of one of Thomas County’s early railroad communities. Metcalfe, located eight miles southeast of Thomasville, was founded in 1889 as a lumber- and agriculture-based boomtown that developed around its rail depot. By 1892, residents petitioned Thomas County to construct a courthouse for magisterial purposes. Although the building was never used for formal court proceedings, it became the civic heart of the community and served for generations as a public gathering place and voting precinct until 2002.
In 2003, after years of deterioration, the structure was placed up for auction by Thomas County. The Thomas County Historical Society (now the Thomasville History Center) successfully acquired the building and relocated it to the History Center campus in 2004, along with original contents including benches, ballot boxes, and voting materials, to ensure its long-term preservation.
Grant funding will support exterior stabilization and restoration work, including repair and replacement of deteriorated wood elements, surface preparation and repainting, reglazing of historic windows, and other measures intended to protect the building from moisture intrusion and long-term deterioration.
“This grant represents an important investment in one of the most unique and meaningful structures on our campus,” said Austin Bell, Executive Director of the Thomasville History Center. “The Metcalfe Courthouse tells the story of rural civic life in Thomas County, and we are deeply grateful to the Georgia Trust and the 1772 Foundation for helping us preserve it for future generations. Special thanks as well to the Metcalfe Heritage Society, the Thomas County Board of Commissioners, and the Thomasville-Thomas County Chamber of Commerce for their support during the grant process.”
The exterior work will also allow the History Center to begin planning concurrently with the Metcalfe Heritage Society and other stakeholders for future interpretation, programming, and visitor experience improvements, with the goal of advancing that next phase in 2027. The grant-funded exterior project is expected to be completed by May 2027.
Three Thomasville cultural organizations —Pebble Hill Plantation, Thomasville Center for the Arts, and the Thomasville History Center — are proud to announce their participation in the 2026 Blue Star Museums program, a national initiative offering free summer admission to currently serving military personnel and their families.
The participation of multiple Thomasville organizations in Blue Star Museums reflects the strength of the arts, history, and cultural life in the community. Together, these organizations offer military families the opportunity to explore a connected story of Thomasville and the Red Hills region through art, architecture, local history, creativity, landscape, and community memory.
Blue Star Museums is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, in collaboration with the Department of Defense and participating museums across the country. The 2026 program begins on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 16, and continues through Labor Day, Monday, September 7.
“Blue Star Museums has opened doors for military families to explore, connect, and feel at home,” said Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO of Blue Star Families. “As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, we’re proud to continue this partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and museums nationwide—welcoming military families into the heart of our nation’s story and celebrating them every step of the way.”
Through the program, currently serving members of the United States military — including the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, Space Force, Reserves, National Guard, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps — may receive free admission for themselves and up to five family members by presenting a valid military ID.
“Having multiple Thomasville cultural institutions take part in Blue Star Museums is a testament to the strength of the arts in our community,” said the directors of Pebble Hill Plantation, Thomasville Center for the Arts, and the Thomasville History Center in a joint statement. “Together, our organizations have the opportunity to thank military families for their service and welcome them into the cultural treasures, local stories, and creative experiences that make Thomasville so special.”
Each participating organization offers a distinct experience while contributing to a broader understanding of Thomasville and the Red Hills region. Pebble Hill Plantation invites visitors to experience the history, architecture, collections, gardens, and 3,000-acre grounds of a 20th-century Southern sporting estate. Thomasville Center for the Arts connects the community through inspiring exhibitions, year-round arts education, annual festivals and hands-on art experiences for all ages. The Thomasville History Center invites guests to explore the people, places, buildings, and stories that have shaped Thomasville and the Red Hills region over time.
Together, these organizations provide military families with a meaningful way to experience Thomasville’s story from multiple perspectives through art, history, and community. Admission procedures, hours, and available experiences may vary by location. Visitors are encouraged to check with each participating organization before planning their visit.
To learn more about Blue Star Museums or to find participating museums across the country, visit arts.gov/BlueStarMuseums.
