Stories from Gus Adams, published in Tifton Gazette, Tift Co. GA
Whiddon Family
************************************************
Copyright. All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm
************************************************
File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
J. E. (Edd) Dorminey edorminey@dishmail.net
Around the "turn of the Century" (1912) there was a man by the name of
Gus Adams (friends called him "Pat") who lived near Chula, Tift County,
GA with several families. First with William and Louisa Jane Branch and
then at the home of some of their grown children. After a while he moved
in with the D.H. Hogan family. Gus was from Brooklyn, New York and came
to Georgia about 1878 where he followed his occupation as a painter and
decorator. While residing and working around the Chula area, he went from
home to home and knew all the old residents of this section and visited
with them. He attended family reunions, annual meetings and celebrations,
and his writings of these gatherings were an interesting feature of the
"Tifton Gazette" in Tifton Georgia for many years. Gus died in 1933.
These stories live on to tell some very interesting histories of the
different families of the area. Look especially at the "Whiddon" write
up as it is very interesting in relation to the Dorminy family and
where they originated.
SAVED FROM DESTRUCTION
Bob Morrell was editor of the Tifton Gazette 30 years ago when he and his
wife Betty discovered and salvaged these genealogies from some old Tifton
Gazette papers that were crumbling and falling apart from being exposed to
age, dust, South Georgia heat and humidity. Betty took these old papers and
copied the Gus Adams genealogies onto "teletype" paper on her typewriter.
She said that during the process the act of turning the pages would tear the
brittle newsprint and she had to have something placed under them to turn
them or they would crumble in her hands. If she hadn^t saved these family
histories, they would have been lost forever as no other source has been
found that has copies of these articles except the one on the Paulk^s and
part of the one on the Dorminy family which we obtained from another source
CAUTION!!! Please be aware that Mr. Adams did not have the benefit of
a computer to cross check his information. He has a LOT of mistakes in
these histories but if you use them, and are aware of this fact, you
can benefit by having a starting point. Do not use this information as
your final reference . I know for a fact that a lot of Dorminy
information as well as other information is partially WRONG so to be
forwarned is to be forarmed.
====================================================================
THE WHIDDON FAMILY
Lott Whiddon, his wife Judea and four children settled about a mile
from Irwinville, on lot 41, in 1824.
Lott Whiddon was the son of William Whiddon who came from England to
South Carolina, and married Mary Eason. They moved to Emanuel county
where Lott, Eli, Dempsey, John, William, Unie, Winnie, Feraby, Susie
and Betsy were born. Lott was born Dec. 26, 1796; he married Judea
Dorminy, who was born in Emanuel county, Oct. 28, 1796. She was the
daughter of John Dorminey, who married Rachael Bradford. The Dorminy's
were of German descent who accompanied the Salzburgers that settled in
Emanuel county; Eli and John, sons of William Whiddon Sr., went to
Florida. Demsey went to Washington county; William went to Alabama;
Feraby married a man named Lewis; they went to Alabama. Betsy and
Susie married Barwicks and remained in Emanuel county.
Lott and his wife were poor in this world's goods and rich in health
and youthful habitat. They. decided to abandon their native heath and
venture in the land of sunshine and opportunities. They crossed the
Ocmulgee river in a flat with their hous-hold goods and other
necessities and built a log house in the forest. Their children,
Elias, Mary, Feraby and William accompanied them participating in all
the struggles and hardships of frontier; life. A daughter was born in
their new home she was named Rachael. After remaining in Irwin county
some time, Lott decided to visit his old home in Emanuel county,
returning with a bunch of cattle, accompanied by his father-in-law,
John Dorminy. Mr. Dorminy persuaded Lott to trade him his home. and
moved his family there; while Lott, in the meantime traded with Mr.
Wallace for lot 39, where he built a log house near the place where
the cemetery now is at Irwinville in which the remains of Walton
Clement., Ora Clements and others are at rest.
John Dorminy and family occupied the place procured from Lott Whiddon,
where both John and his faithwife died and were buried.
Lott Whiddon remained in Irwinville several years where Martha Vann
was born, who was the first child born in Irwinville.
The old pioneers brought Sycamore trees from their native country and
planted them at Irwinville where they are today.
Mrs. Judea Whiddon cut a switch from one of the trees at Irwinville
using it as a riding whip, She stuck it in the ground at the place
where Sycamore now stands and the city derived its name from the
switch, which grew into a large , tree.
Lott Whiddon and his family moved to Sycamore, leaving Irwinville,
where Dan Luke and his family then took possession of the Irwinville
lot.
When Martha Vann was three months old, in 1829, they arrived at their
new home. The nearest neighbors were fifteen miles away. Hat creek was
an Indian camp. Their camp fires could be seen from Sycamore very
plainly. The nearest court house was at Jacksonville, on the other
side of the Ocmulgee River.
The first court held in Irwin county convened on the front porch, of
Mr. McDuffie, where William Dorminy's home is now situated. Then a log
house was built at Irwinville, which stood until replaced by a more
modern frame structure that was utilized as a court house until a
change of the county seat to Ocilla.
Jim Wallace moved to the place owned by the late Geo. Young; it was
known as Wallace's mill, In later years, Jake Young, son of Geo.
Young, moved. there built a house and resided there until he moved to
Sylvester where he was killed while marshal of that town. Mrs. Wiley
Branch Sr., inherited the place after her father's death. She was a
daughter of Geo. Young. Her son-in-law, Ed. Ritchie, purchased the
place. It! is situated on the Alapaha river with good fishing and
camping grounds. and patronized by the sporting fraternity.
Lott Whiddon and family prospered at Sycamore, where Susan, Jim, Unie
and Louisa Jane were born. He died June 22, 1880, at the home of his
son Jim, near Little river, His faithful wife and companion died
August 8, 1886, at the home of Capt. Jack Henderson, her son-in-law,
who had become proprietor of the old homestead that Lott and his wife
had converted from the piney woods into a habitable settlement. They
both were buried at Hickory Springs. They were the first settlers that
crossed the Alapaha river.
Elias Whiddon, the eldest son of Lott Whiddon, married Nancy Fletcher,
daughter of Joe Fletcher. They settled four miles north of Sycamore at
a place called Peckville, where both died with measles and were
buried. Their children were: Judy, Polly, John, Lott, Susie, Jim,
Millie and Rachel. Judy married _afe Lambert. They had no children.
Polly married Zara Paulk, father of Jesse and Geo. F. John and Lott
died in the war. Susie married Dave Clements, of Irwin County, Millie
married James Paulk, Jr. Of Irwin county. She died. She was the mother
of J.M. Paulk, of Tifton, Cashier of the Citizen's Bank, and Ivey
Paulk, both deceased. Jim , the youngest son of Elias Whiddon, son of
Lott, married Frankie Gibbs. She died, leaving Rachel, who married Tim
Paulk near Ocilla; Kate, married ______ Brown, of Sycamore, Henry and
Judy.
Rachel, daughter of Elias married Jim Pate, of Cordele Their children
are: Mary, John and Zacharia. Mary, the oldest daughter of Lott
Whiddon married Manasseh Henderson, son of Uncle Dan Henderson. They
purchased land from Ashley Hamilton, son of Ben Hamilton. Ashley had
the first saloon in Ashburn after whom Ashburn was named. His father
Ben Hamilton, was a wealthy farmer and land agent at the place where
Cordele -now stands. He sold the land to Joe Brown, the War Governor,
and the father of "Little Joe" Brown, Governor of Georgia.
Mary and her husband began life in a very humble cottage, with cattle
she received from her parents and some he owned. They were thrifty an
accumulated wealth, land and stock. He died directly after the war.
She lived almost a century. becoming afflicted with small-pox, to
which she succumbed at her home near Ashburn in 1909, attended by her
nephew, Elias Whiddon and family, They had no children.
General John C. Breckenridge spent the night at that house, when Jeff
Davis was captured next morning. He slept with his gun loaded lying
near him He never removed his clothes. Davis was captured and
Breckenridge escaped, re- turning to Kentucky after the war.
Feraby daughter of Lott Whiddon, married Captain Dan Hender son,
brother of Manasseh. He represented Irwin county in the legislature in
the early seventies. She became the mother of a large and influential
family of children. (See Henderson's )
William; son of Lott Whiddon married Elizabeth Ford, daughter of Green
Ford. Their children are : Silvia, Elias, Green, Beatrice, Robert Mary
and Augustus.
Silvia married a Mr. Hobby. They have several children.
Elias married Mattie Bass. Their children are, Kyle, Pauline, Laura
and Ossie.
Green married Lucy Culpepper. They have several children.
Beatrice married Wm. Tanner; he died. She then married N. G Houston.
Robert married Miss Dunn. He killed Rev. I.M. Lawson, and shot himself
near Ashburn in September, 1911.
Mary married Chap Cox. They have several children.
William Whiddon died in 1903.
Rachel, daughter of Lott married George Paulk son of Jacob. She died
in 1868, leaving a large family (See the Paulk's )
Martha Vann married Micajah Paulk brother of George. He was known as
Loldy. He died in 1891. leaving a large family., She still resides in
the old log house, now renovated, that was built by her husband when
they first married, sixty years ago, near Willacoochee creek. She
became the mother of a large family.
Susan, another daughter of Lott married John Jackson Henderson, eon of
old John Henderson. She has become the mother of a large, prosperous
family. Her son, Jim, represents Turner county. Her daughter, Unie,
married Thomas Young.
Jim, son of Lott, better known at present as ' Uncle Jim," of
Whiddon's Mill, married Lucy Branch daughter of Dave Branch, a pioneer
of Appling county. They lived at Waterloo until after the war, when
they settled at the place they still occupy, near Little river. They
had a. large family- some died-those that remain are, John J., Dave
W., Dempsey, Jim Buck, William Lott, Frank, Unie, Juilia, Reecy and
Georgiana.
John Jackson, oldest son of Jim Whiddon married Jane Sumner, the
daughter of Dan Sumner. Their children were John, Elsa, Daisy and
Dolly. John married Eva Culpepper, of Sumner.
Elsa married Lizzie Aiken, daughter of W. Akin, of Tift county. She
died.
Daisy married Peter Rape. Dolly has never married.
David W. married Pricilla Young, daughter of Tom Young, of Worth
county. Their children are, Albert, Alonzo, Alice. Clifford and Tommy,
Albert married Mattie Seagraves; Alonzo married Annie Lou Leach; Alice
married Dr. Wm. Tyson, of Chula. Clifford and Tommy are single.
Jim Buck married Molly Paulk daughter of Jesse Paulk. Their children
are: Cecil, Nichols and Della. Cecil married Sally Wheeles, of Tifton.
He was flagman on the ill-fated ''Dixie Flyer." Wrecked ....... Eer,
Green, were all that were saved of the whole train crew. Dempsey, son
of Jim Whiddon married Narcissa Vickers, daughter of Rev. Jack
Vickers. Their children are: Annibell, married Preston Whaley; Arthur
married Nora Phelps; Martha , who married Tullie Sutton who wa killed
by Wm. Sumner in 1910. The jury exonerated Sumner declaring it a
justifiable homicide. Ava married Jim Akin. Lester, Mary, Lott and
more small ones single.
William, son of Jim Whiddon" married Jane Easters, daughter of Wm. or
Buck Easters. Their children are.
Mille, married Bruce Betts,' of Berrien county, formerly of Virginia.
Jim Buck, married Miss Griffin; Mattie, married Elias O'Quinn; Hattie,
married Albert Carmichael. Duncan and Lucy, single. Walton, dead.
Lott, son of Jim Whiddon married Emma Fletcher. Children small.
Frank, youngest son of Jim Whiddon married Mary Young, daughter of
crippled Jake Young They have no children. Unie, daughter of Jim
Whiddon, married John Vickers, son of Rev. Jack Vickers They settled
near Little River then moved to Moultrie
Julia daughter of Uncle Jim Whiddon, married Tom Perry. Their children
are: Pocahontas, Jim and others. They moved to Quitman.
Reecy, daughter of Jim Whiddon, married James Goodwin. Their children
are. Mary, who married
John Rooks, and Jim, not married.
Georgian, daughter of Uncle Jim Whiddon married George Cravy. son of
Wm. Cravy, who emigrated from Telfair county. Their children are:
Eveline, who married Walton Paulk, John who married Leona Leseuere;
Solly, who married Cora Jones; Ora, who married Wm. Branch, son of
Dyke ; Jim, Nathan. Watkin, Abraham and Joe, all single.
Unie, -daughter of Lott Whiddon married Walton. Clements. (See
Clements.) Louisa Jane, youngest daughter of Lott Whiddon married Wm.
Branch, or Big Bill. (See Branches.)
These are the immediate descendants of Lott and Judea Whiddon .
1911.
~1~
(In the next issue;) Note - Owing to the fact that I was too busy to
read the proof of last week's issue, a few errors appeared in the
account of the Whiddon family; viz; Walton Whiddon, son of William
Whiddon is very much alive; although single and may become the father
of a large family; also Jehu Whiddon son of J.J. was mistaken for John
and Mr. Jim Whiddon is alive abut Mr. Jim Whiddon, son of Elias, is
dead. We will receive all information and corrections and adjust
mistakes and errors or omissions upon proper information , in order to
arrange this in book form, for those desirous of purchasing the book
who can register as soon as possible to avoid the rush. Smada