Harvesting hay in LaGrange, GA

Harvesting hay in LaGrange, GA

Ferrell's Gardens on Vernon Rd.
These gardens were a showplace in LaGrange in the 19th and early 20th century.  The legend goes that when Yankee troops came through LaGrange in April of 1865, the flowers were blooming and it was so beautiful that the Yankees spared the Ferrell home from the torch.   Fuller Callaway, Sr., bought the property and built Callaway mansion on it in 1914-16, utilizing many of the beautiful gardens.

Callaway Mills Employee's Green House
Callaway Mills provided this greenhouse to store employee's plants during the winter.  They also supplied sprigs of new plants for employees to use for growing new plants each spring.

Callaway Mills Employee's Garden plots.
Callaway Mills provided plots of ground for children of employees to grow vegetables and flowers.  They sponsored contests for the best vegetables and flowers grown by the children.  These plots of ground were irrigated for uniform watering, the first irrigated land in Troup County.

Cotton Farmer's on court square - LaGrange, GA - 1897
Troup County once harvested 25,000 bales of cotton in a single season at its' peak of production until the boll weevil ruined cotton farming.  In some years, so much cotton came to LaGrange that it exceeded the capacity of the cotton warehouses to store it and it was stacked on city sidewalks until buyers could arrange to haul it away.

Cotton crop of George W. Truitt - 1898
This postcard was taken of George Truitt's 1898 crop of 100 bales of cotton weighing in at 511 pounds.  This crop came from planting 150 acres.  Postcard shows West Court Square, LaGrange, GA.

Cotton Farmer's protest on court square - 1899.
This rare postcard shows cotton farmers protesting the price of cotton.  One sign in the center says, "8 cents a pound or back to warehouse".  This postcard also shows a very rare view of the second Troup County Courthouse that was replaced in 1904.  It is in the top left corner of the photo.

Cotton Farmer's protest on court square - 1911
This postcard shows cotton farmers protesting the current price of cotton.  The sign on the wagon says, "10 cents a pound or back to the warehouse we go".   This postcard shows East Court Square in the background.

Hauling cotton to market in LaGrange.
Horse drawn wagons were the only means of transporting the cotton crop to LaGrange until after WW I.