In searching through the archives of deeds at the county, I came across this map of the town of Jasper dated March 5th, 1883. The chief engineer of the Marietta and North Georgia Railroad Company, F.S. Wallace, drew this map up to demonstrate the lands that were conveyed to help facilitate the passage of the railroad through the town of Jasper. The map is below along with what I could make of the penmanship of the document.
{Georgia,
{Pickens County:
For the purpose of establishing and addition to the Town of Jasper, Pickens County, Georgia, on the line of the Marietta & North Georgia Railroad, the undersigned owners of lands in Lots Nos. 271 and 306 of the 12th District, 2nd Section, first reserving the right-of-way and lands contiguous to the railroad track, which we have this day we have conveyed to the Marietta & North Georgia Railroad Company even date with this instrument, and as appears on this map prepared by F.S. Wallace, Chief Engineer of said Railroad, which map is drawn on the tracing cloth on which this instrument is written; and first again hereby dedicating to the public, forever for street purposes so much of said lands as is embraced in the roads, streets, and avenues as shown on said map, do hereby set apart, as much of said lands as is embraced in the various blocks and lots shown by said map, to be hereafter by number of lot, with metes and bounds as shown by said map; said blocks, lots, roads, streets, and avenues to constitute the Addition to the Town of Jasper, Ga., by Day, Howell and Lenning.
It is our wish that this Addition be incorporated with the Town of Jasper, with such regulations as those who purchase and hold the lots may determine to be best, and that the streets and avenues become the property of the Town for the purpose designated; the consideration moving each of us in the establishing this Addition being the consequent enhanced value to our lands within and adjacent to said Addition.
In witness here of we have hereunto signed our names this 5th day of March, A.D. 1883.
Signed, sealed and delivered
In the presence of
F.S. Wallace ) W.T. Day L.S.
W.R. Allen (for William T. Day) ) John R. Howell L.S.
E. Hood ) Ed Lenning L.S.
W.R. Allen (for Howell and Lenning) ) Atherton Brothers L.S.
W.A. Bozeman?
M.C. McLain
The train arrived in Jasper, Georgia in 1883. And several wealthy landowners decided to grant some of their lands to add to Jasper proper. The following map was discovered in the Georgia Land Archives.
A quick look at the roster of those who signed should remind you of familiar names.
The names at the left of the document were the witnesses to the signatures of Day, Howell, Lenning, and the Atherton Brothers. L.S. is the abbreviation for Locus Sigilli – the place of the seal – in place of the older practice of sealing a document with wax.
William T. Day, the legislator, Ed Lenning, the founder of the Lenning Hotel (Now Woodbridge), the Atherton Brothers, English immigrants-turned textile manufacturers in Talking Rock, Alice and near Waleska.
These men had a vision for the county. By bringing railroad to Jasper, they could begin to expand our commerce here and make the town more prosperous. This map is a reflection and testament to that effort.
I also found a similar map of the creation of Talking Rock. This map establishes the town of Talking Rock on Mar 19, 1883. It was signed by E. Wofford, N.W. Blalock and S.L. Taylor. Amazing!
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