Bethany
On the occasion of its Bicentennial, Morgan County placed this marker here to commemorate the community of
BETHANY
The community of Bethany, anchored by the Bethany Baptist Church, appears on maps after 1915. A church congregation was established before then at nearby Alliston´s Grove; however, tradition holds that they disbanded after the Civil War. In 1869, two acres of land were given from the Baldwin Estate to the Bethany Baptist Church Trustees, some of whom had previously been members of Alliston´s Grove. The deed for the land indicates that a school had already been established in this community, and in 1915, an educational survey of Morgan County indentifies the Bethany school as, "...highly improved and beautified..." (with) "...drives and walks, flowers and vines, pavilion and play houses... playgrounds, tennis, may pole, etc.
Unlike many rural communities, Bethany did not develop on a railroad line, but was situated on a main thoroughfare between Madison and Eatonton in Shepherd´s Militia District. Post office records from 1900 indicate the community was comprised of about 500 individuals. In 1897 at least five cotton fins existed in Shepherd´s District; additionally, a number of large dairies were established in this area when the dairy industry began to thrive in Morgan County.
The small community of Zachry, also located in Shepherd´s District, was located eight miles south of Bethany; it was the site of a small community of houses, a cotton gin, and a general store.
BECAUSE OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO TAKE PRIDE IN THIS COMMUNITY, BETHANY
IS RECOGNIZED AS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF OUR COUNTY HISTORY
Plaque courtesy Lat34North.com.
Original page, with additional info, here.
Photo credit: Byron Hooks of Lat34North.com.