175
Lakeview Drive Nicholson Georgia 30565 706/757/3408
A Brief
History of Nicholson
Originally named Cooper, the change to Nicholson was noted as early as
1876 when The Forest News described the stations on the Northeastern
Railroad's Athens to Lula run. The name Cooper was in honor of the
Willis Cooper farm just below Nicholson. The people of Cooper, desiring
a railroad depot (part of which is still available to be seen in Hazel
Barnett yard on Sanford Dr.)
informed President J. Nicholson "that they would name
the town after him if he would make a fuel stop in Cooper so they could
sell their wood to the railroad." The fuel stop was created and the name
change occurred and was reported in local papers as early as 1876,
however,
the post office at Cooper did not change its name to Nicholson
until February 2,1882.
The town has predominantly been a farming community through the years;
moreover, the poultry industry was and continues to be an essential part
of the local economy. Other commercial endeavors such as general stores,
a mattress factory, jewelry store, hat factory, cotton gins just to name
a few have enriched and enhanced the lives of Nicholson's citizens in
many ways.
Nicholson has always been the home of professionals in business,
education, government, law, humanities and the arts, and medicine. Dr.
W. L. Hood practiced medicine and dentistry in Nicholson until his death
in 1908. Dr. Hood's office was next door to his home and both are still
standing on Mulberry Street.
Education has always been a high priority in the community. Prior to
1936, five small schools were in existence in the Nicholson area, housing
students through the seventh grade. High school students went to
Commerce High School Before 1936, there were five small schools in the
Nicholson area — Center, New Harmony, Nicholson
, Antioch and Hood's Academy. The
schools went through the seventh grade and students went to high school in
Commerce. Many times, high school students paid the 26 cents to ride the train
to school in Commerce. In 1936, Nicholson voted on bonds for
a new consolidated school. A $45,000 brick school 
was erected on five
acres John David donated the five acres where the school was built.
It
is believed that the land was originally a grant from the king of England and
had never been bought or sold. The new school building had 10 classrooms with
300 students enrolled in grades one through 11, then the final year of high
school and named for T. T. Benton,
(Benton Home 1896)county school superintendent. The
school building was built as a WPA project with 10 classrooms and housed
300 students in grades 1 through 11. In 1946 through a community drive
of various fundraisers initiated by the PTA at Benton money was raised
and matched by the state to build a cafeteria for hot lunches. In 1956,
Benton again became an elementary school and high school students were
bused to Commerce High School until 1979 when the contract with Commerce
City Schools expired. Beginning in the fall of 1979 the students from
Benton school community attended Jackson County High School located in
Jefferson.
Presently students in the Nicholson area Grades K-5 attend
Benton and East Jackson Elementary Schools, Grades 6-8 attend East
Jackson Middle School and Grades 9-12 attend Jackson County
Comprehensive High School in Jefferson. In 1972 tragedy struck when
arsonists set fire to the Benton Elementary School building. The main
building was a total loss. Grades 1 through 5 continued school at
Nicholson Congregational Holiness Church
and Grades 6
through 8 continued at Nicholson United Methodist Church. When the
school burned, students missed classes for only one day. They attended
classes in the Methodist
(currently the Nicholson Community Center) and Congregational Holiness churches for the
remainder of the school year. In September, all classes were held in a
metal building, which had been erected after the school burned. The new
school was built in 1975. The metal building now serves as the
gymnasium. The Benton School and community have always been extremely
active through cooperative efforts of students, parents, faculty, staff
and friends.
As with any small community or town, churches, worship and outreach are
very central in the citizens' lives. Cabin Creek Baptist Church,
established in 1796
,it was moved to it's
present location in April of 1917,and it is the oldest church in the Nicholson area, this church was
established the same year Jackson County was created. Cabin Creek was considered
the third church founded of the early churches in Jackson County, Oconee Baptist
Church near the Dry Pond Community was the first and was erected in 1788, the
second was Thyatira Presbyterian Church, which was established in 1795. Some of
the other older churches in the Nicholson area include Antioch United Methodist
Church, 1799
, Center United Methodist Church, late 1800's, Berea Baptist Church
1888, and Center Baptist Church 1892 the original which is now located at
Hurricane Shoals Historic Park
, Nicholson Baptist
established in
1909, Nicholson Pentecostal Fire-Baptized Holiness established in 1918,
River of Life, formerly called Nicholson Congregational Holiness
established in 1921 and the Nicholson
United Methodist established in 1906 and closed in 1994.
Nicholson has always been extremely well represented in the area print
media with community news being written by the late Jewett Barnert and
until just recently Hilder Palmer Watkins.
Nicholson was originally incorporated in 1907, however, in 1937
following extreme devastation during the Depression in Nicholson's early years,
it was mostly a farming area. And considering World War II, when most of the men
in the community were either serving in the war or working in defense plants.
Nicholson did not re-enact its city charter. On April 29,1972, after 35 years of being
inactive and following state legislative and executive approval,
Nicholson became a town again, Nicholson elected a mayor, George Palmer and council. Nineteen mayors and councils have
been elected since Nicholson was originally incorporated in 1907 and the
reenactment of the city charter in 1972.
The original city hall was located on the Benton Elementary School
Campus eventually moving to the City Hall located adjacent to the
Nicholson Area Volunteer Fire Department. The Jackson County Board of
Commissioners donated the new City Hall structure located at 175
Lakeview Drive, under the supervision of the County Manager.
Nicholson opened its first public library in
1975. The present library
building, the Harold S. Swindle Public Library was opened in 1990. The Nicholson
Water Authority was established in 1965. In February 1972 when Benton Elementary
School was destroyed by fire. This led to the formation of the Nicholson
Volunteer Fire Department.
Within four months, the department had its first truck and a rescue van was
added shortly thereafter. A town
meeting was called by United Methodist pastor, the Rev. Sanford Willard
after the devastating fire in the city jail and also one which destroyed Benton Elementary School.
As the city continues to reach out into the 21st Century it is fitting
for those who hold Nicholson near and dear to their hearts to cherish
the words of the late Jewett Barnett 
in a column in the January 6,1917
edition of The Jackson Herald: "Some places are praised for the
magnificent buildings, while others are honored for the fine scenery.
Nicholson would not take the prize of the above cases, yet she can
furnish just as good, cultured people as any town."
Clyde Freeman Freeman Family Herbert and Sybil Barnett Charlie Smith, Fire Chief
Pittman Home Sankey Crosby Stapler Home
William "Bud" Potts Home Phillips Family
all pictures used by permission of Jackson Co. Historical Society, Commerce Georgia, David Barnett of Nicholson Georgia, and Lynda Garrett Nicholson Georgia and should not be reused without permission. Most of the pictures are available in the book "Portraits of a Southern Place" A Pictorial History of Early Jackson County, Georgia which was edited by Tina Harris, my thanks to her for her kind permission for the use of these ones that were in this book, The Stapler Home, William "Bud" Potts Home, Pittman Home, Benton Home, Freeman Home and family, and the Phillips Family, I thank David Barnett for his wonderful picture of Herbert and Sybil Barnett. The rest came from the archives of our own boxes of history stored at the H.S. Swindle Library