A Brief History of Thomas County
100,000 BC - Today
100,000 BC
1539
1814
Bolen Point found near Ochlocknee
900-1600 CE
title here
Fossilized coral found in Metcalfe
A Brief History of Thomas County
100,000 BC - Today
Plat Map of Thomasville, 1859
Allen Normal Industrial School
1831
1874
1906
1861
1825
2nd Lt. Henry Ossian Flipper (1856-1940)
1820 Land Lot of James Alexander
A Brief History of Thomas County
100,000 BC - Today
TCCHS Integration Exhibit, 1971
WPAX Radio Station, 1935
1965
1994
1925
1986
1941
1996
1922
Archbold Hospital, 1925
1982
Thomasville became an early Georgia Main Street community.
Photograph of Downtown Thomasville During Christmas, 1982. Thomasville History Center, 2020.008.0060.
1820
The Georgia State Government held a land lottery in Georgia’s antebellum capital of Milledgeville to distribute lots in the newly acquired territory comprising Southwest Georgia.
Southwest Georgia's Early, Irwin, and Appling Counties in 1818, c. 1950. Thomasville History Center, 1978.010.1645.
1915
Workers constructed the Eastside School building in MacIntyre Park. It is currently home to Thomasville Center for the Arts.
Postcard of Eastside School, 1915. Thomasville History Center, 1977.24.1.
1716
The Muskogee (commonly referred to as Creeks by Europeans), settled on the Chattahoochee River after the Yemassee War.
Copy of a 1712 Map of Southeastern North America, 1910. Thomasville History Center, 1978.010.1646.
1912
Aviation pioneer Robert Fowler landed the first airplane in Thomasville in a field near Clay Street while on a Los Angeles to Jacksonville flight.
Photograph of Robert Fowler's Wright Model B Aircraft Flying over Thomasville, February 8, 1912.
1814
After the Battle of Horseshoe Bend,the Treaty of Fort Jackson forced the Muskogee (Creeks) to forfeit 22 million acres in Georgia and Alabama. In 1818, The United States Agency for Indian Affairs paid the Creek Nation $120,000 for the remainder of the land they occupied in Southwest Georgia, including the future location of Thomas County.
Map of Southwest Georgia showing Creek Territory that became Early, Irwin, and Appling Counties in 1818, c. 1950. Thomasville History Center, 1978.010.1644.
100,000 BC
Humans first
migrated to the Florida peninsula at this time.
They developed agriculture, trade
networks, and
societies.
Foxfire Archaeological Site on Georgia - Florida Border, 1976. Thomasville History Center, 1991.14.123.
1865
After the Confederacy’s surrender, federal troops entered Thomasville and took control of government functions. By 1866 railroad service was restored.
Carte de Viste of 2nd Lieutenant Christopher Columbus Richardson, Company D, 12th Maine Infantry, c. 1865. Richardson was placed in charge of Federal toops in Thomasville for part of 1865. Thomasville History Center, 2007.012.0004.
1882
The town constructed Pinetree Boulevard, a perimeter road circling Thomasville, as a pleasure course for winter visitors.
Stereoscope Image of Pinetree Boulevard, 1910. Thomasville History Center, 2005.045.07.
1919
Brothers Joseph Hampton Flowers Jr. and William Howard Flowers Sr. founded Flowers Baking Company and built a factory on Madison Street.
Photograph of Flowers Bakery by Moller Studios, 1919.
2013
The Thomas County Courthouse re-opened to the public with its 1886 appearance fully restored, operating as a center for county government business.
Photograph of the Thomas County Courthouse, 2023.
1907
A team of workers paved Broad Street with bricks between Remington and Jefferson, Jefferson and Jackson to the Depot, and Crawford and Madison Streets.
Photograph of Workers Paving the North 100 Block of Broad Street, 1907. Thomasville History Center, 1975.04.15a.
1925
John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital opened, a gift from Chinquapin Plantation owner John F. Archbold in honor of his late father. Douglass High School and Normal Park Elementary School opened for Black students.
Photograph of the Douglas High School, 1942. Thomasville History Center, 1987.01.18.
AD 900 - 1600
The Apalachee established a thriving mound based civilization in the region of Southwest Georgia and Northwest Florida.
Artistic depiction of the Etowah Mound Village
1986
Earl Williams Sr. became Thomasville’s first Black mayor.
Photograph of Mayor Earl Williams and Rose Queen Dene Perusse, 1989.
1858
Architect John Wind and his crew of free and enslaved workers completed the new Thomas County Courthouse to replace the previous one which was damaged in a storm.
Charcoal Drawing of the Thomas County Courthouse by an Unknown Artist, 1858. Thomasville History Center, 2000.21.0029.
1958
The Thomas County School System consolidated into Central High School for White students and Magnolia High School for Black students.
Photograph of a Magnolia High School Home Economics Class, 1959.
1825
Thomas Jefferson Johnson, founder of Pebble Hill Plantation, introduced a bill that created Thomas County fromparts of Irwin and Decatur Counties. Over the next two years, officials named the settlement of Thomasville as the county seat, and built the first Thomas County Courthouse out of logs. The current courthouse is in the same location as the first courthouse.
Daguerreotype of Thomas Jefferson Johnson, c. 1845. Thomasville History Center, 2020.018.0031.
1943
Finney General Hospital opened on Pinetree Boulevard, one of sixty Army hospitals built to care for sick and injured World War II soldiers.
Aerial Photograph of Finney General Hospital, 1945. Thomasville History Center, 1982.22.1.
1859
The Thomasville town council enacted laws restricting the movements of enslaved and free Black people including a limit of three people at a gathering without a White chaperone, a five-minute limit at any establishment where liquor was sold, and a 9PM curfew without detailed written permission from a White person.
Registration Record for Amanda Miller and Children, Free Persons of Color Records of Thomas County, Georgia, June 16, 1859.
1903
Jeptha Wade, owner of Western Union, constructed Millpond Plantation. It was one of the first modern, twentieth-century plantations in the area. Over the next several years, wealthy visitors established additional modern plantations that are still in operation today.
Postcard of Millpond Plantation, 1935. Thomasville History Center, 1965.01.5.
1861
Workers completed the Atlantic & Gulf Railroad connecting Thomasville and Savannah. Thomas County representativeshesitantly voted in support of secession at a convention in Milledgeville. Local military companies formed to fight for the Confederacy in the Civil War.
Picture of the "Satilla" Steam Locamotive which Arrived in Thomasville in 1861, c. 1925. Image courtesy of The Henry Ford Museum.
1994
Camille Payne became Thomasville’s first female mayor.
Photograph of Ann Cone (left) and Camille Payne (right) Decorating Archbold for the Holidays as Members of the Archbold Auxillary, c. 1985.
1886
Investors opened the second Mitchell House Hotel, replacing the earlier structure that burned. The American Missionary Association funded and opened the Allen Normal & Industrial School opened on Lester Street for Black students. It operated until 1933.
A. W. Moller, Photograph of the "Mitchell House" Hotel, c. 1895.
1901
Clay Street School, Thomasville’s
first public education institution for Black students, opened at the
corner of Clay and Pine Streets.
Photograph of a Class from Clay Street School, c. 1905. Thomasville History Center, 2017.022.0001.
1831
The State of Georgia granted the City of Thomasville a governing charter. Settlers of Scots-Irish descent founded Boston, the second County settlement, 9 miles east of Thomasville.
The Macon Telegraph, "Notice of Incoporation of the town of Thomasville," December 31, 1831.
1869
A board of trustees established Young’s Female College. It was the first college for women in Thomasville.
Young's Female College, 1895. Thomasville History Center, 2009.025.0007.
1893
Investors built La Cubana Cigar Factory on Clay Street as Thomasville experienced a minor cigar- rolling boom. Later the Methodist Church purchased the factory property for use as Vashti Girls' School.
Proposed Plat Map for La Cubana City, 1893. Thomasville History Center, 2006.058.001.
1879
Workers installed the first telephone in Thomasville, connecting the Mitchell House Hotel to the Ainsworth livery stable.
Newspaper Advertisement for H.B. Ainsworth's Livery and Stables in downtown Thomasville.
1867
Black citizens held a mass political meeting in Thomasville, seeking a way toward healthy race relations with White citizens. The event included numerous leaders from the White and Black communities.
R. Turner, "A Happy Family," Glass Lantern Slide, c.1900. Thomasville History Center, 2008.069.0001.
1939
The W.P.A. constructed the Thomasville Municipal Building, replacing the previous City Hall at the corner of Jackson and Crawford Streets.
Photograph of the Thomasville Municipal Building, 1942. Thomasville History Center, 1981.07.21.
1996
Longtime Harper Elementary School principal Mary Grubbs carried the Olympic Torch down the Courthouse steps as it passed through Thomasville on the way to Atlanta.
Photograph of Mary Grubbs Leading the Olympic Torch Pass at the Thomasville Courthouse, July 11, 1996.
1965
Black students applied for admission to White-only schools in Thomasville. Over the next five years, the Thomas County and Thomasville school systems became fully integrated. Brookwood School and Rose City Christian School in Thomasville and Ravenwood Academy in Meigs opened for their first year of private education.
The First Black Students Arrive at Central High School, September 1965.
1899
President McKinley fulfilled his promise to return to Thomasville as President.
Photograph of President McKinley Addressing a Crowd in Thomasville, 1899. Thomasville History Center, 1973.58.22.
1895
Winter resident Marcus Alonzo Hanna, the senior United States Senator from Ohio, invited Ohio Governor and presidential candidate William McKinley to his Thomasville residence on Dawson Street to discuss campaign strategy with other Southern Republicans.
Photograph of President McKinley, Senator Hanna, and Postmaster General Charles Smith with Family and Friends at 830 North Dawson Street in Thomasville, March 27, 1899. Thomasville History Center, 1973.40.2.
1910
The Broad Street Theatre opened as
Thomasville’s first modern movie
house.
Newspaper Advertisement for Dobb's Broad Street Theatre, 1912.
1906
The “Sandy Bottom” neighborhood on West Jackson Street became a thriving Black business district. However, when the Piney Woods Hotel burned in April of that year, traveling embers damaged several wooden buildings in the Bottom.
Photograph of the Piney Woods Hotel Prior to 1906. Thomasville History Center, 1973.62.1.
1922
The Garden Club held the first Rose Show at the Neel Brothers Department Store on Broad Street. WPAX Radio Station made itsfirst broadcast, becoming the 3rd radio station established in Georgia.
Photograph of the Rose Show at Neel's Department Store, 1922. Thomasville History Center, 2004.044.002.
1877
Henry O. Flipper (formerly enslaved) of Thomasville became the first Black graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. The settlement of Ochlocknee, established in 1830, received a governing charter from the State of Georgia.
The Ochlocknee Road, c. 1910. Thomasville History Center, 2021.047.0002.
1539
The Spanish expedition led by Hernando de Soto landed at Tampa Bay seeking fortune. By 1540, De Soto's forces moved up the peninsula into the land of the Apalachee in North Florida and Southwest Georgia. His forces camped for five months at anApalachee village near Tallahassee, Florida.
Hypothetical route of the Hernando de Soto Expedition, 1539 - 1543
1942
The Thomasville Army Air Base opened, eventually becoming Thomasville Municipal Airport.
Photograph of the Mechanical Crew with P-51 Mustang Aircraft at the Thomasville Army Air Base, 1945.
1954
President Dwight D. Eisenhower made his first of 6 visits to Thomasville.
Photograph of President Eisenhower Saying Goodbye to Thomasville, February 25, 1956.
1864
Confederate troops transported 5,000 Union prisoners of war from Andersonville Prison to a make-shift prison at Thomasville for 10 days. Union forces severed a 35-mile stretch of the railroad connecting Thomasville to Savannah.
An outline of the original perimeter of the Thomasville Prisoner of War Camp. The star on the right denotes the entrance to the camp while the star on the left denotes the prisoner burial grounds.
1941
Thomasville’s Bi-Racial Committee formed as an effort to improve education and relations among all members of the community.
Photograph of Hank Aaron Visiting the Thomas County NAACP (the Chapter Which Formed Following the Bi-Racial Committee in 1945), c. 1975. Thomasville History Center, 1988.09.13.
1987
Thomasville held its first annual Victorian Christmas celebration downtown.
Photograph of Victorian Christmas, c. 2015.
1874
The Mitchell House, Thomasville’s first luxury hotel, opened on the 100 block of North Broad Street.
Dinner and Wine Menu for the Mitchell House Hotel, April 26, 1883. Thomasville History Center, 1968.06.05.
1948
The Rose Show Committee added the Rose Show Festival and Rose Queen to the activity line up of the Rose Show. The festival included a parade showcasing the first Rose Queen, Doris Gothard, who was chosen by her class at Thomasville High School.
Doris Gothard is Presented with the Key to the City by Will Watt, April 30, 1948.
1889
Investors developed Thomasville's first electric plant to provide electricity to hotels and residences.
"Electric Lights," Thomasville Times-Enterprise, March 2, 1889.
1964
Former First Lady Jackie Kennedy made her first visit to Thomasville. She returned throughout the 1960s to stay with her friends, the Whitneys of Greenwood Plantation.
Jackie Kennedy Leaving a Service at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Thomasville, February 23, 1964.
1970
Brookwood School and Rose City Christian School in Thomasville and Ravenwood Academy in Meigs opened for their first year of private education.
Photograph of Ravenwood Academy Homecoming Queen Contestants, October 7, 1976.
1974
Thomasville High School's Football Team won the High School Football National Championship.
Photograph of the Thomasville High School vs Dougherty County Football Game, October 25, 1974.
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Transcript
A Brief History of Thomas County
100,000 BC - Today
100,000 BC
1539
1814
Bolen Point found near Ochlocknee
900-1600 CE
title here
Fossilized coral found in Metcalfe
A Brief History of Thomas County
100,000 BC - Today
Plat Map of Thomasville, 1859
Allen Normal Industrial School
1831
1874
1906
1861
1825
2nd Lt. Henry Ossian Flipper (1856-1940)
1820 Land Lot of James Alexander
A Brief History of Thomas County
100,000 BC - Today
TCCHS Integration Exhibit, 1971
WPAX Radio Station, 1935
1965
1994
1925
1986
1941
1996
1922
Archbold Hospital, 1925
1982
Thomasville became an early Georgia Main Street community.
Photograph of Downtown Thomasville During Christmas, 1982. Thomasville History Center, 2020.008.0060.
1820
The Georgia State Government held a land lottery in Georgia’s antebellum capital of Milledgeville to distribute lots in the newly acquired territory comprising Southwest Georgia.
Southwest Georgia's Early, Irwin, and Appling Counties in 1818, c. 1950. Thomasville History Center, 1978.010.1645.
1915
Workers constructed the Eastside School building in MacIntyre Park. It is currently home to Thomasville Center for the Arts.
Postcard of Eastside School, 1915. Thomasville History Center, 1977.24.1.
1716
The Muskogee (commonly referred to as Creeks by Europeans), settled on the Chattahoochee River after the Yemassee War.
Copy of a 1712 Map of Southeastern North America, 1910. Thomasville History Center, 1978.010.1646.
1912
Aviation pioneer Robert Fowler landed the first airplane in Thomasville in a field near Clay Street while on a Los Angeles to Jacksonville flight.
Photograph of Robert Fowler's Wright Model B Aircraft Flying over Thomasville, February 8, 1912.
1814
After the Battle of Horseshoe Bend,the Treaty of Fort Jackson forced the Muskogee (Creeks) to forfeit 22 million acres in Georgia and Alabama. In 1818, The United States Agency for Indian Affairs paid the Creek Nation $120,000 for the remainder of the land they occupied in Southwest Georgia, including the future location of Thomas County.
Map of Southwest Georgia showing Creek Territory that became Early, Irwin, and Appling Counties in 1818, c. 1950. Thomasville History Center, 1978.010.1644.
100,000 BC
Humans first migrated to the Florida peninsula at this time. They developed agriculture, trade networks, and societies.
Foxfire Archaeological Site on Georgia - Florida Border, 1976. Thomasville History Center, 1991.14.123.
1865
After the Confederacy’s surrender, federal troops entered Thomasville and took control of government functions. By 1866 railroad service was restored.
Carte de Viste of 2nd Lieutenant Christopher Columbus Richardson, Company D, 12th Maine Infantry, c. 1865. Richardson was placed in charge of Federal toops in Thomasville for part of 1865. Thomasville History Center, 2007.012.0004.
1882
The town constructed Pinetree Boulevard, a perimeter road circling Thomasville, as a pleasure course for winter visitors.
Stereoscope Image of Pinetree Boulevard, 1910. Thomasville History Center, 2005.045.07.
1919
Brothers Joseph Hampton Flowers Jr. and William Howard Flowers Sr. founded Flowers Baking Company and built a factory on Madison Street.
Photograph of Flowers Bakery by Moller Studios, 1919.
2013
The Thomas County Courthouse re-opened to the public with its 1886 appearance fully restored, operating as a center for county government business.
Photograph of the Thomas County Courthouse, 2023.
1907
A team of workers paved Broad Street with bricks between Remington and Jefferson, Jefferson and Jackson to the Depot, and Crawford and Madison Streets.
Photograph of Workers Paving the North 100 Block of Broad Street, 1907. Thomasville History Center, 1975.04.15a.
1925
John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital opened, a gift from Chinquapin Plantation owner John F. Archbold in honor of his late father. Douglass High School and Normal Park Elementary School opened for Black students.
Photograph of the Douglas High School, 1942. Thomasville History Center, 1987.01.18.
AD 900 - 1600
The Apalachee established a thriving mound based civilization in the region of Southwest Georgia and Northwest Florida.
Artistic depiction of the Etowah Mound Village
1986
Earl Williams Sr. became Thomasville’s first Black mayor.
Photograph of Mayor Earl Williams and Rose Queen Dene Perusse, 1989.
1858
Architect John Wind and his crew of free and enslaved workers completed the new Thomas County Courthouse to replace the previous one which was damaged in a storm.
Charcoal Drawing of the Thomas County Courthouse by an Unknown Artist, 1858. Thomasville History Center, 2000.21.0029.
1958
The Thomas County School System consolidated into Central High School for White students and Magnolia High School for Black students.
Photograph of a Magnolia High School Home Economics Class, 1959.
1825
Thomas Jefferson Johnson, founder of Pebble Hill Plantation, introduced a bill that created Thomas County fromparts of Irwin and Decatur Counties. Over the next two years, officials named the settlement of Thomasville as the county seat, and built the first Thomas County Courthouse out of logs. The current courthouse is in the same location as the first courthouse.
Daguerreotype of Thomas Jefferson Johnson, c. 1845. Thomasville History Center, 2020.018.0031.
1943
Finney General Hospital opened on Pinetree Boulevard, one of sixty Army hospitals built to care for sick and injured World War II soldiers.
Aerial Photograph of Finney General Hospital, 1945. Thomasville History Center, 1982.22.1.
1859
The Thomasville town council enacted laws restricting the movements of enslaved and free Black people including a limit of three people at a gathering without a White chaperone, a five-minute limit at any establishment where liquor was sold, and a 9PM curfew without detailed written permission from a White person.
Registration Record for Amanda Miller and Children, Free Persons of Color Records of Thomas County, Georgia, June 16, 1859.
1903
Jeptha Wade, owner of Western Union, constructed Millpond Plantation. It was one of the first modern, twentieth-century plantations in the area. Over the next several years, wealthy visitors established additional modern plantations that are still in operation today.
Postcard of Millpond Plantation, 1935. Thomasville History Center, 1965.01.5.
1861
Workers completed the Atlantic & Gulf Railroad connecting Thomasville and Savannah. Thomas County representativeshesitantly voted in support of secession at a convention in Milledgeville. Local military companies formed to fight for the Confederacy in the Civil War.
Picture of the "Satilla" Steam Locamotive which Arrived in Thomasville in 1861, c. 1925. Image courtesy of The Henry Ford Museum.
1994
Camille Payne became Thomasville’s first female mayor.
Photograph of Ann Cone (left) and Camille Payne (right) Decorating Archbold for the Holidays as Members of the Archbold Auxillary, c. 1985.
1886
Investors opened the second Mitchell House Hotel, replacing the earlier structure that burned. The American Missionary Association funded and opened the Allen Normal & Industrial School opened on Lester Street for Black students. It operated until 1933.
A. W. Moller, Photograph of the "Mitchell House" Hotel, c. 1895.
1901
Clay Street School, Thomasville’s first public education institution for Black students, opened at the corner of Clay and Pine Streets.
Photograph of a Class from Clay Street School, c. 1905. Thomasville History Center, 2017.022.0001.
1831
The State of Georgia granted the City of Thomasville a governing charter. Settlers of Scots-Irish descent founded Boston, the second County settlement, 9 miles east of Thomasville.
The Macon Telegraph, "Notice of Incoporation of the town of Thomasville," December 31, 1831.
1869
A board of trustees established Young’s Female College. It was the first college for women in Thomasville.
Young's Female College, 1895. Thomasville History Center, 2009.025.0007.
1893
Investors built La Cubana Cigar Factory on Clay Street as Thomasville experienced a minor cigar- rolling boom. Later the Methodist Church purchased the factory property for use as Vashti Girls' School.
Proposed Plat Map for La Cubana City, 1893. Thomasville History Center, 2006.058.001.
1879
Workers installed the first telephone in Thomasville, connecting the Mitchell House Hotel to the Ainsworth livery stable.
Newspaper Advertisement for H.B. Ainsworth's Livery and Stables in downtown Thomasville.
1867
Black citizens held a mass political meeting in Thomasville, seeking a way toward healthy race relations with White citizens. The event included numerous leaders from the White and Black communities.
R. Turner, "A Happy Family," Glass Lantern Slide, c.1900. Thomasville History Center, 2008.069.0001.
1939
The W.P.A. constructed the Thomasville Municipal Building, replacing the previous City Hall at the corner of Jackson and Crawford Streets.
Photograph of the Thomasville Municipal Building, 1942. Thomasville History Center, 1981.07.21.
1996
Longtime Harper Elementary School principal Mary Grubbs carried the Olympic Torch down the Courthouse steps as it passed through Thomasville on the way to Atlanta.
Photograph of Mary Grubbs Leading the Olympic Torch Pass at the Thomasville Courthouse, July 11, 1996.
1965
Black students applied for admission to White-only schools in Thomasville. Over the next five years, the Thomas County and Thomasville school systems became fully integrated. Brookwood School and Rose City Christian School in Thomasville and Ravenwood Academy in Meigs opened for their first year of private education.
The First Black Students Arrive at Central High School, September 1965.
1899
President McKinley fulfilled his promise to return to Thomasville as President.
Photograph of President McKinley Addressing a Crowd in Thomasville, 1899. Thomasville History Center, 1973.58.22.
1895
Winter resident Marcus Alonzo Hanna, the senior United States Senator from Ohio, invited Ohio Governor and presidential candidate William McKinley to his Thomasville residence on Dawson Street to discuss campaign strategy with other Southern Republicans.
Photograph of President McKinley, Senator Hanna, and Postmaster General Charles Smith with Family and Friends at 830 North Dawson Street in Thomasville, March 27, 1899. Thomasville History Center, 1973.40.2.
1910
The Broad Street Theatre opened as Thomasville’s first modern movie house.
Newspaper Advertisement for Dobb's Broad Street Theatre, 1912.
1906
The “Sandy Bottom” neighborhood on West Jackson Street became a thriving Black business district. However, when the Piney Woods Hotel burned in April of that year, traveling embers damaged several wooden buildings in the Bottom.
Photograph of the Piney Woods Hotel Prior to 1906. Thomasville History Center, 1973.62.1.
1922
The Garden Club held the first Rose Show at the Neel Brothers Department Store on Broad Street. WPAX Radio Station made itsfirst broadcast, becoming the 3rd radio station established in Georgia.
Photograph of the Rose Show at Neel's Department Store, 1922. Thomasville History Center, 2004.044.002.
1877
Henry O. Flipper (formerly enslaved) of Thomasville became the first Black graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. The settlement of Ochlocknee, established in 1830, received a governing charter from the State of Georgia.
The Ochlocknee Road, c. 1910. Thomasville History Center, 2021.047.0002.
1539
The Spanish expedition led by Hernando de Soto landed at Tampa Bay seeking fortune. By 1540, De Soto's forces moved up the peninsula into the land of the Apalachee in North Florida and Southwest Georgia. His forces camped for five months at anApalachee village near Tallahassee, Florida.
Hypothetical route of the Hernando de Soto Expedition, 1539 - 1543
1942
The Thomasville Army Air Base opened, eventually becoming Thomasville Municipal Airport.
Photograph of the Mechanical Crew with P-51 Mustang Aircraft at the Thomasville Army Air Base, 1945.
1954
President Dwight D. Eisenhower made his first of 6 visits to Thomasville.
Photograph of President Eisenhower Saying Goodbye to Thomasville, February 25, 1956.
1864
Confederate troops transported 5,000 Union prisoners of war from Andersonville Prison to a make-shift prison at Thomasville for 10 days. Union forces severed a 35-mile stretch of the railroad connecting Thomasville to Savannah.
An outline of the original perimeter of the Thomasville Prisoner of War Camp. The star on the right denotes the entrance to the camp while the star on the left denotes the prisoner burial grounds.
1941
Thomasville’s Bi-Racial Committee formed as an effort to improve education and relations among all members of the community.
Photograph of Hank Aaron Visiting the Thomas County NAACP (the Chapter Which Formed Following the Bi-Racial Committee in 1945), c. 1975. Thomasville History Center, 1988.09.13.
1987
Thomasville held its first annual Victorian Christmas celebration downtown.
Photograph of Victorian Christmas, c. 2015.
1874
The Mitchell House, Thomasville’s first luxury hotel, opened on the 100 block of North Broad Street.
Dinner and Wine Menu for the Mitchell House Hotel, April 26, 1883. Thomasville History Center, 1968.06.05.
1948
The Rose Show Committee added the Rose Show Festival and Rose Queen to the activity line up of the Rose Show. The festival included a parade showcasing the first Rose Queen, Doris Gothard, who was chosen by her class at Thomasville High School.
Doris Gothard is Presented with the Key to the City by Will Watt, April 30, 1948.
1889
Investors developed Thomasville's first electric plant to provide electricity to hotels and residences.
"Electric Lights," Thomasville Times-Enterprise, March 2, 1889.
1964
Former First Lady Jackie Kennedy made her first visit to Thomasville. She returned throughout the 1960s to stay with her friends, the Whitneys of Greenwood Plantation.
Jackie Kennedy Leaving a Service at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Thomasville, February 23, 1964.
1970
Brookwood School and Rose City Christian School in Thomasville and Ravenwood Academy in Meigs opened for their first year of private education.
Photograph of Ravenwood Academy Homecoming Queen Contestants, October 7, 1976.
1974
Thomasville High School's Football Team won the High School Football National Championship.
Photograph of the Thomasville High School vs Dougherty County Football Game, October 25, 1974.