Berrien County Historical Foundation (1995-) (Nashville, GA)
Organization
Parallel Names
- Berrien Historical Society
About
The Berrien Historical Foundation was established in 1995, to preserve the history of Berrien County and its families. The Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit organization that meets quarterly on the 3rd Thursday of these months: January, April, July, and October. Meetings are held at the Perry Memorial Library, in Nashville, at 7:00 p.m. Visitors are always welcome.
The Berrien County Historical Museum and Archive is often referred to as “The Best Little Museum in Georgia” by most of our visitors. The Museum has been the recipient of two Smithsonian Main Street awards for the quality of its exhibits and its local presentations.
The museum is under the direction of the Berrien Historical Foundation, and houses and maintains the county’s historical artifacts. Its 16,000 photo collection is one of the largest of any county in the state of Georgia on one website: berriencounty.smugmug.com Basic genealogical assistance is also available free of charge.
Found in 77 Collections and/or Records:
Ghost Towns of Berrien County, Episode 2, November 12, 2022
Item
Collection number: ca-012-006-025
Scope and Contents
N/A
Dates:
November 12, 2022
Ghost Towns of Berrien County, Episode 3, November 12, 2022
Item
Collection number: ca-012-006-026
Scope and Contents
N/A
Dates:
November 12, 2022
Ghost Towns of Berrien County, GA, Episode 4, December 26, 2023
Item
Collection number: ca-012-006-032
Scope and Contents
Episode 4 of Ghost Towns of Berrien County, Georgia, USA, featuring Greggs, Heartpine, and Weber. Narrated by Bryan Shaw, President, Berrien Historical Foundation.
Dates:
December 26, 2023
Grace Rowe McClellan Interview, December 19, 2020
Item
Collection number: ca-012-006-015
Scope and Contents
N/A
Dates:
December 19, 2020
History of Alapaha Georgia Catholic Church, December 10, 2020
Item
Collection number: ca-012-006-007
Scope and Contents
Becky Harper Davis gives historical presentation of Alapaha Georgia Catholic Church and its founding members.
Dates:
December 10, 2020
Indian Mounds of Berrien County, November 12, 2022
Item
Collection number: ca-012-006-027
Scope and Contents
N/A
Dates:
November 12, 2022
James and Jane McDonald Murray Cabin and Cemetery, February 13, 2022
Item
Collection number: ca-012-006-018
Scope and Contents
James and Jane McDonald Murray Cabin and Cemetery Cabin and cemetery video with Mark Dixon providing history and commentary. (Recorded 2014) For an in depth history of the Murray family, read Jeremy Roberts (local historian's) article, "Footsteps of early Alapaha Catholic settlers," at https://jeremylr.medium.com/footsteps-of-early-alapaha-catholic-settlers-5d5a50c4f07d
Dates:
February 13, 2022
Martin Luther King Jr Celebration, Nashville, GA, December 15, 2020
Item
Collection number: ca-012-006-013
Scope and Contents
Martin Luther King Jr, "I Have a Dream" Speech Recited by Pastor Earl Eady, January 20, 2020, Zion Wall Free Wall Church, Nashville, Georgia, USA.
Dates:
December 15, 2020
Mary Elizabeth Parrish Scrapbook(s), 1925
Series
Collection number: CA-012-003-001
Scope and Contents
This scrapbook, compiled by Elizabeth Mary Parrish in 1925, contains 77 pages of photographs documenting her family, friends, and student life at Georgia State Womans College. The images depict campus buildings, social activities, and personal moments, providing insight into collegiate experiences and cultural context during the early 20th century in Valdosta, Georgia.This item was loaned to the Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections for digitization. The...
Dates:
1925
Old Berrien: Newsletter of the Berrien Historical Foundation, 2007-present
Series
Collection number: CA-012-002
Abstract
The Old Berrien Newsletters series consists of seventeen issues produced by the Berrien County Historical Foundation between 2007 and the present. The newsletters document a wide range of topics relating to the history, culture, and development of Berrien County, Georgia, and the surrounding Wiregrass region. Each issue focuses on a single historical subject, drawing on archival research, family papers, oral histories, newspaper accounts, and local...
Dates:
2007-present
Old Berrien: Newsletter of the Berrien Historical Foundation, 2007 - Summer 2025
Unprocessed
Collection number: AQ-2025-027
Dates:
2025-05-06
Old Berrien: Newsletter of the Berrien Historical Foundation, Volumes 3 & 4 (Fall-Winter 2025)
Unprocessed
Collection number: AQ-2025-054
Dates:
Acquired: 2025-09-05; Acquired: 2025-12-05
Old Berrien Newsletter, Volume 1, Number 1 (Fall 2007): “Traces of 1908 Nashville to Tifton Road Still Exist”, Fall Quarter 2007
File
Collection number: CA-012-002-001
Scope and Contents
This issue of the Old Berrien Newsletters focuses on two distinct areas of local history: the preservation of a mile-long stretch of the original 1908 Nashville to Tifton Road in Berrien County, Georgia, and the reactivation of the Berrien Historical Foundation. The document describes the physical characteristics of the preserved roadbed, which still reflects its 1908 construction standards, and highlights the renewed public interest in local history that contributed to the Foundation’s...
Dates:
Fall Quarter 2007
Old Berrien Newsletter, Volume 1, Number 2 (Winter 2007): “The Great Alapaha Train Wreck—March 25, 1911”, Winter 2007
Item
Collection number: ca-012-002-002
Scope and Contents
This issue describes one of the most tragic losses of life in Berrien County history: a train wreck in which the southbound Dixie Flyer passenger train left the tracks and plunged into the Alapaha River just east of Alapaha.Subjects (Names): Baumwart, A. F.; Culpepper, Warner; Fletcher, W. D.; Gaskins, Gladys; Griffin, Jimmy; Knight, Jack; Knight, Jane; Lee, Kenneth “Slim”; Longshore, H. J.; Parnell, Charlie J.; Patten, Maxie; Peters, Bernys W.; Powell, J. E.; Seymore, Mary Jane;...
Dates:
Winter 2007
Old Berrien Newsletter, Volume 2, Number 1 (Spring 2008): “The Last Hanging in the Old County Jail”, Spring 2008
File
Collection number: ca-012-002-003
Description
This issue focuses on “The Last Hanging in the Old County Jail,” documenting the 1909 execution of Marshall Lewis in the Berrien County Jail in Nashville, Georgia. The newsletter recounts the murder of assistant postmaster Clifford Rutherford during a burglary in Lenox on April 26, 1909, Lewis’s arrest, trial, confession, and execution. It includes extensive excerpts from The Nashville Herald describing the investigation, the public response, and the legal proceedings leading to the July 9,...
Dates:
Spring 2008
Old Berrien Newsletter, Volume 2, Number 2 (Winter 2008): “The Excursion / A Getaway to Mayhaw Lake, Dixie Lake, or Lucy Lake”, Summer 2008
File
Collection number: ca-012-002-004
Description
This newsletter issue details popular early 20th-century recreational getaways in Berrien County, Georgia, highlighting Mayhaw Lake, Dixie Lake, and Lucy Lake. These resorts offered residents a means of rest and relaxation before the widespread availability of radios, televisions, or automobiles. Mayhaw Lake, built in 1914 by Elias Moore "Hun" Knight near Ray City, was known for its sulfur spring-fed swimming pool, roller skating rink, bowling alley, and baseball diamond, attracting patrons...
Dates:
Summer 2008
Old Berrien Newsletter, Volume 3, Number 1 (Summer 2009): “The Old Courthouse”, Winter 2009
File
Collection number: ca-012-002-005
Description
This newsletter issue details the historical evolution and significance of the Berrien County courthouses, particularly emphasizing the challenges and symbolic importance of the clock in the second, most recognizable structure. The county's judicial proceedings initially convened in a log schoolhouse in 1856, followed by the construction of the first purpose-built, wood-framed courthouse in 1858, which later served as the New Hansell Hotel before its demolition in 1925. The current brick...
Dates:
Winter 2009
Old Berrien Newsletter, Volume 4, Number 1 (Spring 2010): “The Opera House and Majestic Theater”, Summer 2010
File
Collection number: ca-012-002-006
Description
This issue traces the full history of Nashville’s New Opera House and the later Majestic Theater, located on the south side of Courthouse Square. Built in 1912 as a three-story opera house above the Nashville Herald offices, the building hosted stage vaudeville acts and silent films accompanied by piano, organ, or small orchestras. The theater struggled with attendance and underwent multiple closures, name changes, and owners—operating at different times as Sweat’s Opera House, the DEAL, and...
Dates:
Summer 2010
Old Berrien Newsletter, Volume 4, Number 2 (Fall 2010): “The Gator Children of Berrien County”, Fall 2010
File
Collection number: ca0-12-002-007
Description
This document investigates the local legend of the Gator Children of Berrien County, Georgia, confirming their existence and shedding light on their challenging lives. These two siblings, Madison (Mattie/Matt) and Bettie (Betty) Cook, children of Jack and Melissa M. Cook, were afflicted with a severe form of ichthyosis, a genetic skin disorder characterized by dry, scaly skin, deafness, unusual teeth, and limited mobility, often requiring them to crawl. From at least 1905, their parents...
Dates:
Fall 2010
Old Berrien Newsletter, Volume 5, Number 1 (Spring 2023): “Taming Blind Tigers”, Winter 2023
File
Collection number: ca-012-002-008
Description
This issue examines the history of “Blind Tigers” in Berrien County—local terms for individuals or locations engaged in the illegal sale of liquor during the early twentieth century. Drawing on The Nashville Herald, The Tifton Gazette, and other contemporary newspapers from the 1900s–1930s, the article traces how “Blind Tigers” operated through hidden wall openings or deceptive admission schemes that allowed alcohol to be “given away” during prohibition. The newsletter recounts major raids,...
Dates:
Winter 2023