Brooks County (Ga.) History: Quitman Businesses and Street Scenes (Binder 2) is a compiled binder created by the Brooks County Museum and Cultural Center, in the early 2000's, containing historic photographs, newspaper clippings, and narrative captions documenting the architectural, economic, and cultural development of downtown Quitman, Georgia. I highlights the transformation of Quitman's commercial district over a century, featuring images of significant local buildings such as the 1884 Brooks County Jail and courthouse, as well as businesses like Wisenbaker's Department Store, Quitman Drug Company, and other general stores, banks, and filling stations. Captions offer rich contextual information including names of proprietors, architectural features, and descriptions of street life, transportation methods, and commercial activity. Aerial views and streetscape photographs show the changing built environment from the early 20th century to the postwar era. The content provides a valuable visual and narrative record of local history, economy, and community identity in Brooks County.

Photograph Inventory

• ca009-004-001_p002: Old Brooks County Jail. Built in 1884 at a price of $3,787.00. County bought steel cells and installed them at a cost of $2,000.00. Some alterations and modernizing have been done by the Brooks County Historical Society.
• ca009-004-001_p004: Gallows in Old Brooks County Jail with John Horton, from newspaper clipping “Brooks Jail Now 100” by Richard Sellers, Times Staff Writer.
• ca009-004-001_p0046: Post-Office and City Hall, Quitman, Georgia. 1908. Postcard artwork depicting the Quitman Post Office and City Hall in 1908.
• ca009-004-001_p005a: Built in 1884 at a price of $3,787.00. County bought steel cells and installed them at a cost of $2,000.00. Some alterations and modernizing have been done by the Brooks County Historical Society.
• ca009-004-001_p005a: Brooks County Jail – Built in 1884. National Register of Historic Places and Quitman National Historic District.
• ca009-004-001_p009: South Lee Street looking north. South Lee street after 1908 but prior to 1921. Note: livery stables on each side of the street.
• ca009-004-001_p010: Lee Street from South, Quitman, Ga. Lee Street looking north from 200th block, with Post Office on the right. No date. Between 1908 and 1921 (inferred).
• ca009-004-001_p011: Scene from Quitman, Georgia. Likely on Lee Street. No date, circa 1920s.
• ca009-004-001_p014: Presbyterian Home and Retirement Community: A Ministry of the Presbyterian Homes of Georgia, 1977. Quitman, Georgia.
• ca009-004-001_p015: The Cook Patrick Furniture business began in 1914 at an unknown location. The building shown here was built c. 1920 and had become Patrick Furniture. In the 1930’s W. W. Patrick’s son-in-law, Benjamin H. Romine joined the business and successfully updated the business.
• ca009-004-001_p016: The Quitman Free Press building, circa 1910. The Quitman Free Press, established in 1877, moved to this location at 112 North Lee Street some time around the turn of the century, no later than 1912. It was first located on East Screven Street, then briefly on Forsyth Street before settling here.
• ca009-004-001_p017: Quitman Free Press, 1904. Black and white photocopied photo of Quitman Free Press interior.
• ca009-004-001_p018: Quitman Free Press, August 3, 2004. Color photograph of the Quitman Free Press building in Quitman, Brooks County, Georgia.
• ca009-004-001_p019: Quitman Free Press, no date. Quitman, Georgia. Black and White photo of the Quitman Free Press building. No date (circa 1950s).
• ca009-004-001_p023: Horse and Buggy, Quitman, Georgia. Couple in Horse-Drawn Buggy in Front of Queen Anne House, ca. 1900s.
• ca009-004-001_p024a: W.B. Dunn Company, Quitman, Georgia, September 1, 1977. Walter Buron Dunn.
• ca009-004-001_p024b: W.B. Dunn Company, Quitman, Georgia, September 1, 1977. Display Window.
• ca009-004-001_p025a: Hogan’s Jewelry Store, circa 1977. Quitman, Georgia. Father and son. Jimmy Hogan and Mike Hogan.
• ca009-004-001_p026: Hogan’s Jewelry Store in 1977. The store opened in 1945. Mike Hogan is behind the counter.
• ca009-004-001_p027: Wade – Avera Drug Store and Soda Fountain, Quitman, Georgia. No date. Founded by the Avera brothers in 1889. Changed to Maddox Drug Store by 1977.
• ca009-004-001_p028: Lee Street, Looking South, Quitman, Georgia. Street view from Quitman, Georgia. No date (circa 1910–1920).
• ca009-004-001_p029a: Page scans for CA009-004-001: Quitman Businesses and Street Scenes.
• ca009-004-001_p029b: Maddox Drug Store, Quitman, Georgia. 1977.
• ca009-004-001_p031a: Mitchell’s Thrifty Food Store in 1945 with Pure Oil Service Station, also owned by R.J. Mitchell, native of Brooks County. Quitman, Georgia.
• ca009-004-001_p031b: R.J. Mitchell’s Rolling Store which visited every section of Brooks County offering door-to-door service in groceries and feeds. Quitman, Georgia. Circa 1945.
• ca009-004-001_p032a: Retired Quitman Grocer R.J. Mitchell, Quitman, Georgia. August 27, 1989.
• ca009-004-001_p032b: One of five rolling store trucks owned by Grocer R.J. Mitchell in Quitman, Georgia. Allan Parrott of Morven stands next to truck number three, which he operated. Circa 1940s.
• ca009-004-001_p034: Remember the Ilex. The Ilex was one of Quitman’s movie theaters “back when.” Unfortunately it fell into disrepair and was torn down some years ago (Quitman Free Press, October 23, 1999). The theater opened in 1929 showing “Our Darling Daughter.” Closed around 1968; demolished around 1985 (inferred).
• ca009-004-001_p040: View on North Court Street, Quitman, Georgia. No date.
• ca009-004-001_p041: Early picture of North Court Street prior to street paving. Quitman, Georgia. No date.
• ca009-004-001_p043c: Screven Street Looking East From Courthouse. Painting or watercolor drawing depicting Screven Street, circa 1910s.
• ca009-004-001_p044: Screven Street, Quitman, Georgia. Black and white photocopied image. No date.
• ca009-004-001_p045: Early view of the 200 Block of East Screven Street North Side. Quitman, Georgia. No date.
• ca009-004-001_p048: Screven Street, West from Court, Quitman, Georgia. No date. Painting or colorized photograph, circa 1910 (inferred).
• ca009-004-001_p049: An Early View of Quitman’s Downtown Business Section looking East on 300 Block of Screven Street. No date (circa 1910–1920).
• ca009-004-001_p050: Street scene in Quitman, Georgia. July 31, 2004. Color photograph of street corner with a four-story building as focus.
• ca009-004-001_p051: Mr. B. Taylor – the traveling salesman, Barney, Georgia, about 1911. This picture shows Mr. Taylor soon after he came to Brooks County in 1911; he is with his wagon at the commissary in Barney, Georgia. This immigrant from Lithuania came to America speaking Russian, Polish, Lithuanian, and Yiddish. He learned English and established a successful business. After his death in 1968, his son Henry continued the business until the late 1990s.
• ca009-004-001_p052: Early Quitman Downtown District, Looking East from Courthouse on Screven Street. No date (circa 1910s).
• ca009-004-001_p053: Screven Street, Quitman, Georgia. No date. Hand-colored black and white photograph depicting Screven Street. Credited to J.B. Roan and Co.
• ca009-004-001_p056: West Screven Street, Quitman, Georgia. Black and white photograph showing a Model-T style automobile driving towards the camera. No date (circa 1910–1929). “B8062”.
• ca009-004-001_p057a: Quitman Post Office Breaks Ground, December 3, 1915. Quitman, Georgia.
• ca009-004-001_p057b: Quitman Post Office Making Lots of Progress, May 3, 1916. Quitman, Georgia.
• ca009-004-001_p057c: Quitman Post Office Ready to Open, July 5, 1916. Quitman, Georgia.
• ca009-004-001_p058: Quitman Post Office, August 3, 1916. Mailroom of Post Office. Area at top of stairs with four square windows is Secret Security Inspector’s Box.
• ca009-004-001_p059: Quitman Post Office Safety Shelter, circa 1915–16. Excavation and foundations of Post Office under construction. Planned for a safety shelter.
• ca009-004-001_p060: T.J. Powers – 209 E. Screven Street, Quitman, Georgia. Black and white photograph of interior of Quitman department store, no date (circa 1910s).
• ca009-004-001_p061: Interior of store in Quitman, Georgia. Possibly the Quitman Jewelry Company on Screven Street. No date (circa 1910–1929).
• ca009-004-001_p062: Exterior of Quitman Jewelry Company, Quitman, Georgia. No date. M.A. Brantley operated a jewelry store in the front and sold fertilizer out of the back.
• ca009-004-001_p067a: Eva Eason in front of the West End Restaurant, Quitman, Georgia, 1940. Quitman’s largest café; she fed 400 soldiers in a convoy three meals while camped here during World War II.
• ca009-004-001_p067b: West End Café in Quitman, Georgia, circa 1940.
• ca009-004-001_p069: Quitman Police Department, formerly Quitman City Hall. Quitman, Georgia. August 4, 2004.
• ca009-004-001_p070: Quitman Police Department building, Quitman, Georgia. July 30, 2004.
• ca009-004-001_p071b: Post Office and City Hall in this photo. Opera House was upstairs; in the early 2000s it housed the Police Station & Regional Development Office, then retail store.
• ca009-004-001_p072: The Opera House, Quitman, Georgia. No date. Silent movies and cultural events were held upstairs in the former city hall building.