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...

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;...

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...

Description This issue explores the history of two well-known Berrien County country stores—Shebargie in the New Lois community and Sheboggy near Alapaha—both of which served as important rural gathering places for several decades. Shebargie, originally known as Whispering Pines and built in the late 1920s by Otto E. Summerlin, operated as a store, grist mill, and local social center featuring the community’s first radio. Through a succession of owners including Bernys Peters, K.M. Miller, Edwin Smith,...

Description This issue compiles historical newspaper accounts and oral traditions documenting the persistent danger of snakes in Berrien County from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century. Drawing extensively from the Nashville Herald, Lanier County News, and Adel News, the article recounts encounters with rattlesnakes, moccasins, and other venomous species across farms, homes, sawmills, churches, and rural roads. Reports include near-misses, dramatic killings, and deadly strikes—such as the...