Here©s Georgia! LIBRARIES - the Digital Library of Georgia

The City of Dawson
-== and —
County of Terrell
In Southwest Georgia, 66 miles south of Columbus,
45 miles east of Eufaula, Ala., and 25 miles north of
Albany, Ga., is situated the city of Dawson, which has
long been one of the important commercial centers of
the Southwestern section of Georgia. It is a young
city possessed of great possibilities. Its elevation above
sea level is about 600 feet, its drainage is excellent,
and no town of like size in the state can show for the
last two decades a better heajth record. During that
period the mortality has more than one year fallen as
low as one-half of one per cent, among the white
residents. No record in this matter is had of the negro
population. Malaria, even in very mild form, is rarely
evidenced, and a ease of a typhoid form of fever has
been almost unknown for ten years. The ruddiness of
cheek, and general healthful appearance of its inhabi
tants remind the visitor of a mountain section. An un
surpassed sewerage system was installed about ten
years ago. A Water Works plant supplied solely by
artesian wells affords the town the purest of water.
A first-class electric lighting plant furnishes light and
power for the town. Both the last two named enterprises are municipally owned,
and are more than self-sustaining. Two leading railroads, the Seabord and Central
of Ga., Pass the town thus giving the place the benefit of competitive freight and
passenger rates. Dawson enjoys a splendid Public School system, where not only
teaching is free, but free text-books are supplied by the city, being in advance of
the State of Georgia in this matter. Its population is made up of church goers,
there being three fine church edifices, Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterian. There
are other denominations represented in the town, but as yet have no separate build
ings. A beautiful $10,000.00 Library is another educational attraction.
Of manufacturing plants there are two lumber Variety Manufacturing Com
panies, two Cotton Oil Mills, a Fertilizer Manufactory, and Ice Plant, two Bot
tling plants, a prospective Peanut Mill and several other smaller manufactories. It
is a desirable location for Cotton manufacturing plants, and these are much needed
and wanted. Citizens of the town and surrounling county are ready to take stock
in and co-operate in the establishment of such industries. Shipping possibilities are
good, and the proximity of both the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers adds materially
to such possibilities. Electric power can be had either locally or from a Hydro-
Electric plant not far away.
The city has a Fire Department second to none in the State of its size, and fire
insurance rates are correspondingly moderate. Dawson is the County seat, or
capital of Terrell County, which has long been known as the "garden spot" of
Georgia. For three decades its cotton production has been greater per square
mile than that of any other County in the entire Cotton belt, save one, and but four
or five other much larger counties of Georgia have surpassed it in number of bales