Georgia Natural Wonder #198 - Kaolin Belt - Washington County (Part 2). 967

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Georgia Natural Wonder #198 - Kaolin Belt - Washington County

We wind down the top 200 Natural Wonders of Georgia and I had this in cue for a long time, these colorful canyons where Kaolin is mined. While it may be more man made than natural, we have long since passed that line with several of my post as Mills, Mounds, Passes, Covered Bridges have made it because of the scenic photogenic features.



So we come to Washington County Part 2 and we count another Wonder off with the Kaolin Belt.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Kaolin, also called china clay, is soft white clay that is an essential ingredient in the manufacture of china and porcelain, and is widely used in the making of paper, rubber, paint, and many other products. Kaolin is named after the Chinese town Kao-Ling (or Gaoling, "high ridge"), located in the Jiangxi Province of southeast China,in China. There was a hill from which it was mined for centuries. Samples of kaolin were first sent to Europe by a French Jesuit missionary around 1700 as examples of the materials used by the Chinese in the manufacture of porcelain.



In its natural state, kaolin is a white, soft powder consisting principally of the mineral kaolinite, which, under the electron microscope, is seen to consist of roughly hexagonal, platy crystals. In addition, crude kaolin is frequently stained yellow by iron hydroxide pigments. It is often necessary to bleach the clay chemically, to remove the iron pigment and to wash it with water to remove the other minerals in order to prepare kaolin for commercial use.



Kaolin has been mined in France, England, Saxony (Germany), Bohemia (Czech Republic), and in the United States, where the best-known deposits are in the southeastern states.



Approximately 40 percent of the kaolin produced is used in the filling and coating of paper. In filling, the kaolin is mixed with the cellulose fibre and forms an integral part of the paper sheet to give it body, color, opacity, and printability. In coating, the kaolin is plated along with an adhesive on the paper’s surface to give gloss, color, high opacity, and greater printability.



Kaolin is used extensively in the ceramic industry, where its high fusion temperature and white burning characteristics makes it particularly suitable for the manufacture of whiteware (china), porcelain, and refractories.



Substantial tonnages of kaolin are used for filling rubber to improve its mechanical strength and resistance to abrasion.



Kaolin is also used as an extender and flattening agent in paints. It is frequently used in adhesives for paper to control the penetration into the paper. Kaolin is an important ingredient in ink, organic plastics, some cosmetics, and many other products where its very fine particle size, whiteness, chemical inertness, and absorption properties give it particular value.

New Georgia Encyclopedia

Kaolin is one of Georgia’s largest natural resources. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, more than 8 million metric tons of kaolin are mined from Georgia each year, with an estimated value of more than $1 billion. Georgia is by far the leading clay-producing state in America and is recognized as a world leader in the mining, production, processing, and application of kaolin products.



Kaolin in Georgia is generally found in a northeast to southwest band of deposits extending from Augusta to Macon to Columbus. This belt parallels the fall line, which marks the boundary between the Piedmont and the Coastal Plain. Deposits are of three types: (1) “soft” kaolin, which breaks easily and is soapy in texture; (2) “hard” kaolin, which is more finely grained, difficult to break, and jagged in texture; and (3) “flint” kaolin, which has no commercial value because its high opaline silica content makes it extremely hard. Kaolin mining activities are restricted to near-surface (less than 150 meters) ore bodies that are 3 to 15 meters thick. Once the ore has been extracted, mine reclamation activities are conducted to restore the landscape to a pristine state.



Depending upon the application, kaolins are typically processed to remove such naturally coexisting materials as quartz, iron oxides, titanium oxides, other clay minerals, and organic matter. Kaolin is often further modified from its natural state by chemical treatments, physical delaminating, and high temperature heating to more than 1,000 degrees centigrade. These latter modifications are designed to enhance chemical bonding properties of the kaolin when mixed with other components and/or to improve the brightness of kaolin-based products.



Kaolin is mined and processed in many countries worldwide. Evaluation of refined kaolin output, however, is a far more meaningful way to estimate the economical state of the industry. The China Clay Producers Association represents the major producers and processors of Georgia kaolin. Members are Engelhard Corporation, Gordon; IMERYS Pigments and Additives Group, Atlanta; J. M. Huber Corporation, Atlanta; and Thiele Kaolin Company, Sandersville. The industry posted an after-tax profit of $33.2 million in 1999, which represents a return of 2.7 percent on its net investment. In 1998 the industry posted a profit of $65.4 million, a return of 5.8 percent. This decline represents rising competition and quality demands. The principal regions of the world that will offer competition to Georgia in the near future include Brazil, China, and Australia.



Kaolin has had a particularly strong impact on the town of Sandersville, which brands itself as the “kaolin capital of the world.” Each October, the town hosts a festival that includes a parade of heavy mining machinery, kaolin mine tours, and a beauty pageant that crowns Miss Kaolin. There is even a long-running tradition of locals eating kaolin, particularly women during pregnancy.

Industry and Agriculture

In 1914, Washington County farmers produced 35,529 bales of cotton and sold it at record prices. But an insect attack and a World War combined to bring the county to its knees. By 1915 the boll weevil began its assault on the area's cotton fields. And with World War I, German submarines sank so many merchant ships that cotton was not shipped, but languished in the warehouses. Cotton prices dropped to five cents a pound. By 1921, the boll weevil cut the county's yield to only 4,452 bales. King Cotton was almost dead.



African-American and white farmers alike abandoned farms and took whatever jobs they could find. This was true to an even greater extent in the nearby counties of Glascock, Hancock, Jefferson and Warren. Grim statistics are the epitaphs of a dying form of agriculture in the region. Fortunately for Washington County, as the marketplace for some agricultural products (Mainly Cotton) declined, the kaolin industry grew.



The discovery of the "white gold" of kaolin in the area in the 1920s, and its subsequent development as an industry, offered hope. Ben Tarbutton Sr. persuaded major corporations to come to Sandersville to mine the clay, and he extended his Sandersville Railroad, a vital short-line linking Sandersville to the main line at Tennille, to service the clay industry's needs. In 1938, Champion Paper and Fiber Co. decided to develop its kaolin deposits in Washington County. Other companies soon followed. Many farmers got good money for leasing or selling lands to the kaolin companies.



As Washington County grew into kaolin’s largest refiner, it became known as the “Kaolin Capital of the World.” Five processing companies and numerous mines  attract college-educated personnel, scientists, and geologists from many countries.


An annual Kaolin Festival celebrates the importance of the resource.

At the end of the twentieth century, kaolin was an $800 million business and Georgia’s largest volume export. Mining companies have reclaimed and restored more than 80 percent of the land that has been stripped since 1969.

The Fall Line

The origin of kaolin can be traced to the Cretaceous geologic period, about 70 million years ago when dinosaurs roamed the earth and much of the southern half of Georgia was covered by a great sea. The climate was more tropical than now.



The seacoast stretched across Georgia from Columbus to Macon to Augusta along a line that we now call the "Fall Line" where the Piedmont gives way to the coastal plains.

Weathering Of The Piedmont Rocks

Around 50-56 million years ago, the weathering of the rocks of the Piedmont generated large volumes of kaolinitic clays, quartz sand and mica, as well as minor amounts of other minerals, especially iron and titanium oxides, such as limonite and anastase.



Feldspar, a major component of granitic rocks such as those at Stone Mountain near Atlanta, is considered the parent material for most of Georgia's sedimentary kaolin.

Transportation And Deposition Of Sediments

Also around 50-65 million years ago Piedmont sediments were washed into rivers and streams. The weathered clays and sands of the Piedmont were transported and deposited in swamps, marshes and lagoons near and along the coastline of the ancient sea. Iron and titanium oxides were often deposited along with the kaolin, contaminating and making much of the kaolin unusable for commercial applications.



Changes in the sea level interrupted the sequence of erosion, transportation and deposition of kaolin from the Piedmont, but the process continued for some 30 to 35 million years. The last invasion of the land by the great sea deposited huge amounts of red and brown sands and clays over the kaolin deposits. These later sediments formed the characteristic red hills of Middle Georgia. They covered many of the kaolin deposits with more than 200 feet of material, rendering these deposits uneconomical to mine. A typical cross-section of Coastal Plains Sediments showing the bedding or layering of the sediments and the position of the kaolin beds.

The Kaolin Belt

Kaolin is one of the many industrial minerals mined in Georgia today. The commercially mine-able kaolin deposits are found in a relatively narrow "belt" along the Fall Line. The kaolin mining industry has located its processing facilities in the communities near the deposits, primarily in the nine rural counties between Macon and Augusta.



Highly technical equipment and processes are employed to transform the crude kaolin into high quality products which are marketed around the world for a wide variety of applications.

Exploration, Drilling, Sampling, And Testing

Kaolin mining begins with exploration. Based on local stratigraphy, geologists identify lands with potential for mine-able deposits. Landsmen negotiate with the landowner for the rights to explore and mine. Contracts usually take the form of mineral leases that pay royalties or options to purchase.



Commercial quality deposits are located by surveying, drilling, sampling and testing. Because of contaminants and extreme overburden, only a portion of the land explored contains commercial quality kaolin.

Locating The Mine By Survey

The exact location of the opening to be made in the earth is laid out on the ground.



The opening is referred to as a "cut" and its location and dimensions are based on the survey, drill and test information developed during exploration of the land.

Securing A Permit

Before moving any earth, a mining permit must be secured from the State. Company mining engineers and geologists develop a written mining and reclamation plan with maps and photographs. The plan is submitted to the State for evaluation and approval and contains measures for erosion and sediment control and protection of adjacent land and water resources.



The reclamation plan includes grading and contouring the land and establishing a permanent vegetative cover. Frequent inspections are made to assure compliance with the approved plan.

Site Preparation, Environmental Protection, And Overburden Stripping

Following State approval, the landowner removes any merchantable trees from the mining site. Erosion and sediment control structures are built. These usually take the form of berms, sediment fences and impoundments for collecting run-off water and sediments.



When these structures are in place, stripping of earth or overburden can begin according to the mining plan. Mining cuts are usually 2-5 acres in size.

Ponds, Lakes, And Wildlife

When mining is completed, the last mine cut may be made into a lake or pond if sufficient water is available. Construction must be approved by the State as a part of the reclamation plan.



The water is fertilized to produce a desirable environment for fish and waterfowl and usually stocked with bream and bass and sometimes catfish.

The Cycle Is Complete

The volume and quality of the deposits, as well as market applications, usually determine the life of a kaolin mine. Blending of low and high quality deposits conserves and extends reserves, but requires the simultaneous operation of several mines over many years. The objective of kaolin mining is to profitably extract a useful and beneficial industrial mineral and then to return the land to a stable and productive use. Reclamation completes the cycle. The land again produces renewable resources such as timber and agricultural products, wildlife and fish, and recreation for present and future generations.



Kaolin is one of Georgia's largest natural resources. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, more than 8 million metric tons of kaolin are mined from Georgia each year, with an estimated value of more than $1 billion. Georgia is by far the leading clay-producing state in America and is recognized as a world leader in the mining, production, processing, and application of kaolin products.

Controversy

Kaolin left a legacy of bitterness among some residents who feel their families were cheated of million of dollars in leases and options that the industry negotiated for mineral rights in the 1930's and 1940's. Lawsuits were filed, and while many were settled, some went to court when the descendants of farmers contend they were defrauded. Contracts negotiated by the companies in the 1930's and 1940's fixed royalty levels for each ton of kaolin taken from the ground over the next 99 years.



The family of Luther Ennis, a farmer and retired kaolin miner believed from his own digging that his land contained kaolin and granted an option to purchase 425 acres to the now-defunct Freeport-McMoran Comapny in 1967. The price agreed upon was $125,000, and the company exercised the option a year later. In 1982, long after Mr. Ennis's death, his widow learned that the company had sold the land to another kaolin company for $1.4 million.



As the industry has prospered, so has its relationship with the state and most of its residents. The kaolin companies now do many things, from building recreation centers to endowing chairs at universities.



And where in the 1950's residents recall that Sandersville, the home of the Georgia Kaolin Company, looked as if it had a permanent coating of snow from the dust of the plants, and the streams looked like milk, now improvements in movement of the mineral and in the processing have eliminated those environmental ills. 'Kaolin Is King Here'



The presence of the mineral has attracted more than a dozen large companies that have put processing plants beside the gaping, open pits where the chalky mineral is mined by huge earth-movers and drag lines. The processing plants have not only brought support industries but have also brought the high technology of magnetic separation, flotation and high-temperature baking to rural counties that once subsisted on farming.



Before a 1969 state law required reclamation of mined land, companies often left the region pockmarked with open pits. Since the law was passed, more than 90 percent of the mining sites have been reclaimed, often with gently rolling hills, lakes and pine trees. And, with reclamation, many people in the region say that the land not only looks better but is also more productive for crops.



But a secretiveness characterized the industry in the early operations, said Lee Lemke, executive director of the Georgia Mining Association. He said it was because companies were guarding the techniques used to produce kaolin of the best quality and because of mining's bad reputation.



While there was still some bitterness about the leases and options, most people have forgiven the industry for what they see as its earlier excesses. Agriculture has declined in the region, he said, and because ''the salaries they pay are fantastic,'' the kaolin industry is the region's lifeline.



''You don't need a growing season for kaolin,'' he said. ''People don't have so much to be bitter about because they have gotten their royalties increased and the industry has tried to come back and do right.''



Washington County (Part 2)

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 684 square miles, of which 678 square miles is land and 5.9 square miles is water.



The western portion of Washington County, west of a north-to-south line running through Sandersville, is located in the Lower Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The northeastern portion of the county, north of Riddleville, is located in the Upper Ogeechee River sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin, while the southeastern portion, centered on Harrison, is located in the Ohoopee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin.

Communities
   
Davisboro

A post office called Davisboro has been in operation since 1821.


Real Estate in Davisboro.

The community most likely was named after a pioneer settler with the surname Davis. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the place in 1894 as the "Town of Davisboro".
   
Deepstep

A post office called Deepstep was established in 1886.



The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the place in 1900 as the "Town of Deepstep". The town is named after Deepstep Creek, a local stream so named on account of steep banks along its course.


Alonzo G. Veal & Son, Deepstep. This is one of the most famous country stores in Georgia.



The present owner is a daughter of Mr. Veal and she has recently renovated the building. Maxine Cunningham writes: My great-grand father, George Washington Danzy, and grandfather, Elisha Danzy, both frequented the store. We used to visit Deepstep multiple times when I was a child and teenager as my mom was born there. In 1928, it also housed the doctor’s “office”. Not to impart with a tragic occurrence, but I’ve been told, my great-grandfather went there on December 6 (1928) to get the doctor to attend to one of his son-in-laws whose medical condition had deteriorated. While there, he suffered a cerebral vascular accident (stroke). The doctor was able to get him back home where he and his son-in-law both passed away.

Harrison

The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the place as the Town of Harrison in 1886.



The community was named after Green B. Harrison, an early settler.


Abandoned Gin, Harrison

Oconee

The city's name derives from the Oconee people (also known as the Hitchiti), a Muskogean-speaking tribe who inhabited central Georgia at time of contact with European-American settlers. The Oconee lived in present-day Baldwin County, Georgia at a settlement known as Oconee Old Town, later moving to the Chattahoochee River in the early 18th century. The name exists in several variations, including Ocone, Oconi, Ocony, and Ekwoni.


Georgian Cottage and Corn Crib Oconee.

The city of Oconee was named after the river that bears the tribe's name. It was founded in the early 1840s, when the railroad was extended to that point.


LeConte Merchandise Company, Oconee

The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Oconee as a town in 1876. It is so sad that nothing now is left of Oconee except for a few old houses.
   
Riddleville

The community was named after Anderson Riddle, the original owner of the town site. Mr. Riddle was a prominent citizen of the community and an ardent advocate of education.



Learning of the probability of the Washington Baptist Association establishing a denominational school of high standing, he offered to give 300 acres of land and Mr. James A. Page offered 20, toward the founding of the Riddleville Academy. They offered to convey all property and buildings to the newly organized Mount Vernon Baptist Association for the same purpose. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Riddleville as a town in 1859.


J. Y. Bryan & Sons, 1917, Riddleville.


Wescoloski-Bryan House, Circa 1850, Riddleville
   
Sandersville

Established by British settlers in Creek territory in the 18th century, shortly after the American Revolution, the town of Sandersville became the county seat of Washington County in 1796.



Creek leaders had not yet ceded their territory when Sandersville was settled. According to a book on Georgia place-names, the city was named after M. Saunders, a local store owner.



The settlement was located at an intersection of Native American Indian trails, and later the site of Saunders' general store.


The town appears on Anthony Finley's 1827 map of Georgia.

In 1864, during the Civil War, General William T. Sherman skirmished and then paused in Sandersville during his March to the Sea. Brief resistance to the advancing Union forces was centered on the courthouse. As they left, Sherman's troops burned both it and jail, but left the rest of the town intact.


Occupation of Sandersville.

A new Washington County Courthouse was built in 1869.



The Sandersville Railroad was built in 1893 as a part of the Central of Georgia Railway, but still operates today as a private owned shortline that connects to Norfolk Southern Railway's Georgia Division Savannah District at Tennille, Georgia 4 miles to the South.



We mentioned in our first post on Washington County how Sandersville had a tremendous Historical District.


Then.


Now.

Sports

Sandersville was home to the minor league baseball teams, the Sandersville Giants (1955-1956) and Sandersville Wacos (1953-1954). Sandersville played in the Class D Georgia State League (GSL) from 1953 to 1956 and played at Sandersville Baseball Park. Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Willie McCovey played for the Sandersville Giants in 1955.


Willie and Willie.

The team folded along with the Georgia State League following the 1956 season. Sandersville was an affiliate of the Milwaukee Braves (1953) and New York Giants (1955-1956).

Accidents and Incidents

On August 7th 2015, two trains collided with an Atlanta-emanating eastbound train loaded with overseas containers headed for the Port of Savannah, GA, and a westbound local train servicing industries and other rail customers in the Washington County area.



The collision resulted in the derailment of three locomotives, one of which was effectively destroyed, and at least four rail cars, and sent two crew members to Georgia Regents General Hospital in Augusta, GA via life flight helicopter and another two to a local hospital in Sandersville via ground ambulance.

Newspaper

Sandersville has two newspapers: The Sandersville Progress and "The Spotlight". They both are published weekly.


The Sandersville Progress began publication in 1870.
 
Tennille

The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Tennille in 1875. The community was named after Francis Tennille, an early settler.



Tennille, Ga is the highest point on the Central of Georgia Railroad between Macon and Savannah.



Before being named after Francis Tennille, it was named for the railroad station, Station No. 13.



The land for the right of way, which made the town possible, was given by Mr. Sam O. Franklin. The railroad was practically destroyed by Sherman’s forces and by his orders, the railroad rails were heated and twisted so that they were useless.


Tennille today.

All warehouses were burned. Eight miles south of Tennille was Fort Irwin, the stockade or fort erected by Governor Jared Irwin and three brothers for the protection of the settlers from Indian attacks.


   
Warthen

Warthen was the first settlement erected in Washington County and was founded in 1754, to be the site of the superior courts and the jail for the county. It is located in a coastal plain and once embraced territory from the Cherokee corner. Warthen was the Washington County county seat until the seat was transferred to Sandersville in 1796.



The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Warthen in 1812. Eventually, the community lost its charter and today it occupies an unincorporated area. Warthen has been declared a historic site, and inscribed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Warthen Historic District.



The town of Warthen is home to the oldest hewn log jail in Georgia. This jail was once the confinement space of Aaron Burr in 1804 on his journey to Richmond, Virginia for trial concerning his charges of treason against Alexander Hamilton.



Though the rail line was abandoned in 1933, this historic depot has remained a landmark of Warthen for over eighty years since. It’s been used as a private residence and retail space in that time.


Old Warthen Depot.

Warthen, Georgia is historically known for being part of Washington County's cotton crops. The industry of cotton brought settlers to the area and farmers raised a variety of crops. After the invention of the cotton gin, cotton became a major crop in the county.

Religion was important in the early community. Baptists and Methodist founded churches by 1865, and then Catholic and Episcopal denominations formed churches some time around 1900.


Bethlehem Academy, 1904, Warthen.

Bethlehem Baptist Church is the oldest Baptist church in Washington County and was one of the first churches to be founded, with its founding taking place in 1790.

In popular culture

The 1933 short story The People's Choice by Erskine Caldwell is set in Washington County, where the story's protagonist is a popular local politician elected again and again as the county's tax assessor.



Damn, these Caldwell Books look kinda saucy. 



The biography of one of the main characters (Grant Alexander) in the 2011 console game "X-Men: Destiny" states that they were born in Sandersville, Georgia.



Industry

At the turn of the twenty-first century, Washington County businesses are well served by four industrial parks and their proximity to interstate highways 16 and 20, the Norfolk Southern and Sandersville Railroad companies, and Washington County airport.



Savannah, with its port facilities and international airport, offers a gateway to world markets. Agriculture is still important, along with a fledgling nursery industry and a healthy timber business. A number of manufacturing plants and a district Department of Transportation complex remain, while two peak power plants were built in 2002 and 2003.

Education

Washington County is served by Oconee Fall Line Technical College and a local campus for Georgia Military College.


Oconee Fall Line Technical College.

Politics

Like most other majority-minority counties in the South, Washington County has primarily backed Democratic Party candidates for most of its history. Democratic margins of victory in presidential elections were far greater prior to 1964, but the county has only failed to back a Democratic presidential candidate five times in its history.



However, no candidate of any party since Bill Clinton in 1996 has managed to win the county by a margin of 1,000 votes or greater.

Places

Organized  in 1976, the Washington County Historical Society operates two museums, one in the old county jail, which is now the Genealogical Research Museum, and the Brown House Museum, which serves as the society’s headquarters.



Four districts are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as are the Old City Cemetery and several other structures. An exhibition dedicated to architect Charles E. Choate is housed in the chamber of commerce. GNW #197

Notable people

McHenry Boatright concert singer was from Washington County.



American operatic baritone and singing teacher at Ohio State University. He performed for several Presidents at the White House. He was the husband of Duke Ellington's sister Ruth, who he met when he performed at Ellington's funeral.
   
Nathan Deal, 82nd Governor of Georgia.


   
Doris Duke, soul singer.


   
Robert Edwards, professional football player.


All about Robert in the First SEC Overtime game at Auburn.
   
Terrence Edwards, professional football player.


Man enough to beat Bama in Tuscaloosa for first time ever, but dropped his Lindsey Scott moment against Gators. 

Allisha Gray, professional basketball player.



The Gordy Family of Motown music fame.


Barry Gordy.
   
Thomas W. Hardwick, lawyer and 63rd Governor of Georgia. a U.S. senator and congressman.



Jared Irwin, a Revolutionary War soldier and frontier Indian fighter,


   
Herbert Jefferson Jr., actor.


   
Marvin Lane, professional baseball player.


   
Greg Minor, professional basketball player.


   
Elijah Poole Mohammed, leader of the Nation of Islam, was born near Deepstep.


Mentor to Malcolm X.

According to the U.S. National Archive, Nation of Islam leader Elijah Mohammad grew up in Sandersville in the 1890s and 1900s. He is reported to have said that, in Sandersville, he witnessed three lynchings before the age of 10.

Takeo Spikes, professional football player.


   
Coot Veal, professional baseball player.



OK that wraps up Washington County. I have a few addendum's based on the Historical Markers of Washington County.

In 1944, at Ft. Slocum, N.Y., Willie Lee Duckworth, an ordinary buck private from Sandersville, Georgia, authored one of the most popular marching cadences in military history. At first, it was known as the "Duckworth Chant." It later gained fame as "Sound Off".

Sound Off
Ain't no use in goin' home
Jody's got your gal and gone
Ain't no use in feeling blue
Jody's got your sister, too.

Sound Off
One. Two
Sound Off
Three. Four.


With those words, Willie Lee Duckworth made the journey from foot soldier to footnote in military history.

Colby Smith a Revolutionary War soldier who was prominent in America’s War of Independence settled in the 89th District in 1798 and was granted property by the Governor of Georgia in Honor of his service to America. He and his wife Anna Henry had 9 children, 73 grandchildren and over 200 great-grandchildren. 37 of his great grandson’s served in the Confederate Armies of Georgia. He is the forbearer of thousands of American’s, many of whom were prominent in the fields of Government, Medicine, and the Ministry.



Among them are: Jane New Dorsey, wife of American Band Leader Tommy Dorsey. Janet Reno, Attorney General of the United States, descended from Colby Smith's grandson, Rev. James R. Wood.



Today's Georgia Natural Wonder Gal comes from the Kaolin Festival Beauty Queen Facebook page.