Historic Map - Ocilla, GA - 1908

Birds eye view of Ocilla, Georgia 1908. Drawn and published by T. M. Fowler.

Bird's eye view map of Ocilla, Georgia, published by T. M. Fowler in 1908. Founded in 1880, the town of Ocilla is the county seat of Irwin County and is part of the Fitzgerald metro area today. The region was inhabited by the Creek Indians when U. S. settlers arrived. The Creeks ceded their land in the Treaty of Fort Jackson of 1814.

The excerpt below is from the "Atlanta Constitution", printed on September 22, 1905, and describes the unexpected attendance in the new public school that is featured on the map.

Inset illustrations of the following businesses and sites appear in the upper and lower margins of the map:

• First National Bank.
• Methodist E. Church.
• The Henderson Powell Co., Ocilla Real Estate and Loan Company.
• Ocilla Oil and Fertilizer Company.
• Primitive Baptist Church.
• Baptist Church.
• Paulk & Wilcox Company.
• City Hall.
• Ocilla Water and Light Plant.
• Public School.

The following excerpt is from the "Atlanta Constitution", printed on September 22, 1905:

OCILLA SCHOOL GROWS.

The Ocilla public school, which has now been in session two weeks has shown such an unexpected increase in attendance that the board of education has decided to employ an additional teacher. The attendance is now about 200 and the faculty will number eight. Superintendent J. J. Flanders is in charge of the school.

Ocilla became the county seat of Irwin County in 1907. The following excerpt from the "Atlanta Constitution", printed on August 18, 1907 details the house session that officially made Ocilla the county seat of Irwin County:

OCILLA GETS COURT HOUSE

House Passes Bill Transferring County Seat from Irwinville.

Ocilla will be the county seat of Irwin county, the bill transferring the court house to that town from Irwinsville, being passed by the house by a vote of 140 to 10, just before the adjournment of the afternoon session. The bill has already been passed by the senate.

The bill was the first special order of the day.

Mr. Donalson, of Decatur, said that he held a certificate from the secretary of state giving the number of votes cast for and against the removal. He stated he, as a member of the committee, merely made this explanation of the action of the committee in reporting favorably, he had no personal interest in the matter whatever.

Mr. Edwards of Habersham, said there was no doubt there was some illegality in the vote and he thought it ought to be corrected in Irwin county. He voted no.

The bill was passed on an aye and nay vote, the vote being 144 to 10. This means the county seat will be moved to Ocilla.

Mr. Blackburn of Fulton introduced a resolution that the state employ legal talent to represent the state in seeking to recover from the United States the amount of taxes unconstitutionally levied and paid during the war on cotton. The resolution passed.

The house adjourned at 6:30 o'clock until 8 o'clock.