As a young child living in Harristown [in Covington] I often observed a large group of teen-agers walking to and from Oxford five days a week to school on Washington Street. They seemed to be always happy, conversing with each other. These young people were the offspring of former slaves that had continued to live in Oxford after the Civil War. I have always thought them as being very special, if I may say so. I have often repeated their family names over and over, names that so vividly stand out in my mind: the Gathers, Stones, Wright, Godfrey, Usher, Shepherd, Perry, Hammonds, Cody, Shield, Dobbs, and Thomas. Professor Wright, to my knowledge the first black principal of Washington Street School, was from Oxford. Mrs. Mary Wright also taught school in Covington, walking to Covington back and forth. What a legacy of giving to help educate African-American children. These families to me were always dignified, pleasant to meet, and easy to work with. As I said, they were a special people. Perhaps this was because they lived in a college town. The high intelligence of their forefathers set the pace for the community. Recognition is long overdue to these fine families. Not living in Oxford, I may have omitted family names, especially from the late 1930s and 1940s. Please forgive my omissions and add to my story.

 

-Emma Horne

 

 

 

 

The Black Community of Oxford, GA

By Mildred Wright Joyner (June 2000)

 

Oxford was a small quiet town, the home of Emory College. There were large beautiful homes for whites, some fairly large ones for blacks, others small but neat. We are two miles from Covington and had a street-car pulled by two mules. You could ride to Covington and back for five cents. The town was in sections. Black lived in all sections joined by whites except the section called "Texas," northwest Oxford, was all black. South going toward Covington was mostly white, though a few blacks lived at the end of town. East Oxford going toward Turkey Creek was called "Peasville" (it still is). In the middle of Oxford blacked lived in the upper section called "Shakerag."The settlement was named for its billowing clotheslines: taking in washing was the chief occupation of women in this settlement. To the west was a hilly section, called "the Hill" or "On the Hill."

The community had two churches, Methodist and Baptist. There were two local ministers, Mr. Nick Graves and Mr. Tom Anderson.

Rev. A.C. Wright, a resident of the "Texas" area , became an ordained minister of the Central Black Conference. He was also the first principal of Washington Street School in Covington. He was educated at Paine College (Augusta, Ga) His daughter Mrs. Mary Eva Wright taught school in Oxford and Covington. She graduated from Clark College, Atlanta.

Mrs. Amanda Hammond was also a teacher in Oxford. Her husband Mr. Bob Hammond became Emory College’s first janitor. Some men and women worked as cooks and yardmen and the Emory campus. Younger men walked to Covington and worked in the cotton mills. Others worked as butlers, yardmen, and in building houses. Women washed and ironed for students. Some were cooks in private homes. Some families had large farms for their family to work on. Some of the women stayed home canning fruits and vegetables.

In the fall the making of syrup was a great event. At harvest time the wheat and core was carried to the mill to be made into flour and meal.

In Oxford the families so that it that the children went to school. A music teacher came to the community once a week, some of the children were busy with music lessons. Mrs. Cary and Paul Belcher organized a band which was composd of several local men.

On Sunday afternoon between church time the young people would stroll to the woods, the waterfall, and the "Rock."The great event would be the once a year community picnic. It was usually at the "Rock."

Will Anderson was the first black to open his own dry cleaning. He cleaned and pressed the students’ clothes at Emory College. At his café you could play "pool" (checkers) and buy sandwiches. He had everything you needed &endash; kerosene to tobacco. He also had barbershop joining his café. John Kennon built the first two story house for himself, and after that he was the town carpenter. The home stood where the city barn is now. Henry (Billy) Mitchell was the first and only black electrician. He also became skilled in plumbing.