08 LC 18
7354
Senate
Resolution 1169
By:
Senator Hill of the 4th
A
RESOLUTION
Celebrating
the centennial anniversary of the Town of Portal; and for other
purposes.
WHEREAS,
E. E. Foy, an astute entrepreneur from Effingham County, Georgia, recognized the
wealth of the vast pine forests in northwest Bulloch County and began his
business ventures in the area in 1884 when he purchased a sawmill property near
Rocky Ford and 755 acres of land, including the site of Old Portal;
and
WHEREAS,
in 1891, the E. E. Foy Manufacturing Company was incorporated to manufacture and
deal in lumber, spirits of turpentine, farming, operation of cotton gins, grist
mills, and a general mercantile business; over the next two years, Foy leased
land to Old Portal for what would become part of the first railroad in Bulloch
County; and
WHEREAS,
in 1908, Portal was revived at its present site when the Georgia Realty Company,
chartered in 1907, negotiated with Elerbee Daughtry and "Doll" Williams to
develop a new town on the Savannah, Augusta, and Northern railroads. Portal
soon had several stores, a school, a steam powered cotton gin, and a turpentine
still; and
WHEREAS,
according to the United States Census of 1920, Portal had six grocers, two dry
goods merchants, a hardware store, two blacksmiths, three doctors, two dentists,
and five teachers. By this date, the town had constructed Baptist and Methodist
churches, and the Portal School had grades one through nine. Portal,
incorporated in 1914, became the shopping hub for an extended community that
sprawled from Hopeulikit to Aaron and from Upper Lotts Creek to the Ogeechee
River. During cotton picking season, lines of wagons waited their turn at the
two gins. In spite of the boll weevil problem, Leroy Bird ginned 5,000 bales of
cotton in 1929; and
WHEREAS,
after the Great Depression and World War II, Portal declined as local farmers
sought jobs in the city. Unfortunately, the Georgia and Florida Railroad ceased
to operate in 1950, but the local high school, churches, merchants, and
businesses cooperated to keep the town alive. Since the 1950's, the town's
population has fluctuated between 600 and 800 residents; and
WHEREAS,
new winds of progress, however, are stirring again as the town awaits the
construction of a new high school, housing developments, and improvements in its
infrastructure such as streets and sewage and water systems. As Portal enters a
new century, this unique community is ready to embrace change but is also
dedicated to preserving its past.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body join in
celebrating the centennial anniversary of the Town of Portal, Georgia, and honor
the rich heritage of its 100 years.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed
to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to Mayor Larry W. Motes.