Historical Markers
Adabelle, Georgia
Location: Old Manassas Foy Rd., Register, Georgia
County: Bulloch
Coordinates: 32.291934, -81.927049
Dedicated: November 13, 2021
Marker Type: Bulloch County Historical Society
MARKER TEXT (FRONT)
ADABELL, GEORGIA
Adabelle, named for Ada Belle Williams—daughter of J.W. Williams, was established in 1900 and a post office existed until 1907. It was a stop on the Register and Glennville Railway which connected with both the Central of Georgia Railway and the Seaboard Air Line. Leading men in this area were: Jimerson Kennedy, Remer Franklin, William Wesley Olliff, John Harold Perkins, Washington Manassas (W.M.) Foy and John William (J.W.) Williams. This village existed for about fifty years.
In 1908, its population was 85. Mr. R.L. Bowen was the depot agent for the Register & Glennville Railroad. Charles K. Spiers was a “woods-rider” for W.M. Foy. Mr. Spiers’ wife was Alice Mae Franklin, daughter of Hiram Franklin. She ran the boarding house and hotel in Adabelle. The house/hotel was on this site and built by J.W. Williams.
The naval stores industry began in this area in 1902 when W.M. Foy and J.W. Williams incorporated their business as the Adabelle Trading Company and purchased the Carr Bros. Turpentine Distillery. Rosin and turpentine were products of this industry and called naval stores because of their early use in maintaining the wooden ships of the navy.
(Continued on back side)
Supported by the Jack N & Addie D. Averitt Foundation
MARKER TEXT (BACK)
ADABELL, GEORGIA
(Continued from other side)
At its prime, The Adabelle Trading Co. had over 14,000 acres of land and produced 1800 barrels of turpentine a year. They also farmed Sea Island cotton and corn. Other workers needed for the naval stores industry were: coopers to make the barrels, wheelwrights, wagon-makers and blacksmiths.
W.M. Foy had a lumbering business in Tattnall County and the village of Manassas was named for him. He also built an eighteen-room house on Savannah Avenue in Statesboro, GA in 1901. W.M. Foy died in 1903 of typhoid fever. In 1909, J.W. Williams sold his interest in the Trading Company to W.M. Foy’s heirs and to Dr. J.E. Donehoo, Mrs. Foy’s second husband.
The Adabelle Trading Company dissolved about 1920 and the village gradually disappeared. W.M. Foy’s sons, Inman and J. P., continued in the turpentine business at Adabelle for several years. In the 1870’s, Croatan Indians migrated to this area from Robeson County, NC, to help in developing the turpentine industry. They are now known as the Lumbee Tribe and are still located in Robeson County, NC.
Supported by the Jack N & Addie D. Averitt Foundation
The Bulloch County Historical Society’s historical markers are funded by the
Jack N. & Addie D. Averitt Foundation.