Editing Eatonton, Georgia (section)

== History ==
'''Early Years''' 

The first historically recognized society in Eatonton was a Creek Indian town called, Cusseta in 1790. During, this period, the chief of the Cusseta was Birdtail. In 1790, he signed the Treaty of New York on behalf of his people.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eatonton |url=https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/counties-cities-neighborhoods/eatonton/#:~:text=The%20earliest%20known%20community%20in,of%20the%20University%20of%20Georgia. |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=New Georgia Encyclopedia |language=en-US}}</ref> The treaty aimed to establish peace and foster friendly relations between the Creek Nation and the United States. Following the [[American Revolutionary War]], Eatonton was founded in 1807 as the seat of newly formed Putnam County. After the war, settlers were moving west and settling in the upland Piedmont region to develop cotton plantations. Eatonton was incorporated as a town in 1809 and as a city in 1879.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=REtEXQNWq6MC&pg=PA228 | title=Historical Gazetteer of the United States | publisher=Routledge | date=May 13, 2013 | access-date=30 November 2013 | author=Hellmann, Paul T. | pages=228| isbn=978-1135948597 }}</ref>

'''Dairy Capital'''

In the 21st century, Eatonton is known as the "Dairy Capital of Georgia" (in honor of its major industry, [[dairy farming]]). 

After the Civil War in 1864, Putnam County faced significant economic hardship as the wealth of its once thriving plantations declined or disappeared entirely. Throughout the 19th century, Putnam sought ways to rebuild it's economy. In 1876, a former New York banker named Benjamin Hunt<ref>{{Cite web |title=Benjamin Hunt |url=https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/benjamin-hunt-1847-1934/ |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=New Georgia Encyclopedia |language=en-US}}</ref> had relocated in Putnam and brought fifteen dairy cows establishing Panola Farm. Panola Farm was an experimental dairy facility that became a cornerstone in the development of Eatonton's dairy industry, helping to reshape Putnam agricultural future. By 1901 Putnam was the third leading dairy county in Georgia, shipping cream to Athens<ref>{{Cite web |title=Athens |url=https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/counties-cities-neighborhoods/athens/ |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=New Georgia Encyclopedia |language=en-US}}</ref> and butter to Atlanta.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Atlanta |url=https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/counties-cities-neighborhoods/atlanta/ |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=New Georgia Encyclopedia |language=en-US}}</ref> 

By 1909, The Eatonton Co-Operative Creamery was founded. Local farmers came together and produced various dairy products like milk, cream, butter etc. In 1946 Eatonton Co-Operative Creamery sold 1,406,000.00 of dairy products which in today would be over 20 million. 

In addition to the dairy industry flourishing the city of Eatonton holds a festival celebrating local dairy farmers called ''The Dairy Festival''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Festival |first=Putnam County Dairy |title=Putnam County Dairy Festival 2025 |url=https://putnamcodairyfestival.com/parade |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=Putnam County Dairy Festival 2025 |language=en-US}}</ref> The first Dairy Festival was held in 1953. For more than seventy years, Eatonton continues to celebrate it's dairy heritage with an annul Dairy Festival Parade, held during the first weekend of June.  

'''Rock Eagle'''

The [[Rock Eagle Effigy Mound]], a [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] [[archaeological]] site, is located north of the city. It is one of two such sites east of the Mississippi River; both are in Putnam County. The mound and related earthwork constructions were made by [[Woodland culture]] peoples, perhaps as long ago as 1,000 to 3,000 years. The site is situated within a 1500-acre park administered by the University of Georgia, which also maintains a 4-H camp nearby. The Mound has been listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]. The purpose of Rock Eagle was to provide recreation and education for children involved in the 4-H Clubs throughout Georgia.

In a 5-hour period in May 1919, five black churches and two black lodges in Eatonton were burned to the ground, but authorities did not charge anyone with arson.<ref>{{cite book |last1=McWhirter |first1=Cameron |url=https://archive.org/details/redsummersummero0000mcwh |title=Red Summer The Summer of 1919 and the Awakening of Black America |date=2011 |publisher=Henry Holt and Company |isbn=9780805089066 |page=[https://archive.org/details/redsummersummero0000mcwh/page/53 53] |url-access=registration}}</ref>

On [[Tornado outbreak of November 21–23, 1992|November 22, 1992]], an F4 tornado with winds up to 260&nbsp;mph hit the south portions of the city. The storm caused $27,000,000 in damages to houses and businesses. The tornado killed five locals and injured 86 victims.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Brown |first=Ronald |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Li1RAAAAMAAJ&dq=tornado+F4+1992+eatonton%2C+georgia&pg=PA17 |title=The Widespread November 21-23, 1992, Tornado Outbreak: Houston to Raleigh and Gulf Coast to Ohio Valley |year=1993 |pages=18}}</ref>

'''The Farmers and Merchants Bank of Eatonton'''

Farmers and Merchants Bank is an independent community bank located in Eatonton Georgia. Chartered October 26, 1922 with capital of $25,000. The local bank had eight board members.. The building cost at the time was $6,250. Banking hours were from 10:00AM-4:00PM from Monday - Friday. Today Farmers and Merchants Bank continues as the largest financial institution and the oldest bank in Putnam County. In addition Farmers and Merchants bank is one out of three community banks located in Putnam. The other two banks are The Farmers Bank in Greensboro, Georgia and First Bank of Coastal Georgia located in Pembroke, Georgia. All three banks still stand as independent banks as of 2025.   


'''Briarpatch Farms'''

Briarpatch Farms was a farm community that consisted of farmers who farmed cotton, dairy, and timber.  Originally the farm community was called Chancellorsville homestead, Inc. However FSA (Farm Service Agency) renamed the farmland to Briarpatch Farm Project. Located north eastern portion of Putnam, sat on 12,000 acres of land. Briarpatch residents were given a homestead which included land, a home, farm buildings, and government stock. Each family had running water and electricity.  In order for a farmer to become a settler in Briarpatch they had to be "thrifty, honest, have civic pride, and furnish three references from local citizens'<ref name=Little1999>{{Cite book |last=Little |first=Windee Allienor |title=Reminiscent: A Pictorial History Of Eatonton/Putnam County, Georgia |date=1999 |publisher=The Donning Company Publishers |year=1999 |isbn=1-57864-085-7}}</ref> February 7th, 1935 the first couple of families moved into their homes. By June 1935 fifty more families moved in. By this time Briarpatch had their own workshop, cannery, poultry house, and other buildings in business. They would celebrate holidays together such as the 4th of July. Over the years the Briarpatch community had created there own baseball team and a small library. In December 1935 ten more houses were built on Briarpatch. Between 1936-1937 The Briarpatch community had evolved, they had created a Woman's Club, Briarpatch Farmer's Organization, Girls Cooking and Sewing Club, and a non- denominational Sunday school.