Forsyth County, Georgia: The Town Georgia Tried to Bury Twice

September, 1912, Forsyth County, Georgia, 30 miles northeast of Atlanta, farming country, red clay roads, pine forests thick enough to block out the afternoon sun. The air sits heavy. It smells like turned earth and wood smoke. More than a thousand black Americans live here. They own land. They go to church. William and Ida Bagley own 60 acres. Grant Smith preaches on Sunday. Children walk to school along dirt paths worn smooth by generations of feet.

TIMELINE
1912: September, 1912, Forsyth County, Georgia, 30 miles northeast of Atlanta, farming country, red clay roads, pine forests thick enough to block out the afternoon sun.
1913: In February 1913, a grand jury drops all charges against Tony Howell.
1920: The 1920 census recorded 30 black residents, where there had been more than a thousand.
1956: In 1956, the sluice gates close.
1987: By 1987, Forsyth County's population reached 40,000.
1994: In 1994, the invisible empire of the KKK is forced to dissolve.

WHY THIS MATTERS
The story of Forsyth County is a reminder that the events that shaped America didn't always happen in the biggest cities. What unfolded here left marks on the community that are still visible today. The full story is more complicated, and more human, than the version most people know.

Episode 199 | Hometown History | Hosted by Shane Waters

Hometown History explores forgotten stories from small-town America. The overlooked events, hidden triumphs, and buried tragedies that shaped the country we live in. New episodes every Tuesday. Find every episode at mythsandmalice.com/hometown-history

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