Sumter-Washington County GaArchives Biographies.....Bailey, James Wimberly December 16, 1840 - August 18, 1904
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LaVerne Carter L.Carter1931@att,net September 28, 2012, 4:49 pm
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Author: LaVerne Carter
JAMES WIMBERLY BAILEY
Born December 16, 1840 in Sandersville, Georgia, James Wimberly Bailey died
August 18, 1904 in Fitzgerald, Georgia. He was the son of J. E. "David"
Bailey, born January 7, 1816, died May 8, 1892 and Winnifred (Winnie)
Barwick, born June 14, 1824 and who died November 8, 1877. Bailey and
Barwick records can be found on the Washington County, Georgia U. S. GenWeb
site. James Wimberly was the grandson of William Bailey, born December 25,
1789 in South Carolina and Elizabeth Wimberly, born September 3, 1781 in
North Carolina. William Bailey and Elizabeth Wimberly were married August
25, 1808 and both are buried in Old Sisters Church Cemetery in Sandersville,
Georgia.
James Wimberly Bailey was married (1) April 26, 1864 to Eliza Greenway Pound,
born about 1844, daughter of Jesse Pound and Mary Tennille Pound, married (2)
Martha J., born February 1845, married (3) Sarah Mathursa, born April 15,
1852, died September 28, 1881. James Wimberly Bailey and Sarah Mathursa
Bailey are both buried in Oak Grove Cemetery in Americus, Georgia.
He was known primarily as James W. Bailey and occasionally as J. W. Bailey
around Leslie, Georgia where he resided. He was the nephew of Nathan and
Stancil Barwick who resided in Sumter County, Georgia. He was also a cousin
to Martha Carolina (Callie) Barwick (daughter of Stancil Barwick) who married
George Washington Council and they were the parents of Lee George Council,
all of Sumter County, Georgia. The wives of James W. Bailey might
not be shown in order as they took place. He had at least three children
though there may have been others as well. It is not known which of the
following children was by which wife:
Mary Elizabeth Bailey, born December 8, 1879, died september 23, 1880, buried
in Oak Grove Cemetery, Americus, Georgia.
Cora V. Bailey married June 22, 1887 in Sumter County, Georgia to Rosser
(Ross) A. Wilson.
Leslie Vestella Bailey married November 15, 1883 in Sumter County, Georgia
to Perry A. Green.
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From the book, FROM VIOLENCE TO LOVE: THE HISTORY OF DESOTO, GEORGIA by
Jacquelyn Cook, an excellent researcher and a talented author.
There is a drawing of DeSoto in General Book V, page 393, in the Sumter County
Courthouse which shows DeSoto in 1888. It was still the Furlow Place even
though Hawkins owned it. There were houses around the Americus, Preston and
Lumpkin Railroad. To the West were lands of J. W. Bailey, to the South were
M. B. Council's lands, and to the East were J. P. West's lands. There were
roads to Americus but none to Cordele.
Excerpts from the book HISTORY OF LESLIE, GEORGIA: A VICTORIAN LADY by
Jacquelyn Cook, noted researcher and author. This was re-printed in the
HISTORY OF SUMTER COUNTY, GEORGIA by Jack Cox.
A suffering old man or a lovely young girl -- which should the town's name
convey? Of course the latter was chosen. One can easily visualize this
properly attired Victorian Lady, Leslie Bailey, strolling the tree-lined
streets past well kept white houses because the town of Leslie looks almost
the same today as it did nearly a century ago when it was re-named for her.
James W. Bailey was placed as starting the settlement here (Leslie) in 1884,
by an old article written for the Americus Times Recorder December 8, 1931 by
the late Miss Leila Ranew. Bailey began cutting trees a few years before
that according to John Grover Cleveland Pace. "As the land had never been
cleared, Bailey had a sawmill as well as cotton fields," said Pace. In 1882
Pace's father moved to the farm south of Leslie where Pace was born April 21,
1885. "The first thing I remember about Leslie was the sawmill which was
where the peanut company now stands. It was run by Bailey's son-in-law, Ross
Wilson. There was no town -- only those things necessary to support a plan-
tation. Bailey's house, built in the 1880s, was on top of the hill the first
house on the left when you enter Leslie from U.S. 280. A local historian
states that two of the rooms of Bailey's original house still remain intact
as part of the W.R. Jones residence.
The oldest house which is intact as built is the house on the corner on the
right as you pass through the business block from U.S. 280. It was built by
Ross Wilson for his bride, Cora Bailey.
As the railroads took hold thus did the towns. Bailey first named his town
JEB using his father's initials, J. E. (called David) Bailey. Through an
error, the post office was officially named JOB using an "O" instead of an
"E". Unhappy with the name JOB, Bailey circulated a petition about 1890 to
have the name changed to Leslie for his younger daughter. Leslie, Georgia
received it's charter by Act of the General Assembly on December 22, 1892.
According to the TIMES RECORDER article by Miss Ranew, citizens of Leslie in
1890 were the families of J. W. Bailey, Tom J. Wade, Ross Wilson, Tom Turling-
ton, Rev. S. S. Kemp, Dr. J. W. Jones, Osie Bailey and Perry Green.
The Baptist and Methodist Churches, which had been meeting together about two
years in the school house, organized in November, 1892. J. W. Bailey gave
land for both churches and appears on the list of charter members of both.
It is reported that he hated liquor and that he is responsible for the
wording in the charter prohibiting it.
The whole town was refurbished about 1975. Shops boasted fresh paint that
was compatible to the town's beginnings. If Leslie Bailey could now walk
among the azaleas and dogwoods when they bloom, she would be very happy with
her namesake town.
Comment: There is a Bailey Road in Leslie that is said to be named in honor
of James W. Bailey. It goes right through Leslie and extends from the City
Limit on one side of the town to the City Limit on the opposite side.
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References: FROM VIOLENCE TO LOVE: THE HISTORY OF DESOTO, GEORGIA by
Jacquelyn Cook.
HISTORY OF LESLIE, GEORGIA: A VICTORIAN LADY by Jacquelyn Cook.
HISTORY OF SUMTER COUNTY, GEORGIA by Jack Cox
Census records, Bailey and Barwick Bible records, tombstone readings
as noted, Sumter County, Georgia marriage records and Sumter County
Courthouse records.
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