We live and work in Americus, the county seat or government
center of Sumter County. Also, in Sumter County you will find the
towns of Plains, Andersonville
and Leslie plus several unincorporated
communities.
Sumter County is known
around the World as the home of the 39th President Jimmy Carter and
his family. The World Headquarters
of
Habitat for Humanity
is also located here.
The
Jimmy
Carter National Historic Site
operated by the National Park Service
now encompasses most of the city
of
Plains. Plains High School
where both Jimmy and Rosalynn attended has been restored and today
is the official high school of Georgia. A museum located in the high
school tells the story of Carter's rise to national prominence and
the story of the town of Plains during the Great Depression and how
it coped with the changing social issues of the times. The site also
includes the
Boyhood Farm
of Jimmy Carter.
To commemorate
those who gave their lives during the Civil War as well as veterans
of later wars,
the
Andersonville National Historic Site
was established. The National Prisoner Of War Museum which is
located here was opened in April of 1998.
Over ten years of work and dedication on the part of American former
POWs tells in great detail the story of their sacrifices for our
country and freedom. The fact that freedom is hard won and was long
fought for will be preserved for generations to come.
With all necessary supplies for the
prison being shipped to this point, the Village of
Andersonville
became the supply center for the operation. The famous Drummer Boy
Civil War Museum along with antique shops and a restaurant can be
found here. Whether you prefer a place to hook-up your RV for the
night or stay at the Bed and Breakfast,
Andersonville can
accommodate your needs. Held on Memorial Day Weekend (the last
weekend in May), the
Andersonville Antique Fair attracts many
visitors each year. Later in the year, The Andersonville
Historic fair is held during the first weekend in October. If you would like
more information contact the Andersonville Guild at
912-924-2558.
Leslie,
Georgia, is home to one of the largest collections of antique
telephones and telephone memorabilia in the world at The
Georgia Rural Telephone Museum.
Georgia
Southwestern State University,
a small, public four-year institution, part of the University System
of Georgia is located in Americus.
South Georgia Technical College
located near historic Souther Field where Charles Lindbergh
purchased a "jenny" and first soloed in 1923, offers studies in
many
technical fields including aviation maintenance. The school site
near Americus was once a training facility for American and British pilots during
World War I.
Recognized over the
years for its high school football teams, Americus High School was
the home of professional football coach Dan Reeves of the Atlanta Falcons and
collegiate football coach
Chan Gailey
of the Georgia Tech yellow jackets. Kent Hill was a valuable
player for many years with the L.A. Rams and many others were
outstanding athletes at various colleges while participating in
football as well as other sports.
Victor Green
of the New York Jets is another area standout.
A friend of mine, Malcolm King played for
Americus High School and went on to play four years as a running
back at Georgia Tech where during a game with Clemson in "death
valley" he physically met William (Refrigerator) Perry. Yet
another Americus High School football star Alonzo Jackson was the
2003 second round draft choice of the Pittsburg Steelers. Olympic
Champion swimmer Angel Myers Martino is also from Americus.
Oh by the way, Bill Bowers grew up in Americus
and is now the Stadium Voice of the Atlanta Braves at Ted Turner
Field. Kathryn Fowler is an up and coming golf champion now playing
at Ole Miss.
The area is well represented in the world of motorsports Star Racing of Americus in NHRA Drag
Racing - Pro Stock Bike category.
Star
Performance Parts
and the
Star Racing Team
are internationally recognized as a component producer, bike builder
and competitor. Star Racing has to its credit some
56+ event wins and six
NHRA Points World Championships. Three
championship wins with driver
John Myers.
The current driver is
Angelle
of New Orleans, LA who began racing in 1996 and finished second in
1999 NHRA Winston Points Standing after finishing the same in 1998.
Angelle won the NHRA Winston Points World Championship in 2000
becoming only the second female in history to do so and the first
one to do so on a motorcycle. Angelle took the
top honor again in 2001 & 2002. In
his rookie year(1999), driver Fred Collis finished the year in first
place in AMA/PROSTAR points and set a new record (Sep. 12, 1999)
with a
7.192 e.t. to become the quickest four-valve PRO STOCK Suzuki
bike driver in the World. Fred Collis was also the champion for 2000
in AMA/PROSTAR. Star Performance Parts and Star Racing offers visitors tours by
appointment.
Besides a
distinguished career of service to the citizens of Georgia, retired
Georgia State Patrol Captain John "Red" Farley has won many pistol
shooting championships over the years and is
eight-time national champion .45 ACP
(Automatic Colt Pistol). Following in his footsteps are son David
and grandson John.
Joanna Moore,
mother of Tatum O'Neal who played among other roles the girlfriend
of Andy Griffith in some of the early shows, grew up in Americus.
The historic
1892
Windsor Hotel
was authentically restored and reopened
as a full service hotel in 1991. The Windsor offers 53 unique
guests rooms, the Grand Dining Room, Floyd's Pub and a
three-tier atrium lobby of carved golden oak with balconies
overlooking the first floor lobby. Guests as distinguished as
Franklin D. Roosevelt, as mysterious as a sheik of Morocco and
as infamous as John Dillinger have stayed at the Windsor.
The historic
Rylander Theatre
has been completely renovated. Broadway shows, revues, educational
seminars, multi-cultural programs and more are now being produced in
this state of the art, high-tech facility.
If you want to know more about the
history of Sumter County, visit the history page on the Sumter
County Genealogy Web site.
CLICK HERE
Downtown Americus A Few Years
Back
Americus, Georgia Including
Souther Field
