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 At one time Norwood was one of Warren County's most
thriving towns. It is situated on the Georgia Railroad four miles
from Camak, four miles from Warrenton and 121 miles southeast of
Atlanta, Georgia.
During the War Between the States, Mr. Radford Gunn
built a grist mill on the site now known as Norwood, but was then
called Gunn's Mill. In 1884, Hon. T. E. Massengale, who represented
Warren County in the legislature, presented a bill to incorporate
the town. In 1888, while a member of the senate, he had the charter
amended and the name changed to Norwood in honor of Hon. Thomas
Norwood, a member of Congress from Savannah.
In the 1930's, the population of this thriving town
was approximately 500. It had a Southern Express office and a
Western Union Telegraph office in the depot. In addition to several
general stores, there were two drug stores, a grist mill, a shoe
shop, Baptist and Methodist churches, a flourishing Junior High
School housed in a brick building, a bank owned by G. A. Ray and W.
E. Ray with T. N. Ray as cashier, and a large brick cotton warehouse
and gin operated by electricity.
Ray Banking Company closed in 1932, followed by the
closing of the Southern Express office, and Western Union Telegraph
office in 1957. These offices were located in the Georgia Railroad
depot which was also closed. The Ray Cotton Gin closed in 1958.
The Norwood business section has decreased over the
years and now has only one store and one filling station. The
consensus is that this decline was brought about by the increase in
the number of automobiles and paved highways. Highway 278 runs
through the town and Interstate 20 is only three miles away. The
two churches, Methodist and Baptist, are still very active in the
community. Norwood is an incorporated town with a mayor and five
councilmen. All the streets have been paved for several years. The
population in 1974, was approximately 325, a decrease over the years
because of no industry locating there, and the decrease of small
farms. People had to seek employment elsewhere.
Rural Free Delivery
Norwood is proud of the origin of Rural Free
Delivery. In 1868, six men hired Jerry Parsons, a
Negro who could not
read,
to deliver and collect mail at their homes near Norwood, each day
except Sundays and holidays. For this service, he received food and
clothing. Each morning the postmaster at Norwood arranged the mail
in correct order and "Uncle Jerry" began his ten mile walk covering
3100 miles per year.
This created the first free rural mail delivery system. Senator
Thomas E. Watson, then a young boy clerking for Hon. T. E.
Massengale, observed this perfect plan for Rural Free Delivery. In
February of 1893, Senator Watson, then in Congress, sponsored the
bill creating Rural Free Delivery. In 1996, Norwood held a
celebration commemorating the 100 years of Rural Carrier History.
Today, Norwood is the site of
Georgia's first municipal drip system. Visit the
Norwood Project.
Norwood City Officials
Norwood City Hall
P. O. Box 64
Norwood, GA 30821
(706) 465-9675
David Harper, Mayor
Kathryn Landrum
David Berry
Beverly Warren
Hildred Harper
James Wilburn
Pam McCord, Clerk
Visit the
City of Norwood and the Norwood
Project
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