In an effort to preserve some of the history of our community, The Times is displaying photos of Henry County from the past. If you can tell us anything about the photo shown above, use this form. In the next edition, we’ll reveal the details of the picture and notes readers send us.
This photo is of Mr. and Miss Henry County Fair, 1955. The girls are (L. to R.) Ruth White, Mary Lou Floyd, Sara Stokes, Marvina Taylor, Millie Jo Elliott, Mary Jane Owen, Cary Carmichael, (unable to ID), Janell Parker, (unable to ID), and Barbara Worley. The guys, (L. to R.), David Alman, Beman Pierson, Henry Colvin, Donnie Bohler, Billy Davis, Bem Gibson, Bobby Bledsoe, Aldine Mays, (unable to ID). The annual fair, sponsored as always by the Kiwanis Club, was set up in what is now a rec area on Spring St. in McDonough. Contestants represented community civic organizations from Stockbridge, Fairview, Ola, Flippen, McDonough, Hampton and Locust Grove. The late Dr. Aldine Mays was ‘Mr. Henry County Fair.’
With regard to the Henry County Fair photo, .I am pictured in the middle of the girls group and was chosen as “Miss Henry County Fair.” The Fair and the parade which followed was an annual affair and students from the McDonough schools were released for the day to attend the Fair. I might add that the African American school, known then as Henry County Training School, had a great marching band which was invited to march in the parade. One of the few times in my memory at which “the races” were comingled. HCTS attended the Fair on a separate day. The date of the photo is 1955. The Supreme Court had ruled in 1954, Brown v Board of Education which ended segregation of public schools.
Thank you for attempting to document what’s left of a beautiful time and place in history.