 |
| From left, Brian Roslund, Friends of Roosevelt's Little White House; Rhonda Toon, vice president of advancement Gordon College; Will Hanley, The Georgia Historical Society; Raleigh Henry, president/CEO, Southern Rivers Energy; Anthony McCalla, Gordon alumnus; Peter Boltz, associate professor of speech Gordon College; Paul Wood, CEO, Georgia Electric Membership Cooperatives; Lawrence Weill, president Gordon College and Dan White, Georgia Rural Library Project. |
More than 100 people turned out to see the unveiling of a historical monument Tuesday at the corner of Summers Field and College Drive adjacent to the Gordon College campus.
At the site on Aug. 11, 1938, as many as 50,000 people gathered in what was then the stadium for Gordon Military College to hear FDR dedicate the Lamar Electric Cooperative, a project of the New Deal's Rural Electrification Administration (REA.)
This was a team effort involving the Barnesville-Lamar Historical Society, The City of Barnesville, the College Corridor Committee, Friends of Roosevelt's Little White House, The Georgia Historical Society, Gordon College, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, The Georgia Rural Library Project, Inc., Southern Rivers Energy and The Yatesville Public Library/Georgia Rural Library Project.
Gordon alumnus Anthony McCalla, whose inquiry as to why there was no marker commemorating FDR's speech resulted in the monument being placed, thanked everyone for their involvement.
He was honored with a proclamation from the City of Barnesville naming Oct. 6 Anthony McCalla Day in Barnesville. He was also presented a miniature of the sculpture that depicts FDR sitting on his removable car seat with his leg braces exposed. The statue, which sits atop Dowdell's Knob in Pine Mountain, is designed so visitors can sit next to the president.
A portion of McCalla's speech follows:
Just imagine 50,000 people crowded into the small town of Barnesville on a sunny day in August 1938. And here we are at the focal point, where President Franklin Roosevelt turned on the lights for hundreds of hardworking farmers. Today, we may not have the thousands, but with the help of the Georgia Historical Society and others, we can at least erect a marker which will make it possible for thousands of people far into the future to know what happened here.
I have always loved history. I remember as a child that anytime I would see a historic marker like the one behind me I would ask my parents to stop the car so I could read the marker. I have always felt that history is very important to all of us. History reminds us of where we come from, where we are, and where we're hoping to go.
Three years ago, across from where we are today, I was in my dorm room when I came across a photograph of FDR. I won't lie to you; I thought that the photograph and the caption were not true. I thought to myself, why would a president want to come to Barnesville, Georgia? After doing my research I felt that a historical marker needed to be put up to remember this great event.
I was fearful that this day would not happen. But fear is false evidence appearing real. Let it show that with thought, determination, hard work and teamwork all things are possible, whether it is turning on the lights for thousands of people or educating the masses.
Through the month the exhibit Power to the People! will be on display in the Hightower Library. The exhibit was created by the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies at the University of Georgia. The Hightower Library is open Mondays-Thursdays 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays, 8 a.m. 5 p.m., Saturdays -- closed and on Sundays from 2 to 10 p.m. The exhibit is free and the public is welcome.