Clyattville, Georgia

History

When Clyattville was first settled, there were only a few families to establish residence. These families included the Brays, the Hunters, the Lanes, the Arnolds, the Covingtons, the Quillians, and the Clyatts.

The community has not always been at its present site; it was once located two miles north-west on the Old Clyattville Road.

Clyattville has not always been located at is current location. From 1837 to 1848, the community was known as Forest Grove and was located to the north-west of the current location. It was centered around the Forest Grove Primitive Baptist Church. The only current sign of Forest Grove is the local cemetery by the same name, which still serves as the primary cemetery for modern Clyattville. In 1848, the post office for the community was transferred a short distance away to the store of James M. Clyatt. Clyatt's store had existed for about a decade at that point along a stagecoach route between Troupville, Georgia and Bellville, Florida. The store was located near the intersection of Ousley Road and Old Clyattville Road about 1.4 miles (2.3 km) north-west of the current location of Clyattville. The store was previously owned by James Claytt's father Samuel Mills Clyatt, who had owned a plantation which covered most of the area around Clyattville.

In the late 1890s, the Valdosta Railway was built between Valdosta, Georgia and Madison, Florida. The route of railroad bypassed the location of Old Clyattville by less than a mile. The community shifted towards where the old stage coach route crossed the railway.

The first store in modern Clyattville was owned by the Bray family. Since then, many more stores have been established, including Zipperer's Grocery (located across the street from the Clyattville Elementary School); a Minute Markest, now a Holiday Market (on the Lake Park-Clyattville Highway); J.W.'s Grocery (located on the Madison Highway); and Clyattville 66 (located at the corner of the Madison Highway and the Lake Park-Clyattville Highway). There once was a grist mill, a cotton gin, a drugstore, and only one church, the Methodist Church.

Early Clyattville was mainly agricultural, and its community thrived on farming. In the early 1950s, Owens-Illinois built a paper mill and a bag plant. C.A. Baucom built a cotton gin.

Residents traveled by buggies or wagon until they could afford cars. The first person to own a car in Clyattville was Dr. Quillian. His office was a wooden building in Olympia (the old saw mill town along the route of the Valdosta Railway).

Clyattville's community that has changed since the times of their forefathers. One cannot say that Clyattville is an area that is continuously increasing in population or undergoing industrial changes.

Wild Adventures was established in the 1990s as Liberty Farms 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Clyattville.

Geography

It is located approximately 6.5 miles south-east of Valdosta on Georgia State Route 31 (Madison Highway).

School

Clyattville Elementary School is located in the Clyattville area. It belongs to the Lowndes County School System.