By Dr. Charles Pendley
Contributing Writer
The sixth annual Promenade Through History presented by the Genealogical Society of Henry and Clayton Counties featured seven prominent residents of Henry County portrayed by family members and other local residents. The performance was made possible by the volunteer efforts of the Society’s members and supported by local patrons, those who bought tickets and from new memberships and the sale of books on Henry County’s history.
Featured were the wife of a wealthy plantation owner, Caroline McKay Weems, portrayed by Jamie Brown clad in full period dress; Coy Pridmore, the first principal of Stockbridge High School, who made liberal use of a paddle named the ‘Board of Education’ to change students’ attitudes, was enthusiastically played by actor David Shedd; Eck Brannan, said to be the tallest policemen in the history of McDonough, represented by Jeff Reeves – standing on two pallets; Alice Pendley, the first female Postmaster from Hampton who square-danced with Henry Ford, was played by her daughter, Sarah Earlene; Vessie Thrasher Ranier, the author of several important books on Henry County’s history and homes, was portrayed by Denise Sowell; a coach who was first feared and later respected and who later became a county school administrator who oversaw the integration of the County’s schools, William “Bill” Orr, very realistically depicted by Jim McBrayer; and last but not least was a local doctor, one of three in the entire county at the time, who still made house calls at all hours of the day and night, who started Henry County’s first hospital and single-handedly tackled a wanted criminal trying to escape, Dr. Joe Blissit, M.D., represented by none other than his own son, Doug Blissit.
The event was ably hosted by Mr. Gene Morris, Henry County’s official historian, who shared many humorous anecdotes about past county residents. An audience of over one hundred consisted mostly “old timers” who personally knew some of the characters, with a sprinkling of newcomers who perhaps attended out of curiosity.
The individuals featured at this year’s Promenade spanned a period of almost 200 years, from the plantation period of the mid-1800s to the recent past. They survived several wars, depressions, the demands of careers and raising a family. They did not seek fame or notoriety, but rose from humble beginnings to lead productive lives and each in their own way contributed to making our County what it is today.
The performance contained too many highlights to do justice to in a single short article like this one. Suffice it to say that all the lives presented, while in many ways unique, all represented a combination of humor, opportunity, ambition, achievement, close family ties and most of all, humanness.
The performance aptly concluded by playing the lyrics of Louis Armstrong’s ‘What a Wonderful World.’
As the years pass, the lives and achievements of these ordinary but in many ways extraordinary individuals, as well as those who knew and remember them, will sadly fade from the public’s memory. This year’s Promenade Through History sought to ensure that, although gone, they will not soon be forgotten.
