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The Roaring Twenties in Ball Ground!

Looking back over the official minutes of the 1920s, the City of Ball Ground has come a long way. On January 5, 1920, at 6:30pm, the first meeting of the year was called to order by Mayor Pro Tem R.M. Thompson. The following council members were present: H.H. Hardin, Walter Darby, Jas H. Holcombe, and L. R. Thomason. The Treasurer’s Report given showed a beginning yearly balance of $1,268.45. An excerpt of the minutes read, “Upon the results of a legal election held the first Saturday in Dec 1919, the following officers were chosen: for mayor, Walter Hardin; for councilmen, L. R. Thomason, W.H Anderson, G. C. McClure, O. A. Williams, and Frank Edwards.” This meeting was closed in due form only to reconvene at 7:30pm with the newly elected mayor and council members leading the way. Council Member W. H. Anderson was elected as mayor pro tem. L. R. Thomason was elected as clerk, and O. A. Williams as treasurer.

On May 5, 1923, Mayor W. H. Anderson presented a Franchise Ordinance to the City Council from J. B. Roberts, requesting authority and right to construct and maintain a power plant or power plants for the purpose of furnishing electric energy to the municipality of Ball Ground and its inhabitants and to make and reserve reasonable charges therefore. The Ordinance further requested the authority to construct a gas plant or gas plants, and to furnish to the municipality and to its inhabitants — gas for lighting, heating, or other purpose and to make and receive reasonable charges therefore. There is no knowledge of a gas plant ever being constructed, but although mostly destroyed, there is still little remnants of the Roberts Dam and Power Company that was built on Long Swamp Creek east of downtown.

In the minutes of October 29, 1928, the only mention of when Georgia Power came to town is when they violated the terms of their franchise agreement as well as its street lighting contract.

On October 2, 1924, the residents of Ball Ground petitioned the mayor and city council to engage experienced engineers for the purpose of making a thorough survey with a view of arriving at cost of the best and most efficient water supply for the town.

On October 10, 1924, S. L. Boling, clerk of Ball Ground, received a letter from J. B. McCrary Engineering Corporation of Atlanta stating they were returning contract properly signed and executed to make surveys, studies, and investigations at the earliest time possible to construct a water system for the people of Ball Ground. A well approximately 400 feet deep that was drilled in 1924 is still providing some of the best tasting water around to the residents of Ball Ground.

On May 8, 1928, The Nelson-Ball Ground Telephone Company made application to the City Council asking them to grant a franchise to provide phone service to the town. The Ordinance passed, stating that the Nelson-Ball Ground Telephone Company would erect, operate, and maintain lines of telephone and telegraph, including all necessary poles, towers with wires, and electric conductors upon, along, under, and over the public streets, roads, and highways of the town.

The last meeting of the 1920s, held December 24, shows the meeting was called to order by Mayor L. A. Thomason with a cash balance of $947.34 on hand.

Ball Ground was indeed roaring in the 1920s, laying the groundwork for future generations to come!

The Destination Ahead
Continuing Roswell's Tradition of Service

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