Catherine Margaret King Mrs. Barrington King (1804-1887)

Barrington King (1798-1866)

In the late 1820s, the slaves along the coast of Georgia were becoming impatient. Several uprisings had occurred, and Roswell King became anxious for the welfare of his family. Although holding valuable property in Darien and on St. Simon’s island, Mr. King felt the time was ripe for a change. His son, Barrington was also contemplating a change and was considering moving his family to New York where he planned to secure a job on Wall Street.

Just then, Bank of Darien, one of the strongest in the South at that time, asked Mr. King to make a trip through North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia to investigate their interests in the gold fields of those states. Mr. King set out for many weeks travel over muddy roads and narrow trails. He finally reached the settlement of Dahlonega, GA, nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia.

As he entered, a typical mountain home, to accept its hospitality for the night, he noticed a rock which was being used as a door step. Recognizing the fact that it contained gold, he offered his host $10 for it. The offer was accepted.  Later, Mr. King had the gold extracted and a pin made for his wife. The pin is now [1948] a prized possession of Mrs. C.F. Hunter, of Atlanta, a great grand-daughter.

As Roswell forded the Chattahoochee River and climbed the hill along Vickery Creek, he was so entranced with the beauty of that section lying between the two streams, he decided immediately it should be his future home.

Completing his business for the bank, Mr. King returned to Darien to make his report. This was done in such a masterly fashion, the bank officials had a handsome gold medal, or plaque made and presented to him in appreciation of the completeness of the information secured. Form the wording of the inscription below, the most valuable facts must have come from North Carolina.

The front inscription is:

”To Roswell King, Esq. as a mark of our esteem and appreciation of this indefatigable attention to our interests while acting as our Agent in North Carolina. February 1, 1830”

The reverse side carries this inscription:

“Tis not in mortals to command success, but you have done more, deserved it”

This medal has passed down through the generations to the Nephew King Clark family of Savannah, GA.

Roswell and his son Barrington visited North Georgia, and Barrington, who caught and held his father’s enthusiasm, decided to cast his lot with those who were to blaze the trail for a new settlement. Taking the necessary steps to acquire the land of their choice, some by grant and some by purchases, Roswell and Barrington began to plan for the future. Far in advance of their time, they were to become pioneers in the manufacture of cotton goods in Georgia.

Many details had to be worked out before affairs could be closed in Darien. He had built a row of stores and a hotel in Darien. The latter was not much of a success as the story is told he entertained all visitors to the town so lavishly in his own home; there were no patrons left for the hotel! Also there was the summer home and plantation on St. Simmons Island which must be disposed of.

 

The waters of Vickery Creek, called “Big Creek” by the Indians, offered power for a cotton factory. The factory, which was to be the main-stay of the town, was of course, Mr. King’s first interest. Just exactly when it was begun can not be determined. A loose page from a ledger in Roswell’s own hand-writing is headed:

“Expenses on and near Vickery since September 1835”

The first entry is for building a roadway to the dam and race. Thus we know that the harnessing of the waters of the Vickery Creek was the first step and that it must have been done before that date. Skilled men were brought in from Connecticut and even from England.

The next entry is expense of excavation and laying of the foundation for the factory – then, came the repair of a new belt. These are followed by an accounting of the completion of the factory and the balance on hand. Down in the left hand corner of the page is the date – March 4, 1838. As Barrington arrived a few weeks later, the writer assumed that a weary father was preparing to shift to his son, Barrington, at least some of the burden he had been bearing alone for a number of years.

A matter of interest is the manner in which the Minhinnetts arrived. When it was time for the rock work to be done, Mr. King sent out a call for rock masons. There was a Mr. Westcott from Plymouth, England, in charge of an extensive garden in Philadelphia. He heard of the call and wrote his brother-in-law in Plymouth, England, Mr. Francis Minhinnett, who accepted the call and came to supervise the elaborate stone work of the Roswell grounds and buildings. His brother, a carpenter, followed him, but the brother’s wife objected to the pioneer life, and so he remained only long enough to build the banister fence in front of the Hand house. [A home built for Roswell King’s widowed Daughter, Eliza Hand. Today this home is known as Primrose Cottage.]

Roswell’s wife died in 1839. She remained on the Georgia coast and never visited the North Georgia colony which would one day bear her husband's name. After her death,

When completed, The Roswell Manufacturing Company became a power in the business world of the state. Additions soon had to be made to handle the ever increasing business. In the early 1850s, it was working 216 looms with an output of 191,086 yards of goods per month, 50,000 lbs of thread and 4229 lbs of rope. Barrington was acting as agent for the mill. In the 1840s, he received $1000 per year. In the late fifties, just before the “War Between the States” [aka Civil War], he was receiving $1000 per month as president of the company.

For himself, Roswell built a log cabin at the head of the main thoroughfare where the Roswell Bank now stands [In 2004, this location is best described as at the northern end of Mimosa Street, where the Wachovia Bank sits]. He had won the friendship of the local Indians and they called him the “Proud Man”, and would say, “see the Proud Man’s house”. As others joined Roswell, rooms were added to the cabin as necessary, until it became quite pretentious and was laughingly called “The Castle”. The first glass windows in that section had been installed, and it was no unusual thing for the residents to be startled by seeing the face of an Indian pressed against the pane.

In spite of the fact that the Cherokees were friendly, the men thought it might be safer to persuade the Indians to move on to other hunting grounds. A conference was arranged to take place at Lebanon, on a high hill about 3 miles north of the cabin. Bright colored beads and cotton prints were brought from Darien and money was added to satisfy the Chiefs. From that pinnacle, looking down on their beloved “Big Creek”, the pact was signed, and the Red Men and the White Men separated with only respect in the heart of each for the other.

On visits, Roswell King’s son, Barrington, and his son-in-law, Rev. Nathaniel A. Pratt, selected their lots, cleared the land, and planted fruit trees. Barrington had chosen a site at the south end of the broad street, facing his father’s home at the other end of the street – about ¼ mile away. Dr. Pratt liked the west side of the street about half way between. The Kings invited friends from the Georgia coast to come and form a colony offering as an inducement, building sites (land) on which to build their homes.


Frame structures were built until the handsome colonial mansions could be erected. A prominent architect, whose name unfortunately has been lost, was brought from Connecticut. It is too bad he can not be given the credit due him for the homes and Presbyterian Church still stand, perfect examples of Georgian Architecture, memorials to his artistic skill. Being people mostly of Presbyterian faith, the construction of the church was included in the earliest plans.

Roswell bought 42 additional slaves in Darien for something like $22,000. They were brought to Cobb County [today known as Fulton County] to help with the rush of building so soon to begin. Barrington sold his summer home on Coastal Georgia in February of 1838. Much of the furniture was sold too to save the trouble and expense of the move. He writes “April 24, 1938 - Expenses moving from Liberty Co. paid from 27th April to arrive in Lawrenceville May 8, Self, wife, 9 children, 8 servants, and 6 horses - $126". Barrington’s little daughter, Evelyn, later to play such a prominent part in the life of Roswell, was just a babe in arms.

Many supplies were taken by sloop from Darien to Augusta, and loaded there on wagons and taken the rest of the way. Ox carts were used extensively. There were many entries of “wagonage paid Simon Fraser”. He made many trips transporting supplies and slaves.

Please keep in mind that when the factory began to operate there were only Indian trails where our beautiful Atlanta now stands. There were no railroads near enough to be of service. Mules and oxen were the best means of conveyance for heavy loads.

In the midst of the confusion of moving and settling same a note of sadness – the death of Baynard Hand in Darien, in the late fall of 1838. His widow, Elizabeth King Hand, was the oldest daughter of Roswell, and joined the colony, and her home was planned immediately It was decided not to construct a temporary house for Mrs. Hand, but to rush through her permanent house.

A lot was taken from the frontage of the Pratt property, nearer her brother Barrington on the south, and adjoining her sister, Mrs. Pratt, on the north. The first load of lumber was laid down in January 1839. It is a simple matter to follow the progress of construction from the entries of materials charged to the E.B. Hand estate. In June, the large brick Dutch oven was built by slaves rented from their various owners. This was placed in the ground floor at the back of the house, which was below the main floor. The dining room and kitchen were both on that lower level too.

The first of August, Roswell furnished the house for his daughter, and the pantry was stocked with supplies from Darien and the Roswell Company Store. The last of the month, Mrs. Hand and her three children, Julia, Catherine, and Baynard, moved in to enjoy the comforts of the first permanent home in Roswell. Shortly thereafter, Roswell made his home with his daughter. In addition to the rooms already described, there were 4 rooms on the main floor, and 4 on the floor above. With wide halls though the center of each floor. The rooms were large and airy as was the custom at that time. Facing the east side, the wide veranda made a delightful gathering place for afternoon chats.

Until May 1842, there are only six families mentioned. They arrived in 1838-1839 and include: Barrington King, James Dunwody, J. S. Bulloch, Archibald Smith, Mrs. Elizabeth Hand and Rev. Nathaniel A. Pratt. These, with their families, undoubtedly constitute the first group which joined Roswell King about the time the factory was completed. In May 1842, Robert Lewis, of Savannah joined the colony. The social life of the town centered around these 7 families.