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The Hartwell Sun
Aug. 23, 1918
A “real” potato market was coming to Hartwell for the first time.
County agent at the time John H. Warren arranged to equip a building with crates, which were considered to be better than bins because they could be carried to the field and stored in the house without being bruised.
The Sun reported that 90 percent of the previous year’s potato harvest were rotted by severe winter weather, prompting a need for the market and storage spot.
“We need more co-operation between the farmer and business man — and no better method can be employed than to have a real potato market,” The Sun wrote.
Aug. 22, 1941
A group of bandits allegedly kidnapped a Royston banker and tied him to a tree in Winder before making their getaway with $5,000 cash.
Sheriff at the time T. W. Andrews reported that cashier Branson James was forced to open a bank vault at Commercial Exchange Bank after two robbers broke into his house, forced him out of bed at gunpoint and threatened to kill his wife if she alerted authorities.
The sheriff believed one of the men was Forrest Turner, a notorious Georgia prison “escape artist” who had fled the Dallas camp a week earlier.
The men reportedly broke in about 6 a.m., but the cashier informed them he would not be able to open the vault due to a time-lock until 9 a.m., so the men made James drive them around for about two hours.
A clerk was in the bank when James entered to clean out the vault and she noticed nothing amiss. When the cashier returned to the car, the men tied him up and headed to Winder where they tied James up to a tree three miles short of the city and left in his vehicle.
An Atlanta traveling man stopped and untied James before he was able to notify his wife he was safe and alert authorities.
Aug. 19, 1971
Officials were hopeful a new facility at Hart County Hospital would help save lives.
The former hospital was set to add an additional emergency room to its facilities with a new building constructed.
The upgrade was part of the hospital’s long-range expansion and improvement program.
The new facility would also be able to provide, other than an emergency room, an examination room and an area for giving intravenous fluids.
“Many times a life can be saved if there is needed room available with proper emergency equipment and supplies,” assistant hospital administrator Leonard Seymour said. “And perhaps this new addition can help save lives in the future.”