Tag Archives: Walton County

Black History, Cemeteries, Churches, Famous People, Georgia

Moore’s Ford Lynching, Georgia

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Walton and Oconee Counties
Left to right- Mae Murray and George Dorsey, Roger and Dorothy Malcom

On July 25, 1946, George W. (1917-1946) and Mae Murray (1922-1946) Dorsey, and Roger (1922-1946) and Dorothy (1926-1946) Malcom were murdered by a group of ten to fifteen white men on a dirt road near the Apalachee River. The Moore’s Ford Bridge crosses near where the incident happened.

Moore’s Ford Bridge over the Apalachee River

The two couples worked for farmer J. Loy Harrison (1903-1987) as sharecroppers. On July 11, Roger Malcom allegedly stabbed a white farmer, Barnette Hester (1917-1982). On July 25, Harrison bailed out Malcom and drove the Malcoms and Dorseys back towards the farm. As they neared the bridge, Harrison was forced to pull over while the the gang of white men proceeded to murder the two couples.

Apalachee River

The case remains unsolved despite the FBI offering reward money for clues in solving the case. It is believed that Harrison and others in the community know who committed the murders, but no one ever came forward. Despite renewed interest in the case, the federal government chose to officially close the investigation on March 27, 2020.

The first historical sign in the state of Georgia that documents a lynching. Georgia is second in the number of lynchings, according to the Equal Justice Initiative.

A group reenacts the day’s events every year. You can follow their page to get more information.

This is highly recommended reading.

Laura Wexler’s Fire in a Canebrake: The Last Mass Lynching in America

Mount Perry Missionary Baptist Church
The funerals for the Dorsey siblings were held at Mount Perry Missionary Baptist Church. George Dorsey was a veteran of World War II.
The final resting place for siblings George Dorsey and Dorothy Malcom at Mount Perry Missionary Baptist Church in Morgan County, Georgia.
The final resting place for Roger Malcom at Chestnut Grove Baptist Church in Morgan County, Georgia.

This post will be updated to include Mae Murray Dorsey’s headstone that’s located in Zion Hill Cemetery.

Churches, Georgia, Schools

Sorrells Springs Primitive Baptist Church and School, Georgia

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Monroe, Walton County
The church

Founded in 1836, the Sorrells Springs Primitive Baptist property has a school and cemetery. I spoke to someone who was visiting a loved one in the cemetery. He confirmed it was a school but could not remember when it closed as a school.

The school
Cemeteries, Georgia

Hughes Cemetery-Walton County, Georgia

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The arch above the gate says, “Hughes Cemetery.”

On a dirt road in Walton County is a recently restored family cemetery. The Rufus Hughes Cemetery sits in an open field. Based on old photos on Findagrave, the cemetery was once overgrown and abandoned.

The wall says, “Hughes Cemetery. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”