No Hope, GA
Founded – April 9, 1865
Population – 13
Sherman burned it all. Some say that’s why the South is still a place and didn’t disappear into history. Most down here say Sherman went too far. He didn’t just want to beat the South, he wanted to beat it down.
Funny how that works. When you try to destroy something it creates martyrs. It gives the survivors a reason to continue. Lincoln knew that but he was taken before he could influence with his quiet manner and wise words after the war ended. Healing was needed then and is still needed today.
This is the story of No Hope, GA and it’s founding the day the war ended. It exists today but that name does not reflect it’s character. The first census roll lists the founding members. I can’t swear to the accuracy of this list because it is old and faded but these are the names as best I can read them.
The notes beside each give us a picture of the person, in a way. I can’t swear to the accuracy but we’ll dig in and see how it comes to pass as we tell the stories.
Sylvester Alexander – Patriarch, owner of what’s left on the farm
Lucinda Alexander – Matriarch, woman behind the man, motivator, encourager
Dr. Leroy Scamahorn – Battle Surgeon – worked on both gray and blue, because life is precious.
Homer Alexander – Worker, carpenter, mason. Work is not what it used to be.
Roscoe Alexander– Inventor and thinker.
Tiber Kirkland – A dreamer and huckster, carpetbagger
Esmeralda Green – Widow, beautiful, shy and lonely. Most of the men she met were afraid because she was so beautiful
Able Cant – Not all there. We always have some who aren’t but they teach us much.
Pamela Tonsor – A schemer, has a challenged relationship with the truth.
Lois Prima – Princess, kind to all and works to bring peace when there is none.
David Wayfare – Itinerant Preacher, Cobbler, Honest Politician
Catherine Stark – Simple, Plain, Smart
Star Holder – Wants to escape No Hope but isn’t sure how or where to go.
There will be more as we tell the stories but these are the ones who were there at the beginning. They all have a story of how they got here and we’ll do our best to share them.
People ask me, where is No Hope but truthfully, I say it does not exist. The town started with that name but it changed years ago. We want to protect the population from the prying eyes and all those photographers (everyone is a photographer now, right?) so I won’t be sharing the exact location of the old town with the new name but I will tell you it’s somewhere past Between, below Gratis and above Needmore. Beyond that, I can’t say but rest in the knowledge, we are here to learn from our history so we can amplify the good and quiet the bad.
We can learn much if we just try. Are you willing to try?
The beginning of the town was humble. There were just a few tents to house the population and the first real building they built was the church. It was small but it protected them when the really bad storms blew in and gave them a place to give thanks for the progress they made nearly every day.
We’ll reveal the story of the church first.