HOMELAND, BEGUN IN 1906, ENJOYING RENISSANCE

Charlton County's second incorporated city, Homeland, is enjoying a decade-long rebirth, thanks mostly to the efforts of its mayor, Austin Hickox.

Hickox, a resident of the city, with a current population of around 1,500, works in the dual jobs of mayor and city superintendent. One day he is drawing up ordinances, the next he meets with industrial prospects for the city's new industrial park.

When Homeland was first settled, immigrants from northern states moved into the area and set up the "1906 Colony Company." Planners laid out an ambitious city map, complete with parks, cemetery, and agricultural plots. C. W. Waughtel, a school teacher from Red Lion, Pennsylvania was the chief mover of the new colony, selling lots to other settlers from northern states who were hunting milder climates and economic opportunity.

Hickox, armed with a Photostatic memory of Homeland's early history, set about to bring big changes to the small city, located just two miles north of the county seat, Folkston. Hickox, before becoming mayor five years ago, was a long time member of the Homeland City Council, often arguing in vain for new life for the sleepy community.

In the early 1920s, Homeland had seen almost meteoric growth. A cigar factory, masonry church buildings, a railroad depot, a post office, and numerous stores were built. The town fathers had incorporated the former Colony Company into the City of Homeland. Agricultural interests prospered and the small city that sat between two railroad lines, one leading to Waycross and the other leading to Jesup. Homeland also had a weekly newspaper, and there was talk about opening a bank and a local telephone company.

Then the Great Depression struck. Homeland, like its sister city of Folkston slid back into an area of no growth. Over the years the residents of Homeland became complacent satisfied with no growth and a sleepy life style.

Hickox, when he took over the mayor's post set about to change all this. He wanted more for the people of Homeland. He saw that his city was not sharing in Charlton County's local option sales tax. Homeland had been excluded from that revenue by the Charlton County Commission who contended Homeland was not an eligible city. It took Hickox many months of legal work and many trips to the Georgia Department of Revenue to change all that, and with the county fighting his every step.

Hickox still gets upset when he thinks about the year 1951, when Folkston had legislation passed in the Georgia General Assembly, ripping Homeland's valuable highway frontage on U. S. 1 and U. S. 301 from Homeland and annexing it into the City of Folkston. Homeland's efforts, then headed by its mayor, Dr. W. J. Schneider, could not undo the damaging changes. Today, what was once Homeland along that corridor, is now part of Folkston, depriving Homeland of valuable tax bases and commercial outlets.

Despite these setbacks, Hickox has succeeded in acquiring state grants for a million dollars in street paving, helped inaugurate the city's water system, and with the help of his city council, opened up a new paved access route into north Homeland.

Hickox, as mayor, saw unsightly mobile home parks on the city's major streets. He pushed through the council a zoning ordinance. Five years later, most of those unsightly areas have been cleaned up, while mobile homes moving into Homeland must meet rigid construction standards. The difference in the looks of the small city is astounding.

Homeland has an active Police Department, a city-owned and operated residential garbage pickup, computerized record keeping, and, above all, its residents now take pride in talking of their home town. Hickox still is stymied by mail for Homeland residents being addressed to the Folkston post office, with identical zip codes.

Hickox says the city is actively pursuing industrial growth and commercial growth. The highly-charged mayor is on numbers of area-wide and state commissions, making valuable friends for him and his city.

Homeland is truly enjoying a rebirth as it enters the 21^st Century, with Hickox's leadership, visitors to the growing city are amazed by the changes from the Homeland of just several years ago.