Alex S. McQueen Wrote the History of Charlton County in 1931, While Creating His Own Chapter As a Popular Attorney.

Photograph shows the late Alex S. McQueen as he looked while authoring his History of Charlton County.

McQueen's History of Charlton County! The words have an almost magical ring to them. All who own a copy cherishes that history, written by Folkston lawyer Alex S. McQueen in the early 1930s. It has become a collector's item.

McQueen wrote the history during the lean depression years, publishing it in 1932 after the Georgia Legislature asked each Georgia county to publish its history. McQueen was well qualified for the task, by training and background. His father, Phillip Alexander McQueen edited a weekly newspaper in Toombs County and served several terms as School Superintendent. Alex S. McQueen graduated Valedictorian from Vidalia College Institute, then a junior college, in the class of 1910. He was only 20 years of age.

Later he attended the University of Georgia, and in World War One served as Battery Clerk of Battery B, 26^th Artillery Corp., moving to Folkston after his discharge from service.

From that point on, until his death in 1960, at age 70, Colonel McQueen, as he became known, created a legend with his law practice and public service, including authoring The History of Charlton County in the 1930s, the first history ever of the county, at age 43.

McQueen set up a law office in Folkston, early moving it into the Arnold Hotel Building on the town's West Main Street, a building he would later buy. It was in that office that he began learning for himself the early history of the county that had its beginning in 1854.

McQueen took easily to pioneers of the county, hunting and fishing with them, all the while getting them to talk of the early days of the county. Soon he was named by a Charlton County Grand Jury as Official Charlton County Historian. He had learned well from the early pioneers.

McQueen had his own agenda. A recognized authority on Constitutional Law, he refused to sit idly by while, what he thought, was a violation of The Constitution took place.

With a short temper fuse, McQueen quickly challenged those whom he thought had taken the document at less than face value.

This trait caused McQueen to begin a second Charlton County newspaper, The Folkston Progress, when Tom Wrench, owner of the older Charlton County Herald, ran afoul of McQueen's agenda with his newspaper.

The two editors fought their personal battles on the front pages of their respective newspapers. An editorial by Wrench would evoke an angry response on the front pages of McQueen's paper. The people of the county enjoyed the newspaper feud and looked forward each week to the two newspapers.

The two editors continued to fire away editorially at each other for months, until, legend has it, McQueen had had enough. He was white with rage, and allegedly telephoned Wrench that he was coming to do him bodily harm. Wrench, also, was not one to walk away from a fight. He welcomed McQueen's challenge. Cooler heads prevailed when the two met at a small Standard Oil Service Station near the Charlton County Courthouse. The men their shoved Wrench into the Men's Room, and took McQueen's weapon away from him. The two later cooled off, but the editorial war continued.

Both men mellowed over the ensuing months, Wrench selling his newspaper and McQueen moving his to Camden County. The Two-Newspaper War is still spoken of by older residents.

McQueen, in the midst of his busy law practice, found time to author several books; The Georgia Justice Handbook (1915), The History of The Okefenokee Swamp (1926), Clubfoot of the Okefenokee, (1928), and The History of Charlton County (1931). His early descriptions of the early customs of the area are without equal.

McQueen was named Solicitor of the County Court of Charlton County from its creation in 1925 until it was abolished. He served as County Attorney for Charlton County and as City Attorney for The City of Folkston for four decades, and as County Ordinary (now Probate Judge) for three terms from 1937 through 1948. During the war years of 1942 through 1945, McQueen, as County Ordinary, performed thousands of marriage ceremonies for sailors from the Jacksonville Naval Air Station and their girl friends who came to Folkston for a hasty wedding before shipping out from the Naval Station. The couples usually came into Folkston by Greyhound Bus. McQueen would issue the Marriage Licenses, and many times the couple chose to be married by a minister. McQueen would send them to local ministers for the marriage ceremony.

In the 1930s, McQueen lost a leg to surgery, but continued to get around with the aid of crutches. His Ford Automobile was specially fitted with a hand-controlled accelerator so that he could perform the function with his hands.

When McQueen's son, William A. (Bill) McQueen returned home from combat service in World War Two, the father-son legal team continued as McQueen & McQueen until the elder McQueen's retirement. Bill McQueen ran the law firm alone until his death of a heart attack while in his 40s. Bill McQueen picked up where his father left off, serving as Charlton County and City of Folkston attorney until his death, in the 1960s, creating a second McQueen legend of his own as he became one of the area's most successful attorneys.

The years of Alex S. and William A. McQueen wrote a colorful history chapter of their own in the History of Charlton County.