After passing out of the hands of the Andersons, this mill
property fell into the hands of Captain Robt. Meriwether, a member
of another quite prominent family, which figures in the history of
Georgia, as well as in that of this State. He it was that gave
material aid in establishing a school at Curryton, a village five
miles from the mill, and named in honor of Joel Curry, who donated
the lands, and otherwise aided in establishing two academies, male
and female, the former under the management of a distinguished
teacher, James Leslie.
This Captain Meriwether, when quite young, went as a soldier
to the Seminole War, and after his return established himself as a
successful planter in Martinstown, whence he removed to the Ware
place in the fork, only going to Curryton to educate his children
and build up a school. In company with Dr. Hugh A. Shaw, who was
another founder and trustee of the Curryton Schools, and a popular
and successful practitioner of medicine in that community, he
remodeled and rebuilt the Anderson mill at considerable cost, but
which still stands as a work of the energy, enterprise, and
industry of these two men.
While writing of Captain Meriwether, it may be mentioned that
he was the first who raised a company and went to Charleston after
Secession and aided with Gregg's regiment, of which his company
formed a part, in the reduction of Fort Sumter. He afterwards went
to Virginia with that famous regiment, and returned home after the
expiration of the term of enlistment (six months) to form another
company. Later on he re-entered the service and surrendered as
Major of the Reserves.
Mortified at defeat, he resolved never to pay tribute to the
victors; he sold out his possessions and with his family sailed to
Brazil, where he, at last accounts, was still living, and engaged
with his sons in coffee growing.
