Bellville
Bellville, Evans County, Georgia
Marker Inscription
Bellville. This town, named for area pioneer Frances Bell Smith, was founded in 1890 on property owned by Pulaski Sikes Smith, John M. Wood, and Benjamin Berrien Brewton in then Tattnall County. Town lots were platted adjacent to the newly laid tracks of the Savannah & Western Railroad. The railroad depot, constructed soon after the tracks were laid, served as the town's center of commerce and social activity. Bellville rapidly gained importance as a regional transportation hub for agricultural and timber products such as cotton, naval stores, and lumber, and as the home of Bellville Academy, established in 1890. 2000.8 Erected by The Georgia Historical Society and the City of Bellville 54-1
Erected by Georgia Historical Society
The Story
Bellville was founded in 1890 on land platted beside the newly laid tracks of the Savannah & Western Railroad and named for pioneer Frances Bell Smith. Its depot quickly became the town's commercial and social center, and Bellville grew into a regional shipping point for cotton, naval stores, and lumber, home as well to the Bellville Academy.
Why it matters
Bellville is a classic railroad town of the New South, one of countless Georgia communities that sprang up along the tracks as rail lines opened the pine belt to cotton, timber, and turpentine markets.
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Related people
- · Frances Bell Smith
- · Pulaski Sikes Smith
- · John M. Wood
- · Benjamin Berrien Brewton
Themes & tags
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