Annual Oak Grove Homecoming in Old Parramore set for Next Weekend

The popular annual Oak Grove Homecoming in Old Parramore will take place next Sunday, October 4, 2009.

This event brings the long faded "ghost town" of Parramore back to life on the first Sunday in October of each year. Although the area was settled long before the War Between the States, the town of Parramore actually grew at the intersection of today's Oak Grove and Parramore roads during the years after the war when former soldiers and former slaves made homes for themselves in the piney woods. By 1890, Parramore had become a thriving community based on its status as an important port for the paddlewheel riverboats that then navigated the Chattahoochee River.

By the decade between 1900 and 1910, Parramore featured several stores, a sawmill, gristmill, cotton gin, blacksmith shop, post office, turpentine operations, several steamboat landings, schools, churches and more. When the riverboat traffic began to fade in the 1920s, however, the town started to fade as well. By 1950, only abandoned buildings, a scattering of families and ruins remained.

People will start gathering for the event at around 9 or 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 4th, and plans for the day include a historical discussion, special music and dinner on the grounds. I'll post more information over coming days, but the event is open to the public and anyone with an interest in the Parramore area is invited!