Bostwick

The town of Bostwick is named for John Bostwick, a prominent citizen who developed the area and worked to promote economic success in the community. Incorporated in December, 1902, Bostwick was a thriving community that contained 2 cotton gins, grist mill, post office, doctor’s office, bank, hotel and school. A railroad was established that connected the town to the community of Apalachee and later to the town of Monroe in Walton County. The cotton industry was decimated in the 1920’s by the boll weevil and the Great Depression further depressed the economy of the area. The railroad, the bank and the hotel closed. In the 1940’s the school was consolidated with other schools into the Morgan County High School.

Bostwick today features many significant historic buildings, including the recently restored Susie Agnes Hotel. Thousands of visitors come to the town every year to celebrate the annual Cotton Gin Festival in November and the annual Fourth of July Barbeque. Bostwick remains a strong agricultural community, with cotton returning as a staple crop.

email a friend

John Bostwick, Sr.	Cotton wagons in Bostwick	Keeping food cold - Wynelle Ruark	Horseback riding - Wynelle Ruark
Chores - Wynelle Ruark	Raising Food on the Farm - Wynelle Ruark	Saturdays in Bostwick - Earl Nunn	Nunn family

Memories of Bostwick

“Well, the biggest day of the week was really on Saturday. And I can remember a few cars there, but a lot of horse drawn wagons. People would come into town. We had three grocery stores. They’d buy their groceries and get their dry goods. I remember my Mama sending some eggs to town to trade for coffee, sugar and stuff like that. You had a surplus there and no way of really keeping it or using it up. It would ruin, so we traded it for supplies…coffee, salt or sugar. Rest of the stuff, we raised.”

Earl Nunn, interviewed April 18, 2009