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Porterdale Mill on the Yellow River |
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Porterdale Mill on the Yellow River |
| My father was Robert
Hodges and he worked in the "Old Mill" for the
Bibb for at least 20 years, up to 1967 when he passed away. He
was a maintenance man on all the machinery, repaired, fixed and
performed periodic care. My Mother was Mattie Bell (Head)
Hodges, she worked in the new "Osprey Mill", till she
retired, after almost 30 years. I played Little League Ball for
Porterdale. I pitched the first recorded, "no" hitter
in baseball, where all the batters were struck out. It is not in
the Guinness World Record, since they do not record on minors in their
book of records. Porterdale always insured the people of the community had sports recreation, softball was big, Sid Hodges, pitched for the team, he was offered a contract with the Atlanta Crackers, at the age of 18, but Bibb offered him a full time job for life if he stayed and pitched for the "town" team. Sid eventually retired or quit, not sure. He was a Police Officer with the rank of Sergeant. Sid had a brother named Jack, their father was Johnny Hodges and a first cousin to my Dad. Sid was my Little League Coach when I pitched the "no" hitter. I pitched two "no" hitters that year. Porterdale was a community, that was great to live in. They had recreation of all kinds for the people who lived there from baseball, softball, basketball, golf, official gym, swimming pool, little league baseball, a movie theater located in the school house and had movies on the week-ends and Wednesday nights. A Company Christmas Party for the employees and their families every year in the "town" gym, and gave the children Christmas boxes of fruit, candy, and stuff. There were Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cubs, and Brownies, all of this was sponsored by the Bibb and the Mill. They had a country Store, that had groceries, a meat market, a place to cash your checks and a bar and grill for eating and to this day they had the best hamburgers in the world. For fifty cents you could get a hamburger, chips, coke, and fries. Next door was a Drug Store, with an Ice Cream and Soda Fountain, where I, believe the first Cherry Coke was invented. One block down was Whites Department Clothing Store. Between the Stores was the Post Office, Barber Shop, and Police Station. There was a huge club house behind all the stores, and behind the Grocery Store was the Nursery at one time. If I can of any help please let me know. This is a jewel of a town that has been over looked for it's value in history. There are no more Company owned Towns like this left except in the movies. It is still as it was with two things missing: (1) The Swimming Pool, (2) and the Old School House. And I might mention it had it's own Hospital. The Doctor at that time was Doctor Mitchell, can't remember his first name, but will find out. His son is Bob Mitchell. Doctor Mitchell tended everyone in that town, made house calls, and delivered all of us. This town should be preserved as is, hope we can. Sincerely, Ralph Hodges |
| God must had intervened, These last couple of years
have been rough, you must be acting for a Christmas angel, because you
have made a lot of us happy and smiling this year. It is a great thing
you are doing for this old town and it's people. People traveled from
Monroe, Athens, Conyers, McDonough, Jonesboro, Madison, and many more
just to work at this mill in the older days. You did not get rich, but
it guaranteed everyone in this area for at least 50 years, a home and
food on the table. I worked in the Osprey Mill for a year myself
before joining the military, running the Kiddie Machines, The Mill was
hard steady, no time to mess around job. We all hated it, but Thank
God for It!.
Ralph Hodges |
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It was 1953/4, I, was 8 or 9 years old, in the third grade in
school. I, became very ill, with stomach and side pains, had been
out of school for a week, and my mother had tried all the regular
and home made medicines to help me , but I, continued to get worse.
I, started seeing people and talking to people I, never knew and
were even dead, and that's when my parents decided it was time to
call a Dr.. It, was a weekend, and most of them were out of town or
did not care to be bothered, except one !, Dr James Mitchell of
Porterdale, who got in his car and came to our house to check on me,
It turned out that I, had an bad appendix , and they had already busted.
He left to go to the Porterdale Hospital, to set up the surgery
room, and told my parents to get me there as soon as they could. As
for me, I, had know idea what was going on, all I, remember was the
big man smoking a cigar looking, poking and trying to talk to me. During
the surgery, I, guess you might say I, died, my heart stopped, and
in those days they did not have shock treatment, or a stimulant shot
to give you, all he had was his hands to message my heart. I, don't
know how long, but the nurses said they had started to clear things
away, and except the fact they had lost me, but Dr. Mitchell would
not stop and kept working on me until he got me breathing and my
heart pumping again, so you see I, owe this old country Dr. with a
hump in his shoulders, and a cigar always in his mouth my Life. My
system was so infected, that they kept me in the hospital for 32 days. No
one was rich, he never complained about a bill, never sent one to
the house or called, took what you could pay him with a smile. After
that I, never saw him again, but as I, got older, I' knew I, should
one day say something, but never got a chance. He had a son I, went to school
with named Bob Mitchell, I, wanted to tell him that story one day,
But Bob never liked me that much, so I, never did, but if you read
this one day Bob, your farther was a great man and Doctor in my eyes
and I, truly owe him my entire life as it has become to this day, so
please except my thank you for him, from me to you.
Ralph Hodges January 30, 2004 |