Miss Sarah was a small little lady who matured in prison, then relocated to town hall. Lest that declaration require description, it ought to be kept in mind that Miss Sarah’s dad, Ben Adams (1884-1941), was constable of Fayette County throughout much of the 1920s and 1930s, which he, Miss Pearlie, and their child Sarah resided in the downstairs part of the two-story prison that then based on the north side of the Fayetteville town square. That describes Miss Sarah’s having actually matured in prison.
In 1937, as his time as constable was unwinding, Sheriff Adams constructed the charming redbrick home (given that painted white) that still bases on the north side of westbound Lanier Avenue, simply past the old Fayetteville depot. The household lived here till about 1965, when they offered it and moved even more out Highway 54, at which point the city purchased it and turned it into City Hall. Throughout that duration of time, Miss Sarah had actually almost used out the walkway in between there and Jeff Davis Drive, for she would sweep that entire range at least when a day.
Miss Sarah understood everybody and whatever in Fayetteville. She, Ruby Crews Mize (1910-1985), and your compiler’s maternal grandma, Martha Stinchcomb Schell (1919-2013), talked all the time by phone and were on par with the finest investigators in understanding what was taking place around town. High school kids in the 1950s and 1960s described them as Sonic Sarah, Radar Ruby, and Megaphone Martha.
We require to get to the school transportation stories assured in the title and opening paragraph.
Miss Sarah fell in love in high school with fellow FCHS Class of 1936 graduate Clarence Rivers (1919-1992), and as folks around Fayetteville stated at the time, “Sarah chased after Clarence till he captured her.” The chase went something like this: Sarah, who either had her own cars and truck or had access to Miss Pearlie’s, would delve into it as quickly as school was out every day and fly out Gingercake or Sandy Creek Road, where she understood Clarence’s bus would be coming, obstruct the roadway with her cars and truck, and consent to move it just if the motorist would let Clarence off so he might ride around with her. Who understands what sort of charge a kid pulling such a stunt today would deal with? Folks appeared to take a lot more in stride back way back when.
The other school transportation story including Miss Sarah is one informed by her earliest kid, Dr. Ben Rivers, a retired oral cosmetic surgeon in Tennessee, who matured with your compiler’s late mom, Jane Schell Langford (1939-2024), and was buddies in high school with your compiler’s late daddy, the very first Dan Langford (1939-2001). Listen to Benny inform the story: “When Jane and I remained in Miss Irene Davis’s 7th-grade class at the old schoolhouse in Fayetteville in the 1951-52 academic year, a day-long excursion to Atlanta was prepared for the spring. Old Mr. Sams, the superintendent, stated the county could not manage to send out the buses that far, however that Miss Irene might take us on the journey if she might set up independent transport. Mom filled the entire class into the back of an open livestock truck, and drove us up to Peachtree Street and out to Grant Park to see the zoo and cyclorama, and then back home later on.”
Your compiler was almost enthusiastic the very first time he heard this story, for 2 factors. Is that it would be a game-stopper in our day and time, and 2nd is that he questions how small Miss Sarah might’ve seen over the control panel. She needs to have been resting on 2 or 3 pillows!
It was much as your compiler’s paternal grandpa, long time Brooks mayor H. R. Langford (1901-1987) utilized to state, “I swannee, I believe Fayette County includes more characters per square inch than just about anywhere in the world.” And Sarah Adams Rivers was a first-rate character!
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