Thursday, August 31, 1905
Blythe, Ga. Aug. 30 – Special

This little, but thriving and go-ahead village, situated twenty miles
west of Augusta, on the Augusta Southern Railroad, is jut now in
the throes of a rush of business.  Everything is full of life, indicating
a healthful undercurrent on all lines of business.  The population is concretively
estimated at 500.   There are 100 dwellings and several fine stores
doing an annual business of about $60,000.  There are two up-to-date
ginneries, one capable of turning out a bale of cotton every thirty minutes.
It has three gins and is taxed to its utmost capacity.  The other gin house
has six gins, with a daily capacity of fifty bales.  The former is operated
by the Taylor Gin Company, the latter by Mr. Jno. E. Templeton.
There are two general repair shops, one barber shop, one shoe
shop, one furniture shop, one undertaker’s shop, two drug stores,
one dental surgery office, two physicians, one carriage repository,
one fish market, one green grocery; one steam saw mill, one steam
grist mill, one telephone, one express office, railroad station and
United States Post Office.  The railway company does a very large
business, handling wood, lumber, melons, vegetables (a car load of
shallots was shipped to Florida points a few days ago).  It is estimated
1,500 bales of cotton are annually shipped from this place.  One
boarding house or hotel, kept by Mrs. V. J. Morrow, whose
husband is telegraph operator, express, railroad agent, postmaster,
where one can get the very best the market affords.  A home-like,
abiding place for the weary and traveled-worn
passenger.  Fine farms are dotted all around the place and fine fields
of corn greet the eyes of one passing through the place.  Splendid cotton
farms are in evidence almost as far as the eyes can reach.  The people are
neighborly, contented and a degree of happiness prevails that is seldom
seen in such places.  There are two churches for whites, one for colored
people and one school for whites.

Narrow little railroad gave birth to Blythe

    The town of Blythe grew up around a narrow little railroad - complete
with wood burning locomotives.  The railroad line, built in 1885
by the Augusta Southern Railroad or the "Narrow Gauge," as it
was called, ran through the land of the late John R. Byne, and a
station or stop was established in front of the home of V. J.
Murrow, who married Byne's widow.  A post office soon materialized
and Murrow was appointed its postmaster.  In an effort to spark the
growth of the community, the Murrows offered a free lot to the first
person to build a house in Blythe.  E. O. Beckum accepted the offer.
    Soon the first store was built, and again Murrow had a hand in the deal.
He and J. H. Tudor, who later became a conductor on the new railroad,
were co-owners of "the mercantile establishment."  As the village
grew and the population increased, the need arose for churches and
a school.  The plans of J. E. Carswell, W. R. Trowbridge, V. J. Murrow
and the Rev. Edmund Morris resulted in the construction of a Baptist
Church.  Edgar Norrell donated the land on which both a Methodist
Church and a school were built.  The church was constructed by
lumber donated by T. C. Wise, and the school was at first just a three-room
frame building.  The Augusta Southern Railroad, which was responsible
for the creation of Blythe, faded away, and was succeeded by the
Georgia and Florida Railroad.  Today, with a population of about 500,
the town of Blythe remains the small, quiet community that grew
up around the narrow railroad.