"Uncle Bill," as he was lovingly known, was the First Ordinary Judge in Brantley County; First County Treasurer/Manager. Some have referred to him as, "The Father of Brantley County."
Judge William Mitchell Roberson was one of the best-loved citizens of Brantley County, at least by folks residing east of "Fire-Tower Ridge or Caney Bay Road." After Brantley County was created by the Georgia Legislature in August 1920, he was elected by the people as the first Judge of the Ordinary Court. He also had responsibility as County Manager, and was Treasurer for Brantley County until the State of Georgia created the Commissioners of Roads and Revenues in 1928.
William M. Roberson was noted for his wisdom and cordial manner of dealing with people. He was honest, jovial, and often told tales which placed "himself" in amusing situations. Yet, with this type personality, Bill Roberson was the catalyst for "stirring up a fighting spirit" among the east county voting constituents for the very first election of county officials.
When Brantley County was created, the Georgia Legislature identified only one "precinct" and placed the only ballot boxes at Hoboken. At a time when no paved roads existed, and very few voting constituents owned automobile, this action almost assured the Hoboken slate of candidates being elected. Bill Roberson arranged for "free train rides" to carry east county voters to the election booths, and created a tremendous voting populace."
Bill Roberson is also identified as a major force in relocating the county site from Hoboken to Nahunta. He was viewed as the culprit which instigated the "stealing of county records from Hoboken" and relocating them to Nahunta. He denied this accusation saying, "I was visiting friends on St. Simons Island the night this incident occurred."
While Judge Bill Roberson was Ordinary Judge, and the County Manager/Treasurer, he headed up programs for construction of new permanent brick school buildings to accommodate consolidation of 38 one-room school houses. He was a strong advocate of the Brantley County road system in the early days of Brantley County, helping to lay the ground work for what is now U. S. Highway 82 and 301. Indeed, "Judge Bill Roberson was A Champion of the People."
Judge William M. Roberson has often been referred to as "The Father of Brantley County." Born in April 1869, he was one of the early pioneers of the Brantley County area. He died on July 25, 1948, and was buried at Jesup, Georgia, beside his wives, (1) Aunt Mattie, and (2) Aunt Sallie.
JUDGE WILLIAM M. ROBERSON, Uncle Bill, as he was lovingly known, was born April 10, 1869 near Screven in Wayne County, the son of Wiley and Mary Causey Robinson, and given the name of William Mitchel. In early 1880's, his family moved to Bradford, Florida, where they remained seven years. He attended school in Florida and later secured a license to teach school. After moving back to Wayne County, Georgia, he taught school at the Strickland settlement near Lulaton, at Hortense, the Roberson School near Screven, and the Screven school.
On December 16, 1895, Bill Roberson was married in Jesup, Georgia, to Mattie Hannah Broadhurst, daughter of James and Martha Epps Broadhurst, a prominent Jesup family. About 1898 he moved his family to Lulaton, where he established his home near Buck's Still. Initially he operated a mercantile store at Lulaton. He and Mattie had six children:
(1) Meda Lorene, born on February 3, 1897 in Wayne County (Jesup), Georgia, and died February 2, 1907.
(2) Bettie Wylma, born July 25, 1898, at Lulaton and died June 20, 1899.
(3) Sallie Wanell, born on April 27, 1900, at Lulaton, Georgia,and on April 15, 1916, was married to Audry Belmont Brooker, son of John W. and Phadonia Brown Brooker.
(4) Eula Epps, born on October 25, 1901, in Lulaton, Georgia, died October 21, 1986 and never married. She is buried in Jesup Cemetery.
(5) James Malphus, born on September 25, 1903, in Lulaton, Georgia, and died a few months later on June 28, 1904.
(6) Louis Edwin, born May 1, 1907 in Wayne County (Jesup), Georgia, was married to Mildred Johns, born June 20, 1908, the daughter of Alfred Johns and LoRetta Raulerson Johns. Edwin died December 28, 1995, and was buried in the Raulerson Cemetery in Pierce County.
Edwin and Mildred have two children,
(a) Arvis Dewayne, born June 20, 1935, and died November 5, 1985 (never married) , and is buried in the Raulerson Cemetery, in Pierce County.
(b) Janis Celeste, born September 16, 1938, and married James C. Kenney, Sr.
Uncle Bill's first wife, Mattie Hannah Broadhurst Roberson died on November 17, 1908, and is buried at Jesup, Georgia. After Mattie's death, Bill married her sister, Sallie Annie Broadhurst on March 6, 1910, and in 1911/12 built a new home in Nahunta, currently located eastward, across from the court house.
They had two children:
(1) Joseph Robert, born August 3, 1912, at Lulaton, and married Catherine Murray.
(2) William Dolan, born March 26, 1916, in Nahunta. He died as a child in January 1919, and was buried in Smyrna Cemetery in Lulaton.
Bill Roberson experienced many business ventures. While operating the mercantile store at Lulaton, he went into the timber business with Fred O. Knox, and Bill eventually bought the "Buck's Still land" from Elliott Knox. He worked with independent timber men to harvest timber and produce "railroad cross-ties", and eventually expanded into turpentine. This partnership became very lucrative.
At one time William M. Roberson owned an estimated 8,000 acres of Brantley County land, and was known as a gentleman of leisure, because of his timber and turpentine leases. The story is told that a stranger made an inquiry as to where Uncle Bill resided. A neighbor replied:"Why, Uncle Bill Lives at Buck's Still, On Prosperity Hill; He never Worked, And He Never Will." It has been suggested that this joke was originated by Uncle Bill, for he relished a joke on himself.
Another story told by Uncle Bill was being in the Georgia Militia at Savannah (1886-1890) and serving as an Orderly to General John B. Gordon (of the Civil War era, U.S. Senator), then the Governor of Georgia. Uncle Bill relates, "The boys told me how great it would be to work as an Orderly for Governor Gordon (also head of Georgia Militia). After getting the job, I found out that the job involved grooming his horse and polishing boots. That kind of a job didn't suit me. "I curried his horse," Uncle Bill says," and when the general rubbed his handkerchief over the horse's withers, and found some dirt, he insisted that I curry the horse entirely clean.""I was a poor Orderly,"he admits, "and they took me off the job."While telling this story, Uncle Bill was laughing all the time, knowing that the joke was on himself..
In the early 1900's after relocating to Nahunta, Bill Roberson became associated with L. S. Robb, and J. B. Lewis in the Wayne Development Company; an organization designed to populate the Brantley County area through real estate activities. This was not a profitable venture for Bill Roberson, and he eventually severed relationships with L. S. Robb with great losses.
William M. Roberson died on July 25, 1948, and Aunt Sallie Broadhurst Roberson on November 23, 1962 in Chatham Co. Georgia. Both are buried at Jesup along side of his first wife, Mrs. Mattie, Aunt Sallie's sister.