Love of hometown spawns history
of Sandersville
By By Jason Niblett / Laurel Leader-Call
Dec. 26, 2002
SANDERSVILLE Adoration: The only word one can use to describe Jim Robinson's love for his hometown of Sandersville.
Jim Robinson loves his home so much that he decided to publish a history of the small town.
This effort is not about me,'' said Robinson. It's a labor of love for our town. I was asked to do this by Buster Wheeler, a resident here. He said that he should've done a history 40 years ago but kept putting it off. Now, I am going to try to do it.''
Robinson used the words of Mark Twain to show his urgency in the project.
Robinson and his wife, Lucille, were born and raised in Sandersville. He even went back to Sandersville after going to Jones Junior College and Mississippi State University to teach.
Then, Robinson worked as a safety manager at Sanderson Farms in Laurel for 25 years. He started his own safety service when he retired. Now, the couple lives in a house just miles from where they grew up. Robinson said he spends many hours on the book but he has to make time to do other things, too.
I'll work on the history a while, and then I'll go do something my wife wants to do. You have to take breaks because there is so much information. It's kinda like Mark Twain said, To be a pilot on the Mississippi River, you have to know so much that it's a wonder your brain doesn't explode,'" Robinson said.
Robinson is a member of the Jones County Genealogical and Historical Society. He credits the group with much of his information. Robinson also said his neighbors and friends give him ideas, facts, photographs, and history for the book.
Robinson also gets historical facts from cemeteries.
He pointed out tombstones that dated back to people born in 1779, just three years after the Declaration of Independence was signed. These tombstones provide Robinson names, dates and family members of past Sandersville residents.
One of the major events Robinson plans to feature is an American troop train wreck in Sandersville during World War II. The train was going from Indiana through Sandersville when it derailed.
The January 1941 accident claimed the train engineer's life and injured 21 soldiers. Robinson also said he plans to focus on residents, history of the churches and schools, and census data.
If anyone has any pictures, information or anything that I can use for this book, it's a community effort,'' said Robinson.
This book will be different because I am going to use more photos than script. I don't want to start naming names of people who helped so far because I am afraid that I will leave someone out. But, I want everyone to know how much help they've been.''
