Journey to Lakeland Georgia for a taste of the rural South of the early 20th century when neighbors knew each other and horsepower came on four legs and motorized.
Love Antique Cars?
Lakeland GA and its Milltown Motorcade is the place to be this weekend.
Just twenty miles north of Valdosta is the community of Lakeland – small in size yet big in community spirit!
Before the conversion, over 80 years ago. to its current name the town was called Milltown. Lumber and cotton were leading industries and a local attorney named E.D. Rivers was soon to take up residence in Atlanta as the governor. Times were different and many changes have occured in the past nine decades.
While many towns barely remember their past – Lakeland remembers and celebrates it daily with over 20 life-sized painted murals of life in 1925 Milltown. For over a decade now scenes of a bygone era by South Carolina artist R.D. Waldrop, pop up around the town – by the hospital, a park, the historical society and a bank building.
On the last Saturday of April – the unique memorial expands in festivity as the annual Milltown Motorcade pulls into town.
This year brings over 60 antique cars rolling past painted facades of men wearing skimmers, ladies with bobbed hair and Model T Fords. In addition real horses and wagons will dot the landscape as they did in the 20’s when wagonloads of cotton would pull up to the railroad tracks.
The activities begin at 11:00AM when the cars, some dating from the early 20th century, line up for inspection preceding a mid afternoon parade.
In keeping with the credo of educating present residents, particularly school children, about their past – 4H members will join high school drama students and other community members in 1920’s garb and entertain visitors with living histories by various murals. Yearly the students’ interest and research into an age where single needle phonographs, and not Ipods, ruled seems to grow.
Food booths, including one for barbeque, line to parade route.
Following the parade of cars through the town, the event’s actions move to Roquemore Park at 2:30.
Here all ages are entertained with the music of bluegrass and barbershop quartets. Line dancing will have everyone up and moving and old fashioned games - like jackstones, hopscotch and jump rope will be offered. In keeping with the ambience - ice cream, boiled peanuts and lemonade will be availalble.
For those who think the world is spinning too fast and want to walk on the slower side of life - a stop in Lakeland might just be the cat's meow!
Cannot get to the Motorcade? Do not despair! The murals are always there.
For more information see:georgia-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/treasures_off_the_interstate_pt_1
