(NOTE: The following appeared in the 1985 Odum Homecoming program and was written by Hazel Dean Overstreet. It is being reproduced here for the Odum, Georgia website….KH)
I am indebted to Mrs. Susie Dent Daniel, Mrs. Jo Knight Odum, Mr. Melton Boyd, Miss Juanita Bennett and Mrs. Frankie Bennett Watkins, Mr. Joe Wilson, and many of the Godfrey Odum descendants for information about the History of the town of Odum, Georgia, and Mrs. Maude Poppell Smith (Mrs. Bert Smith), for they are some of the oldest residents living in Odum in 1995 when I tried to compile these notes for a history of Odum.
About 1877 (twelve years after the Civil War or the War Between the States, whichever you prefer), the town of Odum as it is known today was nonexistent. Most of the land in the vicinity of the present city of Odum was owned by Mr. Jim Poppell, grandfather of Mrs. Maude Poppell Smith, Mr. Leslie Poppell, and Mr. Brantley Poppell, all residents of Odum at this writing (the year 1955).
Mr. Poppell owned a large store that sold everything from whiskey to trace chains. Trace chains, generous old fellow, and folks recall hearing how he used to ‘set’ all his customers up to a ‘drink’ from the cider barrel he kept filled at all times. It is also told that Mr. Poppell, seeing an honest, conscientious young fellow trying to get ahead, would, out of the generosity of his heart, give that young man a farm or strip of woodland to see the young fellow settled in the neighborhood.
Many changes occurred around this vicinity during the the1860s and 1870s (called the Civil War Days and Reconstruction Perio) and by the turn of the century (1900).
Using the Civil War as the revolving point in compiling historical data on Odum, we find that the railroad bed was laid through this little town the first year after the war (the rail tracks were laid later). At that time, the place was called Haslam in honor of Mr. Haslam, who owned a sawmill at the present site of Mr. Melton Boyd’s house (formerly Allen Clary’s place).
The first nail drove in Odum was at this old sawmill.
By this time, about 1867 (two years after the Civil War), there was a post office named Haslam. When Mr. Haslam moved away, the name of the little place and post office was changed to Satilla because it was close to Little Satilla Creek.
GODFREY ODUM COMES TO SECTION – ODUM NAMED FOR THIS MAN
About 1880 (fifteen years after the Civil War), Mr. Godfrey Odum settled in this place. Born in Bulloch County in 1832, he farmed there in that vicinity, but at 29 (about 1861), he left that section and came to Appling County, which, after revision of boundary lines, later became Wayne County. All old deeds of thee Odumesectionead “formerly Appling, now Wayne.” Mr. Odum bought out Mr. Poppell. Old church records show Mr. Odum deeded .27 acres of land in Odum for the Methodist Church in 1881.
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