Dade County History Book

DABBS

William Morrison, with two of his unmarried sons, came to Dade County, Georgia in 1830 and the two sons, Shadrach H. Morrison and William Douglas Morrison, purchased a farm of 630 acres (near Slygo Valley) from a family by the name of Chitwood. The Chitwoods had acquired the farm through a land grant.

Later Shadrach bought the share in this farm which his brother William Douglas had owned and also bought another farm near New England (which is now owned by Raymond Doyle).

William Douglas purchased land between New England and Trenton where his family lived for many years.

In February, 1846, Shadrach Morrison married Sarah Ann McKaig, whose father, Francis McKaig, and grandfather had come to this country from Ireland. Sarah Ann was the daughter of Francis McKaig and Elizabeth Sullenger McKaig, who had settled in Dade County, Georgia.

Shadrach and Sarah Ann Morrison continued to live on the farm that had been purchased from the Chitwoods until the time of their death. She died January 1891 and he in July, 1901. They reared a family of 3 boys and 5 girls. They were: William McKaig Morrison, John Morrison, Lee Morrison, Minerva Morrison, Eveline Morrison, Julia Morrison, Sarah Morrison, and Elizabeth Morrison.  All of the except Minerva and Sarah left Dade County after they were grown.

Minerva, in her history of the family, states that after the Civil War there were some very poor schools in Dade County but later Mr. .Benton Cole taught a very good school.

In 1871 a young man, Rufus H                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           enry Dabbs, came to Dade County from Coffee County, Tennessee, and made up a subscription school, which he taught at the old (Cole) Academy. This was a five month school…The patrons were so pleased with his teaching that they persuaded him to come back in the fall for another school of 3 months and then he returned for another school the following year.

Minerva Morrison and Rufus Henry Dabbs were married in March 1873. They started keeping house in the Richmond Hollow on the Morrison farm, and Mr. Dabbs continued

to teach school.

In December, 1885, they moved with their family to the Morrison farm near New England (now the Raymond Doyle farm) which Mr. Dabbs had bought and on which he had built a house. They lived there until 1891 when Minervas mother died and they moved back to the old Morrison farm. They built a house a short distance from the old house and lived there until about 1907 or 1908 when they built a new house on the site of the original house and moved into it. They had before this bought the original house and moved into it. They had before this bought the original farm. Minerva and R.H. Dabbs had 13 children, all of whom lived to be grown except one little girl who died in infancy. Their children were: Albert H. Dabbs, Orville E. Dabbs, R.H. Dabbs, Jr. (Doc), Sallie Dabbs, Elsie Dabbs, Nettie Dabbs, May Dabbs, Hassell Dabbs, Ethel Dabbs, (infant who died). Several of the sons of R. H. and Minerva Dabbs taught school in Dade County when they were young men.

Hassell Dabbs, the youngest daughter, also taught in this county for a number of years. (Used by permission HISTORY OF DADE COUNTY GEORGIA, Retired Senior Volunteer Program, 1981)