The Story of Cannonville

THE STORY OF CANNONVILLE
By
Forrest Clark Johnson, III

Almost forgotten, off the main road, and nestled along a small tract of land, touched by the Atlanta and West point Railroad is the Troup County town of Cannonville.  A few homes and a church are all that still testify to the existence of a once promising village.  Very few people even remember who founded Cannonville or when it started.  Cannonville had its origins in the dreams of William Sherman Cannon in 1900.

             William Sherman Cannon was born in Cross Hill, South Carolina on July 11, 1868.  He was the son of former slaves Mercer Cannon and Fannie Smith. Mercer Cannon was a blacksmith by occupation who was brought with his family to Cartersville Georgia about 1858.  In the midst of the War Between the States, 1863, the Cannons were taken to South Carolina.  They stayed there after the war and thus the founder of our Troup County town was born in South Carolina.  Mercer Cannon was a native town was born in South Carolina.  Mercer Cannon was a native of Baltimore, Maryland and his wife was born in Petersburg, Virginia.  They were both sold at early ages, twelve and ten respectively, and had lost contact with their families.

A biography of William Sherman Cannon, obviously named for the Union General, who so wantonly destroyed the State Of Georgia, states that Cannon was born in a “very unpropitious time in which to begin life.” It explains by continuing that “white people were poor and the Negroes, though free, were poorer still.”  The essential words seem to be overlooked in calling the time of Cannon’s birth “unpropitious” for there was never a better time for blacks to be born prior to 1865.  No matter what else was going on in the country. The key word which points to what a fortunate time 1868 was for Cannon to be born is “free” Cannon was “free” to move at his leisure, free to buy land, and best of all perhaps, free to obtain an education.  None of these things were possible earlier in our history for a Southern black.  Young Cannon attended Claflin University at Orangeburg, South Carolina.  He continued his education at Knoxville College and Morris Brown College in Atlanta.  In 1888, the twenty year old Cannon left school and himself became a teacher.

Mission

Building a Stronger Community One Person at a Time

Vision

To Update

Values

  • Love your neighbor as yourself
  • It takes a village to raise a child
  • We are Family