Abandoned Buildings in Meigs

A block of buildings in downtown Meigs sits abandoned. Notice the windows missing at the top. Meigs is a unique small town, as it sits in BOTH Thomas & Mitchell Counties in Southwest Georgia. Meigs was once a bustling town that started from a turpentine still that was started by George W. Meigs, the namesake of the community, around 1875 near a popular crossing for the Savannah, Florida, and Western Railroad. It was a thriving community for decades, but unfortunately the downturn for the city started when synthetic turpentine replaced natural pine in the 1930s & George's turpentine operation closed. If that weren't enough, the fall of railroads and the rise of car and trucks helped contribute to the end of passenger rail service in the city- other businesses that used to ship by train but relocated to areas closer to major highways. US 19 once brought traffic through the town as well, but when US Highway 19 was 4 laned, it bypassed the town completely- nearly one mile to the East- taking away even more traffic from the small town. Today, the entire downtown is nearly empty except for the post office. Maybe someone will revitalize this small town! 
Jay Blanton