Historic Boston, GA

Boston, a city in Thomas County, is located in Southwest Georgia. This territory once served as the hunting grounds for the Creek and Apalachee Indians who thrived in the region until the early 1800s. These Native Americans were very tenacious, but the flood of settlers around the turn of the century ultimately overwhelmed their cultures. Many people today, however, hold their collections of arrowheads and other artifacts in high regard.

Old Boston was a stagecoach stop owned by Mr. Parramore. Major Thomas M. Boston, a frequent visitor to this region, loved the tranquility of the densely wooded forests with the giant oaks and their moss-covered limbs. In fact, he and Mr. Parramore became very good friends and in 1837 Mr. Parramore named his stagecoach stop, “Boston.” Some say this is how Boston got its name.

In 1861 the original settlement of Boston was moved to the present location to take advantage of the new railroad accommodations. The old Boston Post Office building and the county’s oldest Presbyterian Church were carefully moved to this new location.

On October 24, 1870 Boston was incorporated. The local newspaper, “The Boston Times,” dated February 6, 1903, read, “all of the Bostons in the United States are named for Boston, England which was named for St. Botolph, an old English saint and renowned educator of the 7th century.”

The religious community included Trinity Missionary Baptist Church organized in 1867, Boston Baptist Church organized in 1872, Boston United Methodist Church organized in 1872, St. James C.M.E. Church organized in 1896 and Boston Primitive Baptist Church organized in 1907.

Boston is possibly the smallest town in the United States to have a Carnegie Library. The library was built in 1913, and was renovated in 1992.

Many of the homes built prior to the beginning of the 20th century are still occupied today. Our community maintains a nostalgic connection to that era.

Once the site of a bustling Farmers Market, Boston thrived as a shipping point for local produce and lumber. The first train car shipment of watermelons originated in Boston, Ga. The local station master caused quite a stir with his interpretation of a railroad shipping policy. The policy required that all rail freight pass through the depot. Therefore, he insisted the watermelons be carried through the depot before being loaded into the rail car!