Macon (Ga.) – Page 6

“The Goat Man is here!” Word would quickly spread through town as soon as someone spotted the famous wanderer and his band of smelly goats on the outskirts. Adults and children alike would drop whatever they were doing and dash over for a visit with the Goat Man.

An article in the New Georgia Encyclopedia says Charles (“Ches”) McCartney was a significant folk and religious figure in Georgia for more than four decades. After being injured on a Works Progress Administration job, McCartney experienced a religious awakening and began traveling to preach his message of eternal damnation for sinners. It is widely held that McCartney was an influence on the writings of Georgia author Flannery O’Connor.

After being brutally attacked several times, McCartney settled in South Georgia, his unique life’s story ending in a Macon nursing home in 1998.

Newspaper articles about “Goat Man” can be found in the Georgiana Collection clipping files of the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

Additional images of McCartney and his goats can be found in the Vanishing Georgia Collection by searching for “Charles McCartney” or “Goat Man.”

If you have memories of the “Goat Man’s” visits, leave a comment — we’d love to hear from you!

Farming has been, and continues to be, an integral part of the Georgia experience. The Digital Library of Georgia’s collections represent centuries of life on farms around the state through photographs, diaries, correspondence, newspapers, and even moving images. Some of the more endearing collection photographs involve interactions between children and farm animals. Below is but a small sampling of what you might find amidst our wealth of digital media.

Photograph of a girl milking a cow for a cat in Cobb County, Georgia, circa 1915. The image is from the Vanishing Georgia Collection, a collaboration between the Digital Library of Georgia and the Georgia Archives.

Photograph of a child sitting on the back of a hog in or near Richmond County, Georgia, in the late 19th century. The image is part of the Robert E. Williams Photographic Collection: African Americans in the Augusta, Ga. Vicinity, circa 1872-1898. The site is a joint effort between the Digital Library of Georgia and the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

Photograph of young Russell McCants holding a chicken at the Georgia State Fair in Macon, Georgia, in October of 1955 (by anthony at dress-head ). The image can be found at the Georgia State Fair, Macon, 1886-1960 website, a collaboration between the Digital Library of Georgia and the Middle Georgia Archives.

Tag: Macon (Ga.)

The Goat Man

Kids and Farm Animals