john_l_gaines.htm

John L. Gaines

( Sept. 16, 1842 - February 21, 1926)

Sheriff: 1877 - 1886 (10 years)

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICTURE OF JOHN GAINES AND FAMILY

Mr. John L. Gaines, aged 83, died at his home in this city Sunday morning from an attack of flu and the effects of a fall a week ago in his room. The funeral was held on Monday at the home, 61 West Washington Street, Rev. E. F. Campbell, pastor of First Baptist Church, officiating. The burial was at Alta Vista Cemetery. Mr. Gaines is survived by 12 children, John L. and Ernest Gaines of Atlanta; Ira P., Homer, Herbert and Joseph Gaines of Flowery Brnch, Ga.; Mrs. Charles Tumlin of Fort Gaines, Alabama; Mrs. D. H. Lipscomb of Akron, Ohio; Mrs. E. A. Spencer, Grover, Edward and Miss Genie Gaines of this city.

Mr. Gaines served a term in the Georgia Legislature in 1890 and 1892.

He was elected Sheriff of Hall county in 1877 and served 10 years.

John Gaines was such a well-known and highly respected man... he had quite a number of children.

Sheriff Gaines owned alot of property and lived at the end of Gaines Ferry Road (which was named for him).

He operated the ferry that would carry one horse and buggy. Sheriff Gaines wife died while they lived on Gaines Ferry Road and he later sold out and moved into town on West Washington Street below the Church.

He lived with his daughter,Genie,, a school teacher who never married.

According to J. T. Gaines, while Gaines was sheriff, he lived downstairs in the jail and the prisioners lived upstairs. Sheriff Gaines' daughter, Marie, married E. A. Spencer, who later became sheriff of Hall county.

It is said that Sheriff Gaines never had to hang anyone while he was sheriff; however, Sheriff Spencer had to hang two men.

"Back in those days, according to J. T. Gaines if someone were sentenced to die, the sheriff had to do it." He said that Sheriff Spencer showed im the two men he had in jail to hang ( there was a woman in the jail connected with the case).

The woman, a Mrs. Hawkins, got the two men, the Cantrell Brothers, to kill her husband.

mrs. Hawkins was sentenced to life in prison and the sheriff was ordered to hang the Cantrell Brothers. The jail, a two-story structure, was located on South Maple Street.The men were hanged at the jail.

Mr. Gaines was a brave and loyal soldier of the Confederacy, serving in Co. D., 27th Ga. Regiment.

He enlisted at the first call to arms and was in the last battle fought after the surrender of General Lee.

He was wounded four times in the battle of Ft. Fisher.

But being a man of unusual strength and determation, wounds were mere incidents in a day's work, and he lost very little time in consequence.

The family was of good fighting stock and furnished four splendid soldiers, two of whom lost their lives.

Mr. Gaines not only served his country nobly in time of war but in time of peace as well.

After his return home he engaged in farming, but was soon called on to serve as sheriff.

He was possessed of an exaulted sense of honor and rectitude and was very loyal to his country and its institutions.

He was a gentle and unaffected as a child and possessed a most kindly nature.

Few persons ever saw him lose his temper, and if he ever, did, it must have been through a tremendous provocation.

The old man lived a long time and the world is much better off for his having lived.

And we guess he was ready and willing, for he had done about all there was to do and was willing to swap off old age...for eternal youth.

(Co. D, 27th Regt. Ga. Vol. Inf. Private. Pension Roll shows he died February 21, 1926.)

Civil War,Gainesville News, February 24, 1926 Law Enforcement In Hall County by Willard J. Langdon

contributed by Iris Thompson Fry

This page was last updated Thursday, 10-Apr-2008 22:07:45 CDT.