The biography of Lydia Smith Stone Crews
Search the index of "Queen of the Okefenokee"
Genealogists Note - This site includes over 350 pages of searchable information on the history and genealogy of the Okefenokee Region of south Georgia.
New from Okefenokee Press
Queen of the Okefenokee
The biography of Lydia Smith Stone Crews
Search the index of "Queen
of the Okefenokee"
Lydia Smith Stone Crews is a legendary figure in the history of south Georgia, a giant (6'6") woman of great strength. Her business empire flourished even through the difficult years of the Great Depression. Along the way she led a life that was always unorthodox and often outrageous.
Here is the truth behind the Legend of the Queen of the Okefenokee.
"Many of the old tales are here, told anew and told better... "
(Larry Purdom, Waycross Journal Herald)
She started life during the Civil war, on an island in the great Okefenokee Swamp. While still a young woman, she parlayed the profits from her moonshine still into a group of successful legitimate businesses. From humble beginnings, she built an empire of 20,000 acres of farms and timber lands that thrived even the Great Depression.
Lydia's personal life was a series of scandalous affairs and run-ins
with the courts, as she skirted the law in pursuit of her ambitions and her
loves. She not only bribed the governor of Georgia, she double-crossed him as
well -- and she had such scandalous affairs with the men in her life that the
Grand Jury convened to investigate. Her great business success and outrageous
personal life spawned countless legends and tales, collected here for the first
time.
Lydia's wedding pictures.
(L) Lydia married Gordon Stone one week before the Grand Jury's deadline.
(R) Many years later, at age 64, she married Melton Crews.He was 21 years old.
Her life story is set against the dramatic history of the Okefenokee, from the days of the Indian Wars through the Great Depression. It is a story of the early days of the great Okefenokee, told through the life of one of the most colorful characters ever to come from the region, an amazing woman who -- although her crown was often a bit tarnished -- well deserved her title, Queen of the Okefenokee.
"...a quite complete history of the settling of the Swamp Country, stretching from Clinch to Charlton counties. In her capable hands, the whole historical panorama of this magic wilderness is played out before the reader, as seen through the life of Miss Lydia." (Larry Purdom, Waycross Journal Herald)
$16.95 + $2.00 shipping
or send check or money order for $18.95 to:
Okefenokee Press
P.O. Box 575
Folkston, Georgia 31537
Lois Mays, author
For 25 years Lois Barefoot Mays was the chairwoman of the Charlton County Historical
Society in Folkston, Georgia. She served four elected terms as Clerk of Superior
Court at the Charlton County Courthouse in Folkston, where she heard the stories
of Lydia Smith Stone told again and again. She meticulously transcribed the
stories and collected them over the years. In addition she conducted extensive
interviews with many local residents who had known Lydia personally, and she
spent countless hours in libraries and courthouses doing research. Lois Mays
also contributed to the BBC production of Lydia Smith Stone’s
life story. She has collaborated with her son, writer Richard H. Mays,
to make this volume a treasure trove for historians and genealogists. References
are documented in an extensive bibliography, and an additional section of the
book lists detailed genealogical information of Lydia’s family and many
of the people in her life.
Lois Mays is also the author of “Settlers of the Okefenokee, Seven Biographical Sketches” an oral history of the region told through interviews with seven original pioneers who settled in the Great Swamp.
ISBN 0960160639
Also available from Okefenokee Press
Settlers of the Okefenokee, Seven Biographical Sketches,
by Lois Barefoot Mays
The lives of seven Okefenokee pioneers, in their own words. An oral history, told by seven of the original settlers.
Settlers of the Okefenokee has many local genealogical references. You can search the index of this book here using your internet browser's "Edit-Find" function:
Search the index of "Settlers of the Okefenokee"
Available from the Charlton County Historical Society:
History of the Okefenokee Swamp, by Col. Alexander S. McQueen and Hamp Mizell, written 1926, reprinted 1992; 218 pages, hardbound - $17.00
History of Charlton County, by Col. Alexander S. McQueen - *OUT OF PRINT*
Charlton County Historical Notes 1972, by the Charlton County Historical Commission - $22.50
PRICES INCLUDE SHIPPING CHARGES
Send check to
CHARLTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
P.O. Box 575
Folkston, GA 31537-0575
HOW TO USE THIS WEBSITE
Search the ENTIRE WEBSITE using Google (below).
Search the individual PAGE using your internet browser's Edit->FIND function
Genealogical Resources
Presented by the Charlton County Historical Society
In celebration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of Charlton County
84 Biographical Profiles of Prominent Charlton County Citizens
Memories of Charlton (.pdf file)
The life story of Madison Gibson, as told to Lois Barefoot Mays.
39 pages, indexed
NOTE: This is a .pdf file. In order to view it, you must have Adobe "Acrobat" software (free) installed on your computer.
View/Search the Index of "Memories of Charlton" using your internet browser.
View the entire book in Adobe .pdf format.
SEARCHABLE BOOK INDICES
Index of "Queen of the Okefenokee" Biography of Lydia Smith Stone Crews, 128 pages
Index of "Settlers of the Okefenokee" Seven biographical sketches of original settlers of the Okefenokee
Index of "Memories of Charlton" 39-page biography of Madison Gibson. (Full book is available in .pdf format on this site)Charlton County Settlements
Billys Island
Saint GeorgeA visit to Billys Island in 1924, led by Mrs. W.H. Robinson, editor of Charlton County’s weekly newspaper.
A tour of Billys Island in 1979, led by Harry Chesser, Sr., a former worker on Billys Island.
Life in Early Charlton County
1886 - "My First Visit to the Okefenokee" by Wm. L. McDuffie
1908 - Telephones Come to Folkston
Landmarks
Charlton County Herald
SEARCHABLE DIGESTS of stories presented in the Charlton County Herald
DIGESTS - Charlton County Herald
SEARCHABLE INDICES beginning 1908
INDICES - Charlton County Herald
Archived copies of the Charlton County Herald are available for viewing in some libraries, and at the Charlton County Historical Society in Folkston, GA.
For further help, contact us!
SEARCH THIS ENTIRE WEBSITE
Find all references to surnames or keywords on this website
Links
CharltonCounty.net - WATY Radio, Folkston, Georgia. Charlton County news and streaming radio, by the Okefenokee Educational Foundation, Inc.
The Inn At Folkston - Excellent local Bed and Breakfast Inn.
www.n-georgia.com - extensive listing of Georgia resources
http://www.gagensociety.org/links.htm- Georgia resources for genealogical research
http://www.genealogyhq.com/gagenealogy/- Excellent compendium of resources for Georgia genealogical research
http://www.okefenokeepost.com- local news and public affairs