This is Athens News Matters. I'm Alexia Ridley. Lake Lanier is well-known as the site of mysterious deaths, but a lesser-known history is that of Oscarville, an abandoned town lying under the lake's surface. In the early 20th century, the town was at the center of an outbreak of racial violence that resulted in most Black residents of Forsyth County fleeing for their lives. Over the past several years, Oscarville has inspired several works of art. WUGA's Emma Auer sat down with Alan Spain and Sean Arrillaga, two members of the Nashville and New Orleans band Slow Motion Riders, to discuss their 2023 single "Oscarville," based on the town's tragic history. They were joined by Joshua Byrd, a professor of criminal justice and Atlanta native, who consulted for a 2022 miniseries about the town entitled "Oscarville: Below the Surface." Here's that conversation:
"So I'll start with you, Joshua. Can you give us an overview of the historical significance of the town of Oscarville, Georgia, and a brief history of Forsyth County around 1912?"
"Yeah, absolutely. So, Oscarville, Georgia, located in Forsyth County, if my recollection serves me correct, was named after a postmaster at the time whose first name was Oscar. The town was not anything of major significance with respect to anything that happened really before or after the events that unfolded in 1912. To give you a sense of the population at that time, I'll reference something that was in the Atlanta History Center's documents, and it talks about the 1910 census. There were about 500 people, 513 people, who lived in what they called the New Bridge district, and at that time, according to the census records, there were only about 40 people, 37 to be exact, who lived there. So about 37 Black residents. And what we do know is that census records are not 100% accurate. Not everybody participates, but it just gives you a sense of the size of the Black population.
So, in 1912, a couple of things happened, and I think that really, to do justice to the story, we have to step outside of Oscarville and look at Wilmington, NC. In the late 1800s, I think it was 1888 or 1887, Wilmington, NC, experienced what they call the first successful coup d'etat in United States history. Elected officials were unseated and ran out of town, and for the first time, whites saw that, hey, you know, slavery is over. We’re sort of in this era. But for the first time, they saw that the federal government was not going to step in and save African Americans, Black folks. When they saw the federal government was not going to take action to protect Blacks, many other cities began to do the same thing that happened in Wilmington. So, Oscarville was not the beginning. After Wilmington, you see everything from what happened in Black Wall Street or Rosewood, Florida, or even the 1906 race riots in Atlanta. A lot of other things happened, but it started really in Wilmington.
By the time you get to Georgia in 1912, you also have to know that in the media and popular culture, there was this famous boxer, Jack Johnson, who was the world champion. Whites really didn't like the fact that he had multiple white women who he was transporting around the United States. This created racial tension, fostering the idea of a Black man and a white woman and the fear and hatred towards that. This tension reached a head in Georgia and Forsyth County. In September 1912, there were allegations that a white woman was assaulted. On September 5th, 1912, Ellen Grice, a 22-year-old white resident, claimed that a Black man entered her home and attacked her while her husband was away. She and others began to search for and ultimately found the man they believed to be the assailant, Tony Howell.
They arrested him and another man, and they were taken to jail. This made the newspaper. Fast forward a few days, and although that was just an alleged assault with no one dying, a few days later, Mae Crow went missing. A man was alleged to have been the primary individual who assaulted her based on a mirror he admitted to having, which was found on the scene. They arrested him and transferred him to the Fulton County Jail, the tower at the time, for his protection. However, a mob attacked the jail. They say that at least 2,000 white men swarmed the small jail, prepared to murder him. Men from the mob broke into the jail, brought Edwards outside, lynched him by hanging him in front of a telephone pole, and then riddled his lifeless body with bullets. That night turned deadly.
Churches were attacked, dynamite was placed on doorsteps of homes, and people were threatened to leave town. One of the newspaper articles from the time stated that '******* flee from Forsyth.' George Rucker, a descendant of some of the individuals who lived there, said when the night riders came through, people had to leave everything behind. The main thing many of them left was property. Some were able to sell it at a loss, while others had to abandon it. His grandfather owned about 100 acres.
"Let's turn to your song 'Oscarville,' Alan and Sean. Alan, I'm going to start with you. What led you to write this song? How did you discover the story of Oscarville in Forsyth County?"
"Yeah, it really started about this time last year, in the summer of 2023. My girlfriend at the time lived on Lake Lanier, and I went home and dove into researching the history of Lake Lanier. I stumbled upon the Oscarville story and went down that rabbit hole. It's a fascinating story, and I'm really glad Josh was able to join us today. As I got into this, I thought, 'My goodness, this story needs to be told musically.' Although it's a very difficult subject to write about, I felt strongly about it."
"You know, we wanted to have music that fit the mood of the story. I obviously didn't have a personal or intimate connection, but it moved me quite a bit to hear the story. I wanted to convey something somber and tragic. There's a downward past and, in my mind, I'm visualizing the formation of Lake Lanier, with the water cascading down into that area."
"I was hoping you could talk about this particular line: 'They owned the land, they sowed the soil, but so often hatred comes to a boil.' Can you speak to that line?"
"During this time, you've also got the very first African American members of Congress from Mississippi, South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia. As Josh mentioned, there's a backlash from the white community. This kind of thing had been going on across the country. There's an African American community doing well for itself, and there's a white backlash. That's really what I'm referencing there."
"Sean, one more question for you. You touched on this a little bit, but I'm wondering if you can talk more about the instrumental elements and background singer. What mood were you trying to create with the song?"
"The pedal steel and the backing vocals are the strongest elements that capture the somberness and horror simultaneously. Dave Easley's pedal steel is tuned differently than the traditional country style. It's more about a haunting, atmospheric tone. His unique approach adds a lot."
"Joshua, let's turn to the television miniseries. What elements of history did you want to capture?"
"We worked closely with individuals like the Rucker family to get personal accounts from families still living in the Gainesville and Hall County areas. We didn't want to make light of the situation or turn it into a scary movie. We wanted to tell the story truthfully. We used direct sources, newspapers, and visited the places. Parts of Oscarville still exist."
"Being forced to flee one's home is obviously a huge trauma, and it would also have a huge financial impact. Do you know what happened to the people of Oscarville after they were forced to leave?"
"Yes, we do know about some families, such as the Rucker family. Many came to the metro Atlanta area, while others went into Gainesville. We tell the story about packing up overnight, which was difficult because it was hard to buy land or get loans at the time. There were many struggles. This wasn't unique; people were migrating around the U.S. fleeing violence and terror. Unfortunately, this story isn't unique."
"And Josh, you mentioned this is part of other ongoing projects like Teach Us Justice, Teach Us 360. What is the ongoing reaction to this story being told?"
"Reactions are varied, but one consistent response is, 'I never knew this. I wish I would have known.' Another common question is, 'Are you afraid of telling this story?' As a professor, it's just reading the newspaper, but it's interesting to think about how it's dangerous to share what you read. Some people have that fear of telling the story because it makes others uncomfortable. Others are delighted and want to do more."
"It's interesting you say that, Josh. I felt the same way when we began writing this song. I was a little afraid of how to go about it lyrically. I wrestled with it, and we debated within the band on how it should be written. Our pedal steel player, Dave Easley, pushed me to write it as unvarnished as possible."
"Alan Spain and Sean Arrillaga are members of the band Slow Motion Riders. Their single "Oscarville" is available on all streaming platforms. Joshua Bird is a professor of criminal justice who researched the story of Oscarville for the television miniseries Oscarville: Below the Surface. They spoke with WUGA's Emma Auer earlier this week."
