Local Politics

Hugh M. Dorsey was Fayetteville’s only Governor of Georgia. Actually he was born in Fayetteville but when he was eight his family moved to Atlanta. He was solicitor- general of Fulton Superior Court and the prosecuting attorney in the Leo Frank murder trial.

Hugh M. Dorsey

You may remember the infamous Leo Frank who was the manager of a pencil factory in Atlanta. He was convicted of raping and murdering fourteen-year-old Mary Phagan, an employee of the pencil factory. Dorsey’s fame as the prosecuting attorney in this trial led to his successful campaign for governor. He served two terms from 1917 to 1921. Dorsey later served as a superior court judge in Atlanta until his death in 1948.

We had a chance to have another governor from Fayetteville in 1936 when Charlie Redwine ran against E. D. Rivers, but lost. Rivers ran for a second term and was reelected in 1938. I remember my daddy letting me go across the street from his store to attend a rally on the east side of the Courthouse Square where Rivers spoke in his race for reelection. I was only five and knew nothing about politics, but I was very impressed at seeing the governor. They were giving out head bands decorated with a picture of Rivers. I proudly wore one back to the store to show my daddy.



Rivers at a campaign rally