Buford's First Citizens

The First Settlements: 

Long before the town of Buford was incorporated in 1872, the area had a rich history of its own. Earliest records show that what is now considered old downtown Buford was claimed by both the Cherokee and the Creek Indians tribes until the land was ceded by treaty to the United States in 1817.  The  non-Indian settlements that were established after the treaty grew sporadically, with most of the central Buford area remaining unoccupied through the early 1800's except for a few scattered farms. The Museum of Buford curator, Lynn Bowman, is a direct descendant of John Bowman, who settled on land gifted to him by Cherokee Chief Major Ridge in 1818. Chief Ridge chose to give his property to a friend rather than have it usurped by the U.S. Government. 

Early maps of the newly formed Gwinnett County show the fair sized settlement of Orrsville on eastern side of the Chattahoochee River, right where Highway 20 crosses the river these days. Known also as Orr's Ferry, the mercantile and ferry owned by William Orr was important to the economic well being of the area, and was an established "postal settlement" (one with a U.S. Post Office) until 1851. Other postal settlements such as Cains and Pinckneyville also existed at the time, but perhaps  none were as key to the future of  North Gwinnett County as Orrsville. (It was equally important to Cumming and that area of Forsyth County as well. Don Shadburn's book "Blood Kin" is a great source of information about the history of North Forsyth  and parts of North Gwinnett Counties, and includes a facsimile of an 1836 Orr's Mercantile ledger with some of the early settlement family names listed. Unfortunately the book is out of print, but information about it can be found here.)

With post offices and a busy ferry crossing in the proximity, it is not surprising that by the outbreak of the Civil War the land around what is now the Buford area eventually held a number of large and prosperous farms. Early Buford citizens such as  Silas King, William Sudderth, and several members of the Brogdon family were generally well to do farmers and land lot owners in the area long before Buford was established.

Although Gwinnett County wasn't involved in any actual Civil War battles, it was, like all of the South, adversely affected by the war. Half the wealth in the county was lost and large farms and plantations no longer existed.  But for the most part, those early area citizens of the county remained and rebuilt. I've written about Buford's first "official" resident, Silas King, here, and Reconstruction brought several new forward thinkers to the area including businessman Adam Pool and educator J.F. Espy. Other early arrivals who were influential in the town's history were A.G. Harris, W.R. Chamblee, and J.A. Pattillo. Perhaps most import to Buford's future, however, was the arrival of the Allen family. 

The First Allen: 

To say that two generations of the  Allen family were crucial to the economic, social and cultural growth of early Buford would be an understatement. The Bona Allen Collar Factory, Tannery, and Shoe Factory provided employment to  the people of Buford for decades, and insured the financial well being of the city during a time in history when the rest of the country was suffering a depression.  The Allen's supported the town's commitment to education, as well as provided funding for cultural activities and social gatherings for it's employees as well as others. And of course, Buford's personality wouldn't have been the same without the entire town's rally around the Bona Allen sponsored Shoemaker baseball team.

But before Bona Allen came to town, his older brother, R. H. Allen, arrived , establishing the first Allen Tannery in Buford, and laying the foundation for the family dynasty that followed.

Robert H. Allen, who has sometimes been called "the forgotten Allen," arrived in the Buford area in the late 1860's, drawn by it's proximity to the newly built Georgia Air-Line Railroad.* Allen set up the town's first industry, a small leather tanning operation in the backyard of his home on what would later become Main Street. Along with his younger brothers, Allen had learned the tanning trade from their father on their small family farm near Dacula prior to the Civil War. Although records show that R.H. Allen participated in the War, he suffered a debilitating stoke soon after, which left him paralyzed from the waist down, unable to walk even with the aid of crutches. That didn't stop the invincible Allen spirit, however, and for the next four decades the sight of  "Mr. R.H."  conducting business from in his goat cart was an integral part of Buford daily life.

R.H. Allen's leather tannery grew to include a harness and horse collar factory as well as a saddlery. At first Allen did most of the work himself, but eventually a large workforce was employed as the demand for his leather products grew. By 1873, R.H. Allen was joined in Buford  by his younger brother, Bonaparte (Bona) Allen, and for a time the two were partners in the growing leather business, traveling throughout the South  selling their products. The partnership didn't last, however, and by 1877 Bona Allen had established his own, and eventually more dominant, leather works. A spirit of rivalry seems to have existed between the brothers for the next 30 years as both continued to hold influence over the ever growing town. In 1893 R.H. Allen became the prime backer and director of the Bank of Buford while eventually Bona Allen was key to establishing the Shadburn Banking Company, both institutions crucial to the economic growth of the town. Tax roles from 1899 show the Allen brothers as the two largest taxpayers in the district. 

Although Bona Allen eventually outstripped his older brother in influence and financial power, going on to found the dynasty that would dominate Buford's business and social life until the 1980's,  it's clear that both brothers played a key role in the town's history. It might be safe to say that without that first R.H. Allen tannery, Buford might never  have become "The Leather City."  

After his death in 1909, those who had known R.H. Allen remembered him as a gentle and complacent man, particularly well loved by children, who used to walk along beside his goat cart as he made his business rounds. His obituary stated that Allen was "absolutely loyal under all circumstances, while as an employer he was a kind, liberal considerate and beloved...." and "one endowed with unusual genius and wonderful business ability."  Quite a testament to a man who would eventually be known only as "the forgotten Allen." 

Rebecca

* There is some question as to exactly when R.H. Allen arrived in Buford, as the 1870 census records show him residing near the Elisha Winn house, close to the Apalachee River. The railroad was critical to the growth of Buford, and will be covered in another post.