Aragon Historical Society

05/10/2026

Another One of The Museums Founders passed away yesterday, Al Miller.

04/27/2026

The museum will be open this Saturday from 10-12. Come on by!

06/03/2025

Don't forget! Our regular monthly meeting will be this Saturday, June 7, 2025. The museum will open at 10:00 AM. The Meeting will start at 11:00 AM.

05/19/2025

Bob Rhodes' Aragon Story.

Robert Rhodes relates some of his childhood memories of Aragon, Georgia.

05/16/2025

This story mirrors what happened in the early 1900's right here at Aragon Mills

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/194Yz3ytvs/

The Young Family’s Story: A Glimpse into Georgia’s Cotton Mills in 1909

In the early 20th century, many families across America were swept into the rapidly growing industrial workforce. Among them was the Young family, captured in a poignant photograph by famed child labor photographer Lewis Hine on January 22, 1909, in Tifton, Georgia. This family story reveals the realities of the era, when many faced hardships that required every hand, young and old, to contribute to the family’s survival.

Hine’s photograph shows a resilient family with Mrs. A.J. Young at its head. She had recently lost her husband, leaving her to raise 11 children on her own. Like many families of the time, the Youngs had left the farm and moved to the cotton mill town of Tifton two years earlier, seeking steady income and a more stable future. For Mrs. Young, finding work in the mill was a means of survival.

Mrs. Young and her children spent their days working long hours in the Tifton Cotton Mill. According to Hine’s caption, Mrs. Young managed dual responsibilities, working both in the mill and caring for her children at home. Her eldest daughter, Nell, alternated shifts with her mother to keep the family income steady. Meanwhile, other children like “Mammy” and Mary worked at the machines, managing two sides and 1.5 sides, respectively. Even young Eddie played her part by helping in the mill, placing bobbins to keep the machines running smoothly. Each member contributed what they could to support the family.

Together, Mrs. Young and her working children earned only a few dollars each week. Mrs. Young was reportedly paid less than a dollar a week, and each of the children who worked made about 50 cents. For context, that’s around $15 in today’s money for a full week of grueling labor. With such modest earnings, every cent mattered. Though four of the Young children were not yet old enough to work, it seems inevitable that they, too, would eventually join their siblings in the mill as soon as they were able.

Hine’s photograph offers a window into the Young family’s life, highlighting the strength and resilience of Mrs. Young and her children. Through the challenges of widowhood, poverty, and the demands of mill work, this family held together, each member doing what they could to contribute. In many ways, their story is emblematic of the spirit and determination that drove the American labor force during the industrial revolution, though it also highlights the era’s difficult realities.

Today, labor laws protect young workers and ensure that children can focus on education and play. But in 1909, for families like the Youngs, child labor was often the only path to survival. This photograph reminds us of the struggles endured by past generations and the resilience of families who found ways to adapt and persevere in the face of adversity.

05/06/2025

Please help us spread the word to all Aragon School alumni, their descendants, relatives, and friends. If they are not on Facebook, call them. If they live out of town, let them know in time to make it to the reunion.

04/28/2025

The regular monthly meeting of the Aragon Historical Society will be held on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at the museum at 105 New Prospect Rd in Aragon. Everyone is invited to attend and encouraged to join us in our quest to collect, preserve, and Display the history of Aragon and surrounding areas.

04/06/2025

Many Emergency Personell from Polk County responded

04/02/2025

Our meeting will be this Saturday at 11. The museum will open at 10.

02/28/2025

Please note that our meeting day has changed. We will be opening the museum at 10 AM and have our regular monthly meeting at 11 AM. Please come visit and hopefully join us in our effort.

02/02/2025

Our February meeting will be on Thursday, February 6, 2025. Everyone is invited to attend and urged to join.