Upatoi, Georgia
Encyclopedia
Upatoi is the name of a neighborhood and post office located in the eastern panhandle of Muscogee County, Georgia
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=upatoi,+ga&ie=UTF8&z=17&ll=32.549264,-84.742602&spn=0.00407,0.010815&t=h&om=1. Previously an unincorporated community
within Muscogee County, Upatoi was annexed by the city of Columbus
in 1971 as part of the consolidation
of the city and county governments. Though now officially part of Columbus, the Upatoi area has retained its historic name through its post office, which still bears the name Upatoi, Georgia.
was located at the intersection of Upatoi Lane and Jenkins Road. The building was erected shortly after the town was forced to relocate northwards following the expansion of Fort Benning
. It once housed a general store and gas station owned and operated by Georgia Gloss (affectionately referred to as "Miss Georgia"), who kept it open until the 1980s. Those growing up in Upatoi in the late 1960s remember the penny candy selection, deli counter and Miss Georgia's home cooked hamburgers made in the back room. Jenkins Road was originally an access road to the antebellum
mansion
around which was an extensive plantation
covering most of the area.http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=upatoi,+ga&ie=UTF8&om=1&z=17&ll=32.555287,-84.740177&spn=0.004069,0.010815&t=h&iwloc=addr Upatoi Lane is one of the last remaining segments of old US 80 to retain its original, concrete pavement from the 1920s. In the 1950s, US 80 was relocated north by 0.5 miles and widened to four lanes in the 1990s.
The Norfolk Southern Railway
marks the southern boundary of Upatoi and the northern boundary of Fort Benning. The railroad once provided whistle stop
passenger service. Two cotton gin
s and several warehouses lined the tracks.
Immediately adjacent to west of the post office is the Upatoi Chapel, formerly the home of the Upatoi United Methodist Church. The church was originally located inside what is now Fort Benning. Like much of Upatoi, it had to be moved when the military base expanded. The chapel is now available for weddings.
Several subdivisions
now make up the Upatoi community. Two of the oldest are Woodhaven and Ridgewood Estates. Many older maps use the spelling "Upatoie," for the town as well as the creek, the latter being a boundary between Muscogee and Chattahoochee
Counties.
Muscogee County, Georgia
Muscogee County is a county located on the central western border of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is part of the Columbus, Georgia-Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the population was 186,291. The 2009 Census Estimate shows a population of 190,414...
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=upatoi,+ga&ie=UTF8&z=17&ll=32.549264,-84.742602&spn=0.00407,0.010815&t=h&om=1. Previously an unincorporated community
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
within Muscogee County, Upatoi was annexed by the city of Columbus
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...
in 1971 as part of the consolidation
Consolidated city-county
In United States local government, a consolidated city–county is a city and county that have been merged into one unified jurisdiction. As such it is simultaneously a city, which is a municipal corporation, and a county, which is an administrative division of a state...
of the city and county governments. Though now officially part of Columbus, the Upatoi area has retained its historic name through its post office, which still bears the name Upatoi, Georgia.
History
The original post officePost office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
was located at the intersection of Upatoi Lane and Jenkins Road. The building was erected shortly after the town was forced to relocate northwards following the expansion of Fort Benning
Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
. It once housed a general store and gas station owned and operated by Georgia Gloss (affectionately referred to as "Miss Georgia"), who kept it open until the 1980s. Those growing up in Upatoi in the late 1960s remember the penny candy selection, deli counter and Miss Georgia's home cooked hamburgers made in the back room. Jenkins Road was originally an access road to the antebellum
Antebellum architecture
Antebellum architecture is a term used to describe the characteristic neoclassical architectural style of the Southern United States, especially the Old South, from after the birth of the United States in the American Revolution, to the start of the American Civil War...
mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
around which was an extensive plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
covering most of the area.http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=upatoi,+ga&ie=UTF8&om=1&z=17&ll=32.555287,-84.740177&spn=0.004069,0.010815&t=h&iwloc=addr Upatoi Lane is one of the last remaining segments of old US 80 to retain its original, concrete pavement from the 1920s. In the 1950s, US 80 was relocated north by 0.5 miles and widened to four lanes in the 1990s.
The Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
marks the southern boundary of Upatoi and the northern boundary of Fort Benning. The railroad once provided whistle stop
Whistle Stop
Whistle Stop is a 1946 movie starring George Raft and Ava Gardner. The film was shot in black and white and in the film noir style. The picture was directed by Léonide Moguy and based on a novel by Maritta M. Wolff...
passenger service. Two cotton gin
Cotton gin
A cotton gin is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, a job formerly performed painstakingly by hand...
s and several warehouses lined the tracks.
Immediately adjacent to west of the post office is the Upatoi Chapel, formerly the home of the Upatoi United Methodist Church. The church was originally located inside what is now Fort Benning. Like much of Upatoi, it had to be moved when the military base expanded. The chapel is now available for weddings.
Several subdivisions
Subdivision (land)
Subdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop, usually via a plat. The former single piece as a whole is then known in the United States as a subdivision...
now make up the Upatoi community. Two of the oldest are Woodhaven and Ridgewood Estates. Many older maps use the spelling "Upatoie," for the town as well as the creek, the latter being a boundary between Muscogee and Chattahoochee
Chattahoochee County, Georgia
Chattahoochee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on February 13, 1854. The 2000 Census reported a population of 14,882. The 2009 Census Estimate shows a population of 14,402. It is part of the Columbus, Georgia-Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area...
Counties.