The Langdales have long been, and
remain, a major part of the economic, social, political, and religious
life of
Georgia.
The Langdales arrived in
Philadelphia
in 1723, moved to
South Carolina
prior to the Revolutionary War, and by the end of the nineteenth
century, John Wesley Langdale had settled his
family in
South Georgia.
John Wesley built a prosperous cattle and forest products business on the
western edge of the
Okefenokee Swamp.
His youngest son, Judge Harley Langdale, and the judge's three sons
developed the Langdale Company in the latter half of the twentieth
century. Under Harley Langdale, Jr., this company evolved from a
world-leading producer of naval stores to become one of the foremost
manufacturers of forest products in the
Southern United States.
John Lancaster has produced a history of the
Langdale family that traces their origins in
Yorkshire
in the seventeenth century to his primary focus on the family in the
twentieth century. Counting appendices, about 100 pages are devoted to genealogy and family history from the 17th
through the early 20th centuries. In the 1930s,
Judge Harley Langdale organized the American Turpentine Farmers
Association, a national cooperative. As its chief spokesperson, he
traveled to
Washington
to lobby Congress on the behalf of turpentine producers with enormous
effect on the industry.
Judge Harley's sons have played key roles in
Georgia's
history. His eldest son, Harley, Jr., held many state, regional, and
national positions in the fields of forestry, conservation, and forest
products. Harley, Jr., accepted leadership posts in several professional
organizations, served on advisory committees on the federal government,
and testified before Congress. John W. Langdale served in both houses of
the state legislature, as a member and chairman of the University System
of Georgia Board of Regents, and as a district governor of Rotary
International. William P. (Billy) Langdale was for sixteen years chairman
of the Lowndes County Commissioners and subsequently represented the
Valdosta
district of the Georgia Transportation Board. The family not only provided
tremendous leadership but also led
South Georgia
in matters of education with its support of
Valdosta
State
University.
For all this and much more, the history of the
Langdale family is a story of more than one family,
it is a story of Georgia and the South.
John E. Lancaster (Ph.D. University of Georgia) is a retired
professor of history from
Valdosta
State
University.
Copyright 2000-2003 by Diversified Operations Company
Last Updated: June 25, 2003
