DAISY: Preserving our Place in History!
Like many of the towns that once prospered along the route of the railroads as they carved their way through the piney woods opening lines west from Savannah, Daisy emerged as a prosperous trade center after the railroad came through in 1890. Cotton was once ginned in Daisy and shipped by train to factories around the country. So was turpentine, which was stored in barrels manufactured in the town for shipment by rail. Much preservation has been done in recent years to make Daisy more appealing to residents and visitors. Original buildings along the main street have been restored, extensive landscaping added, and a red caboose is featured prominently as a part of the scenic town located about two miles east of Claxton. Daisy’s city hall, left (decorated for Christmas), has been preserved since the early 1900s when it once served as the office of Dr. George W. Ellarbee.
DAISY, PICTURE PERFECT, INVITES YOU…
Community pride is evident in the town of Daisy where citizens banded together, with support from their elected officials, and restored several buildings along the main street. The setting appears much like a restored photograph from the past, inviting to folks who stop by the post office or pause for conversation under the shade of trees along the street.
WITH ‘CONLEY’ ALREADY SPOKEN FOR, OFFICIALS AUTHORIZE DAISY AS OFFICIAL NAME FOR COMMUNITY POST OFFICE
When Daisy was first settled, and the town was growing in construction and population, it was decided ‘Conley’ would be an appropriate name for the settlement, in honor of Methodist minister W.F. M. Conley who served the area during the 1890s. As was the case with Claxton when the town fathers wanted to name it Hendricks, postal officials notified the Daisy residents that another post office was already designated as Conley.
The second choice was accepted by officials in Washington and Daisy became another official postal site along the railroad lines. Daisy Leola Edwards was the strikingly beautiful daughter of Thomas Jefferson and Ann Conley Edwards. Mr. Edwards and Caleb Rogers had owned much of the land in the area and sold lots so that the town could grow. The Daisy post office was officially established on July 31, 1890. Miss Daisy’s father served as the town’s first postmaster, and it was her grandfather (W.F.M. Conley) for whom the town might have been named. Charles G. Edwards, Daisy’s brother and one of nine children born to T.J. and Ann Conley Edwards, was elected to the Sixtieth Congress in 1907 and served four terms until 1917.
With the establishment of rail service through the area and construction of a deport, a number of business firms began operating in Daisy during the late 1800s. Most general merchandise was available from the Sands Commissary, T.J. Edwards Store, Mance Tippins Store, Bernice Smith’s Milkshake Stand,The Bid Sands Cotton Gin, the Sands Naval Store, B.E. Smith’s General Store, and many others.
While retail establishments have disappeared over the century since Daisy was a bustling railroad town, it remains an attractive place where citizens take pride in keeping the town appealing and preserving its place in Evans County’s history.
“In Daisy Town”
Claudelle Smith Molnar, c. 1992
In Daisy Town the daisies grow,
beside the railroad, row on row,
to mark the place; and in the sky
the larks so gravely singing fly,
ne’er heard by the ones below.
They are the dead.
Many years ago, they lived;
at dawn heard
the train whistles blow.
They lived and thrived,
but now they lie
in Daisy Town.
Take up your shovel and hoe; and
scatter the daisies to and fro.
Now only the Red Caboose remains,
to mark the passing trains.
The Cattle Yard’s gone
and the old depot;
The Turpentine Still
and the General Store.
They all do sleep,
tho Daisies grow,
in Daisy Town.
ADMINISTRATION & SERVICES
Law Enforcement
Evans County Sheriff’s Office
912-739-1611
Fire Department
Evans County Fire Dept.
911
Forestry Fires
Evans County Forestry Unit
912-739-1511
Ambulance
Evans County EMS
911
MEETINGS
The regular meetings of the Daisy city council are conducted at 7:00 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month. Meetings are held at Daisy Town Hall.