Abraham Leffler Advertised in 1881 Berrien County News
The Berrien County News was published at Alapaha, Georgia from 1875 to about 1886. In 1881, the newspaper was owned by W. H. Lastinger.
July 2, 1881 Edition of the Berrien County News advertisement of Abraham Leffler, Wholesale Grocer, Savannah, GA. During the Civil War and Reconstruction, Leffler was a resident of the Rays Mill District, Berrien County, GA
Abraham Leffler was a German merchant who came to Berrien County, GA before the Civil War. Although he suffered personal tragedy in the loss of his wife and a son, he apparently was among those men who prospered financially during the war and Reconstruction. The 1867 Berrien County tax digest shows that he owned town property valued at $350, had $1500 cash on hand, $6000 in merchandise, and $375 in other property, for a aggregate value of $8175. It appears that he paid a professional license fee of $1.00.
The 1870 census of the 1144th Georgia Militia District, Rays Mill District, shows he was a country merchant with a personal estate of $200 and real estate valued at $14,010. He had three children still in school, and a housekeeper, Miss Victoria Brooks.
Very shortly thereafter, Abraham Leffler relocated his family to Savannah, GA. The 1871 Savannah City Directory shows Abraham Leffler was in business with Adolphus Gomm, as wholesale grocers under the name Gomm & Leffler.
In Savannah, Abraham Leffler did not forget his old friends and business acquaintances from Berrien County. By 1874 a rail transportation route was opened from Berrien County to Savannah. The Brunswick & Albany Railroad passed through northern Berrien and a stop called Alapaha Station had been established. The B & A ran through Tebeauville (now Waycross, GA) where the Atlantic & Gulf Railroad provided connections to Savannah. Levi J. Knight, of Ray’s Mill, GA, had been an investor in the construction of the A&G. The route opened a door for Savannah merchants to trade in Berrien County. By 1881 Leffler was advertising his wholesale groceries in the Berrien County News, the newspaper printed at Alapaha.
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