The Gazette
October 5, 1939

The coming of a railroad through the western part of the parish at the turn of the century accounted for the establishment of Lillie.

Although there was one settler living at the present site of the town in 1899 names Frank Farrar, the credit for the founding of the community goes to J. W. Nicklas, who in 1899 erected a saw mill at the present spot of the settlement.

Stores quickly followed on the heels of the saw mill and B. F. Post is given credit for having the first store there and Mr. Nicklas, in conjunction with his mill, the second.

The community was named after Frank Farrar’s daughter, Lillie. Looking for a suitable name for the spot, the people of the settlement decided to name it after Farrar’s daughter.

Other early stores, in order of their establishment as furnished by Mr. Nicklas, follow: Morris, Farrar Brothers, Carroll & Henderson, A. L. Ponder, Elliott & Breazeale (which later became Elliott, Breazeale & Nicklas), J. W. Bennett, Henry, Bennett, Pickens, Barringer (this was a company store operated by the Barringer Lumber Co., which operated in that section during the early 29’s), J. B. Wilkes and C. L. Nelson.

The Union Grove Church, one mile from the community and which serves that section, was organized in 1893. It is a member of the Everett Association and is of Baptist denomination.

Old settlers of the place include Billie Thompson, Jack Alford, J. S. Farrar, Winston Farrar, W. Nelson, Eli Denton, Sr., Rabun, Milner, Hardner, M. H. Thornton, G. Farrar, Hays, W. F. Usrey, Barron, Risinger and others.

The very old settlers who settled in the general vicinity of the present community, who came from Alabama and Georgia, included the Vines, McCullers, Daniel Keinard, Troy Melton, Sidney W. Nicklas, Bill Duncan, Tommy and Jack Gilbert and a family of Smiths.

The school of that section was organized about 1893. Some of the teachers included J. G. Ray, Newt V. Mills and men named Edwards, Huckaby and Bird.