1912: The Forsyth County Expulsion and Its Aftermath

In this episode of 1912, hosts Rose Scott and Sophia Dodd investigate the myths and realities surrounding Lake Lanier and its connection to the 1912 expulsion of Black residents from Forsyth County. Over time, these myths have transformed a brutal history into ghost stories, but the trauma endured by Black families during and after 1912 remains undisputed.

The podcast addresses the persistent legend that Lake Lanier was created to cover up racial crimes and investigates whether Oscarville was a prosperous Black town destroyed to make way for the lake.

As the episode progresses, Scott and Dodd shift their focus to the economic disparities that emerged after Lake Lanier's creation. White residents of Forsyth County benefited greatly from the lake's development and the resulting economic boom, while the displaced Black families, driven away long before, were never compensated—nor did they receive an apology. The hosts question whether the sensationalized myths about Oscarville obscure the real horrors of the Black displacement from Forsyth County and, more importantly, whether they dilute attention to the lasting impacts of these atrocities.

In the second episode of 1912, Rose Scott and Sophia Dodd peel back the layers of history to reveal the personal stories of some of the Black families exiled from Forsyth County. The episode opens with Elon Osby recounting the life of her grandfather, William Bagley — a man who, alongside his wife Ida, embodied the promise of post-Emancipation life in Forsyth. Born into the first generation of free Black Americans, the Bagleys carved out a prosperous life on 60 acres of land, only to see it ripped away by the racial hatred in 1912.

As the episode unfolds, Scott and Dodd follow the Bagley family's journey out of Forsyth County. They resettled in Macedonia Park, an area that would eventually become Bagley Park, nestled in what is now Buckhead. There, the Bagleys didn’t just survive — they thrived, building a community that became a focal point for Black life in the area. Dorothy Pemberton describes growing up in Bagley Park, where the threat of the Ku Klux Klan was ever-present and a constant reminder of the hatred that had driven them from Forsyth.

The episode widens its lens to include the stories of other displaced families such as the Stricklands and the Merritts, whose lives were also turned upside down by the violence that swept through Forsyth County in 1912.

In the inaugural episode of Atlanta History Center’s "1912" podcast, hosts Rose Scott and Sophia Dodd delve into one of Georgia’s most unsettling events. The episode transports listeners to the racially charged atmosphere of Forsyth County in 1912 — a year marked by the violent expulsion of the county’s Black residents. Accusations by white women against Black men ignited a wave of racial violence that ravaged the community.

Through descendant testimonies and oral histories, Scott and Dodd examine the terror of those tumultuous days. Central to their exploration is the testimony of Fred Brown. Brown, one of the expelled, recounts the fires, frantic escapes, and the tragic aftermath for families forced to abandon their homes, livelihoods, and communities. His words, recorded by his son decades later, breathe new life into this often overlooked chapter in Georgia’s history.

As the episode progresses, Scott and Dodd discuss how Forsyth County remained almost exclusively white for decades. They also focus on the 1987 Brotherhood March, led by civil rights leader Hosea Williams, which brought national attention to the county’s deep racial divide.

1912 tells the story of the expulsion of more than 1,000 Black residents from Forsyth County, Georgia and its lasting impact on the families affected. We’ll explore how a combination of popular myth and generations of displacement contributed to the attempted erasure of an entire Black community.

1912 tells the story of the expulsion of more than 1,000 Black residents from Forsyth County, Georgia and its lasting impact on the families affected. We’ll explore how a combination of popular myth and generations of displacement contributed to the attempted erasure of an entire Black community.