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Julian Williams | all galleries >> Julian Williams's Galleries >> Old Jacksonville, Ga.- Where History Lives > Goat Man & J.D. Williams At Jacksonville, Ga.
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Goat Man & J.D. Williams At Jacksonville, Ga.

Along in the 1950's or so The Goat Man came through Jacksonville, Ga. Things were going OK until he started whipping one of the little baby goats. J.D. Williams, my father, who ran a store in Jacksonville, Ga., could not stand that sight. He immediately confronted The Goat Man and I thought there might be a fight over the issue. But The Goat Man moved on and Daddy returned to his store. Daddy always liked babies - even baby goats! For those interested in other parts of the picture: starting on the left and going clockwise - (and bear in mind these are rough sketches and not "exactly" as they were) - The Jacksonville Methodist Church with two stories (now single story); the old Jim/Blanche Lowe House (now gone); the old Methodist Parsonage (replaced by a brick dwelling); the old Lula Boney House (now gone); W.L. Wells Store (still there but now a smaller store); the old Jax Cafe (now gone).


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K Anders 11-Sep-2010 13:45
I was in Marietta Ga. in the mid 80,s and bought a lead drawing of this man and still have it today.I also had one of his goats and wagon w/ him on it but it was sold in a garage sale.It is a very good lead drawing of him and i wondered if he was still alive and was there a gallery set up for him
M.Duggins 17-Mar-2010 02:49
Googled because I remember the "Goat Man" as a small kid living along Route1 & 301 that passed thur Richmond, Virginia. This may have been about 1953-55.A small cart pulled by several goats traveled thru a couple of times, a sight you just don't forget as a kid. Wasn't really sure til' I checked to confirm but may not be the same "Goay Man" as the comments here seem to only be around Ga.
wayne 28-Dec-2009 02:07
My grandfather took me to meet the goat man when I was a young boy. He was on the side of the road between Lagrange Ga. and Franklin GA.( on hwy. 27 ) I think I was 6 or 7 years old then.Well what a great memory for a 53 year old guy now.....
Guest 09-Dec-2008 15:35
Hi to all...I am writing a children's book about the great American folk hero known as the "goat man"..Chess McCartney... I've done a great deal of research but if anyone has a great story, or photos, etc. of this phenomenal character, please email them to me at pemercer@alltel.net...thank you so much for your help. My desire is to preserve this bit of colorful history for future generations. After all, this was also, "our" story!
Thanks, Peggy Mercer.
Allen 31-Oct-2008 03:08
I had never heard of the Goat Man until recently. My husband went on a trip to Tennesee and came back with a documentary on him. He seems to be a very interesting man.
GUEST 20-Feb-2008 09:27
I AM FROM ROSWELL GA AND THAT IS SOMEWHAT NEAR HIGHWAY 41 EAST OF IT I THINK AND I ALSO REMEMBER THE GOATMAN BEING IN A PASTURE WITH HIS GOATS AND WAGON,I WAS A TEENAGER BACK THEN [IN THE 50'S]BUT THE PPL THAT OWNED THE PASTURE[THE TOLBERTS,WELL KNOWN WELL OFF FAMILY IN ROSWELL]AND THEY LET HIM STAY THERE FOR DAYS.EVERYONE WOULD JUST STAND AROUND AND WATCH HIM LOL,THE PASTURE CORNERED OLD HOLCOMBE BRIDGE ROAD AND GOATMAN WOULD BE RIGHT OUT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD INSIDE THE PASTURE.
Donna 16-Jun-2006 03:28
An interesting story. I am originally from a small town 30 mls north of Chatt. Tn. I moved to Florida in 1976 and I as met and kept friends over the years, I told many here my version of the Goat Man. Of course none of my friends, most of them having hailed from the north, believed me.
My story is similar to others. I would say the time was the late 60's, I would have been 10 or 12 yrs old. I can cleary remember my grandparents takin us to Sale Creek to see this strange site. Many were always gathered around. I remember a wagon, maybe with pots and pans hanging from it. Did he sell them? I can't remember. The smelly goats and that dirty looking man with a overgrowth of facial hair. As kids we were scared, yet thrilled to view this once a year happening. I would say he came along in spring or summer.
Now to 2004, as my parents were visiting myself and friends here in Ft Lauderdale we began to talk of growing up a child in the south. Can't talk about that without talking about the Goat Man. Thank God for the computer age. We began to Google and came upon your site. My non-believing friends finally had to give it up. Yes my friends, there was a Goat Man.
Here, here, to all of "kids" who went down to see the Goat Man.
Jimmy Hyde 14-Jun-2006 21:58
What brought me to you web page was a conversation I had with my Grand Daughter on June 13th as we passed the area where the Goatman was from just south of Macon. When I was a child I was raised along Highway 41 10 miles north of Cartersville. Being in a very rural area there was not much to do or see so when the Goatman came to town it was just about as big as the county fair and a whole lot more interesting. By the way I think his name was Chess McCarthy. We would sit and listen to the Goatman preach and cuss at the same time and he could tell some interesting stories. I guess he had 25-30 goats and he did smell like one of them. Many told about the Goatman being rich and living in a mansion below Macon. When I saw his home it looked just like his wagon without wheels.Well I guess when I look back the old Goatman was rich he was living like he wanted to and seeing the world. I am glad I got to meet the Goatman
paul Starner 09-Jun-2006 23:41
Get a load of this,

I went to the quick photo to get some Chinese Visa photos for my trip next week. This is on route 41 which runs from Florida up through Tennessee, right through Cartersville, Ga. As I waited 30 minutes for the high tech machine to turn out these pictures thirty minutes later, the man waiting on me gave me a bit of local history. I was standing at a glass case that had a very unusual picture in it. I asked him, what is this all about? It was a picture of a old man on a wagon being pulled by a team of Goats. It was there because it was a damaged photo and they were showing prints that demonstrated how they corrected the damage. Anyways, he told me about the goat man. This man traveled up and down route 41 all his life preaching and selling snake oil. At first I thought, what is this all about and who cares, yet it was a bit unusual. A bit thought provoking. Here is a guy that smells like a goat, being pulled by a group of goats that continually traveled up and down US Route 41. The photo also has some interesting dichotomy in the photo showing his sign saying "prepare to meet ones maker" on his wagon and then the Budweiser sign to the right above the old phone boot. I loved to go into those things years ago. Thank God for cell phones. .

I finally got my quick photos and got into the fancy Toyota truck that was being driven by our opps manager. In the back seat our Director of purchasing. We had just gone to lunch together. I told them I would need a quick minute to get a couple of photos in the quick photo place. As they commented on the Fast Photo performance that took thirty minutes, I then told them about the goat man. The purchasing manager told me he knew this Goat Man when he was a kid in south Georgia. His father, still active today in a business at 78, took him to see the Goat Man many times when he passed through on route 41 each year preaching. The other gent, our 33 year old opps manager that owes me big time for his opportunities, told me he know nothing about this Goat Man. But to defend him, he was born in Columbus Georgia and this is no where near route 41. It appears only people that grew up along route 41 know about or knew the Old Goat man. Buddy, our purchasing guy, then told me he stunk worse than the goat and would often eat them.

Then I got back to the plant and asked many locals, most of them at the age of over 40, if they knew of the Goat man. Everyone of them told me they knew him personally and once or twice per year their father would take them to meet the Goat Man as he traveled through Cartersville on Route 41. They loved the fact that I found a little piece of their history on my own. What a Hoot. He passed away in 1999.

I went back to the very fast place today and asked if I could buy one the prints. I was told that I could have one print, but they do not sell them. Very typical of the southern hospitality. I gave this to our sales customer service manger and she was delighted. Take a look at the photo. A bit of unusually American History.

Paul Starner
Greg Shiver 29-Apr-2006 19:34
I remember meeting him when he was a nursing home. where a grant aunt of mine was also at. I enjoyed going there not because of her but to see him again and hear his stories. to bad i was just a little tike i'm now 29. I only now i hardly remember those stories. but i remember still his face smiling and talking about his days on the road.
Charles Pinckney 22-Nov-2005 18:12
It was in the early 60's when my parents took us to see the goat man. He had camped in a stand of pine trees just a few miles from where we lived in Williston, South Carolina. I recall the goats and a wagon but no campfire. I was 8-10 years old. It has always been a very fond memory.
Kathy Thomas 15-Nov-2005 21:12
I have some snapshots of the Goat Man when he came through Carrollton, GA in the late 50's. It's interesting to see who all has ever even heard of the Goat Man.