 William Henry Fluker was an entrepreneur and inventor. |
Henry Fluker�s parents were William Thomas Fluker and Emily Reid Murden Fluker. His father was a Civil War veteran who set up a gun shop in Washington, Ga., after the war. Later, he opened a machine shop working on farm equipment and other machinery.
Georgia Tech was always an important part of Henry�s life. One of the family hand-me-down stories describes his being on a committee to collect and order the first football for the school. When the football arrived, they considered sending it back because it was �out of round." He was a member of ATO at Tech and was recognized for his many years of service. Henry and his wife Ruth even called their McDuffie County home �Ramblin� Wreck."
Henry used his engineering degree to help develop and promote the local gold mining industry. He started by managing the mines for his mother in law, Jane Septima Smith. Mining up to this point had been done only to the water level. He realized that more modern machinery was necessary and that would take additional funds and investors would be needed. He helped organize the Columbia Mining Company in 1899 and was its General Manager. This company purchased 1200 acres. His duties included purchasing and maintaining equipment for the mines such as stamp mills, rock crushers, drilling and digging equipment.
One piece of equipment that was purchased and hauled from the Thomson Depot to the mines was an Ingersoll-Rand air compressor. It took two weeks using mules and wagons to transport this equipment. There was also a saw mill, a water tower, livestock, vehicles, buildings and a commissary store to be maintained and managed.
During the early 1900s a telephone line was run between the mine office, the mills and several homes. Plans for a line into Thomson were made and poles were cut and placed along a portion of the proposed line. This project was never completed and it was 1960, long after the mines closed, before phone service was available to the area. In 1902, he read a report to the American Institute of Mining Engineers entitled �Gold Mining in McDuffie County, Georgia� to meetings in New York and Philadelphia.
A prospectus for stock in The Columbia Mining and Smelting Company published between 1902 and 1908 states that the Seaboard Air Line Railroad surveyed a line running from Athens to Augusta and passed near the property. It is evident from reports and letters that the Columbia Mining Company was looking for investors and interested buyers for its property and equipment. The investors found gold mining a very volatile venture.
A 1926 report made by a New York engineering consulting company about reopening of the Columbia Mine says, �Whether this will give a return commensurate with the risk involved and will reimburse you for your capitol outlay to date cannot be foreseen.�
Henry was an entrepreneur and inventor. In the early thirties, Henry devised a car tag much like the tags used on our automobiles today. The company was called National Sealtag Company. He and investors in National Sealtag tried to persuade the Georgia Legislature to authorize the Motor Vehicle Commission to require these tags to be placed on vehicles.
In a letter written on July 16, 1931, he wrote: �We have 75,000 unregistered cars in operation in Georgia today. This means that we have 75,000 TAG SHIFTERS in this state who are cheating us out of FORTY MILES OF PAVED ROADS PER YEAR. THIS LOSS CAN BE STOPPED BY THE PROPER USE OF THE SEALTAG. But the 75,000 TAG SHIFTERS have found this out�and are fighting the SEALTAG and clamoring for a return to the old type of tag, which enables them to run any number of cars on one license.�
They were not successful in getting the necessary legislation in Georgia, but the company promoted the product in other states, with some success.
He was interested in photography and used his knowledge to help create reports about the mines as well as taking many family pictures. He was an avid genealogist and drew many family coats of arms, carving at least one with his pocket knife. There are other items that he carved.
He made many gifts for family using his artistic talents. He taught his grandchildren art and wood finishing. He and Ruth maintained a library in their home that was used by children in the community.
There were several Baptist churches that he served as Sunday school teacher, including Flint Hill, Ebenezer, Pine Grove, and Columbia Mines, which he organized. He was also a deacon. Being a church leader also meant that he was a community leader. He helped organize a school for the miner�s children in one room of Columbia Mines Church. He was asked by school officials to make sure that all children in the community were vaccinated. The health department would send him the serum and supplies needed.
William Henry Fluker was like many people of his era. He was the caretaker of his family and his community.
