George Washington Justice (November 19, 1878 - August 14, 1948) |
| Relationship to the Speculation Lands: |
| The succession of continuous members of the Justice Family as Resident Agents for the heirs of Isaac Bronson spanned a century. In 1818, The first appointment in Western North Carolina to this venture was James Dyer Justice as the Southern Commissioner to the Speculation Land Company. Both Thomas Butler, son of James Dyer Justice, and Carr Baylus, grandson of James Dyer, lived in Rutherfordton, North Carolina while Samuel J., lived in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Thomas relieved his father James Dyer as an agent. Samuel was an agent as well as his son George who was the last surveyor and agent for the Speculation Land Company. |
| Biography: |
| George, son of Samuel Jones Justice, married Ethel Marie Henderson in 1909. He and Ethel produced one child, Samuel Marion Justice. Unfortunately, Ethel died at the age of 28 in 1913. He was remarried to Irene Elizabeth Hunt in 1915 and produced four more children. George was a surveyor like his father. They were both involved in Justice and Son, a surveying company in Hendersonville. George W. was the sole executor of his father's estate upon Samuel's death in 1919. He and his father were associated with the purchase of 5,000 acres in the "Big Hungry Section" of Henderson County. In 1940, George sold the land to a Florida land company for development. Samuel Jones Justice was the surveyor for the Speculation Land Company from around 1900 to about 1919. G. W. Justice succeeded his father as surveyor for the Speculation Lands only for a few months, from 1919 to 1920. The Court assigned G. W. Justice as a Commissioner to oversee the dissolution of the Speculation Land Company in 1920 (item 0768); at that time the heirs to the original lands numbered over 100, and the company had become unmanageable. He, along with Judge Fred McBrayer, on March 18, 1920, purchased the last 9,376 acres of land controlled by the company, officially dissolving it by 1921. |
| On-Site Links: |
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0073 - Diary book of George W. Justice January 1 - October 5, 1933, also some notes dated 1948. 0100 - Two letters tucked inside item 0100 from the widow Minnie Williams asking G. W. Justice to come survey her land and help her settle a dispute over her property that she did not understand. 0023 - Letter from the City of Hendersonville to George W. Justice informing him of his election to the County Board of Commissioners. Signed by V. Shepard, Chairman, Board of Elections, and G. W. Brooks, Secretary, dated November 19, 1930. 0109 - Conveyance from George W. and Irene Justice dated February 10, 1928, who sold the rights on 348 acres in Polk County for the sum of $4,000, to cut trees for lumber for a period of four years. 0181 - Letter dated April 13, 1929 from J. S. Dockery, Attorney in Rutherfordton to George W. Justice includes a copy of a judgment concerning a boundary dispute. Case was heard by the 14th. District Court and the judgment handed down March 4, 1902. 0185 - Deed conveyed by George W. Justice, registered in Henderson County April 17, 1909. 0186, 0187, 0188, 0191 - Four deeds conveyed to George W. Justice and registered in Henderson County between 1905 and 1910. 0189 - Mortgage and Deed conveyed by George W. Justice, registered in Henderson County March 17, 1905. 0182 - Letter from Fred McBrayer, Attorney, Rutherfordton, North Carolina to George W. Justice dated November 24, 1944. Concerns information requested by G. W. Justice regarding deeds and land owned by the Broad River Lumber Company. |
| Bibliography: |
| Henderson County Genealogical and Historical Society,
Hendersonville, North Carolina. Dr. George Jones and Virginia Thompson,
President. Patton, Sadie Smathers. Buncombe to Mecklenburg Speculation Lands. The Western North Carolina Historical Association, Forest City, North Carolina. 1955. See the S.J. and G.W Justice Collection for additional information regarding the Justice family. |