Club 100: Taking a Seat at the Table
Turning 100 is definitely something to celebrate. That’s why we’re wearing our party hats all year long. But, as we pop the corks and blow out our candles, we want to pause to honor the other businesses and organizations that have been serving the Augusta community for the past century and longer. The Imperial Theater, for example, illuminated its marquee for the first time in 1918. Orchestra seats were 35 cents. Ten years earlier, the grand Partridge Inn opened for business. In 1923, it was the site of a gala held for President Warren G. Harding. The Augusta branch of the NAACP was established 110 years ago, working for more than a century to eliminate race-based discrimination and to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic rights of all people in our community. Ruben’s Department Store, Elliott’s Funeral Home, Hildebrandt’s, and Platt’s Funeral Home – all established in the 1800s. And, our city’s beloved Augusta University? It dates to 1828 with the founding of the Medical Academy of Georgia. It survived a devastating yellow fever epidemic in 1839, the Civil War, and several contentious name changes. The university’s medical school is the nation’s 13th oldest and 8th largest. We are honored to take our place at the table next to these storied businesses and organizations that have been a part of the fabric of our city for more than a century. Together, we’ve witnessed much heartache … the fire that destroyed much of our downtown, the Great Depression, loved ones sent overseas to fight in world wars, race riots. But we’ve also been here for the good stuff: the paving of Augusta’s first four-lane highway, Bobby Jones winning the Grand Slam, the founding of the Augusta National Golf Club, the integration of our colleges and schools, and, most recently, the cyber boom that promises to benefit all Augustans. Much has changed over the past century – but not our commitment to the community we call home. We’re all still here and still serving Augustans and their families after all these years. And, we’re doing it in good company.
