OHC NEWSLETTER

October – Jan, Feb & March 2023 When Pogo’s Father Visited the Ok’fenok’ by Larry Purdom Our memory returns to the good ol’ day of PogoFest and to the man who helped put our little corner of the world on the map. He was Walt Kelly, as almost everyone knows, the cartoonist who created Pogo and his lovable menagerie of wise swamp critters. Back in 1955, Kelly got to thinking that, if he was going to make his living off the Okefenokee, it might be a good idea to visit the area. So it was that the famed cartoonist arrived for his first visit to the Okefenokee swamp, a trip made in conjunction with Kelly’s being the keynote speaker at the annual banquet of the Waycross and Ware County Chamber of Commerce. The session was a “complete sellout,” according to chamber manager Frank Barfield, held at America Legion Memorial Auditorium. The figure of 350 attendees was noted as “the largest crowd ever to attend the annual chamber meeting.” Retiring president Cecil Herrin called the session to order, after which he delivered the gavel to incoming president E.L. “Razz” Bowen. “Dinner music was rendered by Mrs. Jack Murray at the console of the Wurlitzer Electric Organ.” Mr. Kelly entitled his talk, “The American Press- the Last Free Voice of the Free World,” but the president of the Cartoonist Society of America laced his talk with plenty of lampooning. One of his best-received lines was, “The best humor in the country is straight reporting from Washington.” Kelly visited the Okefenokee in a time of drought, but his visit coincided with a fine rain, for which he received plenty of praise from the local dignitaries. While at the Okefenokee he was feted with just about every kind of swamp vittles known to man, including rattlesnake and possum prepared with much praise by local swamp chef P.D. James. He also enjoyed “Cowhouse Bluegill” prepared by James. Kelly admitted he felt a little bad dining on possum, as the marsupial had been so good to him, along with Albert the alligator and company. At the time, Pogo was read by more than 40 million people a day in the newspapers of America.

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