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From the editor
History and genealogy buffs argue that“ If you don’ t know where you’ re from, you won’ t know where you’ re going.”
We hope this issue of Tifton Scene will help fill in the blanks about where we’ re from— and maybe a little bit about where we might be going too.
Davis Cobb researches the history of Tifton from a pine forest wasteland to a thriving town under the direction of Henry Harding Tift. Tift established a sawmill along the Brunswick and Albany railway. The town grew and prospered until it had harvested all the timber. Then Tift had to look for other options.
What did he find? You can probably guess, because it remains one of the county’ s largest industries. To see if you’ re right, read Cobb’ s story starting on Page 8.
The building that houses The Syd Blackmarr Arts Center is nearly as old as the town itself. Henry Harding Tift had a hand in its construction, and it offers a snapshot of life at that time. It started life as a Methodist church, and it was built of bricks because arsonists had destroyed two earlier houses of worship that had been built of wood.
Read about The Syd’ s history from Austin Bruce on Page 20.
Tucked between the two stories about history, Davis Cobb interviews Tifton’ s new city manager, Jeff Shoobridge, about his own past and his plans for the city’ s future. Shoobridge has been in office only about six months, so most of what he’ s done so far is getting his feet on the ground. Read about that— and where he wants to take the city— starting on Page 14.
Both The Tifton Gazette newspaper and Tifton Scene magazine are always looking for local stories to tell. If you have one to share, please email me at kevin. hall @ tiftongazette. com.
Kevin C. Hall Editor Tifton Scene and The Tifton Gazette
6 TiftonScene | JANUARY 2026