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MUSIC
Jingle Bells
The storied South Georgia history behind the Christmas classic
by DEAN POLING Special to The Scene
Hard to believe the words “ Dashing through the snow ...” have anything to do with a place that registers nearly 80-degree temperatures a few days before Christmas , but South Georgia does have a connection with the wintry “ Jingle Bells .”
James Lord Pierpont , who composed the beloved holiday song , lived for a time in Valdosta and Quitman .
While much research and the Lowndes County 1870 census confirms that Pierpont , 48 , wife Eliza , 38 , and children Lillie , 16 , Thomas , 8 , Josiah , 5 , and Maynard B ., 4 , all lived here , he did not write “ Jingle Bells ” while in Valdosta .
Meanwhile , at least two cities each claim credit for being the site where Pierpont wrote “ Jingle Bells .” Savannah , where Pierpont called home during the Civil War era , claims the song of “ dashing through the snow ” was written there , while Medford , Mass ., which was Pierpont ’ s home during his years as a young man , claims it is the site where “ Jingle Bells ” was written .
In 1989 , the then-mayors of both towns quibbled for the right of claiming to be the home of “ Jingle Bells ’” origin .
Medford claimed the song was written in its Simpson Tavern in 1850 , with a historical marker and an eyewitness to the composition as evidence of its claim , according to the website Savannah Online .
Savannah notes that Pierpont obtained a copyright for the song under the title of “ The One Horse Open Sleigh ,” later re-titled “ Jingle Bells ,” while living in the Georgia city in 1857 , the same year he married his second wife , Eliza Jane Purse , the daughter of Savannah ’ s mayor .
The Medford theory has been debunked by a contemporary Pierpont biographer , who is also a Savannah resident .
“ In 1850 , Pierpont was in California , not Medford ,” said author Margaret DeBolt , via Savannah Online . “ He was there during the Gold Rush , not as a miner but as a businessman , and was also trying to set up a photography shop in San Francisco .”
Both cities have historical markers claiming to be the birthplace of “ Jingle Bells .”
As for Pierpont , his birthplace was New England , born to Unitarian preacher and abolitionist John Pierpont . He rebelled against his family , running away at the age of 14 . He served as a deck hand with a ship named the Shark , before returning to New England .
In 1846 , he married Millicent Crowe of Troy , N . Y . They moved to Medford , Mass ., where they had three children . During this period , Pierpont also traveled to California , leaving his wife with his father in Medford .
14 Valdosta Scene | December 2023