| GRIFFIN + SPALDING BUSINESS AND TOURISM ASSOCIATION |
| A mural honoring Griffin, Ga., native Janet Harmon Bragg, the first Black woman to earn a commercial pilot’s license. |
Located just 40 miles south of Atlanta, Griffin and surrounding Spalding County is a diverse and welcoming area that honors its notable citizens year-round, in murals, museums and parks.
Together, these dynamic memorials celebrate generations of history and stories of achievement, on the ground and in the air, and from Olympic stardom to aviation. Here are some ways to experience these role models on a visit to Griffin.
The Griffin-Spalding Athletic Hall of Fame features many of Griffin’s local sports heroes including three-time Olympic gold medalist Wyomia Tyus. She was the first person to win consecutive gold medals in the 100-meter dash, first at the 1964 Tokyo Games, then 1968 in Mexico City.
Growing up in Griffin, her father, a dairy farmer, encouraged her to participate in sports. Others honored in the Griffin-Spalding Athletic Hall of Fame include Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Rayfield Wright (Dallas Cowboys), Atlanta Falcons great Jessie Tuggle and Chicago Bears star and track star Willie Gault. Open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Pay a visit to Griffin’s 164-acre Wyomia Tyus Olympic Park to explore walking trails and picnic pavilions overlooking a three-acre lake and fountain. Concession stands and more picnic and play areas are located at its soccer and basketball complexes and at the world class Spalding County Pickleball Complex.
Visit the Griffin Regional Welcome Center for a combined art and history tour. Built in 1899 as a grocery distribution warehouse, the Center not only provides ideas for entertainment, dining, shopping and accommodations, but also houses the Griffin-Spalding Art Association’s art gallery of regional works and the History of Griffin Museum, containing an impressive array of archives, artifacts and memorabilia dating from as far back as the mid-1800s.
A plaque in the History of Griffin Museum features one of Griffin’s earliest greats, Dox Thrash, an innovative and influential artist born in 1893. After heading north and serving in World War I, he became a fine printmaker. In 1937 he became the first Black artist to work for the Fine Print Workshop of Philadelphia, part of the Great Depression-era Works Progress Administration for artists.
Thrash co-invented a printmaking technique that reversed the way the medium was manipulated, using it for creating some of his greatest works. He created images of everyday Black American life, including scenes of his hometown. Today, these prints are an important part of the Philadelphia Museum of Art ’s collection.
Another hometown trailblazer, Janet Harmon Bragg (1907-1993), overcame multiple obstacles to become the first African American woman to hold a commercial pilot’s license. As a child growing up in Griffin, she enjoyed birdwatching and was fascinated by aerodynamics which later led to her determined pursuit of her dream in aviation.
During World War II, she was denied entry to the WASPs because of her color. She later enrolled in the Civilian Pilot Training Program at Alabama’s Tuskegee Institute, but even afterward had to break more barriers to earn her commercial license. Details of her story are told in the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
Ultimately, Bragg remained an actively licensed pilot for 35 years, logging more than 2,000 flying hours.
A large mural honoring her can be seen in downtown Griffin across from the post office at West Solomon and South 8th Street.
The former Fairmont Vocational High School is renovated and under museum gallery development for Our Legacy Museum, the Griffin Spalding African American History Museum. The museum will present the inspiring historical and cultural experiences of Griffin-Spalding’s African American community within a regional and national context. Its mission is to create a space where future generations of all backgrounds will learn of their shared heritage and discover what they can achieve together.
In 1927, the Fairmont community was created as the first neighborhood in Griffin where African American men and women could buy land to build a home. Two years later, the Griffin-Spalding Board of Education bought land in Fairmont, on which the Rosenwald Fund supported the creation of a school for Black children.
To donate oral histories, memorabilia or financial contributions, go to www.ourlegacymuseum.com/support.
If you go
The once railroad boomtown of Griffin has evolved into a diverse community offering entertainment, history, notable architecture, recreation and great food.A big bonus is the 900 free public parking spaces in the downtown area. Visit restaurants in the Arts and Entertainment District to get a to-go alcoholic beverage cup (ages 21 and up), to stroll the streets from 4-12 p.m. daily.
Stay overnight to enjoy more of Griffin and Spalding County’s restaurants and unique antiques, apparel and gift shops. Lodging options include historic bed and breakfasts and trusted hotel brands. The area also features VRBO and Air B&B rentals.
