By Mrs. Turner Murdock with Mrs. Ed Malcom

 

Due to the varied geographical background of the residents of the Princeton West and Meadow Chase subdivisions, I think it best to start the 'life' story of the area immediately after the Civil War. As a young man, William (Bill) Murdock (?-1923) purchased 250 acres of land in Cobb County, Georgia. This land is the entire area outlined on the map. Bill Murdock was married three times, the first two wives dying before he did. From these marriages, he had two sons, Norman and Allison Murdock. At his death, the land passed to the sons with the division of the property noted on the map. Princeton West and Walton High School are located on Allison’s portion and Dodgen Middle School and the area across Sewell Mill Road are located on Norman’s land.

 

Allison married Molly Johnson and they had three children. Turner, Cliff and Ruth Murdock. After the elder Murdock’s death, the land was purchased by their three children. Cliff purchased six or seven acres which he still lives on at the intersection of Pine and Providence Roads. Turner, who was Lannie Murdock’s husband (our Mr. Murdock), purchased twenty acres which Mrs. Murdock still owns. The rest of the property was bought by Joe Bishop, who was Ruth Murdock’s husband. This section of land was sold in 1943 to a Mr. Stevens who lived on the land and who sold it later to a Mr. Wager, who also lived on the land and who sold it later to a Mrs. Flynn.

 

Later, Gray Skelton, a Cobb County attorney purchased the property, selling the portion where Walton High School stands to the Cobb County Board of Education. The remaining portion, he later sold to Albert Berg where Princeton West now is located. Charles and Brook Schoen purchased the property from Berg and then it was acquired by Fred Stillwell of Cotton States Properties for development.

 

Construction first began in the Princeton West area around 1866. The first house was built by Bill Murdock on the site of Walton High School and was burned down about the time the present subdivision was started. Behind the original house was a smaller house with a detached one room log cabin which was used for a kitchen. This little log cabin was rolled across the street and used as a barn for many years. It was not destroyed until 1975.

 

To the side of the big house were the barn and pasture. Across Bill Murdock Road, next to the log cabin, was the blacksmith's shop which was used for repairing and making many items needed on the farm. The actual land of Princeton West was cultivated and was as Mrs. Murdock calls it, "the field."

 

Allison and his wife lived in the little house until his father died and then he moved into the bigger house. When Turner and Lannie Murdock married they moved into the little house for five years, until 1929 when they moved into the house she still occupies. Each of the new owners who lived on the property lived in the big house.

 

Meadow Chase subdivision was part of the Haygood property and was also used for farming. Mr. Gene Haygood still owns some of the land and spends a few months each year here, living in the house behind the lot on which the new tennis courts have been built. The house across Sewell Mill Road, at the entrance of Meadow Chase, is one of the original Haygood houses.

 

Our sincere appreciation to Mrs. Lannie Murdock for her valuable information about this area and helping with this article.