This edition of our Visit Forsyth GA newsletter is dedicated to our dear friend, Mr. Tommy Moon.

Mr. Tommy, as he was fondly known, near and far, along with his wife, Ms. JoAnne, was the owner and operator of the Honeycomb in Juliette. At his heart, Mr. Tommy was a family man and had several careers over his lifetime – as a Marine, in law enforcement, as a beekeeper, and as a shop owner. Alongside his wife, Ms. JoAnne, they welcomed thousands from across the globe in his beloved shop selling honey, souvenirs, and telling stories. If you were to ask ten different people to describe Mr. Tommy, I am certain you would hear the same two words over and over again: big-hearted and generous. Mr. Tommy possessed a rare, boundless warmth that made you feel safe, valued, and completely loved the moment you walked into the room. Mr. Tommy poured so much love into his family, his friends, and even strangers, creating a ripple effect of kindness that we can all feel even today. Mr. Tommy, we miss your stories, your laughter, your open arms, and your beautiful, giving spirit. “We love ya’ and Jesus does too!”

Learn More About Juliette Through Mr. Tommy's Words

Last year we sat down with Mr. Tommy and Mr. Robert Williams to learn more about Juliette and the Green Tomato Festival through their own words and experiences. It was an honor to interview these two Juliette legends! To listen to the interview, click the button below.

#GetFried In Juliette, Georgia!

Ever wondered why taking a walk down McCrackin Street in Juliette feels like stepping onto a movie set? Because you are! McCrackin Street and other locations around Juliette were used as the backdrop for the cult classic movie, Fried Green Tomatoes. To learn more click the button below!

A Deeper Dive...

Want to dive a little deeper into Juliette's history? Click on the button below!

Thirteen North Lee is the Place to Meet!

Looking for a space to hold a small meeting in Forsyth? Reach out to the team at Thirteen North Lee and check out their newly renovated building and meeting space!

With space for eight people, the space is perfectly suited for legal meetings, board meetings, or team strategy sessions.

History is in the Details: Ghosts of Businesses Past

By: Ralph Bass, local historian

Downtown Forsyth’s architectural ghosts, often hiding in unexpected places, hint at the older and original uses of buildings.

Perhaps the most obvious ghost is the realistic painting of a donkey on the Rutherford Phinazee Building at 57 North Jackson Street. Now fast-fading words on the building advertise “Horses, Mules, Waggons, Buggies.” The Quitman Guard also used the building–and it had on the second floor a basketball court. For years Forsyth’s Double Cola business operated where once animals were advertised for sale.

Recent reconstruction of 25 West Johnston Street has revealed a bricked-over doorway on the North Jackson side of the building. Dr. Cullen Goolsby built that part of the building as his medical office in the 1920s.

At 27 North Lee Street there is a night deposit box for a bank–but there is no bank there to handle the deposit. Once there was a Citizens Bank operating from this building. It moved to its new facilities at 35 South Lee Street in 1968.

Entry tiles identify there once was a Monroe County Bank at 11 West Johnston Street. There is no longer a bank by that name in the county. When there was one, it had its offices here. In 1979, Monroe County Bank moved to its new offices at 1 East Main Street. In 2014, United Bank merged with Monroe County Bank, but did not acquire the original site. With its octagonal tiles, the building remains in private hands.

The windowless structure on the second floor of 16 North Jackson Street is now part of the offices of Russellville Management, but it has not always been so. [The cross-cut saw over one of its doorways symbolizes one aspect of the operation of this corporation–timber.] Once women known as telephone operators, plugged cords into the switchboards located there, connecting callers with the people they wanted to talk to. Renovations in the 1940s covered the windows these women once looked through to know what was going on around the courthouse square. Technological advances in telephone operations later made their employment obsolete. 

The cast metal parapet atop 7 West Johnston Street does not suggest the attorney’s office now below but more appropriately the Bramblett Brothers who came to Forsyth and established a tinsmith business on this site in 1870. Later, the Brambletts expanded their business into a general hardware store and undertaking business, stocking caskets and providing mortuary services.

The largest of these architectural ghosts is a section of the Monroe County Library. It was built in 1901 as the Monroe County jail. In the 1930s the outdated jail was demolished, but part of the old structure’s first floor was converted into the library. According to L. Cary Bittick, long-time Monroe County sheriff, the attic of this part of the Monroe County Library still contains the framework of the trap door used in execution by hanging. However, there are no reports of ghosts by library staff!

Memory Lane: The Mysterious Disappearance of Scott Goolsby

By: Nicole Newsom, great-granddaughter of Annie Bridges

Many of you have been following the stories from the memoirs of my great-grandmother, Annie Sutton Bridges (1896-1999). Well, this month I took a little step away from her memoirs, after discovering a story that is simply too perfect for the month of October! 

You see, I recently went on a self-guided tour of Forsyth City Cemetery. (You can pick up a copy of the guide and map at the Welcome Center or Monroe County History Museum!) Number 13 on the tour, Scott Goolsby, has a very intriguing story—a Prohibition-era tale of such mystery and suspense that you’d think you were reading an Agatha Christie novel (there’s even a psychic!). But I couldn’t escape the strange feeling of déjà vu. I had read something like this before… Sure enough, I looked back in the family scrapbook, and found a newspaper clipping of the very same story, with none other than Annie Bridges as a quoted witness! 

Naturally, I connected with local historian Ralph Bass to learn more, and took a trip down the rabbit hole in the archives of Monroe County Historical Society. Sit back, and let me tell you the tale!

Young Scott Goolsby was a favorite of 1920s Monroe County society. Born to Dr. Robert C. Goolsby and his second wife, Mary Scott, in 1907, he was the apple of his mother’s eye, and quite the charmer. He played the role of “pig” in his grade school play “Mother Goose,” at age 13 at the Forsyth Fair he won the prize for the best three-minute speech about how to combat the boll weevil, and he was a Boy Scout, even taking on the role of Assistant Scout Master as he got older. He attended Emory Academy in Oxford, eventually becoming a “druggist” (pharmacist) at his father’s store. He loved to drive (in the days when cars were still new), and won in a race of speed against WM Tribble’s Chevrolet Touring Car in a Star Coupe. 

Then on Saturday, July 23, 1927, a car belonging to 20-year-old Scott Goolsby was found abandoned on the Spring Street bridge over the Ocmulgee River, headed toward Macon:

Goolsby’s car, a Chrysler “50” roadster, in which he had left Forsyth at 8 o’clock Friday night was found abandoned, parked on the left hand side of the Spring street bridge and headed toward Macon. 

In it were the missing youth’s hat, with two holes completely through it where some heavy instrument had hit it, and with blood over the top and under the brim; the crank to the car, which young Goolsby is said to have always kept on the floor, several letters, which were scattered about; a pocket book which seemed unmolested; a bill fold turned wrong side out; a blue serge coat, slightly wrinkled, the property of Goolsby; the keys to the car, and a razor blade about 3/8 of an inch wide, presumably from a new type of razor, one of which Goolsby is known to have had in his pocket. 

The parking lights of the car were burning. Evidences of blood were not found on some of the other articles besides the hat, which were in the car proper, nor on the floor of the bridge, the sidewalk adjoining or the balustrade that reaches up some four feet along the sidewalk.

—The Macon Telegraph July 24, 1927 / reprinted in The Monroe Advertiser July 28, 1927

Find out what happened next at the link below!

The Friendship of The Traveling Cups

The Traveling Cups joined in a toast between third generation Forsyth siblings during a visit to the beautiful Puget Sound in western Washington.

Elaine and Nipper Bunn were visiting family and knew they needed to represent their hometown in front of the stunning view!

Ultimate Forsyth Fall Bucket List

Looking for Fall activities in and around Forsyth, GA? Check out our Ultimate Fall Bucket List and see how many you can check off before Winter arrives! 

Tourism Works For Forsyth and Monroe County!

Visit Forsyth GA is proud to present Forsyth and Monroe County's Tourism Economic Impact Numbers for 2025!

Visitors spent a record $89.2 million which is an 11.2% increase from 2024 and the equivalent to $613 in tax savings for every household in Monroe County! 🎉

For a full breakdown of the spending categories and numbers from years past check out the Reports page on our website!

Four Things You Should Know About:

Grits Cafe

1. We pride ourselves on creative southern cuisine. We have the ability to take southern staples and elevate the dish to expand flavor, texture, and experience for our patrons.

2. With our restaurant as an anchor in downtown Forsyth since 1999, our customers have grown to expect specific dishes, ones they know and love. Which means our menu doesn't change all that much. The Grits Cafe Supper Club is our opportunity to take culinary risks, experiment with new flavors and dishes, and join our customers at the table for storytelling through the art of cuisine.

3. Hospitality is at the core of who we are. Our staff is always looking for opportunities to make each and every person who walks through our doors into the restaurant feel special and appreciated. We love when customers join us for a meal to celebrate occasions and milestones and when we get the chance to celebrate them with a special treat. 

4. Our head chef knows it takes a village. He delights in cross promotion and collaboration with local eateries, farms, and businesses to purchase local ingredients and bring Georgia's farms to the table at Grits Cafe. 

A Chat With Casey McCrea of Driven Interactive Sports Lounge

We are so excited for the upcoming series of episodes on Monroe Today. Since we’re countin’ down the days to the season of good eatin’, Ms. Gilda sat down with different restaurateurs around Forsyth to learn more about their stories! First up is Mr. Casey McCrea, owner of Driven Interactive Sports Lounge. 

Have y’all been out to Driven? It’s so unique and different, which I love. It’s not just one thing—it’s a restaurant, yes, but it is also an indoor amusement center. It’s a place for the adults to go and hang out, have a drink, but it’s also a place the whole family can enjoy. Accordin' to Mr. Casey, that was the vibe he was going for from the start, even though at first he didn’t know what that would look like!

Comin’ up on its first full year, Mr. Casey says he and his staff are excited to plug into things they missed last year like football season! Between Friday Night Lights specials, Halloween costume parties, and more, Driven is quickly becomin’ that place for the community to gather which was Mr. Casey’s goal all along.



...Keep reading, or listen to the radio episode, on our blog!

Meet Nicole Newsom, Visit Forsyth GA's Director of Marketing!

On a recent episode of Monroe Today, Ms. Gilda Stanbery sat down with Ms. Nicole Newsom, Visit Forsyth GA’s own Director of Marketing. Growing up, Ms. Nicole spent every summer on their local family farm. While she is a more recent permanent resident of Monroe County, her family’s history in the area dates all the way back to 1824! 

When this career move popped up, Ms. Nicole just knew it was meant to be. “I'd been wanting to get more in touch with my roots and this job felt like the right time and the right place!” And she hit the ground running, working her first big event (Georgia Wildlife Federation’s Fisharama at the Georgia National Fairgrounds) just two weeks into the job! The opportunities to meet people have been numerous and she said, “I run into somebody that I've come across before just about every time I go to the grocery store. It’s great to see friendly faces, get to know the people in the community, and feel like a part of the town!”

Like I said before, Ms. Nicole’s family has a long history in Forsyth and Monroe County and her great-grandfather, Morgan Bridges, was the telegraph operator at multiple depots around the county, including in Juliette! If you follow the Visit Forsyth GA newsletter, you may have read some of the stories Ms. Nicole has shared from her great-grandmother, Annie Sutton Bridges. 

“I love exploring the places mentioned in Annie's memoirs and meeting people who knew my grandparents and even great-grandparents. It’s been amazing to see how all of our stories interconnect.” 

...Keep reading, or listen to the radio episode, on our blog!

Fried Green Tomato Festival Is Just Around the Corner!



Are you a self-proclaimed bee charmer? Do you know that "The Secret's in the Sauce?" Head over to nearby Juliette for the Fried Green Tomato Festival, October 24-25, 2026, in celebration of the movie, Fried Green Tomatoes, that made Juliette world-famous. Eat at the delicious Whistle Stop Café, browse booths of goods made by local artisans, enjoy live music and partake in the unique shops and boutiques of Juliette!

The festival runs from 10AM - 4PM each day.

Click Here for More Information!

Monroe County Comprehensive Plan Survey is Live!

Please take a moment and consider what you believe the future of Monroe County is/should be, and share your thoughts with the committee. Now is the time to ensure topics that are important to you (*shameless plug* like tourism!!) are included in what will become a "road map" of sorts for county staff, officials, and planners. Your grandkids will thank you! 

Take a Trip Down the Lantern Lane at Jarrell Plantation!

Looking for a family friendly night of fall fun? Head to Jarrell Plantation Historic Site and take a trip down their lantern lit treat trail! Featuring carnival games, pumpkin decorating, crafts, and fall family stories for all ages.

Click Here for More Information!

Feel the Pull of the Full Moon at High Falls State Park!

Join the Naturalist at High Falls State Park for this rare opportunity to see the full moon from the Historic Trail and experience the park after dark! Harvest Moons are most well known for their orange/red coloration as they rise in the night sky! Space is limited, please register in advance.



Click Here for More Information!

Sending out some local love to Nicole❣️

Congratulations on being elected class president for this year's Leadership Monroe

We are so proud of you. Keep it up Nicole! 👏

Nicole is the Director of Marketing for the Forsyth Convention & Visitors Bureau. We thought signing up for the Forsyth-Monroe County Chamber's Leadership Monroe Program would be a great way for her to gain a “behind the scenes” perspective and learn more about her community. Nicole is making connections and loving it! 🤩

Congratulations Winners!

The 1823 Artisan Guild held their 3rd Annual Plein Air event on Saturday, October 3rd at High Falls State Park!

Competition was tough but Arrin Freeman Burgand, Dr. Denise Buff, and Victor Rigole were awarded 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places!

Congratulations to the winners and we had a blast watching all the competitors create amazing art featuring High Falls State Park!

Visit Forsyth GA Went on the Road!

Visit Forsyth GA Executive Director Gilda Stanbery and Director of Marketing Nicole Newsom spent three days soaking up the knowledge (and sun) to be found at the Georgia Governor’s Tourism Conference with Explore Georgia on Jekyll Island!

While there, Governor Brian Kemp shared the latest tourism impact numbers from the Georgia Department of Economic Development, a record breaking 175.6 million visitors to the state in 2025, spending $46.2 billion! 🥳

To learn more about the economic impact of tourism in Forsyth and Monroe County head to our Reports page!