Georgiana in Butler County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
City of Georgiana
Founded in 1855
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GA~ANA Theatre
Opened 1939
Photographed by Mark Hilton, July 25, 2015
1. City of Georgiana Founded in 1855 Marker
Early settlers moved from Virginia, the Carolinas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia into the deep forests of southern Butler County. In 1855, the Rev. Pitt S. Milner established a home-stead and post office 16 miles south of Greenville that he named Georgiana in honor of his home state and daughter Anna. The Louisville & Nashville Railroad reached here on July 4, 1859. After the Civil War, cotton, corn, oats and sweet potatoes were grown for market. Georgiana flourished as a railroad hub, logging town and trade center in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Hank Williams, whose father was a logger, loved here from age 7 to 11.
While watching Westerns at a Georgiana picture show on Saturdays in 1931-34, young Hiram Williams developed a fondness for cowboy nicknames and clothing. After his family moved to Montgomery in 1936, he began calling himself Hank. Fred McClendon opened the GA~ANA Theatre on Jan. 31, 1939. Eight months later, 16-year-old Hank performed here with his band, The Drifting Cowboys. The movie theatre closed in 1959 and was used for storage and a cabinet shop. When demolition was threatened in 1996, J.C. Sims purchased the theatre. It was renovated for movies and live performances
this page online
Erected 2006 by the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Entertainment • Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical month for this entry is July 1749.
Location. 31° 38.157′ N, 86° 44.505′ W. Marker is in Georgiana, Alabama, in Butler County. It is at the intersection of East Railroad Avenue and Jones Street, on the right when traveling north on East Railroad Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 602 East Railroad Avenue, Georgiana AL 36033, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and in the Black Belt. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 15 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Hank Williams Boyhood Home / Thigpens Log Cabin Popular Dance Hall (approx. Ό mile away); Early Native Americans in Butler County / Indian Trails and Travelers in Butler County (approx. 5.6 miles away); Old Federal Road (approx. 12.8 miles away); Pioneer Electric Cooperative (approx. 13.9 miles away); Butler Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church (approx. 14.7 miles away); First Missionary Baptist Church of Greenville (approx. 14.9 miles away); Butler County World War I Memorial (approx. 15 miles away); West Commerce Street Historic District / Historic Greenville Depot (approx. 15 miles away).
Also see . . .
Photographed by Mark Hilton, July 25, 2015
2. GA~ANA Theatre Opened 1939 Marker
Photographed by Mark Hilton, July 25, 2015
3. GA~ANA Theatre
Still missing the Art Deco marquee, but there is word that it's coming.
Photographed by Mark Hilton, July 25, 2015
4. View up the railroad tracks in Georgiana.
Photographed by Mark Hilton, March 7, 2015
5. Hank Williams boyhood home and museum in Georgiana.
Public Domain, December 31, 1950
6. Hank Williams Sr. promotional photo
Credits. This page was last revised on June 8, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 26, 2015, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 1,716 times since then and 97 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 8, 2025, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on July 26, 2015, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
