John Thrasher: Georgia Pioneer, Politician, and Philanthropist
David E. Sumner has published a new 36-page biography of Cousin John titled John Thrasher: Georgia Pioneer, Politician, and Philanthropist which is available in Kindle and print editions on Amazon.com. “It’s a completely new and expanded version from the previous 24-page Railroad Man published four years ago. Railroad Man also had some factual errors,” says David. “The new biography includes material about Cousin John’s term in the General Assembly from 1859-1963, which was contributed by Joe Stine, and new details about how Cousin John founded Norcross based on Gene Ramsay’s talk at the 2014 Norcross reunion. Gene also wrote an excellent introduction titled, “Railroads Created the Need for Atlanta.” Finally, I found additional articles in the Atlanta Constitution between 1870 and 1900, which illustrated how famous and well-known Cousin John was in Atlanta for years after he moved away.”
The book includes a bibliography of all known books and articles about Cousin John. Just search for “John Thrasher” on Amazon. David has donated copies to Georgia libraries and archives to help assure Cousin John’s place in the state’s history. The Norcross Visitors Center ordered 100 copies of John Thrasher: Georgia Pioneer, Politician, and Philanthropist.
Railroad Man
Cousin John Thrasher ringing the dinner bell
As many of us already know, Dr. David E. Sumner also has a wonderful little publication called Railroad Man about John J. Thrasher (1818-1899). Dr. Sumner is the great-great-grandson of John J. Thrasher. The book is the first published biography of John J. Thrasher, a gregarious entrepreneur and one of Georgia’s most colorful historical figures. To order a copy, click the link below to view or download the flyer:
Thrasher Family Association 