When President Jimmy Carter Visited Dade County
By LYDIA BERGLAR
News Editor
Photo from Dade County History Book – During his presidential campaign, Jimmy Carter joined Billy Wilson at his Wildwood farm in the spring of 1975.
While the United States has remembered President Jimmy Carter in the days following his death, several Dade County residents fondly remember Carter’s visits to Dade County.
The “Dade County History Book” explains that Billy and Sylvia Wilson of Wildwood supported Carter’s campaign for governor of Georgia. The Wilsons and other Dade Countians handed out bags of peanuts at high school football games to raise awareness about Carter’s campaign.
During this campaign, Carter visited Dade County, and Wilson introduced him to potential supporters.
Then, in the spring of 1975, Wilson attended a birthday party for Zell Miller, Georgia’s lieutenant governor. At this gathering, Wilson invited Carter to return to Wildwood. Carter was still known as “Jimmy Who” at this time because he was one of the many Democratic Party presidential candidates.
Six weeks later, Carter’s headquarters called Wilson to confirm the visit, so Wilson contacted a newspaper and two TV stations. All were busy and chose not to cover the visit. Carter spent about half an hour in Wildwood and posed for a photo on Wilson’s appaloosa.
Wilson’s grandson, Kevin Wilson, reported that his great uncle Ray Warren took the photos since no news outlets showed up. Kevin also found a letter, dated April 10, 1977, that Carter wrote to Wilson.
In the letter, the president thanked Wilson for a painting that depicted Carter and the appaloosa. Because he couldn’t accept gifts, Carter suggested to his son Jack that the painting be hung in the Calhoun First National Bank with plans for it to later enter a Carter library.
David Carroll also had a memorable encounter with the former president in 1991. Check out his column on page four for his jovial account of the Carter family’s visit to Chattanooga.
