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Testimonies of Faith from Years Gone By

It is difficult to write about all the eternal dividends of Toccoa Falls because there are so many. . . . Scores of letters thrilled the hearts of Dr. and Mrs. Forrest. As they read the mail, phrases like “How sweet!” “Isn’t this lovely?” and “Praise the Lord!” were often repeated. Hundreds of testimonies praised the work of Toccoa Falls. Homecoming days were a paean of praise as hearts rejoiced for what the Lord had accomplished through His servants. Only a few are presented here. Practically every person who came as a student claimed to be a Christian, but in

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William Jennings Bryan in a Toccoa Pulpit

(The following is an article from The Toccoa Record, April 12, 1917 (Used by Permission) taken from the book A Tree God Planted by Troy Damron) America’s Greatest Lay Preacher Fills and Thrill the First Baptist Church. Sunday, April 8, 1917, was a blustering and cloudy day in Toccoa. In fact it was the kind of day on which a Frenchman commits suicide. But in the afternoon when train No. 38 arrived from Atlanta, a passenger said to the cab driver, “To the Falls.” William Jennings Bryan, “The Great Commoner,” had come unannounced to Toccoa to pay a promised visit

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Troy Damron

Troy Damron first saw beautiful Toccoa Falls and the campus of the college when he enrolled as a student in 1939. Throughout his life he lived continuously the Toccoa Falls Story as a student, faculty member, and administrator. He is the author of A Tree God Planted, the Story of Toccoa Falls College. Troy Damron graduated magna cum laude from both Toccoa Falls Institute with a B.A. degree, and from Piedmont College, Demorest, Georgia, with a B.S. degree. He enjoyed a lifelong identification with the Christian and Missionary Alliance and was an ordained minister in that organization. The following are

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Susie (Ralls) Mathes

“The Forrest were not privileged to have children of their own. Perhaps, the Lord felt theirs was to be a larger ministry that would have been possible with a family to rear. Their home, however, has always been open to young folks. Five of these were given special places and became “their” children. “Sue Ralls (Mathes) was from Tiptop, Tennessee. Rev. Forrest met her when he was conducting meetings in that city. In fact, he stayed at the Ralls home. He also saw Susie and recognized her potential. “Three years later she came to the Falls. . . . Later,

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Sarah Staley

Gaining the Eternal Victory For years, Sarah Staley’s unmarked grave rested on a windy hillside in Westview Cemetery overlooking the very place where the Battle of Atlanta was fought. In October 2001, on what would have been her 157th birthday, college alumni and officials placed a marker on her grave. Sarah A. Staley was one of the founding members of the Toccoa Falls Institute faculty. In 1911 she moved to Georgia at the request of Dr. and Mrs. Forrest. While attending Nyack Institute, Dr. Forrest worked as a houseboy for Miss Staley, who was an elementary school principal in Brooklyn.

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Remembering the Graham Family

We want to take time to pray for the family of Dr. Billy Graham in the loss of his wife Ruth Bell Graham, who also was a beloved mother, grandmother, Sunday School teacher, and author. Many of you may not realize it, but throughout the years this family has been a support and encouragement to Toccoa Falls College. Dr. Billy Graham was on our campus for our 50th year celebration and on several occasions, his son, Franklin Graham recommended Toccoa Falls College to students coming to the United States from overseas. This year, Billy Graham’s grandson, the Rev. William (Will)

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Paul Rader

The Story Behind “Only Believe” The General Council of the C&MA convened at Toccoa Falls in May 1919. The delegates were housed in army tents supplied by Fort McPherson in Atlanta, and the guests considered this “camping out” experience to be most meaningful. Rev. Paul Rader, elected president of the C&MA at that Council, was greatly moved by stories of the hardships and difficulties that the Toccoa Falls family had faced since 1913, and others, that the school was still facing. In his room in Staley Cottage, Rader wrote a song that has been widely used in evangelical Christian circles

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Paul and Mary Williams

Their Final Sacrifice (The following was taken from the book A Tree God Planted by Troy Damron) The barren, windswept plains of the Texas panhandle do not readily attract the casual visitor. In fact, those accustomed to the solitude of the mountains or to the bustle of the fertile, well-watered valleys of our country might see in the plains only foreboding and endless desolation. The natives of the area will tell you that there are places in the panhandle where one can look east for two whole days. There is something awesome and majestic about the Texas plains that leaves

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Memories of Haddock Inn and Toccoa Falls

Mrs. Bernice Haddock Thomason is a descendent of Mr. William Haddock, first owner of Haddock Inn. In this photo, she is holding treasured family heirlooms. She said a four-room house first stood on the Inn site. Later the great summer hotel was built. The Haddocks raised cattle. Since in those days there were no stock laws, their cattle covered the hills. —————————————————————————————– Mr. and Mrs. L. O. Lipscomb From the time I was a child, I loved Toccoa Falls and believed it was one of God’s most beauty spots. My mother, Mrs. George W. Edwards, was a sister of Mrs.

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Life Outside the Classroom

“School life at Toccoa Falls furnished many opportunities for practical or vocational training. Along with their usual classes, students were taught farming, caring for livestock, cutting and sawing timber, carpentry, making cement blocks, gardening, laundering, cooking, baking, canning fruits and vegetables, sewing, office work, and much more. . . . (copy from Achieving the Impossible with God by Lorene Moothart) Photo below: Alice Barnes and Mrs. Forrest working Photo below: Garden Photo below: Making applebutter Photo below: Making sorghum Photo below: Making bread Photo below: Picking beans Photo below: Picking cotton Photo below: Cleaning Photo below: Wash crew

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Middle East Then And Now

Editor’s note—The yellowed map of Iraq clipped out of newspaper was discovered in Mrs. Forrest’s Bible. We had no idea of its significance until we

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May 15, 16, 17 & 18, 1930

The Diary of Evelyn Forrest’s Trip to Palestine Thursday, May 15, 1930 On the Atlantic — S.S. Andania Both of us slept late this morning.

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May 11, 12, 13 & 14, 1930

The Diary of Evelyn Forrest’s Trip to Palestine Sunday, May 11, 1930 Atlantic Ocean The Cunard Line, Steamship Andania It was very rough all night.

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May 10, 1930

The Diary of Evelyn Forrest’s Trip to Palestine Saturday May 10, 1930 Glasgow, Scotland This is sailing day. Praise the Lord! We will both be

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May 9, 1930

The Diary of Evelyn Forrest’s Trip to Palestine Friday, May 9, 1930 Edinburg, Scotland Had another fire this morning for it was still cold. After

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May 8, 1930

The Diary of Evelyn Forrest’s Trip to Palestine Thursday, May 8, 1930 London, England 6:45 a. m. This is rather early for the “Honeymoon” but

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