A ceremonial turning of the ground was held for the new Toombs County Courthouse Tuesday afternoon. According to Chairman David Sikes provides a history on the county courthouses, with the current courthouse having been erected in 1964.
“What a day!” Sikes declared. “This is the fourth courthouse that will be built in Toombs County. The first, built in 1906, was destroyed by fire and all the records of the Commissioners were lost. But in the corner of this building, we found a time capsule of sorts.”
Chairman Sikes referenced an article from The Lyons Progress written back when the county was first formed, and the citizens were trying to determine if Lyons or Vidalia would be the county seat. Lyons ultimately was chosen.
“The writer goes on and says, ‘There are good people in Lyons AND Vidalia,’” Sikes said. “He then asks if the hatchet could be buried. In 2021, I called the Mayors of Lyons and Vidalia and asked if 116 years later we could bury the proverbial hatchet and they absolutely said a resounding “Yes!”
To solidify the unity between the cities and county, a hatchet was buried in the sand Tuesday afternoon where the foundation of the new courthouse will be poured.
As dignitaries gathered in in a semicircle to toss the dirt, Sandy Dixon, the wife of the late Ronnie Dixon, Mayor of Vidalia, threw the first shovel. Chairman Sikes noted Mayor Dixon’s enthusiasm for the project and his desire to move the county forward.
TQ Constructors of Metter is the General Contractor in charge of the construction. The $34 million justice center is expected to be completed by December 2022.