12/10/2025
December 9, 1845, Joel Chandler Harris was born. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16s2WgEb7z/?mibextid=wwXIfr
📜 Today in Georgia History – December 9, 1845…One of Georgia’s most influential storytellers—and a central figure in shaping America’s folklore tradition—was born on this day.
Joel Chandler Harris, born December 9, 1845, in Eatonton, grew up without wealth or privilege, but he found his calling early. As a teenager he learned the newspaper trade the old-fashioned way—hand-setting type at Turnwold Plantation for Joseph Addison Turner. Much like Benjamin Franklin before him, Harris sharpened his writing skills in the print shop long before he ever penned a story.
After stints in Macon and Savannah, Harris joined Henry Grady’s Atlanta Constitution, where he spent 25 productive years as one of the voices of the New South. But it was the stories he carried with him from his youth that would make him famous.
At Turnwold, Harris had listened closely as enslaved African Americans shared their traditional “trickster tales”—stories in which a clever, small creature outsmarts a much larger foe. Drawing on this oral tradition, Harris adapted and published the tales of Uncle Remus beginning in 1880. The stories introduced the world to Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, and a cast of unforgettable characters. They became international sensations and brought Harris literary acclaim far beyond Georgia.
His influence echoed through generations: writers like Rudyard Kipling and Beatrix Potter drew inspiration from his work, and the spirit of the trickster can be found in countless animated animal characters of the 20th century.
A newspaperman, folklorist, and one of Georgia’s most famous authors—Joel Chandler Harris was born on this day in 1845.
Photo Caption: Joel Chandler Harris House, 1050 Gordon Street in Atlanta is open as a museum and more!
Georgia on My Mind curated by Lisa Land Cooper – Author and Historian
