Tillett Henderson Bridges was born in Dooly County, February 27, 1857. His father, Daniel Bridges, was reared in Washington County, and his mother, Susan Fountain, was a native of Dooly.
T. H. Bridges spent his early boyhood in Sumter County, near Americus (his father having returned to his home in Dooly County in 1868), and was educated at Snow Springs. In 1881 he came to Hawkinsville and entered the warehouse business with the late D. G. McCormick, later becoming a member of the firm. In 1889 he entered the firm of Coney, Lovejoy & Company. It was a large wholesale and retail establishment serving a large territory. In 1911 he bought out Coney & Lovejoy and formed the firm of Bridges & Jelks. He was also associated in business with D. E. Duggan and John Henry Caldwell.
At present he is conducting the Pulaski Motor and Implement Company in the building he has occupied for forty-six years on Jackson Street. His business life has been clean, honorable and upright, by which he has won the confidence and esteem of his fellowman.
For fifty-four years he has been an integral part of the religious, moral and civic life of Hawkinsville and Pulaski County. He served his city as alderman in 1887-91 and 1894-99, and also as city tax assessor a number of years, together with a number of other positions of trust.
His outstanding characteristics are his deep piety, humility, devotion and loyalty to his church-the First Baptist of Hawkinsville, where he has served as Sunday school secretary, and for a number of years treasurer. He also was a deacon of this church for thirty-three years. He belongs to the royal family of Christian manhood.
In 1897 he married Elizabeth Dennard Wimberly of Wilkinson and Houston Counties. She has identified herself with every movement for the betterment of religious, moral and social life of -this section. She is an active worker in the First Baptist Church, has been a teacher in the Sunday school for thirty-eight years, and organized and has been teacher of the Senior Philathea Class for twenty-two years. She has been president of the W. M. U. for eleven years, treasurer for nine years, and is a leader and counselor in young people’s organizations. She organized the Woman’s Missionary Union of the Pulaski-Bleckley Association and was its first superintendent. She is a Daughter of the American Revolution, a member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and has held important offices in each organization. She is a member of the local Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, and is also a member of the Garden Club of Hawkinsville. In the compilation of the History of Pulaski County she is chairman of the history committee and is a research worker for records, historical facts and material.
