1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Waycross

WAYCROSS, a city and the county-seat of Ware county, Georgia, U.S.A., about 96 m. S.W. of Savannah and about 60 m. W. of Brunswick. Pop. (1880) 628; (1890) 3364, (1900) 5919 (2899 negroes), (1910) 14,485. Waycross is served by the Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic, and The Atlantic Coast Line railways, several branches of the latter intersecting here. In the city is the Bunn-Bell Institute (Baptist, opened in 1909). There are large railway car construction and repair shops here, and Waycross is a commercial centre for the forest products (naval stores and lumber) and the cotton, sugar cane, sweet potatoes, melons and pears of the surrounding country. The municipality owns the water-works, the water-supply being obtained from artesian wells. Before the passage of the state prohibition law Waycross secured virtual prohibition of the sale of intoxicating liquors by requiring a large liquor license fee ($20,000 in 1883, increased to $30,000 in 1892). Waycross was settled in 1870, was first incorporated in 1874 and became a city in 1909.