He married1Mary LeCounte of Liberty County and they had two children, Edytha and James Baggs. Earl M. Baggs was the first2 black Liberty Countian elected to the liberty County Board of Commissioners. He was elected in 1966 and was still serving in the position more than 20 years later.
From "Sweet Land of Liberty, A History of Liberty County, Georgia" by Robert Long Groover; Appendix Number 33, Page(s) 186; Used by the permission of the Liberty County Commissioners Office
1 They met at Dorchester Academy in the 1920s.
2 Since the post-Civil War reconstruction era
3 House resolution LC 19 4092 (Shown below)
A RESOLUTION designating the Earl M. Baggs Highway; and for other purposes.
House Action Senate
2/2/99 Read 1st Time
2/3/99 Read 2nd Time
2/10/99 Favorably Reported
3/24/99 Recommitted
Version by LC Number
LC 19 4092 As Introduced
HR 195 LC 19 4092
A RESOLUTION
1- 1 Designating the Earl M. Baggs Highway; and for other
1- 2 purposes.
1- 3 WHEREAS, Earl M. Baggs was born November 22, 1910, in
1- 4 Liberty County, Georgia, the son of Mr. and Mrs. George and
1- 5 Eugenia Baggs; and
1- 6 WHEREAS, Earl M. Baggs married Mary LeCounte, and together
1- 7 they raised two children; and
1- 8 WHEREAS, Earl M. Baggs obtained his education by attending
1- 9 Dorchester Academy, Albany State College, and Savannah State
1-10 College; and
1-11 WHEREAS, Earl M. Baggs was a member of First Zion Baptist
1-12 Church, where he served as a deacon, choir member, church
1-13 clerk, and Sunday School teacher; and
1-14 WHEREAS, Earl M. Baggs became the first black to be elected
1-15 to the Liberty County board of commissioners since
1-16 reconstruction and served in that position for 20 years; and
1-17 WHEREAS, Earl M. Baggs served on the boards of many
1-18 organizations and corporations including the Dorchester
1-19 Improvement Association, Riceboro Elementary School P.T.A..,
1-20 Coastal Electric Membership Corporation, and the Interstate
1-21 Paper Corporation; and
1-22 WHEREAS, Earl M. Baggs served well and admirably the
1-23 citizens of Riceboro and Liberty County and his life stands
1-24 as a model for others to appreciate and emulate.
1-25 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
1-26 GEORGIA that the members of this body honor the life of Earl
1-27 M. Baggs and designate that section of U. S. Coastal Highway
1-28 17 from Peacock Canal to the South Newport River as the Earl
1-29 M. Baggs Highway.
1-30 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation
1-31 is authorized and directed to place and maintain appropriate
1-32 signs at appropriate locations designating such highway.
1-33 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of
1-34 Representatives is authorized and directed to transmit an
2- 1 appropriate copy of this resolution to the family of Earl M.
2- 2 Baggs.