As promised, here is the silent footage of Robert Woodruff’s plantation outside of Atlanta. You can see some of the people who lived on the acreage and take in the vastness of the property. Below are quotes from the script from Episode 3: Ice Cold Sunshine. You can listen to the full episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Darryl: If Walter Mack is the David in this narrative, Robert Woodruff of Coca-Cola was the Golaith. Robert Woodruff was the son of Earnest Woodruff – a rich businessman who took over Coca-Cola in 1919, purchasing the company for 25 million (376 million today). Robert became president in 1923 (refusing the position several times before finally accepting). Unlike his father, Robert enjoyed his wealth – among his handful of homes, he owned a plantation outside of Atlanta, called Ichuaway.
Kelly: Robert enjoyed the luxuries wealth provided. Woodruff’s plantation was 47,000 acres of “vast game preserves comprised of a group of homes, stables, and kennels surrounding a grassy circle shaded by magnolia trees.” There were 300 workers on the plantation who were mostly black sharecroppers. Black servants at the main house wore white porter coats and (to his face) called Woodruff “Colonel Bob” or “Mista Bob”. On Saturdays, after dinner, staff would sing spirituals for guests who were trained by Woodruff’s wife.
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