This agriculturally rooted town was named after state representative, John Bostwick for his dedication to the community.

Not only did Bostwick build a cotton gin, he also led the efforts to settle a railroad that would run from Bostwick to Apalachee and later find its way to Monroe.

In the 1920s, when cotton was king, Bostwick too was a booming town. It contained several cotton gins, a cotton seed mill, depot and train station, bank, hotel, dry goods business, a doctor, blacksmith shop, post office, businesses with gas pumps, and a masonry where the bricks were made for the businesses in town. Today, the town of Bostwick maintains one of the few operational cotton gins in Georgia, which has since been run by five generations of the Ruark family.

Each year in November, the town celebrates its agrarian roots with the Cotton Gin Festival that features arts and crafts booths, food vendors, a tractor parade and a celebratory 5K. The best part? This is the only time of year the Cotton Gin opens its doors for public tours. This celebration also helps preserve the wonderful downtown. Funds go to city upkeep, specifically maintenance and renovation of the beloved Susie Agnes Hotel.

You may recognize this famous hotel from its film debut as the “Parker Hotel” in the 1992 hit “My Cousin Vinny.”