CITY OF WOODSTOCK HONORS WILLIAM EUGENE OGLETREE
At the February 26th meeting of Woodstock City Council, Mayor Michael Caldwell read a proclamation recognizing the contributions of William Eugene Ogletree, who was the first Black person to be elected to Woodstock City Council, in observance of Black History Month.
Eugene Ogletree was elected to Woodstock City Council in 1987 serving as the Council Member for Ward 3. Henry Bailey was the first Black person to serve on City Council when he was appointed to a vacant seat in 1975. When Eugene Ogletree was elected, Woodstock’s population was under 5,000 residents; Black and African American citizens made up one percent of the population. Today, over twelve percent of Woodstock’s residents are Black or African American.
In the proclamation, Mayor Caldwell stated, “Woodstock is the bold, collaborative, and authentic city we enjoy today because of contributions by its Black residents.” He recognized the contribution of the congregations of Mount Olive Baptist Church, Greater Bethel Church, and Allen Temple AME Church saying, “Woodstock’s Black history is an important part of the city’s story.”
Ogletree was joined at the meeting by his wife Rosa, his three daughters and their husbands, his grandchildren, and family friends who were happy to see him receive this recognition after a lifetime of service in the community. In addition to serving Woodstock as Council Member, Mr. Ogletree served on the Parks and Recreation Board, the Cherokee County Zoning Board of Appeals, the Cherokee County United Way Board of Directors, and the Cherokee County Municipal Association. During his time on City Council, Ogletree was a proponent of the development of parks and preservation of greenways, establishment of business associations, infrastructure improvements, and community events.
After reading the proclamation, Mayor Caldwell said to former Council Member Ogletree, “On behalf of Council and the nearly 40,000 people who call this city home now, thank you. When you were serving as Council Member, the city was forty-five hundred people. It almost ten times that size now. It’s because of the incredible leadership that you and your colleagues serving beside you showed that this place is what it is today.”
While a Woodstock Council Member, Eugene Ogletree was honored with proclamations from President Ronald Reagan and Georgia Governor Joe Frank Harris for his efforts against drug abuse. Speaking of the vision he and the City Council had for the economy, infrastructure, the arts, and outdoors in Woodstock, Eugene Ogletree said, “What you see in downtown Woodstock is a plan we put in action thirty years ago. We couldn’t do much because we had very few people so we couldn’t do the things that we wanted to do. I was a big part of the changes because I was a person who could see ahead of time and see what was going on.”
As part of the proclamation, Mayor Caldwell declared Monday, February 26th, 2024, William Eugene Ogletree Day in the City of Woodstock in thanks for Council Member Ogletree’s leadership and contributions to Woodstock’s community.