Jesse Jewell biography now in print

GAINESVILLE - People who knew, worked with and worked for poultry icon Jesse Jewell will tell you he is much more than just a street name.

In fact, Jesse Jewell is a major reason Jesse Jewell Parkway is as busy as it is, with all its traffic coursing through downtown Gainesville.

Those people gathered on the top floor of the Green Street Building Tuesday afternoon to celebrate the man and his legacy, which has taken shape in the first biography, so far as anyone knows, ever written about him.

The author is Hall County native Homer Myers, who spent four years researching and interviewing 36 of those people, and it was time to celebrate "Pass the Chicken Please, the Life and Times of Jesse Jewell."

For those who just know the street name, the man Jesse Jewell Parkway is named for put Gainesville on the map as the "Poultry Capital of the World."

"You'll have to buy the book to get the whole story, but by most of his peers he was considered the greatest promoter for this area's quality of life and he shaped the economy of this area for decades to come," Myers said.

Readers will learn how Jewell laid the foundation for a broiler industry by making the chicken first in farm animal production.

"We hope this book brings some awareness and appreciation of what kind of impact he had on this part of the world and the industry," Myers said. "He was referred to as the pioneer of the poultry industry even before he passed away."

"Today is a reception to let everyone know about the book," said Diane Dawson, pre-press manager for Georgia Printing Company; appropriate that a book about Jesse Jewell is published and printed in Gainesville. Dawson designed the cover and laid out the book, which becomes available Wednesday.

For information on ordering the book, call Diane Dawson at Georgia Printing Co., 770-536-1321 or email [email protected].