News       
from ABAC

Michael D. Chason
Director of Public Relations
ABAC 30 -- 2802 Moore Highway
Tifton, GA 31793-2601
Phone 229-391-5055
Fax 229-391-5056
mchason@abac.edu

 

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IMMEDIATE                                                                                                                                                                                    FEBRUARY 23, 2006

 

LOCAL FAMILY DONATES PAINTING TO ABAC

 

            TIFTON - The Carper family of Tifton recently donated one of four paintings that hung inside the Alpine Restaurant from the 1950s to 1970 to Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. The painting will now hang in the lobby of the Ag Sciences building.

            Dorothy Carper and her three sons, Gerald Carper (ABAC ’69), Charles Carper, and Bill Rogers, along with Rogers’ wife, Neva Jane Wiley Rogers (ABAC ’92) made the presentation to Dr. John Settimi, Division Chair for the Division of Agriculture & Forest Resources at ABAC.

 Sidney Carper commissioned Lorenzo Griffith to do the painting in the 1950s, along with three others for approximately $3,000.  The painting that ABAC received had been in Dorothy Carper’s home from 1970 until being moved to the college.

The Carper family owned and operated the Alpine Restaurant from 1947 to 1970.  It was located where the Western Sizzlin’ now stands and was a Tifton landmark known to many tourists traveling to and from Florida.  The Alpine, Myon Hotel, and Lankford Manor were the three places tourists and locals “ate out” in Tifton. The family restaurant served over 100 inside and had a staff of 50.  The Alpine also offered the first curbside service in Tifton. 

The Alpine served fresh seafood, western beef, and eight different homemade pies. The restaurant was open every day of the year except for Christmas.  The Alpine cooked BBQ on the premises, cut their own meat, bought Black Angus cows from ABAC, and also catered for the Rural Development Center, International Harvester, and tractor shows. 

In The Alpine’s history as an eatery, it catered to Pernell Roberts of the television show Bonanza; President Jimmy Carter; Elvis Presley during his truck driver days, and Neva Jane Langley—Miss America 1952. 

ABAC notables who ate at The Alpine included Talmadge Webb, Paul Gaines, Bruce and Rosalyn Donaldson, Dr. Vernon Yow, Jesse Chambliss, and Tom Cordell. 

Carper grandchildren now live in Scotland, Ireland, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Tifton and Statesboro.                                                           

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