▁to ▁the ▁rail road ▁company . ▁ ▁John ▁T . ▁Bog gs ▁set ▁up ▁the ▁new ▁Liber ty ▁Post ▁Office ▁that ▁same ▁year , ▁and ▁was ▁named ▁the ▁town ' s ▁first ▁post master . ▁ ▁Liber ty ▁was ▁formally ▁char tered ▁on ▁March ▁ 2 , ▁ 1 8 7 6 , ▁with ▁the ▁future ▁town ▁center ▁being ▁located ▁on ▁the ▁former ▁lands ▁of ▁Mrs . ▁Temple ton . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 7 , ▁James ▁Aven ger ▁was ▁appointed ▁the ▁town ' s ▁first ▁mar sh all . ▁ ▁The ▁mar sh all , ▁a ▁for er un ner ▁to ▁today ' s ▁chief ▁of ▁police , ▁was ▁sat ired ▁in ▁a ▁Pick ens ▁S entin el ▁article ▁that ▁claimed , ▁" there ▁was ▁nothing ▁for ▁him ▁to ▁do , ▁except ▁to ▁look ▁after ▁the ▁c ows ▁that ▁go ▁ast ray ." ▁ ▁The ▁town ' s ▁first ▁mayor ▁W . E . ▁Hol com be , ▁a ▁lawyer ▁and ▁former ▁state ▁sen ator , ▁was ▁elected ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 6 . ▁ ▁He , ▁like ▁every ▁succeed ing ▁mayor ▁until ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁conducted ▁most ▁municipal ▁business ▁in ▁his ▁own ▁home . ▁ ▁Several ▁schools ▁were ▁already ▁in ▁operation ▁by ▁this ▁time , ▁with ▁most ▁being ▁priv ately ▁fund ed , ▁and ▁spons ored ▁either ▁by ▁the ▁community ▁or ▁by ▁the ▁local ▁churches . ▁▁ ▁The ▁Liber ty ▁First ▁Bapt ist ▁Church ▁had ▁existed ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁city ' s ▁found