Utopia lost: Man wants Berrien ‘town’ on the map – Valdosta Daily Times

UTOPIA Phil Jones wants to put Utopia on the map.

For 45 years, Jones has been the unofficial mayor of this unincorporated Berrien County community.

Unlike several other unincorporated Berrien communities, such as New Lois and Cottle, Utopia is not named on county maps.

Partly because some of the other communities were named a century or more ago. They are part of the historic fabric of Berrien County but Jones claims so is Utopia.

On March 28, 1972, Jones, his parents and neighbors were walking backroads through their neighborhood which is a short distance north of Nashville, the county seat.

They decided to name their community. They chose the name Utopia. They viewed their "town" as a "quiet, peaceful place."

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines utopia as:1. an imaginary and indefinitely remote place;2.often capitalized: a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government and social conditions;3.an impractical scheme for social improvement.

For Jones, his hopes for his community and the reality of Utopia's status, all three definitions fit.

He was 15 years old in 1972. He took the concept of Utopia seriously. Jones constructed signs reading "Utopia: Population 41," for example. He fixed the signs to denote population changes for decades. He affixes the signs to posts marking the unofficial boundaries of the mile-long stretch of the Enigma Road.

"How many 15-year-olds do something like this?" Jones said.

He named several dirt roads for community families, such as Griner Lane, Rogers Street, Dale Avenue, and Christy Lane. He named Griner Lane for Joe Griner, a one-time resident who in his 80s and 90s, walked every day from Utopia to Nashville and back. The county later officially named three streets combined as Utopia Circle and kept Griner Lane.

As a youth, Jones worked a deal with Nashville leaders for old Christmas decorations. Jones put up decorations throughout Utopia each holiday season. Neighbors gave him permission to place decorations on his property but no one ever helped him.

Jones said he has always worked alone for Utopia.

He was already referred to as the mayor as early as the mid-1970s, according to a Feb. 22, 1976, article in The Valdosta Daily Times. Even then, Jones was considered the lone advocate of Utopia.

He was a student enrolled at Young Harris College then. The 1976 article noted, "Utopia is not the same when Mayor Phil Jones is gone."

When he became an educator, when he moved away from Berrien County the "mayor" has not lived in Utopia for years,he still returns to install new signs. He's had signs made that resemble official town signs with white lettering on a green backdrop.

Now, Jones wants to see Utopia added to Berrien County maps.He wants to see the community listed on Wikipedia; past media reports in newspapers and television even a salute on the old syndicated "Hee-Haw" show are 30 to 40 years ago, prior to the internet reports required to validate a Wikipedia entry.

He's created a Facebook account supporting Utopia, remembering past residents, and pushing for its inclusion on maps and Wikipedia.

With the recent passing of the 45th anniversary of the walk that named the community, why now?

The one-time boy mayor is pushing 60. He's a retired teacher who worked with at-risk students. He spends half a year living in South Georgia and the other half living in North Carolina.

He sees time slipping away. He sees Utopia lost.

"I loved growing up in Utopia," Jones said. "But I'm not getting any younger. I want to see Utopia last beyond me."

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Utopia lost: Man wants Berrien 'town' on the map - Valdosta Daily Times