After the conclusion of the Civil War, Georgia struggled to rebuild its economy. Sherman's march to the sea devastated large swaths of Georgia. It took a lot of money to build the state back up. Some of that money came from Northerners who came down south to resort towns such as Thomasville. Another option was to open up a new business and begin manufacturing, which is how a rocking chair company that opened after the Civil War and is still in business today, began.