Chronicling
Georgia’s Counties
Georgia is second only to
Texas in its number of counties and the history of these 159 counties is as
diverse as their population and geography. Archeological remains prove that
there were native people in GA as early as 13,000-BC but European contact was not
noted until 1526 when a Spanish naval expedition entered the region. Hernando
de Soto was the first explorer to document the landscape and the people he
encountered during his 1540 expedition. Although a number of individuals of
African descent were members of the early Spanish expeditions wholesale slavery
was not introduced into the colony until 1750 and the number of blacks
increased significantly. The blending of these groups resulted in contributions
in the arts, architecture, music, cuisine and material culture that is
expressed in all the counties and fine-tuned uniquely in each.
exploregeorgia.org
The colony of Georgia was
established by James Oglethorpe in 1732 and named in honor of King George II.
The initial idea was to resettle debtors and prisoners who were a burden on the
country. Prisoners were the first settlers in 1733 and a series of forts were
erected and manned to protect the British colonies from Spanish invasion.
Georgia was the 13th colony and would become the 4th state in 1788.
Columbia
County, named in honor of Christopher Columbus, was legislated in 1790 but its
first village, Brandon, dates from 1752. The county’s history is a microcosm of
pre-colonial events including a 1773 visit by botanist William Bartram and two delegates
to the constitutional convention. At the start of the Civil War Columbia County
was filled with plantations and a black population that exceeded that of whites
substantially. choosecolumbiacounty.com
The
city of Harlem was founded by a group of people who previously lived 1-mile
away in Sawdust, GA. The residents of Sawdust were raucous and some of the
citizens established their own, more peaceful, town in 1870. Norvell Hardy was born on Jan. 18, 1892 in
Harlem and his father, a Confederate veteran, died before he was one. He took
his father’s name, Oliver, and it is as Oliver Hardy that he became half of the
great comedy team. Laurel and Hardy.
The
Laurel and Hardy Museum is filled with artifacts and memorabilia that interpret
the duo’s career after they joined forces in 1926 in silent films. Together
they made over 100 films and the museum has a complete collection that visitors
may view. A full-scale wooden Model-T, complete with L&H in the front,
provides a unique photo-op. This October 1st the city will hold the 28th
Oliver Hardy Festival. Fans attend from around the globe. harlemga.org
Gary
and Jean Russeth opened the Ollie Also & Stanie Too Fine Mess Old Car
Museum in 2006. This wonderful little museum displays original and wooden,
full-scale, Model-T cars from L&H films handcrafted by Gary along with
figures and posters throughout. The vehicles are amazing with all interior
parts carved out of wood. Highlights of the collection are an original 1915
Ford and a 1903 all wood Ford Model-A. laurelandhardymuseum.com
Appling
Courthouse is an architectural gem and the oldest in the state in continuous
use. The Appling family donated the land and in 1790 a wooden structure was
built. The current brick building stands on its original foundations. Highlights
of a tour include the tin ceiling, dual staircases and the courtroom. Near the
courthouse stands the Walnut Grove Schoolhouse, a one-room school built for the
African American community.
Daniel
Marshall founded Kiokee Baptist Church, the oldest Baptist church in the state,
in 1772. The building on site is the third in the church’s history with the
first being a log cabin and the third being this 1808 brick building. The
church was integrated and black congregants were seated in the balcony. The
church represents skilled craftsmanship of the era in rural GA.
The
284-acre Savannah Rapids Park is situated at the falls of the Savannah River,
an important transit route since the region was populated. As proof, nearby 16-acre
Stallings Island National Landmark is the site of prehistoric remains. The
Augusta Canal was completed in 1847, now the Augusta Canal National Heritage
Area and visitors can obtain spectacular views from land on 7-miles of
accessible trails or by taking a canal boat tour. The Savannah Rapids Pavilion is available for event rental.
Bulloch County was founded in 1796 and 5-years later 200-acres was donated
for a county seat and 3-years later Statesborough
was established. During the Civil War Sherman passed through burning the courthouse.
@VisitStatesboro
Specially
selected aspects of Statesboro’s history are interpreted in the museum inside
the visitor’s center. The galleries are designed by GA Southern University
students and filled with photographs, artifacts and information plaques. This
should be your first stop.
Bluesman
Blind Willie McTell is arguably Statesboro’s most famous citizen. To honor his
musical contributions a mile long trail has been designated. In town visitors
can see a mural and the former Jaeckel Hotel on Main Street where Blind Willie sat
on the steps and played for money. The original hotel sign has been restored.
The
Clubhouse and Hackers Golf Park offer so many exciting activity options that
you are bound to be overwhelmed. It began in 1998 as a golf practice field and
opened in 2010 as a 64-acre sports complex. The 1-acre baseball themed
Clubhouse’s concourse is designed to resemble that of a stadium. There are 24
bowling lanes, a laser tag arena and an arcade. On the exterior guests can
enjoy Hackers Golf Park, a 6-acre soccer venue and the state-of-the-art Coca-Cola
125 Raceway. The 1.25-mile track immerses you in the auto racing experience
with on board audio. This is truly a world-class sports destination. @clubhousestatesboro
A tour of Chris Mitchell’s Pladd Dot
Music is another unique Statesboro experience. Here you can watch the finest
craftsmen create “boutique” all American made guitars and amps. Only the fretboards
on the 100 guitars they make annually are premade. Visitors can follow the
process from start to completion. @PladdDotMusic
Eagle
Creek Brewing Company offers brewery tours and live music performances. A visit
is a great way to bring part one of our GA county tours to an end.
@eaglecreekbrew
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