General James Oglethorpe petitioned the Trustees of the Colony of Georgia for
consent to establish two additional colonies in June of 1735. Darien is the
second-oldest planned town in Georgia, being established as a military outpost
manned by Scottish Highlanders on the banks of the Altamaha River under James
Oglethorpe in January, 1736. (The second outpost was manned by Englishmen at the
post of Frederica on St. Simons Island in March of 1736.) The Gaelic speaking
Scottish Highlanders aptly met the necessity of Oglethorpe's request for hardy,
persevering souls. Recruited by Lieutenant Hugh Mackay and Captain George Dunbar
within the vicinity of Inverness, the new colonists were well connected to the
ruling Scottish highland clans. Chosen to lead in Oglethorpe's absence was John
McIntosh "Mohr" in Gaelic or chief of the clans represented in the new colony.
The county thus being named for the McIntosh clan having played a most prominent
role in its' establishment.)
A quaint stroll along the tabby waterfront ruins reveals the outer walls of
the two-story Strain Building near West Broad Street. Nearly without exception,
practically all of Darien was destroyed by Federal Troops stationed at St.
Simons Island, June of 1863.
Darien managed incredible growth as a commercial port for the export of
cotton and rice during precivil war plantation days supported primarily by slave
labor. Timber represented a distinct economic boom in the early 1900's.
Extensive overcutting of old growth natural forests ended the timber boom for
Darien. Today, the town primarily depends on commercial fisheries, evidenced in
the rites of spring whence the Blessing of the Fleet is enacted. The population
of the town has never exceeded 2,000 permanent residents. However, the recent
addition of Magnolia Bluff Outlet Malls has had a positive effect on the local
economy.
Readers with more than a passing interest in the historical recounting of the
coastal colonial & plantation eras will find the following titles
invaluable: "Early Days on the Georgia Tidewater; The Story of McIntosh County
& Sapelo" by Buddy Sullivan, published by the McIntosh County Board of
Commissioners. Also, "Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation in
1838-1839" the gracious & enduring wife of Pierce Butler. Published by the
University of Georgia Press, tells of life among slaves and slaveholders in the
Sea Islands.
Links:
McIntosh
County Chamber of Commerce
Fort King George Site
Fort King George
National Historic Site
Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation
Altamaha Coastal Tours
The Altamaha River
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