All of the iron work... the swirl of life in the tree-shaded squares... the
rippling fountains... the finest homes. Discover the serene beauty of
"Savannah's crown jewels," the unique squares of the original city plan. Hear
stories of Spanish Guale, haunted history, John Wesley, St. Patrick's Day, green
grits, GRITS, (GIRLS RAISED IN THE SOUTH), "Forrest Gump", moss, palmettoes,
Robert Louis Stevenson, and "Midnight in The Garden of Good and Evil." Delight
in the history of Savannah, the modern amenities mixed with Southern grace and
charm.
Savannah was established in 1733 when James Oglethorpe, the founder of
Georgia arrived with an expeditionary force on the high bluff of Yamacraw.
Oglethorpe chose the bluff as both a military and strategic zone for defense of
the new colony, as well as for the development of trade and commerce. Georgia
was the thirteenth and final founding colony of the expanding British empire
existing in the Americas from Maine to the Carolinas. Oglethorpe, both a
politician, soldier and statesman sought to remedy the plight of the poor, the
jobless and those jailed in England's debtors' prison. Oglethorpe petitioned
George II in 1732 and received in grant via a Board of Trustees, all those lands
between the Savannah and Altamaha Rivers. He then embarked upon the successful
establishment of both Savannah and nearby Ft. Frederica on St. Simons
Island.
Savannah is the oldest city and the third largest in the state. It surpasses
all other Georgia cities in beauty and Old South Charm. Savannah played
unwilling host to the Union Army in Sherman's famous "March to the Sea" during
the Civil War. The existing fortifications of Fort Pulaski on marshy Cockspur
Island were named for Count Casimir Pulaski, the Polish hero of the American
Revolution who lost his life in the unsuccessful siege of Savannah in 1779. Fort
Pulaski National Monument is under the care of the National Park Service and the
U.S. Department of the Interior.
Modern day Savannah is fortified by U.S. Army troops of both Hunter Army Air
Field and nearby Ft. Stewart, both contributors during Operation Desert Storm.
Coastal Georgia continues to play an important role in our nation's history,
from contributing two signers of the Declaration of Independence, to its' recent
contribution in the International Olympic Games.
Links:
Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce
Pooler, Georgia Portal
Port Wentworth Chamber of Commerce
Wormsloe Historic Site
Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum
Fort Pulaski
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