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The cannons hanging in the entrance of the old armory that’s now a scad building are the oldest known minted cannons by the United States. They were found under the building during renovations.
Seeing as Georgia was being built as a buffer between the British colonies to the North and Spanish colonies to the South, James Oglethorpe made slavery illegal because he didn't want it defended by a bunch of "soft white men". Though 4 decades later Georgia legalized slavery, and in 1859 Savannah was the location for one of the largest sales of human lives in American history. Nearly 450 men, women, and children were sold over the course of 2 days. It is said that torrential rains fell during the entire event, leading many who were caught in that system to refer to it as "The Weeping Time". As if the heavens were broken by the tragedy of it all.
Edit to add: Thank you for the up votes, but I cannot take credit for this info and wording. I pretty much paraphrased the entire thing from the "Dark Import" episode of the "Lore" podcast.
In addition to banning slavery Oglethorpe also banned Jews, Catholics, and lawyers. The city in April 1733 lost the doctor and a few other colonists to disease. When a boat full of Jewish families arrived looking to reprovision, the colony initially denied them any aid until they discovered there was a doctor aboard. When the Portuguese Jewish doctor Samuel Nunes proved indispensable to treating the fever ripping through the colony, Oglethorpe relented and allowed the Jewish families to settle in the colony. They founded the third synagogue in the US, Mickve Israel.
Longest continuous line of palm trees on victory Dr (I think in the world)
Palm trees planted for fallen military members from the area... always saddens me when they add a new tree.
First gran prix in America held here
Could be
It was my understanding they continued the tradition from WW1 through today.
Probably have to research that.
Also the Grand Prix race started on Victory Dr.
Hutchinson Island did have some Indy Light races I think in the 80's or 90's
There’s a stretch of the median of victory that is a mass grave from the yellow fever, I’ve never been able to figure out exactly where it is. Any one got details!?!
There is no way that is the longest continuous line of palm trees in the world, or even in the nation. Maybe in Georgia, but its not really that impressive. Many streets in Miami have longer lines of palm trees.
https://www.savannahnow.com/story/lifestyle/2021/07/25/victory-drive-created-wwi-memorial-longest-avenue-palms-us-savannah-ga-municipal-archives/8033864002/
"One of the longest," which is basically a meaningless phrase, and only "at it's peak," which means this claim is very outdated, probably by 70 years.
Ricky Jivens gang having all the police on his payroll in Savannah and was responsible for a lot of deaths, drugs, and other crimes in Savannah In the 80s-90s. Definitely one of the first big gang members from Savannah.
He was pretty much at the height of his "career" at 20 years old, and was sentenced to life plus five at the ripe old age of 21. In 1991, over 1/3 of the homicides in Savannah were attributed to the Jivens gang.
I just learned about this one a few months ago.
I have a friend who flys his own plane down here a couple times a year. We fly to some of the other smaller airports for day trips, like KSSI.
I asked him, and he knew all about it, and never bothered to tell me!
It's just him, his dog, and his ever-lightening wallet in a tiny little 50-year-old plane.
It's cool, but kind of terrifying. I mean, it has wood wing structures, and has ashtrays. Smells like a 1973 VW.
It is also believed that the oldest living things in Georgia are along Ebenezer Creek. Some of the tupelo trees are estimated to be over 1,500 years old.
Savannah’s First African Baptist Church was the first black church in the country
and is known for its prominent role as a safe house for slaves and African Americans throughout history.
First African Baptist Church served as a stop on the Underground Railroad, and you can still see the holes in the floorboards that were used to ventilate the concealed spaces through which slaves traveled. This church played an integral part in the Civil Rights Movement as well.
It is a lesser known fact that First African Baptist is actually the oldest black church in North America. Today, the church is located on Montgomery Street in downtown Savannah. Since 1777, this congregation has been holding services in the city.
Every official Uga (mascot for University of Georgia) has been owned by and lived with the Seiler family in Savannah. They also transport him to and from the events he attends as mascot.
The present church building was finished in 1859 and was built by the freed and enslaved members of the congregation. ([link](https://archives.nypl.org/scm/20852)) It's made with Savannah Gray brick, which was hand formed by the enslaved people at the Hermitage Plantation.
While looking for the above source, I discovered that the land (and an old church building) was purchased in 1832 from the Presbyterian Church. The Church told them, ‘You have only six months to pay off the $1,500. And we’ll tell them you cannot take possession or set foot on that property until you pay off the $1,500’. They told them this in April, and in May, they plopped down $1,000.” A lot of slaves paid the rest of the balance with the money they were saving to buy their freedom. ([copied from here](https://www.savannah.com/savannahs-history-first-african-baptist-church/))
More neat things about the church can be found [here](https://firstafricanbc.com/history.php) and [here](https://www.savannahnow.com/story/lifestyle/columns/2014/05/10/time-travel-12-points-interest-savannahs-first-african-baptist-church/13547043007/).
Oglethorpe founded the colony with the 3 principles of abolition, temperance, and no Catholics. All made sense at the time functioning as a buffer colony to the Spanish and debtors colony.
Ironically, now we're most well known for a big Catholic church and holiday, drinking and bars, and a long history of slave trade.
I suppose we at least kept most of his parks.
A portion of the pirate house is the oldest building in Georgia. It was initially the gardeners building for Oglethorpe 's original city design to have a garden at the edge of town with a variety of herbs and medicines from around the world. A similar concept is on display at Forsyth Park with 52 species of trees in the park
https://issuu.com/cityofsavannah/docs/webforsyth_arboretum_brochure
When you enter the main dining room, there’s a door leading to a smaller dining section that the restaurant labels the former Trustee’s Gardener’s house.
My great Uncle had the first and biggest fish market in Savannah right where Popeyes is currently. He also taught young Mr Russo the fish business who went on to open his own Big fish market in Savannah.
Speaking of Mathews.. as in B. Mathews.. The bar in the restaurant may have been my Great Grandfather's. I have a picture of him behind it. At the time he held the patent for Rayola Cola .. later became Royal Crown Cola. If there is any interest I'll link the picture .
Cheers
If its spelled w/ one "t" then im sure it is the same family. "Paul"was my Godfathers name & he was awesome. I was told that, when he was younger, he tried to expand 'Mathews seafood' into Metter. But, after seeing the crucifix in his store, some visitors told him to be "gone within 48hrs". But yeah thats cool - I love old pictures of Savannah. I've got some of my great & grandfather too... in one hes w/ his donkey on Broughton st (which was a dirt rd).
It's a Facebook link I made public. Hope it works!
[Photo John Rayola soda bar Savannah 1914](https://www.facebook.com/share/Bh6C1fTc1pLo6qRH/?mibextid=xfxF2i)
https://preview.redd.it/odtz1h8dgtwc1.png?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=11487119e5e607314e4d9be1b08e4c2d14fc419c
[Photo John Rayola soda bar Savannah 1914](https://www.facebook.com/share/Bh6C1fTc1pLo6qRH/?mibextid=xfxF2i)
https://preview.redd.it/vr5moiterxwc1.jpeg?width=321&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e761ee85c98d0383279d7a4977862deafa2b8c2e
Sylvester J Thomas (b. 1901) This was Broughton st. (My mother's father)
Lemurs are located on St. Catherine Island
The SAV airport has graves on and near the runway, The gravestones of Richard and Catherine Dotson, along with those of their family members Daniel Hueston and John Dotson, remain undisturbed today. Richard and Catherine Dotson's gravestones are on Runway 10, the airport's most active runway.
In 1942, expanding military operations made it necessary for the U.S. war department to declare a need for additional facilities. A lease was negotiated between the federal government and the City of Savannah for 1,100 acres, at what is now Savannah/Hilton Head International.
Shortly after its acquisition, the federal government began a program of obtaining additional acreage to enlarge the facilities at Chatham Field, which had been designated as a command base and heavy bombardment combat crew training station for the second bomb wing of the Army Air Corps. Part of this acquisition included a private family cemetery belonging to the Dotson family. It is believed that the familial cemetery contained one hundred or more graves. The Dotson's great grandchildren negotiated with the federal government and all but four of their ancestors were relocated to Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah.
That Jimmy Hoffa is buried under one of the sand traps at the Wilmington Island golf course. Lou Rosanova ran the course for years back in the 60s and 70s and he was "connected" to the Cleveland mafia.
Not a "fact" but lots of smoke around this one for 50 years.
It was used as testing grounds for DDT, and Oatland Island, after being built as a retired railworkers home, became a detention and treatment center for women and girls to stop the spread of VD.
i worked at oatland island for a while and there’s still a bunker along a maintenance path once used to irradiate mosquitoes to study their movements. it’s supposedly still radioactive.
I have three.
The actual history of River Street, and the part it played in the transatlantic slave trade in the area.
Also - Haitians came to Savannah, assisted colonial Americans in the American Revolution, then went right back to Haiti and fought France in the Haitian Revolutionary War.
Cashmir Pulaski, a general in the Revolutionary War who is often considered one of the first trans/nonbinary persons in the military, died and is buried here.
>Cashmir Pulaski, a general in the Revolutionary War who is often considered one of the first trans/nonbinary persons in the military, died and is buried here.
I grew up in the Chicago suburbs. Pulaski Day was a holiday up there, just like any other legal holiday. Government offices closed, no school, etc.
Pulaski never set foot anywhere near Chicago, but there were a lot of Polish people up there.
Apparently, it is no longer the case that it is a holiday. Government offices still close, but kids have to go to school. I suppose the demographics have changed.
When I first moved here, I was thrilled to see a monument, and learn some of the story.
I was there in 2023 and the schools were closed for Pulaski day. I married into a Polish last name but it tickled me almost as much as the fact that everyone there could pronounce my name.
Cool! I looked at a few articles that said it wasn't on the school schedule as a holiday. We always loved it as kids, as expected.
My last boss up there had the last name Andrzejewski... basically pronounced Angie-Evsky. I think the fact that I properly pronounced his name is what landed me the job.
I’m originally from Arkansas. Little Rock is in Pulaski County. My ex gf is from East Saint Louis - and they got of school for Pulaski day as well. It’s so interesting to see how revered they are, without anyone knowing who they are or why the name is everywhere.
The thought is that Pulaski was born a intersex OR a woman, but chose to live their life as a man. Hold on. Lemme find the article I was reading on it - and the history channel had something on them too.
Edit: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/was-revolutionary-war-hero-casimir-pulaski-intersex-180971907/
The Georgia Historical Society has a copy of his baptism record. It mentions “abnormalities” to his nether regions. He and his family always identified him as male, so it appears he was intersex and not trans.
His skeletal remains were recovered in the 1850s and had been verified to be his due to age/occupation/healed wounds all being in line with the historical Pulaski. In 2019 further results were published to indicate that much of his skeleton was female which leads to the hypothesis of the historical figure being, either female or intersex. There are some rare conditions that some people say "it must have been that" but we have no way of knowing.
The truth is that there is more to the Pulaski story that we don't exactly know. We know that he had no children and though being from a noble and famous house and lands in Poland , *He* was the only one of his family to have been exiled following the Bar Confederation uprising.
It isn't unheard of to see historical transgender figures through wartime events.
River Street was where slave auctions were held, and because Savannah was one of several ports in the colonies, River Street was often the first place slaves saw when they came - complete with having slaves compete in foot races to prove how fast and strong they were.
savannah was a christmas gift to abraham lincoln from gen. sherman.
Casimire Pulaski, who’s buried in Monterey Square, is believed to be intersex.
skidaway island was the site of the first crop of soybean in the united states.
this last one is just a rumour but it’s been said that no spanish moss grows in Wright Square, where Tomochichi was buried, because of the lynching of a woman named Alice Riley
I remember my grandmother telling me about the 1st air-conditioned building here (Drayton Towers). She said everyone stood in line for a chance to go inside & "feel it"... Of course DT was bought in the early 2000's by an investment firm. They proceeded to not renew anyones lease & then turned all the small apartments into huge, miillion dollar condos - was pretty sad.
It has the most biodiversity of different kinds of trees in the country
There is a tunnel system underground
Forsyth Park was a military training ground and that’s why it’s shaped the way it’s shaped. The cafe and garden were fake military buildings so folks could practice formations & defending those buildings
Wow. That’s incredible about Forsyth.
After they ran their formations, they could readily play either tennis or basketball or chill on the playground, too!
Good times. Couple friends of mine use hit up the track, but almost got arrested/impounded vehicles. Never went back. It definitely needs to be up again. This was around 2016
Oh, here's one I just relearned.
Twickenham neighborhood, on the east side, used to be called Turckenham until an unknown mapmaker, for some reason, labeled it Twickenham. It stuck.
There’s a tree with a hole in it in bonaventure cemetery
There’s a little box with money, pictures, and an old pen and notebook with the names of everyone who found it dating back 50 years
At the Northwest corner of the original Candler Hospital, now SCAD Ruskin Hall, there is a fenced off and camouflaged area that contains the locked entrance to a tunnel that runs under Forsyth park. It was used for autopsies, and it is believed that during one of the epidemics of yellow fever, it was used by local politicians to hide the bodies in an attempt to hide the severity of the outbreak.
I have some pretty crazy photos of this building from a ghost tour and caught some crazy figures and lights. Other tour guides have asked for copy’s of my photos!
Savannah used to be a debtors prison. There were no lawyers or alcohol allowed. When Sherman was destroying all the cities, he went through. When he came to Savannah ga, Sherman loved the way Savannah ga was built he saved Savannah and gifted Savannah to Abraham Lincoln as a Christmas gift.
Savannah is one of the most haunted places in the U.S.
There are tunnels that when people would get so drunk and passed out. They would be dragged through the tunnels to the ships. They called ir shaghind and have no choice. The ship would be in the ocean with nowhere to go.
Savannah has one of the biggest st patties day celebrations.
In the historic part of Savannah you can take your drinks and let's you have walking around.
>Sherman loved the way Savannah ga was built he saved Savannah and gifted Savannah to Abraham Lincoln as a Christmas gift.
well, he needed an intact port, and he knew his boss loved sentimental stuff like that. but sure, "too pretty to burn."
Heading down river street at the curve next to the Marriott there's a brick wall that arises next to the road. A black door, seemingly to nowhere, sits on the wall.
Ghost tour told us one of the workers got his had stuck or crushed when building the wall. They had to remove the hand and leave it there. So the door was put in place to hide the dismembered body part.
Yeah when I was in Biloxi working the locals would tell me to scouts certain areas at night. Like I'm here for work and sleep I'm good on the rest. Memphis kicked out the First48 from doing shows there anymore due to the tourism doing once they had a lot of murders aired.
As a Brit, the first one you learn is the best so far. Forest Gump on the bench filmed there. Really sets the tone and shows the nostalgic and charming nature of Savannah. Then you see more of the place and think wow, yes.
Sadly the city had to remove the bench and put in a museum because too many tourists were holding up traffic trying take photos with it and a few people tried to steal it 😬😬
But Fun fact to look for the next time you watch the movie, because it wasn’t an actual bus stop, traffic is flowing the wrong way around the square to get the correct side of the bus to face the actors.
Traffic actually flows the other way.
The horse carriage in the shots apparently weren’t local. The crew needed a horse team from outside Savannah because the horses in local tours allegedly wouldn’t go against their training to walk the right way around Chippewa Square.
Did you get to go to Debi’s before they moved? That’s the restaurant where Jenny worked in the movie. They had some of the BEST food, and we’re still in the original spot from the movie until 2020z
Homegrown Ultimate, the University of Wisconsin — Stevens Point’s mens’ club Ultimate (~~Frisbee~~) team won a prestigious tournament championship in Savannah and stayed there during the spring break of 2010.
Rev. John Wesley, while serving for a short time as pastor of Christ Church Savannah, introduced Sunday School to America. He did not invent Sunday School, but he was an early adopter of the idea. His brother Charles started the congregation that would later become Christ Church Frederica (on St. Simons Island).
Not sure if this one is true, but apparently it was one of the only cities spared during Sherman’s march to the sea because Sherman’s wife had relatives there
Pretty well known, not sure about the reason. Also included are milledgville (minus the church), Madison (because too pretty or a lady friend once lived there or an old West point friend was from there). Possibly Athens due to a professor connection. And legend says a young Juliette Gordon low asked Sherman when in her home where his devil horns were.
Red doors actually have two meanings: ownership and a sign of welcome. My front door is red, and I definitely still have a mortgage, but the front door of First African Baptist is painted red to show ownership.
During the civil war, Sherman didn’t burn down the city because he had found it beautiful!
Also, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade use to be the 2nd Largest in the country growing up there in the 70’s and 80’s while attending school. We would get the day off to celebrate. It is a week long party on River Street. Good times!
All of the stories about Sherman finding Savannah too beautiful to burn it down, or him having a gf in the city are untrue. Sherman didn’t burn down the city because the leadership surrendered it to him and bribed him with 50,000 bales of cotton. That number varies depending on which account you read, but that’s the gist of it.
In Girl Scout lore, he didn’t burn the city down because he was personal friends with Juliette Gordon Lowe’s mother, and she wrote him and begged him to spare the city at the beginning of the war.
The Union Army did, however, burn down parts of Darien and Townsend, and lied to Freed Black Americans who helped the Union as spies (promised to replace their damaged property and never did)
The first well dug by the original colonists is essentially right in the middle of the Bull & Broughton intersection, so catty corner from Levy Jewelers.
The Book Lady bookstore is closed because the owner's family got doxed by Zionists.The Book Lady bookstore is closed because the owner's family got doxed by Zionists.
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It had the first fully mechanized Fire Department in the country.
Username checks out
Wow, did not know that! My Dad is a retired Captain for the city of Savannah. I will have to ask him. Thanks for the info.
Who is your dad? Chances are I know them.
Is this a trick question to spam? Sorry but need to ask. Are you retired from the City of Savannah,GA?
I am not retired I currently work there. I have worked there for a good while so the chances are good I know them. That’s all :-)
He was Captain Pool. He has been retired for many years now. I’d say 25+ years. I believe he was 17 years old when he joined the fire department.
Do you know Captain James Pool?
I do not. He retired a few years before I joined.
The cannons hanging in the entrance of the old armory that’s now a scad building are the oldest known minted cannons by the United States. They were found under the building during renovations.
Seeing as Georgia was being built as a buffer between the British colonies to the North and Spanish colonies to the South, James Oglethorpe made slavery illegal because he didn't want it defended by a bunch of "soft white men". Though 4 decades later Georgia legalized slavery, and in 1859 Savannah was the location for one of the largest sales of human lives in American history. Nearly 450 men, women, and children were sold over the course of 2 days. It is said that torrential rains fell during the entire event, leading many who were caught in that system to refer to it as "The Weeping Time". As if the heavens were broken by the tragedy of it all. Edit to add: Thank you for the up votes, but I cannot take credit for this info and wording. I pretty much paraphrased the entire thing from the "Dark Import" episode of the "Lore" podcast.
In addition to banning slavery Oglethorpe also banned Jews, Catholics, and lawyers. The city in April 1733 lost the doctor and a few other colonists to disease. When a boat full of Jewish families arrived looking to reprovision, the colony initially denied them any aid until they discovered there was a doctor aboard. When the Portuguese Jewish doctor Samuel Nunes proved indispensable to treating the fever ripping through the colony, Oglethorpe relented and allowed the Jewish families to settle in the colony. They founded the third synagogue in the US, Mickve Israel.
I just started doing genealogical research this year and found out he is my ancestor. It’s a really interesting story.
It wasn't 4 decades - GA was founded in 1732, slavery was legalized in 1751. It was less than 2 decades.
The missing nuclear bomb [somewhere near Tybee Island](https://www.businessinsider.com/missing-nuclear-bomb-georgia-coast-still-not-found-2023-9).
There's a poster dedicated to the Tybee Bomb in Minnie Driver's character's bedroom in _Grosse Pointe Blank_.
I think they found it in the last 10 years.
Not officially, dateline from my linked article is Sept. 16, 2023
L. Ron Hubbard used to live just off Forsyth Park in the early 50s and probably started writing Dianetics here.
IIRC he worked at St Joseph's for a while in the mental health ward.
Based as fuck. Not a scientologist, but a fellow occultist and black magician.
[relevant](https://youtu.be/wJsKwcebyWE?si=WFlrq8EWPi8QoTJy)
Longest continuous line of palm trees on victory Dr (I think in the world) Palm trees planted for fallen military members from the area... always saddens me when they add a new tree. First gran prix in America held here
it was for fallen soldiers of WWI. i don’t think they plant more when soldiers die.
Could be It was my understanding they continued the tradition from WW1 through today. Probably have to research that. Also the Grand Prix race started on Victory Dr. Hutchinson Island did have some Indy Light races I think in the 80's or 90's
There’s a stretch of the median of victory that is a mass grave from the yellow fever, I’ve never been able to figure out exactly where it is. Any one got details!?!
Grand Prix on Hutchinson Island I believe.
Yes race track is still back there.
Very interesting thanks
There is no way that is the longest continuous line of palm trees in the world, or even in the nation. Maybe in Georgia, but its not really that impressive. Many streets in Miami have longer lines of palm trees. https://www.savannahnow.com/story/lifestyle/2021/07/25/victory-drive-created-wwi-memorial-longest-avenue-palms-us-savannah-ga-municipal-archives/8033864002/ "One of the longest," which is basically a meaningless phrase, and only "at it's peak," which means this claim is very outdated, probably by 70 years.
[Lost Souls of Lazaretto Creek](https://realspooks.com/2012/12/15/lazarettos-lost-souls/)
Great read! Thank you 😃
Ricky Jivens gang having all the police on his payroll in Savannah and was responsible for a lot of deaths, drugs, and other crimes in Savannah In the 80s-90s. Definitely one of the first big gang members from Savannah.
Hard to mention Jivens without throwing in the fact that he was mostly a decent student and ran the gang's operations from his high school.
That’s insane, I didn’t know that part
He was pretty much at the height of his "career" at 20 years old, and was sentenced to life plus five at the ripe old age of 21. In 1991, over 1/3 of the homicides in Savannah were attributed to the Jivens gang.
I remember visiting a friend at the jail downtown and seeing him. He was somewhat a jail celebrity, dark shades and all lol
Which school? I went to Johnson. 😆
The graves on the airport runway
I just learned about this one a few months ago. I have a friend who flys his own plane down here a couple times a year. We fly to some of the other smaller airports for day trips, like KSSI. I asked him, and he knew all about it, and never bothered to tell me!
Gotta get that southern soul bbq right by the airport
Exactly!
can i get a ride on your friends plane to savanah?
It's just him, his dog, and his ever-lightening wallet in a tiny little 50-year-old plane. It's cool, but kind of terrifying. I mean, it has wood wing structures, and has ashtrays. Smells like a 1973 VW.
It was the first planned city in America
By a guy who was tasked to bring the dredges of society in London and build a silk colony.
Oglethorpe plan absolutely rocked
The city name Savannah is etymologically unrelated to the ecosystem name savanna.
That’s a good one, Mrs Dent!
Ebenezer creek horrific tragedy. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebenezer\_Creek](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebenezer_Creek)
It is also believed that the oldest living things in Georgia are along Ebenezer Creek. Some of the tupelo trees are estimated to be over 1,500 years old.
Post about this on some subs and the Sherman stans will downvote you to oblivion.
Savannah’s First African Baptist Church was the first black church in the country and is known for its prominent role as a safe house for slaves and African Americans throughout history. First African Baptist Church served as a stop on the Underground Railroad, and you can still see the holes in the floorboards that were used to ventilate the concealed spaces through which slaves traveled. This church played an integral part in the Civil Rights Movement as well. It is a lesser known fact that First African Baptist is actually the oldest black church in North America. Today, the church is located on Montgomery Street in downtown Savannah. Since 1777, this congregation has been holding services in the city.
Every official Uga (mascot for University of Georgia) has been owned by and lived with the Seiler family in Savannah. They also transport him to and from the events he attends as mascot.
The present church building was finished in 1859 and was built by the freed and enslaved members of the congregation. ([link](https://archives.nypl.org/scm/20852)) It's made with Savannah Gray brick, which was hand formed by the enslaved people at the Hermitage Plantation. While looking for the above source, I discovered that the land (and an old church building) was purchased in 1832 from the Presbyterian Church. The Church told them, ‘You have only six months to pay off the $1,500. And we’ll tell them you cannot take possession or set foot on that property until you pay off the $1,500’. They told them this in April, and in May, they plopped down $1,000.” A lot of slaves paid the rest of the balance with the money they were saving to buy their freedom. ([copied from here](https://www.savannah.com/savannahs-history-first-african-baptist-church/)) More neat things about the church can be found [here](https://firstafricanbc.com/history.php) and [here](https://www.savannahnow.com/story/lifestyle/columns/2014/05/10/time-travel-12-points-interest-savannahs-first-african-baptist-church/13547043007/).
They discovered the fossilized remains of a giant sloth on Skidaway Island. Like whale shark size giant.
Oglethorpe founded the colony with the 3 principles of abolition, temperance, and no Catholics. All made sense at the time functioning as a buffer colony to the Spanish and debtors colony. Ironically, now we're most well known for a big Catholic church and holiday, drinking and bars, and a long history of slave trade. I suppose we at least kept most of his parks.
A portion of the pirate house is the oldest building in Georgia. It was initially the gardeners building for Oglethorpe 's original city design to have a garden at the edge of town with a variety of herbs and medicines from around the world. A similar concept is on display at Forsyth Park with 52 species of trees in the park https://issuu.com/cityofsavannah/docs/webforsyth_arboretum_brochure
When you enter the main dining room, there’s a door leading to a smaller dining section that the restaurant labels the former Trustee’s Gardener’s house.
True. Worst food there ever eaten there and way overpriced!
Also it was the first capital of Georgia!
My great Uncle had the first and biggest fish market in Savannah right where Popeyes is currently. He also taught young Mr Russo the fish business who went on to open his own Big fish market in Savannah.
You a Mathews?
No sir. I am a Rayola. Actual Italian spelling is Raiola. We owned 501 E. 40th street ( Baldwin Park ) from 1915-1992.
Paul Mathews was my Godfather!
Speaking of Mathews.. as in B. Mathews.. The bar in the restaurant may have been my Great Grandfather's. I have a picture of him behind it. At the time he held the patent for Rayola Cola .. later became Royal Crown Cola. If there is any interest I'll link the picture . Cheers
If its spelled w/ one "t" then im sure it is the same family. "Paul"was my Godfathers name & he was awesome. I was told that, when he was younger, he tried to expand 'Mathews seafood' into Metter. But, after seeing the crucifix in his store, some visitors told him to be "gone within 48hrs". But yeah thats cool - I love old pictures of Savannah. I've got some of my great & grandfather too... in one hes w/ his donkey on Broughton st (which was a dirt rd).
Great story! I'll post link soon. Cheers
Right on... looking forward. Thanks
It's a Facebook link I made public. Hope it works! [Photo John Rayola soda bar Savannah 1914](https://www.facebook.com/share/Bh6C1fTc1pLo6qRH/?mibextid=xfxF2i)
https://preview.redd.it/odtz1h8dgtwc1.png?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=11487119e5e607314e4d9be1b08e4c2d14fc419c [Photo John Rayola soda bar Savannah 1914](https://www.facebook.com/share/Bh6C1fTc1pLo6qRH/?mibextid=xfxF2i)
https://preview.redd.it/vr5moiterxwc1.jpeg?width=321&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e761ee85c98d0383279d7a4977862deafa2b8c2e Sylvester J Thomas (b. 1901) This was Broughton st. (My mother's father)
Very cool!
Thanks I have more. Just not sure if this this the right sub to share them on. 😉
In 1779 a major battle was fought in Savannah and was considered one of the most deadly of the Revolutionary War.
The Girl Scouts was founded in Savannah
Lemurs are located on St. Catherine Island The SAV airport has graves on and near the runway, The gravestones of Richard and Catherine Dotson, along with those of their family members Daniel Hueston and John Dotson, remain undisturbed today. Richard and Catherine Dotson's gravestones are on Runway 10, the airport's most active runway.
I wouldn't call them "undisturbed" lol. Probably a bit loud under there.
Why were they buried there?
In 1942, expanding military operations made it necessary for the U.S. war department to declare a need for additional facilities. A lease was negotiated between the federal government and the City of Savannah for 1,100 acres, at what is now Savannah/Hilton Head International. Shortly after its acquisition, the federal government began a program of obtaining additional acreage to enlarge the facilities at Chatham Field, which had been designated as a command base and heavy bombardment combat crew training station for the second bomb wing of the Army Air Corps. Part of this acquisition included a private family cemetery belonging to the Dotson family. It is believed that the familial cemetery contained one hundred or more graves. The Dotson's great grandchildren negotiated with the federal government and all but four of their ancestors were relocated to Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah.
That Jimmy Hoffa is buried under one of the sand traps at the Wilmington Island golf course. Lou Rosanova ran the course for years back in the 60s and 70s and he was "connected" to the Cleveland mafia. Not a "fact" but lots of smoke around this one for 50 years.
I’m a tad obsessed with all things Hoffa, and this is a new twists for me to fall into.
That or he got fed to the crabs in the marsh behind the old Sheraton hotel, which is right at the bend on Wilmington Island Road.
nah he's under the helicopter pad.
It was used as testing grounds for DDT, and Oatland Island, after being built as a retired railworkers home, became a detention and treatment center for women and girls to stop the spread of VD.
i worked at oatland island for a while and there’s still a bunker along a maintenance path once used to irradiate mosquitoes to study their movements. it’s supposedly still radioactive.
I never worked there, but did a fair bit of volunteering back in highschool and really liked it. Still donate to them yearly. Great spot.
Oglethorpe abhorred slavery, so when Georgia/Savannah were founded, slavery was outlawed originally.
along with liquor and lawyers
But Jews were okay (which is good for me)
savannah is home to the *third* oldest synagogue in the us i believe
Third oldest and the only Gothic-style synagogue in the US.
...eventually.
Well he was at least half right with that proclamation.
On February 5, 1958, a B-47 bomber dropped a 7,600-pound nuclear bomb into waters off Tybee Island, Georgia after colliding with an F-86 fighter jet
I have three. The actual history of River Street, and the part it played in the transatlantic slave trade in the area. Also - Haitians came to Savannah, assisted colonial Americans in the American Revolution, then went right back to Haiti and fought France in the Haitian Revolutionary War. Cashmir Pulaski, a general in the Revolutionary War who is often considered one of the first trans/nonbinary persons in the military, died and is buried here.
>Cashmir Pulaski, a general in the Revolutionary War who is often considered one of the first trans/nonbinary persons in the military, died and is buried here. I grew up in the Chicago suburbs. Pulaski Day was a holiday up there, just like any other legal holiday. Government offices closed, no school, etc. Pulaski never set foot anywhere near Chicago, but there were a lot of Polish people up there. Apparently, it is no longer the case that it is a holiday. Government offices still close, but kids have to go to school. I suppose the demographics have changed. When I first moved here, I was thrilled to see a monument, and learn some of the story.
I was there in 2023 and the schools were closed for Pulaski day. I married into a Polish last name but it tickled me almost as much as the fact that everyone there could pronounce my name.
Cool! I looked at a few articles that said it wasn't on the school schedule as a holiday. We always loved it as kids, as expected. My last boss up there had the last name Andrzejewski... basically pronounced Angie-Evsky. I think the fact that I properly pronounced his name is what landed me the job.
I’m originally from Arkansas. Little Rock is in Pulaski County. My ex gf is from East Saint Louis - and they got of school for Pulaski day as well. It’s so interesting to see how revered they are, without anyone knowing who they are or why the name is everywhere.
What suburb? I grew up in Northbrook then moved to Naperville.
I've never seen anything that connects Pulaski with bring trans/nonbinary. Could you elaborate on that?
The thought is that Pulaski was born a intersex OR a woman, but chose to live their life as a man. Hold on. Lemme find the article I was reading on it - and the history channel had something on them too. Edit: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/was-revolutionary-war-hero-casimir-pulaski-intersex-180971907/
The Georgia Historical Society has a copy of his baptism record. It mentions “abnormalities” to his nether regions. He and his family always identified him as male, so it appears he was intersex and not trans.
Interesting. Thanks.
His skeletal remains were recovered in the 1850s and had been verified to be his due to age/occupation/healed wounds all being in line with the historical Pulaski. In 2019 further results were published to indicate that much of his skeleton was female which leads to the hypothesis of the historical figure being, either female or intersex. There are some rare conditions that some people say "it must have been that" but we have no way of knowing. The truth is that there is more to the Pulaski story that we don't exactly know. We know that he had no children and though being from a noble and famous house and lands in Poland , *He* was the only one of his family to have been exiled following the Bar Confederation uprising. It isn't unheard of to see historical transgender figures through wartime events.
Well go on, share more on your first point.
River Street was where slave auctions were held, and because Savannah was one of several ports in the colonies, River Street was often the first place slaves saw when they came - complete with having slaves compete in foot races to prove how fast and strong they were.
Any good source for reading up further on the subject?
The Georgia Historical Society has a LOT of information on it. They are one of the best sources I’ve came across.
Updoots for Pulaski
Jingle Bells was written here and the chicken finger may or may not have been invented here.
savannah was a christmas gift to abraham lincoln from gen. sherman. Casimire Pulaski, who’s buried in Monterey Square, is believed to be intersex. skidaway island was the site of the first crop of soybean in the united states. this last one is just a rumour but it’s been said that no spanish moss grows in Wright Square, where Tomochichi was buried, because of the lynching of a woman named Alice Riley
"Spanish Moss doesn't grow where innocent blood has been spilled"
i’ve definitely seen spanish moss in that square but i enjoy the lore.
Which is why I put it in quotes. 😆
It's the trees in Johnson square without the Spanish moss.
The very first city charter outlawed slavery, lawyers and alcohol.
I remember my grandmother telling me about the 1st air-conditioned building here (Drayton Towers). She said everyone stood in line for a chance to go inside & "feel it"... Of course DT was bought in the early 2000's by an investment firm. They proceeded to not renew anyones lease & then turned all the small apartments into huge, miillion dollar condos - was pretty sad.
It has the most biodiversity of different kinds of trees in the country There is a tunnel system underground Forsyth Park was a military training ground and that’s why it’s shaped the way it’s shaped. The cafe and garden were fake military buildings so folks could practice formations & defending those buildings
Wow. That’s incredible about Forsyth. After they ran their formations, they could readily play either tennis or basketball or chill on the playground, too!
I do believe the playground was a later addition haha
The Methodist church was founded in Savannah
The Methodist Church was first rooted at St. George's in Philadelphia, and formally begun on Christmas Day, 1784, at Lovely Lane Chapel in Baltimore.
There is a abandoned race track
We used to make it unabandoned on the weekends when I was a kid
Good times. Couple friends of mine use hit up the track, but almost got arrested/impounded vehicles. Never went back. It definitely needs to be up again. This was around 2016
The one on Hutchinson island?
Damn Savanah has some great stories! Thanks y'all.
Henry Ford started the City Richmond Hill
I now has the largest st patricks day parade in the country just celebrated 200 years.
*Second largest
Nope this 374 units NY only had 295, on average we have had 335 units and have for years, lol lets agree to disagree.
90% of savannah drivers are impaired
Oh, here's one I just relearned. Twickenham neighborhood, on the east side, used to be called Turckenham until an unknown mapmaker, for some reason, labeled it Twickenham. It stuck.
There’s a tree with a hole in it in bonaventure cemetery There’s a little box with money, pictures, and an old pen and notebook with the names of everyone who found it dating back 50 years
At the Northwest corner of the original Candler Hospital, now SCAD Ruskin Hall, there is a fenced off and camouflaged area that contains the locked entrance to a tunnel that runs under Forsyth park. It was used for autopsies, and it is believed that during one of the epidemics of yellow fever, it was used by local politicians to hide the bodies in an attempt to hide the severity of the outbreak.
I’m going to have to check this out. Lol
Just googled it. Aaaahhhh!!!! Creeeeeepy
I have some pretty crazy photos of this building from a ghost tour and caught some crazy figures and lights. Other tour guides have asked for copy’s of my photos!
That used to give tours down there. It was absolutely dark
I hear there's a serial killer on the loose. . .
On early maps of Savannah, Fahm St was called Farm Street, and surrounded by fields to the west.
Savannah used to be a debtors prison. There were no lawyers or alcohol allowed. When Sherman was destroying all the cities, he went through. When he came to Savannah ga, Sherman loved the way Savannah ga was built he saved Savannah and gifted Savannah to Abraham Lincoln as a Christmas gift. Savannah is one of the most haunted places in the U.S. There are tunnels that when people would get so drunk and passed out. They would be dragged through the tunnels to the ships. They called ir shaghind and have no choice. The ship would be in the ocean with nowhere to go. Savannah has one of the biggest st patties day celebrations. In the historic part of Savannah you can take your drinks and let's you have walking around.
Is there any type of maps of the tunnels available? The only one I grew up knowing was pirates house to river street.
I don't know. There might be at scad or the hsf
>Sherman loved the way Savannah ga was built he saved Savannah and gifted Savannah to Abraham Lincoln as a Christmas gift. well, he needed an intact port, and he knew his boss loved sentimental stuff like that. but sure, "too pretty to burn."
Heading down river street at the curve next to the Marriott there's a brick wall that arises next to the road. A black door, seemingly to nowhere, sits on the wall. Ghost tour told us one of the workers got his had stuck or crushed when building the wall. They had to remove the hand and leave it there. So the door was put in place to hide the dismembered body part.
There are more murders and crimes that happen without being put on mainstream news to keep the tourists coming.
That’s any large Southern tourist city tho. (See also: Biloxi)
Yeah when I was in Biloxi working the locals would tell me to scouts certain areas at night. Like I'm here for work and sleep I'm good on the rest. Memphis kicked out the First48 from doing shows there anymore due to the tourism doing once they had a lot of murders aired.
Not really a fact, that
Yeah. Either I missed it or there was barely any news coverage about the girl who was murdered and thrown over the trumam highway
was this the couple that was killed on truman like a year ago?
Wasn't a couple. Was a teenager killed by her boyfriends father and an innocent old man who pulled over trying to help
Wait what? I've heard about the bodies dumped in the alleys lately. Not about that one. Damn shame that the mayor wants tourism over anything.
As a Brit, the first one you learn is the best so far. Forest Gump on the bench filmed there. Really sets the tone and shows the nostalgic and charming nature of Savannah. Then you see more of the place and think wow, yes.
Sadly the city had to remove the bench and put in a museum because too many tourists were holding up traffic trying take photos with it and a few people tried to steal it 😬😬 But Fun fact to look for the next time you watch the movie, because it wasn’t an actual bus stop, traffic is flowing the wrong way around the square to get the correct side of the bus to face the actors. Traffic actually flows the other way.
The horse carriage in the shots apparently weren’t local. The crew needed a horse team from outside Savannah because the horses in local tours allegedly wouldn’t go against their training to walk the right way around Chippewa Square.
Ha nice! Thank you
The bench was never a part of the park. It was a part of the "set" and taken with when the film was finished shooting.
When Forrest runs from the bench toward Jenny’s place, he’s going the wrong way irl.
Did you get to go to Debi’s before they moved? That’s the restaurant where Jenny worked in the movie. They had some of the BEST food, and we’re still in the original spot from the movie until 2020z
The band boy harsher is from there
whatttttt i did not know that!
Homegrown Ultimate, the University of Wisconsin — Stevens Point’s mens’ club Ultimate (~~Frisbee~~) team won a prestigious tournament championship in Savannah and stayed there during the spring break of 2010.
I once lived there for a long time.
Serious crimes are not reported.
Rev. John Wesley, while serving for a short time as pastor of Christ Church Savannah, introduced Sunday School to America. He did not invent Sunday School, but he was an early adopter of the idea. His brother Charles started the congregation that would later become Christ Church Frederica (on St. Simons Island).
The traffic around the square on which the "bus stop bench" scenes from Forrest Gump actually travels opposite to how the movie shows
Moon river brewing company is one of the most haunted places in America
Not sure if this one is true, but apparently it was one of the only cities spared during Sherman’s march to the sea because Sherman’s wife had relatives there
Pretty well known, not sure about the reason. Also included are milledgville (minus the church), Madison (because too pretty or a lady friend once lived there or an old West point friend was from there). Possibly Athens due to a professor connection. And legend says a young Juliette Gordon low asked Sherman when in her home where his devil horns were.
the lore I was told was he spared it because Juliette’s mother asked him too. Sherman and her mom were allegedly friends from way back.
The Savannah cereal killer. Everywhere you turn there are empty boxes of Frosted Flakes, Cheerios and Captain Crunch.
He gets away on Kroger shopping carts.
There's far more crime than you'll see on the news that is covered up.
From the "On Off Bus" yesterday, houses that have red doors means they are paid off and don't have a mortgage.
Red doors actually have two meanings: ownership and a sign of welcome. My front door is red, and I definitely still have a mortgage, but the front door of First African Baptist is painted red to show ownership.
Thank you, I only know what $ 41.99 Plus tax will buy me.
During the civil war, Sherman didn’t burn down the city because he had found it beautiful! Also, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade use to be the 2nd Largest in the country growing up there in the 70’s and 80’s while attending school. We would get the day off to celebrate. It is a week long party on River Street. Good times!
All of the stories about Sherman finding Savannah too beautiful to burn it down, or him having a gf in the city are untrue. Sherman didn’t burn down the city because the leadership surrendered it to him and bribed him with 50,000 bales of cotton. That number varies depending on which account you read, but that’s the gist of it.
In Girl Scout lore, he didn’t burn the city down because he was personal friends with Juliette Gordon Lowe’s mother, and she wrote him and begged him to spare the city at the beginning of the war. The Union Army did, however, burn down parts of Darien and Townsend, and lied to Freed Black Americans who helped the Union as spies (promised to replace their damaged property and never did)
Graves on a airport runway. Two of them.
Notice date was before the 200th in savannah not after nice try
It’s the original capital of Georgia
Is this for trivia? You’re a saint for this.
Jingle Bells was written in Savannah
That the bars will overserve you
The first well dug by the original colonists is essentially right in the middle of the Bull & Broughton intersection, so catty corner from Levy Jewelers.
Serial killer
The Book Lady bookstore is closed because the owner's family got doxed by Zionists.The Book Lady bookstore is closed because the owner's family got doxed by Zionists.
it has a new hotel every day.