Georgia Natural Wonder #207 - Rock Eagle - Rock Hawk - Putnam County. 672

[Top Row Dawg]

Rock Eagle

Clouding the Natural and Man Made, we once again return to something more historical than natural. However it is quite old and depicts a Natural Image made before the time of Christ by an ancient (Georgia standards) civilization. Tread softly here white man.



Rock Eagle Effigy Mound is an archaeological site in Putnam County, Georgia, U.S. estimated to have been constructed around 1000 BC to AD 1000 (1,000 to 3,000 years ago). The earthwork was built up of thousands of pieces of quartzite laid in the mounded shape of a large bird (102 ft long from head to tail, and 120 ft wide from wing tip to wing tip).


TRD images.

Although it is most often referred to as an eagle, scholars do not know exactly what type of bird the original builders intended to portray. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) because of its significance. The University of Georgia administers the site. It uses much of the adjoining land for a 4-H camp, with cottages and other buildings, and day and residential environmental education.



What prompted the early inhabitants of Middle Georgia, who lived in a time long before the rise of the later Mississippian, Creek and Cherokee cultures, to build these massive effigy mounds is still something of a mystery. They obviously hold ceremonial significance and the Rock Eagle seems to have been expanded from a large dome-shaped central mound.


Last of 3 TRD images.

Although dating of the mound remains tentative (with some suggesting a much older date), most scientists now concur that it was probably built shortly after the time of Christ. This was an era with earthen effigy mounds were build in the Midwest in large numbers. It should be noted, however, that the earthworks at the much older Poverty Point site in Louisiana also appear to form the shape of a gigantic bird. That site is thought to date back 3,000 years.


Poverty Point National Monument.

The people of Georgia and Putnam County in particular have long had a commendable interest in preserving the stunning effigy. As a result, it became the focus of a public works project during the Great Depression. Workers from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) restored the mound and built the beautiful stone tower that now overlooks it, as well as walkways and other features. The stone tower built by the CCC workers in the 1930s provides a stunning view of the Rock Eagle and is a must for anyone visiting the site, although the stairs can be strenuous.



A unique aspect of the walkways around the mound is that historic grind stones from gristmills were included in spots.


Stone Church too built by CCC.

A paved pathway circles the effigy and there are interpretive panels to explain the significance of the site. The park is beautifully maintained.



The Rock Eagle Effigy is surrounded by Rock Eagle 4H Center, built during the 1950s and thought to be the largest such 4H center in the world. 



Access is designed, however, so that visitors can tour the Rock Eagle Effigy without disrupting or intruding upon the activities of the young men and women at the center.



To reach the Rock Eagle Effigy Mound from downtown Eatonton, take combined U.S. Highways 441 and 129 north for 6.7 miles and turn left on Rock Eagle Road at the entrance to Rock Eagle 4-H Center. Travel for .7 miles to the first paved road to the right. Turn right and then watch for the first paved road to your left, which leads to the effigy. The route is well-marked.



There is no cost to visit and the site is open to the public during normal business hours.



Archaeology

Only two such bird effigy mounds have been found east of the Mississippi River. The other, known as Rock Hawk, is also located in Putnam County, approximately thirteen miles to the southeast. (33°20.693′N 83°10.502′W)


Rock Hawk.

Rock Eagle was once thought to be as much as 5,000 years old. While there is strong evidence that the area was occupied by Archaic Indians at that time, scholars no longer believe that they created the mound. Current archaeology suggests the mound was built between 1,000 and 3,000 years ago by Woodland Indians. These Native Americans may have been part of the Adena or Hopewell cultures. It is more likely that they represented a unique group. Rock Eagle is the next oldest Indian mound in Georgia after the Sapelo Shell Ring Complex. (GNW #24)


Sapelo Shell Rings.

Early settlers of the region thought it might cover some fantastic buried treasure and dug into it from time to time, but 20th century archaeologists found only that the eagle was built atop a natural rock outcrop. Theories as to the reasons for its construction currently range from the need for some central burial place by the ancient inhabitants of the area to the possibility that the people of Rock Eagle were sending a message to the gods.


Rock Hawk still looks like it was dug up.

The bald eagle was considered to be in direct contact with the spirit upper world. Many southeastern tribes were thought to be "sun" worshippers.



The mound depicts a bird with a large beak and a fan tail. Archeologist Charles T. Hyatt produced the earliest measurements in 1877. It measures 120 feet from head to tail and 102 feet from wingtip to wingtip. The bird's head is often described as being turned to the east "to face the rising sun", perhaps to suggest a cosmological significance to its placement.


Rock Eagle and Rock Hawk

However, the bird's head actually faces south by southeast, and its beak points almost due south. The rocks comprising the bird's chest are piled eight to ten feet high, while the wings, tail, and head rise lower. Archeologists found non-indigenous clay on the mound, suggesting that materials were brought to it from other areas during construction.



Early archaeologists also found evidence of a human cremation on the mound, as well as a projectile point. Some scholars believe the mound resembles a buzzard or vulture more than an eagle. As the buzzard was a symbol of death among some of the indigenous peoples, it would have been a fitting image for a burial mound.



Scholarly study of the Rock Eagle Effigy Mound began by 1877, when noted archaeologist Dr. Vincenzo Petrullo published measurements of the image. University of Georgia archaeologist Arthur Randolph Kelly excavated much of the site during the 1930s. Because of this excavation, a single set of human and animal bones remain and a projectile point was found that may or may not be related to the effigy. Archaeological excavations into the mound over the years have found a surprisingly small number of artifacts other than the stones from which it was built. A 1950s research project did find a single quartz tool at Rock Eagle, along with evidence of cremated human burials in the mound. Otherwise, the structure has revealed very little about its intended purpose.



The property was sold to the United States government during this time by Florence Scott. In association with the University of Georgia, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed a granite tower at the foot of the effigy. This made an "aerial" view of the site possible for visitors.



In 1954 Kelly reported that both Rock Eagle and Rock Hawk showed indications of having been enclosed by a wall of material similar to the rocks used to construct the effigies. This, perhaps, associates them with the builders of similar walls at Stone Mountain (destroyed, 1923) (GNW #7) and Fort Mountain (still standing) (GNW #34). An extensive renovation was completed on this site, removing plants from the mound and replacing rocks that were scattered nearby. The mound rises 10 feet above ground level and consists of thousands of small to medium-size rocks.


Fort Mountain.

A paved pathway circles the effigy and there are interpretive panels to explain the significance of the site. The park is beautifully maintained. The U.S Department of the Interior listed Rock Eagle on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.


The original Georgians.

Access to the mound itself is strictly prohibited, and the site is surrounded by a tall fence. The University of Georgia administers the site. It uses much of the adjoining land for a 4-H camp, with cottages and other buildings, and day and residential environmental education.



History of 4-H Camp.

During the 1940’s the Georgia 4-H Program operated two 4-H facilities. The oldest of the facilities is Wahsega 4-H Center just north of Dahlonega, which began operation in the 1930’s. In 1947, Georgia 4-H’ers began camping at Tybee Island 4-H Center near Savannah. During this time, Bill Sutton served as State 4-H Leader, overseeing one of the most rapid growth periods of 4-H membership in the state of Georgia. Mr. Sutton dreamed of building a 4-H center where 1,000 boys and girls could attend camp at one time. On November 17, 1948, Mr. Sutton and other 4-H supporters and employees of the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service chartered the Georgia 4-H Foundation. The Foundation was created to raise and administer funding for the construction of Rock Eagle.



Location of the 4-H center was selected in 1950 when John A. (Red) Smith, County Extension Agent in Putnam County, suggested that the center be built near the Rock Eagle Effigy Mound in the northern end of Putnam County. Mr. Sutton, with the aid of the Foundation Board of Directors, secured matching state funds from Governor Herman Talmadge. Mr. Talmadge agreed that for every private dollar the 4-H Foundation raised he would match it with one state dollar, in addition to providing skilled prison labor to construct the facility. In June of 1952, 4-H’ers attended ground breaking activities at the new 4-H Center site.



Construction was started and the prisoners lived on the 4-H Center in a prison facility built on site. The building now serves as the Administration Office for the fiscal operations of the center and provides office space for the 4-H Summer Camping Program, 4-H Environmental Education, and 4-H Technology staff. On October 31, 1954, the 4-H Center was dedicated. Later, in 1955, the center was opened for operation.



Rock Eagle 4-H Center has served millions of people from throughout the United States and all over the world. During the dedication of the 4-H Center, E.W. Aiton, National 4-H Club Leader said, “The Center’s timbered hills will now grow a crop even greater than cotton or livestock which once covered the area. It will be used to develop the boys and girls who make the Nation’s leaders.”



Visitors are permitted to visit the mound free of charge. The site is located adjacent to State Route 441 between the cities of Madison and Eatonton. The park is 1500 acres in total.

Marker

In 1940 a state heritage society put a bronze marker near the head of the image.



The text reads:

    ROCK EAGLE MOUND

    MOUND OF PREHISTORIC ORIGIN, BELIEVED TO BE CEREMONIAL MOUND, MADE WITH WHITE QUARTZ ROCKS IN THE SHAPE OF AN EAGLE, HEAD TURNED TO EAST, LENGTH 102 FEET, SPREAD OF WINGS 120 FEET, DEPTH OF BREAST 8 FEET. ONLY TWO SUCH CONFIGURATIONS DISCOVERED EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. BOTH ARE IN PUTNAM COUNTY.

    [i]"TREAD SOFTLY HERE WHITE MAN FOR LONG ERE YOU CAME STRANGE RACES LIVED, FOUGHT AND LOVED."

    ERECTED BY THE GEORGIA SOCIETY COLONIAL DAMES OF THE XVII CENTURY

    JUNE 1940[/i]



Legacy

The adjoining Rock Eagle 4-H Center is named after the effigy. It uses an image of the mound on the masthead of Wingspan, the center's newsletter.



Dwight York established Tama-Re, a few miles to the south west, as the new home of the Nuwaubian Nation religious movement.



The reason he built there was because of Rock Eagle.



"We moved to Eatonton, Georgia because we are the Yamassee, a branch of the Washitaw Moors, The Mound Builders. Our Ancestors built the Rock Eagle Mound and many others in such states as Wisconsin, Ohio, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Tennessee. This is why we chose Eatonton to live. It is close to Rock Eagle Mound."



Rock Hawk

Rock Hawk Effigy Mound is an archaeological site in Putnam County, Georgia, United States. It consists of thousands of pieces of quartzite laid in the shape of a large bird. Although it is most often referred to as a hawk, scholars do not know exactly what type of bird the original builders intended to portray.



Only two such effigy mounds have been found east of the Mississippi River. The other, known as Rock Eagle, is also located in Putnam County, approximately thirteen miles to the northwest. The physical condition of Rock Hawk is far below that of its 'sister' site.



Viewers must use a degree of imagination to see a bird - let alone a hawk - in the remains.



Scholars do not know if there was greater degradation of the Rock Hawk site, greater preservation or reconstruction at Rock Eagle (which is by far the more famous of the two and a greater 'attraction'), or a combination of these or other factors.



Current archaeology suggests that the site was built between 1,000 and 3,000 years ago by Woodland Indians. These Native Americans may have been part of the Adena or Hopewell cultures, although it is more likely that they represented a unique group.



To protect the site, access to the mound is prohibited, and it is surrounded by a tall fence. The Georgia Power company manages the area. It maintains an easily accessible parking area near the mound, as well as a network of hiking trails and other recreational amenities in the area. Visitors are permitted to visit the mound free of charge. The site is located along Wallace Dam Road, off State Route 16, several miles east of Eatonton, near the shores of the manmade Lake Oconee.



Although there have been many theories over the years, archaeologists currently believe the massive effigy was build during the Middle Woodland period, which is usually dated to 100-300 A.D. and is one of only two confirmed stone effigy mounds east of the Mississippi River. The other being Rock Eagle in Putnam County as well.



Rock Hawk Trail is a 5.5 mile lightly trafficked loop trail located near White Plains, Georgia that features a lake and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking and fishing and is accessible year-round.


There is a Metal Steel tower.

Users report that the first portion of the Orange Multi-Use Loop is easiest, and at times resembles a stroll through a park rather than hiking. Once on the Red Loop, users note that true hiking begins through beautiful protected areas and meadows. Since the trail markings can be difficult to follow later into the route, it is recommended to download the offline maps.



One reviewer said her dog got bit by a snake. His face was so swollen we had to take him to the vets ER. The vet said he got bit by a venomous snake most likely a copperhead analyzing the bite.


What's that noise?

Another reviewer said that all along the trail there are information signs that tell you about the local wildlife. That was pretty cool for the short while that the signs were showing photos of birds and mammals.



Then they started showing snakes on every single sign, which is about every hundred yards or so. It was a good reminder to keep my eyes open for snakes, but it also had me on edge.



At one point an indigo racer slithered across the path a few feet in front of me. I hate it when I scream like that.



Putnam County

OK, that was our Natural Wonder, and we haven't been to Putnam County yet, so let's do a tangent. Putnam County is in the central portion of Georgia.The county seat is Eatonton.



Since the early 21st century, the county has had a housing boom. It has proximity to Lake Oconee, a recreation site, as well as to major employment centers such as Atlanta, Athens, and Macon.


1911 Map.

History

Putnam County is named in honor of Israel Putnam, a hero of the French and Indian War and a general in the American Revolutionary War. It was settled by European Americans after the war, as migrants moved down from the Upper South. The county was created on December 10, 1807, by an act of the Georgia General Assembly. There are 9 cities and counties in America named Putnam. It was the name of the first motel visited by the characters in the 1992 motion picture My Cousin Vinny.


Putnam in British and American uniforms.

Putnam was popularly known as "Old Put", he fought with distinction at the Battle of Bunker Hill. He also served notably as an officer with Rogers' Rangers during the French and Indian War, when he was captured by Mohawk warriors. He was saved from the ritual burning given to enemies by the intervention of a French officer with whom the Mohawk were allied.



Following the invention of the cotton gin, which could profitably process short-staple cotton, the county was developed for cotton cultivation of that type. It thrived in the upland areas, where plantations were developed and worked by the field labor of thousands of African-American slaves.



Machines do all the work today.



During the 1919 Red Summer there were many incidents of racial violence across America. The riots and killings were extensively documented by the press, which, along with the federal government, feared socialist and communist influence on the black civil rights movement of the time following the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. The Chicago Riot left 38 fatalities (23 blacks and 15 whites). There was the Omaha Riot and the worst was in Elaine Arkansas where the mob killed an estimated 100 to 237 black people.



The Putnam County, Georgia, arson attack was part of that summer. From the night of Tuesday, May 27 till Wednesday, May 28 morning arsonists burnt down at least six black churches and multiple black community buildings in and around Eatonton. The Wheeling Intelligencer claimed the buildings were burnt down because of a "minor racial clash at Dennis Station, when a black man was refused a bottle of soda water." During this time armed black and white mobs patrolled the area in fear of each other.



In the black community "the males carried their guns with as much calmness as if they were going to shoot a rabbit in a hunt, or getting ready to shoot the Kaiser's soldiers." There was a lot of tension in the black community as white soldiers were lauded upon their return while Black soldiers, who also fought in WWI, were ignored.



In the first half of the 20th century, thousands of blacks left the state during the Great Migration from 1920 to 1960. The county population dropped by more than half during this period following mechanization of agriculture and as rural workers moved into cities. Since the late 20th century, population has increased. The white population of the county has grown since the turn of the 21st century: in 2010 African Americans comprised 26 percent of the county population, a drop from nearly 42% in 2000.


Proportion of Negro to Total Population at the Twelfth Census 1900.

In the 21st century, dairy farming is more important to Putnam County than cotton. It annually holds the nationally known Dairy Festival.



Hosted by the Pilot Club of Eatonton, GA, the annual Putnam County Dairy Festival is an exciting day for the whole family.



As a tribute to the dairy industry and local dairy families, the festival acknowledges the success of Putnam County as a leading dairy county in Georgia.

National Register of Historic Places listings in Putnam County, Georgia

Eatonton Historic District

The Eatonton Historic District in Eatonton, Georgia is a 275 acres historic district which is centered around the Putnam County Courthouse and the city hall, and includes most of the town.



It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975; the listing included 60 contributing buildings.



Eatonton was incorporated as a town in 1809 and became a city in 1879.



Many antebellum houses and other structures have survived and have been restored in Eatonton.

The district includes:
   
Putnam County Courthouse (1905-1906), the third courthouse built on its site.



The building faces northwest and is a two story red colored brick, concrete and stone structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds in the center of Eatonton. The northwest front has a projecting center section with four brick pillars rising to a pediment at the roof line. There is a balcony on the second story. The southeast side of the building has the same projecting center section with pillars. On the center of the roof is a large white colored dome with clock and lantern at the top.



On the east and west sides are rectangular red colored brick additions constructed in 2005.



The first courthouse was built in Eatonton in 1824 on the present site. The second and present courthouse was constructed around the old courthouse in 1905 to 1906.



The contractor for the 1906 courthouse  J W Beeland, also constructed the courthouse in adjoining Jasper County.
   
Napier-Reid-Bronson House (1824), formerly the Eagal Tavern, a two-story frame house with fluted doric columns supporting its wraparound porch (added in 1850)


Bronson House.

It’s also believed that Joel Chandler Harris and his mother lived in a small cottage on the property for a time.
   
Slade-Dunn House (c.1850) about which has been written: "Greek Revival architecture seems to have reached a certain classic perfection" in this house.


Slade Hall.

Originally thought to have been built circa 1836, research now indicates that construction took place between 1852-1854. It was built for Daniel & Elizabeth Trippe Slade. Slade came to Eatonton from Litchfield, Connecticut, around 1828 and after a brief teaching career operated a successful mercantile business for many years. The house was sold to a local judge, named Wingfield, around the turn of the last century and his family remained there until 1975.

Tunison-Paschal-Sammons House, Circa 1855

It was built in the Greek Revival style by Tunis Tunison, who with James Morrison Broadfield built Temperance Hall, the first two-story brick structure in Eatonton, in 1849.


Tunnison House.

Tunison lost the house to William Paschal in a sherrif’s sale around 1860.

Abercrombie-Rosser-Hood House, Circa 1818

Moved from a nearby location in 1858, this is one of Eatonton’s earliest surviving houses. A simple frame structure reminiscent of the Plantation Plain style, its elevation, chimneys, and eave returns give it a more Federal appearance.


Abercrombie House.

The thin Victorian porch posts are obviously a later addition.

Panola Hall, 1854

Built by Henry and Elizabeth Perry Tripp, Panola Hall is one of the most iconic houses in Eatonton and among Georgia’s most impressive Greek Revival landmarks. In 1891 the house was purchased by Dr. Benjamin Hunt. Dr. Hunt, a native New Yorker, moved to Putnam County after his marriage to Louisa Prudden of Eatonton. The Hunts made some Victorian changes in the structure as well as conducted general restoration of the house.


Panola Hall.

In 1922 Mr. Hunt was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Georgia, Doctor of Science, for his experiments in dairy farming and botany. Many of his rare plants are still thriving on the grounds. In 1946 the house was owned by M.L. Liles. The house remained in the Liles family until 1981 when it was purchased by Dr. Robert Lott. Dr. Philip Hammond bought the house in 1996. A local legend maintains the house hosts a ghost named Sylvia, who usually appears as a shy silent woman with dark hair and a white skirt. She’s been reported in the second floor hallway, a bedroom, and occasionally peering out the living room window.

Taliafero House, Circa 1836

This house is thought to have been built by Lewis P. Harwell for William Thomas, who left Eatonton for Alabama in 1838. The family of Dr. Reuben Nisbet of Macon owned the house for over sixty years. 


Taliafero House.

Since the death of Mrs. Taliafero in 1952, it has served as the parsonage for the Methodist church.

Reid House, Circa 1855


This 1908 postcard from my collection dates to the time of T. G. Greene’s ownership.

Also known by the names of other owners (Reid-Greene-Edison-Lawrence House), this landmark of Greek Revival style is one of Eatonton’s most impressive homes, especially in its setting at the end of Wayne Street. See earlier image in post.


Reid House.

Legend holds that Alexander Sidney Reid spent ten years gathering materials and three years building it.

Henry Branham House, 1818

Also known as the Branham-Imperial Mill House, this structure began life as a simple Piedmont Plain and various modifications have transformed it into the present Greek Revival form.



Much of that transformation was accomplished by Imperial Mill in 1927-28, when it became the residence of its superintendents.

Lot of Victorian Homes in Eatonton.


Rosewood Essex and others.

Gatewood House

Gatewood House is a historic plantation house in Eatonton.



It was built sometime during 1805-1812 while the property was owned by a John Keating. As of 1975, the house remained unaltered from its original construction.



It is significant for its "refined yet simple" architecture, unusual and hence more important given its era.



Reportedly the hand of Ann E. Gatewood was sought by William H. Seward (later U.S. Secretary of State).



Turnwold Plantation where Joel Chandler Harris lived and wrote, is nearby.

Rockville Academy and St. Paul Methodist Church Historic District



Singleton House

The Singleton House near Eatonton, Georgia was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. It is located southwest of Eatonton, off Georgia Route 16.



More specifically, it is about seven miles west of Eatonton, then one mile south of the intersection of Highway 16 and Georgia Highway 142, on the right fork of a what was a dirt road in 1974. In 2018, it may be located off what is now named McMillen Road, and may be the structure at exactly 33.297786°N 83.493705°W.



The house, which has also been known as the Singleton-McMillen House, was built around 1854.



It is a Greek Revival-style plantation house once associated with about 1,500 acres of farmland.



It was deemed notable as "an outstanding cultural example of a modest, yet classically sophisticated plantation residence that was originally owned by prominent Putnam County citizens David and Rebecca Singleton."

Strong-Davis-Rice-George House



Terrell-Sadler House

The Terrell-Sadler House near Eatonton, Georgia was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. It is located at 122 Harmony Road.
The house was built about 1855 and included 700 acres of land. It is listed as an outstanding example of a Greek Revival-style plantation house.



William D. Terrell (1810-1875) was probably born in Putnam County. He married Mary Sadler in 1855. He had few possessions before his marriage. In 1855 he owned 700 acres of land and had 20 slaves. By 1860 the main house, five houses for the slaves, a house for the cotton gin, a carriage house, and barns had been constructed.



At the time of the American Civil War, Terrell was too old for military service but served in the Home Guard. In November, 1864, Gen. William T. Sherman of the U.S. Army was on his March to the Sea. Sherman's 14th Corps, going from Madison, Georgia to Eatonton, camped at the plantation for one day. Sherman's soldiers burned the cotton gin and the packing screw, destroyed other farm equipment, stole the mules and horses, killed the chickens, and took six slaves. The house was not destroyed. By 1880, their only son, Richmond, managed the plantation. Farming operations declined. Land was sold to pay debts and he had only 25 acres of cotton plants, which produced only 8 bales of cotton. Richmond mortgaged the remaining 500-acre farm and it was eventually foreclosed.

Tompkins Inn

Located at: U.S. Highway 441 north of Eatonton, Putnam County, Ga.



Single-story wood frame cottage with a spraddle roof that once served as a tavern and inn. A raised porch with slender square columns spans two sides of the house. Porches and some of the lean-tos are later additions.



The original kitchen, a separate building, has been destroyed.

Turnwold

Turnwold, located near Eatonton, Georgia, was built in 1860. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.



The property then included five contributing buildings and three contributing sites.



It is located southeast of Eatonton on Old Phoenix Rd.



It includes two historic plantation houses.



Also included are a detached kitchen, a mid-nineteenth-century academy, and a late nineteenth-century tenant house.



The sites are two family cemeteries associated with the plantation houses, and the site of a printing shop. The oldest of the two houses is the Alexander-Turner House, a Plantation Plain-style house built on a slight rise of ground.



It is two-stories tall, with a one-story ell to the rear.



The other is the Lane-Turner House, a Federal-style two-over-two house with a hipped roof. This was in poor condition in 1979.


The school is the Phoenix Academy.

Woodland





Historical Markers Putnam County

Baptist Church of Christ at Ramoth



Built 1836, restored 2012.



Bronson House





Childhood Home of Joel Chandler Harris





Concord Methodist Church



Eatonton Presbyterian Church





Hillsborough





March to the Sea



Mrs. Beall's Mill



Philadelphia United Methodist Church





Putnam County Confederate and Veterans Monuments



Rockville School





Site of John C. Mason's Dwelling House







Site of the Home and Private School of Adiel Sherwood



Stoneman Raid



Town Well Shelter





Turnwold Plantation




Marker along Road and main house.



Uncle Remus Museum




Uncle Remus Museum, Brer Rabbit Statue, and Marker.


Memorial Placed at Courthouse in Eatonton.

Famous Rabbit on Courthouse lawn.



Union Chapel United Methodist Church





Communities

Crooked Creek

Crooked Creek is a census-designated place in Putnam County, Georgia, United States. Its population was 685 as of the 2020 census.



The community is located on the western bank of the Oconee River.

Eatonton

Eatonton is the county seat of Putnam County. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 6,307. It was named after William Eaton, an officer and diplomat involved in the First Barbary War.



In March 1805, Eaton’s expedition set off across the Tripoli desert from Alexandria, accompanied by 200 camels.  It was an arduous journey across nearly 600 miles of desert to their first target – Derna, the second largest city in Tripoli. Although his force was heavily outnumbered, Eaton led the reserve Arab cavalry in the assault and surprisingly, the defenders withdrew. 



With the taking of the governor’s palace, all resistance ended.  For the first time in history, the American flag was raised in victory on foreign soil. However the battle to hold Derna had just begun.  Within days, forces arrived to re-take the city.  Eaton’s men held them off for over a month.

From the Halls of Montezuma To the shores of Tripoli

History

Following the American Revolutionary War, Eatonton was founded in 1807 as the seat of newly formed Putnam County. After the war, settlers were moving west and settling in the upland Piedmont region to develop cotton plantations. Eatonton was incorporated as a town in 1809 and as a city in 1879.



Take a trip to Eatonton, the heart of the Antebellum Trail where heritage is deeply rooted in the community. The people of Eatonton understand the value of preserving the past, which you can see just by taking a stroll through our downtown, lined with antebellum, Gothic, and Victorian style homes.



On November 22, 1992, an F4 tornado with winds up to 260 mph hit the south portions of the city. The storm caused $27,000,000 in damages to houses and businesses. The tornado killed five locals and injured 86 victims.



In the 21st century, Eatonton is known as the "Dairy Capital of Georgia" (in honor of its major industry, dairy farming).



Willard

Willard is an unincorporated community in western Putnam County, Georgia, United States. It lies along State Route 16 between Eatonton and Monticello at an elevation of 554 feet. Slightly west of Eatonton is the crossroads settlement known as Willard.


The only thing I found here was this abandoned country store.

Prison Break

Around 5:45 a.m. on June 13, 2017, a group of inmates from this prison were being transported in a bus on Georgia Highway 16, in Putnam County, Georgia. Two inmates overpowered the guards and obtained their firearms. The suspects then shot and killed two of the guards, escaped the scene and later stole a vehicle.



Following an unsuccessful home invasion, the suspects were caught two days later in Shelbyville, Tennessee, and taken into custody.

Notable people

Vincent Hancock, Olympic gold medalist in men's skeet shooting at the 2008, 2012, and 2020 Summer Olympics and Gatewood Schools graduate. Even though he grew up in Eatonton, he now lives in Fort Worth, Texas.





Joel Chandler Harris (journalist and author of the Uncle Remus stories).



Louise Prudden Hunt (Mrs. B. W. Hunt), 19th century poet.



Henry Grady Weaver, author of The Mainspring of Human Progress.



Zora Neale Hurston, author of Their Eyes Were Watching God.



Alice Walker, author of the novel The Color Purple and other fiction.



David Driskell, Artist and leading scholar, curator, and promoter of African American art, was a native of Eatonton.



S. Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A fast food restaurant and franchise, is a native of the town.



Thomas Adiel Sherwood, Justice of the Missouri Supreme Court from 1873 to 1902, was born there.



Alright, that's a wrap folks. Today's GNW Gals are Putnam on some clothes.