Georgia Natural Wonder #221 - Gordonia-Alatamaha/Jack Hill State Park-Tattnall Co 624

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Georgia Natural Wonder #221 - Gordonia-Alatamaha State Park - Jack Hill State Park - Tattnall County

We continue our listing of State Parks for Georgia Natural Wonders here at #221. This one does feature a Natural Wonder as well as many man made perks as with any State Park. Jack Hill State Park is a 662-acre Georgia state park located in Reidsville, a city on Georgia's coastal plain region. This southeast Georgia park is a favorite for picnicking, family reunions and golf.



Picnic tables and shelters surround a small lake where visitors can rent aquacycles and fishing boats during warmer months.





Docks are available for anglers, and children will enjoy looking for beaver dams from the observation deck.



The park contains a 12-acre lake stocked with fish, as well as a 9-hole golf course, named Brazell's Creek, which has recently been upgraded to 18 holes.



Ten rental cottages face the golf course, all with screened porches, fireplaces and televisions.



The park is known for having a dramatic history, having been previously under water for nearly 20 million years. Until about 1 million years ago, the area was very similar to the dense jungles and plains of Africa. The park was named for the nearby Altamaha River and the park's nearly extinct (In the Wild) Gordonia Tree.


Not in the Wild.

Gordonia-Alatamaha’s unusual name comes from the rare Gordonia tree and the original spelling of the nearby Altamaha River. The Gordonia alatamaha tree, better known today as Franklinia, is a member of the Camellia family that once grew in the Coastal Plain of Georgia. It is shrouded in mystery as it was discovered by the famous botanist explorer William Bartram and was last documented in the wild in 1803.



From GNW #48

The Altamaha River is the source of one of the most mysterious plant species ever found in North America, the Franklinia alatamaha, or the Franklin tree. The Franklin tree or lost camellia (Franklinia alatamaha), once native only to Georgia, was discovered along the banks of the Altamaha River in the mid-eighteenth century and was last recorded in the wild by nurserymen and plant collectors in 1803. All known specimens today are in cultivation.The species is a tree in the tea family. (other examples ares asanqua and the camellias)



Franklinia, the only representative of its genus, disappeared from the wild some time before the early nineteenth century (it was last sighted in nature in 1803). In October 1765 John and William Bartram discovered a small grove of trees with white flowers found only along the southern reaches of the Altamaha River. Bartram sent seeds from the tree to England, where they were planted by his research patrons. Bartram also planted some of the seeds in his garden in Philadelphia. Although no longer found in the wild, one can now buy the Franklinia at garden centers. The tree is a reminder of the wealth of biodiversity and ecological intrigue that awaits visitors to the Altamaha River.



Jack Hill

In 2020, the park was renamed from Gordonia-Alatamaha to Jack Hill, honoring the late Georgia senator who did much for the community.



Hill was instrumental in bringing many facilities to the park, including its group shelter, cabins, splash pad, expanded golf course and more.



"Recreation opportunities and rich local history greet travelers to Jack Hill State Park, a small-town getaway located on the iconic Southeast Georgia Wiregrass and Woodpecker Trails and close to the ancient flowing waters of the Ohoopee and Altamaha Rivers."



A great 18 hole layout awaits you! Georgia's own Denis Griffiths designed the new 18 hole layout, so it's definitely a challenging yet fun test of golf. The Par 71 layout plays to just under 7,000 yards from the tips, boasting five sets of tees. A 1,500-yard winding bridge connects the original holes with the back nine.



These nine holes are links-style and are set on a windswept open landscape. The original holes are still tree-lined, but have some additional contouring to the greens and other strategic and aesthetic changes. The layout is truly unique.



The front nine of the Brazell's Creek Golf Course (in the park) was a marvelous layout through the very pleasantly wooded park with just a few challenges.



The back nine, however, was unspectacular, strangely wide open (no trees), flat, windy, tall rough, and many cart-prohibited "native" areas. From number nine to ten was a very long cart ride from a pleasant environment to a moon-scape.



There was however the signature 15th hole. It is a 207-yard Par 3, which plays over scenic wetlands to a large, undulating island green.


Screen shot fly over video. Here is course layout.

Lovely park and campground for fishing enthusiasts. Notice no beach, no swimming. Gator Country.


Putt Putt Golf.

Another interesting plant that calls Gordonia-Alatamaha home is the pitcher plant! Pitcher plants fall under the category of carnivorous plants. These plants feed on insects by luring them with brightly colored leaves or sweet smelling nectar. When the poor bug gets close enough, the pitcher plant traps it inside and digests it!



If you want the opportunity to see this plant in action, you’re in luck. Gordonia-Alatamaha hosts a guided ranger tour of the pitcher plant bog habitat for anyone who is interested

Hikes

Swamp Boy Nature Trail.



Find yourself a place on the swings overlooking the lake and simply let the stress and strain of daily life drain away.



All in all, Gordonia-Alatamaha State Park is a great southern park, gentle in spirit and genteel in soul.



And to boot, Vidalia is a couple miles down the road if you need to stock up on sweet onions.



Tattnall County

Well that was short and sweet on the Natural Wonder part of this post. Rafting the Ohoopee and Altamaha Rivers through Tattnall County could constitute as a separate Georgia Natural Wonder on each.


Altamaha River, exotic sand dune shorelines.


Ohoopee River, more of the African - South American landscape.

But we take the rest of this post to tangent on Tattnall County. It is a county located in the southeast portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is located within the Magnolia Midlands, a part of the Historic South region. As of the 2010 census, the population was 25,520. The county seat is Reidsville.

History

The land in Tattnall County was originally held by Creek Indians. A large percentage of the earliest white settlers came from North Carolina and Virginia; many were recent veterans of the Revolutionary War (1775-83). Land was parceled out via the headright system, giving each family up to 1,000 acres of farmland. The region is covered with timber and wiregrass, unattractive to many farmers but suitable for raising cattle.



Tattnall County was created on December 5, 1801, from part of Montgomery County, Georgia by the Georgia General Assembly.  In later years other counties were formed from parts of Tattnall County: Toombs County (1905), Candler County (July 1914), and Evans County (August 1914). Tattnall County is the state’s twenty-fifth county and now comprises 484 square miles.



The county was named after Josiah Tattnall (1762–1803), a Savannah planter, soldier and politician. Americans loyal to the British king fled Georgia in 1776, Tattnall and his family went to England, where they lived for six years. The family estate, Bonaventure, consisting of almost 10,000 acres, was confiscated in their absence. (The estate became the Bonaventure Cemetery) About 1782 Tattnall returned to America and joined the Continental army of General Anthony Wayne, then confronting British forces occupying Savannah. He led the state Militia after the War in quelling Slave uprisings and Indian raids and was promoted to brigadier general shortly before his election as governor.



He served a one-year term as governor of Georgia in 1801-2 and helped to rescind the Yazoo land fraud of 1795. Hard to find images, none on Wikipedia or New Georgia Encyclopedia.


Buried on his family's land Bonaventure Plantation and Cemetery in Savannah GNW #106 (Part 9)

The  county seat is Reidsville. There were no towns in Tattnall County when it was first created, so the state legislature ordered that county business be conducted at the home of Zacharia Cox, who lived at a spot on the Ohoopee River known as Drake’s Ferry, on the county’s western boundary. In 1807 or 1808 a log cabin in which to conduct the county’s business was built near Drake’s Ferry.


Ohoopee River.

About twenty years later, the county purchased land near the center of the county and built a new courthouse there. In 1832, when the county’s first post office was established at the location, the name Reidsville was chosen. The original courthouse in Reidsville was replaced circa 1854. This building, in turn, was replaced in 1902 by the current courthouse, which has been remodeled twice and was renovated in 1991.


1902 Courthouse Before remodel.


Courthouse today.

Other incorporated towns in Tattnall County are Cobbtown, Collins, Glennville, and Manassas. Cobbtown (formerly called Quince), incorporated in 1905, was the only named community in the northern part of the county before the arrival of railroads in 1890. Collins, incorporated in 1905, was at first a train depot for the Savannah and Montgomery Railroad. Founded in 1890, it soon grew into a small rail center as businesses developed around it. Manassas is Tattnall’s smallest town. Founded in the late nineteenth century, it was named for Washington Manassas Foy, a local large landowner and turpentine manufacturer. Glennville is Tattnall County’s largest city.


Manassas Depot.

By 1849 there were a number of flour, grist, and sawmills in the county. Other feed crops, cotton, and livestock also made up substantial parts of the agricultural economy. Enslaved labor was important to the success of many farms. Despite this, the people of Tattnall County were squarely against leaving the Union when debates over secession were held. However, they loyally sent four regiments to fight for the Confederacy once the Civil War (1861-65) began. The county did not escape damage at the hands of Union general William T. Sherman’s soldiers on their march to the sea, and the courthouse was commandeered by Union troops for use in administering the loyalty oath to local men at the war’s end. Tattnall County underwent a long period of recovery after the war, finally receiving a much-needed economic boost when the Savannah and Montgomery Railroad built lines through the area in the 1890s. Between 1890 and 1900 Tattnall’s population nearly doubled.


Savannah and Montgomery Railroad.

Economy

Agriculture, especially forestry, is a major economic force in Tattnall County, where a majority of the land is forested. The county produces more than 41 million broilers per year, making it one of the largest poultry producers in south Georgia. Another major agricultural product is the famous Vidalia onion, and Tattnall holds an annual onion festival each May.


Onion Festival.

The state prison in Reidsville, which houses many of the maximum-security inmates in Georgia, is also a major economic influence.


Georgia State Prison

Recently, Tattnall County has been working in partnership with the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Economic Development Institute to develop the county’s economy through the use of technology-driven solutions to its businesses and communities.

Recreation and Education

Points of interest include the Alexander Hotel in Reidsville, built in the 1890s and restored as the Greater Tattnall County Chamber of Commerce and Welcome Center and the Glennville Museum, with exhibits focusing on art, local history, and science.



The County also is home of Gordonia-Alatamaha State Park (See Above); Big Hammock Natural Area and Wildlife Management Area GNW #48, which contains more than 6,000 acres of hardwood forest along the Altamaha River and offers wildlife watching and hunting; and Beaver Creek Plantation in Cobbtown, which includes 4,500 acres for wild fowl hunting.


Beaver Creek Lodge and Quail Hunting.



Government and infrastructure

The Georgia Department of Corrections operates the Georgia State Prison in unincorporated Tattnall County, near Reidsville.



As of 2020, according to the Georgia State Prison Fact Sheet, the facility occupies 9,800 acres of land inside Tattnall County and provides 162 staff housing units on the reservation.




The prison cemetery has 971 burials which are inmates who died while serving time from 1937 to present.



Another large government parcel of land is the 10,000 acre Big Hammock Wildlife Management Preserve in the southwest section of the county. The entrance is 12 miles south of Glennville on Hwy 144 at the Ohoopee River Bridge. This is controlled by the GA Department of Natural Resources under the Wildlife Resources Division. It has a shooting range and 2 boat ramps along the river which are north of the merger with the Altamaha River which forms the southern border of the county. Permits are issued for seasonal hunting of deer, turkey, and small game. Updates are posted at www.GoHuntGeorgia.com


Big Hammock GNW #48

Another large government land parcel is on the eastern side of Tattnall County along the border with Evans, Liberty, and Long Counties. This 6000+ acres forms the western side of the Fort Stewart Army Reservation which is based in Hinesville, GA.



Originally this was farmland purchased by the Army during and after World War II. It has since been turned into forest land with no development. The current Ft. Stewart Land Use Development plan excludes any of this property in their 25-year future planning approved by the Department of Defense.


This land mass can be viewed on Google Maps with additional info from the website for the Ft. Stewart Joint Land Use Study.

National Register of Historic Places listings in Tattnall County, Georgia

Alexander Hotel

The Alexander Hotel is a historic hotel in Reidsville, Tattnall County, Georgia, located at 204 West Brazell Street.



It was built in 1892 and, although it is basically plain in style, it has gingerbread decorations that give it a Victorian architecture feel.



It is a two-story Victorian building with two 20th century additions.



It is a wood-frame building resting on brick piers.



A second wing was added in the 1920s.



Part of the first-floor porch was enclosed and expanded in the 1930s.



There are several historic outbuildings.



It was designed and built by carpenter D.J. Nobles, from Hagan, in Evans County.



It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. As noted above, it houses the Tattnall Welcome Center and the Glennville Museum.

Glennwanis Hotel

The Glennwanis Hotel is a historic hotel in Glennville, Georgia, Tattnall County, Georgia, built on the site of the Hughes Hotel.



The hotel is located at 209-215 East Barnard Street. The old Hughes Hotel was built out of Georgia pine circa 1905 and burned in 1920. The Glennwanis was built in brick in 1926.



The local Kiwanis club led the effort to get the replacement hotel built, and organized a Glennville Hotel Company with directors being local business leaders.



The wife of a local doctor won a naming contest with the name "Glennwanis Hotel", a suggestion combining "Glennville" and "Kiwanis".



The hotel is a two-story U-shaped building. The first floor has a lobby and rooms of various sizes.



The second floor has rooms of various sizes. It originally had 40 guest rooms and operated as a hotel through 1981.



It was originally designed for tourists but from the 1940s local people used its dining room and meeting rooms.



Guest rooms have been converted into efficiency apartments. As of 2015, funds were being raised to restore the building; and $100,000 of the $125,000 goal had been reached.



It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 11, 2003.

Smith-Nelson Hotel

Smith-Nelson Hotel, and also known as the Nelson Hotel and to locals as The Painted Lady, is a historic hotel in Reidsville, Georgia, in Tattnall County.



The address of the hotel is 118 South Main Street.



It is a two-story building built in 1908 and is considered Folk Victorian in architectural style.



It has a hipped roof with center gables and a wrap-around porch.



Tongue-and-groove paneling is used throughout the inside.



Each floor has a central hallway with two rooms on each side.



A one-story kitchen ell was added in the 1950s. As of February 2018, the building is for sale.



It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 29, 2001.



Historical Markers Tattnall

Alexander Hotel (see above)

The Alexander Hotel built In 1892, is historically significant in the areas of architecture, commerce and local history. Architecturally, the hotel is a rare remaining example of a small, wood late-nineteenth century Victorian Eclectic hotel in Georgia. In terms of commercial history the hotel is a good example of the small hotels established in Georgia’s County seats to serve people in town for county government business. In terms of local history the hotel is significant as the home of Dr. Orlando L. Alexander, a prominent local physician, and his family, who built and managed the hotel and resided there for many years.

Beards Creek Church





Cedar Creek Primitive Baptist Church





Love's Chapel Primitive Baptist Church




Love's Chapel Primitive Baptist Church and Marker.

Old Shiloh Cemetery




The church, a short distance from the Old Shiloh Cemetery, was organized in 1812.

Tattnall Campground




Tattnall Campground today and in the early 1940s



Cities

Altamaha Community

Altamaha is an unincorporated community in Tattnall County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. A post office called Altamaha was established in 1876, and remained in operation until 1945. The community takes its name from the nearby Altamaha River.


John Pearson House, Circa 1847, Altamaha Community Tattnall County.

This is located in the forgotten community of Altamaha, Georgia. John Pearson, a native of Screven County, was one of the two builders of the fine 1857 Greek Revival Courthouse in Reidsville, which was replaced by the 1902 structure still standing but much altered. John Pearson died in 1863.


Joyce-McArthur House, Circa 1810, Altamaha Community Tattnall County.

This beautiful landmark near the Altamaha community is likely the oldest house in Tattnall County. It was built by Revolutionary War veteran John Joyce and later passed to Malcolm Daniel McArthur of the Tattnall Rangers, 61st Georgia Volunteer Infantry, CSA. One of Colonel McArthur’s descendants, Ann Carswell, and her husband Bill spent over ten years painstakingly restoring this important house. It’s built of heart pine with peg-through-peg construction and the bricks were quarried from an old “clay hole” nearby.


Red Earth Farm, Altamaha Community Tattnall County.

At the heart of Red Earth Farm is the beautifully restored circa-1850 Pearson Farmhouse. Laurence Pearson (1831-1911), a carpenter and joiner, did indeed build the house which was owned and occupied by four generations of the Pearson family. Laurence was the son of John Pearson (1777-1857) of Pennsylvania, who established the family in Tattnall County in the early 1800’s. John built the first sawmill in the area on Slaughter Creek when he purchased a 1000 acre parcel of virgin timber land in 1832 for the princely sum of $1,200, where the family homestead and farm were located. Laurence’s brother, John (Jr), was also a carpenter. Between them, they built a number of houses in the area. John Pearson and George Merriman built the Greek Revival courthouse in Reidsville in 1857.

Cobbtown

Cobbtown is a city in Tattnall County, Georgia, United States.



The population was 311 at the 2000 census.



The Coleman House/Hotel is typical of late-19th and early-20th century properties found in small towns along railroad lines.


Coleman Hotel.

Owners often lived in the hotel and rented rooms. At the height of the railroad era, such enterprises could be quite profitable. The Coleman Hotel has come full circle and once again is a bed and breakfast known as the Serenity Inn.

History

A variant name was "Corsica".



The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the place as the "Town of Cobbtown" in 1905.


Durdon House Cobbtown.


Paradise-Sikes-Collins House, Cobbtown
   
Collins

Collins is a city in Tattnall County, Georgia, United States.



The population was 584 at the 2010 census, up from 528 at the 2000 census.


Big Live Oak coming into town.

History

A post office called Collins has been in operation since 1890.



The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Collins as a town in 1894, and as a city in 1905.



The community was named after Perry Collins, an early settler.


Wilds House, Circa 1900, Collins


W. L. Morris House, 1908, Collins


Will & Kate Collins House, Collins
   
Glennville

Glennville is a city in Tattnall County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 3,834. Glennville is in the southern part of Tattnall County, which was formed from a portion of Montgomery County by Act of December 5, 1801. The first settlements in this section seem to date back to the beginning of the 19th century.



This dense area of woodlands was abundant with deer, turkeys and other animals. A favorite “deer stand” once stood where the Glennwanis Hotel now stands. Many of the earlier settlers migrated from the Carolinas and Virginia.



The first building in this town was erected in the summer of 1857. The first store was built in 1887 on what is now North Main Street. Around 1888, the farmers met and organized a store that was known as Farmers Alliance, or Club Store. This marked the beginning of the mercantile business. Up to this time, the little village which consisted of one church, one school, and a Masonic Lodge was called Philadelphia and the meaning of this name, brotherly love, was strongly felt.



About this time a young man named Glenn Thompson came to town as a teacher. He proved himself an energetic and influential fellow and played an important part in the history of Glennville. Being interested in the affairs of the community, he suggested to the people the importance of having a post office. He accepted leadership in this matter and took it up with the Post Office Department. His request was granted and the Glennville Post Office opened on July 15, 1889. A name had to be selected, so to show their appreciation for his efforts, the people decided to call it Glennville. Glenn Thompson was named postmaster. There were already post offices named Philadelphia, Thomasville, etc., so the name of Glennville was chosen.



Glennville was incorporated in 1895. In 1905, Glennville suffered a disastrous fire which wiped out the entire business section; but the town immediately rebounded and modern buildings were erected in place of the older buildings. These buildings are of brick and they add beauty and prestige to the town.



During Glennville’s history there have been four railroads: Georgia Coastal and Piedmont, Collins and Georgia, Savannah and Southern, and Register and Glennville, yet currently the modern bus lines have taken over the traveling public.


Fire 2016 Glennville.

The fertile lands and the stately pines that surround the town continue to influence the community. The pecan industry that sends its products around the world is also important. The nearby location of Fort Stewart provides jobs for a large segment of Glennville’s population as well as bringing newcomers and business to the town. However, the economy of the community still depends to a great extent on agricultural and related industries. Glennville is renowned for its onions and once was the Tomato Capital of the State.

THE ACCOMMODATING CITY

In the early part of 1970, the mayor and council sponsored a contest, “Glennville needs a slogan.” The winning slogan, “The Accommodating City,” was submitted by Ronald Dasher and was chosen from a large number of entries.


Tropical Hotel - Cheerio Hotel both are examples of Glennville's history of accommodating.


Orange Hotel - Vanishing Glennville.

Mr. Dasher chose his slogan because he felt that the word “accommodating” was applicable to Glennville. Webster’s Dictionary defines accommodating as “adaptation; reconciliation of differences; willing to do favors; lodging and travel; convenience; loans.” Mr. Dasher was a very aggressive young man and native of the county.


Knight-Dubberly House, 1845, Glennville


Bradley House, 1893, Glennville


Mann-Dixon House, 1914, Glennville


J. B. Caswell House, 1894, Glennville

Manassas

Manassas is a city in Tattnall County, Georgia, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 59.


Foy-Hodges House, Manassas

Built by the namesake of Manassas himself, Manassas Foy and was purchased in the late 1800s by her great-great grandmother, Eliza Ann Collins Hodges and her husband.

History

The community was named after Manassas Foy, the son of a local citizen. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Manassas as a city in 1920.


Queen Anne House, Manassas


Henry Tippins House, Circa 1870, Manassas
   
Reidsville

Reidsville is a city in, and county seat of, Tattnall County, Georgia.


Courthouse Annex Reidsville.

The population was 4,944 at the 2010 census. The Georgia State Prison is near Reidsville.

History

Reidsville was founded in about 1828 and was designated county seat of Tattnall County in 1832 by the Georgia General Assembly.



It was incorporated as a town in 1838 and as a city in 1905. The city was named after Robert R. Reid, territorial governor of Florida.


Reid and his house Palatka Florida.

During the events of World War II, Reidsville was the home to at least one, though some reports suggest two, prisoner of war camps for captured Nazi personnel. The prison camp's location has largely been lost to time, but is believed to have stood near the current location of a gas station/self-storage company, near the fringes of the city. Archaeological research into the area has turned up a number of German artifacts, though with the development and addition of a number of houses, it is not clear if this was the location of the camp, or one of the many onion fields which the prisoners worked in.


Tattnall Bank Building, 1904, Reidsville

The Tattnall Bank Building is the the most distinctive commercial structure remaining in Reidsville. The bank was founded in 1900 and closed in 2009.


This block of historic commercial storefronts was demolished by 2014.

Census-designated place
 
Mendes

Mendes is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Tattnall County, Georgia, United States. Its population was 124 as of the 2020 census. Georgia State Route 169 passes through the community.



As you approach Mendes you feel as if you’ve stumbled into another time.  Waters Service Station’s bright orange Gulf Oil sign stands like a beacon for the surrounding farmland.

Notable People
 
Osjha Anderson - Miss Georgia 1999.


       
Lena Baker - first and only woman to be executed by the electric chair in Georgia was executed in Georgia State Prison, Reidsville.



Laura Belle Barnard, missionary, humanitarian, and educator. Author of The Biblical Basis of Missions.



Linton McGee Collins - Judge of the United States Court of Claims.


 
Beach Dickerson - Hollywood actor & producer who worked frequently with director Roger Corman. Born in Glenville in 1924 - Died in Los Angeles at 81 in 2005.



Jesse Finch - 1956 USA Baseball Olympic Games Melbourne Australia.



James Kicklighter - film director, attended Reidsville Elementary School and Reidsville Middle School, before graduating from Tattnall County High School.



Mason G. Rhodes - Former collegiate athlete of Paine College (Historically Black College and University), Rio Olympian/Paralympian 2016.


   
Shannon Sharpe - co-host of FS1 Undisputed, former football analyst for CBS, former collegiate and professional football player with Savannah State University and the Denver Broncos, Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee 2011, brother of Sterling Sharpe.


   
Sterling Sharpe - former collegiate and professional football player with the University of South Carolina and the Green Bay Packers. 2014 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee, brother of Shannon Sharpe.



Cole Swindell -  American country music singer-songwriter.


   
Drew Tarver - actor and comedian.



Katelyn Tarver - singer, actress, and model.



That's enough for Tattnall County. Our GNW Gal theme for today is what else, Tat(n)All Over Gals.