Hello, Everyone!

Hey!
Sorry that I haven't been posting lately! My life is wrapping up a chapter and trying to go to the next! It makes life chaotic!
Today I'm writing about a home in Mid Georgia where one of our President's spent his summers. This is Warm Spring's Little White House.
The Little White House was built in 1932 for President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He choose the town to built his summer home for it's "warm spring" that naturally flowed that were warm to help ease the President's polio. The President at this time had been suffering from polio for over ten years at this point. Polio was very common in this era and was contracted by being in the same proximity as someone else with polio, such as water.
Roosevelt went to the pools were the springs ran to help ease the pain and go through therapy with many other polio suffers. During his time in Georgia he would stay in his summer home where he had privacy and peace. He died in Warm Springs in April of '45. After which the family packed up their belongs and left everything as it was. It hasn't changed since.
 To this day, the house is the exact same, with a museum and carriage house that is full of history! Including an unfinished portrait of him that was being painted before he died. Every year on the day he died, April 12, the museum holds a ceremony in his honor, giving a 48 star flag to the person they feel is most like FDR as well as flying a new 48 star flag at half mast until the next year.
The honor and respect that is shown in that place makes the world of history so much more of a living thing than a thing of the past. They keep Franklin Delano Roosevelt alive in this place in a small town where he enjoyed his summers for over ten years. As he once said, "I do not need to tell you that I am happy to be in Georgia. Nor do I need to tell you that I am proud of Georgia."


MJ

Guess What???

To all my followers, readers and whoever else is out there!

I have just got home from my Gold Award Final presentation meeting and.............. I HAVE MY GOLD AWARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am so excited! Thank you, guys for being there and for helping me get this award! Without you, I wouldn't have a beautiful Gold Award pin on my vest!

Thank you!

MJ

Ft. King George and Adventures On The Altamaha

Any history buff cruising the Georgia Coastal area will want to see Ft. King George. This historic site is the oldest English fort remaining on Georgia's coast. According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, “From 1721 until 1736, Fort King George was the southern outpost of the British Empire in North America. A cypress blockhouse, barracks and palisaded earthen fort were constructed in 1721 by scoutmen led by Colonel John “Tuscarora Jack” Barnwell. For the next seven years, His Majesty’s Independent Company garrisoned the fort. They endured incredible hardships from disease, threats of Spanish and Indian attacks, and the harsh, unfamiliar coastal environment. After the fort was abandoned, General James Oglethorpe brought Scottish Highlanders to the site in 1736. The settlement, called Darien, eventually became a foremost export center of lumber until 1925.”

Visitors can enjoy touring a replica of the original fort, watching a video of its history and learning about the city of Darien where it is located. If you are lucky you might even see an alligator lurking in ponds on the grounds!

Check the Ft. King George information site at http://gastateparks.org/FortKingGeorge/ for the dates of their annual Revolutionary War reenactment days held in November.

While in the Darien area, don’t forget to check out Sapelo Island just up the road from Ft. King George. A ferry ride will take you from the visitors’ center to the barrier island which features guided tours highlighting the African-American community of Hog Hammock, Reynolds Mansion, Nanny Goat Beach, University of Georgia Marine Institute and a restored 1820 lighthouse.

If you’re traveling the Altamaha River area on Wednesday through Sunday, it’s also worth a stop at the Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation. This historic site offers a look at the culture of Georgia’s rice coast. Built in the early 1800s by William Brailsford of Charleston, this plantation grew rice along the Altamaha River until 1913. Visitors of the plantation can enjoy dreaming of a bygone day when, “The plantation and its inhabitants were part of the genteel low country society that developed during the antebellum period.”

 

~Kelly C.

English Teacher

MJ

Ancient Mounds

In the beautiful North Georgia Mountains, history hunters can find the remnants of some of our most ancient residents at the Etowah Indian Mounds. This 54-acre archaeological site is in Bartow County in northwest Georgia. Archaeologists believe the mounds were built and occupied in three phases, from 1000–1550 AD, and it’s considered to be the most intact Mississippian culture site in the Southeastern United States.

The mound builders were ancestors of the historic Muscogee, or Creek, people who inhabited Georgia in pre Colonial times. According to Wikipedia, “Etowah is a Muskogee word derived from italwa meaning ‘town’. The federally recognized Creek Nation considers Etalwa to be their most important ancestral town.”

Visitors to the site may see artifacts from the different phases of civilization that lived along the river banks in this location. Guests are able to walk and sit beside the river and climb the mounds for a beautiful view of the surrounding area. Historical documentation of the preservation of the site is also displayed for history enthusiasts to read and enjoy.

 

~Kelly C.

English Teacher

MJ

The Gibraltar Of Georgia

Even 150 years later, true Southerners will refer to the American Civil War as the War of Northern Aggression!  And Georgia is a great place to learn about this turbulent time in our nation’s history.  While there are many places to learn about the Civil War, Kennesaw Mountain is one of the most significant memorials and historic venues.  Not only was this the site of a decisive battle, it is also the final resting place for many soldiers whose last days were spent fighting in the blazing Georgia sun.
Kennesaw Mountain Battle Field Park offers a unique array of history and recreation, with picnic areas and a museum.  A film showing the strategic battles along the mountain ridge, illustrates how Kennesaw was the last hope for Southern victory.  Visitors can see authentic military uniforms and artifacts of the Civil War.  Likewise, hikers, bikers and drivers can climb the mountain to see spectacular views all the way to the Atlanta skyline.
While a day at Kennesaw is fun filled and full of activity, it is also a sobering experience to stand along the quiet fields left untouched as a dedication to slain soldiers.  To enjoy a piece of Georgia’s rich history pack a lunch and spend the day at Kennesaw Mountain!

~Kelly C.

English Teacher

MJ

The Governor's Mansion

This, to me is one of the most exciting posts yet! I have just received this one from... drum roll... the First Lady Sandra Deal!!!!!!!!!! Mini scream! I am so excited for this and hope you will enjoy!

Throughout Georgia, there are many landmarks and historical sites that bring character to our state. One of my personal favorites is my current home, the Georgia Governor’s Mansion.

The capitol of Georgia was established in Atlanta after the Civil War ended in 1868. Though there have been multiple houses and estates that served as residences for the Governors of the past, there are only two mansions specifically built for Georgia’s Governor in existence today: the Old Governor’s Mansion in Milledgeville and the current Governor’s Mansion in Buckhead.

The current Governor’s Mansion is located on West Paces Ferry Road, and was designed by Georgia architect Thomas Bradbury. Built in 1967, the mansion is a Greek revival style home constructed on approximately 18 acres and has 30 rooms. The foundation of the home consists of four levels of concrete and covers roughly 24,000 square feet. It has 30 Doric columns surrounding the porch made from California redwoods.

All of the furnishings in the mansion are part of a permanent collection and belong to the state. They are considered to make up one of the finest Federal Period collections in the United States. Most of the Governors, including my husband Governor Nathan Deal, bring some personal belongings, like pictures of our children and grandchildren or Governor Deal’s favorite leather recliner, to instill special memories of our family. This helps us feel more at home.

I truly live in a beautiful museum, but its main use is entertainment. On the first floor of the Governor’s Mansion we host official events. We entertain fellow Georgians, citizens from across the country, and citizens of other countries. As a result, the mansion has been named the Executive Center for its role in establishing friendships and business relationships between the State of Georgia, the nation, and the world. In the spirit of the tradition established in 1968 by Lester Maddox, the first Governor to live in the current mansion, the mansion opens for the Christmas season to all of Georgia citizens. Every year, the residing First Lady selects a theme and the mansion is decorated accordingly. Beginning with a special Christmas tree lighting ceremony, the mansion is open to the public to enjoy for 12 days. Other events we host at the mansion include honoring the valedictorians from across Georgia and the Governor’s annual Easter Egg Hunt. We recently just celebrated the 14^th anniversary of this exciting event!

Throughout my time as the First Lady of Georgia living in this beautiful home, I have become exceedingly interested in the history of it. Therefore, I have spearheaded the creation of a coffee table style book about the Governor’s Mansion titled Memories of the Mansion. It contains stories from the previous families who lived in the historic home, and it will be available in late October of this year.

 

~ Sandra Deal, First Lady

 

Thank you, First Lady Deal, for this wonderful post!

 

MJ

Martin Luther King Jr.

       Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, GA on January 15, 1929. His parents were Alberta Williams King and Martin Luther King Sr. Throughout his entire life he was around discrimination and hatred just because of skin color. The interesting thing is that he used love instead of anger and violence to achieve equality. This Baptist Minister was an amazing leader in the African American Civil Rights Movement. Whites did not believe that African Americans were equal to them at this time. Even when the whites acted in violence, Martin preached against it saying “we must love our white brothers and sisters!” His determination all the way to the end of his life is what makes him one of the most memorable and historical heroes from the state of Georgia.

Children- Yolanda King, Dexter Scott King, Martin Luther King 3rd, and Bernice King
Spouse- Coretta Scott King

~ Shyann D., College Student

Thank you, Shyann for your awesome post!

MJ