New Savannah, Georgia facts for kids
New Savannah was once a busy town that started around 1740. It was a village built by the Chickasaw people. The town was located on the Savannah River, near where Butler Creek flows into it, just south of Augusta.
Some Chickasaw people, led by a chief named Squirrel King, moved across the river from an area called Horse Creek Valley. They built New Savannah. Here, they farmed, hunted, and scouted the land. By 1757, an officer named Captain Daniel Pepper estimated that about "seventy Gun Men" lived there. This means the town had a good number of warriors. The town continued to be important until the American Revolutionary War.
After the Revolutionary War, New Savannah changed. It became a place where tobacco was officially checked. Farmers grew tobacco leaves and packed them into huge barrels called hogsheads. These barrels were then rolled to New Savannah. Here, officials would inspect the tobacco to make sure it was good quality. Once approved, the barrels were sealed and marked.
The sealed tobacco barrels were then loaded onto special boats called pole boats. These boats were pushed along the river to Savannah, Georgia, which was about 215 miles downstream. This city was a major seaport and market. A road in Augusta, called Tobacco Road, still exists today. It was created in 1789 for this very purpose. However, the tobacco market slowed down in the early 1800s. When that happened, New Savannah stopped being a busy commercial town.
(It's good to know that another town with a similar name, Savannah Town, South Carolina, was located a few miles upstream near Fort Moore.)
Where Was New Savannah?
New Savannah was located at a spot now known by its coordinates: 33°22'21"N, 81°56'45"W. This is right where Butler Creek meets the Savannah River. It's about 14 river miles downstream from Augusta, Georgia.
Today, you won't find much left of the original town site. However, it is part of the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam Park. There is also a nearby cemetery that remains from the old days.
