How Colonials Built Savannah, Georgia

Genealogy Tips by Jeannette Holland Austin

Pictured is an old section of Savannah which faces River Street. The first vessels docked in the Savannah River, and settlers walked up the hill into the city.

The old records of Chatham County, Georgia survived and were preserved. Today, they are located in storage off-site; should you travel to Savannah, you will need several days to await for the (selected) records to be transported to the court house.

The first will to be record was of Button Gwinnett in 1777. Gwinnett was shot in a duel with General Lachlan McIntosh. The two were at political odds, both wishing to lead the Southern Campaign of the Revolutionary War. Gwinnett was shot in the leg and returned home where he died three days later.

The old wills are wonderful because they provide much detailed family information, and one frequently learns of other relatives in England and other countries. I have to tell you - a typical old will written in colonial days in Savannah was 50 pages or more. That is because of the books which they kept entailing the great expense of establishing their plantations. It is easy to see that each colonial planter was a small business enterprise and required a lot of work and effort. Georgia Pioneers has images of Chatham County Wills from 1777-1861. Also, an alphabetical card index file abstracting the names of all wills and estates. Collection at Georgia Pioneers

An interesting source of old collected newspapers, diaries and such can be found at the Savannah Historical Society on Bull Street. Most of their collection is not found elsewhere. While I was there, I read the old newspapers wherein they excavated the grave of Chief Tomochichi in one of the Savannah squares. The story is that Tomochichi was a good friend of General Oglethorpe and asked to be buried there. They proved the burial, finding a tomahawk, etc.