Georgia Day Marks State’s Settlement

February 12th, 1995

GEORGIA DAY MARKS STATE’S SETTLEMENT

On this day in 1733, the settlement of our state began as a colony under a Board of Trustees. One of these men, James Edward Oglethorpe, arrived with the original 100 plus settlers. Landing in Savannah, they set up tents, met with the Indians, and were treated to a bar-b-que. The definitive list of these brave settlers: men, women and children is still University of Georgia professors E. Merton Coulter and Albert B. Saye’s “A List of the Early Settlers of Georgia” reprinted in 1983 by the Genealogical Publishing Co. of Baltimore. Anyone who can prove direct descent from one of those on the original boat, the Anne, should write. Only a few have direct descendants, most notably Noble Jones (the DeRenne-Barrow families of Savannah and Dr. George Fenwick Jones), and John Milledge, with descendants here in Atlanta.

The First Families of Georgia, 1733-1797, a membership organization founded in 1986, has established as its requirements for membership lineal (or direct) descent from anyone who lived in Georgia during the years stated. This includes many who arrived in the first land rush after the American Revolution (ended 1781). The society has a newsletter, holds meetings, offers a scholarship, and donates genealogies in memory or honor to the Genealogy Room of the Statesboro Regional Library. For information write Mrs. John A. Dunaway, 1604 Executive Park Lane NE, Atlanta, Ga. 30329-3115.

UPDATE: Mrs. Dunaway died in 2006, but Mrs. Homer S. Durden at that address is still the contact for this organization.

 

A videotape, “The Founding of Georgia”, was recently produced by the Publications Program, Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia, 201 North Milledge Ave., Athens, Ga. 30602. Information about it can be obtained from them. A year ago they published “Georgia’s Boundaries: The Shaping of A State” which includes some wonderful new maps of Georgia and a rich history of the colony/state’s growth from the original settlement in Savannah to its present boundaries. That volume, edited by Marion R. Hemperley and Edwin L. Jackson, is available for $29.50.

ATLANTA HISTORY CENTER

The Fort Peachtree Chapter of the DAR has written to direct readers to the genealogy room recently created in the Atlanta History Center’s Library and Archives Department. The chapter has donated several recent publications and the Georgia SAR (Sons of the American Revolution) have made it a depository for much of their material. The Atlanta History Center of the Atlanta Historical Society welcomes donations of genealogy works, especially family histories. It would be a good place to donate books as a memorial to a deceased friend or relative, or money for the purchase of books in their memory. The society’s archives is a rich resource of Atlanta’s history, especially with its computerized necrology of records collected and indexed by Franklin Garrett. The library is open 6 days a week, and is at 130 West Paces Ferry Rd. NW, Atlanta, Ga. 30305. The number is 814-4000.

UPDATE: The genealogy room is going strong, hours vary due to budget issues, always check the Internet for the current hours or call the library at (404) 814-4000.

ORPHAN TRAIN

Anyone with interest in or knowledge of anyone who was on any orphan trains which operated from 1853-1929 taking nearly 200,000 children to the west, should contact the Orphan Train Heritage Society, 4912 Trout Farm Rd., Springdale, Ark. 72764.