29-543: The Brunswick–Altamaha Canal was a 12-mile-long canal built to connect the Altamaha River to the city of Brunswick, Georgia at the Turtle River to transport goods from Brunswick's port to areas farther north and inland. It included locks on both ends of the canal. The canal was originally proposed in 1798 and after two failed charters (1826 and 1830), construction was started in 1836 by Thomas Butler King . The project
58-474: A downward ray, And fiercely shed intolerable day; Those matted woods where birds forget to sing, But silent bats in drowsy clusters cling; Those poisonous fields with rank luxuriance crowned, Where the dark scorpion gathers death around; Where at each step the stranger fears to wake The rattling terrors of the vengeful snake; Where crouching tigers wait their hapless prey, And savage men, more murderous still than they; While oft in whirls
87-714: A group of Yamasee Indians under Chief Altamaha took up residence near the mouth of the Altamaha. The Altamaha River marked the western border of the Colony of Georgia until the American Revolution , so was the western border of the English settlement in North America. It also marked the boundary between the Spanish missionary provinces of Guale and Mocama. In 1738 James Oglethorpe wrote
116-637: A lean-to shack for shelter and a mound of dirt for a hearth to warm by and cook on. In Oliver Goldsmith's 1770 poem " The Deserted Village ", he laments the depopulation of English villages, and he paints an unhappy picture of the lands to which the former inhabitants have fled, mentioning the Altamaha by name: Ah, no. To distant climes, a dreary scene, Where half the convex world intrudes between, Through torrid tracts with fainting steps they go, Where wild Altama murmurs to their woe. Far different there from all that charm'd before, The various terrors of that horrid shore; Those blazing suns that dart
145-498: Is Ludowici . Long County is part of the Hinesville-Fort Stewart Metropolitan Statistical Area . The constitutional amendment to create the county was proposed August 14, 1920, and ratified November 2, 1920. The county is named after Crawford Long (1815–1878), an American surgeon and pharmacist who was the first to use diethyl ether as an anaesthetic. As of the 2020 census , the population
174-545: Is a National Natural Landmark site, noted for its ecological biodiversity and many rare plant species, including Georgia plume . Below Big Hammock, the tributary Beards Creek joins the Altamaha from the north, after which the river marks the border between Long County to the north and Wayne County to the south. The Altamaha passes through Griffin Ridge Wildlife Management Area before flowing by Doctortown, near Jesup . A wide and swampy floodplain surrounds
203-693: Is a major river in the U.S. state of Georgia . It flows generally eastward for 137 miles (220 km) from its origin at the confluence of the Oconee River and Ocmulgee River towards the Atlantic Ocean , where it empties into the ocean near Brunswick, Georgia . No dams are directly on the Altamaha, though some are on the Oconee and the Ocmulgee. Including its tributaries, the Altamaha River's drainage basin
232-473: Is about 14,000 square miles (36,000 km ) in size, qualifying it among the larger river basins of the US Atlantic coast. The Altamaha River originates at the confluence of the Oconee and Ocmulgee Rivers, near Lumber City . At its source, the river forms the border between Jeff Davis County to the south and Montgomery County to the north. It is reportedly the third-largest contributor of fresh water to
261-659: Is just within New Mexico . The long Mobile - Alabama - Coosa River system, mostly in Alabama , originates a short distance within Georgia . The Altamaha River traverses a broad area of low population density with few significant towns or cities along its course. Some cities are along its upper tributaries, such as the Fall Line cities of Milledgeville on the Oconee and Macon on the Ocmulgee. Bullard Creek Wildlife Management Area occupies
290-675: Is located in the Canoochee River sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin. Long County's southeastern portion is located in the Ogeechee Coastal sub-basin of the larger Ogeechee basin. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 16,168 people, 5,695 households, and 4,146 families residing in the county. Long County School System operates public schools for grades K-12 in the county, except parts in Fort Stewart . Fort Stewart has
319-530: The Timucua people occupied northern Florida and a portion of Georgia reaching as far north as the Altamaha River. The Utinahica tribe lived along the river and the Spanish mission of Santa Isabel de Utinahica was established around 1610 near the source of the Altamaha. Along the coast of Spanish Florida , the Altamaha River marked the boundary between the Guale and Mocama missionary provinces. Fort Caroline, built by
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#1733084866333348-469: The 19th century, when timber rafts were constructed to deliver logs to the ports of Brunswick and Darien , where they were loaded onto timber schooners and transported to international markets like Liverpool , Rio de Janeiro , and Havana . Rivermen assigned colorful names to the various features and hazards along their route down the Atamaha. Among the many "riverman monikers" was Old Hell Bight , where
377-556: The Altamaha River watershed, including 11 species of pearly mussels , seven of which are endemic to the Altamaha. The river basin also supports the only known example of old-growth longleaf pine and black oak forest in the United States. Other notable species include shortnose sturgeon , Atlantic sturgeon , West Indian manatee , Eastern indigo snake ( Drymarchon couperi ), greenfly orchid, and Georgia plume. The unusual Franklin tree ( Franklinia alatamaha ), now extinct in
406-555: The Altamaha River, where fresh and salt water mix, is about 26 square miles (67 km ) in size, one of the largest intact, relatively undegraded estuaries on the Atlantic coast. The Altamaha River Delta has been designated as a site of regional importance to shorebirds by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. Although used in the 19th century as a route for commerce between central Georgia and
435-784: The Atlantic Ocean from North America. Including its longest tributary (the Ocmulgee) in length calculations, as is standard USGS practice, its length of 470 miles (760 km) places it seventh on the list of U.S. rivers entirely within one state, behind only four Alaskan rivers, the Sacramento - Pit River in California, and the Trinity River in Texas. The beginning of the Colorado River of Texas
464-399: The Atlantic coast, north of Altamaha Sound. In its last several miles, the Altamaha River marks the boundary between McIntosh County on the north and Glynn County on the south. The town of Darien lies just north of the Altamaha River's mouth. Several miles to the south lies the larger city of Brunswick . St. Simons Island lies on the south side of the Altamaha estuary. The estuary of
493-521: The Duke of Newcastle that he had taken down Fort King George , a fort on the Altamaha that had offended the Spanish. The river's name comes from a Yamasee chief named Altamaha. For centuries, riverboats used the Altamaha as the main transportation route to reach those towns and the plantations founded along the river. The Altamaha was also an active transportation corridor for the Georgia timber trade throughout
522-589: The French in 1564 and probably the oldest European fortified settlement in North America, was likely constructed near the mouth of the Altamaha River. Historian Fletcher Crowe noted: “This fort is older than St. Augustine, considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in America." It was long believed the legendary fort was located near today's city of Jacksonville, but detailed archival research in France on Fort Caroline and
551-530: The coast, the river is nearly entirely still in its natural state, and was designated a bioreserve by The Nature Conservancy in 1991. The Altamaha River flows through a flood plain up to five miles (8.0 km) wide, consisting of some of the last remaining hardwood bottomlands and cypress swamps in the American South . As the river approaches the Atlantic Ocean, it becomes a broad estuary . At least 120 species of rare or endangered plants and animals live in
580-477: The early history of 'La Floride Française' has proved that wrong, suggesting the Altamaha mouth location as highly likely. The site still remains to be excavated by archaeologists. In 1565, Spanish soldiers under Pedro Menéndez marched into Fort Caroline and slaughtered all the French Huguenot Protestants, regardless of age or gender (some 143 men and women) residing there. In the later 17th century,
609-568: The mad tornado flies, Mingling the ravaged landscape with the skies. The 1,759-megawatt Plant Hatch nuclear power plant sits on the southern bank of the Altamaha River in Appling County. A Rayonier paper mill that manufactures cellulose fibers used in plastics and absorbent materials for diapers, tampons, and other products is located on the southern bank of the Altamaha River in Wayne County. In January 2021, Ingka Investments, part of
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#1733084866333638-461: The parent company of IKEA , acquired 10,840 acres (4,390 hectares) near the Altamaha River Basin from The Conservation Fund . The legal agreement is to protect the land from fragmentation, restore the longleaf pine forest, and safe-guard the habitat of the gopher tortoise.” Long County, Georgia Long County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia . The county seat
667-556: The river in this area. Several miles below Doctortown, Wayne County gives way to McIntosh County on the north side of the river. From this point to the river's mouth, numerous wildlife management areas line the river. The Sansaville Wildlife Management Area lies on the south side of the river, while the Altamaha Wildlife Management Area lies on the north and extends down to the river's mouth at Altmaha Sound. Wolf Island National Wildlife Refuge occupies Wolf Island on
696-431: The river marks the border between Long County to the north and Wayne County to the south, and is a particularly troublesome bend, with associated dangerous currents, where a pilot and crew might lose "their wages, their timber, and occasionally their lives" The timber rafts had a maximum width of about forty feet (12 m), that being the widest that could pass between the pilings of railroad bridges. Maximum length
725-542: The southern floodplain of the river's first few miles, after which the river marks the boundary between Toombs County to the north and Appling County to the south. On the north side, Toombs County gives way to Tattnall County , in which the Ohoopee River joins the Altamaha. The Big Hammock Wildlife Management Area and Big Hammock Natural Area are located along the Altamaha at the Ohoopee confluence. Big Hammock Natural Area
754-508: The wild, was found by John Bartram along the Altamaha River in 1765. Bartram sent seeds from the trees to England and planted some in his garden in Philadelphia, where some still live. According to the USGS, variant and historical names of the Altamaha River include A-lot-amaha, Alatahama, Alatamaha, Allamah, Frederica River, Rio Al Tama, Rio de Talaje, and Talaxe River. In prehistoric times,
783-453: Was 16,168. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 404 square miles (1,050 km ), of which 400 square miles (1,000 km ) is land and 3.5 square miles (9.1 km ) (0.9%) is water. The majority of Long County, roughly centered on Ludowici , is located in the Altamaha River sub-basin of the basin by the same name. The county's northeastern portion, east of Glennville and northwest of Walthourville ,
812-426: Was about 250 feet (76 m), that being the longest that could navigate The Narrows, several miles of the river that were not only very narrow but also very crooked. Each raft had two oars forty to fifty feet long, one in the bow, the other at the stern. The oars were for steering, not propelling, the raft. The minimum raft crew was two men, the pilot who usually manned the stern oar, and his bow hand. Rafts usually had
841-461: Was estimated to cost $ 450,000. The canal was finished and opened in 1854; however, by that time the canal was obsolete because of new railroads. The canal was closed by 1860. The Columbian mammoth was discovered during the construction of the canal. This article about transportation in the U.S. state of Georgia is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Altamaha River The Altamaha River / ˈ ɑː l t ə m ə h ɑː /
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