Lower Altamaha Historical Society

Lower Altamaha Historical  Society

P.O. Box 1405
Darien, Georgia
31305

          About this painting

LOWER ALTAMAHA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Reflections Upon It's Past and Some Observations on It's Present & Future by Buddy Sullivan Oct 25,2009

Please go to Membership to join LAHS or pay annual dues.

Our Archives Collection of McIntosh County history records is available for you to review by contacting Paul Nix at (770) 378-7268. The Archives page gives some detailed information on what records are available at our Archives Building located at Fort King George.

Upcoming Meeting Programs & Events  


OCTOBER 16 - Our next meeting will be held on Thursday, October 16, at 7:00 PM, where we will learn about a group that is inspired to establish a Maritime Education Center here in Darien. The vision for this regional center is to celebrate and support the many ways our proximity to the Altamaha River and the Atlantic Ocean has shaped our history, strengthened our economy, and enriched scientific understanding of this remarkable ecosystem.

Join us on October 16 to hear more about this inspiring project and to share your thoughts as the community helps bring this vision to life.

Mark your calendars: Nov. 1 Darien Fall Festival

The Darien Fall Festival is just around the corner. We want to have a presence at this event again this year and we need your help. LAHS will have a tent and exhibits which gives us the opportunity to have more people get to know about the great programs and work which we do, and become members themselves.  We need volunteers to help greet folks who come by our tent. This year Susan and Charlie Ouzts are leading are leading the LAHS Fall Festival committee and are asking for volunteers to fill four 1 ½ hour slots on Saturday, Nov. 1 during the festival.  The time slots are:

11-12:30

12:30-2:00

2:00-3:30

3:30-5:00

 

Our tent will be up by 8:30am and we have coverage until 11.  Charle will take the tent down at 5 but we need your help late morning and the afternoon.

This is a great way to meet new neighbors, talk about LAHS, get new members and enjoy some of the festival fun on a Fall afternoon. 

 

To sign up simply text Charlie with the time you want at 478-952-4515 or

email him at charlieouzts@gmail.com.

Susan Ouzts will also have a signup sheet at our next program meeting this Thursday night.

 

 

 

COASTAL GEORGIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

2025 Journeys Field Trip and Lecture

"Waterfront Commerce and Plantation Life in Darien"

This year's Journeys program will begin with a lecture by Buddy Sullivan, the Society's Consulting Historian, who will present a history of Darien on Thursday, November 13 at the A.W. Jones Heritage Center. Darien is the second oldest town in the state of Georgia, founded by Scottish Highlanders in 1736, and possessing a history unique among Southern tidewater communities. Darien was a major cotton exporting center in the antebellum period before the town was burned to the ground by invading Union troops in the Civil War. Within a few years, a rebuilt Darien became the largest exporter of processed lumber on the U.S. east coast, a testament to the town's resilience, and reflecting its Scottish heritage. This program will provide an overview of the town's history and economy, emphasizing its maritime development and its waterfront commerce, including the recently restored Adam Strain Building, a 200-year-old structure that is now one of the centerpieces of Darien's resurgence as a tourism destination.


The November 13 lecture by Buddy Sullivan will be held at 6 p.m. at the A.W. Jones Heritage Center. The lecture is free for members and $10 for non-members.


The Journeys field trip on November 20 will explore the enduring impact of daily life and trade in and around Darien, Georgia. Led by our staff archaeologist, Dr. Aaron Ellrich, the journey delves into the intertwined histories of plantation life and waterfront commerce through visits to Elizafield Plantation, Hopeton-on-the-Altamaha, Laurel Grove Plantation, Darien's historic waterfront, the Adam Strain Building, and Butler Island's rice mill ruins. Along the way, participants will reflect on the lasting legacies of enslaved labor, industrial ambition, and coastal enterprise, all made visible through tabby ruins, a restored historic building, and artifacts that illuminate Coastal Georgia's layered past.


The Journeys program on November 20 is scheduled to run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The field trip is $100 per person, which includes guided tours of the sites and lunch at Tabby House Brewing Company. The field trip is limited to 30 participants so please register quickly to reserve your space. Once purchased, tickets are non-refundable, although they may be transferred to another person.

Upcoming Field trips   (from Zach Crumpler - LAHS Field Trips Director)

TBD

 

About the Lower Altamaha Historical Society:         

The mission of the Lower Altamaha Historic Society is to preserve and disseminate the history of McIntosh County. One of the primary missions of the Lower Altamaha Historical Society from its inception was, and continues to be, the support of the Fort King George State Historic Site near Darien, scene of the earliest English fortification in Georgia. LAHS, utilizing grant funds provided by the City of Darien, has expedited the preparation and installation of several state historic markers in the community, the most recent being the marker to the Enslaved at Butler Island in 2019.