ocmulgee wma past history

[rocket rob]

I hunt ocmulgee wma every year and every chance i get. I love this place. I was just wondering if anyone might no the history of this place before it was a wma. I was told it was a big horse plantation in the 1800s. I was walking in some thick stuff one year i mean thick and walked up on a mine i dont no what they were mining but it had railroad tracks sticking out of it and their were old rotten carts outside and old berrels. just wondering if anyone noes the history of this. I have also found lots of flint chips near the river on one place it must have been an indian camp. I have found no arrow heads though, not hole ones anyway. I know this is state land and you can not take any artifacts off it but if i can find some nice arrow heads, i will just keep them safe for the state

 

[thomasr]

I was told that the area around what's now the PFA was a cotton plantation during the 1800s, so evidently it was some kind of plantation. Down in the woods between the PFA and the shooting range I found evidence of several wooden structures surrounded by a low rock wall. All you can make out of the structures is the foundation and a few pieces of timber. Looks like it may have a been a home place with several out buildings. About a hundred yards or so from there are half a dozen graves with stone markers. The markers had engravings on them but they are long worn off. I found all this in 1997 and asked the first DNR fellow I saw about them. He's the one that said it was a cotton plantation and that probably the building remains I found was a share-cropper or an employee of the plantation or even a slave family maybe. It's pretty cool to just stand there and wonder about what once was. I too would be interested if anybody knows more of the history.

 

[rocket rob]

Yes it makes you think what was life like their. The flent flakes i have found and the parts of arrow heads, when you hold them in your hand and you think an indian held and made this 100s of years ago just makes you wonder.Theirs no telling about the history of this place. Not many places left like this most have been turned in to home sites or such. Their is a sign on aera 1 that talks about an old wagon trail. I was told that cotton was loaded on steamboats and sent down river. The one thing that i am afraid of is falling in an old well. I love this place very much and just trying to find out some history on it.

 

[patchestc]

I feel the same way about Dixon Memorial WMA near the okefenokee swamp. it is such a great place to wander around.
When the weather gets cooler and the bugs and snakes are
less active that is.