The city of Macon is located on the site of what is known as the Ocmulgee Old Fields, where Creek Indians and there ancestors lived for 12,000 years before Europeans arrived. To this day, some of the old temples and funeral mounds stand.

In 1806 President Thomas Jefferson ordered a fort be built on the Ocmulgee River to help protect the new frontier. The location was a major distribution point during the War of 1812 and during the Creek War of 1813. The fort fell into a state of disuse following the Creek War of 1813, though it did serve as a trading post for some time. A replica of the fort stands on a hill in east Macon.

Before 1823, new settlers moving into the area changed the name from Fort Hawkins to Newtown. In 1823, Bibb County was created and the city was designated its county seat. At this time, the name changed to Macon, named after North Carolina statesman Nathaniel Macon.

The city founders viewed a city that would be referred to as a “city within a park” when completed. Two hundred fifty acres were put aside for the development of Central City Park and a city ordinance mandated that each homeowner plant shade trees in his or her front yard! Much of the beauty of Macon today is derived from those plans established so long ago.

In 1836, Wesleyan College, the oldest women’s college in the world, was founded in Macon.

The city flourished as a river port, shipping cotton. Macon got its first railroad in 1843.

During the Civil War, Macon served as the official arsenal of the Confederacy. In 1864, General William Sherman chose to bypass Macon on his march to the sea, fearing a large buildup of Confederate troops.

ACTIVITIES:

Attend the International Cherry Blossom Festival in Macon

Check out the events at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame

The Georgia State Fair

Tubman African American Museum

The Cannonball House