GEORGIA HISTORY EARLY TRAILS ***************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm *********************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Barbara S. DavidS3919@aol.com SOURCE: August 1977 issue of Tap Roots GEORGIA EARLY TRAILS Georgia is an important state for many southerners and southwesterners. It was either the half-way place for settlers from Virginia and the Carolinas or the entry state from the old country. Much of the southern half of Tennessee, the northern third of Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi; Arkansas; and points west received migrants from the Lower Cherokee Trader's Path and the Lower Creek Trading Path, both of which passed through Georgia. The middle parts of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, northern Louisiana and Texas were fed by the MACON-MONTGOMERY TRAIL. The Southern parts of these states were fed by a few settlers from the MACON-MONTGOMERY; however, most came along the OLD TRADING PATH OF THE SOUTH. We must keep in mind that many settlers along the gulf coast came directly there by ship. Also, we must keep in mind that our ancestors were much like we are today. They took the wrong trail; got lost; changed their minds and would move from one trail to another. Also, keep in mind that at various points along all trails a family might hear of some good land or relatives in an area and blaze their own trails. Too, consider all water routes as migration trails, either on the water or along the banks. Still using a modern roadmap we can locate the approximate route the old trails followed. Not much has changed over the years. The modern roads and highways nearest the trail will be shown in brackets [ ] and counties will be inclosed in parenthesis ( ). Starting at the upper trails -- LOWER CHEROKEE TRADER'S PATH -- we continue the journey from Greenville, SC [US123] into Tocco, (Stephens) Ga, and along [US23] to Gainesville (Hall). From Gainsville the trail [GA 53] leads through Dawsonville (Dawson), Tate (Pickens), Jasper (Pickens), Fairmount (Gordon), Calhoun (Gordon) and Rome (Floyd). From Rome the trail [GA 20 & AL 9] leads to present-day Gadsen, Alabama. Perhaps the most used trails through Georgia were the LOWER CREEK TRADING PATH and the MACON-MONTGOMERY TRAIL. People using these two trails generally had entered Georgia along the Occaneechi Path from Virginia and the Carolinas. They passed through Augusta, GA, where the Occaneechi ended. From Augusta the trail passed through Harlem (Columbia) [US78/278] --, Dearing (McDuffie), Thomson (McDuffie) and Warrenton (Warren). From Warrenton the trail moved [along GA16] to Sparta (Hancock) [GA 22] to Milledgeville (Baldwin) and [GA 49] to Macon (Bibb). The trail did not go into what is today, Macon, GA; but passed north of the city --about seven miles -- near the Jones -Bibb County lines. Today the city limits of Macon reach the county line. At this point the LOWER CREEK TRADING PATH swings northwestward toward present day Birmingham, AL passing {US41] through Forsyth (Monroe), Barnesville (Lamar), and Griffin (Spalding). At Griffin the trail [GA 16] took a more westwardly direction, passing through Newman (Coweta) into Carrollton (Carroll). At Carrollton the trail [GA 16 and GA 100] moved to Tallapoosa and then across the line into Alabama. While some settlers decided to take the upper trail to Alabama others left it (Lower Creek Trading Path) above Macon and used the MACON-MONTGOMERY trail [US 80] to reach the middle parts of Georgia and Alabama. This trail passed through Roberta (Crawford), lower tip of Upson County, Carsonville (Taylor), Prattsburg (Talbot), Talbotton (Talbot) and into Columbus (Chattahoochee/Muscogee). Another well-used route was known as the OLD TRADING PATH OF THE SOUTH which carried trade and settlers from the Savanna River to Mobile, AL. Leaving the river the trail [US 30] passed through Sylvania (Screven) to Statesboro (Bulloch) and Claxton (Evans). From Claxton the trail [US 280] passed through Reidsville (Tattnall), Lyons (Toombs), Vidalia (Toombs), Mount Vernon (Montgomery), McRae (Telfair), Abbeville (Wilcox), Rochelle (Wilcox) and Cordele (Crisp). At Cordele the trail moved south [GA 257] to Albany (Dougherty) and [GA91] Newton (Baker), Colquitt (Miller) to Donalsonville (Seminole). From Donalsonville the trail moved into Florida westward [FL 2] These, then are the main routes through Georgia. There are several connecting trails within the state which served those who had taken the wrong trail and/or who had changed their minds. Among them are: AUGUSTA to ST. AUGUSTINE Florida Trail [US 1]; THE PECATONICA TRAIL [US29, 129/441, 41, GA 38, US319 and 19] which passed from Anderson, S.C. through Athens (Clarke), Macon (Bibb), Cordele (Crisp) and Moultrie (Colquitt) to the Gulf Coast; CISCA AND ST. AUGUSTINE TRAIL [US76, 129, 78] mainly between Chattanooga TN and Augusta; AUGUSTA AND CHEROKEE [GA 77 ] from the Unicoi Turnpke near Anderson SC and continued directly southward to Augusta; and finally the Augusta and Savannah Trail [GA 24, 12] The main trails are shown on the map. Take a modern roadmap and trace the routes as described above.