Georgia Magazine - September 2010 - (Page 33)

Ringneck snake Great Horned Owl The LeConte Pear Employees from SNF Chemtall, in Riceboro, help lay some bricks for The Walk memorial. name “Native Flora.” By 1896 when Joseph made his last visit to his childhood home, he commented on its degraded condition. Very little remained, only a single camellia and a few other specimens. But in the 1970s, volunteers rallied to begin preservation of the site, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Guided by Col. Claude Black, a civic-minded local group acquired 63.8 acres of the original site thanks to a lease and option equities donation by The Brunswick Pulp and Paper Co. Heirs of the late C.B. Jones, its owner conveyed title to the land to the foundation. The Garden Club of Georgia has been a major supporter from the beginning to this very day. While all original dwellings are gone, a recreated slave cabin was Volunteers add more names to the brick “Walk” that memorializes Liberty County’s 6,000 slaves (1860 census). constructed in 2003 by descendants of original LeConte slaves. These families hold biannual reunions at LeConte-Woodmanston, and plan commemorative projects, such as “The Walk: An African American Tribute,” which broke ground in 2008. A brick-based trail winding through the property, The Walk is made from bricks inscribed with the names, ages and plantations of the 6,000 slaves who lived in Liberty County around 1860. This project is jointly supported by the Liberty County Historical Society and Midway-based Coastal Electric Cooperative, which has contributed to the site by running its needed electricity, and, through its foundation, donated $5,000 toward the memorial walk, according to garden vice president Mary Beth Evans. Among the many descendants of LeConte slaves is Mayor Bill Austin of nearby Riceboro. “The project will go on, although probably more slowly,” says Austin of the effect the closure is likely to have on the aspects of the site that interest him and his volunteers. Austin also is busy with other projects in Liberty County, including a walk to Dor- blacks following the Civil War to about 1930, this ever-growing museum illustrates the hardscrabble life these folks endured while trying to make a living post-plantation. Where to stay • Dunham Farms at Melon Bluff: 5836 Islands Hwy., Midway; (912) 880-4500. Nothing beats waking up to an early-morning cup of coffee savored from the vantage point of a seat beside mist-shrouded Dickinson Creek. Where to eat • Holton’s Seafood: I-95 at Ga. Highway 84 (exit 76 southSeptember 2010 bound; exit 67 northbound), Midway; (912) 884-9151. Come for excellent fried seafood, especially the trout and the shrimp with homemade tartar sauce and fine onion rings. • Sunbury Crab Co.: 539 Brigantine Dunmore Rd., Sunbury; open Wed.-Sun., (912) 884-8640. An unparalleled view of the marsh and the occasional shrimp boat enhances your enjoyment of superbly prepared fresh seafood. Plan it right, and there could be music too. • Uncommon Grounds Coffee Café & Deli: 110 S. Commerce St., Hinesville; open Mon.-Sat. (912) 876-7622. This is the stop for coffee with urban sophistication and great sandwiches made to order. 33 More online at www.georgiamagazine.org http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - September 2010

Georgia Magazine - September 2010
Contents
Viewpoint
Mailbox
Picture This!
Georgia News
Calendar
Currents
Special Energy Report
A Fast Track to the Airwaves
Crossing Cultures
Georgia's First Botanical Garden
The 2010 Washington Youth Tour
Higher Education in Georgia
Around Georgia
Travel Guide
My Georgia
Georgia@Home
Georgia Gardens
Georgia Cooks
Cookbook of the Month
Snapshot

Georgia Magazine - September 2010