Ok, this is the site of the town of Coleraine, halfway between Kingsland and Folkston. It was named for an old Indian chief, and was originally settled by the Spanish at the end of the King's Road from St Augustine. After the Revolution, ownership of the settlement assed to the Indians, until the US government established Fort Pickering nearby to protect settlers, passing ownership of the town to the Americans. In 1796, a delegation of government representatives met here with twenty Indian kings and seventy five chiefs to form a peace treaty. The treaty was also designed to give Georgia the land between the Oconee and Ockmulgee rivers. Among the Americans were the local Indian agent James Seagrove, Benjamin Hawkins of North Carolina, George Clymer of Pennsylvania, James Jackson, James Simms, and James Hendricks of Georgia, and Revolutionary War hero Andrew Pickens of South Carolina. Speeches were made, describing the views of the government, then discussing grievances by both sides. The treaty was signed June 29 and ratified March 18 of the following year.
The town is long gone, another victim of local hardships following the Civil War. The town site and monument today sit on private property, and while I had no trouble visiting a couple years ago, other locals have told me that the owner does not like visitors. Perhaps he wasn't home when I went. Which brings up another of my big pet peeves: Don't buy historic property if you don't want a bunch of random history chasers running around! It's just common sense!
The St Marys river, border between Georgia and Florida, flowing next to the town site.
Today, a fence enclosing the property is often locked, so all that can be visited is this recently added marker at the edge of the highway.
Ok, this is the site of the town of Coleraine, halfway between Kingsland and Folkston. It was named for an old Indian chief, and was originally settled by the Spanish at the end of the King's Road from St Augustine. After the Revolution, ownership of the settlement assed to the Indians, until the US government established Fort Pickering nearby to protect settlers, passing ownership of the town to the Americans. In 1796, a delegation of government representatives met here with twenty Indian kings and seventy five chiefs to form a peace treaty. The treaty was also designed to give Georgia the land between the Oconee and Ockmulgee rivers. Among the Americans were the local Indian agent James Seagrove, Benjamin Hawkins of North Carolina, George Clymer of Pennsylvania, James Jackson, James Simms, and James Hendricks of Georgia, and Revolutionary War hero Andrew Pickens of South Carolina. Speeches were made, describing the views of the government, then discussing grievances by both sides. The treaty was signed June 29 and ratified March 18 of the following year.
The town is long gone, another victim of local hardships following the Civil War. The town site and monument today sit on private property, and while I had no trouble visiting a couple years ago, other locals have told me that the owner does not like visitors. Perhaps he wasn't home when I went. Which brings up another of my big pet peeves: Don't buy historic property if you don't want a bunch of random history chasers running around! It's just common sense!
The St Marys river, border between Georgia and Florida, flowing next to the town site.
Today, a fence enclosing the property is often locked, so all that can be visited is this recently added marker at the edge of the highway.
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