Are you retarded?

So wandering through the parking lot yesterday, I came across a vehicle that had this as their front liscence plate. In case you can't read it, it says: St Marys, GA, Second oldest City in the USA. Ok, now I understand that small towns have slightly skewed versions of history to promote tourism, and St Marys is no exception. But come on! St Marys was not even founded until 1787 (under the name St Patrick!) Not to mention that Georgia was the last Colony to be founded. The only reason St Augustine is the oldest city in the US is because the Spanish founded it. And true, the Spanish did make a settlement near present day St Marys, but they were long gone by the time Oglethorpe founded the English Colony. As James Vocelle says, "whatever rights the Spanish had aquired by reason of possession had been lost by subsequent abandonment." One could also claim their was an Indian settlement here, but, well, um, they were everywhere!! That hardly constitutes a place as the oldest city in America. So I think I have made my point. Small town America, I love ya, but you have got to pay attention to history before you make outrageous claims! Too many people are miseducated about history as it is! As my wife would say, "please and thank you."