Timeline of Savannah, Georgia

The following is a timeline of the history of Savannah, Georgia, United States.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

1998 Floyd Adams become the First African American to become the Mayor of the City of Savannah. He was a Democrat.

18th century

• 1733
  • Savannah founded in British Colony of Georgia by James Oglethorpe.
  • Ellis, Johnson, Percival, and St. James Squares laid out per Oglethorpe Plan.
• 1734 – Solomon's Lodge (Masonic lodge) founded.
• 1735 – Congregation Mickve Israel formed.[1]
• 1739 – Creek leader Tomochichi buried in Percival Square.[2]
• 1740 – Bethesda Orphanage founded near town.
• 1750
  • Christ Church built.[3]
  • Savannah Female Asylum founded.[3]
• 1754
  • Savannah becomes capital of British Province of Georgia.[4]
  • Pirates' House Inn in business.
• 1755
  • January 1: Georgia legislature convenes.[3]
  • Independent Presbyterian Church founded.
• 1775
  • January: Provincial Congress held.[3]
  • June: Committee of Safety organized at the liberty pole.[5]
• 1778
  • December 29: Battle of Savannah; British in power.
  • Georgia state capital relocated from Savannah to Augusta.[3]
• 1779 – Town Hall built.[3]
• 1782
  • British occupation ends.[4]
  • Georgia state capital relocated to Savannah from Augusta.[4]
• 1786
  • Georgia state capital relocated again from Savannah to Augusta.[4]
  • Chatham Artillery established.[3]
• 1788
  • Town becomes part of the U.S. state of Georgia.
  • African Baptist Church,[6] and Chatham Academy established.[3]
• 1789 – Savannah chartered as a city.[3]
• 1790 – John Houstoun becomes mayor.
• 1796 – November 26: Fire.[7]
• 1800 – Population: 5,146.[8]

19th century

• 1802 – Savannah Volunteer Guards established.[3]
• 1809 – Savannah Society Library founded.[9]
• 1810 – Population: 5,315.[10]
• 1812 – Hibernian Society organized.[11]
• 1817 – Savannah Steamboat Company in business.[3]
• 1818 – Savannah theatre established.[3][12]
• 1819
  • May: Steamboat Savannah travels to Liverpool, England.[13]
  • May: U.S. president Monroe visits town.[2]
  • William Scarbrough House (residence) built.
• 1820 – January: Fire.[10]
• 1824 – Savannah Fire Company formed.[2]
• 1825 – March: Lafayette visits town.[2]
• 1830 – Population: 7,303.[14]
• 1831 – Savannah–Ogeechee Canal constructed.
• 1833 – First Baptist Church built.
• 1834 – Oglethorpe Barracks built (approximate date).
• 1837 – Central Railroad begins operating.[15]
• 1839 – Georgia Historical Society organized.[3]
• 1840 – Population: 11,214.[8]
• 1842 – Convent of St. Vincent de Paul founded.[3]
• 1844 – Savannah Institution for Savings instituted.[2]
• 1846 – Bonaventure Cemetery established near town.
• 1847 – Fort Pulaski built near town.
• 1848 – Population: 13,573.[16]
• 1850
  • Daily Morning News begins publication.
  • Custom House built.[3]
• 1853
  • Forsyth Place (park) laid out.[11][17]
  • Catholic Diocese of Savannah[11] and Laurel Grove Cemetery established.
  • St. John's Church consecrated.
• 1854
  • Yellow fever outbreak.[18]
  • Augusta and Savannah Railroad in operation (approximate date).
• 1855 – Young Men's Literary Association organized.[9][19]
• 1858 – Old Harbor Light erected.
• 1859
  • First African Baptist Church rebuilt.
  • The Great Slave Auction at Ten Broeck Race Course, March 2 & 3.[20]
• 1860 – Central of Georgia Depot built.
• 1861
  • Port blockaded by U.S. government.[3]
  • Green House (residence) built.
• 1864 – December 22: Savannah taken by Union forces.[21]
• 1867 – Beach Institute established.[11]
• 1868 – Mercer House (residence) built (approximate date).
• 1870 – McCarthy's Business College established.[11]
• 1871 – Abend Zeitung newspaper begins publication.[11]
• 1873 – First Bryan Baptist Church rebuilt.
• 1874 – Youth's Historical Society founded.[11]
• 1875
  • Colored Tribune newspaper begins publication.[22]
  • Savannah Rifle Association established.[11]
• 1876 – Cathedral of St. John the Baptist dedicated.[3]
• 1878 – Congregation Mickve Israel synagogue built.[3]
• 1879 – City boundaries expanded.[3]
• 1880
  • Confederate memorial built in Forsyth Park.[23]
  • Population: 30,709.[8]
• 1882 – Ford Dramatic Association incorporated.[11]
• 1883 – City boundaries expanded.[3]
• 1886 – Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences opens.
• 1887 – Tybee-Savannah railway built.[18]
• 1890 – Population: 43,189.[8]
• 1891 – Georgia Industrial College established.[3]
• 1893 – August: Sea Islands hurricane.
• 1900
  • Population: 54,244.[8]
  • Great Dane Trailers founded as the Savannah Blowpipe Company

20th century

• 1901 – City boundaries expanded.[3]
• 1902 – Benedictine College founded.
• 1906 – City Hall rebuilt.[3][24]
• 1908 – Savannah, Augusta and Northern Railway in operation (approximate date).
• 1910 – Population: 65,064.[8]
• 1912 – Girl Guides of America founded.[25]
• 1919 – April: Savannah Centennial Pageant performed.[26]
• 1920 – Population: 83,252.[8]
• 1925 – Savannah Economic Development Authority established.[27]
• 1926 – Municipal Stadium built.
• 1929
  • WTOC radio begins broadcasting.[28]
  • Savannah Municipal Airport begins operating.
  • Savannah Technical College established.
• 1935
  • Armstrong Junior College founded.
  • Union Bag and Paper opens mill.[29]
• 1939 – WSAV radio begins broadcasting.[28]
• 1942 – U.S. Army Chatham Field (airfield) active.
• 1950 – Little Theatre of Savannah founded.
• 1951 – Palm Drive-In movie theatre opens.[30]
• 1953 – Talmadge Memorial Bridge built to Hutchinson Island (Georgia).
• 1954
  • Council–manager form of government adopted.
  • WTOC-TV (television) begins broadcasting.[31]
• 1955 – Historic Savannah Foundation organized.[32]
• 1956
  • WSAV-TV (television) begins broadcasting.[31]
  • Juliette Gordon Low house museum opens.
• 1960
  • Travis Field airport terminal built.
  • Population: 147,537.[8]
• 1967 – Grumman Aircraft Engineering Co. opens Savannah office.[29]
• 1968 – Abercorn Plaza shopping centre opens for business.
• 1969 – Oglethorpe Mall opens up for business.
• 1970
  • John Rousakis becomes mayor.
  • Population: 118,349.
• 1974 – Savannah Civic Center opens.
• 1976 – Abercorn Cinema opens.[30]
• 1977 – City Records Committee established.[33]
• 1978 – Savannah College of Art and Design founded.
• 1979 – September: Hurricane David makes landfall.[34]
• 1981 – Coastal State Prison built.
• 1986 – Chatham Area Transit established.
• 1988 – Savannah Music Festival founded.
• 1990
  • Savannah Mall (the city's second shopping mall) in business.
  • Talmadge Memorial Bridge rebuilt.
• 1991
  • Vietnam Veterans Memorial built in Emmet Park.[23]
  • Lady & Sons restaurant in business.[35]
• 1994
  • Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport terminal built.
  • Bestseller book about Savannah Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil published.
• 1998 – Savannah Dance Theatre established.
• 1999
  • Georgia Tech Savannah established.
  • City website online (approximate date).[36]
• 2000 – Lucas Theatre renovated.[30]

21st century

• 2002 – Islamic Center of Savannah established.[37][38]
• 2004 – Otis Johnson becomes mayor.
• 2005
  • Abercorn Walk shopping center in business.
  • Savannah-Chatham Metro Police established.
• 2009 – The Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra is established.[39]
• 2010 – Population: 136,286.
• 2012
  • Edna Jackson becomes mayor.[40]
  • Savannah Law School established.
• 2016
  • Eddie Deloach becomes mayor, first Republican since 1996.[41]
  • All of Savannah and Chatham county east of I95 was evacuated ahead of Hurricane Matthew.[42]
• 2017 – All of Savannah and Chatham County east of I95 evacuated due to the impact of Hurricane Irma.[43]
• 2018 –
  • Savannah Law School closed.[44]
  • City and county police merger ends, separating the two agencies.[45]
  • Roy Minter sworn in as new police chief of Savannah Police Department.[46]

See also

• History of Savannah, Georgia
• List of mayors of Savannah, Georgia
• Timelines of other cities in Georgia: Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon

References

1. "Savannah, Georgia". Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities. Jackson, Mississippi: Goldring / Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life. Retrieved October 11, 2013.
2. George White (1849), Statistics of the State of Georgia, Savannah: W. Thorne Williams, OCLC 1349061, OL 6904242M
3. Britannica 1910.
4. Leon E. Seltzer, ed. (1952), Columbia Lippincott Gazetteer of the World, New York: Columbia University Press, p. 1711, OL 6112221M
5. Hugh McCall (1811–1816), History of Georgia, Savannah: Seymour & Williams, OCLC 1855580
6. Benjamin Griffith Brawley (1921), Social History of the American Negro, New York: Macmillan, OL 7190762M
7. Morse 1797.
8. Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990, U.S. Census Bureau, 1998
9. Davies Project. "American Libraries before 1876". Princeton University. Retrieved October 11, 2013.
10. William Darby; Theodore Dwight Jr. (1834), New Gazetteer of the United States of America (2nd ed.), Hartford: E. Hopkins, p. 482
11. Sholes 1882.
12. "Historic Theatre Inventory". Maryland, USA: League of Historic American Theatres. Archived from the original on July 21, 2013. Retrieved October 11, 2013.
13. Alexander R. Lawton (June 1919), "The 'Savannah', the First Transatlantic Steamship", Georgia Historical Quarterly
14. American Almanac and Repository of Useful Knowledge for the Year 1832. Boston: Gray and Bowen.
15. Adiel Sherwood (1860), Gazetteer of Georgia (4th ed.), Macon, Ga: S. Boykin, OL 24245479M
16. Joseph Bancroft (1848), Census of the City of Savannah, Savannah: E.J. Purse, printer, OL 23413058M
17. MacDonell 1907.
18. Jones 1890.
19. Jane Lightcap Brown (1983). "From Augusta to Columbus: Thackeray's Experiences in Georgia, 1853 and 1856". Georgia Historical Quarterly. 67 (3): 305–320. JSTOR 40581097.
20. Kwesi DeGraft-Hanson, Unearthing the Weeping Time: Savannah's Ten Broeck Race Course and 1859 Slave Sale (2010), from SouthernSpaces.org.
21. "On This Day", New York Times, retrieved November 1, 2014
22. "US Newspaper Directory". Chronicling America. Washington DC: Library of Congress. Retrieved October 11, 2013.
23. City of Savannah 1993.
24. Centennial 2006.
25. Scouting for Girls: Official Handbook of the Girl Scouts (3rd ed.), New York, N.Y: Girl Scouts, Inc., 1922, OCLC 12687269, OL 23331597M
26. Linwood Taft (1921), Technique of Pageantry, New York: A.S. Barnes and Company, OCLC 4260624, OL 6636862M
27. "Savannah Economic Development Authority". Archived from the original on January 11, 1998.
28. Jack Alicoate, ed. (1939), "Standard Broadcasting Stations of the United States: Georgia", Radio Annual, New York: Radio Daily, OCLC 2459636
29. New Georgia Encyclopedia, Georgia Humanities Council, retrieved October 11, 2013
30. "Movie Theaters in Savannah, GA". CinemaTreasures.org. Los Angeles: Cinema Treasures LLC. Retrieved October 11, 2013.
31. Charles A. Alicoate, ed. (1960), "Television Stations: Georgia", Radio Annual and Television Year Book, New York: Radio Daily Corp., OCLC 10512206
32. "About Us". Historic Savannah Foundation. Retrieved October 11, 2013.
33. City of Savannah, Georgia. "Code of Ordinances". Retrieved May 1, 2015 – via MuniCode (Tallahassee, FL).
34. Mobley, Chuck. "Hurricane David, 30 years after the storm". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
35. "Savannah, Both Sides", New York Times, October 3, 2014
36. "City of Savannah". Archived from the original on February 1999 – via Internet Archive, Wayback Machine.
37. "About Us". Islamic Center of Savannah. Retrieved October 11, 2013.
38. Pluralism Project. "Savannah, Georgia". Directory of Religious Centers. Harvard University. Retrieved October 11, 2013.
39. "History". Savannah Philharmonic. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
40. "Meet the Mayors". Washington, DC: United States Conference of Mayors. Archived from the original on June 27, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2013.
41. wsavnatalieguillet (2015-12-02). "Eddie DeLoach wins the Savannah mayoral runoff election Tuesday night". WSAV. Retrieved 2018-05-17.
42. Savannah, Connect. "Governor calls for full mandatory evacuation of GA coast". Connect Savannah. Retrieved 2018-05-17.
43. News, Savannah Morning. "Gov. Deal issues evacuation order for Chatham County, coastal Georgia". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved 2018-05-17.
44. Peebles, Will. "Savannah Law School to close after spring semester". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved 2018-05-17.
45. Evans, Sean. "Savannah City Council votes to dissolve SCMPD merger; effective Feb. 1, 2018". WTOC-TV. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
46. Ray, Brittini. "Roy Minter sworn in as Savannah police chief". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved 2019-01-29.

Bibliography

Published in 18th–19th century

• Jedidiah Morse (1797), "Savannah", American Gazetteer, Boston: S. Hall, and Thomas & Andrews
• John Melish (1818), "Savannah", Travels through the United States of America, in the years 1806 & 1807, and 1809, 1810, & 1811, Belfast: Reprinted by Jos. Smyth
• "Savannah", The North American Tourist, New York: A.T. Goodrich, 1839
• Joseph Bancroft, ed. (1848). Census of the City of Savannah...to Which is Added a Commercial Directory (2nd ed.) – via HathiTrust.
• "Great Cities of the United States: Savannah, Georgia", De Bow's Review, 17, September 1854, hdl:2027/njp.32101065216861
• Thomas Baldwin; J. Thomas (1854). "Savannah". New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Grambo & Co.
• R.H. Long (1863), "Savannah", Hunt's Gazetteer of the Border and Southern States, Pittsburgh, Pa.: John P. Hunt
• F.D. Lee; J.L. Agnew (1869), Historical record of the city of Savannah, Savannah: J.H. Estill, OL 7125369M
• Charles H. Jones (1873), "Savannah", Appletons' Hand-book of American Travel: the Southern Tour, New York: D. Appleton & Co.
• B.H. Richardson (1875), Pleasure Guide for Northern Tourists and Invalids: Sketch of the Resorts on Savannah, Skidaway & Seaboard Railroad, Savannah, OL 23367197M
• Atlantic and Gulf Railroad (1879), "Savannah", Guide to Southern Georgia and Florida (5th ed.), Savannah, Ga., OCLC 1805741
• Directory of the City of Savannah. A.E. Sholes. 1880 – via HathiTrust.
  • 1881
  • Sholes' Directory of the City of Savannah. 1882 – via Google Books.
  • 1884
  • 1896
• A guide to strangers visiting Savannah for business, health, or pleasure, Savannah, Ga.: J.H. Estill, 1881, OCLC 15086225, OL 6904259M
• Savannah: her trade, commerce and industries, 1883-4, Savannah: Jno. E. Land, 1884, OL 23368885M
• Adelaide Wilson (1889), Historic and picturesque Savannah, Boston: Boston Photogravure Co., OCLC 003846336, OL 25126895M
• Charles C. Jones Jr. (1890), History of Savannah, Ga., Syracuse, N.Y.: D. Mason & Co.
• Savannah. Ocean Steamship Co. of Savannah. 1899.
• "Savannah", Rand, McNally & Co.'s Handy Guide to the Southeastern States, Chicago: Rand, McNally & Co., 1899 – via Internet Archive
• "Savannah", Reunion, Georgia Division, U.C.V.: Official programme and guide book, Savannah, Ga., 1899, OCLC 5242393

Published in 20th century

1900s–1950s

• Savannah. 1904.
• F.H. Richardson (1905). "Savannah, Ga.". Richardson's Southern Guide. Chicago: Monarch Book Company – via Internet Archive.
• "Savannah, Georgia, a Leader of the New South", National Magazine, Boston: Chapple Publishing Co., 1905
• A.H. MacDonell (1907), Code of the City of Savannah of 1907
• "Savannah", United States (4th ed.), Leipzig: K. Baedeker, 1909, OCLC 02338437
• "Savannah", Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.), New York, 1910, OCLC 14782424 – via Internet Archive
• Maude Heyward; Elizabeth V. McLaws (1910), Illustrated guide to Savannah, Savannah, OL 23412048M
• William Harden (1913), History of Savannah and South Georgia, Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company
• Federal Writers' Project (1937), Savannah, American Guide Series, Savannah

1950s–1990s

• Alexander A. Lawrence, A Present for Mr. Lincoln: The Story of Savannah from Secession to Sherman (Macon, Ga.: Ardivan Press, 1961).
• Ory Mazar Nergal, ed. (1980), "Savannah", Encyclopedia of American Cities, New York: E.P. Dutton, OL 4120668M
• Preston Russell and Barbara Hines, Savannah: A History of Her People since 1733 (Savannah, Ga.: Frederic C. Beil, 1992).
• "Monuments and Fountains of Savannah", Historical Documents & Research, City of Savannah, Research Library & Municipal Archives, 1993
• Trudy Ring and Robert M. Salkin, ed. (1995). "Savannah". Americas. International Dictionary of Historic Places. Routledge. p. 650+. ISBN 978-1-134-25930-4.
• Whittington B. Johnson, Black Savannah, 1788-1864 (Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 1996).
• Derek Smith, Civil War Savannah (Savannah, Ga.: Frederic C. Beil, 1997).
• Patrick Allen, ed., Literary Savannah (Athens, Ga.: Hill Street Press, 1998).
• "The South: Georgia: Savannah", USA, Let's Go, New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999, OL 24937240M

Published in 21st century

• Mills B. Lane, Savannah Revisited: History and Architecture, 5th ed. (Savannah, Ga.: Beehive Press, 2001).
• Charles J. Elmore (2002). Savannah, Georgia. Black America. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia.
• Walter J. Fraser Jr., Savannah in the Old South (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2003).
• Research Library & Municipal Archives (2006), "Century of History: Savannah City Hall Centennial, 1906-2006 (timeline)", Historical Documents & Research, City of Savannah
• Jacqueline Jones, Saving Savannah: The City and the Civil War (New York: Knopf, 2008).
• Kwesi DeGraft-Hanson (2010). "Unearthing the Weeping Time: Savannah's Ten Broeck Race Course and 1859 Slave Sale". Southern Spaces. doi:10.18737/M76K6J.

External links

• "Savannah", New Georgia Encyclopedia, Georgia Humanities Council
• University of Texas, Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection. Maps of Savannah, various dates
• Items related to Savannah, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America)