Macon, Georgia

Macon, Georgia is the Song and Soul of the South located in the center of the State of Georgia.

Macon was founded in 1823 on the banks of the Ocmulgee River, growing out of the 1806 frontier Fort Benjamin Hawkins.  The fort was named for an Indian Scout sent to the area to set up trading, and the city was named for a beloved North Carolinian statesman.  Prior to Fort Hawkins’ establishment, the earliest European contact was in 1540 when Hernando DeSoto came through the area.  North America’s first Christian baptism was recorded when priests in DeSoto’s band baptized two Indian boys in the Ocmulgee River near what is now Central City Park.  However, Native Americans had inhabited the area for as many as 10,000 years before that as evidenced by the discovery of clovis points at the archaeologically significant Ocmulgee National Monument.  Union General George Stoneman came close to Macon, but the city was defended three times before surrendering at the close of the Civil War, preserving its neighborhoods of classic Greek revival and Victorian style homes.  Today, Macon is a city of diverse cultures, beautiful architecture, an exciting music heritage and thriving arts and educational opportunities. – maconga.org