The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-15
SAVANNAH FIFTY YEARS AGO.

what was destined TO be its time-honored
career, Savannah was small city. It's
population was about 1900. 1t was,
however, seaport of considerable i'm
portance. and it's merchants were noted
for their enterprise and honorable dealing.
There were lines of sailing vessels con-
Meeting this port with the principal ports
of Europe and they had regular dates of
sailing. Some of these vessels were
owned in Savannah and were manned by
Savannah sailors. There were lines OF
steamers and steamboats, connecting the
city with Charleston, Augusta, Macon
and with Florida ports, but none to New
York, though such line had been started
year or two before. The line consisted
of the steamers Tennessee and Cherokee.
They were taken off and placed in the
more lucrative California trade, by way
of the Isthmus of Panama. year or
two later, however, lines of steamships
were established 10 New York and Phil
adelphia.
The southern limits of the city-the
built-up parts of the city-were about
Harris street, though scattering houses
were to be found as far south as Gordon
street. The Savannah Hospital was in
the woods" and the old county Jail, which
stood on Hall. Whitaker and Barnard
streets, was well out in the country. An
invitation to walk to the jail was almost
like asking one at the present time to take
stroll out to Buckhalter and the chance
of its being accepted was about good.
There We're but few houses east of Abb
ercorn street or west of Montgomery
street south of Liberty. East of Aber-
corn and south of Liberty were vacant
grounds known as the east and south
commons, the former extending to where
the Savannah, Florida and Western Rail
way depots, shops and yards now are
then known as Bowen's swamp. East
of the Parade Ground was Mlllen
swamp. The latter which is now occu-
pied by many handsome residences, was
still a swamp up TO thirty years ago
Where there were not public commons or
swamps there were pine trees up to where
there were buildings. except here ana
there where some thrifty farmer had
cleared small space for farm.
fQrSYtl 1dIk tld0 just JOCAi AeAA va
fenced in but there were many VINO
thought that it was waste of real es-
tate. and too far away ever to be a place
of recreation for the people, just as there
are a few at the present time who think
another park, that is owned by the city,
is too far away to ever become popular
| Measure resort. Laurel Grove Cemetery
was still piece of waste land belonging
to the Stiles estate. The great majority
of those who died were buried in the old
cemetery on Oglethorpe avenue, now
known as Colonial Park. There was an
other cemetery on the southeastern boun-
dairy of the city, of which there is now no
sign, as it is practically covered with fine
residences In it were buried those for
whom no right to be inferred in the old
cemetery could be claimed On the east
ern boundary, on the line of Habersham
| street, the negro cemetery was situated.
There was only one railroad, the Cen
trail II was completed to Macon, and
its connection with Augusta was by
means OF stage coaches from point on
what was known as the Augusta and Sa-
| vannah Railroad. The Northern mails
came through to Savannah by steamers
from Charleston. and those bound farther
South went by rail to Macon, and thence
| by stage and steamer to Mobile, and again
by steamer to New Orleans. Even with
these then modern facilities it was con-
sidered rapid travelling to make the trip
from New York to Savannah in a week,
and from Savannah to New Orleans in
two weeks Ii took about as long to go
from New York to New Orleans as 1t
now takes ito run over to London from
New York, spend week there, and re-
| turn.
The streets of the city, and the ascents
from River street, along which all of the
shipping was done, were beds of sand IN
dry weather and of mud when ii rainec,
excepting Bay street. through which from
one end of it to the other, for a part of
! its width, there was plank roadway.
This plank roadway extended westward
over the Ogeechee canal to what was
known as Giles and Bradleys saw mill,
which stood on the river bank near the
mouth of Musgrove creek. The site of
the mill is now covered with the wharves
of the Central of Georgia Railway
The police force, then known as the
city watch. was quartered in a building
at the corner of State, Whitaker and
President streets, a part of which is still
standing, and is occupied as a dyeing es-
| tablishment The business of the city,
other than that done on Bay street, was
confined to Bryan, st. Julian and Con-
gress streets, between Bull and Jefferson.
With few exceptions all buildings east and
west of these boundaries were residences.
There We're only a few buildings on the
north side of Bay street that projected
above the bluff, and on the south side a
majority of the buildings, excepting be-
tween Drayton and Whitaker streets, were
only one story structures.
There were no water works. The water
supply was procured from pumps, situat-
| ed as a rule at the intersections of the