About this ebook
On March 12, 1734, German Salzburger immigrants arrived in the southern portion of Georgia where, with handmade bricks, they constructed the Jerusalem Lutheran Church. Within its hallowed walls an active congregation still worships today, and the community that flourished around this sacred landmark is now known as Effingham County. The founding fathers of the early settlement also established a gristmill, a sawmill, a school, and an orphanage, bringing to life the optimistic sentiments they had carried across an ocean and into a new world. While religion was a focal point of the new community, commerce and industry could not be overlooked in a young America poised for an unprecedented role on the world's stage. The rivers that flowed through the county, the Savannah and the Ogeechee, made it possible for the local residents to transport their cotton and timber to the bustling markets in Augusta and Savannah; later, major railroad lines would pass through the county, connecting it to economic opportunity in the rest of the state and beyond. Today, Effingham County is made up of several small towns, with Springfield designated as the county seat. The people who live, work, and worship in these towns are ever respectful of the contributions of their hardworking ancestors, and maintaining the integrity of the community's unique character is a shared and enjoyed civic responsibility.
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About the author
The Historic Effingham Society has compiled within these pages an impressive tribute to the area and its people, using vintage photographs from both public and private collections. Scenes of long ago will spark fond memories in older residents and offer younger generations a glimpse of their treasured heritage. Effingham County preserves pieces of a story that will continue to unfold for centuries to come.
