Many people would be surprised to find an industrial center in the pre-Civil War South, but that’s just what Augusta, Georgia had, thanks to a 13-mile long canal that runs parallel to the Savannah River through the heart of the city. Dug in 1845, the Augusta Canal today continues to supply 75 percent of the city’s drinking water as well as hydroelectric power, and is now the centerpiece of a National Heritage Area offering recreational opportunities to locals and visitors alike.
“Henry Cummings - we call him the father of the canal - had the original idea,” Julianna Shurtleff, current development and outreach manager for the canal, says. “The 1840s were the time of the great western expansion, and lots of people were leaving the area to go out west. Augusta’s population was dropping. Cummings traveled up to Lowell, Massachusetts and saw the canals and textile mills there and got the idea to dig a canal here and develop hydroelectric power to run mills here and create jobs.”
The canal was an aide to transportation as it circumvented the rapids in the Savannah River. “What were called Petersburg boats used to go up the river to collect tobacco, cotton and other products produced by the plantations upstream, then off-load their cargo here,” Julianna says. “So it had a big economic impact on the city.”
Today, replicas of the Petersburg boats take visitors on cruises along the upper level of the canal, past the many textile mills, most now converted to other uses, as well as the city’s water pumping station and other historic and natural sights. Informative guides fill guests in on the history of the city and the canal, and explain the science behind hydroelectric power during the hour-long excursions.
“We offer several specialty cruises, as well,” Julianna says. “In Spring and Fall we have Friday evening music cruises, which are a little longer, and people can bring along snacks and beverages. Our 1:30 tour every day is a Civil War tour, telling about the role Augusta - and the canal - played in the Confederacy.”
There’s a bit of mystery and even a hint of romance surrounding the city’s Confederate years. As one of the few industrial cities in the south, Augusta was selected as the location for the Confederate Powderworks, making gunpowder in a massive complex of 28 buildings set between the canal and the river. At the time it was the second largest gunpowder factory in the world, turning out 3.5 million tons a day, and was the only complex designed, constructed and paid for by the Confederate States of America government.
The canal tour runs parallel to the Savannah River through the heart of Augusta [Photo/Augusta Canal Authority].
The mystery to be found is why General Sherman didn’t destroy the factory, which supplied gunpowder to all the Southern armies, during his march across Georgia. Augusta wasn’t far off his line of march and his raiding parties destroyed many other towns and cities farther afield. But Augusta apparently was off-limits.
That’s where the romance comes in. Rumor has it that Sherman fell for a local belle when he was stationed at the U.S. Arsenal in Augusta during the 1840s, and spared the town at her request. In fact, the Powderworks were built along the canal on the former site of the arsenal. Today, all that remains of the powderworks complex is an obelisk chimney on the grounds of Sibley Mill.
“There’s no solid evidence that links Sherman with a local girl,” Julianna says. “Still, it’s a great story and would explain a lot.”
With its mills, railroads and industry intact, Augusta made a swift recovery from the war years and, in the 1870s and ‘80s, experienced a boom that doubled its population. The canal was widened to 150 feet in 1875 to power larger mills.
“The canal was originally dug by enslaved people and Irish immigrants using picks and shovels,” Julianna recounts. “But in the 1870s, Chinese laborers who had been building the Transcontinental Railroad were employed for the widening project and brought along modern steam-powered tools. A lot of them settled down here. That was the beginning of our Chinatown district.”
The ample - and inexpensive - hydroelectric power made Augusta one of the most modern in the south. “We were the first southern city to have electric street cars and traffic lights,” Julianna tells The Buzz.
Large mills were built along the canal, including the Enterprise in 1877 on the site of an 1848 grist mill, the neo-gothic Silby Mill in 1880 and the King Mill in 1882. While all originally manufactured textiles, today they are being redeveloped for modern uses.
“All three mills are still powered by hydroelectric generators,” Julianna says. “What they don’t use, we sell back to Georgia Power. The Silby is being developed as a cyber-data center, and the equipment is both powered and cooled by water. It’s great to see these mills converted for use in new ways.”
Next door to the Silby, King Mill is being converted to apartments with commercial businesses on the ground floor. The Enterprise Mill is now the location of the Augusta Canal Discovery Center, an interactive museum that explains the canal’s history, how hydroelectricity works, the history of the mills along the canal and the life of mill workers. Boat rides on the canal begin here.
In 1989, the Georgia State Legislature created the Augusta Canal Authority to oversee the canal and save it from development. In 1996, the Augusta Canal, the only intact industrial canal in the American South in continuous use, was designated as a National Heritage Area.
Today, it is a favorite recreational getaway for Augusta residents and the centerpiece of local tourism. Canoeing and kayaking are popular activities on both the canal and the Savannah River rapids, and outfitters offer both rentals and guided tours. Lake Olmsted, originally part of the canal system, is popular for boating as well, and the city park nearby offers a disc golf course and a paved half-mile trail for walking or biking.
In all, the Augusta Canal National Heritage Area includes over 25 miles of paved and dirt trails. The longest is the Towpath Trail along the north side of the canal, originally used by draft animals to pull canal cargo boats upstream to the locks. The 7-mile long trail runs from the headgates of the canal to Sibley Mill and along its upper reach is lined with trees that are home to birds and other wildlife. Other trails lead through natural areas along the river and through historic 19th century mill villages.
Julianna Shurtleff says that bike riding on the trails is her favorite activity on the canal. “There’s a great variety of trails and once you get started it feels like you aren’t even in town anymore. Very natural, beautiful along the canal and Savannah River.”
Julianna recommends a visit to the Augusta Museum of History for those who want to delve deeper into the area’s history and a stroll along Broad Street to take in local galleries and restaurants in the historic district.
Numerous state parks are located nearby as well, in both Georgia and across the river in South Carolina. Excellent campgrounds can be found at Mistletoe State Park about 30 miles from Augusta in Appling, GA, and at Hamilton Branch State Park, about the same distance away in South Carolina. The award-winning Wildwood Park on the shores of Clarks Hill Lake is another favorite with RVers.
The Visit Augusta website had lots of additional information on local attractions, dining and activities.
Adventure, Destinations, Georgia, History, Open Road, RV Lifestyle, Tourism