The dead towns of Georgia

This collection gathers the scattered recollections of Georgia’s vanished settlements, letting listeners step into the early frontier where swamps, hostile encounters and scarce resources tested every newcomer. It begins with the story of the Salzburger refugees, a group of displaced Protestants whose hopeful passage to Savannah in 1734 sets the tone for a series of vivid, yet compassionate, sketches of pioneering life.

Each chapter outlines a different place—Old and New Ebenezer, Frederica, Sunbury, Hardwick and several others—accompanied by period maps that bring the layout of streets and forts to life. The narrative weaves together the ambitions, hardships and occasional triumphs of the settlers, illustrating how geography, disease and shifting economics turned thriving towns into silent ruins.

The author’s measured prose respects both the courage of those who built these communities and the quiet that followed their decline, offering a thoughtful portrait of a forgotten chapter in Southern history that feels both intimate and expansive.