Savannah's Small Town

Thunderbolt Bluff

​It is hard to tell where Savannah starts and Thunderbolt begins. The small town east of Savannah lies on Wilmington River Bluff. Surrounding Savannah there are many small towns whose history is not quite as grand but interesting and add to Savannah’s history. The Town of Thunderbolt owes its name to a legend of a lightning strike that created a freshwater spring on the Wilmington Bluff.  Thunderbolt came into being as a shipping point for the needs of the plantations and small farmer’s on the coast. It also became a place for building and repairing of boats for those same people. The town was incorporated in 1856 as Warsaw.
This incorporation was done amidst an economy change to a place where fish was processed. The incorporation would lead to a trolley from Savannah through Gordonston and ending in Thunderbolt being created. No longer would it be the place just beyond Savannah’s city limits to hold duels, or the place once inhabited by Native Americans. It was a new town of ‘white ‘commerce.
In 1890, Georgia State College was founded in Thunderbolt for the education of African Americans. This college is known today as Savannah State University. It was the first college in Savannah and the first historically black university in Georgia. In 1921, Warsaw's name was restored to Thunderbolt.
In1893 the casino came to town. The electric company wanted to entice people to ride the trolley to its end (Thunderbolt). The casino was one of the first establishments in the Savannah area to show movies.  The site had two bandstands for concerts and dancing. One bandstand was a circular gazebo in the center of a large round duck pond west of the casino. Wood and cast iron benches lined the bluff overlooking the river. The casino grounds included an amusement park, a thirty-acre zoo and a beer garden. A post card image of the Casino, tightrope walkers perform on a rope set up over the duck pond at almost twice the height of the Casino. It was one of the ‘most be places’ to be on a Saturday. The casino burned down in 1930 and was never replaced.
But the citizens of Thunderbolt had not stopped with being a place to be. In 1939, yacht racing became popular and saw the construction of a yacht basin. Annually, the "Blessing of the Fleet" was celebrated until recent years and shrimping evolved into the primary seafood product. The bluff of Thunderbolt had served its military purposes. During the Civil War a battery was built on the bluff to keep union troops from going up the Wilmington River. Jefferson Davis came to town to tour the battery. During World War II the yacht basin was used for rescue boats. Today, the city still serves as base for shrimpers to dock, sell and process their product. They also have a yacht repair company that works on yachts around the world. In fact, I laughed at the irony of some of my homeless men working on the yacht of Bill Gates. They have Tubby’s a seafood place with live bands and large crowds. But compared to its former self it is a sleepier town. So, the next time you cross the bridge of interstate 80 via Victory Drive slow down and see Thunderbolt.  They have no duels or casino but they do have some vintage homes, a bluff, shrimpers to purchase from, yachts, and pier.  

---

Thunderbolt Marina where they work on yachts

Thunderbolt's former casino. Notice trapeze artist.