​We all know the most famous forts in the United States. There is the Alamo which played a part in Texas leaving Mexico, Fort Sumter where the first shots of the Civil War were fired, and Fort McHenry the fort under siege while Francis Scott Key wrote our national anthem. But I suggest to you that Fort Pulaski outside of Savannah and right before you cross the river onto Tybee Island is as noteworthy as these.

Recent graduate from West Point Lt. Robert E. Lee was the designer. Lee was assuredly trying to impress with his design of an impenetrable fort. It was as much of the 19th century forts a masonry fortification. The construction took from 1829 to 1847 to complete. The fort is in the shape of a hexagon surrounded by a moat with a parade ground inside the walls roughly the size of a football field.

The muddy, soft earth would not support the weight of the proposed 25 million brick fort. Construction started with seventy foot long pilings. These pilings, driven into the mud, would provide stability for the wooden subflooring. The subflooring, composed of two layers of timber, would provide direct support for the brickwork.

Following the secession of Georgia from the Union to the Confederacy in February 1861, Confederate troops then moved into the fort and prepared for possible attack. In1862 Union troops came to reclaim the fort. The battle that ensued would bring on a new era of war and forts. The Union had new rifled cannons that they wanted to see how effective they were in battle. They set up their cannon rifles on the shores of Tybee Island too far for the guns in the fort to reach them. Within twenty four hours Fort Pulaski’s great brick walls had been breached. The rifle cannons success would rendered brick fortifications obsolete. No longer could brick forts hold up to the onslaught of enemy fire, a new era in battle had begun.  

The new Union General David Hunter issued an order that made all slaves free and Fort Pulaski a safe haven for them. Many slaves were delivered to Ft. Pulaski by a Harriet Tubman type figure, March Haynes. These slave began to taste freedom and create their lives anew on the island.  Others would form some of the first colored troops of the Union serving in the 2nd and 3rd colored divisions.

Yet the history does not stop there in October 1864 what would become known as the Immortal Six Hundred would arrive. These were imprisoned Confederate officers. Try as they might the Union soldier’s efforts to treat humanely the emaciated troops did not occur. The prisoners never received sufficient food, blankets or clothes. Supplies in the South were hard to come by for both Union and Confederate Troops. Thirteen of the prisoners of war would die and be buried on the site. In 1865 they would be transferred to Fort Delaware up North where hopefully the supplies would have been more abundant.
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Today, Fort Pulaski is a national Monument. Two movies about Abraham Lincoln have been made in part at the site: The Conspirator and Abe Lincoln:Vampire Hunter. So between Lincoln and history buffs Fort Pulaski stands as a testimony that in war there is no real protection no matter how great our defenses may be. Maybe Peace is really the answer.  
 

​The Savannah Theater first opened in 1818 making it one of the oldest continually–operating theaters in the United States. Because of the many great fires of Savannah this Grand Dame of the theater world has undergone many transformations physically and in artistic purpose. The original design was by one of the first trained architects to come to America: William Jay. Jay is responsible for some of the great buildings of Savannah such as the Owens-Thomas House, Telfair Mansion, and the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum.

The Savannah Theater opened its door with a performance of “The Soldier’s Daughter” on December 4, 1818. Its opening would put Savannah on the leading edge of theaters in the country. Such theater greats as Oscar Wilde, Sarah Bernhardt, W. C. Fields, Tyrone Power, Lillian Russell, and Edwin Booth to name a few acted at the Theater. Even baseball’s Hall of Famer Ty Cobb made an appearance in the play The College Widow. Charles Coburn Savannah born and raised Academy Award winning actor worked every job at the Savannah Theater from ticket box to manager before he went on to his celebrated film career.

In 1865, Gen. U. S. Grant was in town and accepted an invitation to visit the theater. The play was ‘The Pioneer Patriot’, featuring Rose and Harry Watkins.  The theater was filled to capacity. One theater critic said "Savannah is the best one-night town in America. Atlanta is an excellent two-night town, but for a one-night stand, Savannah cannot be beaten in this country. I say that without fear of contradiction."

As said previously the theater endured three fires and one hurricane. All of these ‘remodelings’ resulted in the 1948 transformation to its current Art Deco style. The theater is on Chippewa Square where the famous Forrest Gump bench was placed for filming. Today you can see Forrest as he jumps on passing trolley buses to tell his tale of Savannah.

In 2002 a young group of entrepreneurs and performers took the stage with the music revue "Lost in the `50's". They have been going strong ever since. They have performed along with their standard musical reviews such musicals as Les Miserables, Mamma Mia, You’re Perfect Now Change, and others. Savannah’s legendary jazz singer Huxie Scott regularly performs there.

A few years ago country singing star who has won best female vocalist seven times Reba McEntire was in town on vacation and bought tickets to Hooray For Hollywood. She stayed and talked to the cast after the show, took pictures, and went out to eat with some of the cast members at the Six Pence Pub. McEntire sent a Twitter message to the world about the theater: “What a talented bunch of people.”
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Savannah Theater continues to entertain and sell out shows over one hundred years later. It is one of the many gems of Savannah’s musical and entertainment world.
 

Savannah has always been one of the great port cities of the United States. Georgia being one of the original thirteen colonies Savannah has one of the oldest and grandest maritime histories. Therefore they have always been concerned with the many sailors who enter their port from all over the world. One of the most important maritime organizations is the Propeller Club. The national organization was established in 1923 in New York City. Savannah’s Propeller Club was founded in 1933.
 
The Propeller Club is the group that every year celebrates National Maritime Day. They give out at least three scholarships a year to local high schoolers. The annual scholarships are given to students in Logistics and Intermodal Transportation programs and to other college students from the area obtaining a degree and seeking a career in the Maritime Industry.
 
Each month they sponsor luncheons featuring a guest speaker and have an annual meeting for the State of the Port Address co-sponsored by the Georgia Ports Authority. They have erected the Anchor Monument on River Street in honor of sailors who have either died at sea around Savannah or have died while in town. They also erected the Maritime Monument that features a replica of the US Steamship Savannah.
 
The Propeller Club is a sponsor of one of Savannah’s oldest ministries to sailors: the International Seamen’s House. There were two early versions of a home for sailors away from home. The first was Penfield’s Mariner’s church, started in 1831 when local blacksmith Josiah Penfield donated money. (Penfield would also give $2500 to help start Mercer University.) The Church was located on Bay St., a prominent feature was a scaled-down ship with full rigging set into the brick wall of the building, just above the door. It was in operation for 12 years.
 
After Penfield’s bequest was used up several churches formed the Savannah Port Society to continue its ministries. The first meeting was held at Independent Presbyterian Church on November 21, 1843. In 1850 the Savannah Port Society opened a sailors’ boarding house. It opened a new Seamen’s Home in 1898 at 307 E. St. Julian St. They later moved to 205 E. Bay St., from 1953 to 1965. In 1965 the present International Seamen’s House and Chapel were dedicated. In 2013 the Seamen’s House helped out a total of 8,275 seamen.

The Propeller Club continues organizing the maritime community in meeting the needs of sailors and to promote the maritime activity in Savannah. 

Savannah has several newspapers. There are two black newspapers Savannah Herald and the older Savannah Tribune. There is also the weekly Connect which connects to events in the city and a little commentary on the events of the week on the side. There is also  a Latina paper. But the only daily paper is the Savannah Morning News.

But the very first paper in Georgia was the Georgia Gazette. It was established in 1763 by James Johnston, the Colony's official printer. Johnston was a Scottish immigrant who came to Savannah probably at the invitation of his brother Lewis a planter and member of the legislature James Johnston was the royal printer. Royal Printers were appointed by the King of England. The royal Printers were the only printers allowed to print. So the position carried a certain amount of prestige. At first the things they printed were closely monitored by the king’s men. As the colonies grew and developed a little differently from England printers became more bold and printed things the royalty would not appreciate. But Johnston remained a Loyalist. He would never personally challenge the king as other printers such as Peter Zenger or James Franklin (Ben Franklin’s son) did. Both of these men would spend time in jail because of the criticism they offered the king and his royal governors.
Johnston described his publication as ‘public press.’  His job was to provide content for the colonists they were interested in.  He firmly believed that he published information and his job was not to share his opinion about them. The paper was published regularly from April 7, 1763 through November 21, 1765, He printed from his office on Broughton Street. Johnston printed anonymous letters that the king’s men did not appreciate and they demanded he stop. And even though he was a Loyalist he decided whether then comply with the king’s men and not to print these types of letters he would close the paper down. His job was to be impartial even with the King.

While most Loyalists were hung or fled the country during the American Revolution Johnston remained but not in Savannah. After the war having fled Savannah his great skill and craft were in great demand in Savannah. Even though he was a Loyalist he was allowed return to Savannah in 1782. On January 30, 1783, Johnston began a new publication under the name Gazette of the State of Georgia. The reason he was let back in probably was related to his principle stand of printing what the people wanted to read. So even though he was a loyalist he had acted as a revolutionary.

On October 23, 1788 the name of the paper was changed back to Georgia Gazette. The name was no longer associated with the King’s Paper and he could once again use it. In 1789 he made his son Nicholas partner .Its imprint no longer bared the name of the father alone but now read “Printed by James and Nicholas Johnston, Broughton Street.” Nicholas was his father’s son as far as the publishing principles. You printed the news for the people leaving your personal political views out. Many readers of the paper because of this philosophy could never decide if the printers were Federalist or Republicans.

The eagle holding a banner became the logo for the paper. The paper endured one fire that totally destroyed the print shop. It endured Savannah’s rapid growth. But the untimely death of Nicholas in 1802 would portend the end for the newspaper. James would continue the paper for a month after his death until November 25, 1802. This was the date of the last publication.

James Johnston was the first generation of America’s printers. His principle stand helped create the concept of staying neutral in your reporting of events. His printing craftsmanship set a high standard for publishing. He was indeed an American printer. Today his remains are in downtown’s Colonial Cemetery.