LUMBER CITY, GEORGIA
ESTABLISHED 1837 CHARTERED 1889
In the year 1845 a group of investors and settlers from New Jersey and Maine became interested in the vast timberland of eastern Telfair County. They dammed the Autcheehachee River, now known as the Little Ocmulgee River , to operate the areas largest sawmill. Robert Flourney, one of the earliest settlers of record owned a plantation. He operated a sawmill and ran a post office, the settlement was known as Flourney’s Mill. The name of the settlement changed to Lumber City on Sept. 3, 1889.
Lumber City is situated just above the junction of Little Ocmulgee and Big Ocmulgee Rivers. It became a thriving town due to the tremendous amount of lumber and other products that were shipped by steamboats to Brunswick and Darien, coastal cities of Georgia, and from thence to foreign markets since the lumber from the virgin timber was in great demand.
In 1866 track were laid for the railroad and the town grew from transportation to the interior of the state, other mills and satellite industries located here and by the beginning of this century there were four large lumber mills, several small ones, and several turpentine distilleries.
Because of the industries and other attractions, settlers came. At one time there were around 50 artesian wells here. Rich farming land attracted farmers and they built beautiful homes, churches, and schools. A Masonic Lodge Hall, second to none was built styled after the Parthenon.
LOCATION OF LUMBER CITY ON GEORGIA MAP
MAP OF DOWNTOWN LUMBER CITY
