Image credit: David Seibert
This week’s #MarkerMonday highlights the Old Hartford historical marker in Pulaski County. Hartford was the original county seat of Pulaski County from 1809 to 1836, and it is located just across the Ocmulgee River from Hawkinsville, the current county seat. It is believed that Hartford was named after Revolutionary War heroine Nancy Hart.
Prior to the settlement of Hartford, Muscogee-Creek Native Americans built semi-permanent villages along the Ocmulgee River. Even after White settlers began to expand westward, the Pulaski County area remained a popular place for trading with the Creek Indians. However, the early nineteenth century brought many removal efforts and land treaties resulting in loss of Native land.
During the War of 1812, General David Blackshear established his headquarters in Hartford in an effort to protect the settlements south of Macon as they encroached further into Creek Territory and pushed native inhabitants from their land. He also built Fort Early for use during the war and, most famously, Blackshear Trail leading to the fort. Blackshear and his men began in Hartford and marched towards the Flint River, cutting and clearing a road on their way. During his campaign against the Creek Indians and Seminole Indians of Florida in 1818, General Andrew Jackson used Blackshear’s trail to travel south from Fort Hawkins, now Macon, to Fort Early.
Explore the links below to learn more:
Related Marker Text – Fort Early
Related Marker Text - Jacksonville
Related Marker Text – Fort Twiggs
New Georgia Encyclopedia – Pulaski County
New Georgia Encyclopedia – War of 1812 and Georgia
New Georgia Encyclopedia – Hawkinsville
National Park Foundation - Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park