The towering Indian mounds and other artifacts found at the Ocmulgee National Monument testify to Bibb County's enduring appeal. The area's fertile soil has sustained human habitation for more than 10,000 years. The floodplain just southeast of Macon, sometimes called the Ocmulgee Old Fields, has been a particular bountiful area. By 1690 English traders from the Carolinas had set up an outpost at a Creek Indian community they called "Okmulgee Town," located on the east bank of the Ocmulgee River near present-day Macon. In 1715, after Creeks attacked settlers and traders in South Carolina in the Yamassee War, English soldiers destroyed Ocmulgee Town.
The American Revolution had little effect on the future Bibb County, which was far from the European settlements on the coast. But the 1805 Treaty of Washington made the Ocmulgee the southwestern border of the United States. The next year the federal government built Fort Benjamin Hawkins on a hill just east of the Ocmulgee, near the site where Macon was to grow. In 1821 the Creeks ceded to the Americans all the land from the Ocmulgee west to the Flint River and settlers began pouring in.
Bibb County was created the following year from part of Houston County. The county was named for Williams Wyatt Bibb, who lived in Elbert County and served as a U.S. representative, a U.S. senator and the first governor of Alabama.
Macon, the city destined to become the urban hub of the Midstate, was founded in 1823. The name comes from Nathaniel Macon, a U.S. senator from North Carolina. The only other incorporated town in the country is the former mill village of Payne City, created in 1899, (Payne City is completely enclosed by Macon.) The city quickly grew, thriving on the burgeoning cotton trade. Master builders were drawn to the area and created many of the homes and structures that remain hallmarks of Macon's antebellum days. Among those, Hay House, the Cannonball House and the Sidney Lanier Cottage have been restored and remain open for public tours.
The people of Bibb County have repeatly demonstrated their creativity, talent and industry. In 1834 the Monroe Railroad Company began building one of the first railroads in the state, covering the 25 miles between Macon and Forsyth. In 1836, when much of the world questioned the propriety of educating women, Macon's Georgia's Female College, now Wesleyan College, granted them degrees, the first college in the world to do so.
Macon escaped major destruction during the Civil War, although one Union projectile did fall there, giving the Cannonball House its name, Macon even served as the capital of Georgia from November 1864 to March 1865, following U.S. Gen. William Sherman's sack of the former capital of Milledgeville.
Mercer University, established in 1833 at Penfield, moved to Macon in 1871. Bibb County's economy slowly regained its footing following the Civil War and textile plants, particularly those of the Bibb Company, sprang up in and around Macon. The county also attracted military training facilities such as Camp Wheeler, which housed thousands of soldiers during both world wars. The camp, located near the current Ocmulgee East Boulevard, is now defunct.
In the 1920s when air travel seemed and uncertain venture, the first commerical airplane cotton crop-dusting experiments took place here, and that enterprise later became Delta Airlines. The Macon Peaches of the South Atlantic pro baseball league fielded future legends such as Pete Rose and Tony Perez. And it's hard to imagine what rock n' roll and soul music would be like without the famous musicians who started their careers right here: "Little Richard" Penniman James, Otis Redding and the Allman Brothers Band.
And Now...
Bibb County is still a transportation hub of the Midstate with Interstates 75 and 16 speeding travelers to Atlanta, Savannah, Valdosta and points beyond. Macon is the urban center of Middle Georgia known for its health care, higher education, shopping and entertainment to the communities surrounding it.
While promoting future development, Macon has worked hard to preserve its unique and valuable heritage. Through the efforts of Historic Macon, 5,500 structures and 11 districts have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Three intown neighborhoods Heights, Tattnall Square Heights and Beall's Hill have been completely revitalized, offering a mix of new and renovated housing near the Mercer University Campus.
Georgia's musical heritage is on display in the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. The downtown museum was opened in 1996 and has memorabilia related to Georgia stars such as Ray Charles, Johnny Mercer, Trisha Yearwood, Lena Horne and R.E.M. For those more interested in sports, Georgia's athletes are featured in the Georgia's Sports Hall of Fame, where educational and interactive exhibits honor heroes such as home-run hitter Hank Aaron and football legend Fran Tarkenton.
Across the street from the halls of fame is the Georgia Children's Museum, which offers a variety of activities for children including science experiments, art projects and theatre. Rounding out Macon's Museum District is the Tubman African American Museum with exhibitions of art and historical subjects. The Tubman is currently constructing a new 49,000-square-foot facility across the street the the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
Just a few blocks away on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, is the new location for the Macon-Bibb County Convention and Visitors Bureau is easily recognized by the piano keyboard above the entrance representing Middle Georgia's reputation as "the song and soul of the south." The CVB provides information on all of the area's attractions as well as hotel, restaurants, meeting space, shopping and entertainment.
The downtown area has also been improved with the opening of several new restaurants and businesses. After being closed for 31 years, the Capitol Theatre was renovated and re-opened as the Cox Capitol Theatre in January 2006. Along with movies and concerts, the building is home to Second Street Pizza, serving food and beverages for lunch, dinner and during shows.
Although not in the downtown area, the Museum of Arts and Science fills a niche in Macon's museum lineup with rotating art exhibits, a mini-zoo, a planetarium and the Discovery House, a three-story children's activity section. Each March , the city becomes a pink paradise as thousands of Yoshino cherry trees burst into bloom. For 10 days, visitors and local residents celebrate the beauty of the city during the International Cherry Blossom Festival. An estimated 700,000 people take part in the festival each year, enjoying hot-air balloon shows, carnival rides, arts and crafts, parades, concerts and tours.
Sports enthusiasts are cheering the return of baseball to Luther Williams Field. The Macon Music, part of the South Coast League, kicked off their inaugural season in May 2007. Another popular sporting event is Tour de Georgia, North America's only Hors Classe professional cycling stage race, which covers 600 miles in days across the state. Macon has served as a stage host since the race's inception in 2003.
For those who like to do instead of watch, Bibb County has numerous recreational facilities including the beaches and campgrounds at Lake Tobesofkee, six public pools, seven golf courses, two public tennis facilities and dozens of playgrounds. One of the more popular additions to the park system is the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail, a paved path on the banks of the Ocmulgee River in Downtown Macon. Currently, the trail covers nine miles, but there are plans to extend it to a total of 22 miles.
Bibb County access to tow interstates and proximity to Atlanta's international airport make it an attractive location for businesses requiring efficient distribution. Bass Pro Shops built a 450,000-square-foot distribution center and a 125,000-square-foot retail center in 2006. Its presence has spawned a 207-acre retail development that is currently under development. Sara Lee Food & Beverage constructed a 214,000-square-foot facility that opened in the Fall 2006 distributing frozen and refrigerated meat and bakery products to the Southeast market.
Since 2006, several other companies have announced plans for opening facilities. Nichiha USA, Inc. began construction on a $78 million manufacturing plant in the Airport South Industrial Park. The Plant will produce fiber cement panels for residential and commerical use. It's scheduled to be operating in late 2007. California Cereal Products, Inc., purchased the former Kellogg/Keebler Plant in July 2006 and will employ 225 people.
