The legacy of the past is inherent in the natural beauty and preserved tranquility of this region of Coastal Georgia.  The history dates back thousands of years to a time when Native Americans would hunt under the canopy of Live Oak stands and fish along the marshy banks of tidal rivers.

This area of McIntosh County is also recognized as the first British Settlement of Coastal Georgia with the establishment of Fort King George in 1721.  Though fire destroyed the original fort a few years after it was built, the need for a protective outpost remained with the colonization of Georgia in Savannah.  So a new settlement was formed in 1735 made up of Scottish Highlanders who re-named the area Darien.

 Over the next hundred years, Darien, the county seat for McIntosh, utilized its strategic location at the mouth of the Altamaha River to flourish as a major export center of cotton, rice and timber.  Unfortunately, the town was virtually destroyed by fire during the Civil War.  However, the area was able to recover due largely to timber that was rafted down the Altamaha to be milled into lumber and loaded onto ships for export. 

Since the early 1900’s, much of the region has been preserved through the benefits of private ownership and grants to wildlife sanctuaries.  Today, drawn by the natural surrounds, the region is benefiting from the growth that comes from tourism and the bedroom community expansion of Savannah and Brunswick.