Savannah is a city located in (and the county seat of) Chatham County, Georgia (USA). The city's population was 128,500 in 2005, according to the most recent U.S. Census estimate. Savannah was the first colonial and
state capital of Georgia.[citation needed] It is also the primary port on the
Savannah River and is located along the U.S.
Intracoastal Waterway.
The Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), defined by the U.S. Census
Bureau, has a population of 320,013 (2006 estimate), and includes three Georgia counties: Bryan, Chatham, and Effingham. Savannah's MSA is ranked third among Georgia cities. According to the Census
Bureau, Savannah's Combined Statistical Area (CSA), which includes
metropolitan Savannah and micropolitan Hinesville, has a population of 394,036.
According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary (with etymologies), the name "Savannah" means "Shawnee"; it derives from a
Muskoghean Indian word—a variant of Sawanoki, the native name of the Shawnees. Georgia colonists adopted this name for the
Savannah River and then for the city. Residents of Savannah are known as Savannahians (IPA pronunciation: [sə'vænəjʊnz]).
Savannah's architecture and history are internationally known, as is its reputation for Southern charm and hospitality; for example, the city's former promotional name was "Hostess City
of the South."[citation needed] Each year, Savannah attracts millions of visitors from across the country
and around the world.[1] Savannah's downtown area is the
largest National Historic Landmark District in the United States
The city is the home of four colleges and universities offering bachelor's, master's and professional doctorate degree
programs: Savannah College of Art and Design, Armstrong Atlantic State University, Savannah State University, and South University.
Bachelor’s, Master’s and Ph.D. programs in engineering are offered through Georgia Tech
Savannah, the Savannah campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology.[2] South University offers doctorate degrees of pharmacy, and
Georgia Southern maintains a satellite campus in the downtown area.
History
Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
The Yamacraws, a Native
American tribe, were the first known people to settle in and around Savannah. In the 18th century AD under their leader
Tomochici, they met the newly arriving European settlers. In November 1732, the ship Anne sailed from Britain carrying 114
colonists, including General James Oglethorpe. On February 12, 1733, Oglethorpe and his settlers landed at Yamacraw Bluff and,
in an example of some of the earliest "Southern hospitality", were greeted by
Tomochici, the Yamacraws, and John and Mary Musgrove, Indian traders. (Mary Musgrove often served as a translator.) The city of
Savannah was founded on that date, along with the colony of Georgia. Because of the friendship between Oglethorpe and Tomochici,
Savannah was able to flourish unhindered by the warfare that marked the beginnings of many early American colonies.
Although Savannah was the first permanent English settlement in Georgia, it was far from the first European encroachment into
Yamasee/Creek/Guale lands. As early as the 16th century, Spanish missions and presidios (military outposts) were established all
along the Georgia coast. Spanish missions such as Santa Catalina de Guale and
Santo Domingo de Talaje, attacked and weakened by the Guale Revolt of 1597, were finally abandoned
by the 1680s as a result of continuous encroachment by traders from the Carolina Lowcountry. Hoping to capitalize on the power
vacuum created by the Spanish withdrawal to Florida, the British Crown allied itself with the native bands on the Georgia coast,
such as the Yamasee, a relatively new Indian group made up of remnants of earlier groups
including the Guale.
Much has been written about Oglethorpe, his reputation as a reformer and his friendship with the Yamasee and Creek peoples.
However, it should be stressed that the alliance between the Yamasee and the English was tenuous at best. Earlier in the 18th
century the Yamasee, having become deeply indebted to Carolina traders, were increasingly convinced that this debt would be paid
through their enslavement. The Yamasee War of 1715-1717 left the Yamasee weakened and opened
their lands to settlement; the Yamasee War enabled the English to establish permanent settlements on the Georgia coast.
Savannah's physical layout was the subject of an elaborate plan by the Georgia colony's founders. Oglethorpe's Savannah Plan
consisted of a series of wards built around central squares, with trust lots on the east and west sides of the squares for public
buildings and churches, and tithing lots for the colonists' private homes on the north and south sites.
The orderly, Neoclassical design of Savannah’s central city was connected to the exterior by three main roads: the
Savannah-Augusta to the north, the Savannah-Dublin Road to the west and the King’s Road, which connected Savannah to the English
military settlements of Forts Argyle, Barrington and Frederica to the south. Spur roads were located off of the King’s Road as
well, and connected plantations such as Wormsloe, home of Noble Jones, to the expanding and increasingly urban market in
Savannah.
In midsummer 1733, five months after the English colonists, Sephardi Jews from Spain
and Portugal arrived in Savannah. Over the next century and a half the city welcomed other non-English and non-Protestant
immigrants: Irish Catholics, French Catholics and Huguenots,
Greek Orthodox, and others. Savannah remains to this day one of the most cosmopolitan and diverse cities in the South. In 1740,
George Whitefield founded the Bethesda
Orphanage, which is now the oldest extant orphanage in the United States.
In 1751, the great experiment came to an end as Savannah and the rest of Georgia became a Royal Colony. Entrepreneurs and
slaves were brought into the struggling colony, and Savannah was made the colonial capital of Georgia. The low marshes were
converted into wild rice fields and tended by skilled slaves imported from West Africa (where these strains of rice were native).
The combination of English agricultural technology and African labor and knowledge proved to be of great benefit for the
city.
Initially, Creek groups gradually ceded lands to European settlers that they were not utilizing. In 1763, the Creeks agreed to
the first of several large land cessions. This first agreement gave Georgia the land between the Savannah and Ogeechee rivers,
south of Augusta, along with coastal land between the Altamaha and St. Marys rivers. An additional two million acres (8000 km²)
of land between the Ogeechee and Altamaha rivers and the headwaters of the Oconee and Savannah rivers was ceded to Georgia by the
Creeks and Cherokees in 1773.
Additional fortune came to the city in 1763 following the Treaty of Paris, which opened the interior of North America to
British economic interests. This was an important milestone in the development of Savannah, as it marks the beginning of economic
ties to the interior. Trade, particularly the trade of deerskins, flourished along the upper Savannah River where skins were sent
to Augusta and finally through Savannah for export to Europe. The establishment of a trading network on the Savannah River also
curtailed Charleston’s monopoly on the South Atlantic deerskin trade. Between 1764 and 1773 Savannah exported hides from 500,000
deer (2 million pounds), which established the city as a significant commercial port on the South Atlantic coast.
In 1778, during the American Revolutionary War, Savannah came under
British and Loyalist
control. At the Siege of Savannah in 1779, American and French troops (the latter including a company of free blacks from
Haiti) fought unsuccessfully to retake the city.
On January 27, 1785, members of the State Assembly gathered
in Savannah to found the nation's first state-chartered, public university—the University
of Georgia (in Athens). In 1792 the Savannah Golf Club opened within a mile of
Fort Jackson, on what is now President Street. It is the first known American golf club.
Nineteenth-century development in Savannah was dominated by the emergence of cotton as a widespread cash crop and a subsequent
shift in the economy of the city. The invention of the cotton gin in 1793 by Eli Whitney changed the face of agriculture in the
American South. Whitney’s gin was produced in response to the state of Georgia’s appointed commission for the promotion of a gin
suitable to remove seed from fibers on the short-stable, green-seed cotton. Whitney developed the gin at Mulberry Grove
Plantation outside Savannah while he was a tutor to Revolutionary War General Nathaniel Greene’s children. Sea Island or
long-staple cotton had been very profitable in the years immediately following the Revolutionary War, but the production of this
variety was relegated to the narrow coastal zone and would not grow in the upland interiors of the South. Green-seed cotton could
be grown in the uplands but was difficult to process with the pre-1793 roller gin; consequently, Whitney’s invention opened the
interior of the South to widespread cotton production.
The development of Georgia’s interior had a tremendous impact on Savannah, as cotton production was focused on lands, newly
appropriated from the Creeks, along the upper Savannah River. Planters on both the Georgia and South Carolina sides of the river
shipped their cotton downriver to market and export at Savannah. This increase in trade corresponds to the increase in
population, as Savannah is the 18th-largest urban area in the United States by 1820. In 1818 shipping and business stopped
temporarily when the city fell under quarantine due to a yellow fever epidemic.
In 1828, construction began on the Savannah-Ogeechee Canal, a 16.5-mile canal connecting the Ogeechee River to the southwest
(near present-day Richmond Hill) and the Savannah River, slightly to the west of Savannah’s newly established riverfront. The
canal was completed in 1831, directing the resources of Georgia’s south-central interior to Savannah.
This monopoly on the interior markets does not last long; in 1833, the South Carolina Railroad, extending from Charleston to
Hamburg, South Carolina, was completed. The longest rail line of its day, the South Carolina Railroad was primarily built to
redirect the export of cotton grown along the Savannah River through Charleston. The siphoning off of cotton markets along the
upper Savannah prompted the increased interest in the development of north Georgia. The Central of Georgia Railroad is organized
in 1833 to open a commercial line between Savannah and the vast interior of Central and North Georgia. The forcible expulsion of
nearly 18,000 Cherokees, following the Indian Removal Act, ensured that north Georgia would be open to settlement and cotton
production. The Central of Georgia Railroad extended to Macon by 1843 and to Terminus (later known as Atlanta) by 1846.
By 1853, all original planned wards would be occupied and a large public park was added to the extreme south end of the city
plan. This park was anticipated by Oglethorpe's plan and was made possible by a donation of 20 acres of land owned by John
Forsythe. The fountain at the center of the park is reminiscent of fountains in the Place de la Concorde in Paris and in Cuzco,
Peru. At this time, Parisian urban planning was centered on the development of residential neighborhoods radiating out from a
central green space. The Parisian model of developing large city parks was emulated by large cities in the United States, and
even smaller cities, such as Savannah, asserting its cosmopolitan image.
Confederate Memorial in Forsythe Park
Despite its small population, Savannah amassed an enormous amount of wealth. By 1820, Savannah was exporting $18 million worth
of goods. It is important to recognize, however, that this wealth came about as the result of both the removal of indigenous
people from the interior as well as the slave trade. Although originally banned from Georgia, the slave population exceeded the
free population in Savannah by the end of the 18th century (5,146 free, 8,201 slave in 1800 ). Little is known about the slave
population of Savannah beyond what can be read in census information. We know that between 1810 and 1830, there was a decrease in
the number of slaves in the city, which was followed by an increase in the slave population from 9,478 in 1830 to 14,018 in 1850.
As the overall free population of the city grew by 68 percent between 1850 and 1860, the slave population remained relatively
constant. Additionally, Savannah retained a consistent number of free African Americans throughout the antebellum years (725 in
1860) who engaged in a variety of entrepreneurial activities.
In 1864, the city was captured by Northern troops led by General
William Tecumseh Sherman. After taking the city General Sherman offered the
captured city and Port of Savannah to his Commander-in-Chief and telegraphed
President Lincoln with the following message:
- "I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the City of Savannah, with one hundred and fifty guns and plenty of ammunition,
also about twenty-five thousand bales of cotton."
The Savannah Cotton Exchange was established in 1876 and made its permanent home on Bay Street in 1883. The exchange was
established to provide cotton factors, brokers serving planters’ interest in the market, a place to congregate and set the market
value of cotton exported to larger markets such as New York or London. By the end of the 19th century factorage was on the
decline as more planters were selling their product at interior markets, merely to be shipped from Savannah via the extensive
rail connections between the city and the interior.
By 1870, three principal railroads — the Central of Georgia, the Savannah and Charleston and the Savannah and Gulf — connected
the city to markets along the coast and the interior. The Central of Georgia, whose principal shareholder was the city of
Savannah, established its own docks and canals to the west of the existing Savannah riverfront. This marks the first shift of
industrial-commercial activity outside of the central plan of the city. An additional railroad was built extending from the
Drayton Street Depot out to Tybee Island in 1887. The rate, 1 cent per mile or 17.7 cents each way, enabled city dwellers to
escape to the ocean and spend their newfound leisure hours at the beach on Tybee
Island. This becomes the first commuter line from Savannah to an outlying area.
As the 19th century continued, Savannah’s population increased slightly, its wealth exponentially and its ranking among the
largest U.S. cities steadily dropped. The city went from 41st in 1860 to 62nd in 1880 (the first year Atlanta exceeded Savannah
as Georgia’s largest city), to 86th in 1910 until it was no longer ranked in the top 100 most populous cities in 1930.
In 1867, the Beach Institute was established by the Freedmen’s Bureau with funds donated by Alfred Ely Beach, editor of Scientific American. The school was initially privately funded to
provide a means for newly freed African Americans to assimilate into white society. By 1874, the institute was appropriated by
the Savannah-Chatham Board of Education for the purpose of providing free education to Savannah’s African American citizenry.
Although the Beach Institute closed its doors in 1915, it was reopened as an African American cultural center and is currently
operated by the King-Tisdell Cottage Foundation. The Beach name also survives in the name of Alfred E. Beach High School, one of
Savannah's oldest public high schools.
Diversification in Savannah’s economy arrived as heavy industry and manufacturing entered into the region during the late 19th
and early 20th centuries. The Union Camp mill, a division of the American Pulp and Paper Company, was established around the turn
of the century, locating their mill upriver from the historic core of the city. Contributing to the trend of upriver industrial
development, the Kehoe Iron Works was established in 1883 by Irish immigrant Ivan Kehoe. As working-class residents began to move
into neighborhoods adjacent to the new industries, the population of the densely packed historic core of the city began to
dissipate. Additionally, building continued to the south of town as the city experienced a 65 percent increase in population
between 1900 and 1920 (54,244 in 1900 to 83,252 in 1920).
An additional boost to Savannah's economy arrived with the increased export of naval stores. Items such as pitch and
turpentine, recovered from South Atlantic yellow pine, were essential in the manufacture and upkeep of wooden ships. In 1902, the
naval stores industry was revolutionized by former University of Georgia chemist Charles Herty. Herty devised a method of
collecting the raw sap from yellow pine that was not only more effective than previous methods of extraction but also enabled the
trees to live into maturity and be eventually harvested. The harvesting of yellow pine further diversified Savannah’s economy as
a lumber exporter. By this time Savannah, with vast yellow pine forests extending far into Georgia’s coastal plain, became the
chief exporter of naval stores in the world.
The boll weevil outbreak of the 1920s dealt a devastating blow to the cotton market of Savannah and the South in general. The
naval stores industry also fell into decline by World War II as iron had largely replaced wood in the manufacture of ships.
Savannah’s economy continued to shift as more heavy industry was added upriver. During World War II Savannah manufacturing aided
the war effort through the construction of Liberty ships, further shifting the population out of the historic core of the
city.
In the 1930s and 1940s, many of the distinguished buildings in the historic district were demolished to create parking lots.
Squares had been bisected by streets and fire lanes to speed traffic flow. The demolition of the 1870 City Market on Ellis Square
and the attempted demolition of the 1821 Davenport House prompted seven Georgia women, led by Davenport descendant Lucy Barrow
McIntire, to create the Historic Savannah Foundation, which was able to preserve the city from
destruction. In 1979, the Savannah College of Art and Design was
founded, and began a process of renovation and adaptive reuse of many notable downtown buildings, rather than building a
centralized campus. This effort, along with the work of the Historic Savannah Foundation and other preservation groups, has
contributed greatly to Savannah's now-famous rebirth.
The city's popularity as a tourist destination was solidified by the best-selling book and subsequent movie
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which were set
in Savannah. Also of note is the Pinkie Masters Bar which has been the site of presidential visits and political aspiration.
Pinkie Masters (a local political figure) was a friend of President Jimmy Carter, who made
several visits to the bar and the city. Additionally, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence
Thomas was born in nearby Pin Point, Georgia.
The city's location offers visitors access to the coastal islands and the Savannah Riverfront, both popular tourist
destinations. Tybee Island, formerly known as "Savannah Beach", is the site of the
Tybee Island Light Station, the first lighthouse on the southern Atlantic coast. Other picturesque towns adjacent to Savannah include the shrimping village of
Thunderbolt and two residential areas that began as summer resort communities for
Savannahians: Beaulieu and Vernonburg.
Crime and consolidation
Savannah today is a city with a high rate of violent crime.[citation needed] The mayor, Otis Johnson, has held
three open forums on the issue. Murder rates have increased by 50% since 2004 and other types of crime, such as theft, have seen similar spikes.[3]
In 2003, Savannah and Chatham County merged their city and county police
departments. Although advertised as a way to cut costs and improve efficiency, the merger has cost more than expected and has not
avoided a 100-officer shortage that the department is trying to fix.[citation needed]
While some see the police merger as a step toward city-county consolidation,
Savannah is actually one of eight incorporated cities or towns in Chatham County. (The others are Bloomingdale, Garden City, Pooler, Port Wentworth, Thunderbolt, Tybee Island, and Vernonburg). Although these seven smaller localities would remain independent from a consolidated
government, they have long opposed any efforts to adopt a city-county merger. One fear is that consolidation would reduce county
funding to areas outside of Savannah. Efforts toward city-county consolidation are also opposed by some wealthier Chatham County
communities, including The Landings on Skidaway Island, since these residents
fear higher tax rates in a consolidated government. However, consolidation is favored by some city and county boosters, including
Savannah's main newspaper, and merger plans have been presented to state legislators in the recent past. Should consolidation
pass, Savannah would become Georgia's second-largest city, with a population of more than 205,000 (by state law, the almost
35,000 residents of the seven smaller incorporated towns remain independent; they are not included in a Savannah-Chatham
consolidation plan).
Economy
River Street shops and restaurants
Agriculture was the background of Savannah's economy in its first two centuries. Silk and
indigo production, both in demand in England, were early export commodities; by 1767 almost a
ton of silk per year was exported to England.[4]
The Savannah region's mild climate offered perfect conditions for growing cotton, which became the dominant commodity after the American
Revolution. Its production (under the plantation system) helped the city's
European immigrants to achieve wealth and prosperity.
The Port of Savannah was one of the most frequented in the United States and Savannah's inhabitants had the opportunity to consume some of the world's finest goods,
imported by foreign merchants. Savannah's port has always been a mainstay of the city's economy. In the early years of U.S.
history, goods produced in the New World had to pass through ports such as Savannah's before
they could be shipped to England.
For years, Savannah was the home of Union Camp, which housed the world's
largest paper mill. The plant is now owned by International Paper, and it remains
one of Savannah's largest employers. Savannah is also home to the famous Gulfstream
Aerospace company, maker of private jets, as well as various other large industrial interests.
Education
Savannah is home to most of the schools in the Chatham County public school
system. Public schools in Savannah are considered poor in relation to most of the rest of the state and nation.[citation needed] That situation, coupled with
Savannah's history of segregation, white flight
and a wide-scale busing plan (1970-1992), has given rise to an extraordinary number
of private schools in the city. Savannah, and the surrounding area, also hosts 12
colleges and state universities, and 44,000 college students (http://www.thecreativecoast.org). The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System is working to improve test
scores and graduation rates throughout the county.
Notable public schools:
Notable private schools (multi-grade/high school):
Notable colleges and universities:
Oatland Island Education Center also a part of Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools,and the premier environmental education
center in the southeast, serving thousands of students from school systems throughout the region. Located just east of Savannah
on a marsh island, the Center features a 2 mile "Native Animal Nature Trail" that winds through maritime forest, salt marsh, and
freshwater wetlands. Along the way, visitors can observe native animals such as Florida panthers, Eastern timber wolves,
alligators, and many more in their natural habitat.
Geography and points of interest
The riverboat
Georgia Queen cruising down the Savannah River past the Savannah International Trade and Conference Center
on Hutchinson Island.
Savannah is located at 32°3′3″N, 81°6′14″W (32.050706,
-81.103762).1 According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 202.3
km² (78.1 mi²). 193.6 km² (74.7 mi²) of it is land
and 8.7 km² (3.4 mi²) of it (4.31%) is water. Because of its marshiness and flat topography, Savannah is prone to flooding. Four
canals and pumping stations have been built to help reduce the effects: Fell Street Canal,
Kayton Canal, Springfield Canal and the Casey Canal, with the first three draining north into the Savannah River.
The Savannah International Trade & Convention Center is located on Hutchinson
Island, across from downtown Savannah and surrounded by the Savannah River. The
Belles Ferry connects the island with the mainland, as does the Eugene Talmadge
Memorial Bridge.
The Savannah Civic Center is located on Montgomery Street and is host to over
900 events each year, including the Memorial Health Hockey Classic.
Squares
-
Savannah's historic district has 24 squares.[5] The
squares vary in size and personality, from the formal fountain and monuments of the largest, Johnson, to the playgrounds of the
smallest, Crawford. Elbert, Ellis, and Liberty Squares are classified as the "lost squares," destroyed due to development in the
1950s. Elbert and Liberty Squares were paved over to make way for an extension of Interstate
16, while Ellis Square was demolished to build the City Market parking garage. Separate efforts are under way to revive
each of the three lost squares. The city has recently razed the City Market parking garage in order to build a new parking
facility underground, with a new park on the street level.[citation needed]
Historic sites
- Riverfront Plaza and Factors' Walk—River Street's restored nineteenth-century cotton warehouses and passageways
include shops, bars and restaurants
- City Market—Savannah's restored central market features antiques, souvenirs, small eateries, as well as two large
outdoor plazas
- Historic homes—the Pink House, Sorrel Weed House, Juliette Gordon Low birthplace, Green-Meldrim House,
Owens-Thomas House, Wormsloe plantation of Noble
Jones, Mercer House, former home of Jim
Williams, the main subject of Midnight in the Garden of Good
and Evil
- Historic houses of worship—Trinity
United Methodist Church(circa 1848), Cathedral of St. John the
Baptist, Christ Episcopal Church,
First African Baptist Church, Independent Presbyterian Church, Lutheran Church of the Ascension, Temple Mickve Israel, St. John's
Church (Episcopal)
- Historic cemeteries—Colonial Park Cemetery (an early graveyard dating back to the English colony of Georgia),
Laurel Grove Cemetery (with the graves of many Confederate soldiers and African
American slaves) and Bonaventure Cemetery (a former plantation and the final
resting place for some illustrious Savannahians)
- Historic forts—Fort Jackson (near the historic district) and Fort Pulaski National Monument (17 miles east of Savannah via the Islands Expressway),
both important in the American Civil War
- Savannah's Zoo-Oatland Island Wildlife Center, a facility owned and operated by the
Board of Education, is a fun place to animals that are or were found in our region.
- Savannah State University campus and Hill Hall—The Georgia Historical Commission and the Georgia Department of Natural
Resources have recognized both the Savannah State campus and Walter Bernard
Hill Hall as a part of the Georgia Historical Marker Program. [6] Hill Hall, which was built in 1901, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. [7]
Gardens
Shopping
Climate
| Monthly normal and record high and low temperatures |
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
| Rec High °F |
84 |
86 |
91 |
95 |
100 |
104 |
105 |
104 |
98 |
97 |
89 |
83 |
| Norm High °F |
60.4 |
64.1 |
71 |
77.7 |
84.3 |
89.5 |
92.3 |
90.3 |
86 |
78.1 |
70.5 |
62.6 |
| Norm Low °F |
38 |
40.9 |
47.5 |
52.9 |
61.3 |
68.1 |
71.8 |
71.3 |
67.3 |
56.1 |
46.9 |
40.1 |
| Rec Low °F |
3 |
14 |
20 |
32 |
39 |
51 |
61 |
57 |
43 |
28 |
15 |
9 |
| Precip (in) |
3.95 |
2.92 |
3.64 |
3.32 |
3.61 |
5.49 |
6.04 |
7.2 |
5.08 |
3.12 |
2.4 |
2.81 |
| Source: USTravelWeather.com [4] |
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 131,510 people, 51,375 households, and 31,390 families
residing in the city. The population density was 679.4/km² (1,759.5/mi²). There were
57,437 housing units at an average density of 296.7/km² (768.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 57.08% African American, 38.86% White, 1.52% Asian, 0.23% Native American, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.93% from other races, and 1.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.23% of the population.
There were 51,375 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.2% were married couples living together, 21.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were
non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or
older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 13.2% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from
45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 89.3 males.
For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,038, and the median income for a family was $36,410. Males had a median
income of $28,545 versus $22,309 for females. The per capita income for the city was
$16,921. About 17.7% of families and 21.8% of the population were below the poverty
line, including 31.4% of those under age 18 and 15.1% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport is located west
of Savannah off Interstate 95. Airlines serving this airport are
Delta, Delta Connection, Northwest Airlink, Continental Express, United Express, US Airways, Airtran and American Eagle.
Amtrak operates a passenger terminal at
Savannah for the Palmetto and Silver
Service trains running between Boston, Massachusetts and Miami, Florida
with three southbound and three northbound trains stopping at the station daily.
Interstates and major highways
Interstate 95 - Runs north-south just west of the city; provides access to
Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, and intersects
with Interstate 16 which leads into the city's center.
Interstate 16 - Terminates in Downtown Savannah at
Liberty and Montgomery Streets, and intersects with Interstate 95 and Interstate 516.
Interstate 516 - An urban perimeter highway connecting Southside Savannah, at DeRenne
Avenue, with the industrialized port area of the city to the north; intersects with the Veterans Parkway and Interstate 16, as
well. Also known as Lynes Parkway.
Harry S. Truman Parkway - Runs through the eastside of town, connecting the
east end of Downtown with Southside Savannah. The road has been under construction since 1992,
and is opening in phases with the latest phase opening in 2004. The highway will eventually complete a chain of highways that
form a loop around the city that include Interstate 516, Veterans Parkway and the Truman Parkway.
Veterans Parkway - Links Interstate 516 and Southside/Midtown Savannah with South Savannah, and is intended to move traffic
quicker from north-south by avoiding high-volume Abercorn Expressway. Also known as the Southwest Bypass.
Abercorn Expressway (S.R. 204) - An extension of Abercorn Street that begins
at 37th Street (which is its northern point) and terminates at Rio Road and the Forest River at its southern point, and serves as
the primary traffic and commercial artery linking downtown, midtown and southside sections of the city.
Islands Expressway - An extension of President Street to facilitate traffic moving between Downtown Savannah and the barrier
islands, as well as the beaches of Tybee Island
Victory Drive (U.S. 80) - Runs east-west through Midtown Savannah and connects the city
with the town of Thunderbolt, and the islands of Whitemarsh, Talahi, Wilmington and Tybee. Merges with the Islands
Expressway and serves as the only means of reaching the beach by automobile.
People from Savannah
- Conrad Aiken (1889-1973), poet
- Big Boi, rapper from the group OutKast
- Camoflauge (1981-2003), rapper
- Charles Coburn (1877-1961), actor
- Paula Deen (b. 1947), southern chef, restaurateur, and TV personality
- Bucky Dent (b.1951), hero of 1978 Yankees
season
- Stephanie Edwards, contestant on American Idol Season 6
- Fatboi (b.1959), music producer
- Brittany Hatch, contestant on America's Next Top Model, cycle 8
- Al Jaffee (b. 1921), writer and artist for Mad
Magazine
- Stacy Keach (b. 1941), actor
- Isabel Keating (b. 1961), actress and singer
- Tommy Kiene, world bantamweight boxing champion
- The Lady Chablis (b. 1957), entertainer
- Julius Curtis Lewis, Jr., [5] (1926-2005),
businessman, philanthropist, former Savannah mayor
- Juliette Gordon Low (1860-1927), founder of Girl Scouts of the USA
- Mammy Lou, world's oldest actress
- Johnny Mercer (1909-1976), songwriter
- James Moody (b.1925), jazz musician (saxophone, flute), composer, actor
- Ward Morehouse (1899 - 1966), theater critic and newspaper columnist
- Bobby Norfleet, NASCAR driver
- Flannery O'Connor (1925-1964), writer
- Kenny Rogers, (b.1964), baseball player
- Billy Joe Royal, 1960s singer
- Diana Scarwid (b. 1955), actor
- Al Seeger, IBA world super-bantamweight title holder
Mark Shin- illegal immigrant
Savannah in literature
