Pulaski County was originally the capital of the Creek
Indian Confederacy. Attracted by the lush countryside and abundant wildlife,
the area was home to the Creeks until the turn of the nineteenth century
when treaties declared the land American territory.
Located on the banks of the Ocmulgee River, the town
quickly became a thriving trading post for Indians who lived to the west.
General Andrew Jackson camped here with his army troops on the way to fight
the Seminoles in Florida. In memory of the famous general, a large boulder
with a bronze tablet bearing the inscription, "General Jackson's Trail
1818," can be seen on what is now the corner of broad and Jackson Streets.
The County came within one vote of being the state's capitol's new site, and
disgruntled residents mumbled the town's loss was due to one man going
fishing when he should have been voting.
Pulaski County's land area began to grow in 1826 when the
upper part of Dooly County was added. The General Assembly later granted
Pulaski a portion of Houston County, which is currently the city of
Hawkinsville.
Conveniently located on the Ocmulgee River, Hawkinsville
became an important center for transporting freight. Today, the city is the
terminal county seat of highways leading in from several adjoining
capitals--Perry, Cochran, Eastman, Abbeville, Vienna, Cordele and
Oglethorpe--earning the city title "Hawkinsville, the Highway Hub."
Hawkinsville is also known as the "Harness Horse Capital of Georgia," and
has been the winter home for harness horse training since the early 1920's,
serving horsemen from northern and midwestern states.
An interesting landmark in Pulaski County is the Old
Opera House. Listed on the National Register of Historical Places, the Old
Opera House is continually being renovated under the direction of the
Pulaski Historical Commission. Built in 1907, the facility has given top
billing to famous entertainers and politicians over the years. Oliver Hardy,
part of the comedy duo of Laural and Hardy, once sang on stage in a quartet
during his stay with an aunt in Hawkinsville. Today, the Old Opera House is
a popular location for community plays, music, and dance recitals, and other
cultural events. Also listed on the National Register of Historical Places
is Taylor Hall, the oldest house in Pulaski County. The house was first
constructed on the Ocmulgee River in 1824 by
Robert Newsom
Taylor, the county's first physician.
Pulaski County's rich heritage has been carefully
preserved by residents and the Pulaski Historical Commission. Both the
Commission and the Chamber of Commerce can provide additional information
and direct visitors to points of interest.
