In 1803 a group of commissioners set out into the wild frontier in search of
a place to build Georgia’s new capitol city. The search carried them across the
Oconee River and into the deep woods of middle Georgia. Soon the group became
exhausted and thirsty as they spotted a gushing spring beneath a large oak
tree. There they took their rest as their leader, John Clarke, mixed the spring
water with some whisky, which he had in his coat pocket. After quite a few
drinks the men were convinced that they had reached their destination.
Milledgeville had its start.
The site for Milledgeville was chosen for its
