Old River Road

Old River Road is a Georgia historical marker in McIntosh County, dedicated 1957.

Located at the intersection of State Highway 251 and Ocean Highway (US 17) in Darien.

Get directions ↗Start a road trip Historical trails

The River Road has changed but little in location since its beginning as a Military Route in 1739. Scottish Highlanders first marched over it on their way to invade Spanish Florida, and troops have used it in three wars-- the War with Spain, the Revolution, and the War Between the States. As a civilian highway, this served first as the road to Fort Barrington and the Ferry, later as an important link in the old Macon to Darien highway, over which planters in their carriages, stage coaches, and riders carrying the U.S. mail, traveled during the early 19th century.

Marker not in place due to damage or maintenance. Note from the marker program.

Maps this old were drawn largely by eye, so places on them can sit miles from where they really are. The pin is ours and marks the marker's location today.

TodayHistorical map

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

Historical maps covering this location

1746 · A Map of the British Empire in America. (Sheet 10). (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1764 · Carte de la Nouvelle Georgie (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1776 · A General Map of the Southern British Colonies, in America. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1778 · Parte Orientale della Florida, della Giorgia, e Carolina Meridionale. Fogl. XI (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1921 · Darien, Georgia (USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection)

A Map of the British Empire in America. (Sheet 10), 1746, covering the location of Old River Road, with a pin at the marker's coordinates — A Map of the British Empire in America. (Sheet 10), 1746, covering this location. David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries. The pin is ours, placed from the marker's coordinates.

Example

For example, one family's tree showed the Articles of Confederation marker in Pennsylvania standing under a mile from where William Gabby lived in the 1760s.

What that marker records spans 1777 to 1789, overlapping William Gabby's years there.

From one family's 77-marker roster

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The marker isn't at this spotOur pin may be off. If you know where it stands, tell us.I couldn't find the markerWe record what the source recorded. We have not been to look.The sign reads differentlyThat would be an error, and we can pass it to the program.The historical map looks wrongThe period map behind the pin, not the marker itself.Something else

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This historical marker is part of the Georgia Historical Marker Program and was erected by the Georgia Historical Commission. Marker texts and locations come from the Society's own marker database.

Old River Road

Historical maps covering this location

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