Macon, Georgia is a small city 85 miles south of Atlanta. Its position in the center of the state gave it the nickname ‘The Heart of Georgia’. Home to some 235,000 people, the metro area is the fourth largest in the state. It is also known for its cherry blossoms which give the city a lovely appearance during the blooming season.
The area that is now Macon was home to the Creek Nations before being settled. There have been inhabitants here for thousands of years with artifacts being found dating back some 13,000 years before the Europeans arrived.
The first sight of Macon was Fort Benjamin Hawkins which was constructed at the Ocmulgee River. Built partly to protect locals and as a trading post with Native Americans, the fort grew steadily from 1809. The Federal Road from Washington was built over the Lower Creek Pathway through the city so Macon was a logical stopping point on the way to New Orleans or Mobile, Alabama.
Macon was officially named in 1822 after North Carolina statesman Nathaniel Macon. As the town grew, planners devised a ‘city within a park’ featuring wide, tree-lined streets, parks and boulevards to give it character.
Macon served as the arsenal for the Confederacy during the American Civil War and Camp Oglethorpe was constructed to act as a [prison for captured Union officers. After the war, Macon reinvented itself as a transportation hub for the entire state, something it still does today.
Macon is made up of many small industries comprising everything from agriculture to manufacturing, tech, banking, the arts and a little of everything. There is no dominant industry here although the city does still serve as a transport hub for the ports of the south and the rest of the state.
Macon is home to Warner Robins Air Force Base which is the largest facility of its kind in Georgia and the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Georgia Army National Guard.
The ideas of those early planners, to build a city within a park and to line the streets with trees has given the city an open, welcoming character. It has enabled the city to have its own famous cherry blossom festival and play host to the Georgia State Fair every year.
The atmosphere is calm and relaxed with a wide range of cultural influences throughout the city. There is a thriving music and creative scene in the city as well as the military influence from Robins Air Force Base. The prevalence of parks in the city enable families to enjoy the outdoors at any time of year. Over a dozen parks are in the city center alone, with more around the outside.
Macon celebrates its history with a number of historical sites and museums. Notable among them are Terminal Station, Ocmulgee National Monument, Fort Benjamin Hawkins, Wesleyan College, The Allman Brothers Band Museum, Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and the Museum of Arts and Sciences (Macon).