Marching, er, Walking Through Georgia--part 1
“Judith has told us of your plans, Mrs. Stephenson,”Jacob Kahn said. “As a local businessman myself, I am pleased to see any venture that brings fresh products and dollars into the economy.” He shook his head. “Savannah has suffered greatly in recent years. The fire and the yellow fever epidemic left us reeling, but we are putting ourselves back on course.”
“As a businessman, do you think I will have problems with local merchants? My being a woman on her own?”
“There will always be those who have prejudices,” he said slowly as he stirred his tea. Pale blue eyes much like his daughter’s studied Amanda from behind his own spectacles. “I encounter it myself, even though I was born in this city. But Savannah is proud of its ‘merchant princes,’ as we call them, and also prides itself on promoting growth and industry. It was only a few years ago we cheered the launch of the Savannah, the first steam-powered vessel to cross the Atlantic all the way to Russia. Your money is good, Mrs. Stephenson, and most of the men of this town will be more than happy to do business with you. For the rest of them,” he shrugged, “consider it their loss.”
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| Model of USS Savannah |
I read a lot of books for research, but as it says at my website, "She lives in North Central Florida, a convenient location for putting the convertible top down and researching sites of great historical significance, which also happen to be at the beach and serve mojitos."
At the beginning of the month I put the top down on the convertible, took the old "Woodpecker Trail", and went off to do some research. I was headed for a walking tour of Savannah, Georgia and the Golden Isles (though one wag termed it "an eating tour with some walking") with Country Walkers, the tour company I used last year for my Scottish Highlands trip. I'm embarrassed that I live only three hours away from the historic city of Savannah, I've written characters and scenes set in Savannah (Captain Sinister's Lady) but I'd never done the kind of boots-on-the-ground research I love.
At the beginning of the month I put the top down on the convertible, took the old "Woodpecker Trail", and went off to do some research. I was headed for a walking tour of Savannah, Georgia and the Golden Isles (though one wag termed it "an eating tour with some walking") with Country Walkers, the tour company I used last year for my Scottish Highlands trip. I'm embarrassed that I live only three hours away from the historic city of Savannah, I've written characters and scenes set in Savannah (Captain Sinister's Lady) but I'd never done the kind of boots-on-the-ground research I love.
Savannah was everything I hoped it would be. I arrived a couple days early and walked all through the historic squares, ate at some amazing restaurants, had delightful weather, but the highpoint of Savannah for me was when I stopped by the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum before our tour began. The museum houses a number of fascinating exhibits on Scarbrough House, where the museum is located, and the history of the West Broad Street School for African-American children, which served the black community at Scarbrough House until desegregation in 1962.
Scarbrough House itself was a delight as it was built in 1819 and beautifully preserved. It gives me a glimpse into life in Savannah during the Regency/War of 1812 period, though it's a far more elaborate mansion than the modest Kahn residence in my novels.
All of the exhibits in the museum are interesting and well curated, but I especially enjoyed seeing the items from ship life gathered over the years. Scarbrough House's original owner was also the principal owner of the USS Savannah mentioned in my novels. The city's role as a seaport sometimes gets eclipsed by larger ports but it's still an active shipping hub to this day, and in its early years was vital to American commerce, including the importation of enslaved people and the export of cotton. After all, the cotton gin was invented by Eli Whitney at a plantation in the Savannah area.
In the rooms with the sailor's items a few stand out. One is the "Sailor's Valentine" made out of shells by a lonely seafarer for the girl he left behind. The romance of the gesture appealed to me. Another item I loved was this cat with its bright green eyes. According to the information card, ceramic cats like this were placed in the windows of brothels in the late 18th and early 19th c. If the cat's eyes were green, the house was open for customers. If the cat's eyes were red, the house was full or the police were nearby. And if the cat had its back turned to the window, the house was closed.
You know that tidbit is going to work its way into one of my pirate tales!
Stay tuned for more on my visit to the Ships of the Sea museum and my walk through south Georgia, and read Captain Sinister's Lady for a glimpse into life in North Florida and Savannah during the period following the War of 1812.
Scarbrough House itself was a delight as it was built in 1819 and beautifully preserved. It gives me a glimpse into life in Savannah during the Regency/War of 1812 period, though it's a far more elaborate mansion than the modest Kahn residence in my novels.
All of the exhibits in the museum are interesting and well curated, but I especially enjoyed seeing the items from ship life gathered over the years. Scarbrough House's original owner was also the principal owner of the USS Savannah mentioned in my novels. The city's role as a seaport sometimes gets eclipsed by larger ports but it's still an active shipping hub to this day, and in its early years was vital to American commerce, including the importation of enslaved people and the export of cotton. After all, the cotton gin was invented by Eli Whitney at a plantation in the Savannah area.
In the rooms with the sailor's items a few stand out. One is the "Sailor's Valentine" made out of shells by a lonely seafarer for the girl he left behind. The romance of the gesture appealed to me. Another item I loved was this cat with its bright green eyes. According to the information card, ceramic cats like this were placed in the windows of brothels in the late 18th and early 19th c. If the cat's eyes were green, the house was open for customers. If the cat's eyes were red, the house was full or the police were nearby. And if the cat had its back turned to the window, the house was closed.
You know that tidbit is going to work its way into one of my pirate tales!Stay tuned for more on my visit to the Ships of the Sea museum and my walk through south Georgia, and read Captain Sinister's Lady for a glimpse into life in North Florida and Savannah during the period following the War of 1812.
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