Georgia Women Who Changed History
The South is known for its strong women, and those who hail from these Georgia towns are no exception. Incredibly impactful women can be found throughout the communities along Georgia’s Trail of Legacy & Lore. Discover the places that inspired literary greats like Alice Walker and dine where the Allman Brothers Band found sustenance even when they were broke.
Oconee County
Home of America’s First Congresswoman
Jeannette Rankin (1880-1973) was not only active in the women’s suffrage movement but became the first woman to serve in Congress: she was elected from Montana in 1916 before women had the right to vote in other states. In the 1920s, Rankin first purchased land near the Oconee-Clarke County line and in 1933 bought a 44-acre site and renovated its farm house. This seasonal residence near Watkinsville in Oconee County became her beloved “Shady Grove” and a historic marker preserves this story.
Rankin is known for her outspoken opposition to all war and was one of only fifty persons in Congress who voted against entry into WWI. She helped found The Georgia Peace Society that worked for over ten years to support the Kellogg-Briand Pact which would have outlawed war as a way of settling disputes.
Discover more stories and visitor information at Visit Oconee.
Madison, Georgia
The Woman who Established Madison’s Historic District
Walking through the Madison Historic District is akin to stepping back in time, with home after restored home extolling the importance of this town in 19th-century commerce and culture. The establishment and preservation of the Madison Historic District is thanks to Dorothy Dixon Gilmore (1924-2009), who sat on the Morgan County African-American Museum’s Board of Directors and on the City of Madison’s first Historic Preservation Commission. She was educated at the Burney Street School, Madison’s all African American Graded School established during the early years of Georgia’s dual system of education, infamously known as “separate but equal.” She went on to Fort Valley State College, returned to Madison to teach elementary school, and later became the third generation to operate the Mapp-Gilmore Funeral Home.
Learn more about Gilmore’s contributions to historic preservation in Madison and take this free, self-guided walking tour to discover the stories behind the magnificent homes.
Eatonton, Georgia
Explore The Sites that Shaped Alice Walker’s Writing
Alice Walker, a towering figure in American literature, was born and raised in Eatonton, Georgia. Born in 1944, Walker was the eighth and youngest child of sharecroppers. Her upbringing on a sharecropping farm instilled in her a deep understanding of the challenges faced by working-class families, particularly African Americans, in the segregated South. Encouraged by her mother, who valued education highly, Walker enrolled in school at the age of four and blossomed into a creative writer by the age of eight. These early experiences, imbued with the realities of rural life and the power of education, would profoundly shape Walker’s literary voice and her lifelong commitment to social justice.
Discover more about Alice Walker on this self-guided driving tour of her family home, their church, and her school.
Augusta, Georgia
Visit the home of educational pioneer Lucy Clay Laney
Laney was the daughter of enslaved parents, who bought their freedom. As her father constructed mansions for wealthy white elites, Laney devoted herself to education. She believed education was the key to true emancipation and betterment in a segregated society. She proved to be a gifted student, learning six languages in just a few years.
In the late 1800s, Laney founded the Haines Normal and Industrial Institute, creating educational opportunities for Black students who had long been denied access to formal schooling. Her impact extended beyond education. Laney also helped establish the Lamar School of Nursing, expanding access to medical training and contributing to the foundation of Augusta’s health care community.
n August 1974, then-Gov. Jimmy Carter approved the placement of Laney’s portrait in the Georgia State Capitol, making her one of the first Black women honored in that space. The original portrait, created by artist George Mandes, remains on display in the Capitol alongside other historic figures, including Henry McNeal Turner and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Macon, Georgia
Dine at Mama Louise’s H & H Restaurant, Which Nourished Musicians
H & H has been a Macon staple since 1959, when “Mama” Louise Hudson started serving up soul food favorites like grits, biscuits, fried chicken, and collard greens to customers of all races and creeds, continuing through the height of the civil rights movement. Her regular customers through the years included a who’s who of Southern musicians, including the Allman Brothers Band. Much like H&H, the long-haired, racially integrated Allman Brothers Band was a radical sight for late-’60s Georgia. Mama Louise became a mother figure who fed the band even when they were broke and sustained them in a hostile time and place. Mama Louise has been recognized with the Harriet Tubman Act of Courage Award. H&H continues to serve several of Mama Louise’s recipes and is one of several pilgrimage sites for Allman Brothers fans visiting Macon, alongside The Big House Museum, Capricorn Records, and Rose Hill Cemetery.
These are just some of the stories of strong women who made a lasting impact that you’ll discover along Georgia’s Trail of Legacy & Lore.