The Trading Post: Pioneer Adventures Along the Ocmulgee River Frontier - Paperback

by Ray G. Scarborough (Author)

At the turn of the 19th century, the State of Georgia was expanding rapidly by acquiring more land to accommodate the influx of new settlers. The United States government entered into several treaties with the Creek Indian Nation to officially lay claim to the land the Indians had inhabited for hundreds of years. With each new treaty, Georgia's western boundary - and the southwestern boundary of the United States - expanded westward to the next river. From 1805 until 1821, the Ocmulgee River was the dividing line between two contrasting worlds, creating one of the most remarkable environments in American history. On the eastern banks of the Ocmulgee River was the State of Georgia with its highly developed civilization of farms, log cabins, and a network of dirt roads built by enterprising white settlers. On the western side of the Ocmulgee River was the vast expanse of Indian Territory occupied by the Creek Indians with their primitive way of life. For a period of sixteen years, white settlers and Creek Indians shared the great river, both depending on it for food, transportation, and commerce. The white man and red man coexisted on the Ocmulgee River until the Treaty at Indian Springs in 1821 took the Indians' ancient homeland and began a process that led to the removal of all southern Indians known as the Trail of Tears. This book is a fictional story of two adventurous pioneers who received lots in the 1805 Georgia Land Lottery and established the first settlement on the Ocmulgee River bordering the Creek Indian Nation. Based on historical facts, the story takes place at Hartford, GA which was a thriving town and important trading center for Indians and whites on the Ocmulgee River. The white settlers operated a trading post on the frontier and participated in the incredible events that shaped the State of Georgia and our young nation following the American Revolution.

Author Biography

Ray Scarborough was born and raised in Perry, Georgia. He is the sixth consecutive generation of Scarboroughs in his direct lineage to live in Houston County, GA. Ray's grandmother carefully recorded the Scarborough genealogy and inspired Ray to do the same. Through many hours of research, Ray developed a passion for early American history. Studying his genealogy made the history of Georgia come alive with incredible characters, places, and events. As Ray put the pieces together one generation after another, a story emerged about the brave pioneers that first settled the Georgia frontier and the social and political forces that shaped their lives.