Near Lakeland in Lanier County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Joshua Lee
(1782-1855)
Photographed By David Seibert, January 16, 2012
1. Joshua Lee Marker
Inscription.
Joshua Lee built the first grist mill on this location in c1830 in what was Lowndes County. He owned five and one half land lots (2.690 acres) which were not yet free of Indians. He built a low-level dam across a stream flowing through his property. The water flooded the land around the ancient cypress trees where a natural pocosin existed probably as a result of tidal action of the ocean thousands of years ago. His mill afforded the farmers a place to grind their grain and gin their cotton without going a great distance. The Mill was located on the old stagecoach road from Waycross to Thomasville. Farmers and merchants who gathered at this location established it as a trade center. A post office in 1838 established the town of Alapaha, but changed to Milltown in 1857 and later to Lakeland in 1925. The legacy of this property is the remembrance of the pioneers who came to this land and created a community, and of their descendants who wish to protect the land. . This historical marker was erected in 2004 by The National Society Colonial Dames Seventeenth Century John Howell Sr Chapter and descendants of the Lee family. It is Near Lakeland in Lanier County Georgia
Joshua Lee built the first grist mill on this location in c1830 in what was Lowndes County. He owned five and one half land lots (2.690 acres) which were not yet free of Indians. He built a low-level dam across a stream flowing through his property. The water flooded the land around the ancient cypress trees where a natural pocosin existed probably as a result of tidal action of the ocean thousands of years ago. His mill afforded the farmers a place to grind their grain and gin their cotton without going a great distance. The Mill was located on the old stagecoach road from Waycross to Thomasville. Farmers and merchants who gathered at this location established it as a trade center. A post office in 1838 established the town of Alapaha, but changed to Milltown in 1857 and later to Lakeland in 1925. The legacy of this property is the remembrance of the pioneers who came to this land and created a community, and of their descendants who wish to protect the land.
Erected 2004 by The National Society Colonial Dames Seventeenth Century John Howell Sr Chapter and descendants of the Lee family.
Topics. This
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historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1838.
Location. 31° 2.17′ N, 83° 5.745′ W. Marker is near Lakeland, Georgia, in Lanier County. Marker is on Georgia Route 122, 0.2 miles east of Georgia Route 122C, on the left when traveling west. The marker stands at the entrance to Banks Lake Outpost. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 307 West Highway 122, Lakeland GA 31635, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on March 5, 2012, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia. This page has been viewed 738 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on March 5, 2012, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.