Augusta in Richmond County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Cotton
Although cotton was cultivated in small quantities in the South during the eighteenth century, it was not considered a profitable crop because of the difficulty of separating the seed from the fiber.
In 1793, Eli Whitney, a young man from Massachusetts, accepted a teaching position in Georgia, and while residing as a guest on a friend's plantation, invented a device that would mechanically separate cotton seed from the fibers. Whitney's cotton engine or "gin" transformed the economy of the South.
Cotton became the great crop of the region, and the nation's main export. With every decade, production doubled, and most Southerners agreed with South Carolina Senator James Hammond's exclamation, "Cotton is King!"
As the center of a vast cotton growing empire, Augusta prospered as the second largest inland cotton market in the world, a distinction that it claimed until the mid-twentieth century.
Reynolds Street with its warehouses along the river was known as "Cotton Row.” The stacked bales were so numerous during seasons of peak market activity, that a person could walk on top of the bales in every block "from Fifth Street to Thirteenth Street.”
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Industry & Commerce.
Location. 33° 28.686′ N, 81° 57.837′ W. Marker is in Augusta, Georgia, in Richmond County. Marker can be reached from 8th Street north of Reynolds Street, on the left when traveling north. Marker is located on the Augusta Riverwalk at the 8th Street crossing. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2 8th Street, Augusta GA 30901, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Floods (a few steps from this marker); Founding of Augusta (a few steps from this marker); Great Indian Warrior / Trading Path (within shouting distance of this marker); William Bartram Trail (within shouting distance of this marker); The Levee (within shouting distance of this marker); De Soto In Georgia (within shouting distance of this marker); Indians (within shouting distance of this marker); Industrial Heritage (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Augusta.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Augusta Cotton Industry
Also see . . . Augusta Cotton Exchange Building. Wikipedia entry:
Links to National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. (Submitted on May 4, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on May 4, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 22, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 601 times since then and 47 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on February 22, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.