Augusta, Georgia: A River Town Rich in History and Baseball Fever

The Savannah River may be the main reason for the existence of Augusta, Georgia, but it’s the people of the area that has made this city thrive. The rich beauty of the land combined with the lush river and many falls have been the attraction of residents throughout history and is retained today as a world renowned golfing championship center. Golf isn’t the only sport that takes front and center in Augusta. This is home to baseball, ice hockey, rugby and roller derby fans. But it is the baseball games that seem to draw the largest crowds. The town almost empties when their Green Jackets team is playing. The field and the baseball scoreboards are testiment to the love of sports in Augusta.

The original inhabitants of the Augusta area were Native American tribes. They preferred the location along the Savannah River for fishing and transportation. This offered ease of crossing the river and much beautiful water falls. It was due to the preferred location that a later settlement was established to help fight against the Spanish and the French. Named after Princess Augusta, the then Princess of Wales, it slowly grew to be the second capital of the state, vying in competition with Savannah.

Over the years, a series of dams were constructed, offering growth and opportunity to the community. Augusta was one of the few areas of the south that didn’t suffer from total devastation during the pre and post Civil War times. Many of the historic Augusta landmarks remain in place and are a source of pride for the residents and visitors alike.

The warm climate and natural beauty of the area eventually became an attraction for a variety of industries, including biotechnology and medicine. Georgia Health Sciences University is known world wide and adds to the high bar level of educational achievement of the area. The establishment of the military has also brought jobs and opportunities to Augusta.

Due to its history, Augusta has maintained many museums and galleries for visitors to see and experience the past. Much of the downtown area has been included in the National Register for Historic Places. The people of Augusta take an exceptional level of pride in their history and freely share with all the tour their city.

While the people of Augusta are avid sports fans, favoring baseball, rugby, ice hockey and roller derby. Baseball scoreboards offer up to the minute point scores for the fans. The area has developed courses for golfing into a fine art. The facilities in the area are host to major golfing tournaments, including the “The Masters” every year. Golfing enthusiasts from around the world flock to Augusta to take advantage of the courses that they are so well known for. Augusta is home to some of the hottest drag boat racing competitions in the nation.

The city government has taken great care to preserve the natural beauty of the Augusta area. Parks, wetlands, bike paths and hiking areas are all open to the public to enjoy the scenery that the people of the area love so much.

The people of Augusta have also retained that southern hospitality. A visitor to the area feels more than just welcome, they almost get the feeling of coming home. The restaurants, dining and hotels have a combination of elegant and yet down home that is uniquely Augusta; and once you have stopped in, it is very hard to say goodbye.

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//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augusta,_Georgia