Way Down Upon the Suwannee River

Way Down Upon the Suwannee River

As many of my old Gather friends know, I'm originally from Georgia. My family and I have lived in north Florida for nearly 23 years, but for me, Georgia will always be "home."

Over the recent holidays we went back home to visit with family and friends. For me, home is Fargo, GA which lies at the southernmost tip of the state of Georgia. I can (and have) written much about growing up in little ole Fargo (most recent population estimate-380) and many of my short stories are populated by the place and the people I knew growing up there.

One of Fargo's claims to fame (beside being the western entrance to the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge) is that the Suwannee River runs through it.

The Suwannee flows out of the headwaters of the Okefenokee Swamp. Below is a shot of me where the river originates at the Okefenokee Swamp/Suwannee River Sill. The Sill is a nearly two mile long earthen dam with a bridge in two places on it. It has gates that used to be used to control the water flow from the Swamp into the Suwannee. These days the gates stay open and they let the Nature take care of things.

Maybe you remember the Suwannee, made famous by Stephen C. Foster in the song "Old Folks at Home"? This monument is in the parking lot of the park.

Seems Mr. Foster never even visited either Georgia or Florida through which the Suwannee flows, but the name of the river rhymed with words he was using in his song...and so the river became "famous" worldwide.

Several years ago the state of Georgia decided to build a visitors center to give history of the river and the surrounding area. It is an eco-friendly building that has garnered great reviews from all across the state for its design.

For those of us who grew up along the River, it was a place of wonder, discovery, and old-fashioned fun. I remember spending many hot summer afternoons walking along its banks and swimming in those dark waters. My daddy taught me to swim in the river when I was 8 years old.

For those of us who grew up there, the River was a place to meet friends for a swim, have a picnic with our families, or go canoeing, fishing and camping. My husband, Wayne who is standing along the river in the photo below wasn't from Fargo, but he had cousins who lived there so he remembers what fun it was to swim at the River.

The grand old cypress in the photo below has been there as long as anyone living can remember. It's the official "Swimmin' Hole" tree when the river is high enough to swing from it's branches on a rope and drop into the slow-moving waters below. The rope is gone for now because the river has been so low for several years, but I assure you as soon as it rises again, there will be another hung from the highest branch.

Because of its dark tannic waters it's called a "black" river which means it is a slow-moving channel that flows through forested swamps and wetlands.

As vegetation decays in the water, tannins are leached out, resulting in transparent, acidic water that is darkly stained, resembling tea.

Gnarled, weathered old oaks grow along the banks like ancient sentinels watching over the river. I find both strength and beauty in this old oak's bark.

And upon closer inspection, I find even greater beauty among the oak's strong roots.

These macros show the fine detail of the oak wood polished and creased by the river's waters. Green lichen and white river sand dot the wood.

Although the tree below is only a hull of its former self as the river has washed through it, to me it still holds such awesome, quiet beauty.

I often wonder how much of the town's history these old trees growing along the shoreline of the river have seen. How many baptisings have they witnessed?

Years ago many of the churches in Fargo used the waters of the Suwannee at a baptismal pool. The baptism scene from the movie "O Brother Where Art Thou" could have been shot along the shores of the Suwannee.

Some years the churches have celebrated a "community" sunrise service along the banks of the river. I decided to do this photo in black and white, I like the effect, don't you?

Looking back east, while standing on the banks of the River, you can see the train trestle. Trains run through Fargo daily on their way from Jacksonville, FL to Valdosta,GA and beyond.

Although it may look barren in the winter (these photos were taken Dec. 28th) the river is still incredibly beautiful. Moss-draped trees and glorious reflections of the towering cypress and pines along the bank show Mother Nature at her best in the Deep South.

For down here where it rarely snows and temperature hardly go below freezing for more than a day or two at at time...Spring time is always just around the corner. This budding Sweetgum tree says so ;-)

So now you've walked along the banks of the Suwannee River with me...

You've seen the natural beauty she shows as she gracefully flows southward on her 266 mile journey to the Gulf of Mexico.

She is one of the last "wild" rivers in the United States. "Wild" means the Suwannee is a federally designated wild river. It is the only major waterway in the southeastern United States that is still unspoiled.

We in Fargo have always felt privileged to "know" her so well and have her be such an important part of our little town.

I'm so glad you came for a visit. Y'all come back soon ;-)

Rose S. Williams
©Southernstoryteller~2009