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History

museumA Brief Historical LookThe Town of Thunderbolt, a small town who owes its name to a legend of a lightning strike that created a freshwater spring on the Wilmington bluff. Native Americans were found to be among the first inhabitants.

Thunderbolt was a settlement which evolved into a shipping point for local plantation needs which also serviced the river traffic. In 1856, the Town of Thunderbolt was incorporated as Warsaw and then began its history as a processing port for the fishing community. In 1890, Georgia State College was founded for the education of African Americans. This college continues to be a historically black institution and is known today as Savannah State University.

In 1921, Warsaw's name was restored to Thunderbolt and the seafood processing continued to play a large part in this community's development. In 1939, yacht racing became popular and saw the construction of a yacht basin. Annually, the "Blessing of the Fleet" was celebrated until recent years and shrimping evolved into the primary seafood product.

Today, the Town of Thunderbolt remains a unique community with a distinct personality all of its own. Families dwell in this town for many generations which becomes a part of our town's rich history.

This is the legacy of the Town of Thunderbolt!

Courtesy of the Thunderbolt Museum Society, Inc.