The old adage ‘history repeats itself’ has been made true once more.
19 years after the publication of his first book on Richmond Hill and Bryan County, Coastal Georgia-based historian and author Buddy Sullivan has released an updated history book entitled “Richmond Hill and Bryan County, Georgia: A New History”. The book details in full “the historical, cultural, and much of the genealogical history of many of the pioneer families of Bryan,” according to the synopsis.
The original copy, published in 2006 by the Richmond Hill Historical Society, has since sold out, being out of print for the past five years. The motivation to update the book and re-release it was strong, said Sullivan.
“Well, I thought it was a propitious time to redo the book, bring it up to date, and get it out to the public again,” said Sullivan.
Sullivan’s knack for writing and teaching has been well-documented throughout his life. Born and raised in McIntosh County, historian Sullivan says that his passion for preserving literature comes from his family, who themselves have lived in the Coastal Georgia area for so long.
Sullivan went to LaGrange College, graduating with a major in history. Although he intended to become a teacher, Sullivan got ‘sidetracked’ and got into the journalism field, becoming a sports writer with various newspaper publications like the Savannah Morning News.
After a period, he then went on to work with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources in Sapelo Island, overseeing public outreach programs.
While researching and revising his book, Sullivan says that the ease in finding information was made possible with the help of digitized archives from the Georgia Historical Society and the UGA History Department.
“Most of the research materials are all digitized, and it’s just so easy to find things. It’s made updating this book a lot easier,” said Sullivan.
A closer look
Just under 400 pages, the book covers a broad range of eras, from the county’s first settlers to the plantation and antebellum era to the continued industrialization from the 20th century onwards.
But although much, much has changed since the 1700s, Sullivan remarks that he is most fascinated by the way Bryan County has been unofficially split into two parts, with North and South Bryan occupying different spaces throughout the region’s shared history.
The ghost city of Clyde was also a source of interest for Sullivan, who studied how the creation of Fort Stewart hollowed out the former county seat.
“Clyde was a fascinating place, and I was fortunate in meeting a lot of people when I was doing the research on the original book to associate and be able to interview and talk to a lot of the older people who grew up and knew about Clyde before, before Fort Stewart came and condemned all that land,” Sullivan explained.
Looking ahead
Although Buddy Sullivan is a historian by trade, he makes no hesitation in predicting a bright future for Bryan County.
“The sky’s the limit,” said Sullivan, citing strong leadership and economic growth across Bryan.. “I don’t see anything but good things and continued growth and prosperity for the county.”
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Richmond Hill & Bryan County, Georgia: A New History
Buddy Sullivan
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378 pages, hardcover, 8 ½ x 11 format, photographs, maps, bibliography and Index.
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Now available at the Richmond Hill Visitors Center (Ford Ave.), Fort McAllister Museum Gift Shop, and Richmond Hill Museum Gift Shop.
