Augusta: Surviving Disaster

Augusta: Surviving Disaster allows readers to glimpse the changes that mother nature and human error have wrought on the landscape and design of the "Garden City." These disasters did not only alter the city's landscape; many were the impetus for change in Augusta. The ravaging floods led to the construction of the levee along the Savannah River in 1919, to prevent flooding, and spurred the creation of the Clark Hill Dam and Reservoir. Within this volume, readers will get a glimpse of the damage
caused by the floodwaters of the Savannah River and the Augusta Canal. The remains of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, as well as other homes and businesses, after the Great Fire of 1916 are captured. Historic photographs reveal the damaged remains of the Lower Market after the 1878 tornado. Culled from the extensive collection of the Augusta Museum of History and the personal collection of
Joseph M. Lee III, these images provide testimony to the resiliency of the human spirit and the courage to move forward and rebuild. The citizens of Augusta have a long history of uniting for the common good, and this volume is a tribute to those who overcame
obstacles to create the thriving community that exists today.

Misty A. Tilson is the registrar of the Augusta Museum of History. Ms. Tilson previously worked as registrar at the Blount Mansion Association, an 18th-century historic house museum in Knoxville, Tennessee. She received her MA in Museum Science from Texas Tech University.