Q: How did the southwest Georgia town of Bainbridge gets its name?
A: It took four times to get a name that stuck.
A Seminole Indian settlement called Pucknawhitla was established along the banks of the Flint River where present-day Bainbridge is located, according to the New Georgia Encyclopedia.
“Being on the banks of the Flint River is how we know we were a part of the Seminole Indian nation that came up from Florida,” said Julie Harris, executive director of the Bainbridge Convention and Visitors Bureau.
In 1765, a European trader, John Burgess, founded a trading post at the settlement, which led to it being renamed Burgess Town, author Ken Krakow wrote in “Georgia Place-Names.”
By the early 1800s, a small fort had been built in the area, and the town was again renamed, this time as Fort Hughes. (The fort no longer remains.)
Bainbridge, one of two inland ports in Georgia, was incorporated on Dec. 22, 1829, according to “Georgia Place-Names.” The Georgia General Assembly designated the Fort Hughes area as the county seat of the newly created Decatur County.
The legislature then renamed the town after Commodore William Bainbridge, naval commander of the U.S.S. Constitution, a.k.a. “Old Ironsides,” during the War of 1812, according to the New Georgia Encyclopedia. As far as anyone knows, Commodore Bainbridge, who was born in New Jersey in 1774 and died in Philadelphia in 1833, has no connection to the city.
“The way I like to think it happened is that the soldiers that were posted here in the Indian village were so impressed by Commodore Bainbridge and his ship that they decided they needed to name the city in his honor following the war of 1812,” said Harris, who is also the community affairs director for the city of Bainbridge.
“Bainbridge has gone through four name changes since the 1700s. From its Indian origins to being soldier-oriented, its name kind of signifies the orientation of the town,” Harris said.
The city, which has about 12,500 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, now attracts visitors for its water activities. Bainbridge, which hosts fishing tournaments throughout the year, is called the “bass capital of Georgia.”
“Between Flint River and Lake Seminole, it’s a prime spot in the state for bass fishing,” Harris said.
If you’re new in town or have questions about this special place we call home, ask us! E-mail q&a@ajc.com or call 404-222-2002.
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