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Elbert County Bobby Brown State Park is where Fort James was once located (nothing remains of the fort) and the once-thriving city of Petersburg. Dionysius Oliver was given a land grant of 5,250 acres by the state of Georgia in 1784. He divided 43 of those acres into half-acre plots and sold them for more than $2,000 each. The area become the town of Petersburg, home to many of Georgia's governors and senators. Meriwether Lewis, of the Lewis and Clark expedition once lived in Petersburg. The area was first deeded to the Daughters of the American Revolution and than to the state of Georgia. Bobby Brown State Park derives its name from a young Lt. JG who was killed during WWII. Bobby Brown grew up in the area and his father was a U.S. Senator for Georgia. The Brown family still visits the park to enjoy its beauty. The park is situated at the northern end of Strom Thurmond/Clarks Hill Reservoir, a 70,000-acre impoundment that is the largest man-made lake east of the Mississippi River. The U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers owns the property around this reservoir, and the park was leased from the corp. in 1952. With more than 1,200 miles of shoreline, the park provides access for outdoor enthusiasts of all types. This ranges from fishing and water skiing, to hiking and camping. |
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