Okefenokee Swamp Park Facilities – Waycross GA

Description

The Okefenokee Swamp had long been a site of habitation in southern Georgia. According to the New Georgia Encyclopedia, “An all-black unit of the Civilian Conservation Corps was transferred to the refuge, and between 1937 and 1941 they developed facilities there, which are still in use today. Designating the Okefenokee a wildlife refuge preserved the swamp but drove out its residents. Swamp dwellers were told they could no longer kill bears and wildcats in order to protect their livestock. The residents found it impossible to support themselves, and over time they moved away. All residents were likely gone by 1958. The size of the refuge has increased over the years. In 1937 the government purchased 292,979 additional acres. Today the refuge comprises 396,000 acres.”