It's a tree that was planted with love and desire. A must…read moresee if you are in Athens. The Tree That Owns Itself is a white oak tree that, according to legend, has legal ownership of itself and of all land within eight feet of its base. Also known as the Jackson Oak, the tree is at the corner of South Finley and Dearing Streets in Athens, Georgia, US. The earliest-known telling of the tree's story comes from "Deeded to Itself", a front-page article in the Athens Weekly Banner on August 12, 1890. The article explains that the tree had been located on the property of Colonel William Henry Jackson.[1] William Jackson was the son of James Jackson, a soldier in the American Revolution as well as a Congressman, US Senator, and Governor of Georgia, and the father of another James Jackson, a Congressman and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia. He was the brother of Jabez Young Jackson, also a Congressman. William Jackson was reportedly a professor at the University of Georgia and is sometimes mentioned with the title of Doctor. The nature of his military service and the source of the title Colonel are unknown.] Jackson supposedly cherished childhood memories of the tree, and, desiring to protect it, deeded to it the ownership of itself and its surrounding land. By various accounts, this transaction took place between 1820 and 1832. **THE TREE IS NEXT TO A PRIVATE HOME AND PRIVATE DRIVE PLEASE DO NOT PARK**

This local attraction is a curiosity in that some professor deeded the land surrounding to the tree…read moreitself as a sort of thought experiment. This is kind of silly, but it hearkens back to the purpose of having colleges and college towns in the first place, which is doing thought experiments. It's on a residential street in a cramped, historic neighborhood. All the surrounding houses are private properties, so there's not much to see here. You can just walk by and ponder whether trees can actually have property rights.

Just off Main Street near the heart of downtown Madison, this historical marker quietly…read morecommemorates the nearby residence of a patriot who once called this area home. Though the marker still stands, it has clearly weathered the years--its surface mottled with moss and in need of some restorative care. The road here is often bustling with traffic, but visitors can find convenient parking in the lot adjacent to the Cultural Center, making it easier to stop and reflect on the legacy preserved in this modest sign It reads, "Joshua Hill, noted Georgian of the Civil War and Reconstruction, was born in 1812 in the Abbeville District, S.C. He studied law and come to Ga. to practice, settling in Madison after living in Monticello for a time. Having strong Whig and Unionist principles, he was drawn into the American or Know-Nothing party when the Whig party in Ga. collapsed and was elected to Congress in 1856, defeating Linton Stephens. An outspoken opponent of secession, Hill resigned his seat in 1861 rather than withdraw with the other members of the Ga. delegation. In 1863 he made an unsuccessful bid for the governorship. "After the war, Hill participated actively in the work of Reconstruction as a member of the constitutional convention of 1865 and as a U.S. Senator. Elected to the Senate in 1868, he qualified in 1871 and served until 1873. Although he entered Republic party and supported Radical Reconstruction, he never lost the respect and admiration of the people of Ga. "When his term ended in 1873, Hill retired from politics, coming out of retirement only to take part in the constitutional convention of 1877. He died in 1891 and is buried in Madison" This is officially designated as marker number 104-1, and it was placed here in 1963 by the Georgia Historical Commission to honor Hill's contributions and preserve his story for future generations. [Review 1299 of 2025 - 847 in Georgia - 24851 overall]

Unexpected to find this name in this place but here it is. It is in the center of Madison, on the…read moresquare with the county courthouse. It has the same text on both sides. It reads, "Oliver Norvell Hardy, of the comedy team Laurel and Hardy, lived in the Turnell-Butler Hotel which once stood on this corner. He was born in Harlem, Georgia, on January 18, 1892. The family was in Madison by that February, and may have moved here earlier. Mrs. Hardy later opened a hotel in Madison named The Hardy House. Oliver began his education at age six at the Madison Grammar School. Mrs. Hardy and her children left Madison in October 1898. Oliver Hardy died in 1957 and is buried in California where a plaque reads: "His Talent Brought Joy and Laughter To All the World."" Hardy was born Norvell Hardy, taking the name Oliver later to honor his father, a Confederate veteran who died less than a year after Hardy's birth. Though he began formal education in Madison, Hardy was restless and drawn to performance. He attended Georgia Military College and later Young Harris College, but his real passion was music. He studied voice in Atlanta and sang in theaters for modest pay, sometimes skipping lessons to perform. Hardy's entry into film began in Jacksonville, Florida, where he worked as a cabaret singer and at the Lubin Manufacturing Company. He was often cast as a villain in silent shorts, and before teaming with Stan Laurel, he had a prolific solo career, appearing in dozens of films under the name Babe Hardy. Hardy married three times: first to Madelyn Saloshin, then Myrtle Reeves, and finally Virginia Lucille Jones, who remained with him until his death in 1957. He is buried at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in North Hollywood, California This is marker number 104-1. It was erected in 2002 by The Georgia Historical Society and the City of Madison. There is plenty of parking in the area as well as some restaurants and shops. [Review 1311 of 2025 - 851 in Georgia - 24863 overall]

Hiding in plain sight, this marker stands on what was once the public square. The obelisk was…read moreunveiled in 1856 and is one of the oldest public memorials in the city and commemorates Benjamin Braswell, a local figure of significance. Benjamin Braswell (ca. 1749-1817) was an early settler, farmer, and philanthropist in Morgan County. He was part of a widespread family network that settled across upper Georgia after the American Revolution. Though little is known about his early life, records show he participated in the 1805 Georgia Land Lottery and was living in Franklin County at the time. By 1808, he had purchased land in the newly formed Morgan County, where he established a modest plantation focused on corn, wheat, cattle, and hogs as cotton had not yet taken hold in the region. At his death in 1817, Braswell owned more than a dozen enslaved individuals and was remembered as a quiet, generous neighbor. His most enduring contribution came through his will, which left his estate to Morgan County for the care and education of orphans. This act of generosity led to the creation of the Braswell Fund, a public trust that continues to operate today. His reconstructed grave, along with that of his wife Emily, is located in Braswell Park near the Morgan-Walton county line, protected by a wrought iron fence. Located in the heart of Madison's original 1809 town plan, the monument stands on what was once the public square. It predates many of the square's later features and has remained a constant presence through the town's evolution. [Review 1282 of 2025 - 844 in Georgia - 24834 overall]

This marker is not far from the town square and points out a time when Georgia was the frontier…read more That's hard to believe, but yes. Here we are at this historic home. The marker reads, "Establishment of Madison was part of a larger movement to settle the Georgia frontier and the westward population shift. The first division of town land created 48 original lots, each measuring 100 by 200 feet. Lots were sold on February 23, 1809, with the average lot sale being $155. Early dwellings and enterprises were modest, frame structures. Lot No. 6 sold for $111 to Reuben Rogers who built a dwelling. Known as an I-House or Piedmont Plain, this type of structure was particularly popular in the Upland South and often built by well established farmers and townsfolk. The Rogers House (c.1810) is significant as the last remaining residence from the period of the town's original founding on its original lot. "Opened for tourism in 1992 and later joined by the Rose Cottage (1893), the house serves as an excellent example of community cooperation: property ownership by Morgan County; leadership and funding for restoration, furnishings, and operation by the City; and management of the museum complex provided by the Morgan County Historical Society." This partnership reflects Madison's enduring commitment to honoring its past--not just through plaques and records, but through the careful stewardship of the very buildings that shaped its identity. The Rogers House stands not only as a historical artifact but as a symbol of civic pride, architectural heritage, and the power of local cooperation. The marker was erected in 2011 by the City of Madison. Unfortunately, I was here well past the time for tours and was unable to see the inside. [Review 1303 of 2025 - 850 in Georgia - 24855 overall]

While walking the campus of the University of Georgia, I spotted this marker in front of a rather…read moreimpressive looking building. It provides some modern history - remember, this is still the South - and a pleasant ending to the story. The marker reads, "On Jan. 6, 1961, Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter became the first two African American students to enroll at the University of Georgia when they walked past the historic Arch and into this building to register for classes. On this day, January 9, 2001, as part of the 40th Anniversary celebration of the desegregation of the University, we salute the courage and fortitude displayed by these students and their families in paving the way for others to follow." The building itself is hard to miss, a fusion of two antebellum structures built in 1831 and 1860 that are in a Beaux-Arts design with a grand Corinthian portico that was added in 1905. They were originally the Ivy Building and a separate library that was once a Presbyterian church. The new united structure contains the Office of the Registrar, Student Financial Aid, and the Institute for African American Studies. The marker was erected in 2001 by the University of Georgia. If you're here, know that you're following the footsteps of thousands before you. [Review 1382 of 2025 - 864 in Georgia - 24934 overall]

Athens is where the famous University of Georgia is located (Go Dawgs!) and the city has a long…read morehistory of education. This marker points out one of those earlier educators whose work led to the origin of the university. It reads, "Dr. Moses Waddel, educator and minister, was born in 1770 in North Carolina. At fourteen he began teaching pupils near his home. Moving to Georgia in 1786, he taught in the Greensboro area until 1787, opening another school at Bethany, Greene County, in 1788. While at Bethany Waddel decided to enter the ministry. He studied at Hampden-Sydney College and graduated in less than nine months in 1791, thereafter combining the careers of teacher and minister. "Establishing his most famous academy at Willington, South Carolina, in 1804, Waddel continued his work there until 1819 when he became President of Franklin College, now the University of Georgia. One of the most prominent ante-bellum leaders of that institution, he served until 1829. Unwilling to divorce education from religion, Waddel stimulated the religious life of the campus. In 1820 he organized and was pastor of the First Presbyterian congregation in Athens, which became the First Presbyterian Church. The present church building was erected in 1855. Waddel died in 1840 at his son's home in Athens. His pupils during a lifetime of teaching included John C. Calhoun, William H. Crawford, George R. Gilmer, Augustus B. Longstreet, and George McDuffie." In 1819, Waddel published Memoirs of the Life of Miss Caroline Elizabeth Smelt, a sentimental religious biography that became a transatlantic bestseller, reprinted in both the U.S. and Britain. Less widely acknowledged is that the 1820 census recorded sixteen enslaved individuals in his household, including nine children under fourteen, reflecting the complex and often contradictory legacy of Southern educators in the antebellum period. It is marker number 029-11 and it was erected in 1963 by the Georgia Historical Commission. [Review 1376 of 2025 - 860 in Georgia - 24928 overall]

This marker is along US-29 (Business) that parallels the railroad between Athens and Atlanta. The…read moremarker is on the south side of the road and while there isn't parking, there is room to pull over and leave your car for a moment to read the marker and admire the home. The home is private property so please respect that. The marker has the same text on both sides. It reads, "The Russell House was built in 1912 by Richard Brevard Russell, Sr., (B. 1861 - D. 1938), and his wife, Ina Dillard, (B. 1868 - D. 1953), who were married June 24, 1891. Fifteen children were born of this marriage. Judge Russell was elected Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Georgia in 1922, and served in this capacity until his death. Mrs. Russell was Georgia's Mother of the year in 1950. In 1954, the late Senator Richard B. Russell, Jr., the oldest son, became the owner of the house and made it his home until his death in 1971. Russell Memorial Park and Cemetery is located to the South of the house." The marker was erected in 1977 by the Winder Lions Club & Auxiliary. [Review 230 of 2025 - 799 in Georgia - 23794 overall]