A friend of mine whom I have known for many years called late this past Sunday evening while I was working in my yard.
We talked awhile back about the coins I have from Zirkle. I told him if he happened to be nearby to give me a call and I would let him hold them in his hand.
He also wanted to see my backyard, so I told him to come on. When Tommy arrived, I told him about how I came about the two coins I have. These are the only two that I have ever seen.
I feel like there are more (and would love to have others) being at one time Zirkle was a thriving community with 400-500 people living down there including the actor Ossie Davis and his dad.
The town was named after Lewis A. Zirkle in 1910. The dam was built across the Little Satilla River in 1918 supposedly to float logs downriver to the Big Satilla River and Burnt Fort.
As crooked as the rivers are, that would have been a very difficult trip to make, unless the river was wider 100 years ago. According to what history I have been able to find, the town pretty much shut down around 1926.
People started moving away with the old remaining houses falling down. I didn’t find the location of Zirkle until 2007 when my neighbor told me about it being just 12 miles from my house.
It has been one of my favorite places to photograph. Nothing much remains at Zirkle anymore but the memories.
• Wayne Morgan is freelance wildlife photographer and author.
Photo By WAYNE MORGAN Pictured are coins used in the once thriving community of Zirkle in Pierce County on the Little Satilla River. Photographer Wayne Morgan says he has not seen or heard of any other coins.
