Oketeyeconne, Georgia, Stewart County, is a ghost town with a name as intriguing as its history. Once a bustling area, it has now slipped into the obscurity of forgotten places. Below is detailed information about the town.
County: Stewart County
Zip Code: Not available
Latitude / Longitude: 31.9332° N, 84.7902° W
Elevation: Approximately 160 feet (49 meters)
Time Zone: Eastern Time Zone (EST)
Established: Not available
Disestablished: Not available
Comments: Oketeyeconne was once a vibrant settlement but, like many ghost towns, it succumbed to the changing tides of time and economics. It was named after a local Native American term, reflecting the region’s rich cultural tapestry.
Remains: Not much remains of Oketeyeconne today. It is largely characterized by overgrown vegetation and the occasional relic hinting at its past existence. The area is now mainly rural, with nature reclaiming much of the once-developed land.
Current Status: Oketeyeconne is classified as a ghost town. It no longer serves as a residential or commercial center and is mostly visited by those interested in its history or exploring abandoned sites.
The town remained unincorporated. During the mid-twentieth century, it was evacuated when the federal government took it over to develop river water control and navigation projects. Following legislation of the late 1940s, the United States Army Corps of Engineers constructed major dam and reservoir projects on the river.
The manmade, 46,000-acre Walter F. George Lake was developed north of the dam by the same name. Its construction and flooding required the evacuation of Oketeyeconne. The lake opened for use in 1963.
Remarks: The story of Oketeyeconne reflects the ebb and flow of human settlement. While the town itself has faded, its legacy is preserved in the stories and whispered memories of the local community. It serves as a reminder of the many small towns that once dotted the American landscape, now left to history and the imagination of those who seek them out.
Archeologists have found evidence that earlier cultures of Indigenous peoples lived along the river since 1000 BC. In the late 1700s, Oketeyeconne was known historically as a Hitchiti-speaking town of the Lower Creek Indians.
It was the southernmost of major towns affiliated with the Lower Creek, which ranged to the north. To the south were the Sawokli, Tamathli, Apalachicola, Yamasee, Mikasuki, and Seminole peoples.
In 1799, Benjamin Hawkins, the United States Superintendent for Indian Affairs south of the Ohio River, described the settlement as “a nice town settled on good land with room for livestock.” He encouraged Native Americans of the Southeast to adopt European-American farming techniques, and lived among the Creek.
