09/13/2026
Fitzgerald, Georgia, population 8,849, is in the southern part of the state. It is about 90 miles north of the Florida line, which makes it closer to the Sunshine state than the capital in Atlanta. Fitzgerald has a fascinating past that forged our country’s history. It has an equally amazing present that is changing the world. Oh, and they have crazy chickens! Fitzgerald didn’t exist in 1865, when Jefferson Davis was captured in the nearby town of Irwinville, thus ending the civil war. The area was an undeveloped forest that was expanded in 1895 by Philander Fitzgerald of Indianapolis, Indiana. He was a drummer in the Union Army during the war between the states. Mr. Fitzgerald wanted it to be a community where war veterans from both sides could coexist. He envisioned it as a place for the nation to heal. The streets were named after generals from both sides, and the majority of the first citizens were Union veterans, who relocated south to begin a new life. The “moving forward” was solidified at a harvest parade in 1896. Organizers had planned 2 separate parades-a Confederate and a Union, because the pain of war was still so fresh. When the band started playing the National anthem, old enemies reached out to each other, and marched side by side down the street behind the American flags. The Blue and Gray Museum in Fitzgerald tells the stories and shows the artifacts from that historical time. Fast forward to a non-profit in Fitzgerald that also saw a need for healing, but on a global scale. Mana Nutrition produces ready to use therapeutic food (RUTF) created to fight severe malnutrition in children. This shelf- stable paste in a pouch is made of milk, multivitamins, and peanut butter. Mana purchases 2 million pounds of peanuts per month, produces the RUTF and ships it around the world-crazy, right?! Equally wild are the Fitzgerald chickens. Back in the 1960’s, thousands of Burmese chickens were stocked in the area, near the Ocmulgee River as a game bird. For unknown verified reasons, the birds decided Fitzgerald neighborhoods were a better place to lay down roots. The city decided to embrace their new residents. Today, there are about 900 wild chickens roaming freely throughout the city. We didn’t see any, but we saw plenty of chicken statues, bike racks, and a giant 62’ tall metal chicken that oversees everything! We also discovered beautiful architecture, brick streets, a fascinating cemetery where soldiers from both sides of the Civil War are buried, nice people and you know us…. delicious food! If you get a chance, go Live, Stay, Play in Fitzgerald, Georgia. It's a town that we enjoyed learning about, and it was a great Small Town Discovery.
