Pirates & Legends: Savannah's Secret History Road Trip

<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:01:41</time>
<p>Welcome to Talk with History.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:01:43</time>
<p>I am your host Scott, and this week I am bringing you a test project that never quite made the airways.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:01:49</time>
<p>During our occasional breaks, I like to experiment with new formats and try things out and this episode was just that.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:01:56</time>
<p>You may recognize some things that we've taken from that experiment the short story style vignettes that I have been including in our regular episodes.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:02:06</time>
<p>It's been refreshing and fun to work with sound effects in a more scripted format to try and bring listeners deeper into the story.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:02:13</time>
<p>I hope you enjoy the story History is a grand tapestry woven with iconic battles, legendary figures and empires that rose and fell.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:02:30</time>
<p>But even the most familiar stories have hidden threads, unexpected twists and forgotten voices.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:02:37</time>
<p>In this podcast, we'll delve into the heart of iconic events and lesser known moments.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:02:41</time>
<p>We'll meet the heroes, the unexpected players, and the voices that have lost to time.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:02:46</time>
<p>Join me, your host Scott, as we explore the forgotten corners and hidden details of history, rediscovering the stories that deserve to be remembered both grand and small.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:02:55</time>
<p>This is the history road trip.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:03:03</time>
<p>Did you see this?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:03:04</time>
<p>Savannah Bananas?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:03:06</time>
<p>I thought I'd heard the question wrong, so I paused before applying.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:03:09</time>
<p>Or perhaps my friend Eric was just messing with me.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:03:12</time>
<p>We are in the Navy after all.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:03:14</time>
<p>That sailor humor still sneaks out every now and then, and maybe this was meant to be a bit more suggestive than I suspected.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:03:21</time>
<p>I'm sorry.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:03:28</time>
<p>It was 1883 and the Savannah air hung heavy with the scent of honeysuckle and brine as I, Robert Louis Stevenson, navigated the cobble streets.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:03:38</time>
<p>Exhausted from my travels, I sought refuge in a weathered tavern nestled amongst the moss draped oaks.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:03:44</time>
<p>The sign above creaked in the breeze, simply proclaiming it the Tavern.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:03:50</time>
<p>Inside, a haze of pipe smoke hung low, illuminated by flickering candlelight.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:03:55</time>
<p>A motley crew filled the room, weathered sailors with eyes that held tales of storms and distant shores, merchants haggling over steaming mugs, and a lone figure hunched over a worn map in the corner.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:04:08</time>
<p>Intrigued, I sidled up to the bar, its surface slick with spilled ale.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:04:13</time>
<p>The barkeep, a man with a face etched like a weathered map himself, eyed me with a practiced indifference.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:04:20</time>
<p>Scotch if you have it, I rasped, my voice hoarse from the journey.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:04:26</time>
<p>He grunted and produced a dusty bottle, the amber liquid within catching the candlelight.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:04:32</time>
<p>As I took a sip, the air crackled with a sudden tension, a brawl abrupted in the corner, fueled by cheap rum and simmering resentment, I'm sure in the chaos, the map fluttered to the floor.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:04:42</time>
<p>I snatched it before a care boot could crush it.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:04:45</time>
<p>It depicted a rugged island marked with an X that seemed to burn into my memory.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:04:51</time>
<p>Captain Flint's lute, a gruff voice rasped beside me.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:04:56</time>
<p>A weathered sailor, his face a road map of wrinkles, leaned on the bar.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:05:01</time>
<p>His eyes fixed on the map.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:05:03</time>
<p>Died in this very tavern, they say.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:05:06</time>
<p>Took the secret of his treasure to his grave.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:05:10</time>
<p>A shiver ran down my spine.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:05:12</time>
<p>Here, in this smoky, boisterous tavern was the seed of a story.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:05:16</time>
<p>The air thrummed with tales of buried treasure, salty winds, and men with hearts as black as the night.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:05:25</time>
<p>Tell me more, I said, my voice barely a whisper.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:05:30</time>
<p>The sailor launched into a yarn, his words thick with rum and regret.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:05:34</time>
<p>He spoke of a fearsome pirate named Captain Flint, his crew of cutthroats, and a hidden treasure on a nameless island.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:05:41</time>
<p>The room around me faded.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:05:43</time>
<p>I saw not a tavern brawl, but a young Jim Hawkins thrust into a world of pirates and buried gold.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:05:50</time>
<p>By the end, the last embers of the brawl had died down.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:05:53</time>
<p>I had scribbled the first lines of a story in my travel journal, Treasure Island.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:06:00</time>
<p>The words seemed to hold the promise of adventure, of hidden riches and perilous journeys.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:06:04</time>
<p>The smoky haze of the tavern had birthed the tale that would forever be etched in my mind, a testament to the power of a good story.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:06:12</time>
<p>And the magic spun in a dimly lit corner of a Savannah tavern.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:06:25</time>
<p>One thing you have to know about Savannah, Georgia, is that it's built for visitors.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:06:31</time>
<p>Walkable.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:06:31</time>
<p>Like almost no other city we have visited before, it exudes something different, something almost otherworldly.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:06:37</time>
<p>Or maybe a step back in time.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:06:40</time>
<p>A must see museum attraction is the American Prohibition Museum that gives you an almost Disney level experience covering the rise of Prohibition how mobsters use Savannah as a springboard to run alcohol all throughout the United states.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:06:58</time>
<p>It was 1923.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:00</time>
<p>The humid Georgia air clung to me like a second shirt, the Spanish moss hanging from the live oaks dripping a slow, steady sweat onto my fedora.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:10</time>
<p>Savannah was a sweaty, beautiful dame, all secrets and charm under a veil of stifling heat.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:17</time>
<p>Perfect for our business, of course.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:19</time>
<p>Al Capone may have been the face in Chicago, but down here I, Frankie the fixer Marino, kept the booze flowing smoother than a Charleston flapper's moves.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:30</time>
<p>Tonight was a drop off.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:31</time>
<p>We were delivering a shipment, hot off the freighter that had slipped past the Coast Guard's water like a phantom.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:36</time>
<p>My crew, a motley bunch of toughs I trusted more than my own reflection, unloaded the crates from the rumbling truck into a darkened alley behind a speakeasy with a reputation about as shady as its clientele Suddenly the alley entrance flooded with harsh light.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:51</time>
<p>Revenue agents.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:52</time>
<p>Damn.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:54</time>
<p>Ten of them, the yellow stripes on their fedoras a stark contrast to the grimy brick wall.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:00</time>
<p>My heart hammered a frantic rhythm against my ribs.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:02</time>
<p>We weren't supposed to be made tonight.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:04</time>
<p>We paid off the right palms, greased the right wheels.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:07</time>
<p>My hand instinctively went to the reassuring weight of the Browning tucked under my arm.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:12</time>
<p>A fight was useless, a bloodbath in this narrow space.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:16</time>
<p>But maybe, just maybe, there was another way.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:19</time>
<p>Gentlemen, I drawled, stepping forward, a smile plastered on my face that wouldn't have fooled a blind dog.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:26</time>
<p>Just a routine inspection, right?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:29</time>
<p>The lead agent, a bulldog of a man with a jaw that could crack walnuts, didn't crack a smile.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:34</time>
<p>Frankie Marino, he said, his voice flat.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:38</time>
<p>Been expecting you.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:40</time>
<p>My smile faltered.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:41</time>
<p>This wasn't good.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:43</time>
<p>Not good at all.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:44</time>
<p>Look, fellas, I began, sweat trickling down my back.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:47</time>
<p>There must be some misunderstanding.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:49</time>
<p>We're just delivering some cough syrup.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:51</time>
<p>High end stuff, See?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:54</time>
<p>One of the agents snorted.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:55</time>
<p>Cut the crap, Marino.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:57</time>
<p>We got a tip.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:58</time>
<p>An anonymous one, very specific, and it mentioned a hidden compartment in the second truck from the left.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:03</time>
<p>My blood ran cold.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:04</time>
<p>An anonymous tip.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:05</time>
<p>We hit a leak.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:06</time>
<p>But who?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:08</time>
<p>My mind raced, searching for the weakness for traitors.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:11</time>
<p>The silence stretched thick and suffocating.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:14</time>
<p>Alright, I finally said, raising my hands in surrender.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:17</time>
<p>You win.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:18</time>
<p>But tell me this.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:20</time>
<p>Who snitched?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:22</time>
<p>The agent's lips curled into a smirk.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:24</time>
<p>That, Frankie, he said, is classified information.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:37</time>
<p>Each of Savannah squares is typically surrounded by eight lots, or wards, as they call them, four residential and four public buildings.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:45</time>
<p>They're known for their lush landscaping, featuring live oaks, fountains, statues, and some very famous benches.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:59</time>
<p>The Georgia sun beat down on my back as I wrestled with a wayward Confederate flag.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:03</time>
<p>It was 1993, and I was a lowly grip on the set of Forrest Gump here in Savannah.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:10</time>
<p>The historic city was a character itself in this movie, all moss draped squares and pastel antebellum houses.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:16</time>
<p>Peaceful, almost sleepy.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:18</time>
<p>It's hard to imagine the turmoil it had seen just this morning.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:22</time>
<p>I'd been setting up a scene in Forsyth Park, a sprawling green space dotted with ancient live oaks.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:27</time>
<p>The scene called for a young forest, braces on his legs, running alongside a group of kids.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:34</time>
<p>It was a heartwarming image, but as I secured the flag to a lamppost, I couldn't help but think about the very different scenes this park and might have witnessed back in the Civil War.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:43</time>
<p>Savannah, they said, was one of the few Southern cities to be captured intact.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:48</time>
<p>But even without the fiery destruction, the scars ran deep.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:51</time>
<p>You could feel them in the hushed reverence of the locals when they spoke of the city's history.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:56</time>
<p>Suddenly, a booming voice cut through my reverie.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:59</time>
<p>Hey, grip, need a hand with that flagpole?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:02</time>
<p>I looked up to see Tom Hanks himself, a goofy grin plastered on his face.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:06</time>
<p>Even in his khaki work clothes, he had that movie star aura.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:10</time>
<p>Sure thing, Mr.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:11</time>
<p>Hanks, I stammered, a little starstruck.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:13</time>
<p>We wrestled the flagpole into submission and the red, white, and blue flapping in the breeze.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:18</time>
<p>You know, he said, wiping his brow with a bandana, this park must have seen some crazy things back in the day.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:23</time>
<p>I mean, yeah, I agree.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:25</time>
<p>Hard to imagine all that fighting happened here, right next to where kids are going to be playing.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:29</time>
<p>Catching the movie.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:30</time>
<p>He chuckled.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:32</time>
<p>That's the beauty of movies, I guess.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:34</time>
<p>We get to rewrite history.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:36</time>
<p>Or at least show a different side of it.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:39</time>
<p>He gazed out at the park, a thoughtful expression on his face.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:42</time>
<p>Maybe that's what Forest's story is all about too, showing the good and the bad, the hope.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:48</time>
<p>Even in the darkest times.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:51</time>
<p>His words hung in the air as we finished securing the flag.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:54</time>
<p>Maybe it was just the heat, but I felt a lump form in my throat.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:58</time>
<p>Here I was, a nobody on a movie set, and Tom Hanks was making me think about history, about the stories woven into the very fabric of this city.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:12:05</time>
<p>And suddenly the scene we were creating felt a lot more important than just entertainment.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:12:11</time>
<p>It was a chance to spark a conversation, to remind people of the past, even in a story about a fictional character with a box of chocolates.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:12:20</time>
<p>As Tom Hanks sauntered off to his trailer, I looked around the park, my eyes filled with a newfound respect.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:12:27</time>
<p>Savannah was more than just a pretty backdrop.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:12:29</time>
<p>It was a living testament to a nation's past, a place where history whispered in the rustling Spanish moss of the live oaks.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:12:37</time>
<p>And who knows, maybe this movie, with its fictional character and his extraordinary journey, would inspire someone to learn more about the real stories this city held.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:12:52</time>
<p>You know the baseball team, the Savannah Bananas?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:12:56</time>
<p>I broke into an immediate grin and laughed.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:12:58</time>
<p>No, I replied between my laughs.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:13:00</time>
<p>We didn't see the Savannah Bananas.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:13:03</time>
<p>Eric laughed along with me and told me all about the Triple A baseball team that focuses on over the top entertainment acts during the games with other AAA teams.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:13:13</time>
<p>Like wearing a kilt while at bat, doing flips, running the bases.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:13:17</time>
<p>Essentially the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:13:20</time>
<p>I was actually bummed I missed out on this modern Savannah staple, but I did not regret one moment walking through this amazing and historic city.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:13:30</time>
<p>Savannah whispers tales of pirates historical figures, figures and architectural marvels.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:13:37</time>
<p>Beyond the iconic bench from Forrest Gump, this city offers a treasure trove of intriguing stories waiting to be discovered.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:13:44</time>
<p>So lace up your walking shoes and get ready to be charmed when you pay your own visit to Savannah, Georgia.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:13:55</time>
<p>This has been a Walk with History production.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:13:57</time>
<p>Talk with History is created and hosted by me, Scott Benny.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:14:00</time>
<p>Episode researched by Jennifer Benny.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:14:02</time>
<p>Check out the show notes for links and references mentioned in this episode.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:14:06</time>
<p>Talk with History is supported by our [email protected] our eternal thanks to those providing funding to help keep us going.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:14:15</time>
<p>Thank you to Doug McLiberty, Larry Myers, and Patrick Benny.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:14:19</time>
<p>Make sure you hit that follow button in your podcast player and we'll talk to.</p>