The Cotton Exchange Conspiracy — Augusta's Hidden Ledgers

Your investigation begins at the Augusta Canal Discovery Center, an interpretive center opened in 1996, tracing the history of the 11 km historic canal built in 1845. This canal, designated a National Historic Landmark in 1978, was the first American canal designed specifically for industrial hydraulic power. You embark on a 1.5-mile boat tour, as offered by the center's circuits, and travel back in time to understand how engineer Horton Howard transformed Augusta into a manufacturing powerhouse. The calm waters of the canal whisper the secrets of Georgia's industrial pioneers, while augmented reality archival images show you the workers of the era.

Continue your journey to Sibley Mill, a factory built between 1881 and 1882, named after cotton magnate Samuel Sibley. This mill, one of the largest in the South with 40,000 spindles in 1900, was powered by a 1,000-horsepower hydraulic turbine drawing its force from the canal. Today, Sibley Mill still operates partially as a modern hydroelectric plant, demonstrating the ingenuity of the era. Here you discover the technical challenges of Augusta's 19th-century cotton industrialization, and the plans of architect Enoch William Brown who oversaw many projects in the city.

The route then leads you to Enterprise Mill, another textile factory erected in 1848, among the first in the Southern United States to be powered by the Augusta Canal. Its 200-foot-high chimney, visible from the canal route, remains a landmark of Augusta's industrial landscape. Converted into residential lofts in 2001 while preserving its historic structure, it embodies the resilience of Georgia's heritage. The red brick walls, once imbued with the smell of cotton, reveal augmented reality extracts from production ledgers, essential to your mission.

Heading towards the historic heart of Augusta, you arrive at Saint Paul's Episcopal Church, an Episcopal church built in 1743 and Georgia's oldest organized church. Its steeple, added in 1751, served as a navigational landmark on the Savannah River for trade boats. Founded by English settlers, this active parish church since 1733 is only 1 km from the Discovery Center via the Riverwalk. It offers a striking contrast to the industrial architecture, reminding you that the cotton trade developed against a backdrop of faith and community.

Your quest finally leads you to the Augusta Cotton Exchange, a building constructed in 1886 by Enoch William Brown and William Henry Goodrich, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. This was the nerve center of Augusta's cotton trade from 1872 to 1964, providing information on prices and market conditions. Immediately adjacent to the Riverwalk, and not far from the Old Medical College, built in 1835 in the Greek Revival style, it is here that the hidden ledgers might be revealed. The Old Medical College, with its tin dome added in 1883, is a silent witness to the fortunes made and lost in this Georgia city. Exploring these iconic Augusta sites allows you to piece together the cotton legacy puzzle and uncover the secrets of this fascinating era.