MACON māˈkən, māˈkŏn, city (1990 pop. 106,612), seat of Bibb co., central Ga., at the head of navigation on the Ocmulgee River; inc. 1823. It is the industrial, processing, and shipping center for an extensive farm area. Textiles, clay products, insulation board, tile brick, rockets, explosives, and fabricated steel are among its manufactures. Fort Hawkins was established on the east side of the river in 1806 and renamed Newtown in 1821. Macon (for Nathaniel Macon) was laid out on the west side in 1823; Newtown was annexed in 1829. Wesleyan College, Mercer Univ., and a state school for the blind are there. Also in Macon are the birthplace of Sidney Lanier, a restored grand-opera house (1884), Fort Hawkins (1806; partially restored), a museum of arts and sciences, and a planetarium. Nearby are Robins Air Force Base and the Ocmulgee National Monument. ____________________ The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright© 2004, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products N.V. All rights reserved. -29489- |