Centuries before the Civil War -- and eons before flowering Yoshino cherry trees put Macon on the state tourism map -- lived Middle Georgia citizens of a different kind. More than 10,000 years ago, what is now known as metro Macon-Bibb County was home to the Creek Indians and their ancestors, who settled along the Ocmulgee River and lived placidly there until the arrival of the white man in the 16th century. According to historical records, the Ocmulgee River provided more to the first native Maconites than fertile soil: In 1540, the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto documented the New World's first Christian baptism when priests with his party baptized two local Indians in a ceremony on the Ocmulgee river bank.

Today, the spirit of this region's Paleo-Indian heritage is still evident in Macon, a city that is also known for its Southern hospitality and historic antebellum charm. Founded on the site of the Ocmulgee Old Fields and geographically situated on the Fall Line where the Piedmont joins the flat Coastal Plains, Macon was established as a trading post in 1806 after the Creeks ceded their lands east of the Ocmulgee. The city was incorporated on the river's west bank in 1823. Named for Nathaniel Macon, a statesman from North Carolina, Macon is the county seat of Bibb County, established in 1822.

Early on, Macon's planners kept aesthetics in mind. Using the ancient Gardens of Babylon as their guide, local leaders designed a city marked by wide streets and large squares of garden parks, earning Macon the title The City of Parks. In the 19th century, a bustling economy earned Macon the name of "Queen Inland of the South," primarily due to the proximity of the Ocmulgee river and the accessibility of the railroad. Today, Macon's place at Georgia's geographic midpoint (about 90 miles south of the state capitol of Atlanta, the site of the 1996 Olympics) affords easy interstate access from around the state. And for first-time visitors and residents alike, Macon offers much to see and do. Activities and attractions include public swimming, tennis and golf; two amateur theater companies: Macon Little Theatre and Theatre Macon at the Ritz; The Museum of Arts and Sciences and the Harriet Tubman African American Museum; the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and Sports Hall of Fame; five downtown historical museum houses; historical walking, driving and guided tours; and two annual citywide festivals: The Cherry Blossom Festival, which attracts international visitors each March, and The Southern Jubilee held each fall.

Educationally, Macon boasts two private colleges, Mercer University and Wesleyan College, the first college chartered to grant degrees to women; Macon State College, a public four-year unit of the University System of Georgia; a large public school system and several private schools.