Park honoring civil war nurse, educator Susie King Taylor opens in Midway

MIDWAY, Ga. (WTOC) - A new park honoring Susie King Taylor, a groundbreaking historical figure in the Southeast, is now open to the public in Liberty County.

Local leaders gathered to cut the ribbon on the Susie King Taylor Freedom Park at Jones Creek, a site with deep historical significance. The park sits on the very grounds where Taylor helped several people escape from slavery as a teenager in the 1860s.

What is now a place filled with children playing and families spending time together once served as a path to freedom.

Taylor later became the first African American nurse in the Civil War. She also made her mark as an educator, opening schools for African American children in both Savannah and Liberty County.

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Colonel William Weaver, a local military veteran at Fort Stewert, says Taylor’s legacy is especially meaningful as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary.

“She was a proponent of literacy,” Weaver said. She believed literacy is a form of liberty, and I just thought that story was very powerful. “She was someone who was important in her time, but she’s also important for our time—as long as we remember. If we forget about the people before us, their importance starts to wane, and it stops having an impact on people.

The park currently includes a playground, pavilion and parking, with additional features planned. Local leaders say the space reflects Taylor’s vision of unity and freedom.

The opening celebration also featured a live reenactment of Taylor’s life, performed by Charlotte Lovette Norman, who has portrayed Taylor on multiple occasions.

The performance offered visitors a deeper understanding of Taylor’s journey and the challenges she faced.

Norman said she believes Taylor would be proud of the park and its purpose.

Plans are also underway to install a statue of Taylor near the waterway where she once helped others escape, further preserving her legacy for future generations.