Built circa 1830s by Alexander Carter on a small landholding, The Oaks grew with increasing fortunes into a 1780-acre diversified and innovative plantation, named for the oak trees planted on either side of its front drive. During WWII, an auxiliary landing strip called Mt. Meigs Field was built on the property by Army Corps of Engineers and was used for training by American, French, and British aviation cadets from Gunter Field, as well as by Tuskegee Airmen from Moton Field. Prominent families who owned The Oaks included those of Edward Pierce, E.T. Davis, William Nicrosi, Price McLemore, Tine Davis, and Wayne Dawson.