In the late 1700s, the Muscogee Creek village of Snoden, present-day Winder, stood in the unbroken forests of Georgia between the Oconee and Ocmulgee rivers, where waterways, wildlife, and abundant timber supported life in a resource-rich landscape. The territory was ceded to Georgia in the Treaty of New York in 1790, after which small colonies appeared and forts were built so sister settlements could aid one another if attacked; in 1796, settlement populations totaled 350 persons, including 37 in the Fort Yargo area, whose people were described as few in number but well armed and ready to help their neighbors at a moment's warning. In 1921, the Daughters of the American Revolution began preserving and restoring the fort, and by 1954 efforts by clubs and individuals, along with large land donations, led to the creation of Fort Yargo State Park. The 260 acre Marbury Reservoir was created in 1963 by damming the waterways of the Marbury Watershed; beyond recreation, it helps control flooding, reduce erosion, protect and maintain water quality, enhance wildlife, and restore wetlands, with its waters feeding the Apalachee River, then the Oconee, and ultimately the Altamaha on its way to the Atlantic Ocean. In 1971, Will-A-Way Recreation Area opened as the first camp in the nation designed for full accessibility for people with special needs and disabilities, later partnering with Camp Twin Lakes in 2009 and continuing to serve children through renovated facilities, while the park today remains a popular destination for outdoor recreation and history, with a visitor center opened in 2019 overlooking part of the reservoir.