The Town of Thunderbolt is a small town who owes its name to a legend of a lightening strike that created a freshwater spring on the Wilmington bluff. Native Americans were found to be among the first inhabitants. Thunderbolt was a settlement which evolved into a shipping point for local plantation needs which also serviced the river traffic. In 1856, the Town of Thunderbolt was incorporated as Warsaw and then began its history as a processing port for the fishing community. In 1890, Georgia State College was founded for the education of African Americans. This college continues to be a historically black institution and is known today as Savannah State University.