Savannah was, at one time, the most important center of cotton in the world. This was due to the invention of the cotton gin near the city. Cotton production soared as a result. The Port of Savannah shipped millions of bales per year prior to the Civil War. However, so much damage was done to the city during the war that it never recovered as a major cotton shipping port. The Savannah Cotton Market is a reminder of a bygone era. 08/2007
