in fact, eli whitney developed his cotton gin just outside of town.ar, savannah was a major port for the slave trade. today, river street is crowded with tourists and shoppers. you can ride the trolley... or book a seat on an old-fashioned river boat. the pirates' house has been a meeting place for seafarers since the mid-1700s. the founder of the girl scouts, juliette gordon low, was born here. because of a yellow fever epidemic in the early 1800s, many homes were built with unusual outer stairs. people believed that by raising the first floor, they'd be breathing cleaner, safer air. as we now know, yellow fever isn't carried by bad air, but by mosquitoes. even the cemetery is picturesque in an eerie way. there are tombstones dating back to colonial times. this was also a popular place to hold duels. many of the losers are buried here. in the late 1800s, fire destroyed the cathedral of st. john the baptist. only the exterior walls and twin spires survived, but the church was quickly restored to breathtaking splendor. savannah's home to the nation's o