Welcome to the Savannah Sideways Podcast - Season One - The Strange Story of Savannah's Ancient Roman Statuary. EPISODE 3 – In Turpentine We Trust: In this third episode, host Jessica Leigh Lebos traces Savannah’s rise from post–Civil War hardship to Gilded Age opulence through an unlikely source—turpentine. As the longleaf pine forests fueled a booming naval stores industry, fortunes were made, ecosystems were destroyed, and entire communities were bound to brutal labor and debt. Meet Spencer Shotter, the magnate whose pine-scented empire made him one of Savannah’s richest men—and ultimately led to his downfall under America’s first antitrust prosecutions. Along the way, historian Dr. Drew Swanson sheds light on the environmental legacy of the longleaf pine, and we follow the thread from the Gilded Age to the Progressive Era, where unchecked capitalism finally met reform. The story culminates in fire and renewal— and the extraordinary life of Sandy West, whose legacy transformed Georgia’s conservation movement. This episode uncovers how pine sap, power, and progress shaped Savannah’s fortunes—and how one man’s empire helped set the stage for the city’s most enduring mysteries. YOUTUBE VIDEO MENTIONED: Greenwich At Bonaventure Cemetery-Savannah GA's Own Biltmore House-Forgotten No Longer SHOW LINKS: Meet Jessica Leigh Lebos Check out Savannah Sideways Substack Check out Jessica's books Meet the Producers: Dee Daniels Media THANKS TO THOSE WHO MADE THIS SHOW POSSIBLE: Dr. Erika Morrow and the team at ForSight Unique Eye Care & Eye Wear Bubba Gumbo's Tybee Island Tybee Island Marina BG’s Seafood Co-Op Bonaventure Don The 5 Spot Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum Shot By Somi SIXBY Lone Wolf Lounge Over Yonder Celebritees FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 Introduction to Savannah's Ancient Roman Statuary 02:12 The Rise of Savannah's Naval Stores Industry 04:16 Environmental and Social Impact of Turpentine Production 10:30 The Decline of the Naval Stores Industry 17:44 Spencer Shotter's Legal Troubles and Legacy 24:06 The Tragic Fire at Greenwich Place 25:51 Sandy Tory West and the Preservation of Ossabaw Island 26:35 Conclusion and Sponsor Messages