Georgia Natural Wonder #77 - White County – (Part 2). 795

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Georgia Natural Wonder #77 - White County – (Part 2)

White County, covering 242 square miles, is located on the eastern flank of the Appalachian Mountain chain approximately eighty miles northeast of Atlanta. It encompasses most of the headwater streams of the Chattahoochee River and is thus a major source of Atlanta's water supply.These first photo's are from Mossy Creek Facebook page. We are going to finish our exploration of the Upper Chattahoochee River that we started yesterday.



These are the put in and take spots below Duncan Bridge.

Duncan Bridge Road Bridge (Hwy 384), (POLS; GA), 5.2 miles, Class II

Mossy Creek Access Area, (GA), 5 miles, Class II


Mossy Creek rushes down to the Hooch(Future GNW)

Belton Bridge, (PALS), 3 miles, Lake

Lula Park Bridge, (PALS), 10 miles, Lake

Takeout at Clarks Bridge Road bridge


More Mossy Creek at the Hooch.

As mentioned yesterday, I have never been down this stretch of the river. From the description there is 5.2 miles of Class II rapids until you reach Mossy Creek State Park. Pictures look like river still has a little whitewater. Sidney Lanier did write about the Chattahoochee coming out of the Hills of Habersham.

Out of the hills of Habersham,
Down the valleys of Hall,
I hurry amain to reach the plain,
Run the rapid and leap the fall,
Split at the rock and together again,
Accept my bed, or narrow or wide,
And flee from folly on every side
With a lover’s pain to attain the plain
Far from the hills of Habersham,
Far from the valleys of Hall.



All down the hills of Habersham,
All through the valleys of Hall,
The rushes cried ‘Abide, abide,'
The willful waterweeds held me thrall,
The laving laurel turned my tide,
The ferns and the fondling grass said ‘Stay,'
The dewberry dipped for to work delay,
And the little reeds sighed ‘Abide, abide,
Here in the hills of Habersham,
Here in the valleys of Hall.'



High o’er the hills of Habersham,
Veiling the valleys of Hall,
The hickory told me manifold
Fair tales of shade, the poplar tall
Wrought me her shadowy self to hold,
The chestnut, the oak, the walnut, the pine,
Overleaning, with flickering meaning and sign,
Said, ‘Pass not, so cold, these manifold
Deep shades of the hills of Habersham,
These glades in the valleys of Hall.'



And oft in the hills of Habersham,
And oft in the valleys of Hall,
The white quartz shone, and the smooth brook-stone
Did bar me of passage with friendly brawl,
And many a luminous jewel lone
-- Crystals clear or a-cloud with mist,
Ruby, garnet and amethyst --
Made lures with the lights of streaming stone
In the clefts of the hills of Habersham,
In the beds of the valleys of Hall.



But oh, not the hills of Habersham,
And oh, not the valleys of Hall
Avail: I am fain for to water the plain.
Downward the voices of Duty call --
Downward, to toil and be mixed with the main,
The dry fields burn, and the mills are to turn,
And a myriad flowers mortally yearn,
And the lordly main from beyond the plain
Calls o’er the hills of Habersham,
Calls through the valleys of Hall.


Bass at Belton Bridge

Mossy Creek is open to public access. You can just drive down, park and walk on down to the river. Although it's not what most would consider an actual "State Park" it does give you access to the hooch. It's not a state park, but a small state owned area that is a put-in for canoes and kayaks where Mossy Creek flows into the Chattahoochee River in White County. I did find Mossy Creek as a separate whitewater adventure and the descriptions there all talk about the slow float down to Belton Bridge once Mossy Creek conjoins the Chattahoochee. Anyway Lanier was probably talking about the Hooch up in White County because it use to be part of Habersham County in Lanier’s day. It is quite ironic that the valleys of Hall are now submerged under Lake Lanier.



Over 7.5 million people per year visit Lake Lanier, including its marinas and the Lake Lanier Islands waterpark. The rowing and sprint canoeing events during the 1996 Summer Olympics were held at the lake.



That was pretty short and sweet finishing the Chattahoochee River to the headwaters of Lake Lanier. Now we take the rest of this post to tangent on the history of White County. Am not ready to tackle Helen, but will soon. Georgia's 123rd county, carved out of Habersham County by an act of the state legislature in 1857, was named for David White, a legislator from Newton County. Two previous attempts to pull land from Habersham County to fashion a new county had failed. It was not until State Representative David T. White of Newton County lent his support to the cause that the legislature at last agreed to organize the county. Although the name of the county is frequently ascribed to David White, it may be derived from Unicoi, the Cherokee word for white.



Moundbuilders

Georgia's Moundbuilders used the Chattahoochee River to traverse the present-day state. The northernmost mound of the culture on the Chattahoochee is just south of Helen at the intersection of Georgia State Roads 75 and 17. While the Nacoochee Indian Mound is small when compared to mounds at Etowah or Ocmulgee and is considered "unimportant" by some, it is still beautiful, especially with the gazebo on top that is claimed to be the "most photographed site in Georgia."



Hernado DeSoto

Men under the command of Hernando DeSoto visited White County in 1540. Just before leaving winter camp (present-day Tallahassee, Florida) guards took a young Indian prisoner who told them of a province ruled by a woman. Some chiefs would bring her gold as a tribute. The Indian went on to describe the process of digging for gold and melting it in heavy crucibles to refine and purify the material. Two months later the entrada (expedition) visited Mount Yonah (north of Cleveland) and reached the Indian village of Xualla, which most Georgia scholars believe was in the Nacoochee Valley. In the heart of the Georgia gold country, by the time deSoto reached the Nacoochee Valley the Moundbuilder culture had been replaced by the Cherokee. One of DeSoto's lieutenants, Moyano, returned to White County in 1560 and Spanish gold miners would occasionally visit the area until access was cut off by the English in the 1730's



English explorations

In 1690 James Moore and Maurice Matthews reached White County but were turned back to Carolina by hostile Cherokee before reaching the gold fields. Carolina explorer George Chicken visited Cherokee Indian villages in the Nacoochee Valley in 1702 or 1703.


Chicken wasn't scared, he kicked some Indian ass in South Carolina.

First Settlers

Wofford's Tract, purchased by the federal government in 1804 moved settlers within 6 miles of present-day White County and when the state of Georgia seized the ridge separating the Oconee River basin from the Chattahoochee River basin in 1812 settlers had officially moved within three miles of the future county line. The date the first American settlers crossed into the county is unknown, but was probably around this time. In 1812 work began on the Unicoi Turnpike, connecting the navigable end of the Savannah River to Knoxville. This road passed through the Nacoochee Valley and followed the Chattahoochee north into the Blue Ridge Mountains.



In 1818 almost all of White County was organized as part of Habersham County and Clarksville was designated as the county seat. Most of the land was distributed during the Land Lottery of 1820. Between 1814 and 1820 a second road into the county was developed, probably from an earlier Cherokee Trading Path. This ran from Clayton (known as The Dividings) to the area of Oscarville, passing through the Nacoochee Valley and Mount Yonah. Stovall Covered Bridge on Georgia Highway 255 was built to carry travelers across a rough ford on Chickamauga Creek. Most settlers engaged in subsistence farming, as the mountainous terrain made it unsuitable for large-scale agricultural enterprises.


Stovall Bridge before 1964.




Country youths.


Stovall Bridge today.

In 1828 gold was discovered in the area of Duke's Creek (now the Nacoochee River), launching a gold rush. Although still a part of Habersham County during the entire Georgia Gold Rush, White County contained many of the best producing mines including Loud's (location of the first reported gold mining), Gordon's, and Lumsden. The 20th century Helen Mine, (pictured) would be similar to many of the earlier mines. The road from the Old Federal Road (Oscarville) to Mount Yonah was upgraded and extended to the gold fields to handle increased traffic. At the time Mount Yonah (Cleveland) was the only significant settlement. Nine gold mines operated in the county, and gold mining continued for more than 100 years.





It seemed to Georgia in the early 1850's that the creation of the original county system was flawed. Farmers would have to travel 2 days to get to a courthouse in many areas. In 1857 White County was formed with Mount Yonah as its county seat. Mount Yonah was renamed to Cleveland in honor of General Benjamin Cleveland, an early settler and a veteran of the War of 1812. His grandfather was Colonel Benjamin Cleveland, a Revolutionary War figure.


Statutes to Col. Ben in Wilkes County N.C.

Benjamin was reared by his grandfather Benjamin; was a long time prominent citizen of Habersham County, an officer in the Creek Indian War, major and commandant of a regiment, under General Floyd at the Battles of Autossee, AL., Nov 29, 1813, Calibbee Swamp, also Othtewalla, War of 1812. He owned large possessions at the foot of Currahee Mountain, Habersham County. By trade he was a carpenter and builder. He settled in the lower part of Nacoochee valley, in Habersham County, bought land there and became a merchant. He was partner with General Rusk.

Gotta be related.

Benjamin was a General in the Militia and represented Habersham over 20 years in the Legislature. He was a member of the Whig Party and in 1848 candidate for Representative in Congress, and ran ahead of his ticket against Howell Cobb. He was noted for his kindness. He was known in times of scarcity, to haul corn 25 miles and sell it to poor neighbors on credit at cost. He was a merchant at Clarkesville. In the mercantile business he had as his partner for several years, his son-in-law, Thomas J. Rusk. He was a man of large means and gave much to charity. He died June 23, 1858. His widow went to Mississippi where she died in as the home of her son-in-law, James M. Hoyle. Her remains were brought to Clarkesville and buried beside her husband.



A new courthouse of brick molded on the premises was constructed by slaves in 1859-60. Photo below says 1817.



Today the structure houses the White County Historical Society, a small museum, and a gift shop.



The current courthouse was constructed in 1964.



Truett McConnell University, a four-year liberal arts institution affiliated with the Georgia Baptist Convention, was established in Cleveland in 1946. The current enrollment is over 2100 students, including residents, commuters, online, and ACCEL students. Truett McConnell teams are known as the Bears; the college is a member of the NAIA and competes in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC).



Cleveland is also home to Babyland General Hospital, the whimsical birthplace of the dolls known as Cabbage Patch Kids. Xavier Roberts (born October 31, 1955 in Cleveland, Georgia) is an American artist and entrepreneur. He is best known for marketing the Cabbage Patch Kid dolls.

Roberts.

Cleveland is home to the North Georgia Zoo and Petting Farm.







The town is home to two Jewish summer camps, Camp Barney Medintz (under the auspices of the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta) and URJ Camp Coleman (under the auspices of the Union for Reform Judaism), which are essentially back-to-back.


Camp Barney

The town is also home to two Christian summer camps, Strong Rock Camp and Retreat and Woodlands Camp.


Strong Rock

Since the turn of the 21st century, Cleveland has been known for its thriving LGBTQ community, leading to the nickname "The San Francisco of Appalachia". However, this has led to internal strife within the community; in 2015 a group of Truett McConell University students broke into a sex toy shop and stole all the dildos. (I wonder who added that to the Wikipedia page)



Helen, White County's second town, grew up around a lumber mill established on the banks of the Chattahoochee River in 1911. Again I will dedicate a full post down the road on Helen by itself, the third most visited city in Georgia behind Atlanta and Savannah.



The only railroad ever to serve White County, the Gainesville and Northwestern Railroad, was built to transport mill products. The railroad went out of business in the early 1930s.





About halfway between Cleveland and Helen is Mount Yonah, an isolated mountain with a distinctive bare rock face near its top. Near its western base was once the Gainesville and Northwestern Railroad, a 35-mile line that connected the lumber mills at Helen to the Southern Railway main line at Gainesville. It was abandoned in the 1930s. Old maps indicate that two stations, Yonah and Mount Yonah, served the area. A few years ago a gift shop named Yonah Station opened up in a recreated railroad depot near the mountain.


This locomotive was placed out front beside the highway (GA 75), presumably to grab the attention of tourists passing by. A saddle-tank ALCO 0-4-0, the 1904 engine came from the Rockton and Rion Railway, a quarry line in Fairfield County, South Carolina.

Following a long decline, Helen experienced a renewal in 1969 when a group of local entrepreneurs transformed it into a look-alike Bavarian village. Since that time Helen has become one of the largest tourist attractions in the state. Helen is also the site of one of the nation's largest Oktoberfest celebrations.


I am saving Helen for a future GNW, will be multiple tangent alone.

Other tourist sites in White County include the Chattahoochee National Forest, through which the Appalachian Trail runs;



Unicoi State Park;



Smithgall Woods Conservation Area, which offers educational programs and which houses the remnants of Georgia's earliest gold mines;





And the Sautee Nacoochee Community Association in Nacoochee Valley, which features an art school, an art gallery, a theater program, an environmental concerns group, and a history museum. It also sponsors the annual Echota Performing Arts Festival.



Nacoochee Valley part of Unicoi Turnpike we learned with Towns County the other day.



A few vintage images to add.



According to the 2010 U.S. census, the population of the county was 27,144, an increase from the 2000 population of 19,994. The population increased by 53 percent between 1990 and 2000, with retirees making up a large part of the increase.


All about the Hooch.


White County has multiple GNW's the Hooch brought us here again.

A TRD addendum with a few more personal images.


We shortchanged downtown Cleveland.


About as close as I ever came to visiting Babyland.


Can't forget Mount Yonah GNW #14.

Continuing an addendum on this post, we want to mention to things to do in Cleveland.

The White County History Museum is located in the old courthouse on the Cleveland square and is home to White County Historical Society. The building was completed by a local contractor using local labor and handmade bricks beginning in in 1859. It was utilized by the White County government until 1964 when a new, modern courthouse was completed just south of the square.



The museum houses artifacts that depict life in the north Georgia mountains for the past 150 years, a large collection of genealogical records, and newspapers from the late 1800's to present. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The museum is open from 10:00am to 3:00pm, Thursday through Saturday and admission is free. Parking is available on the square, but please be careful when crossing the busy road that surrounds the building.

Shopping

Mt. Yonah Book Exchange - Mt. Yonah Book Exchange is amazing! Great selection of new and used books, quirky gift items a reading room and area for kids- all this and a knowledgeable, passionate owner.



Nora Mill General Store - the perfect mixture of old-time General Store shopping and the best in modern service, friendliness and selection.



Kim's Consignment - This store is full of awesome finds. The variety is endless from clothes to handmade craft items.



Pop's Filling Station & Vintage Garage - This lady has really built quite an impressive watering hole for folks planning to visit the area and wanting  to stock up beer, etc. Never worry about bringing stuff from Atlanta when this place is perfect.

Dining

J.W. Reed's



Glenda's



Soda Fountain Cafe



The Potter's Statue is now in place on the Courthouse Lawn. It honors the Mossy Creek Potters.



"The Discovery" statue of a gold miner to commemorate the discovery of gold in White County Georgia in the 1800s. Statue was placed next to the old White County Courthouse in July 2013. Artist is Gregory Johnson.



Notable people

Alton Brown (childhood) - Food Network personality



Billy Lothridge - football player


Billy with Bobby Dodd.

Will cover Helen in a later post, but the next time you are in Helen, don't just settle for the tube float downtown, travel south of the village for a pretty good white water experience.


White County GNW Gals for today at Oktoberfest in Helen.