Georgia Natural Wonder #98 - Cane Creek Falls - Lumpkin County. 945

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Georgia Natural Wonder #98 - Cane Creek Falls - Lumpkin County

Now we have been to Lumpkin County for Amicalola Falls Georgia Natural Wonder #9 Amicalola Falls and with GNW #88 - Chestatee River – Copper Mine. There may have been other Wonders, but today we are visiting a private property waterfall and using that as an excuse to tangent on the rich history of Lumpkin County and the north Georgia town of Dahlonega.


Daughter and Otis years ago.

"Uplifting! The true and steady waters of Cane Creek Falls flow with certainty, uplifting and inspiring the viewer. Cane Creek Falls is located on private property within Camp Glisson. The property owners have been kind enough to share this natural wonder with the public, so please be sure to follow all the rules and regulations during your visit. Check in at the gate or Welcome Center prior to visiting the falls, and remember: If you pack it in, pack it out!"


My buddy Sean with Hendrix and Sean’s old dog, Rosie.

To reach the falls from Dahlonega follow highways Business US19 and GA60 north for 2 miles. Turn left at the sign for Camp Glisson (across from Ace Hardware) and go 1 mile to the parking area near the bottom of the falls. Swimming is not permitted and fishing is permitted on a catch and release basis.



Down by the falls you can get a few photos, and get close to the water’s edge.  Unfortunately, you are not able to play in the water or swim here.  That was a difficult rule for my young boys to understand, so I was glad that the weather was on the cool side.



Some may consider this more of a Roadside Attraction than a waterfall/hike…but if you are in the area, it is worth a stop. Access to falls may be denied when camp is in session. Best to go in winter as lot of folks get upset on Trip Advisor reviews because it is closed most of the summer. This hard access enhances its inclusion to the top 100 Georgia Natural Wonders.


Some Net photo’s here.

In 1925, the founder of the camp,  Rev. Fred Glisson, discovered Cane Creek Falls on a trip to the mountains to scout out a place for a youth camp.  He fell in love with the spot and arranged to lease the land around the falls.  The first camp was held in the summer of 1925. The first camp was held in the summer of 1925, with campers living in rough wooden cabins and sleeping on straw-filled mattresses. The cooking was done on wood stoves, and water had to be hauled from a nearby spring.



Rev. Glisson and other leaders raised money to begin to buy the land around the falls,  and to construct a permanent camp.  The land around the falls belonged to the camp--but the falls themselves still belonged to Georgia Power Company.  In 1946,  Rev. Glisson and others finally persuaded Georgia Power to sell Cane Creek Falls to the camp.  The falls were purchased for $1500. Their value today cannot be estimated.



Every night in Village, campers and staff gather on the Dining Hall porch for a beloved tradition – Singing on the Porch. We sing a variety of tunes that have been sung at Glisson for decades.



An interracial conference was held here in 1962, making Glisson one of the first places in Georgia to voluntarily integrate, despite threats from the Ku Klux Klan to storm the camp and disrupt the conference.

 



In the early days, camp was only used in the summer. In the mid-1960s, Glisson leaders decided to make Glisson a year-round camp, adding windows and heaters to the buildings.



Glisson has endeavored to restore the banks along Cane Creek, under Trout Unlimited’s supervision. One project has been the construction of a wetlands area near the Outpost camp.



Short and sweet Natural Wonder. The rapids of the Chestatee River and the Etowah River up by Auraria may count as Natural Wonders too. The falls along Clay Creek are worth a visit. Come to think of it, we will be returning to Lumpkin County for several falls in the next few months. But the best part about today’s post is our tangent on Lumpkin County. It was established by the state legislature in 1832 and named after Georgia governor Wilson Lumpkin, who also served as a U.S. congressman and senator.


Ironically he wore a Tomahawk hair cut.

Lumpkin was elected governor for two terms (1831-35), then went on to serve as a U.S. commissioner to the Cherokee Indians (1836-37), as a U.S. senator (1837-41), and as a surveyor of Georgia's boundaries and an advocate of improved transportation, especially as a general manager and key figure in the creation of the state's Western and Atlantic Railroad. Lumpkin was also a trustee of the University of Georgia in Athens.


Lumpkin was buried with a view of football games at Georgia until 1981.

All of the public offices were important. In Lumpkin's eyes, however, his major accomplishment was his cardinal role in the removal of the Cherokee Indians from north Georgia. Lumpkin grew up in Virginia and recalled vividly in his memoir that his family was "exposed... to frequent depredations from hostile and savage Indian neighbors." Thus, he encountered the idea that the two cultures could not live together peacefully.


His daughter, Martha is buried at Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta. Atlanta was known as Marthasville for a short time.

He was convinced that Indians and whites could not peacefully coexist, for the whites would take advantage of the Indians. He was, however, no believer in innate white superiority, for he argued that the Cherokees, if removed to western territory and given time to develop, would acquire a cultural equality with whites and become a state, admitted to the Union on a par with other states. On two occasions, Lumpkin defied the U.S. Supreme Court on these matters. Lumpkin's views on removal were opposed by a majority of the Cherokee (led by chief John Ross), by prominent federal legislators, and by various Christian missionary societies, but he had more powerful allies in U.S. presidents Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren, Georgia public opinion, and majority U.S. congressional sentiment.



The south Georgia city of Lumpkin, Lumpkin County in north Georgia, Lumpkin Street in Athens, and Lumpkin House on the University of Georgia campus in Athens bear his name. He died in Athens on December 28, 1870, during Reconstruction, following the secession he had advocated. His farm in Athens was deeded to the university by his daughter and constitutes a significant portion of the current university campus.


Lumpkin House on Ag Hill.

The area of Dahlonega was home to many Creek and Cherokee. There are few Creek and Cherokee descendants in Dahlonega today. Most of the descendants are Cherokee of mixed race. Names such as Corn, Davis, Chambers, Dover, Chattin, and Bird are associated with these lines of Cherokee blood. Surnames like Thrasher are of Creek blood.


Princess Trahlyta’s grave just north of Dahlonega.

The spelling of the Cherokee word Da-lo-ni-ge-i was disputed by early correspondents; Featherstonhough, for example, wrote it as "Tahlonekay". Since 1977, Cherokee descendants who organized as a tribe and are enrolled as members have been recognized by the state as the Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokee


Still a lot of Indians (and Harley's) in Dahlonega every weekend.

The Dahlonega area was part of the Cherokee Nation when European settlers first arrived.  Gold was first discovered in the area of the Northeast Georgia Mountains by Hernando De Soto in the 1540's and the Spaniards set up mining operations from the 1540's to the early 1800's until they were driven out of Georgia. Gold was rediscovered by the English in 1819 in what is today White County. Then, in 1828, a hunter by the name of Benjamin Parks was hunting the territory west of the Chattahoochee River when he tripped over a rock only to discover that it was full of gold. At the time, the area was part of the Cherokee Indian Reservation.


Benjamin Parks

It should be noted the Indians knew of the presence of gold long before the whites, and they had already set up gold mines. Before the Indians left on the Trail of Tears or hid up in the Blue Ridge Mountains they hid their treasure so the white men couldn’t find it. Benjamin Parks told a few people about the gold and in 10 months there were over 1,000 miners living illegally on Cherokee Land. The miners called themselves the 29's after the year 1829. The Miners and Merchants quickly threw up towns to support the vibrant population. The first two towns they built were Auraria and Dahlonega. Auraria means "City of Gold” in Latin, and Dahlonega, in Cherokee, means "Yellow."  By 1830 the region had produced over 300 ounces of gold.



Numerous gold mines were illegally developed in the area. Miners, entering illegally into the Cherokee Nation lands, came into conflict with the Cherokee, whose territory they had trespassed. The Cherokee lands were defined by the treaty between the Federal Government and the Cherokee Nation in the Treaty of Washington 1819. The miners raised political pressure against the Cherokee because they wanted to get the gold. The Federal Government forced the Native Americans west of the Mississippi River to Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears during Indian Removal. Dahlonega was founded two years before the Treaty of New Echota 1835, which made its founding a violation of the Treaty of Washington of 1819.



Beginning in 1832, Cherokee territory in Lumpkin County, as well as in several other counties in north Georgia, was sold by the state to Georgia residents through a land lottery. A separate lottery was held in 1832 to distribute forty-acre "gold districts" for $10 each in the same Cherokee area. The discovery of gold was one of the major reasons behind Cherokee Removal, in which the state of Georgia expelled Cherokees from their ancestral lands in 1838.



Formally established in 1833, Dahlonega replaced Auraria as the Lumpkin County seat. The boomtown served the miners' needs but was initially rough and lawless.  It was the murder capital of Georgia for a few years as a shooting or two happened every weekend. Way rougher than Dodge City, Deadwood, or Tombstone.

Tangent on Auraria

Auraria is a ghost town in Lumpkin County, Georgia, United States, southwest of Dahlonega. Its name derives from aurum, the Latin word for gold.  In its early days, it was also known variously as Dean, Deans, Nuckollsville, and Scuffle Town.



Thousands of settlers came to these former Cherokee lands in search of gold during the Georgia Gold Rush, and following the Gold Lottery of 1832. One of the first gold rush boom towns started here in June 1832, when William Dean built a cabin between the Chestatee River and Etowah River. Auraria was the county seat from 1828-1832 with a population of over 1,000 by May 1833, and 10,000 were in the county. The temporary seat of Lumpkin County in 1832, Nathaniel Nuckolls built a tavern, hotel, and several buildings to house the miners. Within six months of the lottery, "one hundred family dwellings, eighteen or twenty stores, twelve or fifteen law offices, and four or five taverns" were to be found in the town. It had 20 saloons, 5 hotels, even its own newspaper.



The land east of Auraria was purchased by Vice President John C. Calhoun, and there he established the Calhoun Mine. Even though he is South Carolina and his home is on the Campus of Clemson, we offer a tangent on Johnny.


Wooly Bully

His home at Clemson.



The Calhoun Mine is perhaps the oldest and best-known mine in Lumpkin County, Georgia. When gold was discovered in Lumpkin County in 1828, which led to the Georgia Gold Rush in 1829, it was discovered on 239 acres owned by Robert Obar. After at least two intermediary sales, the land was purchased by Senator John C. Calhoun of South Carolina, who was also the 7th Vice President of the United States. Calhoun started a mining company to mine the land and later allowed his son-in-law Thomas Green Clemson, the founder of Clemson University, to manage it. The ore deposit was a very rich deposit and, according to an 1856 letter from Clemson to his brother-in-law, was still producing significant quantities of gold nearly 30 years after its initial discovery on the land. This mine - along with the Consolidated Mine and the Loud Mine - were some of the most productive mines in the Georgia Gold Belt.



In 1879, the Calhoun Mine passed from the Calhoun family. In 1939, after the deposits at the Calhoun Mine were long thought to be depleted, a small pocket was discovered and mined. After that excitement, things became quiet once again at the mine. The Calhoun Mine was added to the National Register of Historical Places and named a National Historic Landmark in 1973. Calhoun Mine is located about 3 miles south of Dahlonega off State Route 60 and on the eastern side of the Chestatee River. It lies on a hill on the west side of the road - about 0.6 miles off the road - on the opposite side of the ridge, on private property.

 

A traveling companion of Calhoun, Dr. Croft, suggested the town be renamed Aureola, in Nov. 1832. The town citizens picked Auraria.The banks of the Etowah River, Camp Creek, and Cane Creek had many mines (Barlow Mine, Battle Branch Mine, Ralston Mine, Whim Hill Mine, Hedwig-Chicago Mine, Gold Hill Mine Etowah Mine, and others).



The 40-acre gold lot on which most of Auraria stood was won by John R. Plummer, but his right to participate in the lottery was questioned. Faced with this legal challenge, the Inferior Court judges picked the site north of Auraria near the Cane Creek minining area. Auraria experienced a sharp decline as businesses and county offices relocated. The first session of the Superior Court of Lumpkin County met in what became known as Dahlonega, Georgia on Aug. 22, 1833. Due to its location and political influence, Dahlonega received a Federal Mint for gold coins.



In 1848, gold was discovered in California. Former Auraria resident Jennie Wimmer, a cook in rural California, was the first person to prove the gold's authenticity, because she was the only person on the scene who knew how to perform the proper tests. This discovery led to the California gold rush of 1849. Discoveries of gold in California and soon after in Colorado caused Auraria to eventually fade into history. Gold mining in Georgia decreased and eventually all but ceased as miners went west looking for uncharted prospecting. Auraria's population quickly dwindled, and the community deteriorated.



Though people still mine gold in Dahlonega, they no longer mine in Auraria. Over time it died out due to no railroad, mines playing out, and poor soil which made farming rather difficult. Today Dahlonega is a tourist town where you can pan for gold or take tours of an old gold mine circa 1906. Not much is left of Auraria, though it set the standard for all the other ghost towns to follow. It was the first town born in a gold rush and it was the first to die.



It should be noted however that the suburb of Denver, Colo. called Auraria was named after Auraria, Ga. In 1858 the "Russell Boy's," led by William Greeneberry Russell left for Kansas Territory. They went west and established another Auraria near the mouth of Cherry Creek that later became Denver, Colorado. Green Russell uncovered a fabulous lobe called Russell Gulch near which the Central City of Colorado was built "richest square mile on earth." "It's Ironic that Auraria's sister town is the only one that exists today."


Pepsi Center is in Auraria, Colorado.

There are still a few old buildings standing: the collapsing Graham Hotel (in ruins; very unsafe to enter).



Woody's store at Castleberry Bridge Road, that remained open till the early 1980s;



A red house that was once a bank;



Another house across the street; and a couple of foundations. They stand in lone testament to the 19th century gold rush.



Miners were a diverse lot, hailing from around the nation and from Europe. Some were slaves (as at Calhoun Mine), but there were also free blacks, including "Free Jim" Bosclair, who achieved great wealth as a miner and merchant. Apparently, Boisclair discovered gold on a tract of land but, under state law, could not purchase the land since he was black, except through a guardian. A local resident, Joseph J. Singleton became his guardian, thus allowing Boisclair to purchase the land and start what would become known as the Free Jim Mine. The mine was operated by Bosclair for many years. Today, the Free Jim Mine lies underneath the present-day Pine Tree Mfg. plant and other nearby businesses within the city limits of Dahlonega. A few miners were women, and some were farmers supplementing their incomes with gold.



So much gold was extracted that the U.S. Congress chartered a Branch Mint at Dahlonega in 1835, which produced $6 million worth of gold coins before closing in 1861. The Dahlonega Mint, like the one established in 1838 in Charlotte, North Carolina, only minted gold coins, in denominations of $1.00, $2.50 (quarter eagle), $3.00 (1854 only) and $5.00 (half eagle). It was cost effective in consideration of the economics, time, and risk of shipping gold to the main mint in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Dahlonega Mint was a small operation, usually accounting for only a small fraction of the gold coinage minted annually in the US. 



When the California Gold Rush bagan in 1849, Mint assayer Matthew Stephenson's famous speech asked miners to stay in Georgia: "Why go to California? In that ridge lies more gold than man ever dreamt of. There's millions in it!" The miners went to California anyway, where they conveyed his colorful expression to writer Mark Twain, who adopted it for his literary character Mulberry Sellers in The American Claimant (1892). “There’s gold in them there hills”



The Confederate government seized the mint but made little use of it, and it never reopened.



The Federal government decided against re-opening the facility after the Civil War. By then, the U.S. government had established a mint in San Francisco, California. Given the large amount of gold discovered in California from the late 1840s on, that one handled the national needs of gold minting.



As a result, surviving Dahlonega coinage is today highly prized in American numismatics. The mint building burned in 1878. North Georgia College built Price Memorial Hall on its foundation. The new building today houses the administrative offices of North Georgia College and State University (NGCSU). The building has a gold-leaf steeple to refer to the history of the site.



By the mid-nineteenth century, Dahlonega faced difficulties with lowered gold production and disruptions during the Civil War (1861-65). During the war, nine military companies were organized at the Dahlonega Mustering Grounds.



In 1871 the former mint facility became North Georgia Agricultural College (later North Georgia College and State University), thanks to the efforts of U.S. congressman William Pierce Price. When the old mint building burned in 1878, a new administration building was erected on the old foundations, and the school continued to grow.



From 1849 to1880 there was little, if any, gold mining. However, in 1880 Hydraulic Mining was introduced, making gold mining profitable again and instigating the rebirth of Dahlonega. Although this form of mining was very effective, it was disastrous to the environment. At the end of the nineteenth century, Dahlonega experienced a new wave of gold interest, and the population reached 1,255 by 1900. Several companies set up new facilities, including the Dahlonega Consolidated Gold Mining Company, the largest gold-processing plant east of the Mississippi River, with a four-story mill and 120 stamps. But by 1906 most of the new plants had closed, at a great loss to their investors.



However since 1915 gold mining has decreased steadily due to the expensive method of extracting the gold versus the value of gold. The population of Lumpkin County dropped to just 690 by 1920. Mining didn't stop completely; it continued legally until 1934 when it became illegal to own gold or mine it. Dahlonega suffered the effects of the Great Depression, but the population began to rebound, climbing above 1,000 again during the 1930s, above 2,000 during the 1940s, and to 3,638 residents by 2000. Efforts to attract tourism and other business during the 1950s produced a more diverse economy.



In 1958 Dahlonegans proudly transported local gold by mule-drawn wagon train to Atlanta for installation on the state capitol dome.



In 1968 the ban on owning gold or a gold mine was lifted and people began mining again, though on a much smaller scale. However this doesn’t mean that all the gold has been played out, there is still a lot of gold hidden up in the mountains either because of natural forces or by the Indians, who it's said knew where the richest veins were and hid them from the white men. Mining, however, still goes on today.



Gold-related tourism has proved very successful. Visitors to Dahlonega experience its gold history and enjoy festivals, accommodations, dining, and shopping.



Smith House is some of the best eating in Georgia.



The Gold Museum traces the history of gold mining in Lumpkin County, and the annual World Open Gold Panning Championship commemorates the metal's continuing influence on this region.



Gold Rush Days in October take thousands of participants back in time, re-creating the history, arts, and crafts of the mid-1800s. An annual two-day event the third weekend in October, attracts over 200,000 people.



The original 1836 Lumpkin County Courthouse has been restored and now houses the Dahlonega Gold Museum.



George Featherstonhough, an English geologist who visited the town in 1837, observed that the courthouse, designed by Ephriam Clayton, was built upon a broad expanse of hornblende slate "and that the soil of the public square was impregnated with small specks of gold." The courthouse building was paid for in part with gold bullion. It was made of bricks likely made locally, although possibly transported from Augusta. The foundation stone and timber were obtained locally.



The Crisson Mine and reopened Dahlonega Consolidated Mine offer tours and gold panning. Dahlonega also benefits from extensive tourism related to the natural features of its beautiful mountain setting.



Agriculture has always been an important economic activity in Dahlonega. The poultry industry, introduced locally in the 1940s, dominates today, but there are also strong beef cattle, wine-making, and greenhouse industries. Transportation improvements were also important. Despite nineteenth-century attempts to bring the railroad to Dahlonega from Gainesville, tracks never reached the city. Road access to the remote mountainous location was historically difficult, but the completion of Georgia 400 by the 1990s improved access to Atlanta. With enhanced access to Atlanta's growing metropolis, and an ongoing interest in its own gold heritage, Dahlonega's future growth seems assured.


The take out for most Chestatee River floats is right at the end of 400.

With its pristine air, good water, and beautiful mountain views, the county is a natural oasis for urban residents and tourists. Opportunities for outdoor activities abound, both in the nearby Chattahoochee National Forest and throughout the county. Popular activities include canoeing, tubing down the Chestatee River, motorcycling, and bicycling, which culminates in September's Six Gap Century and Three Gap Fifty bicycle rides.



Lumpkin County is steeped in history. The U.S. Army Ranger Mountain Training Center is located at Camp Frank D. Merrill. After intensive training in jungle warfare, "Merrill's Marauders" as they became known, became the first American infantrymen to fight on the Asiatic mainland.



One of the largest local employers, North Georgia College and State University, with a student body of about 4,500, plays a major role in the Dahlonega community. Located in the center of Dahlonega, it is the military college of Georgia and a liberal arts institution serving the northeast Georgia region. The cadet corps includes a world-famous precision drill team, the Blue Ridge Rifles. The original Blue Ridge Rifles were organized in 1861 as Company E, Phillip's Legion Infantry–The Blue Ridge Rifles. In 1958 the drill platoon at NGCSU was renamed the Blue Ridge Rifles, in honor of the original unit.



Lumpkin County covers an area of 284 square miles. According to the 2000 U.S. census, the population was 21,016, a 44 percent increase from the census of 1990. By 2010 the population had increased to 29,966. Long-term county residents, a residential college population, and newly arrived workers along the Highway 400 corridor to Atlanta all call Lumpkin County home. Dahlonega has an active parks and recreation program with excellent facilities, as well as a new jail. Lumpkin County High School was initially opened in fall 2003, as was a new elementary school. The county's economic base rests on the service industry, tourism, wine-making industry, and poultry farming.

Wine and tourism

In recent years, Dahlonega and Lumpkin County have been recognized as "the heart of the North Georgia Wine Country". The county features multiple vineyards and five licensed wineries that attract many tourists. Dahlonega is also known for its wine country and many vineyards and wineries that you can visit. Popular wineries to check out here are Wolf Mountain Vineyards, Cavender Creek Vineyards and Montaluce Winery & Restaurant.



Depending on how much time you have in your day, you can head out to the countryside to tour vineyard properties or conveniently stop by the downtown tasting rooms.



The historic Dahlonega Square is also a popular destination, with gift shops, restaurants, art galleries and studios, and wine tasting rooms. In 2015, Senator Steve Gooch introduced Georgia Senate Resolution 125 officially recognizing Lumpkin County as the Wine Tasting Room Capital of Georgia.



Square gathering for 175 years now.





The city's local festivals draw many visitors. "Bear on the Square", an annual three-day festival held the third weekend in April, marks the day that a black bear wandered onto the square. It features bluegrass and old-time music.



Dahlonega is home to the Holly Theatre. Before your trip to Dahlonega, check the Holly Theater website to see if a performance is going on when you’ll be in town. This is a historic, nonprofit theater that performs shows like The Addams Family and Elf the Musical Jr. No seat is more than 20 feet from all the action on stage, which provides an intimate evening out on the town.



A Top Row Dawg Addendum to the original post, I found these pretty and historic Victorian homes in a drive around streets near downtown area of Dahlonega.











Famous residents

John Bell - Widespread Panic lead singer and guitarist



Zac Brown - Zac Brown Band's lead singer



Sara Christian, NASCAR's first female driver



Dallas Kinney - Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer

 

Guy A. J. LaBoa, lieutenant general in the United States Army who commanded the 4th Infantry Division and First United States Army



Amy Ray - Indigo Girls singer and songwriter



Joe A. Martinez, Ring Announcer UFC, Professional Boxing, Baseball



Steve Gooch, Georgia State Senator and Majority Whip



Its proximity to Atlanta (about sixty miles) allows residents to enjoy international cultural and recreational opportunities while living in a semirural, less hectic environment. Today’s GNW gal (Jill Masterson) was golden.