Georgia Natural Wonder #122 - Hurricane Shoals - Jackson County. 1,098

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Georgia Natural Wonder #122 - Hurricane Shoals - Jackson County

We left the Waterfalls to Swamp theme and went to Woody Gap last week. We will cover the mountains a lot in future Forum post.  I have been traveling around Athens lately so I have a few lessor known Natural Wonders of Georgia cued up. They provide excellent history tangents though as this is the heart of antebellum Georgia.Hurricane Shoals Park, located just off SR 82 Conn. near Maysville in the U.S. state of Georgia, is a public park managed by Jackson County Parks and Recreation. The 71.35-acre park, which preserves an area of exposed granite shoals along the North Oconee River, was officially opened to the public in 1978.



Big drawback with this site DOGS ARE NOT ALLOWED

History

Early settlement began in the 1780s at an area which was once a Creek and Cherokee Indian camping ground, called Yamtrahoochee ("Hurricane Shoals").



By 1801, the settlement at Hurricane Shoals included homes and a small iron foundry. Several buildings were built including a fort, a Baptist church, and the first school in Jackson County.  .



A covered bridge was constructed in 1872, spanning 127 feet over the North Oconee River.



You have to cross the bridge to get in the park by the shoals.





Attempted panorama.



1n 1925, a hydroelectric generating plant was built that would provide electricity to the nearby booming town of Maysville. Two turbines were built, but only one was operational. Georgia Power purchased and operated the plant in 1930, but abandoned it after two years of operation.


Dam at top of Shoals.

With intention to protect the historic area as a recreational facility, The Hurricane Shoals Park Association, Inc., was formed in 1962 to purchase much of the current property from Georgia Power.



Federal, state, and local funding secured through 1977 led to the development of a pavilion, picnic shelters, restrooms, a foot bridge, and picnic tables and grills.



Tumbling Waters Society of Jackson County, Inc. is a non-profit organization which annually raises funds for the maintenance and improvement of Hurricane Shoals County Park.



The biggest attraction for Hurricane Shoals is for the river cascading down the rocky shoals.



The kids love to ride down the river in their inner tubes over and over.



Hurricane Shoals is Jackson County’s premier park and stepped in local history.



In the last twenty-five years, through the efforts of the County Commissioners, Tumbling Waters, Jackson County 4H, and many dedicated citizens, the Park has become a scenic, family picnic and recreation area.



Many historic buildings have been rescued and moved to the Heritage Village. The Park also includes an authentic Grist Mill and mills cornmeal during the Art in the Park Festival each year.



Come step into the past of the growing Heritage Village and enjoy the beauty of Hurricane Shoals Park. This is truly a place that offers something for everyone. Bring your family and friends, picnic baskets, bathing suits, and cameras. History buffs will enjoy ART IN THE PARK each year. Tubing is allowed in the Shoals. In addition to recreational opportunities and learning experiences in the Heritage Village, the Chapel can also be rented for weddings.



The shoals were a sacred holy site to the Creek and Cherokee. The Heritage Village is an eclectic collection of historical buildings that have been saved and moved to the park. There is much to do at this attraction. Admission except for mini golf us free.



The water here is clean. Not but about 4 inches deep and had got a fast flow top of the huge rock shoals.



There are picnic areas, grills, pavilions and facilities. They have a Frisbee golf course. A relocated historical settlement has been moved here to form a village. A visit here makes for a cool diversion on a hot day. Kids love it!







Rock shoals covered with moss and algae make a natural slip n slide that you can ride on your butt form the spill way all the way down if you are lucky.



Clean old fashioned fun and it's free. Picnic tables dot the shoreline and pavilions.



Tangent Jackson County

Jackson County, in northeast Georgia, is the state's twenty-second county. According to the 2010 U.S. census, the population of Jackson County is 60,485, an increase from the 2000 population of 41,589. The county seat is Jefferson.

History

The land was formerly held by Cherokee and Creek Indians. Veterans of the Revolutionary War, arriving in 1784 just after the Franklin County land cession, were among the first white settlers of the county. The first permanent settlement was Groaning Rock, because of a strange rock formation that made an eerie sound whenever the wind passed through it.


The only Groaning Rock today is at Sandy Creek Golf Course in Commerce.

The first settlement was established in 1784.on land owned by William Dunson, a settler from Germany. Residents of the area built homes, a fort, a gristmill, and a smelting plant for iron ore. In 1808 Eli and Rebecca Shankle started a trading spot and named it Harmony Grove. The common explanation is that the name is a play on his wife, Rebecca's, maiden name: Hargrove.Today it is Commerce as will be discussed later in post. Most of the first non-Native American settlers came from Effingham County in 1786. The population had swelled to 350 by the time the county was formed. On February 11, 1796, Jackson County was split off from part of Franklin County, Georgia. The new county was named in honor of Revolutionary War Lieutenant Colonel, Congressman, Senator and Governor James Jackson.



During the American Revolutionary War, he served in the 1st Brigade Georgia Militia at the defense of Savannah, the Battle of Cowpens, and the recapture of Augusta and Savannah. When the British left Savannah in July 1782, General Anthony Wayne gave Jackson the privilege of receiving the keys to the city. Even after the Revolutionary War, Jackson remained an important and influential figure in the Georgia Militia; he participated in the expansionist drive against the Creek Nation in Georgia. Jackson eventually thus rose to the rank of brigadier general of Georgia's militia in 1786 and major general in 1792.


I guess this was his good side.

He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1789 until 1791. He was also a U.S. Senator from Georgia from 1793 to 1795, and from 1801 until his death in 1806. In 1797 he was elected 23rd Governor of Georgia, serving from 1798 to 1801.



Monument Courtyard grounds.



The county originally covered an area of approximately 1,800 square miles, with Clarksboro as its first county seat. The community was named after Elijah Clarke, who we have done deep tangents on prior post.


Clarke or Clark.

In 1784 the state legislature provided for a state college. In 1801, the Georgia General Assembly granted 40,000 acres of land in Jackson County for a state college. Franklin College (now University of Georgia) thus held its first classes in Jackson County. The city of Athens was developed around the school. Also the same year, a new county was developed around the new college town, and Jackson lost territory to the new Clarke County.

So a good Trivia Question, what county was UGA founded? Jackson County.

Jackson lost more territory in 1811 in the creation of Madison County, in 1818 in the creation of Walton, Gwinnett, and Hall counties, in 1858 in the creation of Banks County, and in 1914 in the creation of Barrow County. Today Jackson County encompasses 342 square miles.



The community of Clarkesboro, located in what was then the center of the county, was the county seat from 1796 until 1802. The creation of Clarke County made it necessary to move Jackson County's seat to a more central location.



The county seat was moved to an old Indian village called Thomocoggan in 1803, a location with ample water supply from Curry Creek and four large springs. In 1804, the city was renamed Jefferson, after Thomas Jefferson. Three years later the town was incorporated and officially became the county seat.



The population was 9,432 at the 2010 census, up from 3,825 at the 2000 census. As of 2016 the estimated population was 10,486.


Vintage Jefferson.

Main Street Jefferson hosts an array of community events throughout the year, including Concerts on the Square and an annual Christmas Parade. The picturesque buildings in downtown house great local shops and restaurants.




Then


Now

Today, off the sqaure in Jefferson, is the Crawford W. Long Museum which personal artificats and documents highlighting the life of Dr. Crawford Williamson Long, as well as early anesthesia equipment are displayed.



The museum is housed in the building known as the Pendergrass Store Building.



At the museum you will see a recreated 1840s doctor's office and apothecary shop.



Exhibits on making medcine focus on the obstacles the early country doctor was forced to overcome. A statue of Crawford Long can be found in the nation's capitol in Washington, D.C. He is one of our two Georgia statues in the National Sanctuary Hall along with Alexander Stephenson.



Jefferson is also home to the Jefferson Memorial Stadium, which hosts the annual Boys State Track Olympics every spring.



The first county courthouse, a log and wooden frame building with an attached jail, was built on south side of the public square. A second, larger, two-story brick courthouse with a separate jailhouse was built in 1817. This site, located at the bottom of a poorly drained hill, often required residents to wade through knee-deep mud to attend to government business.



In 1880, a third was built on a hill north of the square.



This courthouse was the oldest continuously operating courthouse in the United States until 2004, when the current courthouse was constructed north of Jefferson.



Records exist for as many as 247 schools in the county's history. Perhaps the most well-known was Jefferson's Martin Institute, begun in 1818 as Jackson County Academy.



Renowned for the quality education it provided. Martin Institute was possibly the nation's first privately endowed school, having received a legacy from William Duncan Martin in 1854.


Modern day Mural.

When the school burned again on January 13, 1942, it was a student, the son of the police chief of Jefferson, who had intentionally set the blaze to avoid coming to school, as he was not ready for a test.

Jefferson Historic District:

Jefferson Historic District is a multi-block district preserving historic homes and retail square of Jefferson, a Better Home Town.



TRD did a deep dive on the pretty homes of Jefferson.



Rail service began for Jackson County in the 1870s with the construction of the Northeast Railroad through Commerce, Nicholson, and Center. By 1883 the forerunner of the Gainesville Midland line was moving passengers and freight from Jefferson to Gainesville, Georgia.



The county experienced steady growth throughout the 19th century, largely due to the railroads that intersected the area.



Of the 10 municipalities incorporated by 1920, seven defined their boundaries from the depot. Of these, Harmony Grove became one of the leading distribution centers of northeast Georgia due to the railroad. The town was prospering so well that in 1904, the citizens changed the name to Commerce, "to better reflect the commercial air of a city."


Jefferson Depot.

These steam-driven locomotives, and passenger services in the county were phased out by 1960. Within a decade, the opening of Interstate 85 signaled accessibility for new industry and homes.


Before I-85

Development of other communities followed the pattern of railroad routes, many of which crossed the area. The earliest of these lines was developed in 1870 and went through Center, an unincorporated community near the southeastern corner of the county, and through Maysville, a town near its northeastern corner.


Maysville has gone to the dogs.

First known as Midway, Maysville was renamed for John May and incorporated in 1879. Maysville was also referred to as "the Brick Store" in the mid-nineteenth century, for a store building made of brick owned by Abraham Atkins. It was at that time the only brick store north of Athens.



The town's cotton-centered industries (such as cotton ginning and cottonseed-oil production) as well as several other industries made Maysville an active industrial center for a time, but the town's population has declined steadily since 1910. Today Maysville straddles Banks and Jackson counties and is the second-oldest extant community in Jackson County.



The Mill at Hurricane Shoals—Maysville, Georgia. Along Mulberry Creek, you'll find the Old Mill, abandoned, yet majestic in its own right. This cotton gin and grist mill was in operation from the 1870s to the 1920s, and served the townspeople and county well.



In addition to Commerce, Jefferson, and Maysville, other incorporated towns in the county are Arcade, Braselton, Hoschton, Nicholson, Pendergrass, and Talmo. The historic districts of Braselton, Commerce, Jefferson, Maysville, and Talmo are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History of Commerce, GA:

The City of Commerce was once known as the Groaning Rock, because of a strange rock formation that made an eerie sound whenever the wind passed through it. The first settlement was established in 1784. In 1808 Eli and Rebecca Shankle started a trading spot and named it Harmony Grove. In 1825 the town changed its name to Harmony Grove and was incorporated in 1884.



Harmony Grove era.



In 1904 the town's name changed to Commerce, which reflected the town's position as a thriving market town for the buying and selling of cotton during the era when cotton was "king."



Commerce bears the distinction of having done well economically even during the Great Depression of the 1930s.



The Northeastern Railroad came through in 1876 causing explosion in the city's growth. Harmony Grove was incorporated in 1884 and became a major trading and distribution center for north Georgia. The founding father decided in 1904 to change the name to Commerce. They felt that a growing city needed a name that reflected its commercial status.



In 1936, E.M. Williams built Commerce City Hall for use as a post office. The building was purchased in 1995 by the City of Commerce and was renovated to house the current City Hall. The City of Commerce is filled with a rich past that is evident in its historic homes and business.



Downtown Commerce is a beautiful historic district which features 19th and 20th Century shops, restaurants and industrial buildings that reflect the charm that Olive Ann Burns wrote about in the novel Cold Sassy Tree.

Commerce Historic District:

Downtown Commerce has a fine collection of 19-20th century commercial and industry structures. It was listed on the National Registrar of Historic Places in 1988.



Hardman House:

This Mediterranean style house was built in 1920 for Lamartine Griffin Hardman. Mr. Hardman was a prominent Commerce citizen who served as Governor from 1927-1931.



Commerce is all about the Outlet Stores now.



History of Pendergrass, GA:

Pendergrass was incorporated in 1891. It was named for F.L. Pendergrass, a railroad director. The train depot located in the center of town and the town limits stretched a half-mile in every direction.


Flea market well advertised on I-85.

In the early 1900's Pendergrass peaked with an oil mill, 2 gins, 2  buggy factories, a hotel, blacksmith shop, several stores, doctors, veterinarian and a warehouse that held bales of cotton. A.C. Shockley, a pioneer, called Pendergrass home. Mr. Shockley was responsible for developing the apple and peach industry in the 1870's. City Hall is housed in the old historic train depot which was renovated in the 1990s.



The town has grown tremendously. It has a public library, City Park and numerous new subdivisions.

History of Hoschton, GA:

In 1865 the City of Hoschton was named for three pioneer brothers, J.R., R.A., and William Hosch. The brothers built the first store and other stores soon popped up. A railroad was organized in 1878 which ran from Gainesville to Jefferson and Athens, later it was extended to run to Monroe. J.R. and R.A. Hosch decided in 1880 to establish a town. Lots were sold in 1881 and the Hosch brothers bought and donated land for the town square, streets, a church, a school, a cemetery and more. J.C. Saye along with the Hosch brothers surveyed and laid out the town site. It was incorporated in 1891.



City Hall has a displayed collection of the turn of the century famed photographs and narratives. Some of the photos show scenes that dated back to the city's origin in 1891.

Hoschton Depot:

The City of Hoschton was founded by two brothers, The Hosch brothers in 1881. The city was built next to the railroad so that the city would become more prosperous. In 1883 the depot was built on land that was donated by the Hosch brothers and today the land is preserved as a land marker and museum.



Braselton Historic District:

Braselton is an excellent example of late 19th Century architecture with its award winning town hall, homes, and commercial district on the National Registrar of Historic Places. Many of the Town's historic buildings have been renovated in keeping with the charm and small town feel Braselton has been known for since the Braselton Brothers first opened a store over 100 years ago.



The first permanent settlement at Braselton was made in 1884. The town is named after Harrison Braselton, a poor dirt farmer who married Susan Hosch, the daughter of a rich plantation owner. Braselton built a home on 786 acres (318 ha) of land he purchased north of the Hosch Plantation. The land he purchased was later called Braselton. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Braselton as a town in 1916.



In 1989 actress and Georgia native Kim Basinger and other investors bought 1,751 acres of the town's 2,000 privately owned acres for $20 million from Braselton Brothers Inc, intending to turn it into a tourist destination. Five years later, on the eve of personal bankruptcy, she and her partners sold the land for $1 million.

History of Talmo

Talmo, or "The Jewel of Jackson County" as its residents refer to it, is a small agricultural city with a rich history. Its name derives from the Creek Indian word "talomeco", which means “Home of the Chief Tallassee.” Settlers arrived in approximately 1840, but Talmo really began to grow in the 1900s when the Gainesville Midland constructed a side track through the city.


Talmo Depot.

During this period and until 1919, Talmo was famous for its high quality staple cotton, recognized in the trade as "Talmo Cotton" or "Gold Cotton." In the 1920s the economic focus of the city turned away from cotton and toward livestock production. Georgia's “father of the commercial broiler production," M. E. “Ellis” Murphy began at that time producing broilers in the area. Today, Talmo is a popular living destination for Atlanta commuters, is still largely agricultural.



Poultry production in Georgia began in 1924 when M. E. Murphy of Talmo, in Jackson County, started growing broilers on a large scale basis. Jackson Countians have moved to the forefront in this enterprise, continually ranking in the top five counties in broiler and egg production. The county also ranks near the top in beef cattle numbers and livestock income in the State. Georgia's oldest registered Angus cattle herd was begun in the 1930's by Jackson Countian Jimmy Johnson.


Cattle drive through Jefferson.

Places of interest include

Chateau Elan, a 3,500-acre winery and resort in Braselton.



Shields-Ethridge Heritage Farm is an outdoor agricultural museum that functions as an educational and interpretative facility in northeast Georgia. The farm is unique for its collection of intact historic buildings that exist in their original location and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.



Sells Mill Park:

Sells Mill is an old mill that ground corn as late as the 1990's. Frank Sells, a legislature from Jackson County, owned it. The mill was built to supply electricity as well as gring grains for bread. It is located at Sell's Mill Park. See the shoals, water wheel, and trace area and hike the trails.



Sell's Mill Park has a covered pavilion with several picnic tables, a playground, restrooms, walking trails and The Mill building. The pavilion and The Mill can be rented. Sell's Mill park is located just off Jackson Trail Rd and Highway 53 in Hoschton.

TRD Addendum on Jefferson Georgia

Pop tells me how he and my uncles would jump off this bridge into Curry Creek.


Here it is as a covered bridge and then in the 1940's when pop was in Jefferson.

TRD went on an adventure through the briars to get down under this bridge. Attempted panorama.



Pop may have exaggerated about jumping, looks kinda shallow.



Pop said his parents and several relatives of the Kirk and Moore family's worked at the cotton mill in Jefferson.



Mills today are antique stores and furniture stores. Lofts at other factory buildings in Jefferson.





How can you come to Jackson County and Commerce without mentioning the home of the Southern Nationals, Atlanta Dragway



Notable people

Chris Beck, pitcher for New York Mets



Damon Jesse Gause, war hero



Brantley Gilbert, country music singer, songwriter



Brandon Mosley, former Auburn University and former New York Giants offensive lineman



Corey Smith, country music singer, songwriter



Olive Ann Burns, novelist



Among the many county residents who have made a substantial contribution to the state government, 3 names stand out:

1. Dr. Lamartine C. Hardman of Commerce, began the areas first clinic in 1899, served as Governor for 2 terms from 1927-1931. (See above)

2. John N. Holder of Jefferson was Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives twice and for many years chairman of the State Highway Board. Holder was also editor and publisher of The Jackson Herald for almost seventy years.

3. Lauren "Bubba" McDonald a graduate of Commerce High School and the University of Georgia, he served 20 years in the Georgia legislature representing parts of Barrow and Banks counties and all of Jackson County.



TRD Addendum on notable local politics. We got our own Buford T. Pusser here in Jefferson. Floyd G. Hoard



I stumbled on this remarkable monument on the courthouse grounds. Click the link above and learn more. On an early morning 50 years ago, Jackson County Solicitor General Floyd Hoard walked out of his Jefferson home, climbed into his Ford Galaxy, turned the ignition, and died when dynamite blew the car into a mangled mess.

Hoard became the victim of an angry, vengeful bootlegger. The killing was arranged and paid for by longtime moonshiner A.C. “Cliff” Park of Pendergrass, whom lawmen believe was angered by the new prosecutor’s decision to crack down on illegal moonshine and car thievery that thrived in Jackson County.

The 76-year-old Park had two of his cohorts in the illegal business, George Iras Worley, 40, and Douglas Pinion, 40, find someone to kill Hoard. These two conspired with John Hyman Blackwell and Lloyd George Seay.

Seay showed Blackwell how to rig the bomb to a car’s electric coil and during the night Blackwell attached the bomb, according to court testimony. During the trial, Blackwell, 24, and Seay, 23, turned state’s evidence against Park.



Whew..... What a tangent. Hurricane Shoals Rocks!



Great place to bring your sweetie, but not your dog. Our GNW gals of the day all hooked up at Hurricane Shoals.