Georgia Natural Wonder #247 - Banning Mills - Carroll County ***

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Georgia Natural Wonder #247 - Banning Mills - Carroll County


Banning Mill is located in southeastern Carroll County on the banks of Snake Creek, an arm of the Chattahoochee River. When it closed in 1971, the mill, which opened in the decade of the 1840s, had been in existence longer than any other regional mill and had served as both employer and home to generations of area residents.





The four Bowen brothers first operated the mill on land that they acquired in one of Georgia’s land lotteries. By 1849 they were producing skeins of coarse yarn used in osnaburgs (grain sacks). The factory became known as Bowen’s Mill, and the surrounding area as Bowenville, with one of the brothers, William, serving as the community’s first postmaster.





After the mill burned in 1851, the Bowen brothers forfeited their business. The next owner was William Amis, a businessman and state legislator from Coweta County. The Civil War (1861-65) began before Amis was able to make the mill operational. The mill buildings survived the war, and in 1866 Amis reopened, naming the mill Carroll Manufacturing. By 1880 he had sold it to a group of four businessmen. One of the new owners, Arthur Hutcheson, took charge of the mill.





Hutcheson, an Irish-born merchant with a store in Palmetto, devoted the rest of his life to the mill community. Under his direction Hutcheson Manufacturing, as it was renamed, prospered. He added two new pulp mills, a sawmill, and a gristmill, in addition to refurbishing the area’s old paper mill. During Hutcheson’s time at Banning, the mill produced cotton sheeting and shirting fabric, while the paper mill produced striped paper, the first mill in the region to do so. Hutcheson’s greatest achievement, however, was bringing electricity to the mill in the late 1880s. Banning became one of the first factories in Georgia to operate with electric power.





By Hutcheson’s death in 1895, the mill property extended for more than 1,300 acres. The textile mill housed 5,000 spindles and employed, in addition to the residents working in the surrounding mills, about 240 workers. Fewer than 1,000 people lived in the mill community, which was renamed Banning so that the post office would not confuse Bowenville with other similarly named area communities.





In 1921 the mill acquired new owners and another new name, Banning Cotton Mill. The new owners hoped for the prosperity of the Hutcheson years and updated the mill by adding a rubber plant facility. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, however, the mill experienced several closures. The residents of the area remained a close community but were often forced to seek work in other mills, and the owners declared bankruptcy by the close of the decade. During the 1940s Banning had several different owners, who initiated the production of heavy cord to be used in tire manufacturing and yarns to be used in mops. The mill closed down often during World War II (1941-45) and, when open, employed only fifty to seventy-five workers. One improvement to the facility during the war years was the installation of a motor to replace the water-powered turbine.





In an effort to revive the factory during the late 1950s, Banning manufactured carpet yarns and became affiliated with carpet manufacturers in Dalton. By the 1960s, without the capital to make required modern improvements, production at the mill began to decline and its operations ceased in 1971, approximately 130 years after its opening.





In August 1974 the mill opened as an entertainment center. The West Georgian reported one month prior that the venue would be the home of a private dinner club and two public theaters. The venue hosted musicians, visual artists, actors, and more throughout the following two decades. 





In the early 1990s the property was purchased by Atlanta businesswoman Patricia Brown, with hopes to document its history with students at the University of West Georgia Public History Center. In 1998 Historic Banning Mills was founded to help preserve its history, as well as the surrounding Snake Creek River Gorge and Chattahoochee watershed. The conservancy now operates alongside an adventure resort and retreat center, offering experiential education, lodging, and outdoor activities and adventure-based programming.





An Interesting Historical Sketch of Banning Mills.





Historic Banning Mills is located in Georgia’s only hidden gorge on beautiful Snake Creek in Carroll County, Georgia. The area is rich in history and home to our country inn. We invite all to visit us and explore the surrounding nature and history. Originally, the area was home to the Creek and Cherokee nations. The Native Americans lived in lodges made of pine poles and mud plaster, hile farming and hunting along the rich and fertile Chattahoochee River area.





Early Settlement and Chief William McIntosh





The early 1800’s saw white settlement in the Carroll County area, which was still considered part of the Wild West. Carroll County was home to Chief William McIntosh, who was half Creek Indian. Chief McIntosh fought alongside Andrew Jackson and became a Brigadier General, the only Native American to reach that rank.





McIntosh dined with President Thomas Jefferson at the White House, and his first cousin was Governor George Troup of Georgia. Owning hundreds of acres in Georgia and Alabama, McIntosh became a wealthy businessman. His main plantation was known as Lockchau Talofau, or Acorn Town, and was located along the Chattahoochee River and Highway 5, also known as McIntosh Trail (located about 5 miles from Banning Mills).





McIntosh had nearly 100 slaves, white men, and Native Americans working for him to help run his two taverns, trading post, overnight lodge, and plantation. Chief William McIntosh signed the Treaty of Indian Springs on February 12, 1825. This treaty infuriated the Upper Creek nation and sealed his death. On May 1, 1825, a large party of Upper Creek Native Americans came to his home and set fire to it.





His wife begged for McIntosh to die bravely, and he fought valiantly against his foes. As he exited his home, he was shot several times before being dragged into his yard and stabbed to death. McIntosh is buried where he fell at Louckchau, now McIntosh Reserve, and a county park that is over 527 acres.





Developing 1800’s Mill Industry





Large-scale industry was late to develop in Carroll County due to there being few water power sites. In 1846, a manufacturing community, built by the Bowen brothers, opened on Snake Creek, about two miles from present-day Whitesburg, Ga. The textile mill in the community contained 500 yarn producing spindles. The mills and town that developed in the community were originally known as Bowensville. The textile mill, known as the Amis Mill, operated throughout most of the Civil War. During the war, federal troops were ordered to find and burn the mills. Upon finding the mills in the hard to find, hidden Snake Creek Gorge, the equipment had already been shipped to South Carolina in hopes of saving the machinery. Since the mills were found in “non-working” condition, they were not burned. The federal troops did not want to return empty-handed, so they decided that Mr. Amis would accompany them. Mr. Amis did not want to be a guest of the “Yankee” troops and although he was shot in his attempt, he was able to escape and eventually recover from his wounds. The ruins of the mills are still present today.





Textile Mill Post Civil War Era





The post-Civil War era saw a decline in the success of the mill town. In 1878, Arthur Hutcheson acquired the textile mill and U.B. Wilkinson acquired the paper mill. Confirmed by Georgia Tech, Banning is considered to be the birthplace of the modern paper industry. By 1882, the textile mill, known as Hutcheson Manufacturing Company, had 2,000 spindles and 14 cards which manufactured warp and bunchy yarn. It was at this time that the name of the mill town was changed to Banning. The name change was largely due to the result of other nearby communities with similar names, Bowersville and Brownsville, which resulted in numerous postal mix-ups.





Banning Mills Post Mill Town Era



The mill town was thriving at the time of Mr. Hutcheson’s death on April 5, 1895. By this time, the town contained up to ten mills, including two pulp mills, a paper mill, a grist mill and a sawmill. All of these were located within a mile apart from each other along Snake Creek. Banning was one of the first towns in Georgia to produce its own electricity – well before Atlanta. Documented diary and journal entries talk about day-long horse and buggy rides from Atlanta to watch the lights come on at Banning. Electricity was produced there until 1917.





Historic Banning Mills has multiple mill sites and ruins to explore on our hiking trails Visit our gift shop to get a book of our history and the surrounding areas. The unique geology and ecology of Snake Creek Gorge is unmatched! The topography of the Gorge made milling ideal. You can walk along the historic raceways that brought water to and powered the mills.





Historic Banning Mills was the first Zip Line and Aerial Adventure Park in North America! With over 100 zip lines compiling nearly 11 miles of cable to ride, we also hold the Guinness World Record for the longest Zip-line Canopy Tour! We have something for almost everyone with introductory, low to the ground levels for kids, and those who are just getting started zip-lining, all the way up to extreme zip lines measuring over 3,000 feet in length and hundreds of feet above the ground. Our course has so much to explore; it would take you a full two days to experience every zip line! Banning Mills is nestled along Snake Creek Gorge, which provides incredible scenery as you navigate the treetops and cross over the creek below.

Carroll County

Carroll County is a county located in the northwestern part of the State of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, its population was 119,148.[2][1] Its county seat is the city of Carrollton.[3] Carroll County is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metropolitan statistical area and is also adjacent to Alabama on its western border.

History

The lands of Lee, Muscogee, Troup, Coweta, and Carroll counties were ceded by the Creek people in the Treaty of Indian Springs (1825). This was a huge amount of land in Georgia and Alabama, the last remaining portion of the Creeks' territory, and it was ceded by William McIntosh, the chief of the Lower Creek and a member of the National Council. This cession violated the Law, the Code of 1818 that protected communal tribal land. The Creek National Council ordered the execution of McIntosh and other signatories to the treaty for what it considered treason.

McIntosh was killed at his plantation home, at what has been preserved as the McIntosh Reserve. Menawa and a force of 100-150 Law Defenders from Upper Town lands ceded in this treaty carried out the executions of two other men, including Samuel Hawkins, one of McIntosh's sons-in-law. Benjamin Hawkins Jr., another son-in-law, was also named for execution but he escaped, and soon moved to East Texas with his wife and family. Both of the Hawkins brothers were sons of Benjamin Hawkins, the longstanding US Indian Supervisor of the Creek.

All of Carroll County had been Creek Indian land signed away in the Treaty of Indian Springs in 1825 by a group of chiefs headed by William McIntosh. For this act McIntosh was murdered by a faction of his own people. Chief McIntosh’s home was located in present-day Carroll County along the Chattahoochee River. Much of McIntosh’s personal land, known since 1825 as the McIntosh Reserve, is today a county park.

The boundaries of Carroll County were created by the Georgia General Assembly on June 9, 1826, but the county was not named until December 14, 1826. It was named for Charles Carroll of Carrollton, at that time the last surviving signer of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, as was Carrollton, the county seat.

Carroll County was established by an act of the state legislature on June 9, 1825. It was named for Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Maryland, the last living signer of the Declaration of Independence.

At the time of its creation, Carroll County was the thirty-first of Georgia’s thirty-two original counties. The original Carroll County was a very large triangular area extending from Alabama on the west to the Chattahoochee River on the east and south. The northern boundary of the county was the Cherokee Nation. Eventually parts of five other counties—Campbell (now defunct), Douglas, Haralson, Heard, and Troup—were taken from the original Carroll County.

When the county was first organized, the legislature designated the county seat as Old Carrollton, Georgia, but in 1830 it was moved to Carrollton.

The county seat was originally located at Old Carrollton, in the eastern part of the county near the community of Sand Hill. In 1829 the current site was selected, and the name Troupsville was suggested by the inhabitants. The legislature was controlled by opponents of former Georgia governor George Troup,however, and they gave the county seat the name Carrollton.

This county originally extended from the Chattahoochee River to the Alabama state line on the east and on the west, with its northern boundary at the Cherokee Nation, just north of present-day Interstate 20. As population increased, this land was divided into Carroll, Douglas, and Heard counties, and parts of Haralson and Troup counties. The portion that became Douglas County was once Campbell County which no longer exists (it was divided between Douglas and Fulton counties).

Because the county had few slaves compared to counties developed for cotton plantations, it was called the Free State of Carroll during the 1850s. Even before the cession of territory by the Cherokee in the late 1830s, some white settlers lived in the northern part of the county in the area of Villa Rica.

During its first few years Carroll County was truly frontier territory. A band of horse thieves called the Pony Club for a time dominated local affairs through both fear and control of local government. Honest citizens, known locally as “Slicks,” were finally able to band together and drive the Pony Club out of the county.

Carroll County was the site of Georgia's first Gold Rush.

In 1830 gold was discovered at Pine Mountain, a short distance north of the future site of Villa Rica. By 1832 several hundred men were employed annually in the mines, and mining contributed greatly to the local economy. By 1860, however, the gold had largely played out, and mining no longer plays a role in the economy of the county.

Heavy manufacturing came to Carroll County in the 1840s, when the Bowen brothers established a textile mill on Snake Creek at Banning, near what is now the town of Whitesburg. Under the Bowens and later owners William Amis and Arthur Hutcheson, this factory offered an alternative to agricultural employment.

The town of Bowdon early led the county in higher education. In 1857 the Georgia legislature chartered Bowdon College, which operated until 1936.

By  1860 Carroll County was beginning to leave the frontier period behind. A new brick courthouse had just been completed and grading had begun for a railroad connecting the county with Newnan, in Coweta County. Also, with the seventh-largest white population in the state, Carroll County was starting to exert some influence in state politics. Ezekiel S. Candler from Villa Rica had earlier served as Georgia’s comptroller general, and in 1860 Ahaz Boggess was elected surveyor general of Georgia.

During the Civil War (1861-65) Carroll County sent more men into the Confederate army than any other county in the state except Chatham County (according to the records of salt rations distributed to soldiers’ families), despite the strong Unionist leanings of many of the county’s residents. Although there was no significant fighting in Carroll County, many soldiers never returned, dying from disease or wounds on battlefields as far away as Kentucky and Virginia. At home the war left many widows and orphans, and a lot of farms had fallen into disrepair.

For a time Carroll County was the home of Horace King (architect). King helped build Moore's Bridge over the Chattahoochee River at Whitesburg. Moores Bridge was burned by Union soldiers during the Civil War. During the American Civil War, the county provided the Bowdon Volunteers and the Carroll Boys, which were a part of Cobb's Legion.

Carroll County recovered, and by the end of the century it was one of the leading cotton-producing counties in the state. During the early twentieth century Carroll County led the state in cotton production on several occasions, including 1928, 1929, 1932, and 1938. During most of the twentieth century Carroll County, always the domain of the yeoman farmer, also led the state in number of farms. In 1954 Carroll County had 3,155 farms, its closest rival being Colquitt County, with 2,678 farms.

By 1890 Mandeville Mills at Carrollton was also offering textile work to local residents and soon eclipsed the older mill at Banning. Mandeville Mills closed in 1953, but by that time Southwire Company had been created to manufacture copper wire and wire-related products.

In 1906 Carrollton became the site of the Fourth District A & M School. In 1933 the A & M became a junior college, called West Georgia College. In 1957 the institution attained senior college status and in 1996 became the State University of West Georgia. And in 2005 the name of the school changed once again, becoming the University of West Georgia.

A campus of West Georgia Technical College is located at Carrollton. This school began operation in 1968 as Carroll Technical Institute, and later became West Central Technical College. In July 2009 West Central Tech merged with West Georgia Tech. The college offers numerous certificate, diploma, and associate degree programs, making a large contribution to technical and adult education in Carroll and surrounding counties.

From 1978 until 2001 Sony Music (originally CBS Records) operated the largest recorded-music manufacturing plant in the world at Carrollton. Although the company ceased its manufacturing operations in the county in 2001, its warehousing and distribution operations are still active. In 2002 Wal-Mart opened a huge distribution center just north of Carrollton as headquarters for its online ordering business.

On August 21, 1995, Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529 crashed in a field near Carrollton, Georgia. Nine of the 29 passengers and crew were killed in the crash.

In February 2008 several tornadoes hit Carroll County, destroying several homes and damaging many more. On May 11, 2008 (Mother's Day) some of the same areas were hit by more tornadoes. The Mother's Day tornadoes destroyed and damaged many homes and businesses.

On September 21, 2009, portions of Carroll County were flooded after eight days of heavy rainfall, resulting in multiple deaths. The flooding initially closed more than 60 highways and roads, and it destroyed a number of bridges. Early estimates of the damage totaled $22 million.

Communities

    City of Carrollton (County Seat)
    City of Villa Rica *
    Fairfield (Unincorporated)
    City of Temple
    City of Bowdon
    City of Mount Zion
    Town of Whitesburg
    Town of Roopville

Carroll County has several incorporated towns within its boundaries—Bowdon, Carrollton, Mt. Zion, Roopville, Temple, Villa Rica, and Whitesburg. Most of the county is within an hour’s drive of Atlanta and has been experiencing rapid growth. According to the 2020 U.S. census, the county population is 119,148, an increase over the 2010 population of 110,527.

Carroll County has been home to many prominent people. Roy Richards founded Southwire and turned it into the world’s largest privately owned wire company. The actress Susan Hayward lived just north of Carrollton and is buried there. William C. Adamson served in the U.S. Congress from 1897 to 1917 and sponsored the Adamson Act, which established an eight-hour work day for interstate railroad employees. Newt Gingrich, who taught at the University of West Georgia, served in the U.S. Congress from 1979 to 1999, the last four years as Speaker of the House.