400Edition Magazine March 2010

Edition400W h a t ’ s u p i n N o r t h G e o r g i a

March 2010

F R E EHooray forHistory!

Welcome to our history issue. We hope you enjoy reading about how things used to

be in our wonderful North Georgia. I want to thank all the wonderful people who took time out of their busy lives to write for us and find pictures to enhance the articles. If you have never written for a publication you probably don’t know all the research and hours that it takes to write, and rewrite, trash one version and write another. There are so many untold stories about our part of the world. If you have one, write it and plan on submitting it the next time we have a history issue.

We sadly say goodbye to Donald Pruitt, who has been writing our Historic Forsyth column. He’s retiring from doing the column. Thank you, Donald, for all the good articles you have taken the time to write for 400 Edition. Hopefully the Historical Society of Forsyth County will find us someone to take up the banner so that we will continue to have this column. This is probably our longest-running column. Annette Bramblett wrote the first one in our first published issue—April/May 2004.

Thinking back on that, we will celebrate the beginning of our seventh year in April. Time certainly has a way of going by rapidly, doesn’t it? We have seen the best of times for advertising in North Georgia, and then have seen it suddenly slow down. The housing industry decline took its toll on many

publications and businesses. I wouldn’t take anything for the privilege of meeting all the people that I’ve met since April 2004. Many, many of these folks have become good friends and I know there are more out there to meet. We have been truly blessed. The other day a sweet lady called me and said she wanted to thank us for the magazine. She went on to say how much she enjoyed it and looked forward to it every month. You just cannot know how much those things mean to us and how we appreciate our readers taking the time to let us know.

Don’t give up. Spring will be coming to North Georgia very soon. We’ll quickly forget all the ice, cold weather, and wind we have had this winter. I think I have heard that the cold weather is good for many things—I just haven’t found them yet.

Until next month…stay happy!

420 Wal-Mart Way, Suite 171Dahlonega, Georgia 30533

Phone: 706-867-6455Toll Free: 866-867-7557

Fax: [email protected]

March 2010

Carole Lee, Founder/Creative Design

Tim Herrel, Sales

Linda Merritt, Founder/Sales/Executive Editor

Bob Merritt, Director of Sales

Beth Snider, Founder/Sales/Creative Design

Nancy Wright, Proofing

Contributing Writers:

Staff Writers:

400 Edition is published monthly in Dahlonega, Georgia, with distribution in three counties.

Viewpoints expressed by contributing writers are not necessarily those of the publishers, staff or advertisers. 400 Edition is not liable for inaccurate or erroneous information posted in advertising or event submissions.

Ads must be submitted and paid in full by the 20th of every month, unless arrangements have been made in advance. Content and presentation of advertisements is subject to editorial review and modification. Ad dimensions and pricing may be obtained by calling 706-867-6455 or 866-867-7557. These specs may also be viewed at www.400edition.com.

Writers may submit material to [email protected]. Submissions are subject to approval by the editor and may be edited for space, requirements, and style. The deadline for submissions is the 15th of each month.

Contents of this publication become the property of 400 Edition and the original author and cannot be reproduced without written consent of the publisher.

This publication is printed by Walton Press in Monroe, GA.

Anne Amerson

Clay Cunningham

Dr. Mark Feinsilber

Nancy Forrest

Robin Toms Grier

Martha Hynson

Sharon Keating

Steven Leibel

Dr. Joyce Nations

Donald Pruitt

Linda Ragland

Patrick Snider

Rhonda Bailey

Carole Lee

Bob Merritt

Linda Merritt

Beth Snider

Nancy Wright

400 Edition

On the CoverThe town of Dahlonega is well known for its gold-rush history, and what better place to document it than the gold museum located in the 1836 Lumpkin County Courthouse, the oldest courthouse in Georgia. Housed in this beautiful building is the story of the thousands of prospectors who came to North Georgia, and the beginning of the first gold rush. In this historic structure in the center of the town square, you can view artifacts of the period, including gold nuggets, gold coins, and gold-panning equipment. There’s an educational film as well, and a gift shop. Visitors can also explore the features of the courthouse itself, including beautiful wooden chapel seats from 1889, and the judge’s chambers. Some exhibits are on the second floor and are not wheelchair accessible. Guidelines from the National Register of Historic

Places prevent the addition of an elevator to this building.Hours of operation are Monday-Saturday 9:00am to 5:00pm; Sunday 10:00am to 5:00pm. Take time to read all the wonderful stories of the past we’ve included in this issue; you’ll hear

about the first telephones—and about a time when there was no McDonald’s in town! In April our regular columns will be back to inform and entertain you.

Don’t hold back; tell us how you really feel about 400 Edition. We love receiving feedback from our readers and advertisers. Call us at 706-867-6455, toll free at 866-867-7557, or send an email to [email protected].

From the Editor...

�400 EditionMarch 2010 • www.400edition.com

North Georgia History 6 Number, Please

8 Historic Forsyth

10 Earlier Times in Dawson County

12 The Latest New People

13 The Wit, Wisdom, and Wonder of White County

14 To the Rear, Bobbie Lee!

16 A Brief Family History

21 The City of Gold History Adds Bronze History

22 Union County and its Scottish Heritage

23 Has Dawson County Changed?

Contents March 2010Volume 6, Issue 10

March 2010 • www.400edition.com400 Edition�

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The welcoming doors of the new Hampton Park Library

of the Forsyth County Public Library will open Monday, March 15. “Your Portal to Knowledge and Imagination,” the library system’s tagline, sums up what the library will bring to the north Forsyth County community: books, the Internet, children’s programming, and much more. The $6.8 million building is located in the Highway 400 corridor at 5345 Settingdown Road.

“The Hampton Park Library extends library service north of Cumming,” said Jon McDaniel, Library Director. “And, it will also improve access for the whole county, by increasing the total number of materials available for checkout.” Hampton Park will open with 60,000 items, including fiction, nonfiction, audio and large print books; educational and classic DVDs; music CDs; and magazines.

Like the Cumming and Sharon Forks libraries, Hampton Park will be open seven days a week. Its 38 computer stations, wireless Internet capability, and technology-savvy Information staff will ensure access to online information and resources. Programming will include preschool storytimes, Summer Reading Fun, and special programs for adults, teens, and families.

“Hampton Park incorporates environmentally friendly features, such as energy-efficient lighting and wide roof overhangs to shade windows,” says Carla Beasley, Assistant Director for Planning and Facilities. Inside, its 23,000 square feet evoke the comfortable feeling of a mountain lodge, with wooden accents and warm autumn colors.

The structure was built with funds from the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax V (SPLOST V), impact fees, and a construction grant from the Georgia Public Library Service.

Gas Measurement Instruments, Ltd. (GMI), a manufacturer and distributor of gas measuring

instruments, announces plans to locate its North American headquarters, sales, and calibration center in Gainesville-Hall County. The company, based in Renfrewshire, Scotland, expects to open its U.S. operations, management, and sales office at Interstate Ridge Business Park in Gainesville in early March 2010, with rapid growth expectations in the near future.

Founded in 1947, GMI designs, manufactures, and markets a range of gas detectors for the oil and gas, chemical, defense, and shipping industries worldwide. The North American operation figures heavily in GMI’s growth plans, as does the firm’s commitment to innovation. In 2009, GMI set a corporate goal to triple its global sales by 2014, and the U.S. represents GMI’s largest export market for detection equipment.

“Our five-year strategy is built around aggressive growth,” said GMI CFO David Hunter. “We want to make GMI one of the world’s leading providers of detection equipment to the gas distribution and shipping market. To achieve this, we will be opening new geographic markets, developing innovative and cutting-edge technology, and further developing the skills of our employees. The location of the North American headquarters was central to these objectives, and we have made

an important step in furthering our commitment to deliver GMI’s products to customers in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.”

“A number of factors drove our decision to locate the headquarters of GMI USA in Gainesville-Hall County,” said France Clouatre, GMI USA Office Manager. “The ability to move people and products through Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport was certainly important, but just as important is the need for a business-friendly environment with a sense of place and quality of life to attract and retain the best talent for our business. This region is a location that will allow us to grow and meet our goals and objectives.”

“GMI USA joins a great international business community in Gainesville-Hall County, Georgia,” said Kit Dunlap, President and CEO of the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce. “They’re the first Scottish company in our community, and we are pleased to be a partner in their growth strategy. This business community shares their enthusiasm for innovation and their global view of serving customer needs.”

According to Tim Evans, Vice President of Economic Development for the Greater Hall Chamber, Gainesville-Hall County is currently home to 38 international firms representing 13 countries.

Scottish Company to Locate North American HQ in Hall County

Hampton Park Library to Open March 15

The new Hampton Park Library was built for convenience, with parking in front and back, and drive-up book drops for

easy return of materials.


Preparing For A Sleep Study – Choosing a sleep disorders center

NORTHSIDEHOSPITAL To Your Health

by Cynthia Blount, RN, BSN, CPHQ, director, Northside Hospital Sleep Disorders Centers

According to the National Sleep Foundation, approximately seven out of ten Americans are affected by a sleep problem, but few seek help. Untreated sleep disorders have been linked to a number of chronic diseases, including hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

In many cases, an evaluation by a sleep specialist, followed by an overnight sleep study, can save your life. Sleep studies are safe and will not cause harm. However, it’s important to understand that all sleep disorder centers are not created equal. Before you make the decision on where to turn for help, do your homework and call and ask questions.

Is the facility accredited?Many insurance providers require that a sleep facility be accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). Accredited facilities have undergone detailed inspection, including evaluation of appropriate testing procedures, patient safety techniques, and physician training. Accreditation means that the facility has been judged to offer excellence in the field of sleep medicine and adheres to the highest standards of care for sleep disorder patients. In 1985, Northside Hospital’s Sleep Disorders Center in Atlanta became the first accredited sleep center in Georgia.

Is the facility hospital based?Is the facility affiliated with a hospital? Hospital-based sleep centers also must comply with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization’s (JCAHO) national standards for health care quality and safety, which most independent facilities are not required to follow. In addition to complying with rigorous infection control standards set by JCAHO, hospitals also follow the Center for Disease Control guidelines.

Who is on staff?Who oversees the sleep studies? Are staff specially trained in sleep medicine? Northside’s Sleep

Disorders Centers are staffed by physicians board-certified in sleep medicine, pulmonology, and neurology, along with registered polysomnographic/sleep technologists (RPSGT) and registered respiratory therapists (RRT). During sleep studies, technologists are assigned no more than two patients, but most often it is a one-to-one ratio. And a sleep physician is always on call. All staff are required to be trained in and certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and participate in ongoing emergency drills to ensure competency. Emergency equipment also is readily available.

Does the facility offer comprehensive care?Is the evaluation and treatment all done at one location? It is important that patients be able to receive treatment by the same facility that diagnosed them. Northside is one of the few sleep disorders centers that offers a lab for sleep testing, and a clinic for evaluation and follow-up treatment by physicians or therapists. Physician referral is not necessary. Northside also offers CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) therapy, including individualized instruction and mask fitting, at each of its sleep centers to assist patients with the machine used to treat sleep apnea.

What special features does the facility offer?It is very important for patients to feel comfortable with their physician, sleep tech, and the sleeping environment. Northside’s Sleep Disorders Centers are equipped with the latest technology in diagnosing and treating sleep/wake disorders for adolescents and adults, including technology for respiratory, cardiac, limb movement, and pulse oximetry monitoring. To further patient comfort, all sleep rooms have the feeling of an upscale hotel, complete with private bathrooms, flat-screen TVs, DVD players, sound machines, breakfast in bed, and more.

For more information, call the location nearest you or visit www.northside.com.Northside Hospital-Atlanta (Sandy Springs): (404) 851-8135

Northside Hospital-Forsyth (Cumming): (770) 887-3293Northside Hospital-Cherokee (Canton/Woodstock): (770) 720-5112


During the second half of the 19th century several inventors experimented with

transmitting human voices over wires. However, Alexander Graham Bell is credited with being the inventor of the electric telephone in 1876 because he was the first to be awarded a patent by the U. S. Patent Office.

Atlanta’s first telephone was installed in 1877. Shortly after the turn of the century, early telephones were finding their way into homes and businesses in several northeast Georgia communities, including Gainesville, Clarkesville, Cornelia, and Dahlonega.

The first attempt to bring telephone service to Dahlonega was made sometime prior to 1900 by Robert C. Meaders, who attempted to connect the Consolidated Mining Company with the Bell Company exchange in Atlanta. This line, consisting of a strand of iron wire suspended from trees along the roadway, came to a halt at Cumming, presumably because it had reached the end of articulate transmission.

In 1900 “Mr. Bob” Meaders and three partners built a line to Gainesville, where it connected with Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company. This line furnished telephone service to the Consolidated Mining Company, North Georgia College, the Porter Springs Hotel located north of Dahlonega, and the Meaders General Merchandising Store. The Bell Company engaged Meaders as their Dahlonega agent and maintenance man.

About 1910 Southern Bell sent a representative to Dahlonega to help Meaders solicit customers for local telephone service. Meaders insisted that people in a small town like Dahlonega wouldn’t bother using a telephone. However, he finally agreed to purchase the exchange if they could get a hundred subscribers. By 10 o’clock the next morning, the 100th customer signed on the dotted line, and a small switchboard was installed in the rear of the Meaders store. Three months after the exchange went into operation, it was inadequate and had to be replaced by a larger one.

The exchange consisted of a vertical box full of wires. In the front were sockets, one for each installed telephone, and above each socket was a phone number. Some older citizens (including this writer) can still remember hand-cranking their telephones and hearing the operator come on the line saying, “Number, please.” When the caller said the number, the operator then inserted the caller’s plug into the proper socket, pulled the toggle back and hand cranked the

requested number. “Mr. Bob” Meaders went to the telephone

exchange at 5:00am and ran it until the operator came at 7:00am. An operator called

“Central” worked the exchange from 7:00am until 6:00pm six days a week. During those hours Meaders installed new telephone lines and instruments or repaired old ones. At

6:00pm he relieved the operator and ran the exchange himself until 11:00pm.

People in the Nimblewill District of Lumpkin County got telephones about 1910, but they had to cut and install their own poles, and they had a 19-party line. If someone wanted to make a call out of Nimblewill, they had to ring one of the “Central” families on either end of the line and ask them to make the call.

Dahlonega’s “Central” operated the exchange, by now located on the second floor of the Meaders Building, an old frame building that stood on the corner where the Fudge Factory is located today. From that vantage point she could see everything going on around the Public Square. When asked to ring a particular number, she frequently would report,

“Oh, he’s not in right now; he just went into the courthouse (or the barber shop or Moore’s Store, etc.) She also served the function of today’s 911, ringing up a doctor or an ambulance when needed in cases of emergency.

I remember the telephone we had when I was growing up in Dahlonega during the 1940s. It hung on the wall and had to be hand-cranked. When the voice of “Central” came on the line and said, “Number, please,” I would tell her the number, or frequently just the name, of the person I wanted to talk with (“Central” knew everybody), and she would connect me. Our telephone number was 60-W.

When my husband Amos and I moved back to Dahlonega in 1979, telephone numbers had seven digits, but we only had to dial the last four numbers since everybody in the county had an “864” prefix. Area codes were only necessary for out-of-town calls. As more people moved into the area, a new prefix (867) was added, and now there are a number of additional prefixes to keep up with as well. The old system of having an operator manually plug calls into an exchange was cumbersome and would never work in today’s world, but sometimes I miss hearing Central’s friendly voice saying, “Number, please.”

(Note: Readers who want to know more about the early days of telephones in northeast Georgia will be interested in reading H. M. Stewart’s A Vivid

and Compelling Dream: Historical Sketch of Standard Telephone Company 1904-1984 and in visiting the Standard Telephone Museum in Cornelia. For information about when the museum is open, contact Andrea Harper at 706-778-7875.

“Number, Please” —When Telephones Came To Nor th Georgia by Anne Dismukes Amerson

Pictures, from top: The author using an old-

fashioned crank telephone like the one she grew up with, as

described in the articleA mannequin of “Central” sitting at an early switchboard (located

in the Standard Telephone Museum in Cornelia)

An old switchboard in the Standard Telephone Museum.

It is not identified, but it could have been the one originally

used in Dahlonega.


Children Of The Depression & MoreThis month I will continue to write about my father’s recollection of the ’20s and ’30s in Forsyth County. He had recorded these memories in the early ’90s, about a decade before his passing. He speaks of his grandfather, John Wesley Pruitt, who was the first of our line to come to Forsyth County and, hence, to the Haw Creek Community. He was born in Milton County at about the time it was created (1856). John Wesley Pruitt returned to Forsyth County from central Alabama in the mid-1880s and resided there for over 50 years. I will close with some other passing memories of earlier times.

I particularly remember 1925. It was an extremely dry year. No corn or cotton crop

was made that year. There was not as much field work that year so I got to spend a lot of weekends with my cousins. There was John Edd, Herbert, and Clayburn Bolden, who were the sons of my dad’s sister, Minnie Pruitt Bolden, and her husband, Grady (Grade) Bolden. Too, there was Hershell, Cuell, Roy C., Eugene, and Kathleen Vaughn. They were the children of Mae Pruitt, my dad’s oldest sister, and Tom Vaughn. We were all very close as children. John Edd Bolden died in the invasion of Okinawa in the Pacific, while Roy C. Vaughn was killed in the European Theater (Italy).

Haw Creek Baptist Church was very influential in my life. The old church was built around 1875 and torn down in 1949 for the construction of a new brick edifice. The old structure was built using old pine lumber and had large square posts in the middle of the church to provide support. The pews were made by church members from long 2x8 boards. Facing the pulpit on the left were long benches, known as the “Amen Corner,” for men. Like benches on the right were known as the “Old Ladies” or “Shouting Corner,” for the women. The only heat source was a large potbelly stove. In 1925 the lights were kerosene lamps. By

1929 we got electric lights hung from the ceiling and they provided much better light. As kids, we thought that the electric lights were really something.

The first minister I remember was Rev. Forrest, then Rev. Wallace. I most remember Rev. Howard, who was the pastor when I was saved in 1931. I was 15 and I was baptized in Mr. Leonard Poss’s pasture. The “pool” was on a branch. There were 41 folks baptized that Sunday. Back in those days we had morning and evening revival services (as of 1996 they still did). In Forsyth County there were still horses and mules and buggies in the church yard. During revival meeting we would have to go to the branch to water the mules and bring corn for them to eat. It was an exciting time socially, as a lot of the cousins got to go spend the night with one another.

I do remember that we would go fishing in James Creek just before it fed into the Chattahoochee River. We would make nets out of poles and large guano jute sacks and catch a mess of bream. Some of the boys were good at catching baby squirrels and trying to make pets out of them. We loved to trap rabbits and squirrels and sell them to folks in Cumming and Buford, who loved to eat them. Children today do not realize just how simple our diet was. When I went to stay with my Vaughn cousins, the small children would yell, “Maw, guess what we are having for breakfast? Hot biscuits, sop, and fatback!” Sop was milk gravy. Some of my cousins hated all of these items when they grew up; however, I never lost a taste for this food and still love crackling cornbread crumbled into cold buttermilk.

There was my Grandpa John Wesley Pruitt and his wife, Sarah (Sallie) Jackson Pruitt. Grandpa could make some of the best “cathead” hot biscuits that you ever tasted. They always had some real old-timey homemade pork

sausage that was heavily flavored with sage and hot pepper. The sop gravy would be so hot that it burned, but we all loved it. Grandma Sallie would make the strongest coffee that you ever tasted. She would let us grind the coffee beans, which was a special treat for us. On special occasions Grandpa John would cut a country ham and we would have “red eye” gravy as well as homemade sorghum syrup with those hot biscuits. You must remember that my grandparents were born right before or right after the Civil War. They had suffered through the aftermath of Sherman’s destructive march and now, half a century later, faced the Great Depression. Some of these simple things were delicacies to us and them. Grandpa John Wesley always kept huge boar hogs in the river bottoms. One year he made a large crop of cane. We boys got to strip the fodder and feed it to the boar hogs, cut the cane down, and process it. That year we as an extended family made over 100 gallons of sorghum syrup.

Note: At this point my dad’s handwriting became illegible due to his shaking from Parkinson’s.My dad mentioned walking three miles to Haw Creek School. In my articles I have reminisced about riding on Dock Gilbert’s school bus. In Forsyth County during the 1940s the school buses were privately owned, and driven by the owner, such as Dock Gilbert. Recently, I spoke with his daughter, Mildred Mauldin, and she related how he began his bus-driving career. His actual name was Ambus Hoyt Gilbert, and he drove a school bus in Forsyth County for more than 25 years. He started driving kids to school in 1943 in a Ford pickup with a canvas cover over the back and benches in the back. There were only about five kids that first year. Mildred was too young to go to school that first year, but she loved getting to ride with the other kids. After Dock purchased his first school bus, the roads were very rough. What is now GA 20

Historic Forsythby Donald Pruitt


was still an IMPROVED dirt road. I can remember that he always had two routes. The first was the “river” load and the second was the “Daves Creek” load.

One of the worst spots was right near the old Haw Creek School on what is now Trammel Road. There were a couple of hills of rutted, red-mud road and the bus got stuck more than once. Dock always kept a shovel, together with jute guano sacks and boards that he could place next to the rear wheels to get unstuck. Mildred remembered that the kids loved it and were always excited to see if the bus could make it up yet another hill. Nevertheless, the most memorable event happened on a bridge on that dirt road headed toward Daves Creek. Dock approached the bridge one morning and—you guessed it—when he drove over the bridge, it collapsed, with the bus frame resting on the wreckage. Poor Dock was devastated, but the kids loved it. With no cell phones, Dock had to walk to the nearest phone, which was very far away. It took most of the day to get the bus out of its predicament. There were places such as on Samples Road near the current Mashburn Elementary where the bus had to ford Haw Creek. Certainly, the highway department had to now build better bridges.

Most of my readers know of my fondness for the old Haw Creek Elementary School that stood on GA 20 across from the current Publix Shopping Center. On October 13, 2009, a dedication of the new Haw Creek Elementary School on Echols Road was held, with a special commemoration. I had lobbied for a while to use old foundation stones from the old schoolhouse to form a “rock garden” in front of the new school. Thanks to the dedicated effort of Jimmy and Martha McConnell (Co-chairs of the Historical Society of Forsyth County) and guidance from Judi Jenkins (Forsyth County Schools Community Relations Facilitator), the rock garden was completed and a plaque detailing its significance was placed behind

it. Mr. George Ingram provided the plaque in honor of Annette Bramblett, longtime official of the HSFC and writer of this column prior to her death. Attending that ceremony were 12 alumni of the old Haw Creek Elementary School: Carolyn Nicholls Baker, Donna Echols Eberhart, Joan Cook Echols, Gerald Echols, Sula Echols Pruitt, Jimmy Benefield, Sheryl Tatum Benefield, Bobby Echols, Mildred Gilbert Mauldin, Deen Samples Allen, Donald Pruitt, and Martha Ann Gilbert Tallant. The photo here shows the special rock garden and the group attending the dedication. The plaque reads:

These stones were at one time part of the foundation of the old Haw Creek School. The school was located in the southeast corner of Highway 20 and Trammel road. It closed in 1955 after over a half century serving the community. It is our hope that these stones continue to lay a foundation for many more years of learning for each student who enter the doors of the new Haw Creek Elementary School. (2009).

Donald (Don) Pruitt is a 1958 graduate of FCHS and a 1963 UGA graduate. While Don and his wife,

Sula Echols Pruitt, have lived outside of Forsyth County since 1963, he has a love of Forsyth County history and genealogy. He still has family here and tries to return “home” from North Carolina, where he has lived for 39 years. Donald is a long-time member of the Historical Society of Forsyth County. He can be contacted by email at [email protected].

March 2010 • www.400edition.com400 Edition10

W hat do you think of when you think of getting a

hamburger in Dawson County? Do you think of Five Guys Burgers and Fries? What about Burger King? Some people still remember when there was a Burger Queen! Maybe your favorite is the longtime local legend, “The Dawsonville Pool Room” made famous by Bill Elliott and NASCAR Racing fans. Just thinking about grabbing a bite to eat in Dawson County has changed so much over the years. Being a Dawson County resident all my life, I have seen many changes and can even remember when McDonald’s (the county’s first fast food restaurant) came to our small town.

My mother and father came to Dawson County in 1983 and made their home close to the Pickens County line on a road near “The Handy Corner” store. The store is still there and probably will be as long as “Donald” is able to run it. My ancestors on my father’s mother’s side were some of the first settlers of Dawson County. My great great great great great grandfather Reuben Hill was well-known to have been close friends with Davy Crockett. My great great great great grandfather on my father’s father’s side was John Neighbours. In 1852, he left his home heading west for California on a mule, leaving his wife and children behind, in search for gold and a better life during the California Gold Rush. He was never seen or heard from again. His son remained in Dawson County and was a Confederate soldier who even fought at the battle of Gettysburg. My great great grandfather was Jonas Neighbours, who was a well known moonshiner.

This area that we call Dawson County was originally settled by the Cherokee Indians, who thrived until the discovery of gold in 1829. It was the first Gold Rush in America. By 1832, this area was overrun by prospectors and large gold mining operations. In 1838, the Native Americans were forced to move west along what is now known as “The Trail of Tears.”

Dawson County was first established in 1857 out of pieces of Lumpkin, Gilmer, Pickens, and Forsyth counties. It was the 118th county in Georgia and was named after Judge William C. Dawson, who served in Congress and in the Senate for almost twenty years.

In 1858, plans for a permanent courthouse made of good materials and fashioned to resemble the courthouse in Gainesville were put in place. The bricks were purchased at $8.00 per thousand and were made by slaves. Dawson County’s original jail burned down during a failed escape attempt and a new one was erected in 1881. The courthouse and jail are still standing and are maintained to represent their original appearances. They are both on the National Register of Historic Places and the jail is now home to the Dawson County Welcome Center and Chamber of Commerce.

Dawson Country is probably best known for two things: moonshine and stock car racing. Some would find the way in which these two are related to be quite interesting. Dawson County was a significant source of the illegal corn whiskey known as moonshine during and after the Prohibition era. During Prohibition, many bootleggers would modify their cars for better speed and handling in order to evade police when delivering their cargo to nearby cities, including Atlanta. These cars would later come to be raced for entertainment purposes alone, giving birth to stock car racing. Even after Prohibition, moonshining continued as bootleggers hid their illegal practices from state revenue agents who wanted to tax them.

Dawson County’s first one hundred years were based primarily on agriculture. This is something my husband’s grandmother, Ruby Bolton, is all too familiar with. Mrs. Bolton is an eighty-year resident of Dawson County. She recalls that there were no jobs in this area, and that everyone was very dependent on the animals that they raised and the crops that they grew with their own hands. She

EarlierTimesinDawsonCounty

11400 EditionMarch 2010 • www.400edition.com

by Vanessa McBrayer

remembers when there were no paved roads and very few people had cars. These cars were often Ford Model A’s. But most people traveled by mule and wagon, or walked, which is what she did to and from school every day. The school that she attended was called Oak Grove and had two rooms: one for the younger children and one for the older children. This school is now the site of Bloomers Nursery. She remembers that there were only two stores in the county: Townsend’s Grocery and Nix’s Store, neither of which sold milk because that was something people always got from their cows at home. Mrs. Bolton remembers an experience she had with a cow while milking it before school one day when she was eight years old. Back then there were no beauty salons, so ladies styled their hair by rolling it with corn husks. She had her hair still up in the corn husk rollers early one morning when the cow she was milking decided to take a bite out of one of them, and actually lifted her up off the ground by her hair and dropped her back down. She also remembers getting typhoid fever and her mother making her eat dozens of peaches in order to help her get well. Her aunt succumbed to the illness, which was an epidemic in those days, and she recalls watching her family build her casket out of wood and lining the inside of it with white silk. Her aunt’s viewing was held in her home, after which she was transported to the cemetery in the back of the family’s wagon.

Mrs. Bolton says that one of the biggest differences between the way people were then, and the way they are today, is that people always used to lend a hand to help out when someone was hurt or sick, and now people don’t do that as often. They might send a card or say a prayer, but they do not come to help. She also says that the only time people used to have the opportunity to socialize was at church. She also explained that houses were not built as sturdy back then as they are today. She remembers being able to see her family’s chickens under their house

through the cracks in the floor of their one-bedroom house. They also used an outhouse, and drew water from a well or a spring.

Mrs. Bolton recalls her younger years as being difficult and full of hard work. The hardest work of all was done in the winter and involved digging up stumps, roots, and rocks to make way for “new ground” that would then be plowed with mules to become more fields for crops. Being the oldest of thirteen, she often cared for her younger brothers and sisters. One day when she was just fourteen years old, she ran away from school and went to the Justice of the Peace, where she got married. She had six children, most of whom, along with her grandchildren and great grandchildren, also reside in Dawson County.

In 1957, the Chattahoochee River was dammed to create Lake Lanier, Georgia’s largest lake, encompassing 39,000 acres—parts of which reach into Dawson County. Amicalola Falls State Park is named after a Cherokee Indian word meaning “tumbling waters” and is home to the highest waterfall in Georgia (729 feet). The park is also where an eight-mile trail begins that leads to Springer Mountain—the southern end of the Appalachian Trail. These sites attract many outdoor enthusiasts every year.

The construction of Highway 400 extending from Atlanta to Dahlonega in the 1980s finally gave the county the major highway that it had lacked. This, along with the completion of the North Georgia Premium Outlets in 1996, has helped Dawson County become one of the fastest growing communities in Georgia. I am proud to still reside in the county my ancestors called home more than a hundred and fifty years ago.

Vanessa McBrayer, her husband, three cats, a dog, and five fish make their home in Dawsonville. She is the Salon Director of Lava Hair Studio. Her hobbies are writing, hiking, gardening, and traveling. Life Philosophy: Appreciate the simple things in life.


F or 300 years after Christopher Columbus discovered the New World, the only

Europeans to see what would become White County, Georgia, were a few free-spirited wanderers and explorers. But as The Year of Our Lord 1815 rolled around, that was about to change.

That’s when a road, leading to the downfall of the Cherokee and the arrival of white people in Nacoochee, and many other valleys, was built.

The road was roughly traced over an old Indian trail, which before that had been walked by migrating animals, a group that intuitively finds the best routes. This 12-foot-wide thoroughfare twisted through the Nacoochee Valley, across Unicoi Gap, and with many coils and switchbacks, on to Tennessee. This road soon came to be known as The Unicoi Turnpike.

A treaty made in 1819 had given the State of Georgia the rights to thousands of new acres, and this time they included the Nacoochee Valley, which stretched alongside the new road. In 1820, this land was divided and distributed to its new owners by way of the Fourth Georgia Land Lottery.

Because of all this and a few other events, a windy March day in 1822 found a man named Daniel Brown leading a group of folks from North Carolina along the Unicoi Turnpike toward the Nacoochee and Sautee valleys. These folks weren’t Georgia citizens who had qualified for the land lottery, but instead had bought the property from people who did, a common practice. And while they weren’t the first white people to visit here, they were the first ones who came to stay.

Another group with the same intentions started out the following day from another North Carolina county. They used the same campsites as the people in front of them, who would soon become their neighbors, in many cases for generations.

They came with the idea of establishing a community and soon had stores, schools, churches and, by 1826, a post office. The Sautee post office wasn’t established until 1893, some 67 years later. That post office was housed in what is now The Old Sautee Store, although at the time,

it was simply called Williams’ Store for Alexander Williams who founded the place.

Gold was discovered in a big way in 1828, and it was mined here for the next one hundred years. The phrase “There’s gold in them thar hills!” was uttered in North Georgia as the older miners admonished the younger ones not to leave Georgia for California’s gold rush of 1849.

Several years later, James Hall Nichols, found White County’s Nacoochee valley and decided to buy all of it he could. Captain Nichols had actually been a Confederate Lt. Colonel and had commanded a battalion of Confederate cavalry. But he was nonetheless warmly called Captain by his friends and neighbors.

According to folklore, Nichols discovered a set of waterfalls while he and his daughter were riding horses up in the mountains. He supposedly decided right then to name those fabulous falls for his pretty daughter, Anna Ruby. In reality, the falls had already been located and were shown on maps as early as 1819, at least 50 years before Captain Nichols discovered them.

But the most noteworthy contributions that Captain Nichols made to this area may have come after his death. That’s when his vast land holdings were sold in parcels to timber interests, leading to the nearby settlement of Helen becoming a rough-and-ready sawmill town.

The obituary from the Macon Telegraph does a splendid job of describing the life and times of Captain Nichols.

November 20, 1897, The Macon Telegraph Atlanta, Nov. 19. - The remains of Capt. J. H.

Nichols passed through en route to Milledgeville for interment. The Journal says of him:

One of the most picturesque figures in Northern Georgia passed away when Capt. Nichols died yesterday at his home in the Nacoochee valley, twelve miles above Clarkesville.

No man ever lived in a community where he was more universally loved than Capt. Nichols. Nearly twenty-five years ago he moved into Nacoochee valley, and there, in the shadows of the Blue Ridge Mountains, he…took up his residence among the mountain folk, who in a short time were his devoted friends.

There in the valley he lived, keeping open house to all his neighbors and travelers who came his

way. He had the most magnificent home in North Georgia and one of the finest farms in the South. Capt. Nichols was noted for his generosity and gave largely from his means to anyone less fortunate than himself who needed assistance. His residence was one of the most palatial in the state and was considered the finest in North Georgia.

His happiness was finally turned to gloom by the unfortunate condition of his wife, whose reason became clouded. With his customary tenderness of heart Capt. Nichols for many years refused to allow the woman he loved so dearly to be given into the care of asylum physicians. Hoping to some day be able to restore her mind, Capt. Nichols kept his wife in his mountain home, and there, surrounded by all that love and wealth could provide, she was cared for.

Finally, after long suffering and seeing there was no hope of restoring her reason, Capt. Nichols took his wife to Milledgeville, which place had been their former home. She was placed in the state institution there for the insane, and with her reason dethroned she survives him.

Several years ago his health began to fail and then business reverses came and his fortune was swept entirely away. Strangers took the titles to his vast estates and the old home passed away from him.

Nichols and Brown were just two of many amazing and colorful early settlers of what would one day become White County, Georgia. But, as anyone who writes about early history in North Georgia has to say quite often, “that’s another story for another time.”

Emory Jones grew up in White County, Georgia, and holds the very rare and highly coveted Agricultural Journalism degree from the University of Georgia. He was publications manager at Gold Kist, Southeastern editor for Farm Journal magazine, and Director of Public Relations at Freebairn and Company, an Atlanta advertising agency. Emory is known for his humor, photography, and knowledge of kudzu and all things Southern. He has interviewed farmers in all 50 states and has had articles and photographs published in virtually every U.S. agricultural publication. Emory resides in his native White County on Yonah Mountain near Helen, Georgia.

TheLatestNewPeople by Emory Jones

1�400 EditionMarch 2010 • www.400edition.com

TheWit,Wisdom,andWonderofWhiteCountyby Emory Jones

W hen the folks at 400 Edition asked me to write an article

about White County, I thought, well that’s easy enough—I’ll write about our people.

Then they said to make it witty. And I thought, well okay; but that’s still going to be the people. That’s because there is a matchless measure of wit and wisdom here in White County, and almost all of it comes from the people. It seems like witty and resourceful people settled in White County early on, and those genes just keep popping up in the wit pool.

To illustrate some of this wittiness, let me tell you some of the more poignant things I’ve heard said right here—words that in many cases, I’ve tried to live by. For example:

“You can go anywhere you want in life as long as you look stern and carry a clipboard.” That was the graduating guidance Mr. Caswell gave to our senior class in 1968. That advice has paid off for me many times, most especially at concerts and political gatherings.

My granddaddy, Wiley Meaders, told me, “Never hit a man with glasses. If you’re going to hit him, hit him with a baseball bat.” I’ve never hit anybody (except once at a political gathering) but if I ever need to, I’ll remember what Granddaddy said about it.

His wife, my grandmother, taught me two things that stuck: “The way some people find fault, you’d think there was a reward for it.” And “Love is not only blind; it can also be deaf and dumb.” One of her other favorite sayings was, “The love of a young girl is like the morning dew. It’s about as likely to fall on a cow patty as a rose bud.” I’ve shared that one with several of my heartbroken female friends over the years.

My Uncle Ray taught me, “Politicians are like diapers; they need to be changed frequently—and for the same reason.” The years have proven him right time and again.

I recall my agriculture teacher, Mr. Horace Fitzpatrick, musing at an FFA meeting; “Boys, a rich man is nothing but a poor man with money.” I didn’t believe him then, but now I know it’s true.

In addition to all that wit and wisdom, one other thing that makes White County, White County, is that it’s home to more creative talent than one can almost imagine being in one place. My goodness, where else can you find artists like Judy Bynum George and John Kollock? (He’s actually from Habersham, but we still claim him, since White County was once a part of Habersham County anyway.) And,

according to the last census, we have more writers in White County than they have in Oxford, Mississippi. (Look it up.)

Of course we have Yonah Mountain and lots of other mountains, and Helen and Cleveland and the Chattahoochee River and Dukes Creek, where the largest gold nugget east of the Mississippi was found. And we have folk pottery and The Pottery Museum and don’t get me started on all the places to eat, and the gardens we still grow, and our new wineries and the old courthouse with the best Historical Society in the world. But that all gets back to people, doesn’t it?

I don’t know how witty he was, but I suppose that of all the people who have called White County home over the past 200 or so years, the person who actually caused White County to be White County was a man named William Shelton. You see, if it wasn’t for Mr. Shelton, Cleveland could have been the county seat of a place called Wofford County.

That’s right. You see, Shelton was elected to his post to help carve a new county out of Habersham. It’s a long story, but just before the Christmas of 1857, the Georgia legislature was about to adjourn and the outlook for keeping Shelton’s campaign promise looked bleak. And that was back when folks still expected elected officials to keep their campaign promises, so Mr. Shelton was in a pickle.

It had more or less been decided that this new county, if Shelton could make it happen, would be named Wofford County after a prominent family over near Clarkesville. But it couldn’t be named Wofford or anything else until Shelton got everything approved by the legislature. But even after introducing it twice, the bill hadn’t passed.

But David T. White, a smooth-talking and very witty Middle-Georgia parson, asked the assembly to reconsider Shelton’s bill one last time. And in what was reported as “a skillful display of oratory,” White convinced the assembly to pass the darn thing and the rest, as they say, is White County history.

Shelton was so moved that he forgot all about the Wofford family and moved to name the new place “David White County.” They shortened it a little, but the name stuck, and that’s why White County is named White County. (I doubt Mr. Shelton was very welcome back at the Woffords’ place, but I don’t know that for a fact.)

And as my grandmother used to say, “You may not care, but at least you know something now.”

March 2010 • www.400edition.com400 Edition1�

U ntil approximately 25 years ago I was not aware of my great great grandfather, Calvin

Pruitt, except for some dim family legend of a great great grandfather who served in the Confederacy. Possessing no more starting info than that, I feel that I have been extremely “lucky” in tracking down Calvin’s Civil War saga. It is an extremely complicated search for a “thirtysomething” private infantryman who was illiterate. I am very pleased that I have been able to piece together what I have, though there remains more to uncover.

Calvin was born in 1829 in Greenville County, SC, the oldest son of William Pruitt. In the early 1840s William moved his family to the Hickory Flat section of Cherokee County. This was north of Alpharetta and south of Canton. There, Calvin grew up and in 1850 married Susannah Elizabeth Rainwater. By the outbreak of the Civil War they had two sons and two daughters. His youngest son, John Wesley Pruitt, was my great grandfather. Calvin enlisted in the Milton Guards in October 1861 or February 1862 (muster rolls show both dates). Originally, this unit was Company F for the GA 38th (Wright’s Legion) but was changed to Company B of the GA 38th (Milton Guards). Calvin had a younger brother, Zilman, who was also in the same unit. Another younger brother had moved further west in Georgia and become a Confederate soldier. This was Tillman Pruitt, who may have been a twin of Zilman. He was in the 40th GA, Company C (Floyd County, GA) Army of Tennessee. Two younger brothers of Susannah, Humphrey P. and James Posey Rainwater, were enlisted in the Floyd County, GA, Sharpshooters, GA 21st, Company B, Army of the Potomac.

A little background on “Old” Milton County, GA: If one looks at a current map of Fulton County, GA, it has a very distinct head. This is Old Milton. Milton County was created in 1857 from portions of Cobb, Cherokee, and Forsyth counties, GA. The county ceased to exist in 1931 during the Great Depression and was incorporated into Fulton County (Atlanta). Because of the depressed economy and the associated negligence, future researchers have been frustrated owing to the disappearance of vital records forever. Ironically, there is now a movement afoot to restore Milton County.

Now, rejoining Calvin. It appears that he was wounded at Antietam or in action leading up to that strategic battle, for he was in the hospital on a surgeon’s leave. Eventually, he returned home in late 1862 and remained for much of 1863, when a third daughter was born. He rejoins the 38th GA in late 1863, eventually finding himself in the battles around Spotsylvania Court House, VA. Being in Gordon’s Division, he is in a supporting role at the Battle of The Mule Shoe (or The Bloody Angle) on May 12, 1864, near Spotsylvania Court House. About ten years ago, I spent one day walking the entire Spotsylvania Battlefield armed with my copy of If It Takes All Summer by William D. Matter. From Matter’s description, I am sure Calvin’s company was near when General Lee rode out to personally lead a counter-surge against the Union breakthrough at the Bloody Angle. As a Confederate sergeant grabbed the reins of Traveler, General John Gordon admonished Lee, telling him to go back to the rear. He noted, “These are Georgians and Virginians,

Sir. They have never let you down, they will not now.” The soldiers shouted, “To the rear, General Lee.” Of course, the Confederates proceeded to retake The Mule Shoe. This victory came just after 1,100 Confederate soldiers (including General Ed Johnson) had been captured by the Union forces.

As I related, I had walked the battlefield and concentrated around The Mule Shoe (Bloody Angle), back to the McCoul House (General Ed Johnson’s headquarters) as well as the Harrison House (General Ewell’s headquarters), and near where the 38th GA waited in reserve as the battle raged at the Bloody Angle. Federal troops had concentrated troops at what they perceived to be weak spots and had overrun the Confederate defenders on both May 11 and 12. It gave me a whole different perspective when I was able to stand there at the actual battlefield and see how things unfolded. The most fearsome hand-to-hand combat in the Civil War took place here. Hour after hour the slaughter continued, often in a steady rain, centered at this concentration of Confederate breastworks. A steady stream of Federal pack mules delivered 3000 pounds of ammo each. The gunfire was so heavy that a large oak tree almost three feet in diameter was cut down at the Bloody Angle. Its remains are preserved in the Smithsonian. As I said, General Gordon summoned the Georgia and Virginia troops, who were mostly seasoned veterans. Calvin might have been among those troops who helped to retake the Bloody Angle. He had now survived two of the most deadly battles of the Civil War—Antietam and The Mule Shoe at Spotsylvania Court House.

General Lee and General Grant continued to skirmish in this area for a week trying to outflank the other. Finally, on May 19 General Lee made a serious mistake by sending General Ewell with a large portion of Gordon’s and Rodes’ troops on a circular reconnaissance toward the north, crossing the Ny River near the Armstrong House. As Ewell’s troops began to return to their original lines, they became lost, and in the darkness stumbled into the flank of Warren’s and Burnside’s Divisions on Grant’s flank. Ewell lost over 900 men as prisoners; among these were many from the 38th GA, including Pvt. Calvin Pruitt. This engagement was pointless and the intelligence could have been obtained by a cavalry squad or infantry platoon. Once again, as at Gettysburg, Ewell had committed a devastating blunder.

As were thousands of others during the preceding week, these CSA prisoners were assembled by the Union Army at Belle Plains on the Potomac River. After several days of being out in the open, they were transferred to and detained at Point Lookout, MD. On July 3, 1864, the Union Army began transferring Confederates to a new Union POW Camp at Elmira, NY. Pvt. Calvin was among the first group of 400 placed on a steamer to the Jersey City, NJ, area and hence by rail car to Elmira, NY. On July 7, Calvin was in the first 400 prisoners to occupy Elmira POW Camp. From my research I believe this first group was responsible for the only successful escape from Elmira. They were all veterans of over two years of rugged fighting, and in early August, ten CSA POWs were successful in escaping before

the break-out was uncovered. Calvin was not one of these; nevertheless, by late August his name did appear on a list of those willing to pledge allegiance to the Union and be assigned to the 161st NY Engineers. However, by this time Grant had ceased to approve such action.

Bruce Catton, noted Civil War author, called Elmira “The Andersonville of the North.” It had been constructed hastily, and later researchers found that it had many of the same water drainage problems that existed at Andersonville, GA. Hence, smallpox, measles, dysentery, and pneumonia decimated the eventual 12,000 prisoners who occupied Elmira. From some recent research, I have found a group from the GA 38th, Company B, who were all captured May 19, 1864, possibly as a unit. They were, aside from Calvin, as follows:

Sgt. A. J. Eidson – released 10 March 1865

3rd Sgt. William D. Stewart – died 16 Sept 1864 (grave #173)

Pvt. Alfred Reece – paroled March 2, 1865

Pvt. William T. Sayer – paroled March 2, 1865

Pvt. John R. (or K) Butler – released 14 June 1865

Pvt. John A. Adams – died 10 October 1864 (grave#687)

Pvt. W. R. Dix – released 14 June 1865

Pvt. James McCurry – released 20 June 1865

It was May 29, 1865, a year plus ten days since his capture at Spotsylvania Court House. Pvt. Calvin Pruitt was taken to the Elmira, NY, depot and placed on a train bound for Washington, DC, for repatriation. Those repatriated at this time were most probably in very bad health. I have been unable to find what happened to Calvin, as he never returned home to Milton County, GA.

As I pointed out earlier, Calvin’s wife, Susannah Elizabeth Rainwater Pruitt (my great great grandmother) lost not only her husband but also her brother, James Posey Rainwater (buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Richmond, VA), as well as her brother-in-law, Zilman Pruitt, who died of tuberculosis (buried at Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, VA). Susannah by 1867 married William B. Gossett, first cousin of another brother-in-law, who was ten years her junior. By 1870 they migrated with the in-laws (including Susannah’s parents, Gabriel and Nancy Toney Rainwater) to Blount County, AL. By the early 1880s the Gossetts and the now 27-year-old son, John Wesley Pruitt, returned to the Milton County area around Birmingham Community and Hopewell Baptist Church (near Brookwood Community) in Forsyth County. John met and married Sarah Kathryn Jackson in 1885 and they soon moved to the Haw Creek Community in eastern Forsyth County. Susannah Pruitt Gossett died in 1906 and is buried at Hopewell Baptist Church. John Wesley and Sarah are buried at Haw Creek Baptist Cemetery.

by Donald PruittTotheRear,BobbieLee!


A Native Son of Dawson County Authors a New Book

In comments about his new novel, God-

Fearing Criminals, author J. M. Burt says that he is a “product of that time and place.” The time is just after the turn of the century, and the place is Dawson County in the mountains of North Georgia.

The story revolves around the McClure family just after the turn of the century, with the main focus on the youngest child, Ben. From Ben’s birth, a difficult “breech delivery,” he lived a mostly idyllic boyhood. When his best friend Wesley Cochran gets married to Nellie Crawford, Ben meets and is smitten by Nellie’s maid of honor, a vivacious beauty named Martha Barnett. Readers will enjoy the account of Ben and Martha’s courtship and marriage, especially Ben’s midnight visit and their stolen weekend together.

The depression years descend on Dawson County with their attendant hardships, until Ben and Wesley get involved in the moonshine liquor business. This involvement results in the introduction into the story of Luke Gayton and Zeke Turner, who operate stills for Ben and Wesley. The story races along, with a fast-paced chase on foot between Zeke and a Federal Revenue Officer, a raid on Ben and Wesley’s distillery resulting in a federal conspiracy case against Ben, Wesley, and

Rabb Turner, and a trial in Federal Court in Gainesville, Georgia.

Ben does quit the illegal business, but Wesley, Zeke, and a friend named Raeford Grant continue until the tragic death of one of the men involved. The death, which the men in the illegal liquor community think was unnecessary, results in an act of retaliation.

God-Fearing Criminals recounts how important the Church and the community are in the lives of these mountain people through weddings, births and deaths, and good times and bad times.

The front cover of Burt’s book is distinguished by a full-cover photograph of Amicalola Falls by John Seibel Photography of Dawsonville, Georgia.

God-Fearing Criminals is currently available online at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and Booksamillion.com.

by Mimi Seibel

J. M. Burt and John Seibel

Three northeast Georgia folk potters have been officially

recognized as significant contributors to the 200-year tradition of folk pottery in the region, announced Chris Brooks, Director of the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia.

“This recognition includes adding distinctive pieces of their work to our permanent collection, adding their pictures to our display of contemporary folk potters, and adding the potters and their locations to the Folk Potters Trail of Northeast Georgia,” Brooks explained.

Mike Craven’s potter ancestors migrated from North Carolina into Georgia in the early 1800s. Mike and his brother Billy Joe founded Craven Pottery in Gillsville in 1972. After 40 years as a production gardenware potter, Mike Craven now concentrates on decorated

wares.Rex Hogan trained with Mildred

Meaders and her daughter Annette, learning to turn and mix glazes. He began turning on a wheel loaned to him by Whelchel Meaders. Rex specializes in sculptural figures.

Kevin “Turkey” Merck trained under three Gillsville potters: Wayne Hewell, Jeff Standridge, and Michael Purdue. Realistic snakes and caricature face jugs are his best known creations.

The Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia is located four miles southeast of Alpine Helen on Highway 255, a quarter of a mile from its intersection with Highway 17. Museum hours are Monday-Saturday, 10am to 5pm; Sunday, 1-5pm. Admission is $5 adults; $4 seniors; $2 children. For further information: 706-878-3300 or www.folkpotterymuseum.com.

Georgia Potters Honored By Folk Pottery Museum

The Senior Men’s 6.5 USTA team representing the Mountain Tennis

Association won the USTA Sectional Tournament in Mobile in January. State Champion teams from nine southeastern states participated in the tournament. The Blue Ridge team qualified to play in Mobile by winning the Georgia State Tournament held in Dalton, GA, last fall. Team Blue Ridge defeated North Carolina in the final and did not lose a match during the

tournament, defeating Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Kentucky on their way to the final match.

The Mountain Tennis Association, Inc., is a Community Tennis Association in the USTA southern division. If you live in Pickens, Dawson, Lumpkin, Gilmer, or Fannin County and are interested in joining the league or forming a team, call 770-893-2623 or e-mail [email protected].

Pictured from left to right are Randy Loudermilk, Gary Wolfe, Terry Pack, Ronnie Anderson, Eddie Payne (Captain), Michael Deyton, and Dan Johnson.

Mountain Tennis Association


A s a youngster, I had dreamed of learning more about my family tree. Only one of my

grandparents knew or would talk about our ancestors. I was almost 40 years of age before I was able to start learning a lot about my genealogy. Discovery did not come easy; however, considering how little I knew at the start. I have been extremely fortunate in knocking down several “brick walls” to discover just who my forefathers were, and in some cases, where they originated. I have also been able to document some of my wife’s genealogy. As I gathered more background about my ancestry, it became more and more evident that most of the families I and others have researched followed much the same pattern in migrating to Forsyth County, Georgia. Now, I jokingly describe it as though they foretold the creation of I-85 in trekking from Virginia through North Carolina to South Carolina and thence to Georgia. In some instances entire communities, church congregations, or extended family groups would be part of these movements from one state or county to another.

In a previous article, I wrote quite a lot about my paternal great great grandfather, Calvin Pruitt, who never returned from the Civil War, and my great grandfather, John Wesley Pruitt, the first of my line to settle in Forsyth County in the mid-1880s. Calvin’s father, William Pruitt (b South Carolina, ca 1800) came to Cherokee County, Georgia, around 1840 and settled in the Hickory Flat community. This makes my line separate from other Pruitts in this area who descend from a line that settled much earlier in Hall County, Georgia. William was the son of Benjamin Pruitt (b ca 1780, probably in North Carolina). Benjamin was a sixth-generation descendant of Thomas Prewitt (b ca 1616 in England) who came to Virginia in 1636 as an indentured servant. Calvin Pruitt’s wife, Susannah Elizabeth Rainwater (b 1832, South Carolina), was the daughter of Gabriel and Nancy Toney Rainwater. They migrated from Spartanburg County, South Carolina, to Cherokee County, Georgia, in the 1830s.

Gabriel (b ca 1805) was a son of Levi Rainwater (b ca 1780) who was a veteran of The War of 1812. For his service Levi received a land bounty of 40 acres in Illinois. A land transaction on the tract at his death in 1855 allowed me to tie Gabriel to him. In turn, Levi was descended through three generations of John Rainwaters, the eldest (b ca 1700) residing his entire life in Surry County, North Carolina. This John Rainwater married Jane Fussell, whose grandfather, Nicholas Fussell, came from England to Virginia in 1646. Whether as a curse or a gift, both the Pruitt and Rainwater lines have been heavily researched. In the early 1900s a very active Pruitt Family Research

Group was active throughout the southeast. While the Great Depression halted that group’s activity, numerous books on the line resulted from all that early work. A similar situation existed around the Rainwater line.

My maternal line is Buice and the local line is known by many in Forsyth County, owing in part to the existence of an annual family reunion. My mom, Ruth Buice Pruitt, was a great granddaughter of Elisha and Patsy Hall Buice, both b ca 1830 in South Carolina. Elisha’s parents were William and Ann Mathis Buice and are buried in the “Little White House” at the Old Sharon Baptist Church Cemetery in eastern Forsyth County. William and Ann (both b in 1804, South Carolina) had migrated from Spartanburg County, South Carolina, to Forsyth County after 1830. William’s grandfather, Willem Buis (b 1742, Duchess County, NY) moved with his younger brother Abraham to Spartanburg County, South Carolina, in the 1770s.

It is believed that Willem and five brothers fought in the Revolutionary War, with one remaining loyal to the British throne. Willem’s great great grandfather, Jan Cornelis Buijs (b 1629 in Breille, Holland) arrived on Long Island, New York, in 1648 at the age of 19. He ultimately inherited a large sum of money from a childless uncle and became a wealthy, influential man in New York. Jan Cornelis’s great grandfather, Willem Conelis Beuijs (remember the “J” is silent here), was also born (1545) in what has come to be recognized as the Beuijs/Buys/Buice Dutch hometown. He was mayor of Breille, as were two other kinsmen, and he also commanded a warship in the Dutch war for freedom from the conquering Spaniards during the last years of the Eighty Years war between Holland and Spain. We also have traced back to his

grandfather, Hendrick Beuijs, who was born ca 1480 in Holland. This means that current Buice descendants in/from Forsyth County can probably trace their Dutch lineage through over 500 years.

My wife, Sula Echols Pruitt, has a family tree that is tied closely to Haw Creek Baptist Church, where many of her ancestors are interred. Her paternal grandparents, Raleigh and Estella Major Echols, were married on Easter Sunday, 1900, making their first home in sight of the church on 40 acres of land given to them by their parents. Raleigh’s parents were James Euell and Hannah Blackstock Echols, who moved from Forsyth County to Atlanta in the 1890s. His grandfather was James Echols (b ca 1785 in either South Carolina or Virginia). He and two brothers, as well as at least six sons, moved from Franklin County, Georgia, to Forsyth County in the 1830s. This James was the grandson of Abraham Echols (b ca 1695, Virginia), who died in Lunenburg County, Virginia (ca 1750). In turn his parents were John and Mary Cave Echols. John was born ca 1650 in Virginia. Most Echols researchers believe he is the son of John Eccles, b 1619 in England, and was referred to as “Old English John Eccles.” This helped to differentiate

this family from other German families with a similar name. However, by the next generation it was already transformed to the familiar Germanic “Eckolles” or

“Echkols,” etc. A passenger list show John Eccles sailed from England 23 June 1635 on the ship

“America.”Sula’s grandmother, Estella Major Echols, was

the daughter of James T. Major (b 22 April 1834 in Anderson County, South Carolina) and Marcenia Brannon, b 1838 in South Carolina. Both are buried at Haw Creek Baptist. He was the son of James Major (b 1804, South Carolina) and Clarinda Phillips (b 1810, South Carolina). The couple lived for some time in South Carolina before leaving and joining her parents in Forsyth County around 1840. This was Rev. Richard Phillips (b 9 March 1891) and his wife Delilah Rainwater (b 4 October 1785). They moved to Gwinnett County, Georgia, in 1825 and on to adjoining Forsyth County in 1845. They were founders and charter members of Haw Creek Baptist in 1841. The couple is buried near Haw Creek Circle; they died three weeks apart in September 1865. Their large restored obelisk headstone attests to their importance to the church and community. Delilah’s great grandfather, John Rainwater, was the same one who married the Jane Fussell who is mentioned in my genealogy. This makes me a very distant cousin to Sula through the Rainwater line.

While this is a somewhat condensed genealogy of several family lines, I hope that it may act as a catalyst for others to search out their roots. It can prove to be very rewarding for all the hard work required. I found the Soundex Index very helpful in making connections from the 1880-1900 period and earlier. Courses and visits to Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, and its IGHR Seminars were very instrumental in locating Alabama relatives. While the computer and internet are essential nowadays, trips to courthouses and state archives as well as to genealogical libraries such as in Charlotte and Salisbury, NC, are still necessary. After a while you discover migration patterns of families, and things about naming patterns, which give you a needed boost. Along the way there are unexpected gems, such as Calvin Pruitt’s extensive Civil War exploits. You may also discover some family secrets, such as marriages and divorces that were

“hushed up,” and it may also raise questions whose answers can only be guessed at. Deeper research may even bring out that a great great aunt bore a child out of wedlock or perhaps married an outlaw, or that, perish the thought, some ancestor even killed a spouse. No wonder those grandparents did not want to talk about the family tree!

Unfortunately, I am afraid that this is my last article for 400 Edition. I have immensely enjoyed the past 2+ years and I hope most of my readers enjoyed my writing. I certainly received a lot of satisfaction in composing them. Most of it came from my somewhat fading memory and that has accounted for several gaffes and errors that were exposed by some of the most discerning readers. My long absence from Forsyth County residency prevents my doing more in-depth research necessary to continue writing. I am indebted to the Historical Society of Forsyth County as well as to the staff at 400 Edition for granting me the opportunity to contribute. I wish nothing but the best for my beloved Forsyth County, and to this publication and all its readers. May all of them prosper.

ABriefFamilyHistory by Donald Pruitt

John Wesley Pruitt (seated) and half-brother Benjamin Gossett, ca 1917


Tip: Keep in mind that 400 Edition is now released on or about the 1st of each month. Your event needs to be submitted via our web site 30-45 days prior to your event date and no later than the 20th of the month. We have to have all the information requested on the submission form, so be sure your form is complete. Just go to 400edition.com and click “Submit an Event” on the home page.

March 14 Daylight Saving Time beginsMarch 17 St. Patrick’s DayMarch 20 First day of springMarch 28 Palm SundayMarch 30 Passover

Events!

AlpharettaDear Ruth March 5-27, 7:30pm Fridays and Saturdays; some 2:00pm Sunday matinees. Act1 Theatre, 180 Academy Street, Alpharetta, 770-751-0033. Using the name of her elder sister, a young girl carries on a romantic correspondence with an overseas soldier. When the soldier returns he finds that his distant lover is already engaged, but, through a series of hilarious complications and plot twists, the elder sister becomes entirely convinced that her original engagement was a mistake and decides, at the very end, to marry the soldier anyway. See web site for ticket prices: www.alpharettapres.com.

Alpharetta Youth Lacrosse ClassicMarch 6 and 7, 8:00am to 9:00pm. Alpharetta High School, 3595 Webb Bridge Road, Alpharetta, 770-364-7736. Inaugural Alpharetta Youth Lacrosse Classic Tournament hosted by the Alpharetta High School Lacrosse Program and the community of Alpharetta. Attracting some of the premier U13 and U15 boys programs in the Southeast for a two-day, fun-filled, action-packed tournament. See www.alphalaxclassic.com for information for coaches, parents, and sponsors.

AFUMC Lil Angels Children’s ConsignmentFriday, March 12, 9:00am- 1:00pm and 5:00pm - 8:00pm; Saturday, March 13, 9:00am -noon. Alpharetta First Methodist, 69 North Main Street, Alpharetta, 770-475-5576. Consignment sale featuring gently worn spring and summer infant to youth clothing, furniture, toys, accessories and maternity. www.lilangelsconsignmentsale.com.

14th Annual Police Athletic/Activities League (PAL) Benefit BallFriday, March 12, 6:30pm to midnight. Metropolitan Club, 5895 Windward Parkway, Alpharetta, 678-297-6364. A fun-filled evening of dinner, dancing, casino-style gambling, silent and live auctions, and more, as this year’s PAL ball has a cruise ship theme. From a tux and long black dress to shuffleboard whites and flip-flops, any attire is suitable. Partygoers will enjoy tropical hors d’oeuvres, colorful cocktails, and other culinary delights from the high seas. www.alpharetta.ga.us.

7th Annual Jog for a Cause 5K/10K Race & 1 Mile Fun RunMarch 13, times to be announced. Presented by North Fulton Pediatrics. North Point Village Shopping, 7300 Northpoint Parkway, Alpharetta, 770-664-0088. Each person who registers will receive a high-quality moisture-wicking shirt (a/k/a “dry fit”), which usually retail for about $30. You can also register but not run, and get a shirt as well. Music will be provided by Planet Rock. The 10K is a Peachtree qualifier. www.jogforacause.com.

North Fulton Business ExpoMarch 19, Alpharetta Marriott, 5750 Windward Parkway, Alpharetta. 678-397-0565. This promises to be the most comprehensive promotional and networking tool your company will have in 2010. Eighty+ exhibitors and over 1,500 attendees are expected for this year’s event. www.gnfccexpo.com.

13 The MusicalMarch 25 - 27, Milton Center Theater, 86 School Drive, Alpharetta, 678-620-3500. This modern-day musical, just made available for licensing after its Broadway debut, is a story about growing up. With an unforgettable rock score from Tony


Events, Events,Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown, “13” is a hilarious, high-energy musical for all ages about discovering that cool is where you find it, and sometimes where you least expect it. www.rispa.net.

8th Annual Alpharetta Children’s Festival March 27, from 10:00am-3:00pm on the Event Lawn behind Alpharetta Community Center. Magic shows, petting zoo, arts and crafts, train rides, inflatables, stilt walking, local dance and singing groups, safety tips from the fire and police departments and other healthcare providers. Children’s clothing, accessories, books, crafts, and food available for purchase. Parking and admission are free. For more information: 678-297-6153 or [email protected].

CantonSpring ConcertMarch 21, 3:00pm, Canton First United Methodist Church, 930 Lower Scott Mill Road. The 70-voice Cherokee Chorale will present its spring concert,

“An American Choral Sampler.” The Chorale, conducted by Jenny Rawson, will sing a series of beautiful love songs by David Dickau, Eric Whitacre, and Morten Lauridsen, and the exciting

“Gospel Mass,” “ Elijah Rock,” and “Battle of Jericho.” Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and may be purchased at the door before the concert. For your convenience you may purchase tickets in advance from any Chorale member, the Arts Council and Chamberhouse in Canton, Three Sisters Gifts in Hickory Flat, Jasper Drug in Jasper, and FoxTale Book Shoppe in Woodstock. For information: 678-439-8625 or www.CherokeeChorale.org.

CorneliaHabersham County Little League ParadeMarch 19, 6:00pm. Honoring all little leaguers who are playing this year. Grand Marshal is the Challenger Division. This is a regional division of handicapped ball players. Over 400 players and their sponsors will march in this parade through downtown Cornelia.

Cumming2010-11 Kindergarten RegistrationMarch 11 (1:00 pm to 7:00 pm),

March 12 (7:00am to 1:00pm). Each elementary school. Documents needed: Certified birth certificate; GA Form 3231–Immunizations; GA Form 3300–Eye, ear, and dental screening (exam date should be 8/10/09 or more recent); Social Security card (if a SS card is not available, schools will have a waiver form to sign); proof of residency: two items needed, one from each category: Category 1 - deed, current lease, current rental agreement, mortgage statement, or property tax statement; Category 2 - utility bill that shows correct service address (water, electric, residential phone, cable, gas, or garbage) dated within 60 days of submission. If you live with someone, the school will need their two proofs of residency and a complete Affidavit of Residency Form, which is supplied by the school system. Note: Georgia law states that children must be 5 years old by September 1, 2010, to attend Kindergarten. For more information: www.forsyth.k12.ga.us/registration.

Concert: “A Celtic Celebration”March 13, 8:00pm, performed by The Sounds of Sawnee Concert Band at the Cumming Playhouse, 101 School Street. For more information: www.playhousecumming.com.

St. Patrick’s Day Concert March 17, 8:00pm at the Cumming Playhouse, 101 School Street. Concert includes the Cumming Playhouse Singers, with Forsyth Winds and Celtic Dance. For more information: www.playhousecumming.com.

Leadership Forsyth Fundraising Raffle March 1—17 from 9am to 5pm at First Citizens Bank of GA - Bethelview Office. Leadership Forsyth Class of 2010 is holding a raffle for our class project supporting SAFFT! See our web site for more info: http://leadershipforsyth2010.information or contact Chris Newborn at 770-292-9168 or [email protected].

Forsyth County Newcomer and Women’s Club March Luncheon March 18, 11:00am to 1:00pm at Windermere Golf Club, 5000 Davis Love Drive. Professional Storyteller Julie Cleveland to entertain with interesting stories. Cost: $20; reservations by March 11, 2010. For more information: Edee Scott (770-312-4619) or www.forsythcountynewcomersclub.org.


Events, Events, Events!The Return Recreates BeatlemaniaMarch 20, 8:00pm, Cumming Playhouse, 101 School Street. While many lesser known groups have attempted to emulate the Beatles, you won’t have to squint your eyes at a Return concert to travel back in time. Besides an uncanny resemblance, each member has his original counterpart: the peculiar stance Lennon took in front of a microphone, the way Harrison strapped on his Gretsch Country Gentleman guitar, the famous head bounce Ringo kept time with, and even a left-handed McCartney on an original Hofner violin bass. The Return brings exceptional musical and vocal skills to each performance. Every detail from The Beatles’ early live performance years has been studied and carefully recreated, from the mop-top haircuts and English tailored suits, to the actual instruments and stage equipment. For more information: www.playhousecumming.com.

One Great Day of Service March 27, 7:45am, Cumming United Methodist Church in the Family Life Center. Set aside your personal agendas and head out into the community on a mission to serve others. This may include painting, cleaning, building, sewing, hugging, sharing, for those in need. Register no later than Sunday, March 21, at www.volunteers.cummingfirstmethodist.com. Give one day and get blessings you will always remember. For more information: 770-886-0691.

Easter Egg Scramble April 3, beginning 10:30am at North Lanier Baptist Church. Free Easter Egg Scramble for the entire community, for children through 5th grade. Fun and games! For more information: North Lanier Baptist Church (770-781-5433), northlanier.org, or [email protected].

DahlonegaDine Out in Dahlonega March 4. These restaurants have pledged a generous portion of their proceeds to support Habitat for Humanity: Back Porch Oyster Bar, Bourbon Street Grill, Caruso’s, Connie’s Ice Cream Parlor, Corkscrew Café, Dairy Queen, Dumond’s Patio Grill, El Jimador, Foothill Grill, Grill at Achasta, Gustavo’s, Johnny B’s, Just Off the Square Country Café, Moe’s Southwest Grill, McDonald’s, Papa John’s Pizza, Piazza Italian Restaurant, Picnic Cafe

and Dessertery, Porter House, Pueblo’s, Shenanigan’s Irish Pub, Smith House, Smokin’ Gold BBQ, Subway on Grove Street, Subway at 60&400, Sushi Mot, The Crimson Moon, The Oar House, Yahoola Creek Grill, and Wylie’s. Tell them that you are there to support Habitat for Humanity. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Bloodmobile DriveMarch 18, from 9:00am to 5:00pm at the BB&T in Dahlonega, 60 Main Street West. For more information: www.lifesouth.org.

Mountain Music and Medicine ShowMarch 20, 7:30pm to 9:30pm, The Historic Holly Theatre. For more information: www.hollytheatre.com.

1st Annual Community Easter Egg HuntSunday March 28th at 2:00pmat Yahoola Creek Park, Softball Fields Presented by Kappa Sigma Fraternity for all kids ages 12 and under! 100% of Donations go to Dahlonega’s Rainbow Children’s Home. Hot Chocolate and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts! Bring your Easter Egg Baskets….

Lifestyle & Wellness ExpoApril 3, 10:00am to 1:00. 1st Annual Lumpkin County Spring into Action Lifestyle & Wellness Expo, Lumpkin County Park and Rec, 365 Riley Road. Presented by The Lumpkin County Senior Center to benefit Lumpkin County Meals on Wheels Program. For more information: Rhonda Bailey 706-864-2358.

DawsonvilleAppalachian Trail Celebration And Backpacking ClinicMarch 6-7, Amicalola Falls State Park. Both experienced and novice hikers and campers attend this annual event to celebrate the great outdoors, learn about the Appalachian Trail, listen to AT hikers share their experiences, and discover what it takes to make the 5-million-step journey across 14 states. There is no registration required. Programs will be presented every hour from 9:00am until 8:00pm. Stay overnight; the park is offering a special package for attendees wishing to spend the night(s) at the Lodge, and, if you don’t want to pack a picnic lunch (78 open tables for first-come first-served guests), the Maple Leaf Restaurant offers a delightful meals. For


Events, Events!

more information: 706-265-8888 for Lodge reservations; volunteer website www.FriendsOfAmicalolaFalls.org for the weekend’s schedule.

Annual Barn Dance May 15, 6:00pm. Dawsonville WEE BOOKS announces its 3rd Annual Barn Dance Fund Raiser at the Kinsey Family Farm on Jot-Em-Down Road in Cumming. Cost: $25.00/person includes BBQ dinner, drinks, dessert auction, 50/50 raffle, and entertainment. For more information: Marge Carey (706-216-4872) or Judy Cahill (706-216-1931).

Grace That Amazes—The Real Easter StoryMarch 26, 7:00pm; Saturday, March 27, 7:00pm; and Sunday, March 28, 11:00am; First Baptist Church Dawsonville. One mile from downtown on Highway 9 North. For more information: 706-265-2612 or www.firstbaptistdawsonville.

Jasper Twenty Classic Poems Not to be Missed April 7 at 2:00pm at the Pickens County Library. Children are invited to celebrate National Poetry month with poems by the Tater Patch Players, and a scavenger hunt. For more information: Christy Stewart at 706-692-5411 or [email protected].

Create Your Own Butterfly Garden April 9, 2:00pm at the Pickens County Library. Enjoy poetry and make a butterfly garden. Children 9 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Please register in advance. For more information: Christy Stewart 706-692-5411.

Roswell Munch and LearnMondays in March from 12:15pm-12:45pm at Barrington Hall. A series of 30-minute talks each Monday to help you in preparing your garden. Bring your own lunch and join a fun and informative break from the office. 770-640-3855 or www.southerntrilogy.com

“Crane Song” March 6 and 7, 1:00pm and 3:00pm, all ages. Part of the Spring Film Series in the Chattahoochee Nature Center (CNC) Cowie Weiss Theater. Follow the journey of the sandhill crane’s migration through the stories and insights of the individuals who observe these creatures, as well as the landowners endeavoring to ensure a habitat that is welcoming to the cranes. General admission: adults $8, seniors $6, children $5, children 2 and under free. See www.chattnaturecenter.org for more information.

Ask a Master GardenerMarch 13, 11:00am to 2:00pm, all ages. Do you have nature questions that demand answers? Join us each month in the CNC Nature Exchange for our new Ask an Expert series. Each month features a different expert to answer your topical nature and outdoor questions. When should you plant perennials? What native plants thrive in shade? General admission: adults $8, seniors $6, children $5, children 2 and under free. See www.chattnaturecenter.org for more information.

The Wearin’ of the GreenMarch 13-21, 8:00pm at the Roswell United Methodist Church. Irish Song and Dance, presented by the Michael O’Neal Singers with the Mulligan Irish Step Dancers. 770-594-7974 or www.mosingers.com

Nella Rigell - Lyres, Kings, and Gaelic Strings March 14, 1:00pm and 2:00pm. Nella entrances audiences at the CNC with her superb command of this enchanting instrument as she traces the harp’s history from an ordinary hunter’s bow to the magnificent modern concert grand harp. Music lovers will be surprised to learn that there are different kinds of harps—even an electronic version—and will get an opportunity to try out some of them in an unusual harp jam session. General admission: adults $8, seniors $6, children $5, children 2 and under free. See www.chattnaturecenter.org for more information.

Night Hike in the Woods March 13, 7:00pm to 9: 00pm, ages 5-adult, $10 non-members/$5 members. Join a naturalist on a journey outdoors to see what happens at night at the CNC, visit with a nocturnal animal, and enjoy a spring campfire. See www.chattnaturecenter.org for more information.

An Afternoon of Fashion and Spring TeaMarch 19 from 1:00pm-3:00pm at the Roswell Adult Recreation Center, 830 Grimes Bridge Road. Roswell Garden Club presents “Fashions by Unique Consignment Boutique.” $20 per person. Reservations required: 770-650-4607

Children’s Storytime at the Roswell Visitors Center March 20. Presented by storytellers Mary Williams and Jo Sanders. Most appropriate for ages 4-12 (families welcomed). Stop by the Roswell Visitors Center for a morning of entertainment and merriment. Free, but please call 770-640-3253 to let us know to expect you.

Let’s Go Fly A Kite March 21, 1:00pm to 2:30pm, ages 7 and up, $10 non-members/$5 members, pre-registration required. Celebrate spring at the CNC by making your own kite. Use provided materials to make a simple kite, learn how it flies, and

head outside to test your creation. See www.chattnaturecenter.org for more information.

Flashlight Egg HuntMarch 21 from 7:30pm-9:00pm at East Roswell Park & Recreation Center. Roswell residents $8; non-residents $12. Everyone must be registered to attend. 770-594-6134.

Family Bird Walk March 27, 8:30am to 10:00am, all ages. Join Master Birder and wildlife volunteer Zelia Lebeau for a family morning bird walk at the CNC. This is the perfect class for the beginner birder of any age. General admission: adults $8, seniors $6, children $5, children 2 and under free. See www.chattnaturecenter.org for more information.

“Food Inc.” March 27 and 28, 1:00pm and 3:00pm, ages 10 to adult. Part of the Spring Film Series in the CNC Cowie Weiss Theater. Food Inc. lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies. General admission: adults $8, seniors $6, children $5, children 2 and under free. See www.chattnaturecenter.org for more information.

Spring Native Plant Sale March 27, 9:00am to 5:00pm, and March 28, 12:00pm to 5:00pm. We are proud to announce the return of this event now that the Center has completed the construction of its new facilities. Master Gardeners will be on site for advice and to answer your plant questions. The plant sale event is free, and admissions to the grounds are not included. See www.chattnaturecenter.org for more information.

Annual Egg Hunt at Sweet Apple Elementary School March 29, from 11:00am-1:00pm. Annual Egg Hunt at Sweet Apple Elementary School, sponsored by the Roswell Recreation & Parks Department. Separate areas designated for different age groups. Easter Bunny to make an appearance. Children should bring a basket or container for their candy and eggs. Face painting, music, entertainment, and other activities available. Free. 770-641-3760.


D ahlonega, site of the first major American Gold

Rush, is a historic mountain town just a quick 60 miles north of Atlanta. For generations, families have “escaped to the mountains” for a quick vacation from the pressures of daily life. Dahlonega has retained its small-town appeal through the decades and provides a great recession-proof family destination, with numerous special events throughout the year, along with 50 retail shops and 17 restaurants to enjoy year-round.

To preserve and honor the downtown Dahlonega historic district, Dahlonega Downtown Development Authority (DDA) began the Bronze History Plaque program in 2009. The program is designed to provide visitors with an insider’s look into the long history of downtown Dahlonega. The DDA hopes that the plaques will become a permanent learning tool used by school groups, and other visitors interested in learning about the city’s history and the history of its numerous historic commercial and institutional buildings.

The Bronze History Plaque program is made possible by the partnership of Dahlonega 2000, Inc., a non-profit organization, which matches up to 50% of each property owner’s tax deductible contribution toward the cost of the plaques. Each plaque is made of bronze and features a brief narrative about the unique

history of each building. The plaques provide visitors an opportunity to learn more about the legends associated with downtown Dahlonega buildings that are all a part of the National Historic Register District. Each plaque features a brief narrative written by Anne Dismukes Amerson, author of Dahlonega’s Historic Public Square: Then & Now Stories about the Buildings and the People.

So far twelve plaques have been installed, with three new ones installed in the last month. The goal is to have a history plaque on each of the 60 buildings throughout downtown Dahlonega. These plaques not only allow visitors to fully experience the history and architectural details of each building; these plaques also allow the residents of Dahlonega to display their history proudly. As you visit Dahlonega, be sure to ask each business owner about the history of their property. They are more than happy to share their history with you as part of your overall shopping experience. Many of Dahlonega’s downtown

business owners are “Cornerstone Businesses,” which have operated continually in the historic district for over 25 years. Eventually, the historical plaques will act as a walking tour designed to appeal to shoppers, school groups, and history fans, with detailed information available inside each business. The walking tour will be a collaboration between the DDA, the Dahlonega Merchants Association, and the Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The Dahlonega Downtown Development Authority sponsors many events throughout the year, including a weekly Farmers

Market, the Appalachian Jam music series, and First Friday night concerts—just in case you needed another reason to shop, dine, and discover Downtown Dahlonega, the heart of the Georgia mountains.

Photos by Joel Cordle

TheCityOfGoldHistoryAddsBronzeHistoryby Maria Carabelli, Program Assistant Dahlonega Downtown Development AuthorityEvents, Events!

Bill Hacker and Mary Ann Knight at the Visitor Center plaque.

At the Masonic Lodge plaque, from left to right, are Past Master Jack Smoot, Past Master Lloyd Anderson, Lodge Master William Woodward, Past Master Chip Barefoot and Past Master Paul Hanson.

Rich details about architecture and colorful characters from Dahlonega’s history are featured in the bronze plaques.


I n Colonial America, there were only trails cut through

the forests that spread from New Hampshire to Georgia. The Appalachian Mountains were a stern barrier between the Atlantic and the unknown interior of the continent. The movement of families, individuals, and communities from one place to another has been the shaping of history.

Over the Great Philadelphia Wagon Road came the Scots and other settlers into the Southern Appalachians. Many Scots came to American directly from Scotland, while others went to Ulster, Ireland, then to America, and were known as Scots-Irish. The Highland Clearances were displacements of the population of the Scottish Highlands during the 18th and 19th centuries. Scots were forced to give up their lands to English gentry and this led to a mass emigration. They were middle-class farmers and craftsmen who came from poor rural counties of Northern Ireland where English rule had grown increasingly severe, and where the 1740 famine in Ulster hastened their departure. As pioneers, Scots proved their mettle and arrived when the colonists needed them. Wherever they settled, they started schools and churches. Scottish Americans have made monumental achievements and invaluable contributions that led to America’s preeminence in the fields of science, technology, medicine, government, politics, architecture, literature, media, and visual and performing arts.

North Georgia with its beautiful mountains, clean flowing streams, and moderate temperatures was a great place for the Scots and

others who came into the region in the early 1800s to put down roots. Commemorating Scottish Heritage, the Blairsville Scottish Festival & Highland Games is now in its 7th year.

Nestled in the mountains of North Georgia, Meeks Park, with its meandering streams, shaded picnic areas, and grassy meadows, is the perfect backdrop for the Blairsville Scottish Festival & Highland Games. The BSFHG has evolved into one of the best festivals of its kind in the southeast. Recognized for the 3rd year in a row as a Top 20 Event by the Southeast Tourism Society, the Games are held the 2nd weekend in June each year. Festivities begin with a Kilted Golf Classic at Butternut Creek Golf Course on Friday morning, and a Ceilidh (a Scottish party) Friday evening. Gates open at 8:00am Saturday and Sunday. Opening Ceremonies are at 12:00 noon Saturday with Massed Bands and the Parade of Tartans, and Closing Ceremonies are late Sunday afternoon.

According to tradition, the old kings and chiefs of Scotland used the Highland Games as a way of choosing the best men for their retinue and men-at-arms. Scottish men have tested their strength against each other at Highland gatherings for centuries. Today’s Scottish athletes combine strength, skill, and endurance to compete in time-honored events such as the Clachneart, Sheaf Toss, and Hammer Throw.

Other competitions include the Kilted Mile Race, Bonniest or Boniest Knees, Clan Tug of War, and the Haggis Hurl.

Scotland has a proud musical

tradition, interwoven with its history and culture. It includes Highland Dancing, bagpipes, and fiddles and encompasses a range of styles and forms that emerged from different strands of the country’s historical, geographical, and social heritage. The bagpipes are one of the most famous icons of Scotland, and the piping tradition is still going strong in the 21st century, as witnessed in the Massed Pipe and Drum Bands. Musical entertainment and Highland Dancing take place continually throughout the park.

Suzanne Long works as a team with her Border Collies herding sheep. She provides information on the history of the breed and how their instincts and heritage developed into the wonderful dog we see today.

The Gordon Setter from Scotland can trace its ancient lineage back to at least 1620, but these handsome dogs came into prominence in the kennels of the 4th Duke of Gordon in the 1820s. See demonstrations of the pointing abilities of the Gordon Setter as they display the discipline and style this breed is so famous.

A centuries-old breed, Scottish Highland Cattle have survived under extremely harsh conditions in the rugged Highlands of Scotland.

Dr. Bob Gordon of the Georgia Falconry Association will be at the Games on Saturday. Falconry was well understood in Britain and Scotland. The local kings became enthusiasts and falcons came to be of great value. One well-known falconer was Mary Queen of Scots.

For children of all ages there is the ‘Passport to the Clans,’ which encourages the children to visit the Clan tents and learn

something unique about each Clan represented. To inform children and their parents that Scotland is the birthplace of the game of golf, there is also a 4-hole miniature golf course. For the younger kids there is the space walk in the shape of a Scottish castle, and face painting. A train complete with a conductor takes them for a ride through the festival grounds. For children ages 6 – 13 there is the children’s version of Scottish Athletics…the caber toss, putting the stone, and tossing the sheaf.

Reenactors provide an accurate and educational portrayal of the daily life of the period, and the more warlike aspects of life in what was a formative period in Scottish history.

A highlight of the Festival is the Mini Cooper Parade. Members of the Atlanta Minis and sister club, the Smokey Mountain Minis, are happy to show off their stylish automobiles.

A Worship Service and “Kirkin’ o the Tartans (blessing of the Tartans) in Scott’s Braid is conducted Sunday morning.

Shop the many vendors selling Scottish food, clothing, jewelry, souvenirs, pottery, music, books, children’s toys, and more.

Join us for a Scottish weekend in the “Highlands of Georgia” to experience Scottish history firsthand. For more information contact the Blairsville-Union County Chamber of Commerce at 706-745-5789 or 877-745-5789 or visit the BSFHG website: www.blairsvillescottishfestival.org.

by Jim McAfeeUnionCountyanditsScottishHeritage


by Mimi Gill Seibel

J.M. Burt wrote a book about a family growing up in Dawson County

in the first half of the 20th century. He was born in 1928, the book was finished in 2009 after ten years of work, and many things have changed in those 81 years. While the McClure Family in God-Fearing Criminals was fictional, its way of life was real enough. We talked to Mr. Burt and asked him about his memories of Dawson County and what had changed about it.

Mr. Burt’s family moved back to Dawson County from Douglas County around 1936. His earliest memories were of “muddy roads with water-filled ruts in the winter, and dry red dusty roads in the summer months.” He noted that it was really hard to learn how to ride his first bicycle on these bumpy roads. The Burt Family homestead was in the Juno area, where his sister, Maud Harben, still lives and runs Frosty Mountain Water. Eventually those rutted paths began to be paved. Convict labor was used frequently for this kind of construction, and materials were mostly local. Around 1939, J.M. remembers the convict camp set up to pave the road between Highway 53 and the Gilmer County line, now known as Highway 183. He also remembers when Highway 53 to Gainesville was paved, using sand and dirt from nearby creeks and rivers that were so rich in gold, this road became known as “the highway paved in gold.” That rich gold vein still runs under Dahlonega, but new laws prevent its being mined; and frankly, the vein is too deep to make getting to it viable.

Mountain people were very proud and worked hard at providing necessities for their families. Their children were admonished not to be “too proud” and make fun of others who had less than they did. No one in those early days would be caught dead with holes in the knees of their overalls. The pants might have many colorful patches, but holes would be a sign of disrespect. Mr. Burt observed that things had changed greatly regarding “holey” jeans. Every mother always had a basket of mending by her chair to work on when she had a spare moment. Resources were scarce so they

used everything they could. For example, feed for the chickens frequently came in brightly colored fabric sacks that provided material for dresses for the girls.

When J.M. Burt was very young, there was no electricity in the area. Water was pumped by hand

or hauled from the creek, milk and butter were cooled in wells and creeks, ironing was done with a flatiron heated over the fire, and clothes were washed in a bucket or in the creek. J.M.’s father, Joseph Monroe Burt, Sr., was one of the first directors of the electric co-op that brought electricity to Dawson County in 1940. His family’s first appliance was an electric washer. J.M.’s wife Marie said their first appliance was an iron. In modern Dawson County, can you imagine a household without these simple things that we all take so for granted?

Most men were farmers, shopkeepers, or lumber mill workers. There was not a lot of industry in Dawson County, but folks worked where they could…not unlike today. When the Depression hit from about 1929 to 1939, Dawson County didn’t escape it. J.M.’s sister is quoted as saying, “It’s a good thing we lived in the country and grew our own food or we probably would have been hungry. There were no jobs and no money.” Men had to take care of their families any way they could, so many took up the production and sale of illegal liquor, better known as “moonshine” because men had to work by the light of the moon so they wouldn’t get caught. There was great demand for cheap liquor, not only in the surrounding counties but from Atlanta as well. Making that moonshine was hard, dangerous; but it allowed many to accumulate enough money to

pay off debts, start businesses, and generally work their way out of it. Revenue agents were constantly after them because they didn’t pay tax on their “shine.” This fast-paced game of cat and mouse fueled demand for faster cars, which developed into the racing industry in the form of dirt track and NASCAR, as well as

related automotive industries that still exist today in this area.

Then came chickens, and the rest is history; or is it the present?

Dawson County has physically changed a great deal. J.M. was attending the old high school when it burned down in the 1940s and has seen it evolve into the Blue Ribbon school that it is today. He saw a patchwork of rutted wagon tracks and dirt roads traveled by mule teams and people on horseback become a thriving, developing rural area with the familiar churches and communities still intact, connected now by paved roads and fast-moving motorized vehicles. Drivers haven’t

changed much, but there are more of them. One man back in the

’30s sold his T-Model Ford, declaring it was “highway robbery” when gas went from $.07 to $.08 per gallon. Don’t we wish it were that today!

One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the sense of community, and the importance of area churches in that community. Love of God and family sustained the Dawson County people of Mr. Burt’s book, God-Fearing Criminals, just as it still does today in modern-day Dawson County. Some things just don’t change.

Mimi Gill Seibel was born in Pensacola, Florida, but has lived in several other states. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in Biology. Later she passed the CPA exam, and has sold real

estate and managed a law firm. She met John Seibel in Austin, Texas, where he had started a photography business. Mimi and John moved to Dawsonville in 2005 and also moved John Seibel Photography. John is behind the camera and Mimi runs the office. The Seibels have two sons, a daughter, and four grandsons. See their web site: www.johnseibelphotography.com

HasDawsonCountyChanged?

Always remember to forget The troubles that passed away. But never forget to remember

The blessings that come each day.

Dance as if no one were watching, Sing as if no one were listening,

And live every day as if it were your last.

Health and long life to you. The wife of your choice to you.

A child every year to you, And life without rent to you

And may you be half an hour in heaven Before the devil knows you’re dead.

Here’s to a long life and a merry one, a quick death and an easy one, a pretty girl and an honest one, a

cold beer – and another one!

Here’s to me, and here’s to you, And here’s to love and laughter—

I’ll be true as long as you, And not one moment after.

Here’s to the land of the shamrock so green, Here’s to each lad and his darlin’ colleen,

Here’s to the ones we love dearest and most. May God bless old Ireland, that’s this Irishman’s toast!

Here’s to you and here’s to me I pray that friends we’ll always be,

But if by chance we disagree, The heck with you and here’s to me!

Here’s to your coffin! May your coffin have six handles of finest silver!

May your coffin be carried by six fair young maids! And may your coffin be made of finest wood

from a 100-year-old tree, that I’ll go plant tomorrow!

Here’s to the four hinges of society. May you fight, steal, lie and drink.

When you fight, may you fight for your country.

When you steal, may you steal away from bad company.

When you lie, may you lie at the side of your sweetheart.

And when you drink, may you drink with me.

Some may say the glass is half empty, Some may say the glass is half full,

But the Irish will forever say “Are you gonna drink that?”

I have known many, and liked not a few, but loved only one, and this toast is to you.

If you’re enough lucky to be Irish... You’re lucky enough!

It is better to spend money like there’s no tomorrow than to spend tonight like there’s no money!

I’ve drunk to your health in Company, I’ve drunk to your health alone, I’ve drunk to your health so many times, I’ve darn near ruined my own! Here’s to me!

May misfortune follow you the rest of your life, and never catch up.

May the face of every good news and the back of every bad news be towards us.

May neighbors respect you, Trouble neglect you,

The angels protect you, And heaven accept you.

May the Good Lord take a liking to you, but not too soon!

May the grass grow long on the road to hell for want of use.

May the Lord keep you in His hand and never close His fist too tight.

May you live to be a hundred years, with one extra year to repent.

May the hinges of our friendship never grow rusty.

May the lilt of Irish laughter lighten every load.

May the mist of Irish magic shorten every road...

And may all your friends remember all the favours you are owed!

May the roof above us never fall in, and may we friends beneath it never fall out.

May the saddest day of your future be no worse than the happiest day of your past.

May the winds of fortune sail you, May you sail a gentle sea.

May it always be the other guy who says, “this drink’s on me.

May you always have a clean shirt, a clear conscience, and enough coins

in your pocket to buy a pint!

May those that love us, love us. And those that don’t love us, May God turn their hearts.

And if he doesn’t turn their hearts, May he turn their ankles,

So we’ll know them by their limping.

May you get all your wishes but one, so that you will always have something to strive for!

May you have all the happiness and luck that life can hold—

And at the end of all your rainbows may you find a pot of gold.

May you have food and raiment, a soft pillow for your head. May you be forty years in heaven before

the devil knows you’re dead.

May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been, The foresight to know where you are going,

And the insight to know when you have gone too far.

May you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night, and a

smooth road all the way to your door.

May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live.

May your heart be light and happy, May your smile be big and wide,

And may your pockets always have a coin or two inside!

May your mornings bring joy and your evenings bring peace…

May your troubles grow less as your blessings increase!

May your pockets be heavy— Your heart be light,

And may good luck pursue you Each morning and night.

My friends are the best friends Loyal, willing and able.

Now let’s get to drinking! All glasses off the table!

Saint Patrick was a gentleman, Who through strategy and stealth, Drove all the snakes from Ireland,

Here’s a toasting to his health. But not too many toastings

Lest you lose yourself and then Forget the good Saint Patrick

And see all those snakes again.”

There are good ships, and there are wood ships, The ships that sail the sea.

But the best ships, are friendships, And may they always be.

We are all of us in the gutter. But some of us are looking at the stars.

When we drink, we get drunk. When we get drunk, we fall asleep.

When we fall asleep, we commit no sin. When we commit no sin, we go to heaven. So, let’s all get drunk, and go to heaven!

Wherever you go and whatever you do, May the luck of the Irish be there with you.

May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

A Few Irish Toasts and Blessings

Please always celebrate responsibly.

400Edition Magazine March 2010

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Transcript of 400Edition Magazine March 2010