America's first gold rush began in Dahlonega in 1828. Dahlonega means "precious yellow metal" in Cherokee. For 23 year, Dahlonega had a branch of the United States mint for the purpose of striking gold coins. The old Courthouse on the Square now houses the Gold Museum, dedicated to telling the story of the nation's first gold rush and describing mining techniques and the lifestyles of the miners of that time.
There are over 749,321 acres of the U.S. Chattahoochee National Forest in North Georgia.A hurriedly enacted law following the discovery of gold in northern Georgia in 1828 denied the basic civil right to sue or testify against a white man to the Cherokee Indians.
Alto, a town in Habersham County, situated 1,395 feet above sea level is named for the Italian word meaning "high".
The Stephens County town of Avalon is named for the Celtic word meaning "Island of Apples".
Gainesville, referred to as "The Poultry Capitol of the World", was once known as Mule Camp Springs.
Rachel & Rilla Porter were the daughters of the owner of the Porter House Restaurant in Flowery Branch, a settlement outside of Gainesville at the turn of the century. They handled the cooking and their steaks made them famous with railroad men and salesmen from across the region dropping by for a good meal. It was here that a new term - “porterhouse steak” became part of the English language.
Prior to the arrival of the white man, the Cherokee and Creek Indians had a great battle in Union County, which is now known at Blood Mountain Archeological Area.
Cleveland is the birthplace of the original Cabbage Patch Kids.
The town of Helen is recognized for its Bavarian Alpine architecture and fall Oktoberfest.
Watson Mill Bridge, near Comer in Madison County, is the longest covered bridge in Georgia.
Black Rock Mountain State Park, in Mountain City, is Georgia's highest State Park.
Toccoa's Traveler's Rest was once a plantation house, tavern, trading post and post office.
The headwaters of the Chattahoochee River begin just north of Helen, GA.
Brasstown Bald Mountain, part of the Chattahoochee National Forest, has the highest elevation in the state of Georgia at 4,784 feet above sea level. There is 3/4 of an acre of the bald on Brasstown Bald. Lowest recorded temperature on Brasstown Bald is -27 degrees.
The Big Red Apple is the largest monument in the world dedicated to the apple growing industry.
Tallulah Gorge is the deepest natural gorge east of the Rockies.
Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail can be reached by taking the 8-mile approach trail from Amicalola Falls State Park. There are 78 miles of the 2,144+-mile Appalachian Trail in Georgia.
Clarkesville was named for Governor John C. Clark, 1819-1823.
The eastern part of White County is noted for the fire resistant mineral, asbestos.
The Trackrock Archeological Area near Blairsville, displays Indian stone carvings of bird, animal and human tracks.
2,900-foot-high Charlie Mountain in Rabun County was named for Charlie Hicks, a principal Cherokee chief.
In 1971 the Modern State Life Insurance Company purchased Screamer Mountain, a 3,200-foot-high mountain in Rabun County.
There is a house in Baldwin that was bought from Sears.
In 1957, the North Habersham High School Baseball Team was the state runner-up, ranked number 2 in the state of Georgia, and at the end of the season, Ty Cobb congratulated them and spoke to the team
Deliverance was filmed on the Chattooga River, in Rabun County. Designated in 1974 as a National Wild & Scenic River, the Chattooga River is 50 miles long.
Toccoa Falls Institute, now Toccoa Falls College, began as a four-year Bible College for students of missionary families living all over the world.
Writer and poet, Byron Herbert Reece, was born in Union County.
Alta Vista Cemetery in Gainesville is the final resting place of two former governors, James Milton Smith (1872-1877) and Allen Daniel Candler (1888-1902) and Lt. General James Longstreet, second in command of the Army of the Confederacy.
Sky Valley is Georgia's only ski resort and it is the southern-most ski resort in the U.S.
Cascading 729 feet, Amicalola Falls in Dawson County is the highest waterfall east of the Rockies.
Circus patriarch, Karl Wallenda once crossed Tallulah Gorge on a tightrope. Tallulah Gorge, the deepest gorge east of the Rockies, is nearly two miles long and nearly 1,000 feet deep.
Lake Lanier has been called "The Houseboat Capital of the World", while Holiday Marina on Lake Lanier is reputed to be "The Largest Inland Floating Marina in the World". Lake Lanier was also the site of the 1996 Olympic Rowing and Sprint Kayak/Canoe.
In 1988, Dawsonville's Bill Elliott became the only NASCAR driver ever to win the Winston Million.
Paul Anderson of Toccoa gained fame by winning the Gold Medal in the 1956 Olympics, making him "The World's Strongest Man".
Drane Watson coached Gainesville to a state basketball title in 1949.
The Soque River is ranked as one of the top trout fishing streams in eastern U.S. Also, it's the only river in Georgia that begins and ends in its home county.
Baseball legend, Ty Cobb (Tyrus Raymond Cobb), nicknamed "The Georgia Peach", was born in "The Narrows" in Banks County. He lived most of his childhood in Royston, GA. In 1936, he was first player elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Ty Cobb's lifetime batting average of .367 is the highest in baseball history. In 1905, the Detroit Tigers purchased Ty Cobb from Augusta of the South Atlantic League for $500. He refused to room with Babe Ruth during an exhibition tour because of rumors that Ruth had black heritage. Ty Cobb appeared in three movies, Somewhere in Georgia, 1916; The Ninth Inning, 1942 and Angels in the Outfield, 1951.
Demorest native, Johnny Mize played first base hitting .313 and slugging 2,000 hits for the St. Louis Cards, New York Giants and the New York Yankees.
Gainesville's Jack Roberts pitched for the 1959 Atlanta Crackers.
Originating in Rabun County, Foxfire began as a series of books, developed by high school students, telling the story of the Appalachian people and their culture. It is now known for it many books, educational concept and philosophy, and museum.
Gainesville's Tommy Aaron won the 1973 Master's Tournament and became the first Georgia golfer to earn over $100,000 on the pro tour in one season.
The Stovall Covered Bridge, built in 1895 near Helen was featured in I'd Climb the Highest Mountain.
In 1842, Dr. Crawford W. Long introduced painless surgery in Jefferson by means of using ether as an anesthetic. He removed a cyst from the neck of James Venable. The Crawford W. Long Medical Museum in Jefferson documents the medical discovery and advancement of the use of anesthesia.
Frogtown Creek in the Chattahoochee National Forest drops 600 feet in less than one mile.
Elbert County is known as "The Granite Capitol of the World".
The Georgia Guidestones, sometimes called America's Stonehenge, is a set of granite monoliths consisting of a 10-part message for future generations transcribed in 12 languages.
In 1888, Gainesville became the first city in the South to have electric street lamps.
Georgia’s first school bus driver, Ernest Tanner, was paid $20 per month to drive a school bus in Oakwood, GA.
A Russian prince is buried at Enon Baptist Church in Lula, a small town in Hall County.
In 1830, the first mint in the South was established in Gainesville.
North Georgia gold helped endow Clemson University.
Hall County voted to remain in the union in late 1860, when counties in Georgia were polled before the Civil War.
On December 8, 1922, broadcasting’s first wedding was held in Flowery Branch, when Grace Buice and Harry Bagwell were married as WSB radio in Atlanta broadcasted.
The city of Gainesville has an ordinance prohibiting the use of a fork and knife while eating fried chicken.
General Winfield Scott had temporary headquarters in Auraria. It was here the Cherokee Indians from Lumpkin County and the surrounding area were fed and made ready for their trip to Oklahoma in 1838, better known as “The Trail of Tears”.
