Articles by Todd DeFeo

CASSVILLE, Ga. – Driving around the North Georgia community of Cassville, it’s hard to imagine this was once a bustling community. In the years leading up to the Civil War, the city had wooden sidewalks, a newspaper and two colleges – the Cherokee Baptist College and the Cassville Female College. Established in 1832 or 1833 and named for Lewis Cass, a former Secretary of War, the city was also the seat of Cass County. Interestingly,

CARTERSVILLE, Ga. – By 1857, Mark Anthony Cooper found himself in debt to the tune of $100,000, and his company, the Etowah Iron and Manufacturing Co., was about to be auctioned. With the help of 38 friends, Cooper raised $200,000 in notes and purchased back his company. Cooper didn’t forget his friends who helped him raise the money, so in 1860, after he repaid the debt, Cooper built a monument to thank them. The monument

EMERSON, Ga. – In order to complete the Western & Atlantic Railroad, engineers had to overcome a number of natural obstacles. That resulted in a 1,447-foot-long tunnel through Chetoogeta Mountain and a bridge over the Etowah River south of Cartersville. The bridge over the Etowah River was completed in 1847, about three years before the Atlanta-to-Chattanooga rail line opened. The bridge’s stone pillars are all that remain of the once-formidable structure. During the Civil War,