Seeing America – Page 33 – Sightseers' Delight

Find out what happened to the tiny town of Cassville

May 17, 2010 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,

Bridge piers offer a link to Civil War

May 15, 2010 Todd DeFeo

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,

Clarksville’s Poston Building reminds of city’s former cash crop

May 3, 2010 The Travel Trolley

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The Cumberland River has always played an important role in the history of Clarksville. The river helped transport tobacco grown in the Clarksville area to a number of destinations, including Pittsburgh and New Orleans. In fact, the city was once among the largest markets for a type of dark-fired tobacco. Perhaps it’s no surprise that one of the city’s newspapers was even named The Tobacco Leaf. While tobacco is no longer the

‘See Rock City’

April 21, 2010 The Travel Trolley

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. – “See Rock City.” This famous slogan was painted everywhere, from billboards to the roofs of barns, making it one of the more wildly-successful advertising campaigns in history, helping to draw droves of tourists to this unique outdoor attraction. Garnet Carter and his wife, Frieda, worked on a housing development overlooking what is today Rock City. The attraction started when Frieda Carter built a walkway and rock garden for the people living

Marching through Georgia (Part I)

April 14, 2010 Todd DeFeo

There are dozens, hundreds, if not thousands, of historical markers dotting Georgia’s countryside, keeping alive the chaos and conflict that once ruled the landscape.

Marking the anniversary of the Andrews Raid

April 12, 2010 Todd DeFeo

By Todd DeFeo / (c) 2010 KENNESAW, Ga. – North Georgia saw its fair share of battles during the Civil War, but “the most extraordinary and astounding adventure of the war,” as one Civil War-era newspaper put it, typically doesn’t garner more than a few words in most history books. The Andrews Raid, also known as The Great Locomotive Chase, took place 148 years ago today. Led by James J. Andrews, a group of Union

Clarksville’s ‘Customs House’ has a deep history

April 3, 2010 Todd DeFeo

The “Gateway to the New South” rose to prominence during the 19th century, in part, because of its tobacco. Even one of the town’s newspapers was named The Tobacco Leaf.

Manchester provides railfans optimal location for viewing trains

March 18, 2010 Todd DeFeo

Many people driving through this part of Georgia are heading to Warm Springs and FDR’s Little White House.

Sherman slept here: Spending time in Uncle Billy’s boyhood home

March 14, 2010 Todd DeFeo

LANCASTER, Ohio — It’s hard to imagine a young William Tecumseh Sherman spending time in this room 180 years ago. The room — and the entire house for that matter — is simple and relatively unassuming, but it was here that the famous Civil War general, his brother — John Sherman, a Republican senator remembered for the Sherman Anti-Trust Act — and their nine brothers and sisters spent their formative years. Sherman’s father, Charles, built the four-room, wood-frame house in

Smyrna museum features hyper-local exhibits

March 11, 2010 The Travel Trolley

Since it officially opened on April 25, 1999, the Smyrna Museum is dedicated to keeping alive the stories that make the Jonquil City unique — from images of the city’s past to artifacts from important events in history.