Greetings From Union County, Georgia Mural: The Finished Product!

 

Trailer Video(From 2023)

Mural Location(Google GPS Map-Use For Directions)

Introduction

Now that we have covered the Union County Legends mural and the details behind it, it’s time to do the same for the Greetings From Union County, Georgia mural. We will go over what inspired this mural, the challenges that came with it, what had to be done to prepare for it, the vision for it, the details of each image in each letter, and the artists who put it together. Let’s break it down.

 

What Inspired This Mural?

Clearly, we know that this isn’t the first and only “Greetings From” mural in Georgia or in the United States. It’s not even the only Greetings From mural in Union County. IT IS, however the ONLY interactive Greetings From mural in Union County and the state of Georgia(Feel free to correct me if I am wrong). My love and knowledge for Union County history started accumulating when both of my grandfathers greatly influenced and encourage me to learn and known more about Union County and how important it truly was at a true age. I can’t really count how many times I remember taking mini Union County road trips with both of them from one side of the county to the other learning all of the cool things that made me so proud to be from Union County. When they both passed, I realized how right they were about knowing the history and listening to others who knew it when they talked about it, because after both of their passings, I realized I lost great sources of information and that I couldn’t call them to ask anything. Thankfully, I found my way to Ethelene Dyer Jones online blog, which reinforced what I learned from both my grandpas, but that also taught me more of what I didn’t know. The more I read and the more I learned, the deeper the research I did was, and it dawned on me just how rich Union County’s history was, but how little some of it was promoted. Fast forward to 2020 when I got the “covid boredom” and I started clipping newspaper articles, it dawned on me that while I have the, they are not going to teach or show anyone anything that I don’t share it with. Luckily for me, I was invited to become a Union County Historical Society board member shortly after. This was when I decided the opportunity to help promote and share the history was available. So, in February 2021, I knew what my role was going to be on the board and how I was going to do it. It would start with a mural on the back of the building of my Papaw Lances drugstore building in Downtown Blairsville. I had a website plan made where I would put together biographical videos telling about each landmark/icon that would be in the mural, along with the newspaper clippings, photos, and additional links I had accumulated, and with maps that relate to each landmark/icon. Then, I would make the mural interactive by way of using a QR code.

 

Preparation

With a mural planned to take place comes the preparation. It was time to get to work and have the wall ready to go for the mural to be painted. First thing was first, though, and that was that I had to decide exactly where the mural would be on the wall, which led to having to measure the dimensions of the wall. This was the easiest part of the process, of course, and I knew the rest wasn’t going to be any easier. Once that was done, the next thing to do was to take a huge, bland white wall with a ton of junk attached to it off and move a few things around and have some things rewired. If you take a look at the picture shown, you’ll actually see just how much work was cut out for us. This included having the air condition unit moved and relocated; Removing old meter boxes that were no longer in use(And making sure we didn’t cut off the power for the entire building and businesses in there-No stress or anything ); And finally, figuring out what poles in the way could and couldn’t be removed. There was of course “that one” that couldn’t be taken off for ventilation reasons, and ideally, we wanted the wall to be as flat as possible. Thankfully, however, this proved not to be as much of a problem as expected. Next? Patching in the holes left behind from all things removed from the wall and then look for things that were not really aesthetically appealing to the upcoming mural, which included the old eye sore of the rotted awning hanging above the door and getting new gutters(Shoutout to Heath King Seamless Gutters!). All of this, between having to wait on vendors, getting scheduled in, and getting permission to do everything I was wanting to do, took about 2-3 months to complete if I recall. That wasn’t easy for someone as impatient as myself, but it became all worth it, and I am so glad that I was able to get all of the help that I had gotten from Steve and all others that were awesome enough to pitch in and help out! Finally, just a week before the mural was painted, we called in Fabian Torres and his crew for the prime painting which they did an excellent job at! This was all more stressful than I realized it would be, but again, I couldn’t be more thankful for those who helped get it all done and made the mural possible!

 

The Challenges

I won’t try to go too, too deep on the first part of this one, nor will I have to given the fact that everyone living in Blairsville at the time that the other Greetings From mural came about already knows what happened, but my original plan to get the mural up had wrench thrown in the way, to say the least. The original mural was designed by Blairsville native and Union County High School Class of 2016 graduate, Jarrett Holbrook, who had just earned an art degree from Columbus State. This was considered when looking for an artist for the mural because I wanted a young, homegrown, local person to be involved and to show off the artistic abilities that can come from Union County. He had never done a mural before, so this was a great opportunity for him, and he truly put his heart, time, and effort into it. Unfortunately, others used their positions within their organizations to overlook his artwork that I shared with them and thought thay they had a “better plan”, which resulted in putting his hometown passion, hard work, and time for his opportunity to waste. It was pretty disgusting and disheartening to see happen to him. The next thing to do after this occurrence? Well, it was to decide, do we still put Jarrett’s sketch up? I had so many saying to do that, and while I understand that it may have “just been mural” and not a big deal to some, I respected Jarrett’s decision to not want to do it since he obviously didn’t want to make it seem as if he copied the other mural and I cannot blame him one bit for it. Another unfortunate occurrence is that this in turn looked like it was going to ruin my entire plan and concept because now I wasn’t going to be able to use a Greetings From mural as planned and we would have to go back to the drawing board. Jarrett had his own new design in mind, and I tried coming up with so many things to work with and come up with, and nothing was really jiving with my interactive concept. Honestly, this was truly devastating to me, and I can’t even describe to yall how pissed off I was at those that knew what they did, but I was determined to keep it moving. I could go on and on about it more, but like I stated, I’m not trying to get too deep with it, and those who know, know. It’s in the past, and we got past it. However, this is something to consider and knowing when looking at the entire journey. This could have ruined everything, but I wasn’t going to let it. Since things didn’t work out with Jarrett, I still wanted to find someone local, and that knew how to do good murals. This is when I was introduced to Audie Murrell(Union County Legends artist), who pretty much painted every mural in the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame. Obviously, if you’ve ever been there, you know just how impressive his work is! At this point, things were starting to look up again, and after meeting with Audie, I knew he was going to be the new artist for the job. What I didn’t know was that just a few days after meeting up with him to finalize the plans to get the mural painted, that he would break his arm and a few other bones due to a woman running a stop sign and hitting him . Thankfully, he made it out of that alive, but it put him out of work a whole lot longer and out of the range of time I needed the mural done. That dark cloud of bad luck just wanted to stick around. Again, this was pretty devastating after trying so hard to find the light at the end of the tunnel. I also forgot to mention, as if enough wasn’t already hard enough on me, that this was was after my mother had just been diagnosed with thyroid cancer and my best friend had tragically lost her life to murder in Florida, which led me to taking in her dog, Kai, for a few months after. This was honestly the hardest time of my life since the passing of my sister just 14 years earlier and I really don’t know how I didn’t lose all my sanity at this point, but if it wasn’t for having this project to keep my mind occupied, then I truly don’t know where I would have been or what would have happened to me. Unfortunately, once again, I decided that I’d try finding one more artist, local or from anywhere else. It didn’t matter to me at this point. I really just wanted one of the murals up and already had the Union County Legends mural planned out for Audie to do. Thankfully, he didn’t mind me reaching out to Greetings Tour(Insert Link) to do this mural since he couldn’t in the timeframe needed, and things FINALLY started going my way and that dark cloud was moving on. I FINALLY got past all of the hardships and challenges in my way and the concept that I had worked so hard on for 3 years was FINALLY coming together!!!

 

The Artists

If you read about the challenges, then you’ll know that I already stated that the company used to paint this mural was Greetings Tour! This company is very popular and nationally known for their great Greetings From murals all across the country and it is owned by couple, Victor Ving and Lisa Beggs of Altadena, CA! Some of the cities they have murals in include Chicago, New Orleans, San Diego, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Denver, Seattle, Anchorage, Louisville, and many, many more. They also have murals in other countries including Canada, St. Lucia, and the British territory of Bermuda! In total, I believe the last count of states they’ve painted their murals in is up to 27 total. Don’t quote me on that, but please do take the moment to realize just how sought after they are by cities and states all over the country and how blessed and lucky Union County is to have their work right here in Downtown Blairsville! Some towns are literally waiting and submitting themselves into grant contests just to have their own Greetings Tour mural painted as we speak! Needless to say, landing them was a big deal, not only for their big presence, but also for how they promote their murals and reward those who visit them with their Greetings Tour Wall of Fame! I just recently got on it this year after visiting 10 of their murals, including all of their California murals and both Georgia murals. This Wall of Fame concept works out perfectly for driving visitors into Blairsville from around the country and promoting Union County’s rich history. In fact, when looking through their Wall of Fame, I am honestly amazed at just how many people have actually came to Blairsville just for it! This not only brings them to Blairsville, but also drives money in for other local businesses which is a great thing that I would think Union County should take advantage of! How, after all the trouble and bad luck I had, did I manage to luck out and land them? Well, out of desperation, they were my last and final attempt. I was tired and exhausted from trying to work any harder at finding an artist. I simply typed in greetings from murals on Google, looked through the images, and then noticed all of their murals. I then went onto their website looking at their work, and while looking, lo and behold, they had their schedule shown, which showed them as booked up and not in my timeframe. I’m not going to lie, I just KNEW it wasn’t going to be able to happen and that my efforts were going out the window, but I shot my shot anyway with an inquiry and was SO THANKFUL to find out that after all, I was wrong about my efforts being wasted! What a relief it really was to know that! Being the awesome guy that Victor is, I told him the situation, what my vision was, what I was looking for, all of the details, and the entirety of it all. He made it work for his schedule, and we were set to go for June 2023(Hallelujah)! The rest is history and today we have a beautiful Greetings Tour mural right in Downtown Blairsville to be so proud of that joins a collection of 60+ murals in the country! Now for last part. The details behind each letter and the images in them! And if you’d like to, check out the painting process of the mural from beginning to end in the video below!

 

 

U Of Union:

Image(s): Brasstown Bald

Landmark or Icon: Landmark

Significance: Georgia’s highest peak

Biographical Video Timeframe: 8:37

Historical Photos/Newspaper Clippings: 104

Additional Links: 3

Map Locations Related To Landmark/Icon And Mentioned In Biographical Video:  7

Fun Facts:

1. The mountain’s climate is believed to be very much similar to that of Massachusetts. 2. The mountain sits in 2 different counties as it sits on a county line. 3. On a clear enough day, you can see the skyline of Atlanta, 100+ miles away. 4. The mountain has seen 3 towers and/or buildings sit atop It’s peak in It’s history. 5. The mountain once was host to Georgia’s famous state-wide bike race, “Tour De Georgia” which the infamous Lance Armstrong would win on a few occasions.

 

Why I Picked It To Be On The Mural: Georgia’s tallest mountain, and one of the top tourist attractions in Union County? Yeah, this is a no brainer!

 

 

1st N Of Union:

Image 1: Woody Gap School

Landmark or Icon: Landmark

Significance: Georgia’s smallest public school

Biographical Video Timeframe: 9:06

Historical Photos/Newspaper Clippings: 207

Additional Links: 6

Map Locations Related To Landmark/Icon And Mentioned In Biographical Video: 9

Fun Facts:

1. The school is named after famous Georgia Forest Ranger, Arthur Woody. 2. The school sits on the grounds of Georgia Civil War Governor Joseph Emerson Brown’s former childhood home site. 3. The school is the smallest public school in the State of Georgia. 

Why I picked It To Be On The Mural: It represents the Suches community, another vital community within Union County that is often times forgotten and overlooked due to its isolation. However, Suches is as much Union County as any other neighboring community. Suches deserves a spot on there too.

Something Else Worth Knowing: While the school’s page is mainly about the school, there are tons of other articles and stories related to the Suches community itself as well. There may be many stories you know about or have not heard of before.

 

Image 2: The Union County Panthers Logo

Landmark or Icon: Icon

Significance: Union County High School’s logo that represents the school’s athletic program

Biographical Video Timeframe: 14:36

Historical Photos/Newspaper Clippings: 277

Additional Links: 4

Map Locations Related To Landmark/Icon And Mentioned In Biographical Video: 22

Fun Facts: 1. The Union County High School athletic program is the first, and so far only, North Georgia Mountain athletic program between 12 different other counties to have competed for at least 1 state title in 9 different sports programs. Those counties included in this stat include the following: Union, Banks, Dawson, Fannin, Gilmer, Habersham, Lumpkin, Pickens, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, and White Counties. 2. The Union County High School Boy’s and Girl’s Basketball programs have the 2nd most combined state tournament appearances between the other athletic programs within 12 counties of the North Georgia Mountain area. 3. The Union County High School Athletic Program won It’s first ever championships(Region or State) in the same calendar school year, 1954-55, when both the boy’s basketball and baseball teams both won the District 9-B Championship. 4. The school has accumulated 6 different Individual State Champions throughout 4 different sports. 5. The Union County High School has combined for 26 combined Final Four appearances between 12 different sports.

Why I Picked It To Be On The Mural: The logo/symbol represents a big part of one of the things Union County loves the most. Union County Panthers athletics.

 

 

I Of Union:

Image 1: Reid-Made Chair

Landmark or Icon: Icon

Significance: The chair that was once a famous craft made by the Reid Family and known throughout the North Georgia Mountain region as “the finest chair around”.

Biographical Video Timeframe: 8:28

Historical Photos/Newspaper Clippings: 31

Additional Links: 1

Map Locations Related To Landmark/Icon And Mentioned In Biographical Video: 6

Fun Facts: 1. The chairs made by the Reid’s can be found on display in the Folk Life section of the Atlanta History Center. 2. One of the rocking chairs can also be found at the Butt-Mock House Annex of the Union County Historical Society. 3. Many of the chairs are still believed to be used at the famous John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC. 4. There were multiple generations of chair-makers within the Reid Family. 5. Many descendants of the Reid chair-makers still reside in Union County today.

Why I Picked It To Be On The Mural: Craftsmanship is a big part of the history and culture of Union County. Before there were malls and bigger stores in Blairsville and Union County, there was a need by local folks to “make their own” and this is a great example of mountain men doing just that. The chair or chairs are also on display at the Atlanta History Center and were known to be a big deal back in the days that they were made.

 

Image 2: Gillespie Rifle

Landmark or Icon: Icon

Significance: The famous war-era rifle that was built by the Gillespie Family, including 2 brothers, James and John Gillespie

Biographical Video Timeframe: 7:13

Historical Photos/Newspaper Clippings: 55

Additional Links: 2

Map Locations Related To Landmark/Icon And Mentioned In Biographical Video: 13

Fun Facts: 1. The Gillespie Rifle is on display in the Atlanta History Center in the Folk Life section of the museum. 2. Famous American pioneer and frontiersman, Daniel Boone, is said to have owned and carried a Gillespie Rifle in the crook of his arm when he headed to North Carolina from Pennsylvania.  3. The design of each rifle is not the same as each rifle was built and constructed in the specific ways of the different Gillespie rifle-making family members. 4. Some rifles made come with specific initials from the different rifle-makers. 5. The Gillespie Brothers moved to Union and Towns Counties from East Fork, North Carolina.

Why I Picked It To Be On The Mural: While the Gillespie Rifle originated from East Fork, NC, the 2 Gillespie Brothers that migrated from North Carolina(Much like other original settlers of Union County) made their own version of the Gillespie Rifle. Their rifles are another classic example and form of craftsmanship from Union County.

 

 

O Of Union:

Image: Coosa Gold Mine (With Nugget Of Gold).

Landmark or Icon: Landmark

Significance: A historically significant and abandoned gold mine that once produced some of the purest gold in the United States.

Biographical Video Timeframe: 4:42

Historical Photos/Newspaper Clippings: 34

Additional Links: 1

Map Locations Related To Landmark/Icon And Mentioned In Biographical Video: 8

Fun Facts: 1. It has been stated that although Dahlonega is famously known as the “place where gold was first discovered” that gold was actually discovered in Union County and other nearby counties in higher elevations before Dahlonega’s discovery. 2. The gold mine is not open to the public and currently sits on private property in the Highland Falls Subdivision off of Owltown Road. 3. In the early-to-mid 1990’s, tours were actually once given once a year by the Union County Historical Society before the land was then purchased and developed. 4. The father of long-time Georgia State Superintendent, M.D. Collins, once used to run a country store near the gold mine. 5. Many of the official gold mining records for Union County were sadly lost to a fire.

Why I Picked It To Be On The Mural: Clearly, Dahlonega is the town known for gold since the country’s first gold rush occurred there. However, there really was gold thar in these here hills and the purest or “yellowist” gold was said to come from the Coosa Creek Gold Mine. The only thing that I wish I had known beforehand was that the mine itself is on private property and that either a storm or vandalism destroyed the actual mine entrance you see in the image on the mural. This mural, as already mentioned, was meant to encourage self-guided touring, and since you can’t go to this mine without permission, it is truly a bummer. Nonetheless, it still represents a huge part of Union County history, and the mine has been shut down for years. And honestly, why it wasn’t saved and was ever allowed to be taken over by a subdivision development, I’ll never know. Maybe that’s a good reminder and example of just how easily we can lose our historic landmarks if we don’t start taking more pride in them.

 

 

2nd N Of Union:

Image 1: Union County Historical Courthouse

Landmark or Icon: Landmark

Significance: Union County’s most iconic and most culturally representative building

Biographical Video Timeframe: 10:17

Historical Photos/Newspaper Clippings: 675

Additional Links: 24

Map Locations Related To Landmark/Icon And Mentioned In Biographical Video: 9

Fun Facts: 1. The building once served as the 3rd ever built Union County Courthouse. 2. The old courthouse was built and completed in 1899 by architect firm, Golucke and Stewart. 3. The courthouse plays host to several weddings, concerts, and other events throughout the year. 4. There are several different courthouses in and throughout Georgia which look extremely similar to Union County’s such as the Henry County Courthouse in McDonough, Georgia and Schley County Courthouse in Ellaville, Georgia. 5. The clock tower you see sitting atop the building today has only been in It’s place for 23 years, since the year 2000, after the previous clock tower was removed due to the threat of collapsing due to the courthouse’s once deteriorating condition.

Why I Picked It To Be On The Mural: This shouldn’t even have to be explained. It’s the most iconic and representative building in Union County. When you think of Union County or Blairsville, you think of this building that sits right in the center of the town square.

Something Else Worth Knowing: Yes, there are actually 675 newspaper clippings and/or historical photos on this landmark’s page, but however, just like the Woody Gap page has many newspaper articles about Suches, this page has a ton of stories related to Blairsville and other Union County districts as well.

 

Image 2: The Gavel

Landmark or Icon: Icon

Significance: The representation of the 5 Supreme Court Justices either born or raised in Union County

Biographical Video Timeframe: 6:24

Historical Photos/Newspaper Clippings: 52

Additional Links: 5

Map Locations Related To Landmark/Icon And Mentioned In Biographical Video: 29

Fun Facts: 1. Union County may very well be the only county in the North Georgia Mountain region to have had 2 Supreme Court Justices raised on the same street. 2. One of the Supreme Court Justices being mentioned once served as a Chief Justice for the Florida Supreme Court. 3. The courtroom is the Old Union County Historical Courthouse is named in honor of 2 of the mentioned(In the video) Supreme Court Justices. 4. The work of Supreme Court Justices for Union County spans into 2 different states, Georgia and Florida. 5. One of the Supreme Court Justices also served as Governor of Georgia.

Why I Picked It To Be On The Mural: For starters, I cannot believe how little Union Countians seem to take pride in the fact that 5, yes FIVE, Supreme Court Justices(who were either born or raised here) have come from Union County!!! The work of these 5 men spans into 2 different states, Georgia and Florida. 4 of the 5 of them were Chief Justices, and many of them served in their roles all at the same time. As I’ve traveled across the country and even the state, I have noticed towns pinpointing things they’re known for. For example, Jasper is the Marble Capitol of Georgia and Ellijay is the Apple Capitol of Georgia. They use these titles as a pride point and in a way they want to be known. My question to Union County, who often gets overshadowed by the Appalachian stereotypes of being redneck or “ignorant”, is why are we not highlighting the fact that we are actually home to the most Supreme Court Justices of any county in the Northeast Georgia Mountains, if not all of North Georgia(Excluding Atlanta maybe)? A great slogan for us seems like it would be “Land of the Supreme”! Just saying, there’s so much potential for using this fact to our advantage and as our own pride poing. Really, this is simply why I chose it. Maybe one day I’ll have good company from others who can see that and will run with it as well.

 

 

C Of COUNTY: I

Image 1: Micajah Clark Dyer’s Flying Machine Patent: Patent 154,654

Landmark or Icon: Icon

Significance: The patent for the flying machine that predated the Wright Brothers first flight by more than 2 decades

Biographical Video Timeframe: 7:25

Historical Photos/Newspaper Clippings: 26

Additional Links: 1

Map Locations Related To Landmark/Icon And Mentioned In Biographical Video: 9

Fun Facts: 1. Micajah Clark Dyer sits on the “Wall of Honor” as an honoree in the Smithsonian Institute’s Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.. 2. It is believed that other Union Countians of the 1800’s witnessed Micajah Clark Dyer “flying machine” actually getting air when taking flight off of Rattlesnake Mountain. 3. Micajah Clark Dyer’s granddaughter, Sylvia Dyer Turnage, is the author of the book “Georgia’s Pioneer Aviator: Micajah Clark Dyer”, telling about the life and flight trials of her grandfather, Micajah Clark Dyer. This book is available for purchase in the Union County Historical Society Museum. 4. It is believed to be possible that this flying machine was eventually sold to the Wright Brothers years after Micajah Clark Dyer’s death. 5. A portion of Georgia Highway 180 is named the “Micajah Clark Dyer Parkway”, in honor of Micajah Clark Dyer.

Why I Picked It To Be On The Mural: What other county can you find a town/county where a flying machine patent originated nearly 30 years before the Wright Brothers take flight? I can’t name many at all, if any. I can name Union County, and this is why I picked It. The reason for it’s placement on the mural is another story though .

 

Image 2: Nottely Dam

Landmark or Icon: Landmark

Significance: Union County’s iconic TVA lake dam that is responsible for creating and controlling the county’s largest and most popular lake

Biographical Video Timeframe: 7:56

Historical Photos/Newspaper Clippings: 212

Additional Links: 7

Map Locations Related To Landmark/Icon And Mentioned In Biographical Video: 1

Fun Facts: 1. The opening and completion of construction for the dam was on January 24, 1942 2. The dam is ran and operated by the TVA(Tennessee Valley Authority). 3. 91 families were forced to move out of the vicinity of the lake area to create the dam, with many old homes and structures believed to still be standing. 4. The lake and dam took only 6 months to build and complete. 5. The final cost for the construction of the dam was over 8 million dollars

Why I Picked It To Be On The Mural: Lake Nottely is a huge part of Union County’s identity. Therefore, I had to pick the dam that represents it best.

 

 

O Of County:

 

Image: Sunrise Grocery

Landmark or Icon: Landmark

Significance: Union County’s oldest running general store that was voted by Southern Living Magazine as “The South’s Most Charming General Store

Biographical Video Timeframe: 4:55

Historical Photos/Newspaper Clippings: 9

Additional Links: 3

Map Locations Related To Landmark/Icon And Mentioned In Biographical Video: 2

Fun Facts: 1. The store is most famous for It’s “world famous boiled peanuts”. 2. The store has been voted as Southern Living Magazine’s “Most Charming General Store”. 3. Co-Owner of the store, Jason Clemmons, is host to a Georgia Public Broadcasting show known as “View Finders”, where he and his co-host, Chris Greer, go throughout the State of Georgia finding some of Georgia’s finest natural photography locations. 4. The store stands as the oldest running business in all of Union County. 5. This is the last gas station you will pass in Union County on Highway 129 South before reaching Blood Mountain.

Why I Picked It To Be On The Mural: Initially, I was trying to sway away from having any business put on the mural because once you add one, there’s typically going to be a long line of other businesses wanting to be on there as well. However, Sunrise made the cut and was an exception for the simple fact that it is the oldest running general store in Union County, and since this mural is supposed to be for Union County history, that’s plenty enough of a good reason to choose it.

 

 

U Of County:

Image 1: Vogel State Park

Landmark or Icon: Landmark

Significance: Georgia’s 2nd oldest state park

Biographical Video Timeframe: 7:38

Historical Photos/Newspaper Clippings: 129

Additional Links: 3

Map Locations Related To Landmark/Icon And Mentioned In Biographical Video: 9

Fun Facts: 1. The park was established in 1931. 2. Many of the cabins offered for lodging today was actually built for and lived in by the Civilian Conservation Corps boys AKA CCC Boys at the time of the park’s construction. 3. The large lake, sitting in the park’s center, was named in honor of a mythical “Indian Princess” who is supposedly now buried in nearby Lumpkin County, Georgia. 4. The park plays host to many festivals and events annually. 5. The park has hundreds of camping sites available.

Why I Picked It To Be On The Mural: Camping. It’s one thing Union County and surrounding mountain towns are known for. Why not pick the state of Georgia’s 2nd oldest state park that is a favorite and much visited park by many not only throughout Georgia, but also in the nation? Plus, it’s one of the oldest state parks in the entire nation.

 

Image 2: Helton Creek Falls

Landmark or Icon: Landmark

Significance: Union County’s most popular waterfall

Biographical Video Timeframe: 4:42

Historical Photos/Newspaper Clippings: 27

Additional Links: 3

Map Locations Related To Landmark/Icon And Mentioned In Biographical Video: 2

Fun Facts: 1. The namesake of the falls is believed to have come from a Native American who once owned the land where the waterfalls sit. 2. The waterfalls are a favorite spot for Summer time Union County tourists and locals. 3. Many people have gotten married or engaged at the waterfalls. 4. The grave of the namesake of the waterfalls sits in Lumpkin County at the Frogtown Winery Cemetery. 5. To get to the waterfalls, you must first drive through a neighborhood.

Why I Picked It To Be On The Mural: Waterfalls are something else that Union County is known for, and the most popular one(IMO) is Helton Creek Falls.

 

 

N Of County:

Image 1: Choestoe School House

Landmark or Icon: Landmark

Significance: Historical school house that educated the children of the once “most college-educated rural militia district in the United States”, including Supreme Court Justices, a famous poet, and other legislators

Biographical Video Timeframe: 5:32

Historical Photos/Newspaper Clippings: 42

Additional Links: 0

Map Locations Related To Landmark/Icon And Mentioned In Biographical Video: 19

Fun Facts: 1. The school no longer sits in It’s original location, being moved and saved from demolition. 2. The former schoolhouse now serves as an event space. 3. “Georgia’s Mr. Education”, M.D.(Mauney Douglas) Collins, the man responsible for today’s Georgia public school system infrastructure and who was the state’s longest ever serving State School Superintendent was educated here as a child. 4. Georgia’s longest ever serving Chief Justice of the Georgia State Supreme Court, William Henry Duckworth, was educated here. 5. Famous Union County poet, Byron Herbert Reece, was educated here as a child.

Why I Picked It To Be On The Mural: Just like not being able to understand why I don’t find Union County using the 5 Supreme Court Justices as more of a pride point, I also don’t understand why the Union Countians also don’t use Choestoe as more of a pride point for its historical excellence in education. As you just read, it actually was the most college-educated rural militia district in the United States at one point in time. This honor/achievement came at a time when there were barely any cars running throughout Union County, much more isolation was present, and a lot less technology was around. And this is no dig at Union County Schools whatsoever, BUT I disagree with anyone who says that the schools are the “best they’ve ever been” today. Why? Because Union County hasn’t produced the same amount of Supreme Court Justices, judges, legislators, poets, or anyone with the same highly held positions that the Choestoe School House’s alumni have since their era. Many of these people who attended this school started life without cars and either used a horse and buggy or walked to get around, yet they went onto make huge history not only in Union County, but also the state of Georgia and the United States. Meanwhile, today, Union County has so much more technology than they ever had and still hasn’t produced citizens with titles held by the former Choestoe School House students. Again, not a dig, but do take it more as a challenge to get Union County back to the days of producing those high-level careers. In short, seeing the school is a great reminder of achievement and what Union Countians can/have achieved.

 

Image 2: Track Rock Petroglyphs

Landmark or Icon: Landmark

Significance: Ancient Native-American site with left behind marks and petroglyphs

Biographical Video Timeframe: 7:16

Historical Photos/Newspaper Clippings: 53

Additional Links: 4

Map Locations Related To Landmark/Icon And Mentioned In Biographical Video: 2

Fun Facts: 1. There is much debate about which Native American tribes the site actually belonged to. While for years it has been said to have belonged to the Cherokee and Creek Indians, many believe that it very well belonged to the Mayan Indians. 2. The site is often closed off to the public due to the unfortunate event of vandalism from the public. 3. There is a myth that “White Giants” once inhabited the grounds before the Native Americans. 4. Some believe and have said that an inactive volcano sits at the site and that Native Americans who once inhabited the grounds would use the steam from the geyser to stay warm during winter months. 5. The site itself contains 52 acres.

Why I Picked It To Be On The Mural: Of all Native-American attractions up in the North Georgia Mountains, this is one of the more popular and intriguing ones. The only problem? I’m not sure how long the site will stay closed due to the immature and petty vandalizers who forced it to close and ruined a cool visit for everyone. When I picked it for the mural, however, it was still open to the public. Hopefully it will open back up again soon!

 

 

T Of County:

Image 1: Meeks Park

Landmark or Icon: Landmark

Significance: Blairsville’s favorite “local” park

Biographical Video Timeframe: 6:10

Historical Photos/Newspaper Clippings: 132

Additional Links: 5

Map Locations Related To Landmark/Icon And Mentioned In Biographical Video: 4

Fun Facts: 1. The park is named in honor of Dr. Bill Meeks, the man who donated the land for the purpose of the park. 2. The park is the home to the Union County Recreation Department’s baseball and softball teams, as well as the Union County Schools Cross Country programs. 3. The park is home to 3 festivals: The Sorghum Festival, the Blairsville Scottish Festival, and the Butternut Creek Festival. 4. The park has multiple pavilions that are used frequently for small events such as birthday parties, reunions, baby showers, and more. 5. The park also comes complete with tennis courts, a basketball court, a skate park, a swimming pool, and splash pad.

Why I Picked It To Be On The Mural: Meeks Park is undoubtedly the favorite park of choice to visit frequently by Union Countians. This is not just because of the sporting events and the playground for kids, but also the other activities such as the festivals and reunions held there and swimming pool offered by the park.

 

Image 2: Sorghum Festival Syrup Jar

Landmark or Icon: Icon

Significance: Represents Union County’s oldest running festival that celebrates the sorghum syrup crop

Biographical Video Timeframe: 4:11

Historical Photos/Newspaper Clippings: 41

Additional Links: 10

Map Locations Related To Landmark/Icon And Mentioned In Biographical Video: 3

Fun Facts: 1. The festival is obviously inspired by the popular fall crop, sorghum syrup. 2. The festival was established and first held in the fall of 1969. 3. The festival was once hosted at the formerly iconic “Fort Sorghum”. 4. The festival is hosted by the Blairsville Jaycees. 5. The festival is held annually on the 2nd and 3rd weekends of October and is started off with a parade.

Why I Picked It To Be On The Mural: There’s not another festival in Union County as popular or as storied as the Sorghum Festvial!

 

 

Y Of County:

Image 1: Walasi-Yi Center

Landmark or Icon: Landmark

Significance: One of Union County’s NRHP listings and the only man-made structure along the Appalachian Trail

Biographical Video Timeframe: 4:37

Historical Photos/Newspaper Clippings: 62

Additional Links: 4

Map Locations Related To Landmark/Icon And Mentioned In Biographical Video: 4

Fun Facts: 1. You can stay overnight in the historic building. 2. It is just 1 of 5 total locations listed on Union County’s National Register of Historical Places. 3. The building is the only man-made structure in which you can walk through on the entire length of the Appalachian Trail. 4. Before rock was added to the building, the building served It’s purpose as the “Vogel Tea Room”, owned by the Pfister and Vogel Leather Company based out of Wisconsin. 5. The rocks and stones used on the building were collected and added to the building by the CCC Boys who found the rocks and stones in the nearby rivers and streams.

Why I Picked It To Be On The Mural: For doing a project for the purpose of telling and saving history, I’d be a fool not to include the first ever listed NHRP building in Union County!

 

Image 1: Appalachian Trail Hiker Silouette

Landmark or Icon: Icon

Significance: Represents one of the United States longest and most famous hiking trails

Biographical Video Timeframe: 4:25

Historical Photos/Newspaper Clippings: 88

Additional Links: 2

Map Locations Related To Landmark/Icon And Mentioned In Biographical Video: 4

Fun Facts: 1. The trail was started over a century ago. 2. There have been over 15,000-20,000 recorded hiking finishes from beginning to end on the trail, including a few Union Countians. 3. The trail starts and/or ends in Georgia and ends in Maine. 4. The length of the trail is 2,100+ miles long and spans through 13 states. 5. In Georgia alone, the Appalachian Trail covers 76 miles and runs through 7 counties in total.

Why I Picked It To Be On The Mural: Union County is one of the few counties in Georgia that the famous trail runs through!

 

 

Mural Interactive Aspect Combined Totals

Total Videos Timeframe: 2 Hours, 14 Minutes, and 10 Seconds

Total Number Of Photos/Newspapers Included On Web Pages: 2,256

Total Number Of Locations Associated With Self-Guided GPS Maps: 162(Note: A few of these same locations may be shared by a few different landmarks/icons, but most are unique locations to each landmark/icon)

Total Number Of Additional Links Included On Web Page: 88