The Highlands Golf Course, considered one of the best in Georgia, is complimented by the new Adirondack style clubhouse with a pro shop and full dining facilities. The new 40-acre swim and activity center, Great Festival Park, includes a new Jr. Olympic size pool, Great Lawn multi-activity park, basketball and volleyball courts, eco-garden and more. There is also the Red Cloud Park Swim & Tennis Center along with 8+ miles of walking and nature trails! All this, close to the great shopping conveniences, fun, and excitement of the nation's 10th. largest metropolitan area, Atlanta, Georgia!
. . . . . . . Are you ready for 18 holes on the new Highlands Championship Golf Course?!
. . . . . . WALESKA and CANTON...
Lake Arrowhead is also close in proximity to the historic city of Waleska, in northwest Georgia. This small rural city once enjoyed a prominent place in the grain-grinding, timber, manufacturing and tobacco industries before finally developing into the college town that it is today. Waleska derives from the name, Warluskee, the daughter of a local Cherokee chief in the early 1800's. The first white settlement in the Waleska area began in the early 1830's. Among these first pioneer settlers were the Reinhardt, Heard and Rhyne families, who moved into the region looking for fresh, fertile farm land. At first, these settlers lived among the Cherokee population already established in the area, but by 1838 all of the Cherokee had been forced westward to Oklahoma in the U.S. Government relocation movement known as the Trail of Tears. Early settler Lewis W. Reinhardt established a church in 1834 in the settlement known as Reinhardt Chapel and befriended many of the native Cherokee population. When the Trail of Tears forced the removal of Warluskee to Oklahoma, he named this settlement in her honor.
In 1883, son of Waleska founder, former Civil War Captain and Atlanta lawyer Augusta M. Reinhardt, along with his brother-in-law, former Civil War Lieutenant-Colonel John J. A. Sharp, founded Reinhardt Academy in Waleska for the impoverished children of Cherokee County.
This school eventually became
Reinhardt University. Even though Waleska had been settled by white pioneers and farmers for well over 50 years, it wasn’t until 1889 that the city was officially incorporated by the State of Georgia. As the proud home of Reinhardt College, modern Waleska revolves almost exclusively around academia. This institution, began back in 1883 as a one room schoolhouse for elementary-high school children, has expanded over the years to serve the higher education needs of greater Atlantans. A second campus was constructed in North Fulton County to meet such great demand.
If not quite a one horse town, Waleska is literally a one traffic light town with a single four-way-stop-flashing-red-light at the main North-South + East-West crossroads. We have not explored this small rural, college town and we look forward to doing so along with a visit to the Reinhardt University campus, home of the Reinhardt Eagles sports teams. The college has a complete sports program so I will have an oppotunity to watch some live college soccer games in season. We did enjoy a really excellent lunch at the aptly named 'Eagles Nest' restaurant and local watering hole.
CANTON lies about 10 miles south of Waleska and is the county seat of Cherokee County. It was once named Etowah, same as the river that flows through the city.
The City of Etowah shamelessly changed it's name to Canton in 1834 in an unsuccessful bid to fabricate a connection to Canton in China when trying to grow it's fledgling silk industry. Today, Canton is a bustling, rapidly growing suburban city due to the easy access of I-575 for Atlanta commuters.
Downtown Canton, like most other city downtowns, was badly neglected during the rapid growth of the past 2-3 decades with the customary explosion of suburban shopping malls and strip malls. Downtown Canton is now in the midst of an ambitious regeneration project. We made a very quick visit to downtown Canton back in early March and we were very impressed with the improvements being made.
Right: THE ARTS CENTER:
Below: CANTON THEATRE:Right: THE ARTS CENTER:
Above: The marble Cherokee County Courthouse. Below: This bronze statue tribute to the Cherokee was an obvious photo-op for me.
History: Once famous for its 'Canton Denim', known worldwide for the high-quality denim produced by Canton Denim Mills which closed in 1979, Canton is now enjoying the greatest economic boom in its history. The poultry industry that began during the Great Depression grew dramatically during World War II. This continued through the 1950s and 1960s bringing increased levels of employment and prosperity to Cherokee County like it's citizens had never before experienced. During the late 1950s Cherokee County was known as the 'Poultry Capitol of the World' and billboards proclaiming that honor greeted visitors as they entered the county. Following the turbulent 1960s, Cherokee County was given another opportunity for growth with the Federal Government's construction of Interstate 575. Completed in 1985, I-575 made Cherokee County part of metropolitan Atlanta. More and more people moved into Cherokee County, and by the early 2000s, at a rate of one new resident every hour! Home to 100,000 people in the year 2000, Cherokee County doubled it's population by 2010 to over 215,000 residents. The City of Canton has a rich heritage. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the site where Canton would be founded lay in the heart of the Cherokee Nation. During the first hundred years of Georgia's history, North Georgia was considered 'Indian Country', and was by-passed by settlers going West. Georgia had made a treaty with the Federal Government in 1802 to relinquish its Western Territory for the removal of all Indians within its boundaries, and, although other tribes had been removed, little was ever done about the Cherokee. Since this was the heartland of the Cherokee Nation, the state and nation had avoided the handling of this delicate problem. Following the Georgia Gold Rush in 1829, settlers ignored the Indian problems and began to move into the area north of Carrollton and west of the Chattahoochee River.
Many members of the Cherokee Nation moved west, but the majority stayed until removed by Federal Troops sent into the area during the summer of 1838. The remaining Cherokee were gathered and held in often appalling conditions, in 15 forts throughout North Georgia, until the removal could be completed. Present-day Cherokee County had the largest and most southerly of these forts, Fort Buffington, which stood six miles (10 km) east of Canton. Today nothing stands to identify its timber structure, but the area is marked by a Historic Marker (below right) and a large piece of green
Cherokee marble quarried near Holly Springs. By autumn of 1838, the federal troops had accomplished their mission and the Cherokee at Fort Buffington were marched off to join other groups on the infamous Trail of Tears. A permanent county seat and courthouse were chosen in 1833 and named Etowah. The name was changed to Cherokee Courthouse in 1833. In 1834 it was changed to Canton (pronounced cant'n), after the Chinese city Guangzhou, which was then known in English as Canton (pronounced can-tahn). The name was chosen because a group of citizens had dreams of making the Georgia town a center of the silk industry, which was concentrated in China. Though Canton never became a significant silk center, it did become a successful manufacturing community. Between the dates of November 1–5, 1864, Canton, which then had a population of about 200, was burned by the Union Army under the command of Major General William T. Sherman. Canton was destroyed by a foraging party of the Ohio 5th Cavalry under the command of Major Thomas T. Heath. At the time the Ohio 5th Cavalry was headquartered in Cartersville, Ga. The written order for destruction was given on October 30, 1864 by Brig. General John E. Smith. Union troops were ordered to burn the town because of Confederate guerrilla attacks coming from Canton and directed against the Western and Atlantic Railroad near the town of Cassville, Ga. The railroad was a vital supply line for the Union Army from the captured city of Chattanooga, Tn. to newly captured Atlanta, Ga. The Canton home of Governor Joseph E. Brown was specifically targeted for destruction. Cassville, Ga., the county seat of neighboring Bartow County was also completely destroyed for guerrilla attacks against the railroad by the same Union party on November 5, 1864 on their return to Cartersville from Canton. Cassville never rebuilt. However, Canton survived to prosper. Over the years, Canton evolved from unsettled territory to a prosperous mill town known the world over for its 'Canton Denim'. The 'original county' of 1831 now includes 24 counties, and Cherokee County remains one of Georgia's largest counties with an area of 429 square miles (1,110 km2).
Cherokee marble quarried near Holly Springs. By autumn of 1838, the federal troops had accomplished their mission and the Cherokee at Fort Buffington were marched off to join other groups on the infamous Trail of Tears. A permanent county seat and courthouse were chosen in 1833 and named Etowah. The name was changed to Cherokee Courthouse in 1833. In 1834 it was changed to Canton (pronounced cant'n), after the Chinese city Guangzhou, which was then known in English as Canton (pronounced can-tahn). The name was chosen because a group of citizens had dreams of making the Georgia town a center of the silk industry, which was concentrated in China. Though Canton never became a significant silk center, it did become a successful manufacturing community. Between the dates of November 1–5, 1864, Canton, which then had a population of about 200, was burned by the Union Army under the command of Major General William T. Sherman. Canton was destroyed by a foraging party of the Ohio 5th Cavalry under the command of Major Thomas T. Heath. At the time the Ohio 5th Cavalry was headquartered in Cartersville, Ga. The written order for destruction was given on October 30, 1864 by Brig. General John E. Smith. Union troops were ordered to burn the town because of Confederate guerrilla attacks coming from Canton and directed against the Western and Atlantic Railroad near the town of Cassville, Ga. The railroad was a vital supply line for the Union Army from the captured city of Chattanooga, Tn. to newly captured Atlanta, Ga. The Canton home of Governor Joseph E. Brown was specifically targeted for destruction. Cassville, Ga., the county seat of neighboring Bartow County was also completely destroyed for guerrilla attacks against the railroad by the same Union party on November 5, 1864 on their return to Cartersville from Canton. Cassville never rebuilt. However, Canton survived to prosper. Over the years, Canton evolved from unsettled territory to a prosperous mill town known the world over for its 'Canton Denim'. The 'original county' of 1831 now includes 24 counties, and Cherokee County remains one of Georgia's largest counties with an area of 429 square miles (1,110 km2).
VISIT THE LAKE ARROWHEAD COMMUNITY WEB SITE
www.lakearrowheadga.com/our-community
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MORE TO FOLLOW!
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