#ChattoogaCountyHistoricalSociety

November 2, 2026

From Horse-Drawn Wagons To Modern Highways: The Long History Of Roadwork On Taylor’s Ridge

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This clip from The Summerville News in 1961 demonstrates the challenges Chattooga County commuters have had with Taylor’s Ridge for many years.

With another major road construction project set to begin on Taylor’s Ridge, it’s a reminder that keeping roads open and passable across the mountain has been a challenge for generations. In fact, long before the Georgia Department of Transportation existed, Chattooga County residents were required to help maintain the roads themselves.

November 2, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Chattooga County Historical Society Unveils 2026 Christmas Ornament Featuring Historic Trion Railroad Bridge

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The Chattooga County Historical Society has unveiled its 2026 collectible Christmas ornament, featuring one of the county’s oldest surviving landmarks — the historic Trion Railroad Bridge.

October 23, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Chattooga Historical Society To Hold Fall Meeting At Historic Lyerly Home

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The Chattooga County Historical Society will hold its annual fall meeting next month at one of the county’s historic homes, offering visitors an opportunity to explore local history and learn about the preservation of a landmark property.

October 5, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

A Bloodhound, A Bank Robbery And A Sheriff’s Bill From 1914

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A handwritten receipt shared last week on social media by the Chattooga County Historical Society provides a fascinating glimpse into law enforcement in Chattooga County more than a century ago — and connects with one of the county’s most dramatic crimes of the era.

The document is a sheriff’s voucher from 1914 associated with Chattooga County Sheriff M.W. Wimpee. Among the expenses listed is the cost of keeping and maintaining a bloodhound dog from June 17 through August 17, 1914.

The county was charged 25 cents per day for 62 days, bringing the total bill for keeping the dog to $15.50.

The bloodhound is an especially interesting part of the record because tracking dogs had played an important role earlier that year in the investigation of the Bank of Lyerly robbery.

September 21, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

From Lamplight To Long Distance: How Electricity And Telephones Changed Chattooga County

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Telephone operators at the Summerville Telephone Company on the final day of operator-assisted telephone service in 1960. Direct dialing began the following day. (Photo courtesy of Ben Bridges/Chattooga Photo History)

For people living in Chattooga County today, flipping a light switch or making a telephone call is so ordinary that little thought is given to either one.

But a little more than a century ago, both represented technologies that were beginning to fundamentally change everyday life.

There was a time when darkness meant lighting an oil lamp, when many homes drew their water from wells, and when making a long-distance telephone call in Chattooga County meant traveling into Summerville and going inside a local store.

The arrival of electricity and the telephone didn’t happen everywhere at once. The technologies spread gradually through mills, businesses and towns before becoming commonplace in homes throughout the county.

And when it came to electricity, Trion was among the first places in Chattooga County to enter the electrical age.

September 14, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

From Iron Ore To Coal — Chattooga County’s Mining Past

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Long before manufacturing became a major part of Chattooga County’s economy, people looked to the mountains and ridges surrounding the county for another source of economic development — minerals buried beneath the ground.

August 24, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Whatever Happened To Sprite, Georgia?

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Long before GPS, interstate highways and modern road signs, the map of Chattooga County was dotted with small communities whose names were familiar to generations of local residents.

Some survived. Others changed names or gradually disappeared.

One of the more unusual was Sprite, Georgia.

July 19, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Chattooga County Historical Society Hosts Summer Meeting Today

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The Chattooga County Historical Society is inviting the public to its Summer Meeting today, featuring a firsthand account from a Chattooga County native who took part in one of the most significant military operations in American history.

The meeting begins at 2 p.m. today at the Historic Summerville Depot in downtown Summerville. Admission is free, and everyone is invited to attend.

Featured speaker Jim Lenderman will share his experiences as a U.S. Marine helicopter pilot during the 1980 Iranian hostage rescue attempt, known as Operation Eagle Claw. Lenderman will also discuss his later service flying President Ronald Reagan aboard Marine One, providing a unique perspective on both military and presidential aviation.

The Historical Society says the presentation offers a rare opportunity to hear an inspiring story from one of Chattooga County’s own while learning more about an important chapter in American history. The event is free and open to the public.

July 18, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Chattooga County Historical Society to Host Summer Meeting Sunday

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The Chattooga County Historical Society will welcome members and the public tomorrow afternoon for its annual summer meeting at the Historic Summerville Depot, featuring a presentation from a local veteran whose military career included some of the nation’s most historic moments.

The meeting begins at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 19, at the Historic Depot in downtown Summerville. Admission is free, and everyone is invited to attend.

Featured speaker Jim Lenderman, a fellow Chattoogan and former U.S. Marine Corps helicopter pilot, will share firsthand accounts of his role in the 1980 Iranian hostage rescue attempt, known as Operation Eagle Claw. He will also discuss his military service flying President Ronald Reagan aboard Marine One, offering attendees a unique perspective on presidential aviation and military history.

Organizers say the program combines local history with an extraordinary personal story from one of Chattooga County’s own. The Historical Society encourages anyone with an interest in history, military service, or the community’s heritage to attend.

For more information, visit www.chattoogahistory.org.

July 16, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Chattooga County Historical Society Seeking Volunteers to Help Preserve Local History

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The Chattooga County Historical Society is asking residents to become involved in preserving the county’s history as the organization works to expand its archives, grow its membership and establish a permanent museum.