Animal Services seeks authority to add controls on vicious dogs
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Animal Services is asking the Forsyth County Commission for changes to allow them to better protect residents’ pets.
The current animal ordinance contains no provision for officials to deem a dog dangerous if it attacks a pet unless the pet dies.
If a dog is deemed dangerous, its owner must register the animal, confine it in a secure enclosure, have signs posted warning the public and maintain liability insurance of at least $50,000, among other requirements. The dog can also be ordered euthanized by a court.
So far this year, 12 of the county’s 402 reported dog bites were by dogs deemed dangerous. said Karen Pachuta, an attorney who represents the county’s Animal Services Department. The county currently has some 50 dogs classified as dangerous.
Animal Services is asking the county to create a new designation of “potentially dangerous” for dogs that attack pets or livestock. A potentially dangerous dog could be upgraded to dangerous status if it bites again.
“We've seen some really serious animal injuries, and people spend $15,000 easily with the veterinarian’s office,” Pachuta said.
See ANIMAL, Page 12
County weighs stricter rules on business link disclosures
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County commissioners are weighing rule changes that would require them and other senior staff to disclose relationships with businesses appearing before the board.
At its Nov. 12 work session, the commission considered clarifying requirements for disclosing business relationships such as full-time work, consulting or speaking agreements for companies with applications or contracts under review. The changes could apply to commissioners, county officials and businesses.
“If someone travels to let’s say a state conference, and they are using that platform as an opportunity for some other business type relationship,” County Commissioner Laura Semanson said. “Those kinds of things all matter. I think within 15 days you disclose any relationships that you have with anybody who does business with the county or in the county.”
Commissioners will consider adopting changes to their rules in January, she said.
“We all probably get asked to do things, but I think the difference is you are potentially being financially rewarded for the expertise of this job to help a private organization or individual,” she said, adding, “It needs to be disclosed.”
County Attorney Ken Jarrard said commissioners should be required to disclose any financial ties with
There is a leap of faith in all of this, is there not? You don’t know until someone doesn’t report and gets caught.
CINDY JONES MILLS
Forsyth
County Commissioner
companies even if they are outside Forsyth County.
“That is a disclosure requirement if you ask me,” he said.
Forsyth’s ethics code and state law already require the disclosure of financial contributions greater than $250 to county officials by anyone submitting proposals for county work. Those disclosures are made during the application process.
The code includes a “prophylactic provision” prohibiting commissioners and county officials from accepting employment or providing services if they might create the appearance of a conflict of interest, Jarrard said.
SCREENSHOT
Forsyth County commissioners discuss ethics rule changes to shine more light on county officials’ links with business interests at a Nov. 12 work session.
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Man cited for DUI, weapon after Ga. 400 traffic stop
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A 21-year-old Buford man was arrested Nov. 8 on driving under the influence and weapon possession charges.
Deputies stopped a vehicle traveling 83 mph in a 65 mph zone about 2 a.m. on northbound Ga. 400 at Majors Road, according to a Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office report. The driver also was using his cell phone and failing to maintain his lane.
While speaking with the man, deputies noticed he was carrying a pistol.
Deputies noticed signs of impairment, including enlarged pupils, rambling speech and unsteadiness on his feet, according to the report. After a sobriety evaluation, the man was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence of a drug.
A search of the vehicle found THC vaporizers and a digital scale.
Deputies also charged the man with a hands-free violation, speeding, failure to maintain a lane, possession of a Schedule I drug and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
— Jon Wilcox
Man arrested for speeding, erratic driving on Ga. 400
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A 34-year-old Lithonia man was arrested on reckless driving and other traffic charges on Nov. 9.
Deputies stopped a vehicle on northbound Ga. 400 at Shiloh Road after radar clocked it at 110 mph in a 65 mph zone, according to a Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office report. The vehicle also made two erratic lane changes, deputies said.
A moderate layer of fog reduced visibil-
ity of the roadway.
During a search of the vehicle, deputies smelled marijuana but did not find any of the drug.
The man was arrested on charges of reckless driving, speeding, improper or erratic lane change and failure to have a license on their person.
— Jon Wilcox
Cumming man arrested for meth in vehicles
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A 56-yearold Cumming man was arrested on a possession of methamphetamine charge Nov. 11.
Deputies stopped a truck on Gran Forest Drive about 4:30 a.m. after the vehicle pulled into a closed business park, according to a Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office report.
The driver told deputies he was looking for a place to sleep after a “domestic situation” with his sister. The man said he planned to sleep in the business park.
When deputies asked whether he used methamphetamine, his demeanor changed, according to the report. He smiled, broke eye contact, and his breathing deepened.
The man admitted to “having a problem” with methamphetamine, according to the report. He also said he was on probation from prison.
Deputies searched the truck, finding a pencil case with methamphetamine and a scale.
The man denied the drug was his.
— Jon Wilcox
Cumming man arrested as suspect in shoplifting
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A 38-year-old Cumming man was arrested on a shoplifting charge Oct. 29.
Police arrested the man about two months after a shoplifting was reported at a North Point Mall department store, according to an
Alpharetta police report.
On their way to the store Sept. 8, officers saw a vehicle matching the description provided in the preliminary call. Police tracked the vehicle on the city’s FLOCK surveillance cameras as the officers continued to the store.
Department store employees told officers a man left with items concealed under his clothing.
Two pairs of pants and a shirt valued at $202 were reported stolen.
Police discovered a vehicle matching the report’s description abandoned on Deerfield Parkway.
The man arrested by police in October was the registered owner.
Woman charged with DUI after bystanders take keys
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A 56-year-old Milton woman was arrested on driving under the influence charges Oct. 30.
Police were dispatched to Clubhouse Drive at Lake Shore Overlook about 7 p.m. after callers reported a driver who appeared drunk trying to drive onto the curb, according to an Alpharetta police report.
A blue Subaru was in the middle of the roadway when officers arrived. Witnesses said they had removed the driver’s keys.
The driver smelled of alcohol, according to the report. Her eyes were bloodshot and glassy, and her speech was slowed and slurred.
Police arrested the woman after conducting an intoxicated driver evaluation.
A search of the Subaru found a half empty box of chardonnay on the passenger-side floorboard.
The woman was arrested on charges of misdemeanor driving under the influence and possession of an open container while operating a motor vehicle.
Jon Wilcox
Jon Wilcox
John Hogan & Designer Bobbie Kohm, re-imagining how bath & kitchen remodels are done.
Toro announces funding secured for $560 million Medley project
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Toro Development Company, the real estate firm led by Avalon developer Mark Toro, announced Nov. 6 it has secured financing for the anticipated mixed-use project Medley in Johns Creek.
Groundbreaking for the $560 million, 42-acre development is slated for December, with an anticipated opening in late 2026. Medley will be integral to the city’s 192-acre Town Center, which will weave together housing, restaurants, retail and offices through new public pathways and parks.
The deal includes an equity investment from Ascentris, a Denver-based real estate private equity firm, and a $158 million construction loan from Banco Inbursa, out of Mexico City, for the first phase.
Located at McGinnis Ferry Road and Johns Creek Parkway, Medley will encompass 150,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and entertainment space, a 175-room boutique
hotel, 110,000 square feet of lifestyle office, 750 multifamily residences, 133 townhomes and an activated 25,000-square-foot plaza.
The company purchased the suburban office park for $44 million in March 2024 and has since razed a 350,000-square-foot office building to prepare the site for construction. Toro Development will renovate and incorporate the other existing office building into the master plan to create a workplace.
Announced retailers for Medley include Ford Fry’s Little Rey, CRÚ Food & Wine Bar, Fadó Irish Pub, Summit Coffee, Lily Sushi Bar, Knuckies Hoagies, Cookie Fix, Sugarcoat Beauty, BODY20, AYA Medical Spa, 26 Thai Kitchen and Bar, Five Daughters Bakery, Drybar Shops, Minnie Olivia, Burdlife, Amorino, Pause Studio, Fogón and Lions and Clean Your Dirty Face.
To learn more about the project, visit medleyjohnscreek.com. — Amber Perry
garage
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Owner John Hogan & Designer Bobbie Kohm
CITY OF JOHNS CREEK/PROVIDED
A rendering of the north view of Medley, a 42-acre mixed-use development, from McGinnis Ferry Road.
Johns Creek girls athletes commit to play at next level
By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com
JOHNS CREEK, Ga — Johns Creek High School held a signing day Nov. 13 for five seniors to declare their letters of intent to participate in collegiate athletics. Family and friends gathered with coaches and others of the community to celebrate advancing to the next level of competition.
One swimmer attended the ceremony, and the remaining four athletes play for the Johns Creek lacrosse team.
Maddie Tredway committed to Lindenwood University’s lacrosse team. She will enter her senior season with over 600 career control draw wins. Last season, she won offensive MVP and was named to the all-state second team for attack. The multi-sport athlete also played flag football during her time at Johns Creek, being named an all-area honorable mention as the quarterback.
Brooke Denny, Tredway’s goalie, committed to the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Denny will enter her fourth season for Johns Creek with 150 career saves. As a junior, she was awarded all-state first team honors for lacrosse.
“Brooke is ready to take any obstacle
on head-on, I am so proud of her,” coach
Stephanie Mathewson said.
Rose Coluzzi committed to Winthrop
University in Rock Hill, South Carolina. She plays attack for the Gladiators and has contributed 125 points in her
three years on the team. Coluzzi is also a Georgia Certificate of Merit Scholar, achieved by being in the top 10 percent of her class, and will graduate summa cum laude in the spring.
Nora Donaldson, committed to Georgia State University. She has been a three-year lacrosse varsity starter and received all-region second team honors last season. Donaldson has participated in Athlete Leadership Council, is a member of NFU, and will graduate a semester early to attend GSU in January.
Brooke Murphy committed to swim for the University of Miami. She is a captain of the swim team and was voted Johns Creek High School Athlete of the Month in Jan. 2023. Murphy has received the Most Valuable Female Swimmer award three times and has set two records for the school in 100 fly and 200 free sophomore year.
“We’re really proud to be here today and celebrate Maddie, Brooke Denny, Rose, Nora, and Brooke Murphy,” Johns Creek Athletic Director Kirk Call said. “They’ve all been fabulous athletes for Johns Creek, representing the Gladiator logo and our community well. They’re successful in their sports realm on the field or in the pool, but also in our hallways being leaders.”
ANNABELLE REITER/APPEN MEDIA
From left, Johns Creek seniors Maddie Tredway , Brooke Denny , Rose Coluzzi , Nora Donaldson , and Brooke Murphy assemble for a signing day ceremony at Johns Creek High School Nov. 13.
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
City Springs Conservancy students perform Christmas classics during the 2023 Sparkle Sandy Springs parade through the city’s downtown district. This year’s festivities kick off at 4 p.m. Dec. 8.
Sparkle Sandy Springs to unfurl holiday cheer
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The city is inviting everyone to attend the annual Sparkle Sandy Springs celebration and awardwinning parade Dec. 8 throughout the City Springs district.
Blue Stone Road, Galambos Way and Mount Vernon Highway will be transformed into a winter wonderland, presenting residents with festive traditions, a nighttime parade and the lighting of the Christmas tree and Hanukkah menorah.
Road closures begin at 3 p.m.
Festivities at City Springs kick off at 4 p.m. with food trucks, holiday music from Ansley Stewart, snow machines and the Sparkle gift market where visitors can find the perfect gift.
For those looking to secure the best view of the parade, Sparkle Wonderland across from Sandy Springs United Methodist Church won’t disappoint with its largerthan-life inflatables of Santa Claus, The Grinch and Rudolph.
The Sparkle Village around the City Green will showcase unique miniature homes decorated with twinkling lights and festive designs.
As a new feature this year, guests can vote for their favorite miniature home. The competition for bragging rights is expected to heat up between local schools, nonprofits and businesses.
The award-winning Sparkle parade begins at 6 p.m. at Mount Vernon Highway and Lake Forrest Drive near the water tower. Last year, city officials said 5,000 people turned out for the parade and its collection of marchers, performers and floats.
The parade route continues down Mount Vernon, turns left onto Galambos Way, passes the city’s three-story Christmas tree and concludes in front of Sandy Springs City Hall.
Celebrations continue after the parade until 7 p.m. with Mayor Rusty Paul’s countdown for the lighting of the Christmas tree and Hanukkah menorah.
For more information visit, www. sandyspringsga.gov/sparkle.
– Hayden Sumlin
Patrons flock to Korean eatery for award-winning chicken
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Alice Lee was confused by the line wrapping around Kimchi Red.
On July 6, 2023, the Korean restaurant was suddenly inundated with customers. When Lee asked those in line what brought them there, they said they were eager to try the best fried chicken in the country.
“I thought they were really being sarcastic,” Lee said, smiling. “And I was like, ‘Well, you know, I never said we were No. 1, but our chicken is good.’”
Lee’s customers informed her that Yelp, the ubiquitous online business review site, had just awarded her Alpharetta restaurant the top spot in the nation for fried chicken. News outlets in Atlanta, the nation and even Korea followed suit.
“It was unbelievable,” Lee said.
The Yelp award and sudden attention that followed recognized something Lee already knew, she said. For the past two years, Kimchi Red had quietly earned fame among locals with its delectable fried chicken and other mouth-watering Korean-inspired dishes.
Lee and her husband Joey W. Lee opened the first Kimchi Red in Alpharetta in 2021, Alice Lee said. They opened the restaurant because their wholesale business was busy only half the year.
Lee’s husband had often cooked Korean and American food for church and charity events and was eager to try his hand with a business.
But they quickly realized just how hard the culinary industry could be.
“We were closed more than we were open for the first six months,” Lee said.
During that time, the Lees found help from their faith in God and within their own family. Their daughter Madison, now 20, helped them establish a presence on social media. Their son Joshua, now 14, occasionally pitched in with extra work.
Lee said she and her husband depended on God during the difficult time and sought divine guidance in every business decision.
“Honestly, we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for God’s direction and planning,” she said.
For example, the Lees decided their menu item should be cooked only with the best and freshest ingredients. Name brand products are selected over generics, and the fried chicken is made only with fresh chicken, which is marinated for 24 hours. They replace their frying oil every day.
“If by chance, we receive a box of frozen chicken, we send it back,” Lee said. “We’re very meticulous.”
Before long, the food began to speak for itself, and word spread, Lee said. Sometimes, the Lees would accidentally leave the lights on at the
KIMCHI, Page 9
A third location is expected in February in Peachtree Corners
JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA
The dining room at Kimchi Red lies waiting for a lunch crowd Nov. 13. The restaurant features Korean favorites like galbi, bulgogi and kimchi soup.
KIMCHI RED/PROVIDED
Kimchi Red owners Joey W. Lee and Alice Lee are married with two children.
Kimchi Red locations
Alpharetta: 3630
Old Milton Parkway
Johns Creek: 3651-D Peachtree Parkway
See
enjoy lunch together at Kimchi Red on Nov. 13. The restaurant is expanding to a third location in Peachtree Corners in February.
Kimchi:
Continued from Page 8
restaurant after closing, attracting customers eager to get inside.
“They loved the food. They said, ‘It’s so flavorful. It’s so good,’” she said. “They loved the chicken. They loved the beef, and they just loved the food in general, and that was very humbling.”
That success led them to open a Johns Creek location with plans to debut a third in Peachtree Corners in February.
Their menu also includes Korean staples like galbi beef short ribs, sweet and savory bulgogi beef, kimchi fried rice, a cheesy and spicy buldak ramen and intensely flavorful kimchijjigae soup.
Marietta resident Caryn Hatton and Bryan Pham from Johns Creek said they love the fried chicken, but the other menu items are just as strong.
“We’ve tried pretty much everything,” Hatton said.
The buldak ramen, another favorite with Hatton and Pham, comes in different levels of spiciness. Pham said he prefers the noodles “super spicy,” while Hatton orders it at a more moderate level.
“It really complements it very well with the fried chicken,” Pham said. “They also have the egg on top. It’s a runny egg, and that makes it better, too.”
Korean food is special because it balances so many flavors, and it’s no wonder the cuisine is trending with Americans, Lee said.
“There’s salty and sweet and spicy and savory and rich, and it’s all there with different menu items,” she said. “I think that’s what makes it so attractive.”
Lee said she is proud to see the popularity of Korean culture sweeping through her community, the nation and world. Foods like Kimchi, pop artists like BTS and movies like 2020 Academy Award winner “Parasite” are now mainstream.
“The Korean culture is very inviting, very welcoming,” she said. “We have a lot to offer.”
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JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA
Marietta resident Caryn Hatton and Bryan Pham of Johns Creek
KIMCHI RED/PROVIDED Kimchi Red offers several varieties of award-winning fried chicken.
KIMCHI RED/PROVIDED Korean food is special because of its balance between sweet, savory, spicy and other flavors, Kimchi Red owner Alice Lee said.
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Avoiding the oilfield meant clean fingernails
I grew up in one of the biggest oilproducing areas of the country. Looking at old photos of Kern County in central California, inevitably the landscape was full of oil derricks and pumping structures that resembled huge rocking horses.
It was more than rumored that a sure way to top off an evening of hellraising was to head for the oilfield, jump a fence and ride one of those monstrosities. I can still remember some classmate crazies describing this twisted type of rodeo. The crowd I knew had more guts than sense. The advantage to their injury-inducing chicanery was that early on, they developed personal contacts at hospital emergency rooms across the area.
Lots of high school classmates thumbed their noses at a college education, choosing to ditch textbooks and work on the massive oil rigs that were prevalent in the county. Later on, when I’d run into them, they all had tired eyes and grime under their fingernails.
Recalling all the good times I had in high school, the word “underachiever” pretty much fits the bill. I had a lot of fun, and studying never got in the way of making people laugh and making my parents’ lives miserable, shuddering every time a teacher would call and relate tales of my latest chapter of tomfoolery.
A Spanish teacher once phoned and asked my stepdad “Doesn’t Michael get enough attention at home?”
My answer, which I found hilarious: “I might do better if that lady wasn’t constantly speaking Spanish. I told her to try a little English every now and then.”
I thought my parents had some type of nervous tic. In reality, they were just shaking their heads in pity and despair. Fact is, I didn’t care about going to college until my senior year when the prospect of spending my life in the “oil patch” seemed like a prison sentence instead of a career.
My teenage epiphany made me buckle down, feeling sad when attending senior awards activities and having to sit on my hands. One teacher who I never really cared for showed that he was not adverse to jumping on the consensus opinion of my future, when I told him I was going to attend junior college, go to a university and go to law school, he scoffed and said: “Son, you’ll be in the oilfields two weeks after graduation, that is, if you even graduate.”
I did pretty much all I set out to do post-high school education-wise, even being asked to give a speech at graduation. It’s a safe bet I had the lowest GPA of anyone on the podium at the ceremony.
Alas, I did flirt with oil-related work.
After my late Uncle Bob, a purveyor of bull butter like no other, promised me a job post-college graduation working with him on the pipeline in Alaska, I had the means to pay for a law school education. Except there was no job in Alaska. Uncle Bob disappeared and I speculated he’d been ravaged by a moose. He even changed his phone number.
Without a job for the summer, I was faced with the prospect of working for the recreation department, dodging spit wads and dirt clods from little monsters, transferring to me the terror reserved for their elementary school teachers.
I contemplated selling a kidney to finance my legal education when a lightningbolt idea came to me. I’d get a summer job at an oil refinery. It was a most-coveted, well-paying summer job.
I spent the summer of 1977 wearing overalls and working long hours at the now defunct Mohawk Refinery in Bakersfield. It was the hardest I ever worked, and the prospect of spending a working life there made me study in earnest.
Summer job experiences are priceless memories. I can’t wait to share them with you next time.
Mike Tasos has lived in Forsyth County for more than 30 years. He’s an American by birth and considers himself a Southerner by the grace of God. He can be reached at miketasos55@gmail.com.
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Continued from Page 1
Officials are considering revising the ordinance to include a more descriptive definition of “substantial puncture” in relation to dog bites. Currently, officials consider a bite causing a substantial puncture as one that causes at least four or more tooth imprints with bruising, swelling or a wound that does not heal within 10 days. If a dog injures a pet or livestock, the owner may seek restitution through a lawsuit, Pachuta said. A magistrate court also may order restitution.
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County Commissioner Laura Semanson said the new definitions will allow prosecutors and courts to better apply the animal ordinance. The changes are important because the number of bites each year “are more than you would think.”
“The language is very critical,” she said. “There’s a lot of nuance.”
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Forsyth County aims to use the ordinance to humanely care for animals while protecting the public, she said. Amending the animal ordinance, like all county laws, is an ongoing process and is about constantly identifying strengths and weaknesses.
“It’s an ongoing process,” Semanson said.
County:
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“I’m not suggesting … that stem to stern addresses the issue that you raised but it’s at least in the ZIP code,” he said.
Chairman Alfred John said transparency is a priority, and sunshine is the best disinfectant.
Commissioner Cindy Jones Mills questioned how the rules would be enforced and whether self-disclosure would be enough.
“You are relying on people’s honesty,” she said.
Although failing to report would be possible, it should still be required, Semanson said. The first step is requiring officials to announce the relationships, and a mechanism should exist to allow it, she said.
“There is a leap of faith in all of this, is there not?” she said. “You don’t know until someone doesn’t report and gets caught.”
If an official fails to follow the rules, commissioners could approve a censure, Jarrard said.
“I know that you’re thinking, ‘Is censure powerful?’” he said. “I view it as powerful. It is a very powerful vote of no confidence for the behavior of one of the board members. We have used that very rarely … but that is the way to enforce our rules.”
Colt Whittall
OPINION
The important role of roads in Georgia’s history
I remember when Ga. 400 was new. I entered the highway in Alpharetta and headed south expecting to find long lines of traffic. Often, there were almost no cars on the road, a situation that did not change for a long time. Now it seems everyone wants to go to or from Atlanta at the same time.
I thought about the first residents of this area and how the Indians managed to travel through the dense forests to hunt, herd animals, visit friends and conquer enemies. This column is the result of my musings.
The first “roads” in Georgia were paths made by animals, which in some areas of our continent date back to 6000 BC. Some of the earliest paths in Georgia were made by large animals, primarily buffalo. Those paths, or trails, led to clay pits, called licks, up to the late 18th and early 19th centuries when buffalo were hunted to extinction.
In the 1700s, European settlers arrived in our area. Commerce and trade came with them. They took advantage of existing trading paths in the Cherokee Nation. By the end of the century, traders and settlers were encouraging the government to upgrade the paths so horse-drawn wagons could move more freely.
In 1803, the second Treaty of Tellico was negotiated. It was one of a series of treaties with the Cherokee Indians negotiated in Great Tellico, a Cherokee town in today’s Tennessee. The Treaty of Washington was negotiated with the Creeks. The agreements led to the construction of the famous Georgia Road.
The Cherokee negotiator was James Vann, a famous mixed-blood Cherokee who won the rights to a lucrative ferry where the path met the Chattahoochee River between today’s Hall and Forsyth counties. His crossing was flooded in the 1950s by the creation of Lake Lanier. His tavern built circa 1805 still exists in New Echota, formerly the capital of the Cherokee Nation.
The Georgia Road was a federal toll highway that linked Savannah with Knoxville and Nashville frontier settlements in Tennessee. Used from 1805 to the 1840s, it passed through modern day Athens and several northern Georgia counties. Later, its name changed to the Federal Road after President Madison ordered the road to be widened to facilitate troop movements. Sometimes traveling settlers would be so impressed with the land that they settled down and began farming along the road with permission from the Cherokees.
In 1838, the Cherokees were expelled
NEW GEORGIA ENCYCLOPEDIA/ COURTESY OF EDWIN L. JACKSON
This exit sign on I-75 south of HartsfieldJackson International Airport is one of a few remaining historical markers reminding us of the important role the Old Dixie Highway played in the development of the Georgia highway system.
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Both routes of the Dixie Highway passed through Georgia, met up in Jacksonville, Florida before ending up in Miami. Eastwest connecting highways were authorized in 1916. The highway began near the Canadian border.
from Georgia to Oklahoma on the infamous Trail of Tears. The Federal Road continued until the late 1840s when the development of steamboats and railroads in the 1830’s and toll-free competing roads led to its demise. Settlers took over most of the old inns and taverns along the route and used them as barns.
Georgia scholars John Goff and Marion Hemperley researched the complex web of Indian trails, according to the New Georgia Encyclopedia. They found that most trails were found in the Piedmont area where streams were too dangerously fast and interrupted by rapids for boats. Pioneer settlers often set their locations along the safer Indian trails.
The Great Wagon Road became one of the most important trade routes in the east. The road began in British Philadelphia, passed through the Great Appalachian Valley and North Carolina,
Picture of two boys riding a cart in 1899 led by two oxen representing transportation at the turn of the last century. The railroad tracks in the foreground show how technology was incorporated into rural areas in Georgia.
eventually reaching Augusta, Georgia, a distance of more than 800 miles. Augusta became an important trade hub as a result. Construction began in the 1720s, but the road did not reach Augusta until the 1760s. The road was important during the American Revolution.
The Great Wagon Road was preceded by The Great Warrior’s Path which was used by Indian tribes in the 1600s. It went from New York through Georgia to Alabama. It consisted of a series of narrow footpaths 12 to 18 inches wide. Wild game flourished in the heavily wooded terrain allowing the road to be used for hunting as well as for trade and warfare before the arrival of European settlers.
The Ochese Creek Trail in central Georgia was used by the Muscogee (Creek) Indians and connected various Indian villages. The trail was used from the late 1600s until the Muscogee were moved to Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears.
The Dixie Highway built between 1915 and 1927 was the first paved north-south interstate highway in the United States. The route consisted of two divisions. One began in Chicago, one in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The road played an important role in the development of Georgia’s
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highway system. The term is not used much today, but a few historical markers exist including one near Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
Bob is director emeritus of the Milton Historical Society and a Member of the City of Alpharetta Historic Preservation Commission. You can email him at bobmey@ bellsouth.net. Bob welcomes suggestions for future columns about local history.
BOB MEYERS
Columnist
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