Michael on the Map

By Michael Detrick

Take 12: Dillard, GA

Gearing up for my first adventure of 2023, ever-erratic Mother Nature was threatening the first snow of the season, but what she left behind was not a solid blanket, showcasing the bristly texture of the forest floor, juts of dark earth scattered throughout the winter white. It was a far cry from this exactly one year ago, when the heavens deposited over six inches here in Rabun County, rendering me homebound and without power for four cozy (claustrophobic) primitive days.

In any event, I planned this month’s excursion pretty close to home and landed just seven miles up the road from downtown Clayton. So, let’s load up, turn up some Tears for Fears, and take a little trek north! But first, some history.

The town of Dillard finds its origins when, in 1794, Revolutionary War veteran John Dillard drew a lot in the county’s lottery on the Tallulah River but decided to trade this parcel for 1000 acres in the area that would eventually bear his namesake. According to www. dillardhouse.com, “Legend says that Captain Dillard made peace with the local Cherokee Indians by trading a muzzle-loading rifle, a jug of apple brandy, one coonskin cap and $3 cash for all the land between the two mountain tops.” That rascal!

A stagecoach station was built thereafter, the town was officially incorporated in 1846, and when sixty years later the Tallulah Falls Railroad was extended north, Dillard was officially connected to the outside world. In 1917, Carrie and Arthur Dillard built a modest inn for travelers, which would become the present-day sprawling Dillard House and grounds.

Having enjoyed the regionally famous restaurant in previous years, for these travels I decided to visit the Dillard House Stables for an afternoon of horseback riding, and I was really excited to saddle up. I couldn’t help but hum Echo and the Bunnymen in my head, “Bring on the dancing horses, wherever they may roam…”

With 36 horses featuring breeds such as the Quarter Horse, Clydesdale, Appaloosa, Mustang, and Norwegian Fjord, I arrived ready to see what I would get. I also took bets on its name on my way to the stables, but that was for naught as a “Rambler” and a “Hatch” were not among the lot. I ended up with a Quarter Horse named Joe, which is coincidentally my dad’s name.

Joe was a good boy; mild-mannered. My guide, Lexie Parker, took me on an hour tour through the pasture and down to the Little Tennessee River, which she shared is a “backwards flowing river” – moving south to north. We got into the river on horseback, but only in shallower water because of the season. In warmer months – beginning in April/May – the 1.5-hour tour takes you through deeper waters, offering another exciting element of adventure.

I asked Lexie – a Rabun County native who mounted her first horse with stables owner Pam Thompson at age six – what her favorite thing about horses was. Her response gave me pause, “I like their uniqueness. Horses are a great judge of character; they tell you about yourself. They have a broad outlook on life and are eager to please.” I’ll take it, Lexie.

I also got to chat with Pam, whose history with horses began at age 5. “Growing up in Rabun County, and particularly with horses as a hobby, a mode of travel for myself and my friends as youngsters, and the freedom to play in these beautiful mountains was undoubtedly the kind of childhood that most people only dream of! It truly was magical,” Pam said.

Pam, who has run the stables since 1989, continued, “Dillard House Stables is an extension of the deep, southern roots planted in the early 1900s by the Dillard family, and my goal has always been to offer an experience, from the back of a horse, that everyone who rides with us will not only treasure for a lifetime, but will share with their friends and family and come back year after year!”

Setting Pam’s operation apart from others in the business is the care given to, and the quality of their horses, as well as their incredible staff. I’ll be back in Spring for the full “wet” tour! But for now, let’s head elsewhere for a little whistle wetting.

Rufus Mathewson Rose got his start making whiskey over 150 years ago, making the R.M. Rose Distillery in Dillard the oldest registered distillery in the state. It was a bit confounding to learn that each 100-gallon vat of mash yields only 10% of usable product. The process is painstaking.

Georgia native and master distiller Dwight Bearden, who comes from a long bloodline of moonshining, walked me through the process in person, narrating along the way, “I’ll start off with 75 gallons of water, add 250 pounds of corn, bring the temperature up to 180 degrees, hold it there for an hour and a half, bring it down to 140 degrees, put my wheat on it and cook it for another hour, bring the temperature down to 70 degrees, and transfer it to the fermenter. We here then do what the old timers call ‘double and twisted’.”

And there’s more to it after that but qualified to write a tutorial I am not.

At today’s R.M. Rose Distillery, you will find the original recipe corn and barley whiskey, straight corn whiskey, a Blue Label Straight Bourbon, Single Barrel Bourbon, and multiple flavored whiskies. They bottle and label everything by hand, and everything is done right on site.

After a couple whiskey samples (both very smooth), it was time to close my day in Dillard with a bite to eat, so I set my sights on Marisol by The Hush Peruvian Kitchen.

Starting off with the shrimp ceviche, I am not exaggerating when I say it is some of the best I have ever had. Loaded with chilled shrimp, fresh diced avocado, tomato, red onion, thinly sliced radishes, and a touch of cilantro, this traditional Peruvian cold seafood salad was perfectly tangy, limey, and delicious. I then jumped countries with a Cuban sandwich, which also did not disappoint. Chef Alberto Rodriguez has succeeded in bringing his Latin culinary expertise right here to Rabun County.

Beyond my day’s forays, Dillard’s quaint “main street” right on 441 boasts 40,000 square feet of antique and collectible shopping, including The Dillard Market. Also be sure to check out Gallery 441, featuring pieces of varied mediums made by local artists, as well as offering classes and hosting unique events.

And with that, before I leave you with a song lyric as you have come to expect, I quote Pam once more, ”Travel the world over, and these mountains will still be a place not easily forgotten.“

And now, friends, in closing this entry, I present to you Tears for Fears: “High time we made a stand, and shook up the views of the common man |Sowing the seeds of love, seeds of love | Anything is possible when you’re sowing the seeds of love”