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A Visit to the Town of Blue Ridge
The town of Blue Ridge was once considered an elite health resort because of its pure mineral waters. Tourists would ride the train to town, eat dinner at the Blue Ridge Hotel, and take a leisurely walk to the mineral springs after dinner. Today, tourists can still ride the train and take a leisurely walk along Main Street, enjoying the antique and specialty shops, galleries, restaurants and small town atmosphere of Blue Ridge.
Blue Ridge was founded in 1886 as a result of the arrival of the Marietta and North Georgia Railroad. Because of the railroad, Blue Ridge developed as a center of business and in 1895 the county seat was moved from Morganton to Blue Ridge. In the early years, at different times, there were five hotels and several boarding houses in downtown Blue Ridge.
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| Blue Ridge Depot, home of the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway | The Depot
The railroad depot remains the central focus in downtown Blue Ridge. Although the first depot burned, the present station was built in 1906. One of the favorite activities of the day was to meet the train - whether meeting a passenger or just socializing with friends.
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Blue Ridge City Park | Blue Ridge City Park
Blue Ridge City Park is the heart of downtown Blue Ridge. The park encompasses two blocks and is a popular place for picnics, community gatherings and festivals. It is also home to a family of roosters, hens and chicks! Carriage rides are available at the park on weekends.
Old Fannin County Courthouse
The old Fannin County Courthouse was built in 1937 after the previous courthouse burned in 1936. After the new courthouse is complete, the old courthouse will be the home of the Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association.
Baugh House
Baugh House, located at 411 West First Street, is owned by the Fannin County Heritage Foundation. It is open to the public on Friday and Saturday from 10:00 to 3:00. The home was built by James Baugh in 1890. Baugh was a brick mason and the bricks were made out of clay from the back yard. For more information, call 706-258-2645.
Blue Ridge Inn
477 West First Street. The Blue Ridge Inn is a beautifully restored Victorian home built in 1890. It has 14 rooms, 8 fireplaces, 12-foot ceilings, original carved woodwork, heartpine floors and clawfoot tubs.
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*Information from Fannin County Chamber of Commerce
GEORGIA: State in the SE United States, the last of the Thirteen Colonies to be founded. It is bordered by Florida, Alabama, Tennessee and North Carolina, and South Carolina and the Atlantic Ocean.
Area, 58,876 sq mi (152,489 sq km).
Pop, (2000) 8,186,453, an 26.4% increase since the 1990 census.
Capital and largest city, Atlanta.
Nickname, Empire State of the South.
Motto, Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation.
State bird, brown thrasher.
State flower, Cherokee rose.
State tree, live oak. 
Although the trade and service sectors supply the majority of jobs in Georgia, manufacturing and agriculture remain important to the state's economy. In addition, federal facilities, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, near Atlanta; Fort Benning, near Columbus; and the Kings Bay naval base, contribute to the economy.
Cotton, once Georgia's most valuable crop, has declined in importance; in the 1990s it was rivaled by peanuts, tobacco, and corn. Georgia is easily the nation's largest producer of peanuts. Tobacco is the principal crop in the central and southern sections of the state, peanuts in the southwest. Livestock and poultry raising account for the largest share of farm income; broilers, eggs, and cattle are major products.
The manufacture of textiles and textile products has long been Georgia's leading industry, centering mainly around Columbus, Augusta, Macon, and Rome. Other major manufactures include transportation equipment, foods, paper products, and chemicals. Automobile manufacturing is important around Atlanta. Much of Georgia is heavily forested with pine, and the state is a leading producer of lumber and pulpwood. Although the state is rich in minerals, mining is not as important as manufacturing and agriculture. The most valuable minerals produced are clays, stone, kaolin, iron ore, sand, and gravel. Georgia is famous for its fine marble.
*Information from Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition |