OF SAUTEE NACOOCHEE

     WE WELCOME VISITORS to our History Museum where they will share some of the rich history of our beloved Sautee and Nacoochee Valleys. Numerous artifacts on display have been recovered from the area and preserved for future generations.
      A walk through history begins with the earliest inhabitants of the valleys, the Cherokee Indians. Names of the 62 white families who came across the Southern Appalachians from North Carolina to settle the valleys are listed. With them came slaves, descendants of whom still live nearby, continuing their influence though many generations.
      The discovery of gold in the valley in 1828 is documented, as well as the tools used for its mining. Other tools used in early days are on display inspiring people of today to wonder how so much work was done so well with so little equipment.
      The visitor will also see displays on asbestos mining, railroading and the lumber industry as it grew in the Helen area. There is so much more to see than just pictures and graphs. There are exhibits in smaller scale, and even a small model of a working Shay locomotive that actually works!
      One room is reserved for exhibits that change two or three times yearly. The current display, Post Offices and Stores of a Bygone Era, recently opened.

New Exhibit — Post Offices and Stores of a Bygone Era

The SNCA History Museum Committee is proud to announce the opening of their new exhibit, “Post Offices and Stores of a Bygone Era.” Step back in time and remember when the local Country Store and Post Office was the heart and soul of every town.

The first Post Office in our Valley was the Lynch Post Office established in 1893. On display you will see the original document signed by the Postmaster General of the United States appointing James L. Hood, Postmaster of Lynch. Additional documents and artifacts of that era will also be displayed. Relive the days of the Country Store where friends met to purchase goods and check on their neighbors. A hearty game of checkers was always present and gossip prevailed around the stove. The exhibit will remain open until May of 2008.