War Years: The Home Front
The History Museum Volunteers invite you
to join us in 2012 as we expand on this special
exhibit. We look
forward to seeing you in 2012.
More volunteers
are always welcome! Come visit us and find out
how much fun you can have being a part of local
history.
The War Years: 1861 - 1865
This evolving exhibit is designed to
document the experiences of those who remained
in the Sautee and Nacoochee Valleys during the
Civil War. Using letters, primary source material
and historic records, the exhibit tells the stories of
the men who left to fight and those who waited for their
return. With each year of the war’s progress the impact on the people of
northeast Georgia was more profound. Our goal with this exhibit is to help
visitors understand and appreciate the challenges faced in this unique part
of the South, and how the war was interpreted differently among some in
this region than elsewhere in the State.
As always, the History Museum loves its volunteers and docents! Anyone
interested in volunteering at the museum is welcome. Please remember
that while docents are needed and always welcome, anyone who would like
to get involved with the museum is encouraged to do so. Contact Mary
Geidel at mlgeidel@windstream.net for more information.
THE HISTORY MUSEUM
Permanent Collection
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.
Your 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 through many generations.
The discovery of gold in 1828 on Dukes Creek at the upper end of Nacoochee valley is documented, as well as the tools used for its mining. As gold played out, railroading, the lumber industry, and asbestos mining 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 Shay locomotive that actually works.
Gifts of Books & Prints
The History Museum of Sautee Nacoochee has on display many of John Kollock's Limited Edition Prints. Available for purchase, the prints are priced at $50 each plus $3.50 tax. Think what a wonderful Christmas gift a print would make! While in the Museum, you are invited to browse through the many books that are for sale. In our collection, we have a book on the history of White County and another on the history of Helen, Georgia. A beautifully illustrated book on the Nacoochee Mound is also available and would make a nice coffee table book. If you have not visited the History Museum recently, come and see the display of the Nacoochee Mound. Most all of your questions about the history of the Mound will be answered in Echoes from the Earth, a temporary exhibit of images and text.
Help Us Create the SNCA Heritage Center!
In 2004, an antebellum slave cabin was donated to SNCA and with this gift the organization was given the responsibility to preserve a significant historic structure and the opportunity to develop a major new exhibit detailing the story of slavery in the Northeast Georgia Mountains. But rather than simply interpreting this single story in a vacuum, SNCA is working to develop a new Heritage Center on the SNCA campus documenting the history of the mountain area from the prehistoric mound builders to modern day, including the previously untold story of the African American community in this mountain region.
We have been working with Kathy Dixson, a museum consultant, on the conceptual plan for the new Heritage Center. Ms. Dixson has created a planning document to help us identify the comprehensive story to be interpreted, individual chapters within this story, and how our existing museum collection of over 900 historic artifacts will be used to convey this story to visitors.
Stayed tuned!
Planning Document:
Adobe Acrobat File
Microsoft Word Document
