History of Blue Ridge Mountains

As with many locations on the east coast, Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains enjoys a rich history that started long ago. The first European, back in the time when America was first being discovered, to land at Blue Ridge was Hernando deSoto. Because the mountain was thought to have the wealth of gold abound it, many other Spanish explorers followed deSoto for years to come.

Around the year 1702, the first English discoverers came around to Blue Ridge. Colonel George Chicken was vital in developing relations with many villages in the area while working for governor James Moore. Because so many Native Americans frequented the area of Blue Ridge, the mountain was referred to as the Cherokee Mountains by the famous William Bartram. The Cherokee Indians would continue to stay at Blue Ridge until forced west during the “Trail of Tears.”
Because traders needed a way to navigate through the mountains, a road called the Unicoi Turnpike was developed. It was followed by another road that is presently called the Federal Highway. When Georgia became a state, they gave away the land at Blue Ridge through a lottery. The high-land, undesirable for gold, was sold to settlers from Ireland and Scotland. A unique culture was developed by these people that still lives on today.

The Blue Ridge inhabitants were mostly for the union, but remained with the South when the Civil War broke out. Despite having few to none slaves in the area, the Mountains would often send aid and troops to the side of the seceded states.
The end of the Civil War marked a time of economic prosperity for Georgia and Blue Ridge. Additional business like mining was supported by the new railroad systems and helped the area prosper. Distilled water was also another major economic resource for the Blue Ridge Mountains.

In 1900 the Blue Ridge began to lose their forestry due to major logging occurring in their area. To try and maintain the environment, the government purchased some land and created a national forest named after the Cherokees who once lived in Blue Ridge. They took one step further in 1937 and organized the forests along the state boundaries.
Because of the essential need for power in Atlanta, a hydroelectric generator was placed in the Blue Ridge Mountains around 1912. This power would help the workers in Atlanta, but would not be used by he Blue Ridge area until about the 1950s.
In the present, the Blue Ridge Mountains are similar to normal suburban areas throughout the United States. Littered with chains like Wal-Mart and more, you would never know this area had the rich history it had by looking at it.