A pleasant experience to view a historical marker in the South that is only tangentially about…read moreCivil War. This one points out the first time that an important medical procedure was done and that's a good thing. The marker is located near the county courthouse and points the way to the birthsite of the famous doctor. The marker has the same text on both sides. It reads, "Dr. Crawford W. Long who first used ether as an anesthetic, in a surgical operation at Jefferson, Ga., March 30, 1842, was born in a house that stands about 1 block from here. Dr. Long, born Nov. 1, 1815, was barely 27 when he performed the famous operation on James Venable to remove a neck tumor. He attended Franklin College (U. of Ga.) obtaining his M.A. at 19. He roomed with "Little Alec" Stephens, future Vice President of the Confederacy. He received his M.D. at University of Pennsylvania in 1839 and moved to Jefferson in 1841. He died June 16, 1878 and is buried in Athens." Dr. Crawford Long studied briefly at Transylvania College in Kentucky before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania, where he was exposed to cutting-edge surgical techniques of the time. He was inspired to experiment with ether after observing its recreational use during student gatherings, where participants seemed impervious to pain. Long didn't publish his findings until 1849, several years after his first ether-assisted surgery, which led to disputes over who first discovered anesthesia. This is marker number 097-2 and it was erected in 1955 by the Georgia Historical Commission. [Review 1375 of 2025 - 859 in Georgia - 24927 overall]

My husband and I got lost on our way to visit a friend that lived way out in the mountains and so…read morewe stopped in to get some directions and were greeted by the two sweetest ladies! They helped us find our way and even sold us a map to help us out!

This marker is located a stone's throw from the county courthouse and gives some context as to the…read moreorigin of the county and how it came to be. It has the same text on both sides. It reads, "This County, created by Act of the Legislature December 5, 1811, is named for James Madison, Virginia Democrat, fourth President of the United States, 1809-'17. The site for Danielsville was given by Gen. Allen Daniel of Revolutionary fame. In this town was born Dr. Crawford W. Long who first used ether in a surgical operation (1842). Among the first County Officers were: Sheriff Nathan Williford, Clerk of Superior Court James Long, Clerk of Inferior Court Samuel Williford, Tax Receiver Britton Sanders Jr., Tax Collector James Ware Jr., Coroner William Hodge and Surveyor Edward Ware Jr." In the early 19th century, the region was deeply influenced by the rise of cotton as a dominant crop. The fertile Piedmont soil and proximity to trade routes made Madison County part of Georgia's expanding cotton belt, with small yeoman farms gradually giving way to larger plantations. This agricultural boom helped shape the county's economy and social structure well into the Civil War era. Though railroads didn't run directly through the county, nearby lines helped connect its farms to broader markets. Danielsville remained a modest civic center, and the county's early schools and churches played key roles in community life, especially in African American neighborhoods during and after Reconstruction. The boll weevil infestation in the early 20th century forced a shift from cotton to poultry, dairy, and timber, leading to more diversified and cooperative farming. Madison County's quiet civic contributions and preservation efforts reflect a legacy of resilience, modesty, and deep-rooted community pride. This is marker number 097-1 and it was erected in 1954 by the Georgia Historical Commission. [Review 1374 of 2025 - 858 in Georgia - 24926 overall]

Nice library for a small town, good cool spot in to get out of the summer heat.read more

The area that is now Hart County was part of the Cherokee Nation up to the mid 1700s. A number of…read moretreaties with the natives in 1773 and 1783 provided the lands that formed Franklin County in 1784 and Elbert County in 1790. Portions of those counties were used to create Hart County in 1843. Settlers, primarily from Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina of English, Scottish, Irish, and Welsh descent, moved into the area, obtained title to the land and began clearing the land for homesites and cultivation, in many instances with the help of their slaves. The first settlements were made adjacent to major waterways, the Savannah and Tugaloo Rivers and smaller creeks, to take advantage of the rich bottomland, the most suitable area for farming. On December 7, 1853, Hart County, named for Revolutionary War heroine, Nancy Hart, was created by Act of the Legislature. It is the only Georgia county named for a woman. The first county courthouse was a two-story frame building located on Lot 1 on the northeastern side of the square in Hartwell. It was the first structure built in the new town. This courthouse was destroyed by fire in 1900 and was replaced in 1901 with a two-story Neoclassical style building designed by Atlanta architect J. W. Golucke. Unfortunately, this courthouse was lost to fire as well in the 1960s and was replaced by the current one-story courthouse. It is a modern and functional design that was secured when I was here. You can still walk the grounds which have a number of monuments and memorials including for the Vietnam War, a combined Korean and World War memorial and of course a Civil War. There is street parking on all four sides of the court house square. [Review 213 of 2025 - 784 in Georgia - 23777 overall]

Located in front of what's now a factory office building, this marker points out what used to be an…read moreimportant Native American trading ground. Thee is limited parking here - I was able to briefly park across the road and no one said anything. The marker has the same text on both sides. It reads, "This was Ah-Yeh-Li A-Lo-Hee, the Center of the World, to the Cherokee Indians. To this assembly ground, from which trails radiate in many directions, they came to hold their councils, to dance and worship which were to them related functions, and to barter their hides, furs and blankets for the trade goods of the white men from Augusta and other settlements. At one time there was a move to establish here the Hart County seat. This site was also a noted roost in the days when the now extinct passenger pigeons migrated here in the autumn in such numbers that "their weight broke the tree limbs."" It is marker number 073-3 and it was erected in 1954 by the Georgia Historical Commission. [Review 215 of 2025 - 785 in Georgia - 23779 overall]

This marker is a few miles out of town along Highway 29 and would be easy to miss. It's on the…read moreside of the road where there is room to pull over and stop to read it. The front of the marker reads, "Mount Sinai Methodist Church (1/2 mil south) was the home church of the Undenominational Singing Convention, later called the Interdenominational Colored Signing Convention. Formed by 1895, the Convention held annual meetings mostly at local Methodist and Baptist churches and other sides in this part of Anderson County." The reverse reads, "Tradition holds the Convention sand using shape notes, a notational system common in communal sacred music. Officers and song leaders typically gathered at Mount Sinai to plan the annual meetings and conduct teacher training and rehearsals. The Convention remained active until disbanding in the 2010s." This is marker number 4-49 and it was sponsored by the Community Workshop Choir in 2023. [Review 211 of 2025 - 1265 in South Carolina - 23775 overall]