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]

Richard's excellent review covers all everything and I have little to add. This beautiful bridge is…read morestill in excellent condition, six years later and I had no problem accessing it from either side. It appears that some care has been taken to clear brush since his visit. The bridge has been added to the National Register of Historic Places and the application form gives a little bit of information. "Construction is of the Town Lattice design and the wood is rough sawn heart pine. The diagonals are made of 3 x 10 inch timbers and each is numbered indicating its - place in the truss. This was a common practice to ease assembly. There are two pins at each intersection. There are two lower chords and one upper chord, each made of 3 x 10 inch timbers, doubled. The floor sills are 4 x 12 inches in size and placed about six-feet apart. The floor joists are made of 3 x 6 inch planks with a longitudinal runner of the same size boards to provide a smooth surface for traffic and to minimize wear on the floor." It continues, "There are no visible ruins of the Comer's Mill complex within 800 yards of the Bridge. A 1910 map of Franklin County does indicate the presence of a mill near the Bridge. The area of the historic site will include the mill site as shown by the 1910 map. " The posted historical marker reads, "The Cromers settled on Nails Creek in Franklin County in 1845. Prior to the Civil War, the family operated a woolen mill near this site. Subsequently, the area maintained a cotton gin, flour mill and saw mill, though all operations had ceased by 1943. In 1907, the county contracted with James M. Hunt to build the present 110-foot bridge. Constructed in the Town lattice design, the bridge's web of planks crisscrossing at 45-to 60-degree angles are fastened with wooden pegs, or trunnels, at each intersection. Will Cromer, a descendant of the original family, built the stone abutments." It is, of course, closed to vehicular traffic but pedestrians are welcome. There are no facilities or even a picnic table here. [Review 13638 overall, 957 of 2020, number 329 in Georgia.]

Built in 1906 with the Town lattice truss design, the gravel road to this relic is near the…read moreintersection of Cromers Bridge Road and Hwy 106 (Allou Rd). Once you are on Cromers Bridge Road, Baker's Street (which looks like a driveway) will be on your immediate right. I searched but could not find much information about this bridge other than it's builder was J. M. 'Pink' Hunt. Hunt most likely employed the skills of Washington King to help him complete the project. Washington is the eldest son of former slave and bridge builder Horace King. Horace Kings story is one you don't really see in the history books, but worth getting to know. I have links to stories about his life in my Red Oak Creek Covered Bridge review. This bridge no longer allows traffic to cross it's aged planks, but still seems very sturdy. The gravel road is starting to grow in, so it probably won't be very many more years before it is inaccessible. The bridge itself is 110 feet long. Add-in the approaches on both ends and the official length is 132 feet. The Historical Society Marker reads as follows: "The Cromers settled on Nails Creek in Franklin County in 1845. Prior to the Civil War, the family operated a woolen mill near this site. Subsequently, the area maintained a cotton gin, flour mill, and saw mill, though all operations has ceased by 1943. In 1907, the county contracted James M. Hunt to build the present 110-foot bridge. Constructed in the Town lattice design, the bridge's web of planks crisscrossing at 45 to 60-degree angles are fastened with wooden pegs, or trunnels, at each intersection. Will Cromer, a descendant of the original family, built the stone abutments." FINAL THOUGHTS I love history and I love covered bridges. Something about them hints at the secrets of a bygone era. It leaves my mind to wonder what kinds of things this bridge has seen and what would it say if it could tell a story. Please, if you decide to pay this landmark a visit, be respectful. There is a sign on the opposite side that reads: "This property is owned by the Farmer Family. Please show your respect by not littering, damaging or destroying their property." Enjoy!

Although I knew its exact location, I nearly drove right past it! It looks more like a shed in the…read morewoods than a bridge since the surrounding area is overgrown with brush and the creek is not immediately noticeable from the road. ~~~~~~~~~~ Please note this bridge is on private property, a little factoid I didn't discover until after my visit. Glad I didn't get shot! ~~~~~~~~~~ The bridge itself was actually in very good condition. While preparing to write this review I discovered an article about the bridge on GainesvilleTimes.com that said students from the local high school took part in a restoration project around 2007. The bridge was restored to look like the oldest historic picture they could find of the bridge. Other online pictures appear to show the bridge covered in cedar shingles and looking rather unattractive. The current look is far more appealing and in line with ALL the other covered historic bridges in the state. The students participation won them 2nd place for Future Business Leaders of America in their county... pretty awesome! The article also states there were plans in the works that included making the bridge public for all to enjoy. A portion of land was to be donated by the two properties that are divided by the creek just below the bridge. Problems arose when the county commissioner changed and support for the project seemingly dried up. ---------- HAUNTED The bridge is also said to be haunted by a blind women by the name of Suzie who used to make moonshine, rock out on her porch, and sell her goods (on occasion) by this bridge. It has been argued this is the wrong bridge, but someone thought it would be good to attach the name of Blind Suzie to this bridge as a ghost story and it seems to have stuck. Get the full details of the article about this bridge here: http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/archives/24836/ ---------- BRIDGE FACTS * Also known as Hyder Bridge and Lula Covered Bridge. * Closed to vehicular Traffic in 1969 when it was bypassed * Originally built in 1915 about a mile upriver and was relocated. * Only remaining authentic historic covered bridge in Banks County. * Shortest of the remaining Georgia Covered bridges. * TOTAL LENGTH: 34' long * TRUSS: single-span modified Kingpost truss (the only covered bridge remaining in Georgia with this truss system). ---------- FINAL THOUGHTS Whether Blind Suzie actually haunts this bridge or not, it is a valuable surviving piece of history that I hope doesn't get caught up on silly bureaucracy that results in its demise. This bridge is officially 100 years old and deserves to be preserved for 100 years more for future generations to remember and enjoy. I hope they do eventually make this bridge accessible to the public. I would think this could be a project the entire state would get behind and take pride in like Indiana and Ohio, two fine examples of states who have made restoring their historic bridges a priority. Each has created driving tours and festivals celebrating their bridges that are enjoyed by locals statewide and bridge lovers from all over... like me. Seems to me it would be a no brainer that this sort of tourism would add valuable dollars to the local economies... just sayin'

In 1773, the Cherokee Indians conceded to the Colonial Government of Georgia a large tract of…read moreterritory whose western border comprised what is now Madison County. The Georgia Legislature established the county in 1811, combining pieces of Clarke, Elbert, Franklin, Jackson, and Oglethorpe counties. It is the 38th county in the state and was named after James Madison, the nation's fourth president. This is the county seat in Danielsville. The courthouse was erected in 1901 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It has a cruciform design, comparable to the Twiggs County Courthouse (1902-04) and the Clayton County Courthouse. It was designed by architect J.W. Golucke, whose name appears on dozens of Georgia courthouses, including Baker County, Meriwether County, Schley County, and Worth County, as well as the Fitzpatrick Hotel in Washington and the Secondary Industrial School in Columbus. This is Danielsville's third courthouse, replacing a frame courthouse that had previously replaced a wooden courthouse. The courthouse was renovated in 1983, but a lack of space forced county officials to relocate to a new courthouse in 1996. The roof was restored in 1999-2000, although the structure has remained vacant since 1996. The courthouse square includes a statue of Dr. Crawford Long, who was born in Danielsville in 1815. There's also what appears to be a previous ship-mounted gun with no label, possibly a five-inch. [Review 218 of 2025 - 788 in Georgia - 23782 overall]

Stephens County took shape on August 18, 1905, when the legislature carved it from Franklin and…read moreHabersham counties and named it for Alexander Hamilton Stephens, the Georgia statesman who later served as vice president of the Confederacy and governor. Long before the county existed, the land held a deep Indigenous history reaching back to around 500 AD, with communities tied to the South Appalachian Mississippian culture whose descendants are linked to the proto‑Creek people. Their most visible legacy is the large mound at ancient Tugaloo, once a major village and ceremonial center at the meeting of Toccoa Creek and the Tugaloo River, a place that anchored regional life for centuries. By the fifteenth century, Cherokee groups had moved into the region and eventually became dominant, establishing towns such as Estahoe and Tugaloo, the latter a settlement of more than 600 people with a council house and roughly 200 lodges. Tugaloo Town was destroyed during the Revolutionary War after the Cherokees allied with the British, leaving only the mound, now partly surrounded by Lake Hartwell, as a reminder of its scale and significance. That layered history sits beneath the county that would emerge two centuries later, shaped by both Indigenous presence and the waves of settlers who arrived after the Revolution. When the new county organized itself in the early twentieth century, it expressed its civic ambitions through the construction of the Stephens County Historical Courthouse in Toccoa. Ground was broken in April 1907, and by 1908 the building was complete, giving the young county a seat of government that looked permanent, orderly, and rooted in classical ideals. For a county newly placed on the map, the courthouse served as a declaration of stability and identity, anchoring the civic center that would define Toccoa for generations. The courthouse itself is a textbook example of the Neoclassical Revival style that dominated Georgia's public architecture at the time. Its red brick facade is crisply trimmed with limestone, and the north and south entrances are framed by two story Ionic columns that lift the porticos into something almost temple like. The east and west elevations echo that rhythm with two story pilasters, and the reinforced corners give the building a balanced, symmetrical presence. A low pitched hipped roof supports the central clock tower, capped by a cupola whose four faces look out over Toccoa in every direction, a quiet but confident symbol of the county's early aspirations. [Review 252 of 2026 - 949 in Georgia - 25441 overall]

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

Along US Highway 441 (which goes from Miami Florida, across all of Georgia and into eastern…read moreTennessee), this marker points out some of the Colonial History of the area. It's at an otherwise unassuming intersection so there is room to pull over to read the marker. It has the same text on both sides, reading "The boundary between the State of Georgia and the Cherokee Nation established by the Treaty of Augusta, May 31, 1783, ran along here. The line ran "from the top of Currahee mountain to the head, or source, of the most southern branch of the Oconee river, including all waters of the same. This boundary line was re-affirmed by the Treaty of Hopewell, Nov. 28, 1785. It was originally marked by a line of felled trees at least twenty feet wide, which became a sort of No Man's Land." The marker was erected in 1953 by the 1953 by Georgia Historical Commission and is marker number 006-1. The immediate area around it is overgrown but you can still read it here. [Review 21130 overall - 701 in Georgia - 93 of 2024.]

Located in front of the County office building and in a small park at an intersection, this marker…read morepoints out the history of the county and how it got its name. The marker reads, "Habersham County was created by Acts of the Legislature, Dec. 15, 1818, and named for Joseph Habersham (1751-1815), of Savannah, who had a summer home near Clarkesville. He served in the Revolution as a Lieutenance Colonel in the Georgia Continental line; was twice Speaker of the General Assembly; Mayor of Savannah, 1792-'93; and Postmaster General of the United States, 1795-1801. The first Habersham County officers sworn in after the County was created were Miles Davis, Clerk of the Superior Court; Wm. B Wofford, Sheriff; Joseph Dobson, Clerk of the Inferior Court; Wm. Steedly, Coroner; William Wofford, Sr., Surveyor. Benjamin Cleveland, Absalom Holcombe and James R. Wyly were sworn in as Members of the Inferior Court, Feb. 25, 1819, and Holcombe was succeeded by Arthur Alexander on April 20, 1819. James Allen, Benjamin Chastain, Absalom Holcombe, John Kiser, Thomas Brock, James O'Neal, Joseph Whitehead and John Bryan were sworn in as Justices of the Peace in 1821. Cicero M. Sutton was the first Ordinary of Habersham County. Habersham County is noted for its healthful climate and beautiful scenery, its peaches and apples, and its fine schools." This is marker number 086-6 and it was erected in 1955 by the Georgia Historical Commission. There is room to park here and enjoy the small gazebo. Some shops and restaurants are nearby. [Review 20367 overall - 696 in Georgia - 1345 of 2023.]