History Cherokee

Don't forget to show off your love for #localhistory and all things Cherokee County by stopping by our museum shop or shopping online at historycherokee.org. Check out these adorable (and locally designed) stickers from our pals Whim-Wham Art Farm! After all, who doesn't love a good sticker for your laptop, water bottle, or back window of your car?

Stumptown was the traditionally African-American community of East Main Street in Canton. One of the main thoroughfares of the community, Crisler Street, is shown here in the 1940s prior to citywide improvements including paving the roads. Stumptown is believed to have been established by newly freed people following the Civil War. The community maintained its own identity within Cherokee County for decades with a store, a funeral home, and even a church. The area was known as Stumptown because many trees stumps were left underneath house foundations when the area was developed in the 1920s.

On this day in 1958, Canton celebrated Janice Cummings Day in honor of her winning the Junior Miss Georgia Contest. The parade route followed along East Main Street and included local civic groups, like Girl Scouts and Brownies as seen in this photograph. #historycherokee #onthisday #localhistory

Have you heard? While our museum remains closed during these historic times, our collection of over 100,000 items pertaining to Cherokee County history are available for you to discover. We encourage you to make an appointment Monday- Friday, 9 AM - 4 PM, for your research needs. Out of an abundance of caution, we are requesting all guests to wear a mask while exploring our collection. We are happy to provide you with a mask if needed... but it won't be a historic one!

It was at this exact moment 102 years ago that The Great War, the War to End All Wars, came to an end. Today we commemorate the service of all those who have served and continue to serve. Taken in 1918, this image portrays the Peace Day Parade in Canton where crowds rejoiced over the end of the war. #veteransday #lestweforget #historycherokee

Orange you glad it's #TravelingTuesday?! This week we are stopping by Orange, one of the earliest centers of commerce in Cherokee County. Sometimes said to be the second community established in the county, Orange was the site of a post office and general store. The Orange Store was the hub of activity for the community of settlers and the building was later moved to Stone Mountain Park in the 1960s as part of the exhibit of historic structures. Today, Orange United Methodist Church carries the name of the community as Orange and White City were later absorbed into the later communities of Lathemtown and Macedonia.

Want to know #WhatsNew to our collection? Check out this "riveting" item currently on loan to us from the Frances Hardin Estate! These coveralls were worn by real-life "Rosie the Riveter," Mattie Lanning, who worked on B-29 Superfortress aircrafts at the Bell Bomber Plant in Marietta during the 1940s. #historycherokee

In the fall of 1960 local residents turned out at the polls in record numbers to help elect a new president. In the heaviest general election voter turnout in county history, more than 8,000 people cast their ballot in Cherokee County helping elect John F. Kennedy as president. This election also brought about the prestigious appointment of Cherokee County native, Dean Rusk, to U.S. Secretary of State seen in this photo speaking at Reinhardt College's homecoming celebration o...n April 20, 1961. Did you know that although 8,000 ballots were printed in Cherokee County, the 16 precincts in the county were so inundated with voters that they ran out of ballots? According to the North Georgia Tribune, this led to county Ordinary Walter Owen having to have more ballots printed in the final minutes of the election. When the polls officially closed at 7:00 PM on November 8, 1960, long lines of people remained waiting to cast their votes at the Cherokee County courthouse in the historic election. #historycherokee #vote #ballots

Happy Halloween! Check out some of these costumes worn during the 1958 Halloween Carnival held in the Canton Gym.

#TravelingTuesday is back and this week we are in Holly Springs! The city of Holly Springs was not officially chartered by the Georgia Legislature until August 14, 1906 and was the last town to be chartered in Cherokee County. Of course, for folks who have called it home through the decades, it has always been a special place to live even before it was officially Holly Springs. How did Holly Springs get its name? It's not crystal clear. There were mentions of some springs tha...t gave the Cherokee and later the settlers their drinking water, but the only known mention of holly trees was by Lloyd Marlin in 1932 Cherokee County history where he said that at that time only one such tree still living on the site that gave the city its name. Info courtesy of Cherokee County, Georgia: A History by Rebecca Johnston.

Do you know (or, are you) a K-12 student here in Cherokee County? Our friends at Cherokee County Water and Sewage Authority (CCWSA) stopped by the museum today to share news of their upcoming Cherokee County Waterways Then and Now Photography Contest! All you need is an original photo from Cherokee County containing a waterway, mill, dam, or fish weir along with a current photo of the same location. Submissions must also include a 50-100 word narrative explaining the photo, ...the site, and the local resources used in your research. Here at History Cherokee, we’d love to be a resource to you and your student! Make your research appointment with us today by calling 770.345.3288.

Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services Station No. 9 opened this week with a commemorative plaque dedicated to the memory of Charlie Ferguson who played a key role in establishing the North Canton Volunteer Fire Department in the 1970s as the first African-American volunteer fire department in Georgia.