Historic Rails & Forgotten Trails of Early Georgia
Modern travelers moving across the state of Georgia today often encounter street and road signs for an avenue called "Old Alabama Road" in Gwinnett, Fulton, Bartow and numerous other counties. Other travelers in the White, Union and adjacent counties occasionally pass by road signage for historic routes called "the Unicoi Turnpike" and "the Logan Turnpike." Still others passing across Hall, Forsyth, and counties within that realm often come across a pike called "Old Federal Road." Unbeknownst to most all of these "modern" travelers, these "turnpikes" and "old" roads were the original routes used by pioneer settlers as they moved across the virgin forests and untamed wilderness which was fast becoming the state of Georgia. Remnants of these original westward trails can still be witnessed and experienced in numerous localities if one wishes to seek them out.
There likewise are numerous forgotten and abandoned rail lines throughout Georgia dating as far back as pioneer days. Remnants of these historic holdovers can also still occasionally be seen. History abounds for those willing to do just a bit of research and take the time to search out these historic vestiges of yesteryear. A few examples include the Western & Atlantic Railroad dating to Civil War days which still exists from Atlanta to Chattanooga, owned today by the state of Georgia; the Western & Macon Railroad, remnants of which also still exist and on which such individuals as Georgia native and famed old West gunman John Henry "Doc" Holliday and others once traveled; and the list goes on and on.
In days of pre-history, cloven-hoofed wildlife such as elk, bison, deer, antelope and the like traveled seasonally to new forage opportunities, and in their migrations, they invariably followed the routes of least resistance around the endless hills and through passes in the mountainsides, and across the countless streams, creeks and rivers they encountered. Native Americans later adopted many of these same game trails for their own use and improved upon them directionally, traveling more horizontally or vertically across great distances to trade with and wage war against other aboriginals. In turn, pioneer Americans likewise adopted the routes and gradually improved many of them, trekking across what was fast-becoming a new nation. Along the way, they endured hostile Native Americans, dangerous wildlife, disease, famine and countless other hazards in the great movement which came to be known as "Manifest Destiny."
The earliest of the pioneer immigrants were initially confronted with the great barrier of the Appalachian Mountains and were forced to migrate southward down the continental eastern seaboard of what later became the states of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina before reaching Georgia, where they were finally able to turn westward and travel inland. These early inland routes eventually gained identities such as "the Alabama Roads," or "the Unicoi Turnpike," or "the Logan Turnpike," or "the Federal Road," and numerous other names. All along these early routes, toll roads, inns and ferries were established along the routes - first by enterprising upwardly-mobile Cherokee Indians determined to "assimilate" with the White hoards invading their country - and later by pioneer American settlers.
The 37 captivating articles with 217 photos, maps and illustrations on the 340 pages of this volume provide vivid accounts of these trails and rails and the people who experienced them. This then is the story of the Historic Rails and Forgotten Trails of Early Georgia.
R. Olin Jackson founded Legacy Communications, Inc., in 1985, where he became the award-winning executive editor and publisher of his flagship creations - North Georgia Journal and Georgia Backroads magazines. He ultimately built these endeavors into the premier travel and history publications of Georgia.During his tenure at Legacy Communications, Olin was the recipient of a number of awards from the Magazine Association of Georgia (MAG) for excellence in publishing. He parlayed this business endeavor into a long and fruitful career before selling it in 2005. Georgia Backroads is now in its 39th year (as of 2025) of publication and is one of the longest-running magazines in the state.In the interim of his work at Legacy Communications, Olin also wrote/co-wrote a selection of books, including Moonshine, Murder and Mayhem in Georgia (2003); Tales of the Rails in Georgia (2004); and Georgia Backroads Traveler (2005) among others.In 2021, Olin founded Whippoorwill Publications, LLC. His literary creations there include Mystery & History in Georgia, Volume I (2022) (honored with a "Five-Star Award" by Readers' Favorite book awards); Mystery & History in Georgia, Volume II (2023); Some Genealogy Keys to Some Georgia Family Trees (2023); Memories of Army Life and MPs of the 529th (2023); Gunmen, Lawmen and Wild Men of Early Georgia (2024); and selections of the author's original poetry entitled After All That We've Been Through (2024).Olin is a decorated U.S. Army veteran who served as a military policeman on the security detail of the Army Commander of NATO from 1972 to 1975. He is married to the former Judy Grizzle of Dahlonega, Georgia. The couple make their home in Woodstock, Georgia. Olin also has a son - Burke - by a former marriage.All works by Whippoorwill Publications are available online at Amazon.com, IngramSpark.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and other fine booksellers. For more information, please see www.georgiahistorytraveler.com.
