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22 Visit West Georgia, Spring 2017
I
f all you do is pass through Haralson
County while cruising along
Interstate 20, you’re going to miss a
lot. Apart from the rolling countryside
full of rich history – not to mention
some of the best barbecue you’ve ever
had – Haralson is a place of extremes.
Here’s a place where you can test your
kayaking skills on one of the prettiest
watercourses in the United States;
where you can bike for miles along some
of the region’s most challenging routes,
and watch monster machines wallow in
the mud.
Haralson County, simply put, is a place
of extremes: extreme sport and extreme
relaxation. If you like rushing water,
rushing wind and rushing adrenaline,
you’ll find it here. If you like no rush
at all, well, that’s here too, with quiet
drives along scenic roads, restful walks
through Victorian neighborhoods and
hours of peaceful antiquing.
Haralson is 282 square miles of land
just remote enough to provide an
escape from the routines of urban life.
In this wide-open expanse of scenic
nature, there’s something for every
recreational taste
Let’s start with the assumption that
you are interested in some quieter, less
aggressive types of leisure. Well, if you
begin your search in Bremen, you’ll find
what you’re looking for.
Bremen (the locals pronounce it
BREE-men), is a progressive town
located just off Interstate 20 Exit
11. It is an important stop along
the
West Georgia Textile Trail
,
which runs from Dalton to Columbus
commemorating the heritage this region
owes to the textile industry, which was
the economic engine that drove Bremen
and other west Georgia towns almost to
the 21
st
century.
Virtually every long-time family in
west Georgia has a connection to that
history. The textile mills established in
Bremen and nearby communities by
the brothers Robert, Roy and Warren
Sewell made this region the “Clothing
Center of the South” in the 1970s and
1980s. Even before that, however, the
textile mills of west Georgia brought
economic stability to a region inhabited
by farmers. Working at the mills freed
farm families from the vagaries of
seasonal harvests, enabling them to
afford a better life for their children.
In Bremen, you can see some of the
factories that remain, before heading
westward along U.S. Highway 78 to the
town of
Tallapoosa
, which has its own
unique history.
Tallapoosa happens to be the site of
one of the biggest land swindles in U.S.
history. Speculators from the East once
advertised the place as a boom town,
ripe for investment. Unfortunately,
the boom went bust and the investors
lost millions, but not everything was a
scam. Before the bust and afterward,
Tallapoosa blossomed into a flourishing
town. Those who built homes here
during the 1890s boom period have left
behind dozens of Victorian homes.
While you are enjoying the shops and
restaurants of this well-preserved
town, why not take a
walking tour of
Tallapoosa’s homes
? You can pick up
a guide at the
West Georgia Museum
of Tallapoosa
(worth a visit itself)
at 185 Mann St., the
Peacock Perch
,
102 Head Ave., or
Allen’s Florist and
Gifts,
175 Head Ave., which is also one
of the houses on the tour.
There are 31 different houses along
the tour, ranging from the Summerlin
House, 404 Bowdon St., which was built
in 1880, to the nearby Castille House,
built on the site where Creek Indians
used to meet, and the picturesque
Attaway House, 109 West Lyon
St., which has a tower and a secret
passage inside.
Not far from Tallapoosa, you can
pick one of the five paved roads that
comprise the
Haralson County
Scenic Byway
. This route was chosen
for the paths they take through the
undisturbed, pristine preserves of rural
beauty. Perfect for afternoon and the
kind of Sunday drives of days gone
past, this trip through the Appalachian
foothills offers picturesque views
of farmland, rolling hills, valleys,
woodlands, as well as farm and wildlife.
These five roads – Steadman,
Jacksonville, Poplar Springs, Monroe
Mill and Pine Grove – do not connect
as a single trail, but you can drive them
together, or one at a time. They are
marked by distinctive signs, blue with
white trim and lettering that are posted
at either end of each road. These byways
are well worth return visits during each
of the seasons, to enjoy the changing
foliage. In the spring and summer (and
even in the fall and winter), you can ride
with the top down or the windows open
to enjoy the fragrant, fresh air.
These are all, nice easy escapes for a
day or even longer. But if you’ve got a
yen for something a little more exciting,
Haralson County has some adventures
waiting for you.
♥
VWG
Haralson County
A place of extremes