Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History

Home of the Great Locomotive Chase - Kennesaw, GA - More
The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History is a Smithsonian affiliate located just north of Atlanta in Kennesaw, Georgia. The significance of Kennesaw in Civil War history is notable on several fronts. Not only is Kennesaw the site of one of the most savage battles of the war between the states, and home of a massive National battlefield cemetery, it (Big Shanty Station) is also the beginning point for what would eventually become famously (or infamously, depending on loyalties) known as the Great Locomotive Chase. The key subject of the action-filled story is housed here at the Southern Museum. Let me explain...

On April 12, 1862, a small band of rough-cut northern spies led by a civilian northern scout (secret service?) by the name of James J. Andrews, boldly stole a train in plain sight of the southern army. Their objective was to push north to Chattanooga, cutting telegraph lines and destroying track and bridges along the way. Their ultimate goal was to cut off supply lines and communication between Atlanta and Southern Troops in Tennessee. Unfortunately for the spies, a single enthusiastic train conductor named William Allen Fuller would have nothing to do with his train being stolen by a bunch of Yankee spies. He set out on foot to chase his train, the General, until he got it back. Mr. Fuller's resolve proved to be more than "Andrew's Raiders" expected, and the train was captured near Ringgold, Georgia, remarkably near the spy's destination. Some of the northern spies were captured and some escaped to return home. The Union survivors were awarded the very first Congressional Medals of Honor.

In 1956, the Great Locomotive Chase adventure was made into a Disney film starring Fess Parker, an actor who later (1964) became the star of the popular TV series Daniel Boone. Rebecca and I were young children during that time period, and Fess Parker was a star to us. So, when I first saw The Great Locomotive Chase at camp at the ripe old age of 9, it was a immediate hit.

Ok, sorry about the tangent, but the point is, the steam engine named The General, the real star of "The Great Locomotive Chase," is here in all its glory. Yes, the original, 200-year-old locomotive is displayed here at the Southern Museum. Also, an abbreviated 20 minute film tells the Great Locomotive Chase story in the museum's theater, and the full length Disney DVD is available for purchase in the museum's gift shop.
 

Now, I don't want to neglect the rest of the museum because there is much more here. The Southern Museum features many displays portraying life of the soldiers of the Civil war, both northern and southern. Most displays are static: pictures, clothing, eating utensils, and weapons. Additionally, the museum has a series of displays portraying the manufacture of train engines by the Glover Machine Works during the time period. This is a really cool display showing the processes of engineering, machining, casting, and manufacturing.
 

For the children:
While much of the museum is targeted at adults, there is a portion of theSouthern Museum dedicated to children. There are displays of historical significance that encourage children to role play (dress-up). There is also a full-size model of an engine in which children can experience the thrill of piloting a train. Additionally, the museum is adjacent to a very nice playground, a sure cure for childish boredom.

In summary, the Southern Museum is a must-see for adventurous families. Much of the static portions of the museum are not the most exciting places for small kids, but there are plenty of distractions to help keep them occupied. We really recommend the purchase of Disney's Great Locomotive Chase DVD in the museum's gift shop. It's well worth it! 

While in the Kennesaw area, we suggest a short drive up to Cartersville to visit the Tellus Science Museum, the Booth Western Art Museum, and the Etowah Indian Mounds. If camping and recreation are what's on your mind, check out Red Top Mountain State Park and McKinney Campground on nearby Lake Allatoona.

Chieftains Museum - Rome, Georgia

The Home of a Cherokee Leader

The Chieftains Museum is located in the former estate home of Major Ridge, also known as Kah-nung-da-tla-geh (1771-1839), a rebellious Cherokee leader born in the north Georgia mountains. At the rather plush upscale home's core is a very old log cabin, renovated by its wealthy owner in the early 1800's. At the time of the forced exodus of the Cherokee from North Georgia, the Ridge manor was of higher quality than most, if not all others in the area, including those of the white residents. His estate included a ferry, a store, hundreds of fruit trees, rich river bottom farm land, and sadly, well over 30 slaves of African and Creek descent.  The home itself is a fascinating tour, but the stories associated to the home's previous owners are much more interesting. I won't attempt to explain the history of the Ridge family in this short article. It's simply too complicated. However, to spice it up a little, I'll say this: Major Ridge was a Cherokee warrior, hunter, business man, politician, and assassin. He and his son John were directly involved in the signing of the treaty of New Echota, which surrendered the remainder of the Cherokee's land to Georgia. Both paid the ultimate price for doing so. The official Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokee tell the story best. The Chieftains Museum is located adjacent Ridge Ferry Park on the banks of the Oostanaula River. Ridge Ferry Park is one of our favorite bike-riding and festival destinations. Ridge Ferry Park hosts a variety of events including an annual Cherokee powwow and one of our favorite art festivals, the Chiaha Harvest Fair. The history of the Southeastern US is fascinating to me. I wish there were a movie about the Creek and Cherokee that told the whole story! The odd personalities and politics of the time, and the near-paradigm that took place. History certainly could have emerged quite differently had time favored the Cherokee. Discovery of gold in their territory sealed their fate. If you would like a good post-Creek history of the region, the Chieftains museum is a must see destination. You should also consider visiting New Echota, the former capitol of the Cherokee Nation located in nearby Calhoun. For history about the natives that lived here prior to the Cherokee, take the short drive to see the Etowah Indian Mounds in Cartersville.

Few homes in the area were finer than Major Ridge's The Chieftains' halls are lined with exhibits ranging from the days of Desoto through the Civil War. Ceremonial masks and hundreds of other historical items are displayed at the Chieftains Museum.

New Echota - Cherokee Capitol

The Pride and Shame of Two Nations - More
 

The original courthouse where the elders
met still stands at New Echota today.



New Echota, founded in 1825, was the first and final capitol of the "unified" Cherokee Nation. The park, now a Georgia Historical Site, is located just off Interstate 75 on highway 225, about an hour north of Atlanta. Here, in what quickly became a bustling little town, hopes of a sovereign government for the Cherokee were both nurtured, then extinguished. Here is where the leaders of a nation of proud immigrants signed a treaty that surrendered their land to a new breed of immigrants. Yes, you read that right; the Cherokee were immigrants. Cherokee migrated from the north and nudged the Muscogee (Creek) Nation to the south and west. The Cherokee migrated south for the same reasons so many other northerners do: a warmer climate, and seemingly abundant natural resources (and a retreat from the European invasion). In 1825, the well armed and aggressive European immigrants were moving south at a rapid pace.

The 1830's Cherokee lived in log
cabins similar to this

The landscape and structures of New Echota capture a key period in the history of the Cherokee. A place where they almost overcame (or assimilated). They had a government very similar to the United States: a constitution, a written language, and, as a nation, a relative amount of wealth. There were those that opposed their "progress" and newly adopted European characteristics. The opposition came from the newly-formed state of Georgia, the US government,  and a good number of the Cherokee themselves. When the "friendly" European visitors discovered gold within Cherokee territory, the onslaught began. The end to any hope of peacefully coexisting with the white settlers was near.
 

The kids sampled old-fashioned hand-
churned butter and sweet buttermilk.

To make a long story short, the Cherokee leaders signed a treaty that either forsook their brethren, or the chieftains sacrificed their own lives for the sake of their people. They were outnumbered and outgunned. What choice did they have? President Andrew Jackson had ignored the Supreme Court's decision to let the Cherokee keep their land, and it would be taken either by force or coercion.

The Cherokee opponents of the treaty retaliated quite violently. The endorsers of the "Treaty of New Echota" were assassinated. The remaining Cherokee were removed. Within ten years of the proud founding of a capitol city, the Cherokee were gone. The endorsers of the "Treaty of New Echota" were assassinated, and the balance of Cherokee were marched West to Oklahoma. 

One of the fireplaces in the old tavern at New Echota.

The march west eventually became known as the Trail of Tears. Women, children, and the elderly were forced to walk much of the way. The cruel cold of winter took about 4,000 of the 15,000 remaining Cherokee. A once proud nation was suddenly silenced. Today, New Echota is an echo of the best of times, and a reminder of the tragic end of a legacy.

Visiting New Echota evokes a range of emotions from amazement and admiration to sorrow and shame. It's a place you must visit if at all possible. It's a history that must not be forgotten.

Lots more New Echota pictures and details can be found here.
 

Archaeology Day and Iron Pour - Red Top Mountain State Park

Note: We are reviving this Adventure Journal entry from this time last year because the annual Archaeology Day and Iron Pour at Red Top Mountain State Park is once again upon us. We feel compelled to draw attention to the event because it is one of our most cherished memories. If you are looking for an unusually fun and educational way to spend the weekend in North Georgia, this event is a no-brainer. The Tribe has since visited Red Top Mountain State Park numerous times, and we often camp at McKinney Campground located just around the bend on Lake Allatoona.  Archaeology Day this year falls on, May 7, 2011 10 AM to 8 PM.
 
Adventure Journal
Entry Date: May 2010
Prior to this visit, we had driven through Red Top Mountain State Park a couple of times just to check it out. There are many things that are appealing about the park. It's on Lake Allatoona, which means fishing and water sports. It is easily accessible, just a few minutes off Interstate 75 about 30 minutes North of Atlanta. It's convenient to a good number of restaurants, an exceptional movie theater, and two wonderful museums, the Tellus Science Museum, and the Booth Western Art Museum.

The attraction for making this the weekend to camp at Red Top? Archaeology Day. Saturday was filled with great activities. We started at 10am with a park archaeologist explaining how to recognize sites where artifacts might be found. Then we toured the old iron mine on Red Top via a hay ride wagon pulled by a tractor. The path we took was along an old narrow gauge railroad bed that was used to transport the iron ore. We had a nice view of the lake for some of the ride.

After lunch we got to dig for artifacts. Everyone got to keep an arrowhead, and yes, we know they are not real, but it was still fun to learn how it's done. Each of the kids also got a mold frame ($7 ea.) for carving things to cast in iron (which happened later in the day). That evening after Supper, we headed back over to the lodge to enjoy some Bluegrass music and watch them pour melted iron into our molds. It was a lot to do in a day, so we were tired when we got back to the camper (around 11pm). Click here for the rest of the story and lots more pictures and information about Red Top Mountain and their various events.



 

Cumberland Island, a Crown Jewel of Georgia

Adventure Journal - Entry Date: 1/1/11 (January 1, 2011)

Cumberland Island is one of Georgia's crown jewels. Its considered one of the nation's most pristine and well preserved barrier islands. The Tribe has seen TV shows, books, and calendars featuring the live oaks, Spanish moss, and wild horses of Cumberland Island. How could we resist?

So, as a Christmas present, we (Mommy and Daddy) gave the kids a Southbound adventure. Cumberland Island was but one stop on this week-long adventure, but it certainly was one of the best destinations of the trip.

After celebrating New Year's Eve and getting a good night's sleep at Crooked River State Park in St. Marys, we headed for he dock to catch the Cumberland Princess ferry. The 9am ferry allows for a relatively full day on the island, and that was our intent. Although we had studied Cumberland Island-related websites, we weren't exactly sure what to expect. We knew to bring our own food, so each of the kids wore their backpack containing lunch, snacks, and water. That turned out to be a very good idea.

When we arrived on the island, we first visited the Ice House museum (attached to the restrooms). This small but well insulated building reveals some unique history of the island, The ranger gave a very informative lecture on the history of the island going back over 250 years. She was very knowledgeable, and I wish we could enjoy a long evening by the campfire learning from her.

From there, it was a short walk to the ruins of Dungeness, a Winter home (mansion) built by the Carnegie family that burned in 1959, Incredibly, what seemed to interest the Tribe the most were the armadillos, Armadillos are not native to the Southeast. Most we have seen in recent years have been dead on the side of he road. They have invaded Cumberland, and they're quite used to humans. At the Dungeness ruins, we had a very close and exciting encounter with an armadillo that thought we were one of his own kind.

From Dungeness, we walked to the beach. The beach is deep (wide) and completely untouched by commercial development. The pictures tell the story. We found lots of very nice shells, but no sharks teeth. About half a mile up the beach, we discovered a large injured bird on the beach, and that made us eager to hasten our hike to the camping dock's ranger station to report the injured bird. When possible, they will try to rehabilitate sick and injured wildlife.

When we finally reached the National Parks campground, we weren't prepared for the beauty. Live oak and palmetto create an Eden-like tropical environment the likes of which we have never witnessed. This may very well be the most beautiful campground we have ever seen, Its enough to tempt the Tribe to try roughing it a night or two in a tent. This time of year, it would be bearable.

After a short visit with some fellow travelers at the campground dock, we hiked the river trail back to the dock where we originally landed. In all, we probably walked around 2.5 miles, and the kids never complained about their backpacks. While waiting for the ferry to return us to the mainland, we watched wild horses and armadillos rummage for food while we rummaged for sharks teeth along the rarely traveled road.

Cumberland Island is a paradise virtually unspoiled by man. If you want to visit for the day, its a day you will never forget. If you want to stay overnight, it can be very inexpensive, or require a second mortgage depending on you standards. Would I return? No doubt. Something this unspoiled so close to home is a treasure for sure.

  

For lots more pictures and better descriptions of the amenities, please visit Cumberland Island's dedicated page on the PB&J Adventures website!