Clayton, Rabun County, Georgia, United States, North America
Clayton is a city in Rabun County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,019 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Rabun County and is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The area that would eventually become Clayton was called the Dividings because it sat at the intersection of three important Cherokee trails. Explorer and naturalist William Bartram came through the Dividings in May, 1775 while exploring what would later become Rabun County. Much later, after Clayton had grown to include the Dividings, two of the old Cherokee trails became the main roads for Clayton and the county: U.S. 441 and U.S. 76. Clayton was incorporated December 13, 1823 as Claytonville but the name was later shortened to Clayton. The city was named after a prominent jurist and congressman, Judge Augustin S. Clayton who served in both the Georgia House of Representatives and Georgia Senate before becoming as a representative of Georgia in the United States House of Representatives from 1831--1835. In 1824, 67 acres (270,000 m2) were purchased from Solomon Beck for $150 and a site for a courthouse and the surrounding streets was laid out. In 1904, the Tallulah Falls Railway was completed to Clayton from Cornelia, Georgia and was later extended to Franklin, North Carolina by 1907. Clayton has had public water and sanitary sewer service since the 1920s. Initially, the water supply was two springs on nearby Buzzard Roost Mountain, but today Clayton uses Lake Rabun as its water supply. In 1936, Clayton recorded 30.0 inches (760 mm) of total snowfall making that year the snowiest year in the city. The recorded snowfall in Clayton in 1936 is also a state record. Part of Disney's Old Yeller was shot here in 1957. Clayton is located at 34°52′40″N 83°24′6″W (34.877788, -83.401691) and is situated at the southern base of 3,640-foot Black Rock Mountain. Immediately to the east of the city is 3,000-foot Screamer Mountain. Other Blue Ridge Mountain peaks between 2,500 and 3,000 feet surround the city. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8.0 km2), all of it land. The elevation of Clayton's downtown area is 1,925 feet (587 m). A number of hilltops within the city limits exceed 2,200 feet. As of the census of 2000, there were 2,019 people, 816 households, and 497 families residing in the city. The population density was 653.2 people per square mile (252.3/km²). There were 1,006 housing units at an average density of 325.5 per square mile (125.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.55% White, 2.77% African American, 0.89% Native American, 1.34% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 9.41% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.71% of the population. There were 816 households out of which 22.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.79. In the city the population was spread out with 19.2% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 23.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,600, and the median income for a family was $36,164. Males had a median income of $25,823 versus $18,304 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,977. About 7.9% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.3% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.
Blue Ridge Mountains, Rabun County, Georgia, United States, North America
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southernmost portion in Georgia, then ending northward in Pennsylvania. To the west of the Blue Ridge, between it and the bulk of the Appalachians, lies the Great Appalachian Valley, bordered on the west by the Ridge and Valley province of the Appalachian range. The Blue Ridge Mountains are noted for having a bluish color when seen from a distance. Trees put the blue in Blue Ridge, from the isoprene released into the atmosphere, thereby contributing to the characteristic haze on the mountains and their distinctive color.m Within the Blue Ridge province are two major national parks: the Shenandoah National Park, in the northern section, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, in the southern section. The Blue Ridge also contains the Blue Ridge Parkway, a 469-mile (755 km) long scenic highway that connects the two parks and is located along the ridge crestlines with the Appalachian Trail. Although the term Blue Ridge is sometimes applied exclusively to the eastern edge or front range of the Appalachian Mountains, the geological definition of the Blue Ridge province extends westward to the Ridge and Valley area, encompassing the Great Smoky Mountains, the Great Balsams, the Roans, the Blacks, the Brushy Mountains (a spur of the Blue Ridge) and other mountain ranges. The Blue Ridge extends as far north into Pennsylvania as South Mountain. While South Mountain dwindles to mere hills between Gettysburg and Harrisburg, the band of ancient rocks that forms the core of the Blue Ridge continues northeast through the New Jersey and Hudson River highlands, eventually reaching The Berkshires of Massachusetts and the Green Mountains of Vermont. The Blue Ridge contains the highest mountains in eastern North America south of Baffin Island. About 125 peaks exceed 5,000 feet (1,500 m) in elevation. The highest peak in the Blue Ridge (and in the entire Appalachian chain) is Mt. Mitchell in North Carolina at 6,684 feet (2,037 m). There are 39 peaks in North Carolina and Tennessee higher than 6,000 feet (1,800 m); by comparison, only New Hampshire's Mt. Washington rises above 6,000 feet (1,800 m) in the northern portion of the Appalachian chain. The Blue Ridge Parkway runs 469 miles (755 km) along crests of the Southern Appalachians and links two national parks: Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains. In many places along the parkway, there are metamorphic rocks (gneiss) with folded bands of light-and dark-colored minerals, which sometimes look like the folds and swirls in a marble cake. The Blue Ridge Mountains have stunted oak and oak-hickory forests and comprise most of the Appalachian slope forests. Flora also includes grass, shrubs, hemlock and mixed-oak pine forests. While the Blue Ridge includes the highest summits in the eastern United States, the climate is nevertheless too warm to support an alpine zone, and thus the range lacks the tree line found at lower elevations in the northern half of the Appalachian range. The highest parts of the Blue Ridge are generally coated in a dense spruce-fir stand. The English who settled colonial Virginia in the early 17th century recorded that the native Powhatan name for the Blue Ridge was Quirank. At the foot of the Blue Ridge, various tribes including the Siouan Manahoacs, the Iroquois, and the Shawnee hunted and fished. A German physician-explorer, John Lederer, first reached the crest of the Blue Ridge in 1669 and again the following year; he also recorded the Virginia Siouan name for the Blue Ridge (Ahkonshuck). At the Treaty of Albany negotiated by Governor Spotswood with the Iroquois between 1718 and 1722, the Iroquois ceded lands they had conquered south of the Potomac and east of the Blue Ridge to the Virginia Colony. This treaty made the Blue Ridge the new demarcation point between the areas and tribes subject to the Six Nations, and those tributary to the Colony. When colonists began to disregard this by crossing the Blue Ridge and settling in the Shenandoah Valley in the 1730s, the Iroquois began to object, finally selling their rights to the Valley, on the west side of the Blue Ridge, at the Treaty of Lancaster in 1744. During the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War, the Army of Northern Virginia, Robert E. Lee commanding, slipped across the Potomac to begin the second invasion of the North. They moved slowly across the Blue Ridge, using the mountains to screen their movements.
Lake Burton, Rabun County, Clayton, Georgia, United States, North America
Lake Burton is a 2,775 acre (11.23 km²) reservoir with 62 miles (100 km) of shoreline located in the northeastern corner of Georgia in Rabun County. It is the first lake in a six-lake series called the Tallulah River Watershed that follows the original course of the Tallulah River. The chain begins with Lake Burton as the northernmost lake followed by Lake Seed, Lake Rabun, Lake Tallulah Falls, Lake Tugalo, and Lake Yonah. The lakes are owned and operated by the Georgia Power Company to generate hydroelectric energy for Georgia's largest city, Atlanta. At one time these lakes were the largest producers of electricity in the state of Georgia. At present the lakes provide power only during periods of peak electricity consumption. The lake was built in a deep valley located along a 10 mile (16 km) section of the Tallulah River. The Lake Burton Dam was closed on December 22, 1919 and the lake started to fill. The dam is a gravity concrete dam, with a height of 128 feet (39 m) and a span of 1,100 feet (340 m). The spillway is equipped with eight gates 22 feet (6.7 m) wide by 6.6 feet (2.0 m) high. The total capacity at an elevation of 1,866.6 feet (568.9 m) is 108,000 acre·ft (133,000,000 m3), of which 106,000 acre·ft (131,000,000 m3) is usable storage. The generating capacity of the dam is 6,120 kilowatts (two units). Lake Burton is the highest Georgia Power lake in Georgia. Lake Burton's name was derived from the town of Burton, which was the second largest town in Rabun County with a population of approximately 200. The former town now lies below the lake's surface. The town (and the lake) was named after local prominent citizen Jeremiah Burton and was situated along the road from Clayton, Georgia to the Nacoochee Valley. Andrew Jackson Ritchie served as the postmaster for the area for several years. Gold was first discovered in Rabun County where Dicks Creek and the Tallulah River come together and was the reason for the town's founding in the early 19th century. The Lake Burton Fish Hatchery and Moccasin Creek State Park are located on the lake's west side. The lake is home to several species of fish, including spotted bass, largemouth bass, white bass, black crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish, white catfish, walleye, brown trout, rainbow trout, and yellow perch. The residents of Lake Burton are a mix of permanent residents and seasonal vacationers who together make-up the Lake Burton Civic Association, a local organization who goal is to maintain the lake through volunteer clean-ups and other such events. Fourth of July fireworks at Lake Burton have been an annual tradition for more than 25 years. The fireworks display was begun and continues to be run by a lifelong Lake Burton resident, Hal Rhoad. Though not a Lake Burton Civic Association sponsored event, the July 4th fireworks display is funded by donations from Lake Burton area residents and visitors. The fireworks are set off the Saturday before July 4 from Billy Goat Island, an island on the south side of the lake. Most people view the fireworks from boats driven near the island. As Lake Burton is set in the Appalachian Mountains the fireworks echo off the surrounding mountains, providing another auditory level to the visual feast of the fireworks. The YMCA of Metropolitan Atlanta operates its primary campus of Camp High Harbour near the headwaters of Lake Burton. This facility is the site of summer residential camps, leadership programs and youth retreats. A severe tornado struck Lake Burton on April 28, 2011. Among those killed was the Atlanta businessman E. Earl Patton, a former member of the Georgia State Senate.
North Georgia Mountains
This video is of the U.S. 23/441 corridor through the North Georgia Mountains. You will see the limited-access portions that provide access to the Habersham County Airport, Downtown Baldwin and Cornelia, as well as the Toccoa/Lavonia interchange (U.S. 123 North/S.R. 365 North).
There is also footage of U.S. 23/441 through Tallulah Falls, Clayton, Mountain City, Rabun Gap (unincorporated) and Dillard. The portion from Tallulah Falls to Clayton has recently been widened, from a two-lane highway to a four-lane divided highway.
Where in the world is Rabun County, Georgia?
Rabun County Home Movie 1---The Map
Three Forks (Rabun County), GA
A point where three creeks come together to form the West Fork Chattooga River in the Chattahoochee National Forest in Rabun County, GA. The three creeks are Holcomb Creek, Overflow Creek, and Big Creek.
Discovering Tallulah Gorge in North Georgia
Gospel music by the Dove Brothers.
I really like rural Rabun County in Georgia. It is one of the most scenic places. At the state park you can get a permit to get to the bottom of Tallulah Falls. Stairways lead most of the way down. I counted 1200 stairs going down and up. Some folks go rock sliding at the falls. I went hiking and really enjoyed this. Also see the Tallulah Falls overlook on the opposite side off the state park. Tallulah Gorge is definitely a gorgeous place.
Lakemont Georgia
Short video of the little town of Lakemont in Rabun County Georgia. Recorded April 2015.
High Falls, Georgia, United States
High Falls, Georgia, United states 2002
High Falls State Park is a 1,050-acre (4.2 km2) Georgia state park located near the city of Jackson. It is the site of a prosperous 19th-century industrial center, which became a ghost town when it was bypassed by the railroad. The park contains the largest waterfall in middle Georgia and a 650-acre (2.6 km2) lake.
Anna Ruby Falls - Helen, Georgia
Anna Ruby Falls are formed by a unique joining of two creeks near Helen, Georgia. The waterfalls are among the most photographed in America.