These Mountains

I was born in a small hospital on Main Street in Jasper just south of what is now 61 Main restaurant. The hospital had a great view of the mountain range east of Jasper.

The small house I lived in was on a ridge behind what is now the Budget Inn south of Jasper and had a wonderful view of the mountains. I would sometimes in the fall climb “Sharp Top Mountain” and sit on a rock ledge facing south to see the tall buildings of Atlanta.

The original Monument Road turned right beyond the entrance to Tate Mountain Estates and the gravel/dirt road traveled along the ridge and ended a few miles at what the road was named for; a monument on Oglethorpe Mountain. The monument is 38 feet tall and made of marble and is currently located on Main Street in Jasper. In 1930 the monument to James Oglethorpe served as the Southern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail. It had on the north face a hand holding the Scales of Justice. When I moved on this mountain I would go in the summer afternoons and maintain the area at the base of it… This monument was then moved to its current location in Jasper. I wish it was still up here.

As many of you who have moved to this mountain have learned that during the winter months when it snows many folks from Jasper come up here to see and play in the snow. This will never change and just because we are here doesn’t mean it should. It may be aggravating for a day or two, but when the snow melts the interest always fades.

Our mountain is full of history. Col. Sam Tate and his descendants founded the Georgia Marble Company and to this day still own large tracts of land on this mountain. The lake and homes inside Tate Mountain Estates are steeped in history and when it was built it also had a nine hole golf course. My father was a caddy there when he was growing up. The fairways are still maintained but the greens are not. I’ve actually played golf on the course as I grew up with a friend whose family has a home there.

The Tate family also built Connahayne Lodge which was a fancy resort facing west atop Mount Burrell about a half mile off the original Monument Road. I have attached a photograph of my mother and two of her friends sitting in front of the lodge in 1945. It later burned. Some of the chimneys are still standing. When the original Monument Road was reclaimed by the Tate Estates access to the site was cut off.

While growing up in Jasper I grew accustomed to the view at my home, and in 1984 I moved away from Jasper. It didn’t take long for me to miss that view and wish I had never left. In 1993 while crossing the mountain coming to Jasper I saw a “land for sale” sign at the entrance to Monument Road. I turned and quickly saw that the road had not changed any from the memories I had of it. I drove along the ridge and came to a paved road on the left marked as Sassafras Parkway. There were lots for sale down that road and it was not long until I’ve bought one with the intention to build a small home. On September 1, 1994 I moved into my cabin and for a while was the only full-time resident on this mountain. It was great!!

As time has passed more folks learned of the beauty of this mountain and have come here to live. But you’ve learned that the climate is a little different than that in the valley. Also you’ve learned the importance of making a list, as a store is not around the corner anymore.

The area where I live on Lower Sassafras once housed chicken houses and homes for the workers who raised the chickens. Vantress Poultry Company needed seclusion in order to grow out a certain kind of chicken. Old chicken house sites and an occasional “home place” can be found scattered about going down Lower Sassafras. At the bottom of Lower Sassafras there used to be a beautiful lake. It was unfortunate that the dam was cut and the lake drained. There are two beautiful waterfalls one can hear and see as the water makes its way to the natural trout stream below.

Since the temperature is about 8 to 10° cooler up here I rarely use the air conditioner. However, I learned not to leave windows open as I came home from work one night years ago and had a mother bear and three cubs in my kitchen! What a mess it was.

I am sure some folks up here have hiked the trails going east down the mountain to a primitive campground on Steve Tate Road called Wildcat Campground. The campground is maintained by the Department of Natural Resources and is a great place to camp and fish.

Some of the towers at the end of Monument Road are used to control the air traffic at Hartsfield International Airport. Before those towers there was nothing there but the Monument. Next to our fire station the concrete building and the remnants of a microwave tower have been there since the 50s. The building is several stories underground, and I’m told that it was built to withstand a nuclear attack. There is one identical to it in Lumpkin County.

I will close by saying that this mountain was a wonderful place for me to come to as I was growing up and for the last 28 years it has been the best place on earth to live. We all have a stake in this mountain now, and we should always look after it, enjoy it, and respect it.

Note from the editor: As you may know, John was featured on HLN’s tv show “Man with a Van-Blood Mountain.” John also has a book out that you can order which talks about the Meredith Emerson case and her killer. it is a great read and you can order it directly from John. He will personalize it for you. Simply email him directly at [email protected]. It is a great read.