Year Erected: 1999

Marker Text: The Georgia Marble Company began in 1884 as one of many small marble quarrying operations in the region. In 1905 Colonel Sam Tate became the company’s president, continuing in that position until his death in 1938. Georgia Marble Company stone can be found in monuments and public buildings around the world, including the Lincoln Memorial and the twenty-four columns on the east front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. As the Village of Tate’s largest employer, Georgia Marble Company provided housing, recreational facilities, and schools for workers and their families. Construction of a company power plant made Tate the first electrified town in the area.

Location: On Hwy 53 in Tate. Marker is at the intersection of Georgia Route 53 and North Railroad Street, on the left when traveling east on State Route 53. 

Longest serving Governor in Georgia

Year Erected: 1986 by Georgia Department of Transportation

Marker Text: The strong character, integrity and moral fiber of the people of Appalachia are exemplified in this native son of Georgia’s mountains. Zell Miller has dedicated his life to aiding his fellow man . . . scholar, author, businessman, teacher, champion of developmental highways, legislator . . . serving as Lieutenant Governor longer than anyone in our state’s history . . .

Zell Miller was a major figure in modern Georgia politics. He strongly advocated building Georgia Highway 515 as a developmental highway leading to the North Georgia mountains, the rural area where he was born and grew up. The highway was built and named for Miller.

Location: Marker is near Talking Rock, Georgia, in Pickens County. Marker is on Zell Miller Mountain Parkway (Georgia Route 515) one mile north of Carns Mill Road, on the right when traveling north. The marker is located in a scenic area.

Year Erected: 1962

Marker Text: Just west of here in 1819 the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions established a mission station to the Cherokee Indians. Moody Hall and Henry Parker were the first missionaries sent to Carmel (originally known as Taloney), March 12, 1831. Rev. Isaac Proctor, then residing here, was arrested by the Georgia Guard for not complying with the new state law requiring all white men residing on Cherokee land now claimed by Georgia, to apply for licenses to remain and take an oath of allegiance to the State. Many of the missionaries abstained, feeling that Georgia had no power to enforce her laws over land rightfully belonging to the Cherokees. Rev. Daniel S. Butrick, also a missionary at Carmel, away at the time, escaped arrest. Rev. Proctor and the other missionaries which were arrested were released very shortly on grounds that they were agents of the U.S. Government in the educating of the Cherokees. Soon afterwards the issue again became critical and, rather than take the oath of allegiance, Butrick and Proctor left Georgia.

Rev. Proctor remained in that portion of the Cherokee Nation now Tennessee and started a new mission. Carmel continued in existence until 1839.

Location: Located at the intersection of Georgia Route 136 and Ellijay Road (Georgia Route 382) near Talking Rock.

Year Erected: 1954

Marker Text: From Tate through Jasper to Talking Rock, this highway coincides closely with the course of the Old Federal Road, northwest Georgia’s first vehicular way which linked Tennessee and Georgia across the Cherokee Country. Permission to open the route was granted informally by the Indians in 1803 and confirmed in a treaty of 1805.

Emigrants from the lower Southeast followed this course into Tennessee and Alabama. It became the first postal route of this section and was used by travelers in reaching the gold fields of North Georgia.

Location: Located at the intersection of North Main Street and Stegall Drive in Jasper.

Location of second marker: Looking south on Georgia Highway 53, toward the town of Tate.

Year Erected: 2001

Marker Text: This 38-foot monument was designed and dedicated in 1930 by Colonel Sam Tate of Georgia Marble Company, as a tribute to General James Edward Oglethorpe, founder of the colony of Georgia. Attendees included Governor Lamartine G. Hardman and other prominent dignitaries. It was carved by James Watt from Cherokee marble quarried locally. These quarries are the largest in the United States. The monument was located 10 miles east on Mount Oglethorpe (Grassy Knob), southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail until 1958. It was restored and moved here in 1999.

Erected by The Georgia Historical Society and the City of Jasper

Location: Main Street, downtown Jasper