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Murray County, Georgia was formed in the year 1832. Originally, the county consisted of the entire northwestern corner of the state, but was later carved into the additional counties of Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Walker, and Whitfield. The county was named for Thomas W. Murray (1790-1832). Murray had been a member of the Georgia house of representatives and state speaker of the house before being elected to Congress. Unfortunately, Mr. Murray died before he could begin his term. Cities in Murray County include Chatsworth, Cisco, Eton, Spring Place and Tennga, with Chatsworth being the county seat.
As is true with all North Georgia ounties, Murray County was once the home of Native Americans. After the Georgia Land Lottery was held in 1832, Fort Hoskings, a Cherokee removal fort, was built. “Roundup” orders didn’t begin until May of 1838, and were completed on June 02, 1838. Some Cherokee, not knowing the fate that awaited them, actually reported to the forts on their own. Others were forced into the forts and held until removal began. Living conditions were horrendous. There was not enough food, water, and no place provided for bathrooms. Women and children were abused by guards, physically and sexually. Of the approximately 4,000 deaths that occurred as a result of removal on the Trail of Tears, about one-third of these happened in or were a direct result of the conditions in the removal forts--Fort Hoskings was no exception.
One of the most well-known historical sites in Murray County today is the Chief Vann House. James Vann, builder of the magnificent home and a Cherokee, was an extremely wealthy man, owning hundreds of acres of land and approximately 200 slaves. In 1809, Vann was murdered, and his possessions were passed on to his oldest son, Joseph, who came to be known as “Rich Joe.” After several attempts at removing the Vann family from the property, they were finally forced out in 1835, and, throughout the years, the home was owned by different people. In a state of disrepair, the home was deemed a historical site, and work to restore it began in 1951. Completed in 1963, the Chief Vann Historical Site is open to the public, and tours are given on a regular basis.
Also located in Murray County is Fort Mountain State Park. Most of the work on this park, completed on land donated by former Atlanta Mayor Ivan Allen, was done by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The CCC was formed by Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Depression, as a way to put unemployed men to work, and to restore the “former beauty” of the country. The 3,520 acre park contains beautiful hiking trails, campsites, pavilions, cottages, mountain bike trails, horseback trails, miniature golf, and a man-made lake with a beach for swimming. One of the structures *not* built by the CCC is “the Wall.” The Wall at Fort Mountain is a simple rock wall, running for 855 feet, and ranging from 2 feet to 6 feet in height at different points. It’s not known exactly who built the wall, or why, but the construction date is estimated to be somewhere between 500 B. C. and 1500 A.D. Similar walls have been found in Bartow, Catoosa, Dade, Dekalb, Habersham, and Whitfield Counties in Georgia; at Lookout Mountain in Tennessee; and at deSoto Falls in Alabama.
Hiking is a favorite for outdoorsmen in the area. Bear Creek Trail, a loop trail, is 6.4 miles in length, and considered to be of moderate difficulty; Emery Creek trail is a 5 mile point-to-point trail, and treats the hiker to beautiful streams and waterfalls--it is rated as a hard trail, and is not well-marked; Grassy Mountain Tower Trail is a 2 mile in-and-out trail, and is rated as moderate; and, Songbird Trail is a easy 0.6 mile loop, and makes for a great family outing along the Little Conasauga River.
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