Euharlee (pronounced You-Harley) Creek Covered Bridge is so much more than just an old bridge. It…read moreis also a village of historic buildings and the ruins of a forgotten mill. It is the BLACK HISTORY of not only the bridge, but the surrounding area that drove me to revisit. [ THE BRIDGE ] Built in 1886 by Washington King, the son of Horace King, a slave who earned his freedom by building covered bridges throughout the south. Euharlee remains one of the oldest surviving wooden covered bridges in the state of Georgia and has a length of 138 feet. North of the bridge are the ruins of a Grist Mill built in 1835. [ THE MUSEUM ] Since my 2014 visit, they have acquired an old school building and expanded the bridge and other historic buildings to include a Museum. It was here I met the Curator and her assistant, whose veteran husband, David Ford, has direct family ties to the local history and is featured in the museums displays. I called prior to my arrival, so they were expecting me. I say this affectionately, but the ladies of the museum held me hostage! I had no idea the wealth of information they were ready to share and had not properly allotted time, especially since a good portion of my day was consumed at the Bartow County History Museum and the long drive to Bartow itself. We covered a lot of ground in a short time frame and often they would stop and ask me if it was too much information. They were fully aware that I might be getting overwhelmed, but sweetly and courteously asked for my pardon because COVID-19 had not brought them many visitors and they were beyond excited to have me. I simply can't tell you how amazing each of the sites I visited in the Cartersville-Bartow area made me feel. SPECIAL is a gross understatement. One new feature I was unaware of was the temporary path through the BLACK PIONEERS CEMETERY, which was used to bury slaves prior to the Civil War and local African-American residents after the Civil War. They are hoping to raise enough funds to properly construct with gravel, sitting benches, a re-creation of tombstones and more informational signs. This is a project I hope to volunteer to be a part of considering landscape design is a specific skill I possess. I would LOVE to contribute to preserving the history here, albeit quite a distance from my home. [ OTHER FEATURES ] * A Traveler's Well that was hand dug by settlers. * The 1800's Calaboose or mini-jail to house the occasional criminal. The building still has its original iron bars. * Militia Courthouse to keep law and order. * Masonic Hall that is still in use (construction date unknown) * Baptist Church originally designed with separate entrances for men and women. * 1853 Presbyterian Church * Blacksmith Shop (Late 1800's) * 1860's General Store & Mercantile (burned in 1887 and reconstructed). * 1860's Commissary now used as a Community Center. * 1860's Granary * 1850's Cow Shed * The house of the grist mill operators. * Milam Bridge is a camel-back steel truss bridge that was burned in 1864 during the Civil War. Rebuilt in 1912 and remained in service until the 1970's. [Source: City of Euharlee historic brochure] [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] Sadly, the black cemetery was almost forgotten by the 1990's, but an investigation discovered over 333 known burials. Of those only three individuals have been identified. Het Powell (a former slave), her daughter Ada and a man named Jim Scott. Records show Het was married when enslaved and had four children. Her son, Lee, was sold to a different slaveowner and Het never saw him again. The one acre plot dates back to 1830. Settled in the 1840's as Burge's Mill until being incorporated in 1852 as Euharleeville before its final name change in 1870 to Euharlee (which is Native American meaning she laughs as she runs). Excellent place to learn a little history and see relics dating before the Civil War. The bridge is open to foot traffic and is anchored by two parks: Osborne Park and Frankie Harris Park. 2021 / 32 #BlackHISTORYseries

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