The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation

RAMBLE TO DALTON AND WHITFIELD-MURRAY COUNTY JUNE 5-6, 2004

Ramble Through Hills and History
Spring Ramble spotlights Whitfield and Murray Counties Friday and Saturday, June 4 – 5

Dalton is often called the Carpet Capital of the World, but that doesn’t mean that’s all there is to this bustling North Georgia town. Nestled beside the carpet mills rests a vibrant downtown and dozens of sites teeming with history, just waiting to be explored on The Georgia Trust’s Whitfield-Murray Ramble, June 4 – 5, 2004.

This spring’s Ramble takes place in the hometown of Trust members Nancy Carter Bland and Mose Bond, and for the first time in three years will revert back to a Friday and Saturday event.

Prater's Mill is just one of many sites to see on the Spring Ramble June 4-5, 2004.

Located in the Appalachian foothills, Dalton has a diverse past. Cherokee Indians populated the area until 1831, when President Andrew Jackson relocated them to Oklahoma. The mountain town received its name in 1847 in honor of founder Edward Dalton White.

On Friday, start your journey through Murray County at the Chief Vann House, the former home of Cherokee Indian Chief Joseph Vann, who recruited Moravian missionaries to teach the tribe’s children. Later, dine at Carter’s Quarter, the home of Trust member Nancy Carter Bland.

Saturday’s tour through Dalton and the surrounding Whitfield County begins at the Historic Wink Theater. Take a walking tour of historic Thornton Avenue, then visit Prater’s Mill and the Dalton Depot, the center of 1840s Dalton.

Civil War buffs will have much to see, as Gen. Sherman’s Atlanta campaign began in Whitfield County when Union troops encountered Confederates at Tunnel Hill. Today, Whitfield County features National Register nominees Jolly House, Stanley House and the 1850 Clisby-Austin House, Gen. Sherman’s headquarters during the battle of Dalton.

Get to know Dalton for more than its carpets. Look for your invitations in late April. For additional information, contact Natalie Perrin at 404-885-7806.