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The Town That Led Two Lives

Photos and article by Kathleen Walls


Downtown Helen

In 1968, the town of Helen was dying. Little was left in the remote mountain community except a few drab old concrete buildings and a few diehard citizens determined to save their hometown. They hit on a unique solution.

Helen had begun life with a promising start. During the Georgia Gold Rush of 1828, the precious metal was discovered nearby at Dukes Creek. Then when the gold fever died down, the settlers realized they had another resource, timber. The Byrd-Matthews Lumber Company and the Gainesville and Northwestern Railroad came to town in 1913. The town was officially named Helen after the daughter of a railroad surveyor. The lumber was depleted by 1931 and people began to drift away.

One of the local residents was an artist named John Kollock, who had spent some years in Germany. He and the other residents realized the one thing they had in abundance was a beautiful mountain setting. They decided to recreate their town with a Bavarian flavor.


Christmas Store in Helen

Today, Helen's downtown is completely renovated as an alpine village. Chalets filled with craft shops and cobblestone streets blossom with bright flowers. Unique shops and restaurants play host to millions of visitors every year. Mountain crafts such as pottery are found side by side with Bavarian glass blowers. In addition to the shopping found in the village, Alpine Outlet Mall offers direct from factory savings. Just a mile south of Helen, Narcoohee Village is home to some fun shopping. Habersham Winery and tasting room offers a supply of Georgia wines and Nora Mill is one of the few remaining water powered grist mills still in operation.

Another natural boon to Helen's success story is the Chattahoochee River which flows through the town. Several of the restaurants, like Paul's, are located on it's bank and offer dining over the water. The fast flowing river also provides an opportunity for tubeing. There are several tubeing outfitters who will provide you with tubes and shuttle service. Since the water is extremely shallow, it is safe for any age tuber.


Inside the Fantasy Kingdom

A 'must see' is the Museum of the Hills. The animated narrator, Barney O'Feller and his dog, Blue, introduce you to the life of a hills farmer at the turn of the century. After visiting his home, village, you then are transported to a Fantasy Kingdom with lifelike fairy tale recreations that will delight the child in all of us.

The favorite festival in Helen is the Octoberfest, held annually from mid-September into November. Another of their annual activities is Fasching, a German Mardi Gras, held in February and an outdoor Christmas market and winter festival.

Concerts and dramatic performances are offered frequently nearby in the Santee-Nacoochee Arts and Community Center. In fact, Santee-Nacoochee has been named one of the 100 Best Small Arts Towns in America. It's History Museum is also housed in the community center and preserves much of the area history. It is free but accepts donations.

The Old Sautee Store/Museum is the oldest continually operating store in White County. It dates back to 1873 when it was also the post office. The museum part houses the largest collection of old store memorabilia likely to be found anywhere in Georgia.

Midway between is the Nacoochee Indian mound. Marked by a round, white gazebo, the mound is the burial place of ancient indians. Legend claims it is the final resting place for two star crossed indian lovers, Sautee and Nacoochee belonged to warring tribes and choose to die together on nearby Yonah Mountain rather than be separated. The Smithsonian Institute excavated the area in 1914 and found that it once held over 300 dwellings.

The area also provides horse drawn carriage tours, horseback riding, an amusement park with rides and miniature golf, a golf course and hot air balloon rides. Of course, they provide both public and private campgrounds that can accommodate anything from the smallest pup tent to the largest motor coach.

Have an urge to get back to nature? That's easily satisfied in this area, too. The Dukes Creek Waterfall is a series of cascading falls, one of which falls a breathtaking 300 feet. It's located just off Richard Russell Scenic Highway, Hwy 348 which runs between Hwy 180 and Hwy 75A about 3 miles west of Helen. This highway is worth a trip just for it's scenic vistas. Raven Cliff Falls is also located off here. Another popular falls in the area is Anna Ruby Falls located just northeast of Helen near the entrance to Unicoi State Park on Hwy 356.

Unicoi is a large diverse park offering camping, cabins, lodge, craft shop and restaurant as well as normal park activities. They also offer planned programs and activities, such as a day set aside to celebrate the old Appalachian crafts.

Also nearby, three miles west of Helen on Hwy 75A, is Smithgall Woods Dukes Creek Conservation Area. This is a relatively new project having opened in 1994 and the only one like it in the state as far as I was able to find out. It provided eighteen miles of road, 3 miles of trails, and four miles of creek bank. It allows hiking, biking, and catch and release fishing and is closed to public vehicular traffic. Van tours are provided free at 9am and 3pm own Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday when the area is opened from sunrise to sunset. Other days, it is opened 8am to 4pm. It provides education on conservation and has some interesting display on the subject as well as a disabled hawk they are rehabilitating. They offer frequent activities dealing with nature such as a class on distinguishing edible from poisonous mushrooms and herbal information. They also have a convention center for businesses or groups who want to conduct their conventions in a natural setting. The park requires only a state park pass or a small daily fee for admittance and its tours and activities are free.

If you like to shop or do almost anything else, Helen and the surrounding area can satisfy your vacation needs. Oh, by the way if you like to really pretend you're visiting the Alps and climb mountains, they can provide lots of those, too. Helen is located about an hour's drive north east of Atlanta on Ga.75.

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