Spring Place Festival 2016

This is one of my favorite book and rummage sales, and I share the news here verbatim, as it came to me:


Spring Place, near Chatsworth, Georgia: Spring Place: Trail of Tears to Historic Township is the theme for the 19th Annual Spring Place Community Festival set for Saturday, August 20 at the Old Spring Place Methodist Church.  A new and used book sale, food concessions, a bake sale, an indoor and outdoor flea market, T-shirts, a raffle, and other activities will begin at 8 a.m. Highlighting the day is the auction which will include artist prints, paintings, book sets, furniture, antiques, rugs, and gift cards donated by area businesses.  The auction will begin at 10:00. The day will also feature displays and demonstrations highlighting Native American history and Cherokee culture. Proceeds from the festival will go to the Old Spring Place Methodist Church Preservation Fund of the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society.  The Festival is co-sponsored by the Spring Place Ruritan Club.  For more information contact 706-695-2740 or 706-695-2110.

Location: Just south of the Chief Vann House (State Historic Site, crossroads of Georgia Highways 52A and 225) behind the Dollar General Store on Spring Place-Smyrna Road. Parking for the festival is available on Elm Street.

Approximate location for GPS: 200 Elm Street, Chatsworth, Georgia.

Spring Place Community Festival: August 16, 2014

Historic Spring Place community, near Chatsworth, Georgia... Time again for Spring Place Community Festival: Saturday, August 16th, beginning at 8 a.m. at the Old Spring Place Methodist Church. "Spring Place: From Moravians to You" is the theme of this 17th annual event.

This old-fashioned festival starts early and everything's over by mid-to-late afternoon. It's small and quaint, but you can pick up some bargain books, homemade treats, and thrift items that you might not find elsewhere. Festival features are: a new and used book sale, food concessions, a bake sale, an indoor and outdoor flea market, a raffle, and other activities. For history buffs, Whitfield-Murray Historical Society will sell books on local history and genealogy. Local author Faye Junkins Gibbons will sign copies of her new novel, Halley.
 
Auction, 10 a.m.: paintings, prints, book sets, antiques, rugs, gift cards.

Special Display: historic Family Bibles from area residents. 

Auction items are donated by local businesses. Festival proceeds benefit the Old Spring Place Methodist Church Preservation Fund of the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society. Co-Sponsor: Spring Place Ruritan Club. For more information contact 706-695-2740 or 706-695-2110.

Map & Directions:

Located just South of  Chief Vann House State Historic Site (82 Georgia 225/intersect 52-Alt East). I have to trick Google a bit for GPS, but this should do it: 2700 Spring Place-Smyrna Road, Chatsworth, Georgia. From Chief Vann House, take Georgia 225 South about 1/2 mile, then bear left on S.P.-Smyrna Rd. The church is across from the Dollar General Store.



View Larger Map

Spring Place Festival (Saturday Aug 18th)

Spring Place Festival is here again! Saturday, August 18th, beginning at 8 a.m. at the Old Spring Place Methodist Church on Elm Street in Spring Place. (Directions at bottom of this article).

Features: Flea market, book sale, concessions, bake sale, vendors, booths.
This year's theme: The Civil War Comes to Spring Place.

Confederate Cemetery Tours: The William Luffman Camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans will lead tours of the historic Spring Place Cemetery on Tibbs Bridge Road. Seventy Civil War veterans are buried there.
Photos of some of the soldiers will be included in the display of Spring Place-related Civil War artifacts inside the church. (9 a.m. to 1 p.m., continuous tours).

Civil War Map: (reprints) Chatsworth-Murray County Library will sell reprints of a Civil War-era map.

New books available: (by local author, Ruth Cox): 'Murray County's Civil War Heritage' and also a memoir of her life.


Spring Place Festival
Date/Time: Saturday, August 18th, 2012
Time: Begins at 8 a.m.   
Auction: 10 a.m.
Confederate Cemetery Tours: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (fee)
Location: Elm Street, Spring Place, Georgia
                 at the Old Spring Place Methodist Church
Sponsors: Whitfield-Murray Historical Society
                 Spring Place Ruritan Club.

If the state of Georgia recognized our historic communities as 'towns,' it wouldn't be so difficult to pinpoint us on Google Maps. As it is, we have to 'trick' Google...

Directions:

The Chief Vann House is located three miles west of Chatsworth, Georgia, at the intersection of GA Hwy 52 Alternate and Ga Hwy 225. From the Vann House, take Hwy 225 SOUTH 1.9 miles and turn LEFT onto Fort St W (about 184 feet). This takes you to the intersection of Elm Street and Fort Street, Chatsworth, Georgia (old Spring Place community). The festival is on Elm Street, approximately two miles South of the Chief Vann House, just off of Georgia Highway 225. This map is from a viewpoint in back of the old church. The front of the church is on a little unnamed section of pavement just south of Elm Street and Fort Street intersection, in the triangle that is formed where Elm Street meets Spring Place-Smyrna Road.

MAP (BACK VIEW OF CHURCH): 2700 Spring Place-Smyrna Road, Chatsworth, Georgia.



View Larger Map


To find the Chief Vann House, this search will work on Google maps:
hwy 52 alternate and hwy 225 intersection, chatsworth, ga

To find the church, this search will work:  Elm St and Fort Street, Chatsworth, GA

For more information: (use North Georgia area code *706* for all three numbers):

C. McDaniel 695=2110.
T. Howard 695=2740.
C. Smith 695=8297.

Funds will go to preserve the Old Spring Place Methodist Church (museum), Murray County's oldest public building.

Note to Civil War addicts: After the Battle of Chattanooga, the Yanks camped at Chattanooga and Cleveland, Tennessee ~ Cleveland's most important asset being the railroad there. (The railroad was the key to the supply line for whichever army controlled it.) Confederates were gathering at Dalton. The Union army reorganized to begin The Atlanta Campaign, which was the beginning of the end for the Confederacy. Spring Place, at that time, was still Confederate territory, but Yanks were sending scouts from Cleveland to spy on them. Spring Place was the home of Edmonson's Raiders (Confederate). There weren't any major battles on Murray County soil ~ just a few skirmishes. Renegades and bushwhackers were active in the area, as were Wheeler's men, out to sabotage the railroad at Cleveland and points north. The entire action quickly bypassed Murray County as battles were fought in Tunnel Hill, Dalton, and Resaca, then South from there...

Spring Place Festival 2012

Spring Place Festival, Spring Place, Georgia (2012): The Spring Place Community Festival (near Chatsworth, Georgia) will be held on Saturday, August 18th at the Old Spring Place Methodist Church in Spring Place community near Chatsworth, Georgia. It usually begins at 8 a.m., with an auction early in the day (last year, it was at 10 a.m.). The festival is in its 15th year. This is an old-fashioned community-history based, themed festival. It is small, but has lots of fun and homemade goodies, with a small-town feel ~ a reminder of the old-fashioned community fairs. The event features themed displays, a new and used book sale, bake sale, concessions, indoor flea market, raffle and auction. Proceeds benefit the Old Spring Place Methodist Church Preservation Fund of the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society. The event is co-sponsored by the Spring Place Ruritan Club. This is a great way to treasure hunt in one of the best rummage sales ever, stock up on home-baked goodies, pick up some book bargains, maybe win a raffle or auction item, and reconnect with your home-town community!

Event: 15th Annual Spring Place Community Festival
Date & Time: Saturday, August 18, 2012, beginning 8:00 a.m.
Auction: 10:00 a.m. (as per last year's listing, but please doublecheck!)
Location: Old Spring Place Methodist Church, Elm Street, Chatsworth, Georgia
Theme: to be announced
Co-Sponsors: Whitfield-Murray Historical Society and Spring Place Ruritan Club
Vendors: Local vendors only!

Note: The historic Spring Place community is about seven tenths (0.7) miles south of the Chief Vann House. Take Georgia Highway 225 South from the Vann House, go about 7/10 of a mile, turn left on Elm Street, and see the old church on the right. For Google Maps or Map Quest, search "Elm Street, Chatsworth, GA."

Spring Place Festival

Spring Place Festival, Spring Place, Georgia (2011): The Spring Place Community Festival (near Chatsworth, Georgia) will be held on Saturday, August 20 at Old Spring Place Methodist Church in Spring Place community near Chatsworth, Georgia. It begins at 8 a.m., with an auction at 10 a.m. This is the 14th annual event. This year's theme is All Roads Lead to Spring Place. A display of Historic Georgia and Murray County maps will be the theme feature. This is a small, old-fashioned festival, but lots of fun and homemade goodies, with a small-town feel. There will be a new and used book sale, bake sale, concessions, indoor flea market, raffle and auction. The event is co-sponsored by the Spring Place Ruritan Club. Proceeds benefit the Old Spring Place Methodist Church Preservation Fund of the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society. Hard to believe it's that time of year again!


Event: 14th Annual Spring Place Community Festival
Date & Time: Saturday, August 20, 2011, beginning 8:00 a.m.
Auction: 10:00 a.m.
Location: Old Spring Place Methodist Church, Elm Street, Chatsworth, Georgia
Theme: All Roads Lead to Spring Place
Co-Sponsors: Whitfield-Murray Historical Society and Spring Place Ruritan Club
 
Note: The historic Spring Place community is about seven tenths (0.7) miles south of the Chief Vann House. Take Georgia Highway 225 South from the Vann House, go about 7/10 of a mile, turn left on Elm Street, and see the old church on the right. For Google Maps or Map Quest, search "Elm Street, Chatsworth, GA."

Polk County Ramp Tramp Festival

Polk County, Tennessee: The Polk County Ramp Tramp Festival is coming up, mid-April (dates below). Like many festivals, the Ramp Tramp celebrates the Appalachian culture and lifestyle. Appalachian people were known for scraping a living out of rock and dirt. They knew what to pick and where to find it ~ what made good food and what made medicine. Poke salet (poison unless cooked right ~ and even then, questionable); ramp, blackberries, huckleberries, sassafras, dandelion, black gum, and scaly-bark hickory nuts; all grew wild in the woods and mountains of Appalachia. Used to, so did the nearly extinct American Chestnut ~ but that's another story...

Ramp, a type of lily bulb, is this festival's feature. Ramp is recognized by its broad, flat leaves. It tastes like onion or garlic. Every year, Polk Countians and friends come together for the Ramp Tramp (The Digging of the Ramp). It's an all-day hike up into the mountains ~ something the Appalachians used to do quite often, and think nothing of it, before the couch-potato culture conquered their will and spirit. A day or so later, Ramp Trampers clean and cook their harvest, to be served up as folk-inspired meals of fried-ramp and eggs, fried potatoes, streaked meat, white beans, and cornbread (though not as good as my Mama's cornbread, I guarantee). Bluegrass and gospel music, auction, crafts and a ramp-eating contest top off the festival.

Dates: Ramp Tramp (The Digging of the Ramps all-day hike): Wed., April 22nd (Rain Date: Thurs., April 23rd); meet 8 a.m. at the Polk County courthouse. Music, meal, and festival events: Sat., April 25th, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Camp McCroy (Polk County 4-H Camp) in the Greasy Creek community of Polk County, located 2 1/2 miles off Hwy. 64 on Hwy. 30, between Ocoee and Ducktown, Tennessee. Bluegrass and gospel by Wolf Creek Bluegrass and Steel String Session. And of course, there'll be ramps and cornbread aplenty to eat. Adults $8. Children under 12 $4.

MORE INFO: RAMP-TRAMP WEBSITE

Praters Mill ~ Varnell, GA

Prater's Mill was this past weekend, and the weather was beautiful. We did the booth for Whitfield-Murray Historical Society ~ sold some history books and raffled off a painting. We set up in the mill. The Busy Bee Quilters raffled a quilt. The Busy Bee Raffle is a Prater's Mill tradition ~ they've raffled a quilt every year since the 1970's! They also work on quilts during the festival. This year, it was a pretty, embroidered quilt, with a design of kittens.

There were some nice crafts at Prater's Mill: wonderful hand-wrought silver-and-gemstone jewelry and some lovely handmade pocketbooks. I think the blacksmith was there ~ I had to tour quickly and get back to our booth. I didn't see as many traditional appalachian booths. They used to have people with big iron pots of boiled corn and kettle corn (popcorn). They did have some great food vendors, though, including pit-cooked Southern barbecue, funnel cakes, and Cajun jambalaya.

The fine arts didn't make much of a showing. There weren't many painters. The ones I saw were photo-realists, with Southern scenes as their subjects. One had some nice paintings of Chattanooga's Walnut Street pedestrian bridge (over the Tennessee River).

Even though we set up in the mill, I didn't get a chance to take the tour. I always enjoy it ~ I love to watch the flour and meal being ground, and look out over the millpond. I hope to go again next year, and take my time looking over the booths!

Spring Place Community Festival, August 18th

Chatsworth, Georgia:

The 10th Annual Spring Place Community Festival is coming up, August the 18th. This is a small but nice, old-fashioned community festival, with a "country" atmosphere. It is held annually in Spring Place community, west of Chatsworth, Georgia (not too far from the Chief Vann House, south of it on Hwy. 225).

This is a small festival, but packed with great events. I don't have all the details, but last year featured an antique automobile show for the first time, and I think this year will do the same.
There's always an auction of goods donated by local businesses and community members ~ usually prints, paintings, and sets of books and coins, as well as household items. You never know what they'll have, and the auction is fun to watch.

They usually have a bake sale. (Community festivals that have bake sales are my absolute favorites ~ I always stuff myself silly on pecan pie, chocolate-chip cookies, and homemade fudge ~ can't eat dessert for the rest of the year!) Indoors is a bookstore, featuring new and used books donated by community members. Whitfield-Murray Historical Society also has
books for sale, featuring local authors on Murray County history. There's also a country store set up inside, with homemade jams, jellies, and handicrafts. They also have a great indoor flea market with antiques, collectibles and household items. I have found some wonderful treasures there in the past, at real flea-market prices.

This is one of my favorite rummage sales! There are a few arts-and-crafts booths, with local crafters. Outside are other vendors and concessions, so you won't go hungry. As always, they'll have several raffles of handmade crafts and goods donated by community members.
Volunteers are needed and welcomed. They usually need someone to help with rummage, help set up tables and booth, etcetera. The date for this year's festival is Saturday, August 18th, 2007, from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. Come early so you won't miss the auction
and other events!

For locations, directions and more detail on past events, go to:
http://www.southernmuse.com/southern/spf_about.html

Appalachian Wagon Train Parade, July 6th, 2007

Chatsworth, Georgia: It's Wagon Train time! Every year, 'round about the 4th of July, everybody pours into town to see the wagon train. The festival started June 28th and will continue on through July 8th. There's a week's worth of events, with rodeos, barrel racing, horse shows, livestock auctions, you name it ~ If there's a horse, mule or wagon involved, it goes! One of the main events is the wagon-train parade, down the main street of Chatsworth, Georgia. That event will be on July 6th, 2007 at 6:00 p.m. They used to head on over to Ellijay by horseback, but I'm not sure if they do that anymore. Murray County Saddle Club sponsors this event. This year is the 47th annual event!

Fort Mountain, Chatsworth, Georgia.

[Photo has been retouched for color.]