Welcome to online space for sharing stories, pictures, and resources about the history & heritage of Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia, USA. Chatt Hills is a small city south of Atlanta Georgia that incorporated in 2007 to preserve and project the rural lands, heritage and culture of this area. |
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Recently Added
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The Origin Story of Chattahoochee Hills
Honoring our past and the founders who helped shape our future By Laurie Searle - Added to the website on 12/5/25 The story pays tribute to the heritage families who built the rural communities and kinship networks that defined our landscape. It follows the succession of leaders and citizens who created and sustained this unique city. And it pays homage to Mayor Tom Reed, who believed that preserving a place is one of the greatest gifts a person can leave behind. See Chatt Hills Origin Story |
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This page also includes the a copy of The Chatt Hills Incorporation Album that was presented to Mayor Tom Reed as a retirement gift in appreciation for his 14 years serving as mayor and his prior civic leadership roles.
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Rivertown United Methodist Church Celebrates 138 Years
By Laurie Searle - Added to the website on 7/21/25 Rivertown United Methodist Church, among the oldest African American churches in Chattahoochee Hills, stands as a testament to faith, perseverance, and divine purpose. In honor of its 138 years of faithful service, Chatt Hills History gifted a special barn quilt, which was unveiled and dedicated at its Homecoming service on July 20, 2025. In addition to Rivertown's story on the Chatt Hills Barn Quilt Trail website, the Rivertown UM Church page on Chatt Hills History has been augmented with its history, photos, newsletter article, video and print transcripts. Additionally, its history files on this website have been compiled for donation to the city of Chattahoochee Hills historical archives at Old Campbell County Historical Society in Palmetto, GA. See Rivertown UM Church. |
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Chattahoochee Hills Civic Association (2008 - 2012)
By Laurie Searle - Added to the website on 4/4/25 2008 was a year of new beginnings. With our new City of Chattahoochee Hills officially open for business, our mayor and council faced a daunting task of establishing services, hiring personnel, and setting up the structure for the City’s government. When civic-minded residents offered their help, Mayor Don Hayes came up with a plan. Mayor Hayes initiated a volunteer support system to help residents align their volunteer efforts with the needs of the City. He identified five broad volunteer groups and assigned a city council representative to serve as liaison to each group. After the volunteer groups formed, they decided to formally organize as the Chattahoochee Hills Civic Association. Read about the incredible progress volunteers made in the early days of our cityhood. See: Chattahoochee Hills/2008 CH Civic Assoc |
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Reminiscing on life in Palmetto & Chattahoochee Hills, GA
A Neighborly Ramble with Carole Harper, Susan Roper, and Lisa Harper By Laurie Searle (June 1 2024) - Added to the website on 7/24/24) Whether sitting at the kitchen table or visiting at the country grocery store, friends and neighbors often pause to catch up on the news of the day and share stories from the past. This “neighborly ramble” is a small-town tradition that builds a sense of place and binds us to our rural heritage. In this oral history, Carole Harper and Susan Roper reminisce on their long-time friendship and shared experiences living in Palmetto & Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia. Later in the story, Carole’s daughter Lisa joins in the ramble, sharing her experiences with Carole and Susan. See: Collections/Stories/Oral Histories/Carole Harper |
Left to Right: Susan Roper, Carole Harper, Lisa Harper
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Cackle Corner Farms:
Memories of the "Goode" Life, Back in the Day By Laurie Searle (April 2022) Added to the website on 4/28/20 Locals and visitors alike have heard of “Cackle Corners” – a landmark at the intersection of Cochran Mill and Rivertown Roads. But few may know the origins of this quirky name. Hidden from view behind lush landscaping at this intersection is a modest farm house. Built in the 1860s and first occupied by two heritage families, the home is better known for its time spent as Cackle Corner Farms – a chicken farm owned and operated by the Goode family from 1952-1992. [READ MORE] Located in: Collections/Landmarks/Farms/Cackle Corner Farms |
Harry Kenneth Goode (known as H.K), owned and operated Cackle Corner Farms.
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The Last Full Measure
By Kenyon Langley (May 2010) Added to the website on 4/25/22 Memorial Day is the day our country has set aside to remember and honor members of our armed forces who lost their lives as a result of their service in combat. This presentation is intended to do just that, to remember and honor those who went to war and never returned home, home to the area now known as Chattahoochee Hills. Only two have been identified: Marvin Gullatt and Clyde Bearden. Both were killed in World War II. However, three others will also be remembered: Richard Long, James Cotton, and Winston Shell. Although they never lived here, Richard’s and Jim’s families moved to the area shortly after World War II and still have an active presence in the community. Winston and his family lived in Palmetto and were active members of New Hope Methodist Church. The unfortunate fact is that very little information is now available. World War II ended sixty-five years ago and personal remembrances have faded. It should be viewed as a blessing that such time has passed without others being added to the list. [READ MORE] |
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Old Mills of Mystery
By: Lila (Hargis) Rhyne (1998) Added to the website on 5/2/21 Old Mills of Mystery documents five historic mills in Chattahoochee Hills: Henry's Mill, Wortham's Mill, Owen Cochran Mill, Berry Cochran Mill and Wilkerson Mill. The project includes narrative and photographs from Lila's report, done in 1998 as a school project. It also includes other resources, such as newsletter stories about Wilkerson Mill, the only standing mill left in South Fulton County. See Collections/Landmarks/Mill or click on this LINK. |
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Cedar Grove Community
By: Laurie Searle Added to the website on 12/26/20) The Cedar Grove Community joined the City of Chattahoochee Hills in 2015, when a citizen-led effort annexed 4,920 acres into the city, which included four miles of Cedar Grove Rd. As the newest historic community in our city, little information has been collected on its heritage to date. What we do know is that once upon a time, Brock's Store was the center hub of the community, the Cedar Grove Elementary School supported more than 200 children before closing, and the Cedar Grove Community Center is still in use by the Tuesday Night Music Group, and the Cedar Grove Community Association. Join us in learning more about the Cedar Grove Community by reading what we've collected so far, and by sharing your stories. [READ MORE]. |
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J. F. Beavers House - Historic Displays
By: Laurie Searle May 2017 (Added to the website on 11/26/20) The John F. Beavers House (circa early 1800s) is the last remaining home in the town square of Campbellton. It is located just past the intersection of GA-154 Cascade Palmetto Hwy and GA-92 Campbellton Fairburn Rd, in the City of Chattahoochee Hills, GA. When the City of Chattahoochee Hills acquired the Beavers House in 2017, Laurie Searle created a series of displays to document the history of the home and its surrounding area. The eight displays were added to this website on 11/26/20 and are presented in chronological order. [READ MORE] |
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Smith's Grocery
By: J. Kenyon Langley October 2020 That’s the proper name for it now, "Smith's Grocery," with Kenny Smith the owner (since 2003). But everybody calls it Smith’s Store or “Kenny’s." Before that it was John R. Smith Grocery, with John Smith, Kenny’s father, the owner (beginning in 1950). Again, everybody referred to it as Smith’s Store or "John's." And before that it was J. B. Smith Grocery, with Mr. Burnett Smith, John's father, the owner. I can only assume that most people then also called it Smith's Store or “Burnett’s.” We are now back to the year 1914. It only took three steps to cover one hundred six years. That was the year Mr. Burnett bought the store from Mr. Adams. Like 106 tree rings, each year encapsulates the history and character of the community known as Rico. I will try to relate some of that history and character. [READ MORE] |
Burnett Smith's Grocery Store in Rico Georgia c. 1920
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Where Lies John Cash?
By: J. Kenyon Langley September 2020 Old Rico Cemetery is a mystery. Very little is really known about its history and origins. About a year ago, a chance encounter set a Chatt Hills resident on a path to unravel some of its mysteries in order to solve another mystery. Where lies John Cash? [READ MORE] |
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Rico Scout Hut
Residents know the building at the corner of Upper Wooten & Rico Roads as The Scout Hut. But if these walls could talk, they'd spin a yarn or two about the olden days when the building served as a general store, post office, masonic lodge, another store, civic club, haunted house, and last but not least, a meeting place for Boy Scout Troop 717. Built in the late 1800s, the Scout Hut has long been a historic treasure in the Rico Community. Last year, that treasure became the property of the City of Chattahoochee Hills when its owner gifted it to the city, hoping to secure the building’s long-term care and community use. See what's in store on the next step of the Scout Hut's journey. [Read More] |
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Floyd Family Cemetery
Old Cemetery - New Find September 7, 2020 When a resident recently discovered the Chatt Hills History website and its cemetery page, he wondered, "Why isn't the Floyd Family Cemetery listed?" As it turned out, he knew something we didn't know. He knew that this cemetery, located on his daughter's property, had been professionally surveyed in 2004, and that at least two different families are represented there. Monument inscriptions indicate that children were born to W.A. and M.F. Floyd in 1871, and to J.S. and Harriet Floyd in 1860. But the surveyor failed to find additional information about these families. In September 2020, we did additional research for our cemetery report and discovered the family trees for John Stovall Floyd and Wiley Alexander Floyd. But oddly enough, neither one lists the children buried in this cemetery. Read the Floyd Family Cemetery Report and let us know if you can help unravel this mystery. |
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Benjamin Templeton Watkins
Source: Ancestry.com
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Watkins Log Cabin at
Grove Creek Farm, Crawford, GA
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Benjamin T. Watkins Log Cabin:
Gone but not forgotten By: Laurie Searle April 2018 Benjamin T. Watkins (1797-1875), an early settler in Campbell County, built a log cabin on his homeplace in present day Chattahoochee Hills. As Father Time threatened to take the cabin, it was rescued, relocated, and restored as part of The Georgia Log Cabin project. Read about the cabin's journey to its present location and how it may one day come back home to Chattahoochee Hills. Story filed in Collections/Family/Watkins |