Blairsville UNION COUNTY BELIEVE IT VisitBlairsvilleGA.com 877-745-5789 2019 BUSINESS DIRECTORY & COMMUNITY GUIDE 2 | Welcome! North Georgia wildlife Butternut Creek Golf Course Contents “Honey, What Do You Say Meet the Commissioner .....................4 We Move to the Mountains?” Calendar of Events ..............................8 Contact Info & Numbers ..................10 It’s hard to imagine how many A Just-Right Mix times those words have been uttered of Big and Small Real Estate Market ...........................12 over the years. But mountain dreams do Newcomers quickly discover a small- Education & Schools ........................20 come true! Whether it’s to raise a family, town way of life with just the right mix start a business or settle in to a more of big-city culture and conveniences. Healthcare..........................................24 relaxing second half, folks who visit here Among other things, you’ll find excellent Community..........................................26 tend to stay. Newcomers discover a way healthcare, an incredible school system, of life that seems almost too good to be a wide variety of arts and theater — plus Business & Industry .........................28 Itrue: Friendly, affordable, and as active recreational facilities that are the envy of Blairsville-Union County or as laid back as you want to be. our neighbors. Fun Facts .........................................32 Who’s Here May Surprise You Best of all, the good life is affordable here! The cost of living is surprisingly Attractions & Recreation .................34 The diversity of people from all over who have moved here, especially over low — Union County has the fifth lowest Arts & Culture ....................................42 the last 20 years, adds an extra layer of property tax rate in the state of Georgia. And who can put a price on the feeling Shopping & Dining ............................44 welcome. You’ll find an eclectic mix of young retirees, free spirits, artists and of sunrise in the mountains? It turns out Venues & Accommodations ..............50 young families, plus friendly locals and that coffee reallydoes taste better with a view! Speaking of coffee, you can go Membership Directory .....................51 yes, a few good ol’ boys. Among your new neighbors, you’re almost certain to from drinking a latte downtown to hik- find someone from “back home.” ing a scenic waterfall, meandering a Published by the Blairsville-Union County Chamber of Commerce, in cooperation with Content Creative LLC (contentcreative.net). Copyright © 2019. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission is prohibited. Photography provided by Scott Michael Anna Photography, the Blairsville- Union County Chamber of Commerce, Commissioner Lamar Paris, the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Jackie Smith, Chad Lariscy, and Chamber members and advertisers. VisitBlairsvilleGA.com | 877-745-5789 | 3 Meeks Park Helton Creek Falls Appalachian Trail signs walking trail in Meeks Park or swinging LOCAL HISTORY a golf club in just minutes. It won’t take long for It may have been gold fever that Work Hard, Live Well originally drew folks to the North Business owners — and those dreaming you to go from being Georgia mountains, but the area’s of starting their own business — will beauty and opportunities surely find a prosperous and supportive busi- a newcomer to feeling made them stay! In the late 1820s, ness community. Business in Blairsville- a gold strike in nearby Dahlonega Union County comes with a slower pace like a local. set off a genuine gold rush in the of life and tight-knit community without guide to answer the call to mountain area. It eventually ran dry, so for- sacrificing modern technology. living — from newcomer information tune hunters moved on. When you’re ready to make the move to a complete list of Blairsville-Union Union County was originally to a place where your family and your County Chamber members who are carved from Cherokee territory business can thrive, we’re here to help. ready to roll out the welcome mat. We’re during the Georgia Land Lottery You’ll find everything you need in this looking forward to calling you “neighbor.” of 1832. It was likely named for the Union Party, a political group that supported removing Native Americans in order to open the THE WEATHER IN A WORD: Wonderful! area to white settlers. In general, we are significantly cooler than other cities in the Southeast and Blairsville, the county seat, was somewhat colder (and sometimes snowier!) thanks to our higher elevation. named after Kentuckian Francis Preston Blair, a supporter of Summers tend to be humid and fairly warm in the mountains, although the days Andrew Jackson and editor of the always start and end somewhat cooler. Temperatures can reach the high 80s or Washington Globe. Blairsville was even the low 90s with rain showers common in the afternoon. originally incorporated in 1835 Fall is glorious, typically with brisk clear days and chilly nights, although an and, to this day, remains the only early season “Indian summer” usually brings a few warm days. Peak leaf color incorporated town in the County. is usually late October to early November, and first frost is usually mid-October. continued on page 4 Winter is definitely snuggle-by-the-fire weather. By November, you’ll have some freezing temperatures at night. A dusting of snow is possible during these colder months, and the mountaintops are frequently capped with snow or rime frost. Spring, especially the period from mid March to early May, is when the moun- tains come back to life and the wildflowers bloom. The weather is mild and the humidity low. It’s the perfect time to open the windows wide and enjoy the crisp mountain air. Thanks to our inland location, we're protected from hurricanes and tornadoes. Occasionally we’ll catch the tail end of a tropical storm with heavy rain, or a small funnel cloud will pop up briefly, but these events are infrequent and rarely cause much damage. 4 | Meet the Commissioner Blairsville Scottish Festival & Highland Games Jim’s Smokin’ Que Vogel State Park beach area The first county courthouse was constructed in the center of town Blairsville Proud in 1835, but it burned down in 1859. It was replaced by a new Meet the Commissioner structure, but that burned again in 1898. Another courthouse was So, exactly how do you become Of course, built in 1899, and it still stands in the Sole Commissioner of Union County? the challenge the center of the Town Square. Some would chuckle and say the job with any area It served the county until 1976, Lamar Paris has held for 18 years now is is balancing when a new structure was built “payback” for being such a community the need to nearby. The old courthouse was booster. There were the years of coach- grow without donated to the Union County His- ing youth football and chairing the “paving over torical Society for preservation. Quarterback Club. There were 10 years paradise.” The county’s first paved road was Son the County Recreation Board, help- Fortunately, completed in 1922. Also during ing to find more fields and more room Union County SOLE COMMISSIONER that time, the United States pur- for people to play. And always, a deep enjoys a steady LAMAR PARIS chased large amounts of land and pride in the mountain community and manage- consolidated it into the Georgia where he was born and raised. able population growth of approxi- National Forest. In 1937, the hold- After taking a well-deserved break, mately 1.5 percent a year. At that pace, ings were renamed the Chatta- Commissioner Paris reluctantly threw municipal services are not overwhelmed hoochee National Forest. Today, his name in the hat when asked to serve — nor is the treasured way of life. tourism is a major industry in the yet again — this time as “Our saving grace is county (tourists spent more than the county’s Sole Com- that more than half of $27 million here in 2017), primar- missioner (Union is one “Newcomers to our county is held by ily due to the national forest and of only eight counties in the Forest Service and also the creation of Lake Nottely Georgia with this unique TVA (Tennessee Valley when the Nottely River was our community form of government). Author ity),” the Commis- dammed in the late 1940s. Now, 18 years later, love what they sioner explains. Yet the Towns Commissioner Paris is as growth is strong enough to • Blairsville (county seat) excited to serve as the first find here — and provide good employment • Suches (unincorporated) day he took office. “I get opportunities throughout to work with great people the community. “When Total Area who are working hard to they want to be I grew up here, you had 322.55 square miles of land make this a great place to to leave the mountains to and 6.47 square miles of water live,” he says. “When new- part of it.” find work. Now, business (329.02 square miles total), comers move here, they love what they owners are bringing their companies situated completely within the find and want to be part of it — they don’t here or starting new ones because of Chattahoochee National Forest want to make it exactly like the place they the lifestyle and amenities.” just came from.” continued on page 6 continued on page 6 VisitBlairsvilleGA.com | 877-745-5789 | 5 6 | Meet the Commissioner Brasstown Bald Brasstown Valley Golf Course Union County Farmers Market Elevation Commissioner Paris is also justifiably Farmers Market or take a stroll along 1,600-4,784 feet above sea level, proud of Union County’s solid finances. Butternut Creek at Meeks Park. I’d want with Brasstown Bald, the highest With a $15 million operating budget and them to see our Fine Arts Center and mountain in Georgia, rising to an additional $3.5 million in funds com- library, which are both unbelievable for a 4,784 feet in the southeast ing in each year from a Special Purpose small town.