Toccoa, Georgia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Toccoa, Georgia
City
Stephens County Courthouse in Toccoa
Logo
Nickname(s):  Toccoa the Beautiful
Motto(s):  "The Heart of Northeast Georgia"
Location in Stephens County and the state of Georgia
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Stephens
Area
• Total	9.23 sq mi (23.90 km2)
• Land	9.16 sq mi (23.72 km2)
• Water	0.07 sq mi (0.17 km2)
Elevation	994 ft (303 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	9,133
• Density	997.05/sq mi (384.97/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code	30577
Area code(s)	706
FIPS code	13-76756
GNIS feature ID	0333240

Toccoa is a city in northeastern Georgia, close to the South Carolina border. It is the main city, or county seat, of Stephens County. Toccoa is about 50 miles (80 km) from Athens and 90 miles (140 km) northeast of Atlanta. In 2020, about 9,133 people lived here.

Toccoa's Past: A Look at History

Toccoa, 1941

Long before European settlers arrived, the area around Toccoa was home to Native American groups. The Mississippian culture and later the Yuchi people lived here for over 1,000 years. They were known for building large earthen mounds.

Archeologists studied the area in 1957. They found that the first settlement was built around 800 CE. It lasted until 1700 when the village was burned. By then, it was home to people who were ancestors of the Muscogee Creek tribe.

Early European Contact

One of the first English colonists to write about Toccoa was Col. George Chicken in 1725. He called it "Toxsoah."

By 1740, an important Native American trading path, the Unicoi Turnpike, passed through Toccoa. This path connected Tennessee to Savannah. It started near the Savannah River, close to Toccoa Creek. In 1830, it became a road where people had to pay a fee to use it.

Toccoa in the United States Era

European Americans began to settle here after the American Revolutionary War. Soldiers were given land grants instead of pay. A group led by Col. William H. Wofford moved to the area. It became known as Wofford's Tract. Col. Wofford is buried near Toccoa Falls.

Early travelers crossed the Tugaloo River using shallow areas or ferries. The first Prather's Bridge was a swinging bridge built in 1804. It was washed away by heavy rain.

In 1820, Georgia held a Land Lottery. Many Scots-Irish people moved here from North Carolina and the Georgia coast. The Georgia Gold Rush in 1828 also brought new settlers.

The government wanted to take land from Native American tribes for cotton farms. President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830. This law allowed the government to force tribes to give up their land. The Cherokee were forced to move in 1838 on the "Trail of Tears." This opened up their lands for sale to European Americans.

A stronger bridge was built across the Tugaloo River in 1850. James D. Prather built his plantation house, Riverside, that year. It was a large Greek Revival style house. Enslaved African-American workers built the house using timber from the plantation.

During the American Civil War, General Robert Toombs hid at Riverside from Union soldiers. The Prather Bridge was burned in 1863 by Confederate troops. This was done to stop Union soldiers from crossing. The bridge was rebuilt several times but was finally burned down by vandals in 1978.

Toccoa became the county seat of Stephens County in 1905.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt visited Toccoa on March 23, 1938. He stopped briefly during the Great Depression. He spoke from his train before traveling to Gainesville.

Camp Toccoa was a World War II training base for paratroopers. It was the first training base for the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. This group was part of the Army's 101st Airborne Division. Their "Easy Company" became famous in the book and HBO show Band of Brothers.

Traveler's Rest, an old 19th-century inn, is located outside Toccoa. It is also known as Jarrett Manor. This inn is now a National Historic Landmark. It is near Lake Hartwell, which was formed by building the Hartwell Dam in 1962.

Toccoa Falls is a beautiful natural waterfall. It is 186 feet (57 meters) high. You can find it on the campus of Toccoa Falls College. A short path leads to the base of the falls.

Toccoa's Location and Weather

Toccoa is located at 34°34′29″N 83°19′12″W / 34.57472°N 83.32000°W / 34.57472; -83.32000.

The city covers about 8.4 square miles (22 km²). Most of this area is land, with a small amount of water. Toccoa is about 303 meters (994 feet) above sea level.

Toccoa has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and mild winters.

People of Toccoa: Demographics

Population in 2020

In 2020, Toccoa had 9,133 people living in 3,359 households.

Toccoa's Economy

Shops in downtown Toccoa

The Stephens County Development Authority helps bring new businesses to the area. They work to attract factories, distribution centers, and company offices. This helps create jobs and grow the economy in Toccoa and nearby towns.

Some of the biggest employers in Stephens County include:

• Stephens County School System
• Caterpillar
• Patterson Pump
• American Woodmark Corp.
• Toccoa Falls College
• Coats & Clark
• Eaton Corporation

1st Franklin Financial Corporation, a financial services company, also started in Toccoa.

Arts and Culture in Toccoa

Yearly Events and Festivals

Toccoa hosts many fun events throughout the year. These include:

• Currahee Military Weekend
• Ida Cox Music Series
• Toast of Toccoa
• Summer Movies at the Ritz
• Harvest Festival
• ChristmasFest
• Christmas Parade

Music Scene

Toccoa is home to the Toccoa Symphony Orchestra. This group of volunteer musicians performs symphonic music for the community. They put on at least three concerts each season. The orchestra often works with other musicians and local choirs.

The rock band Luxury started at Toccoa Falls College in the early 1990s.

Miles Through Time Automotive Museum

The Miles Through Time Automotive Museum used to be in Toccoa. It showed over 100 years of car history. This museum has now moved to Clarkesville, Georgia.

Currahee Military Museum

Currahee Military Museum

The Currahee Military Museum is in downtown Toccoa. It is located in the old train station. This museum is dedicated to the paratroopers of World War II who trained at Camp Toccoa. Camp Toccoa was near Currahee Mountain.

The museum has a special exhibit about the 101st Airborne Division's Easy Company. This company became famous from the Band of Brothers miniseries. The museum also has a building that was part of the original Camp Toccoa.

Annual Currahee Challenge

Every October, a six-mile race is held on the Colonel Sink Trail. This is the same trail that paratroopers used for training. The race is part of the Currahee Military Weekend. This weekend includes military reenactments, weapons displays, and a parade.

Ritz Theatre

The Ritz Theatre is a restored movie theater from 1939. It is in downtown Toccoa. This Art Deco style theater is now used for many different kinds of shows and events.

Ritz Theatre

Other Interesting Places

The Albemarle Hotel in downtown Toccoa has a long history. The current building was built in the 1930s. It is part of the Downtown Toccoa Historic District and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Albermarle Hotel

Education in Toccoa

Stephens County Schools

Stephens County Schools serves students from preschool to twelfth grade. The district has four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. There are over 4,405 students and 304 full-time teachers.

Schools in Toccoa

• Stephens County High School (grades 9–12)
• Stephens County Middle School (grades 6–8)
• Stephens County Fifth Grade Academy (grade 5)
• Liberty Elementary (grades 1-2)
• Toccoa Elementary (grades 3-4)
• Big A Elementary (grades Pre K-K)

Stephens County High School opened a new building in 2012. It has a large gymnasium and better facilities for arts and learning.

Crossroads Juvenile Academy is an alternative school. It helps students who need a second chance. Mountain Education Center is an online night school. It helps students earn a Georgia high school diploma.

Colleges and Higher Education

Toccoa is home to Toccoa Falls College, a private Christian college. North Georgia Technical College also has a campus, called Currahee, just south of Toccoa.

Getting Around Toccoa: Transportation

Toccoa Amtrak Station

Amtrak's Crescent train stops in Toccoa. This train connects Toccoa to major cities like New York, Washington, Atlanta, and New Orleans. The train station is at 47 North Alexander Street.

Construction of the Wells Viaduct over the North Broad River near Toccoa, 1901

Toccoa also has a small airport called Toccoa Airport. It is sometimes called R.G. LeTourneau Field.

The closest major highway is Interstate 85. State highway 17 goes around Toccoa, while 17 Alt goes through the city. US highway 123 and state highway 365 also pass through Toccoa.

Media in Toccoa

The local newspaper, The Toccoa Record, was started in 1873.

The radio station WNEG (AM) and 93.1 FM broadcasts from Toccoa. It first went on air in 1956.

Downtown Toccoa's History and Renewal

Downtown Toccoa is located near the courthouse and the train station. From the 1950s to the 1980s, downtown was a busy shopping area. Many national stores were located there.

In the 1960s, shopping malls started to become popular. This caused many downtown businesses to struggle. To help, Toccoa and other towns built concrete covers over sidewalks and closed streets to cars. This created a walking-only mall. However, this did not help businesses and actually made things worse.

When a major department store, Belk Gallant, announced it would move, community leaders formed Main Street Toccoa in 1990. They wanted to improve the downtown area. In 1991, experts suggested removing the covers and opening the streets to cars again. It took many years for this idea to gain support.

Over time, the covers started to fall apart. Businesses continued to struggle, and many buildings were empty. Finally, with growing support, the project to remove the covers and reopen the streets began. Many groups helped raise money for this project.

Downtown renovation construction phase, 2007

During the renovation in 2008, many storefronts were fixed up. New businesses opened, creating new jobs. Toccoa's Main Street was reopened to cars.

The Currahee Military Museum has also helped downtown's comeback. It is in the restored historic train station. The museum has a large collection of items from the 506th Easy Company, the World War II paratrooper group. The train station building was also restored to look like it did before the 1940s. It now houses the Chamber of Commerce, a Welcome Center, and the Currahee Military Museum.

The newly restored courthouse also helps make downtown Toccoa a great place to visit. This project brought the historic 1907 building back to life.

Awards for Toccoa

Toccoa has received several awards for its efforts to improve and preserve its downtown area:

• 2008 Excellence in Downtown Development Award
• 2009 Great America Main Street Top Ten Semi-finalist
• 2009 Excellence in Rehabilitation Award
• 2014 and 2021 Georgia Exceptional Main Street (GEMS) Community designation
• 2017 Chairman's Award for Excellence in Historic Rehabilitation
• 2018 Downtown Excellence Award in Promotions
• 2018 Community Grand Award
• 2019 Live, Work, Play Community award

Kelly Barnes Dam Incident

On November 6, 1977, the Kelly Barnes Dam broke. It released a large amount of water over the Toccoa Falls College campus. This event resulted in the deaths of 39 people. First Lady Rosalynn Carter visited Toccoa the next day.

Notable People from Toccoa

Many well-known people were born or have lived in Toccoa:

• Paul Anderson (1932–1994) – Olympic gold medalist in weightlifting.
• James Brown (1933–2006) – Famous singer and songwriter.
• Bobby Byrd (1934–2007) – Musician and songwriter.
• Ida Cox (1896–1967) – Blues singer.
• Dale Davis (born 1969) – Former professional basketball player.
• DeForest Kelley (1920–1999) – Actor, known for Star Trek.
• R. G. LeTourneau (1888-1969) – Inventor and giver to charity.
• McKenzie Coan (born 1996) - Swimmer and 2016 Paralympic gold medalist.
• Kimberly Schlapman (born 1969) – Member of the country music band Little Big Town.
• Billy Shaw (born 1938) – Pro Football Hall of Fame member.
• Aaron Shust (born 1975) – Christian singer.
• Pat Swilling (born 1964) – Professional football player.

Toccoa in Books and Movies

The novel Fireworks Over Toccoa by Jeffrey Stepakoff was published in 2010.

Several movies have been filmed in Toccoa:

• County Line (2017)
• Heritage Falls (2016)
• Legal Action (2018)
• The Legend of 5 Mile Cave (2018)
• Southern Comfort (2001)
• The Warrant (2019)
• When We Last Spoke (2018)

Images for kids

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  Traveler's Rest, a historic 19th-century inn

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  Toccoa Falls, a natural waterfall

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  Kelly Barnes Lake after the dam break, 1977

See also

In Spanish: Toccoa para niños