Our headquarters is open Monday-Friday, 10:00-4:00.
You may drop off rummage for our two annual sales during business hours. If you need other help, please email us at whitfieldmurrayhs@gmail.com &/or call 706-278-0217.
Upcoming Events
Second Saturday Tours at Wright Hotel and Chatsworth Depot
June 10, 2023
July 8, 2023
August 12, 2023
1 pm to 4 pm
201 E. Market St. Chatsworth, GA.
Annual Spring Place Community Festival
August 19, 2023
Begins at 8 a.m.
237 Elm. St., Chatsworth, GA 30705
Jeep & Truck Show
2023 Vet Classic
September 16, 2023
Prater's Mill Historic Site
5845 GA-2, Dalton
‘SATURDAY SINGING AT THE DEPOT’
CONCERT AT THE CHATSWORTH DEPOT
June 10, 2023
1-4pm Concert @ 2:30pm Corner of Market St. & 1st. Ave., Chatsworth
The event will feature congregational singing from the "Red Book" Church Hymnal. The Winkler Sisters--above left to right: Linda West, Charlotte Chauncey, Rita Hawkins, and Vickie Chapman--will sing two or three specials during the event. Visit the historic Wright Hotel and Chatsworth Depot 1-4pm.
*1905 Depot was Chatsworth’s first public building and will be open for tours. *1909 Wright Hotel Tours complete with period and original furnishings will be open for tours.
*Tours and concert are free and provided complements of our business partners First National Community Bank, Murray County’s Elected Officials, Dr. John Robson, and Bojangles/Captain D’s/Krystal Restaurants of Chatsworth
Annual Spring Place Community Festival
August 19
237 Elm St., Chatsworth, GA. 30705
Begins at 8 a.m.
“What’s Cooking in Spring Place?” is the theme for the 26th annual Spring Place Community Festival, set for Saturday, August 19 at the Old Spring Place Methodist Church.
A used book sale, breakfast biscuits, a bake sale, an indoor flea market, a “cooking” raffle and other activities will begin at 8 a.m. Highlighting the day is the auction including artist prints, collectibles and historical memorabilia, furniture, rugs, antiques, and gift cards donated by area businesses.
The outdoor auction begins at 10:00.
The Festival is co-sponsored by the Spring Place Ruritan Club. Pictures and artifacts relating to cooks, cooking, kitchens, and recipes from the community will be featured in a special display. Proceeds from the festival will go to the church preservation fund of the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society.
For more information contact 706-695-2740 or 706-264-3968.
The Whitfield-Murray Historical Society was founded in 1952 as part of an effort to restore the historic Vann House in Spring Place, Georgia. In 1976, following a period of inactivity, the Society was reorganized as a non-profit organization seeking to preserve and document the history of Whitfield and Murray Counties. The WMHS maintains eight local historical properties which would otherwise be in danger of neglect or destruction, and many one-of-a-kind documents that are unavailable elsewhere.
WMHS presented their 29th Annual Historic Preservation Awards on May 7, 2023, at the Crown Garden and Archives, located at 715 Chattanooga Avenue, Dalton, GA 30720
The 2023 Preservation Awards were awarded as follows.
Lonnie Eoff was presented with an award by Dale Lowman.
Ellen Thompson presented Bruce Davies with an award.
Roland Rankin was presented an award by Judy Alderman.
All of these award recipients have made innumerable contributions to preserving the important history of Whitfield and Murray Counties.
High School Students were presented with scholarships based on their contributions to historical preservation.
The Pete Sims/Mary Gene Dykes Scholarships were awarded to Dalton High students Sarah Forberger, Nellie Gregg, Parth Karande and Anna La.
The James and Nell Ruth Loughridge Scholarships were awarded to Murray High students Ben Clark and Cameron Cloer.
The Paul Ross Scholarships went to North Murray High students Janna Baggett, Wakelynn Legg, and Anslei Powers.
The Dot Seaton Scholarship was awarded to Northwest Whitfield High students Mary Jones, David Minter, and Alex Ogles.
The Marvin Sowder/I.V. Chandler Scholarships were awarded to Southeast Whitfield students Chaston Atkins and Jazmine Ayabar.
No students entered the scholarship competition from Coahulla Creek High School. The scholarship is named in honor of Judy Alderman and Dr. Don Thomas.
A special thanks goes to Mashburn Trust/Foundation for a grant supporting the scholarship fund.
The 2023 Preservation Awards were awarded as follows.
Roland Rankin was presented an award by Judy Alderman
Lonnie Eoff was presented with an award by Dale Lowman.
Bruce Davies was presented with an award by Ellen Thompson.
Picture Captions:
Student Recipients of Scholarships:
L-R Front Row: Janna Baggett, Anslei Powers, Mary Jones, Jazmine Ayabar
L-R Back Row: Ben Clark, Chaston Atkins, David Minter, Alex Ogles
Not pictured: Sarah Forberger, Nellie Gregg, Parth Karande, Anna La, Cameron Cloer, and Wakelynn Legg.
Scholarship recipients Anna La, Parth Karande, & Nellie Gregg.
Tours, Trains and More
in Downtown Chatsworth
Second Saturdays This Summer
The Chatsworth Depot and The Wright Hotel
The Chatsworth Depot and The Wright Hotel, located on First Avenue and Market Street in downtown Chatsworth, have been important local gathering places since the City was founded early in the 20th Century. The Whitfield-Murray Historical Society continues that tradition with its annual “Second Saturday” events at these historic venues.
The 2023 “Second Saturday” season gets underway on June 10 with the return of the popular “Singing at the Depot”. Highlights include group singing favorite selections from the well-known “redback” Church Hymnal used in area churches for decades with special songs by Murray County’s own Winkler Sisters (Linda, Charlotte, Rita, and Vicki). There is no admission charged for the event. The Depot will be open from 1-4 p.m. with the singing getting underway at 2:30.
For many years travelers on the original Louisville and Nashville Railroad through Chatsworth could spend the night at The Wright Hotel. This National Register Historic Site was constructed in 1909 and operated into the 1960’s. This three-story structure will be open for tours as well. The building features period furnishings along with exhibits about early Murray County history.
On display for the first time will be a collection of artifacts and photographs from the Colvard Community in northwest Murray County. Among the items on display will be books from the Colvard School, items used in country stores like the one which operated at the corner of Hall’s Chapel Road and GA 225 for most of the 20th Century, Dr. T.W. Colvard’s business ledger, letters and record books of Mrs. Julia Colvard—perhaps the only woman who served as a church or school trustee in early Murray County. The collection has been donated to the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society by area residents and Colvard descendants Julia Clary and Sarah Badger. Visitors can also see a “new” selection of hand tufted and chenille bedspreads from the Wells-Bradley family recently donated by Murray County native Kay Moreland Hargrett. Hotel tours are also free and begin at 1 p.m.
Second Saturdays are sponsored by area businesses including Bradley Ace Hardware, Peeples Funeral Home, Krystal/Bojangles/Captain D’s, and First National Community Bank along with Dr. John Robison and Murray County’s elected officials. Donations are always encouraged to assist with the preservation of these historic buildings.
For more information check both the Wright Hotel and Chatsworth Depot Facebook pages as well as the historical society website at www.whitfield-murrayhistoricalsociety.org. Second Saturdays on July 8 and August 10 will feature local authors and their newest works as well as a popular blue train!
For Sale
Oak Dining set
Round table with 2 extensions
and 4 chairs.
$200 for the set
Call 706-278-0217
or stop by to look at it
715 Chattanooga Ave. Dalton
Monday through Friday
10 to 4 pm.
Volunteer Training at the Chief Vann House
In anticipation of a busy spring and summer, the Friends of the Vann House and staff of the Vann House are actively recruiting volunteers to act as docents at the site. Volunteers have been a mainstay of the operation at Spring Place for decades and more hands are needed. This summer the Vann House will celebrate 65 years as a state-operated historic site--although tourists have been visiting since the 1800's and even more are expected in the coming months.
A training session is scheduled for Saturday, April 22 from 10 a.m. until 12 noon. Site manager Irina Garner and long-time employee-volunteer Tim Howard will be leading the session which will include tours of the main house as well as the exhibits in the interpretive cabin and on the Cherokee homestead.
The event is designed to prepare folks who want to be docents for tour groups, school field trips, or to help with special events like Vann House Days in July and the Candlelight Tours every December. Participants will be given a manual and "take home" materials for further study so each can be better prepared for future programs.
To sign up for the docent training simply call the site at 706-695-2598 and leave your name and phone number. There is no charge and each participant will also receive something special from the Friends of the Vann House.
The Whitfield Murray Historical Society has an exciting year coming up with many plans. They also recently elected new officers.
Pictured from left to right are:
Marsha Whitener, 2nd Vice President; Susan Longley, 1st Vice President; Dale Lowman, President; Mandy White, Secretary; Lisa Stafford, Treasurer; Patty Spanjer, Public Relations
MY LIFE AND TRAVELS
written by former slave
LEVI BRANHAM
has been reprinted.
I WAS born in 1852 in Murray county, Georgia, and lived there until 1863. Then I refugeed from here (Murray county) to South Georgia, Terrell county of which Dawson was the county seat.
My first owner that I am able to recollect was Dr. Black, who later sold me to Mr. Jim Edmondson. Dr. Black not only sold me but he sold all of his negroes to Mr. Edmondson, declaring that he (Mr. Edmondson) would not separate the Negroes.
A white boy, Sam Carter, brother of Sooth Carter, was my first white playmate that I am able to remember. We would tie pine tops together to make a seine to catch fish.
So begins the story of an incredible man who made a huge difference in the Northwest corner of Georgia. He was a slave at the Chief Vann House in Murray County. Because he was taught to read and write by his Mistress while a slave, he recognized the advantage of an education. He taught schools following the Civil War. He traveled around the area, helping found educational opportunities for freed slaves and their families/ He was also a Sunday school teacher. Mr. Branham, known locally as "Uncle Boisey" published My Life and Travels in 1929, when he was seventy-seven years old.
The book has just been reprinted and will be available for $8 at the Crown Gardens & Archives, 715 Chattanooga Ave, Dalton, GA 30720. (706) 278-0217
We have an assortment of years of high school yearbooks from Dalton High and Southeast High Schools. The yearbooks are used and are sold as is.
The books are $20 each.
Stop by the Crown Gardens and Archives at 715 Chattanooga Avenue, Dalton 30720 to purchase your book.
The hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Whitfield-Murray Historical Society recently received a $500 Keep Dalton/Whitfield Beautiful Grant for the 1840 Hamilton House. Our focus was to add fresh paint to the doors and windows. Along the way, we also painted porch furniture and added new plantings. Thanks,KD/WB, for encouraging us to spiff up!
The window paint was chipping, and we needed a facelift! In addition to the fresh paint, we decided to change the paint color from brick red to black for the doors and porch.
The new paint pops, and the side porch bench and floor are more welcoming.
Notice:
All Whitfield-Murray Historical Society properties are owned by the historical society, so are therefore private property.
If you would like to use the grounds for photographs, etc., please obtain permission by calling 706-278-0217, Monday through Friday.
Please note that if an event is occurring on the property, no one else is allowed to be on the property.
Professional photographers must schedule events for all outside & inside areas at all WMHS properties. The fee for the rental is $100 per session per property.
Rent a Whitfield Murray Historical Society Property for your next event.
As you plan upcoming family or organization events, consider using WMHS property. Contacts for information &/or reservations are:
Old Spring Place Methodist Church
Call Tim at 706-695-2740
Crown Garden and Archives
Call Tina at 706-278-0217
Hamilton House
Call Tina at 706-278-0217
Blunt House
Call Joanne at 706-271-8702
Huff House
Call Virgelia at 706-226-6774
Chatsworth Depot
Call Ted at 706-581-5482
Wright Hotel
Call Ralph at 706-695-9808 or 706-260-1320
Historical Dalton City Directories are online
Researchers may now access Dalton city directories from 1940-1963 online, thanks to Georgia Public Library Service. They joined previously digitized Georgia city directories from Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Columbus, Gainsville, and Macon. To locate a city directory, go to the following link.
All Murray County deeds--back to 1833--are now accessible online. This includes the earliest deeds for Whitfield County, too, since we were one county through 1851. Use this link to access the deeds:
Whitfield-Murray Historical Society Benefits from Grants
During the COVID-19 virus pandemic, the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society has benefited from both member donations & government grants. The US government’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), created to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll, enabled the organization to cover employee payroll, payroll taxes, & utilities. The Society also received funds from the Georgia Humanities Council through the CARES Act Emergency Operating grant. WMHS is grateful for this state humanities support.
Organized in 1952 to preserve the Vann House, the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society is the pivot point for all things historical in Whitfield & Murray counties. The Society preserves area history by maintaining structures, archiving objects & materials, & serving as the go-to entity for historical questions. WMHS also conducts historic house tours, bi-annual rummage sales, and Holiday House tours. Among the many activities conducted by the WMHS are Social Distancing Concerts at the Chatsworth Depot. Upcoming date is August 8.
The Society has placed 11 sites on the National Register of Historic Places. In addition, the group has preserved the 1864 Dug Gap Battle Park, the 1909 Wright Hotel, old Spring Place Methodist Church (1875), & the 1905 Chatsworth Depot. The 1840 Hamilton House which is the oldest home in Dalton, and the 1848 Blunt House, home of Dalton’s first mayor, and second oldest house are also part of the preservation done by WMHS. The 1855 Huff House was General Joseph E. Johnston’s headquarters during the winter of 1863-64 preparing for the Atlanta Campaign is another WMHS property.
WMHS headquarters, Crown Gardens and Archives--the 1890 Crown Cotton Mill office building--is a resource for local historical & genealogical research. The Society sells books on local history & publishes a bi-monthly newsletter as well as a historical review. Annual scholarships are awarded to young researchers, & historic preservation awards recognize area preservationists. Meetings feature topics of local historical interest in Whitfield & Murray counties.
Individuals interested in local history are encouraged to join the Society. Donations to aid in the very important work of protecting our local history may be mailed to: WMHS, P.O. Box 6180, Dalton, GA 30722. For more information, call 706-278-0217, or visit http://www.whitfield-murrayhistoricalsociety.org.
Bylines: Sherrian Hall, Jean Manly, and Joanne Lewis scraping old wall paper at the Blunt House, one of the WMHS historic properties.
Children at one of the history camps rubbing tombstones.
Sherrian Hall, Jean Manly, and Joanne Lewis scraping old wall paper at the Blunt House
Children at one of the history camps rubbing tombstones
Copies of Dorothy "Dot" McCrory's poetry book,
"Too Much Cider in the Applesauce,"
are available at the Crown Gardens & Archives,
715 Chattanooga Ave. Dalton GA
Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Copies are $25.
A copy can be mailed for $35.
Book sales benefit the Lesche Club scholarship fund.
Hours at Crown Garden and Archives
To better serve our community
we are open M-F 10am - 4pm.
Please call to schedule an appointment on weekends and evenings for research and events!
For research, please call to verify that we have the family files.
To make an appointment, please call during our business hours!
