Summerville is in Chattooga, County Georgia in north Georgia. We took a walk downtown during our trip and found a park that held a history and something I’ve never seen. A working railroad turntable!
The city was decorated for Memorial Day when we walked through it. Red, white, and blue was everywhere! The lights came on at dusk and gave this historical town a warm glow.
Dowdy Park, located at the intersection of Highway 27 and University Street, had three gems for us to see. The first was Veteran’s Memorial Park with a tribute to all who have served from Chattooga County, Georgia. There were large historical stones that told the history of the wars that our service members have served in from World War I through today. The memorial is dedicated to the millions of service members who sacrificed their lives to give us the freedom that we enjoy today. The etched stones told a story for those who have served and for those who have an empty place at their table.
The Summerville Railroad Turntable is a working turntable that shows how engines could be quickly turned in the opposite direction for a quick turn around trip. BNSF Railway says that turntables have been around since the 1830’s as a way to save valuable time and space in turning an engine in the direction that it needed to go. https://www.bnsf.com/news-media/railtalk/heritage/turntables.html This is one of the few working turntables in the southeast. The city hosts “Steam Into Summerville” Railroad Days to celebrate this legacy. https://www.summervillega.org/business/chamber_of_commerce/dowdy_park_railroad_engine_turntable.php
The Couey House was built in the early 1840’s by Andrew McSelland Couey and is one of the earliest pioneer homes in Chattooga County. The home was moved to Summerville in 1995 and shows the workmanship of an old log home featuring a furnished room that can be seen from the front porch. The Historical Marker Database tells the history of this home. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=134923 The Tennessee Valley Railroad tells how the home ended up 7 miles from where it was built. https://www.tvrail.com/2023/10/03/the-historic-couey-house-a-testament-to-resilience-and-craftsmanship-in-chattooga-county/
The Train Depot is nearby and is now the Chattooga County Historical Society. https://www.summervillega.org/business/chamber_of_commerce/the_depot.php
Summerville is close to several state parks. We camped in Desoto State Park in Fort Payne, Alabama. There was more to do there than we had time to do it even with a three night stay! https://www.alapark.com/parks/desoto-state-park
