Roswell (Georgia, Not the Other One)

We had our last Take Off Tuesday of the summer today.  I can't believe the summer has flown by so quickly and that school starts next Monday! 

Earlier this summer, we read Turn Homeward, Hannalee, a book about the lost mill workers of Roswell.  It was a great young adult book and I highly recommend it.  During the Civil War, the textile mills in Roswell were producing cloth for the Confederate army.  In July of 1864, Sherman's army came through, burned the mill and charged the 400 mill workers (all women and children) with treason.  The mill workers were then shipped by train hundreds of miles north and most were never seen or heard from again.

So today, we went to Roswell.  We stopped at the Visitor's Center and watched a short video about the history of the town.  

We saw a replica of a mill wheel 

and and a picture of one of the child workers. 

In 1890, children accounted for 24% of the workforce in Georgia's textile mills.

The visitor's center is across from the square where the mill workers were held for several days before being sent north.  

After lunch at a BBQ joint, we went down to Vickery Creek. 

The kids played in the creek while the moms discussed that air conditioning should have been a requirement for any activity planned for August.  

Once we were good and hot, we walked down to the mill ruins. 

 The waterwheel is no longer there, but the dam and some of the sluice and machinery are.

Roswell is a picturesque little town and we definitely plan to return.  There is a self-guided walking tour that I'm sure will be fabulous (around October!)