Sweetwater Creek State Park
Introduction
Sweetwater Creek State Park is a 2,500-acre park, located in Lithia Springs Georgia, surrounded by two beautiful sources of water, the park's namesake Sweetwater Creek, and the George H Sparks Reservoir. Beyond these basic geographic facts though, Sweetwater Creek State Park is an essential site for Georgia Civil War History, gorgeous hiking, and recreation in all kinds of ways. During this article, I hope to touch on as many of those points as I can and leave you with a little more knowledge on a site that is very personal to me.
History of the Mill
The most important history of Sweetwater Creek State Park began in 1849, with the creation of the New Manchester Manufacturing Company's now ever-eroding textile mill. This particular plant used the current from Sweetwater Creek, to turn a mill and transform raw cotton into yarn and other more useful, processed materials. These materials were a massive part of both the local and Confederate economy, with cotton being one of several cash crops grown and processed in the South. Due to such high output of raw cotton and economic dependence on the crop, there's no doubt textile mills like the one you've seen at the beginning of this article were greatly important to the region's success, and one of the largest employers in the once factory-town.
However grand this mill once was, it met the same fiery end as the confederacy it supported. In the case of this mill, that fiery end came on July 9th, 1864 at the tail end of the Civil War just one month before the fall of Atlanta. As the Confederate troops that once protected Atlanta and its surrounding towns were pushed further and further into a corner, and they no longer had the resources to protect Sweetwater Creek. On July 2nd, Sherman's men rode into the area unopposed and ordered all mills to shut down and evacuate. By July 5th, all workers had complied with this order, and the first call to burn the mills were sent.
On July 9th, Major Thompkins and eight other Union Soldiers set fire to the New Manchester Mill and destroyed its neighboring dam, releasing all the rampaging force held back by the nearly 300ft dam that once stood. This caused a massive flood and effectively destroyed hundreds of thousands of dollars of equipment, accomplishing Sherman's goal to bring the south to their knees on the front of industry. After these mills were shut down, the nearly all-women workforce was transported out of the south, and taken North of the Ohio River, and from there, the rest is unclear.
There were reports of sexual encounters between the Union men, and "Roswell Women", as these workers became known, but it is unclear whether or not this conduct was consensual, or rape. Not a single woman from these mills ever returned to the south or spoke out to set the record straight as far as I could gather.
Today, the mill at Sweetwater Creek State Park is a crumbling piece of Georgia History, with little physical insight into one of the most important industries of the region. After a remarkably large fire, an even more intense flood, and over one hundred years of erosion, all that is left is a towering brick building in the middle of the woods. As you can tell in one of my photos along the river-side of the building, you can see evidence of where the nearly 50,000-pound watermill was once placed, but this evidence is merely a dilapidated arch.
However grand this mill once was, it met the same fiery end as the confederacy it supported. In the case of this mill, that fiery end came on July 9th, 1864 at the tail end of the Civil War just one month before the fall of Atlanta. As the Confederate troops that once protected Atlanta and its surrounding towns were pushed further and further into a corner, and they no longer had the resources to protect Sweetwater Creek. On July 2nd, Sherman's men rode into the area unopposed and ordered all mills to shut down and evacuate. By July 5th, all workers had complied with this order, and the first call to burn the mills were sent.
On July 9th, Major Thompkins and eight other Union Soldiers set fire to the New Manchester Mill and destroyed its neighboring dam, releasing all the rampaging force held back by the nearly 300ft dam that once stood. This caused a massive flood and effectively destroyed hundreds of thousands of dollars of equipment, accomplishing Sherman's goal to bring the south to their knees on the front of industry. After these mills were shut down, the nearly all-women workforce was transported out of the south, and taken North of the Ohio River, and from there, the rest is unclear.
There were reports of sexual encounters between the Union men, and "Roswell Women", as these workers became known, but it is unclear whether or not this conduct was consensual, or rape. Not a single woman from these mills ever returned to the south or spoke out to set the record straight as far as I could gather.
Today, the mill at Sweetwater Creek State Park is a crumbling piece of Georgia History, with little physical insight into one of the most important industries of the region. After a remarkably large fire, an even more intense flood, and over one hundred years of erosion, all that is left is a towering brick building in the middle of the woods. As you can tell in one of my photos along the river-side of the building, you can see evidence of where the nearly 50,000-pound watermill was once placed, but this evidence is merely a dilapidated arch.
The Park Today
Lucky for the average visitor of Sweetwater Creek State Park, they are greeted with a lot more to do than spin yarn. The park has more amenities than the average person would ever use, including a 215-acre lake, yurts, tent campsites, fishing docks, event centers, a museum, and enough other amenities to earn a full page on the State Park's website. In short, if you like the outdoors, have an interest in history, or are looking for a great hike to see the fall foliage, Sweetwater Creek is a must-see state park.
Myself and so many others that have visited the park before can fondly remember hopping from rock to rock across the creek, enjoying miles of trails along the water, and getting a short glimpse into the history that surrounds Atlanta. You won't often find a park or trail that is maintained so well, or able to offer so much to each visitor at such little cost. In my opinion, it's yet another must-see in Georgia, and I hope you can make it out there sometime soon! For more information on the park's specifics, how to book a campsite, or any other questions about Sweetwater and its history, please explore the following labeled links below:
State Park Site: https://gastateparks.org/SweetwaterCreek
General Park History: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-new-manchester-manufacturing-company-lithia-springs-georgia
Unknown History + The Roswell Women: https://www.sherpaguides.com/georgia/civil_war/northwest/sweetwater_creek_Area.html
Myself and so many others that have visited the park before can fondly remember hopping from rock to rock across the creek, enjoying miles of trails along the water, and getting a short glimpse into the history that surrounds Atlanta. You won't often find a park or trail that is maintained so well, or able to offer so much to each visitor at such little cost. In my opinion, it's yet another must-see in Georgia, and I hope you can make it out there sometime soon! For more information on the park's specifics, how to book a campsite, or any other questions about Sweetwater and its history, please explore the following labeled links below:
State Park Site: https://gastateparks.org/SweetwaterCreek
General Park History: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-new-manchester-manufacturing-company-lithia-springs-georgia
Unknown History + The Roswell Women: https://www.sherpaguides.com/georgia/civil_war/northwest/sweetwater_creek_Area.html