What You'll Discover In These 9 Deserted Georgia Towns Is Truly Grim
By Marisa Roman|Published May 17, 2016
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Marisa Roman
Author
A New Jersey native with over 15 years of writing experience, Marisa has studied at both New York University and Florida International University. She has lived all over the country, including a decade stint in South Florida. Marisa is well-versed in exploration as she travels a good majority of the year in her self-converted Sprinter van. Her articles have been featured in various notable publications over the years, she has a published collection of short stories, and three completed screenplays under her belt.
Abandoned towns can be quite creepy— with silence, the remnants of a life gone awry and an empty feeling. Georgia is certainly home to quite a few towns that have once been booming, and since have lost their luster…and their inhabitants. If you’re looking to get a good fright, then you’ve come to the right place. Here are a few of the deserted towns that litter our fair state of Georgia. Read on at your own risk…
This town was originally named for the Apalachee River, which flows nearby. It once thrived as a small town, with a depot, Post Office, and railroad. However, after the Post Office closed in the 1950s, the town became deserted and now is just a rural area to the north of Madison, Georgia.
What was once a famed health resort dating back to the 1840s, is now no more. The community lasted until the 1930s, but after the stock market crashed, owner J. W. Oglesby could no longer keep up the town’s main attraction, which was the hotel.
The first rice milk in the nation came from New Ebenezer. The town was originally settled by the Salzburg Lutherans, but eventually was destroyed by the British during the Revolutionary War.
Not much is known about the ghost town of Godfrey. Several old stores and the remains of homes still exist, by the history is a mystery. What we do know is that it was incorporated in 1906 after Dr. Ervine Godfrey. A Post Office still remains, but it’s now officially a CPO, for community purposes only.
For those of you who know, Juliette was the town featured in the movie Fried Green Tomatoes. However, East Juliette wasn’t so lucky. The town was originally created for mill workers in Juliette, but after the mill closed, many of the inhabitants left, leaving it a ghost town.
Located in the Oconee National Forest, Skull Shoals was once a thriving 19th-century mill village. However, heavy flooding caused the demise of the mills in the 1880s, and the town was eventually abandoned by the 1920s.
Nestled right at the junction of the Tallulah River and Moccasin Creek, Burton was once a happening community of around 200 people around the early 1900s, when the Georgia Railway and Electric Company bought the town. However, in 1919, a dam was built, which led to uncontrollable flooding, causing everyone to lose their homes and evacuate the town.
This hot spot in Georgia was said to be one of the first places where gold was discovered. Mining operations were set and the town ended up thriving, with more than $20,000,000 in gold mined. Yet, eventually the gold wasn't being mined as much as it used to, and Auraria quickly turned into a ghost town.
No, this isn't a town paying homage to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. It was actually a town founded by Sam Griswold in the 1840s. The town prospered for quite some time, until Sherman's troops burned most of it to the ground. Plenty of skirmishes were fought there though, cementing its place in history.
I don’t know about you, but that list was pretty grim. But then again, some of the history is extremely intriguing! Are there any other abandoned spots or deserted towns that we forgot to mention? Let us know in the comments.
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