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Appalachian Settlement
Located
on the grounds of the Funk Heritage Center is another major
attraction, the Appalachian Settlement. Designed to interpret
the pioneer experience, the Settlement includes authentic log
cabins and other 19th century farm buildings that have been
moved from their original locations in the area, then faithfully
reconstructed and furnished. The structures in our village
include a settler’s cabin, woodwright’s cabin, English-style log
barn, blacksmith shop, syrup mill, grain crib, ’tater house, and
threshing floor, as well as a truss bridge and a kingpost
bridge. The grounds include a small kitchen garden, orchard,
duck pond, chicken yard, and hog lot.
 Picture
in your mind what this area was like in the mid-1800’s. The
land, although remote, is filled with innumerable resources --
timber, fertile ground, minerals, and waterpower. All that one
needs to prosper is the knowledge, imagination, and
ingenuity to make it work. Large
timber is growing everywhere and game is plentiful, but roads
are scarce. The railroad from Chattanooga to Atlanta goes
through Cartersville, the nearest sizable trading center. A dirt
wagon road goes through Canton to Cartersville, but you have to
ford the river several times. The easiest way to get to the
railroad is to go to Fairmount through the Salacoa Valley. At
best, in good weather, it is a day’s trip one way by wagon to
any sizable trading establishment, so self-reliance is a
necessary trait.
 The settlers and Indians had
complex relationships ranging from cooperation and intermarriage
to hostility and violence. During the Historic Period in
southern Appalachia, many settlers (mostly Scots-Irish) were
moving into the area and learning to survive. By the late 1700s, many Cherokee were
Christians, and some had even introduced African slavery into
their rich valleys. As the Indians adopted the ways of white
men, the settlers also gained Indian knowledge and skills that
helped them adapt and thrive. By the 1830s, the Cherokee were
the only Indians of significant number remaining in Georgia.
Until the time of the Indian Removals, or Trail of Tears, the
interaction between Indians and settlers resulted in a "cultural
crossroads" that was the inspiration for the Funk Heritage
Center.
The Appalachian Settlement is
only staffed during special events.
For more information
7300 Reinhardt College Circle
Waleska, GA 30183-2981
(770) 720-5970 -
fax (770) 720-5965
Email:
heritagecenter@reinhardt.edu
Georgia's Official Frontier
and Southeastern Indian Interpretive Center
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