CARTERSVILLE, Ga. – At first glance, it might seem easy to overlook this exurb located about 40 miles north of Atlanta.
But, this small city of about 16,000 offers a surprising number of attractions, and given its proximity to Interstate 75, it’s an easy drive from Atlanta.
Etowah Indian Mounds
A series of Native American mounds – today known as the Etowah Indian Mounds – have survived for centuries and offer a one-of-a-kind look at this bygone civilization.
Located on the north shore of the Etowah River and south of modern-day Cartersville, the mounds were inhabited from 1000 to 1550 by Muskogean Native Americans of the Mississippian culture, so named because the culture originated along the banks of the Mississippi River. Designated a National Historic Landmark in the 1960s, this 54-acre state park includes a museum with artifacts discovered at the site, six mounds the natives built, and a number of other related sites.
The largest mound, today known as Mound A, stands about 65 feet tall, making roughly as tall as a six-story building, and offering travelers willing to climb the stairs to the top a nice view of the surrounding landscape.
The chief priest and his family lived on top of this mound, and from here, he presided over the ceremonies that took place in the city’s plazas below. After the chief died, his successor would burn the house on top and heighten the existing mound before building a new home on top.
One of the smaller mounds, known as Mound C, was completely excavated and rebuilt. What archeologists discovered inside of Mound C has provided historians with a wealth of information they use to study and understand this society.
The entire city was fortified and a number of “wattle and daub” single-family houses stood in the area surrounding the mounds. The people who lived here grew crops and caught fish and mussels from the Etowah River.
Park officials say they have excavated about 9 percent of the site, but those excavations have revealed an abundance of information about the society and its rituals. Many of the artifacts unearthed at the site – including tools, artwork and jewelry – are on display at the park’s museum.
Booth Western Art Museum
With this museum, the west is much closer than it might appear on a map.
Opened in August 2003, the 120,000-square-foot Booth Western Art Museum offers a unique view of the west through the artwork of historic and contemporary western artists. An Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the museum offers a number of permanent exhibits, including its “Presidential Gallery” featuring a letter signed by every president and its “War is Hell” gallery showcasing Civil War artwork.
Tellus: Northwest Georgia Science Museum
Opened in January 2009, Tellus is home to one of only two digital planetariums in Georgia. The 120,000-square-foot museum also includes Science in Motion, a journey through the development of motorized transportation.
Tellus was built on the site of the Weinman Mineral Museum, a 9,000-square-foot museum.
Cooper’s Iron Works
Mark Anthony Cooper purchased the ironworks Jacob Stroup established the works in the 1830s. In 1863, cooper sold the iron works to the Confederate States of America in 1863.
On May 22, 1864, federal soldiers destroyed the ironworks and mill, bringing about an end to the city’s livelihood and for all practical purposes the Etowah railroad. Following the Civil War, the railroad was not rebuilt and the town never again returned to its antebellum prominence.
A massive smokestack is all that remains of the ironworks.
Friendship Monument
By 1857, Mark Anthony Cooper found himself in debt to the tune of $100,000, and his company, the Etowah Iron and Manufacturing Co., was about to be auctioned.
With the help of 38 friends, Cooper raised $200,000 in notes and purchased back his company. Cooper didn’t forget his friends who helped him raise the money, so in 1860, after he repaid the debt, Cooper built a monument to thank them.
The monument was originally erected on the town square of Etowah, a small town where his iron company was located. In 1864, the monument was the only structure to survive the wrath of Union soldiers led by Gen. William T. Sherman.
In 1927, as the federal government was poised to dam the Etowah River and create Lake Allatoona, the monument was relocated to nearby Cartersville. But, a little more than 30 years later, the monument again moved – this time to the banks of Lake Allatoona to make room for more parking spaces in downtown Cartersville.
In 1999, the monument moved for a final time – to its current location in downtown Cartersville and the aptly renamed Friendship Plaza.
(A version of this article was previously published on The Travel Trolley and Examiner.com)