A Little Taste of Germany
While staying in the Lake Hartwell, GA region, we took a trip to Helen, GA. This small town, known for its Bavarian charm in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, happened to be celebrating Oktoberfest the weekend we visited.
Two years ago, we decided to plan a trip to Germany, but when those plans changed, the idea of experiencing a little bit of Germany right here in the United States seemed fitting.
Known as one of the longest running Oktoberfests in the United States, you can imagine the crowd it drew. We spent some time walking through the village and seeing the Bavarian-style structures while enjoying some German food and music. They definitely know how to engage the crowd and have a good time!
What struck me most about the town, however, was how Helen developed into and became known as a Bavarian village. To understand how they came to that point, let’s take a step back in time.
Helen was originally occupied by the Cherokee Indians; in fact, a burial ground site, Nacoochee Indian Mound, can be easily observed driving into the village. The mound itself predates the Cherokee; however, they did have a significant village on the site. Sadly, as was common at the time, the Cherokees were forced out of the area.
When gold was discovered in 1828 near Helen in Dukes Creek, thousands of miners came to the area.
After our time at Oktoberfest, we hiked a well-designed nearby trail along the Chattahoochee River. On that hike, we noticed some old machinery off the trail. At closer look, we discovered the remnants of the gold mining operation of the Plattsburgh Mining Company from Plattsburgh, NY, a city not far from Jim’s family’s camp in the north country of NY.
It was a neat discovery to find this old mining equipment and even an old mine entrance but also learn the company was from our home state. After a century of mining, they, along with other prospectors, headed west for bigger mining opportunities.
It wasn’t until the end of the 19th century that the area was rediscovered as a forestry center and operated as a logging town. By the 1950’s, demand for lumber declined and the second revitalization of Helen ended.
That is when the culture of Germany arrived in Helen, GA.
In 1968, leaders of Helen came together, along with a local artist, to come up with a plan to revitalize the town by redesigning it to look like an Alpine Mountain town. The artist had German roots and spent time in Bavaria and believed the mountainous terrain was the perfect setting for an Alpine village. This facelift brought changes to store fronts, a standard color scheme, and even changes to street names consistent with traditional Bavarian villages.
The results were a success and sixty years later, tourists are still drawn to the area to experience the sights, sounds and tastes of Germany.
Jim and I love hearing about the revitalization of small towns and this town certainly impressed us. A town of just 430 residents with three revitalizations in their history, we hope the success of the little town of Helen, GA continues for many decades to come!
