By Linda Barden and Dick Cinquina, Special to The Clayton Tribune
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The Rabun County Historical Society and county archives are housed in this building at the corner of Church and Hiawassee Street in Clayton.
Why should anyone care that Clayton was founded at the convergence of five important Cherokee trails? Or about how the coming of the railroad early in the twentieth century put Clayton on the map and forged its future? Or about what happened to Rabun County over 100 years ago when a power company needed more electricity for its Atlanta streetcars?
We should care about these events because knowing where we came from informs us about how Clayton and Rabun County became what they are today. Our cultural, economic and political heritage also offers clues to where we might be heading in years to come. And if for no other reason, we should care because Rabun County’s 200-year history is just plain interesting.
These are the reasons why a group of citizens formed the Rabun County Historical Society in 1978.
Keeping the history of our community alive and making it accessible to the public was and remains the Society’s core mission. The Society collects, preserves and displays important records, photographs and artifacts that document the history of Rabun County. These materials are available to the public at the Society’s museum and archives at 81 North Church Street in downtown Clayton. The Society also publishes articles about the county’s history in newspapers and other publications, makes presentations at civic organizations and churches, and commemorates buildings of historical importance with special markers.
So how did the Rabun County Historical Society come about?
The Society was officially organized by local history buffs on July 11, 1978 with 327 charter members. The organization had no permanent home, limiting what it could accomplish during its early years. However, things changed in 1990 when the Rabun County Board of Commissioners called upon the Society to prepare a history of the county and its families. The resulting book, Rabun County, Georgia and Its People, was published in 1992. The book is out of print, but copies are available at the Society’s museum.
After being sold to the county in 1994, the Short House on the corner of Church and Hiawassee Streets became the first permanent home of the Rabun County Historical Society in 1996. The organization finally had a museum to display and archive historic materials and also conduct historical and genealogical research. The museum acquired many artifacts and vintage photos from local families and the Georgia Archives collection. In addition, numerous family histories were donated to the genealogy library. The Society continues to welcome these donations from the public.
As a resource for genealogy research, the Society, with the help of high school history students, completed an exhaustive Rabun County cemetery survey in 1996. Every cemetery that could be located was recorded and mapped, and every grave with a marker was listed. Then in 2003, the Society published A Pictorial History of Rabun County that was authored by Cuba and Archie McKay.
The Rabun County Board of Commissioners initiated plans in early 2006 for a new building to house the historical society and the county’s records archive. Construction on the site of the Short House began that August with major funding provided by revenue from a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. The new museum was opened to the public on July 1, 2007. Now open Mondays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the museum features permanent and rotating exhibits of Rabun County’s rich heritage. Visitors also enjoy video presentations on a variety of historical topics.
Current officers of the Rabun County Historical Society are: Ron Barden, president; George Prater, vice president; Linda Barden, Secretary; and Pat Coleman, treasurer. The board of directors includes Elizabeth Dixon, M.E. Law and Rebecca Peterson. The board meets at the historical society building at 4:30 p.m. on the third Thursdays in January, March, May, July, September and November. Anyone interested in the history of Rabun County is welcome to attend.
Become a member of the Rabun County Historical Society and help keep our history alive for generations to come. Membership information is available at www.rabunhistory.org. You also can visit us on Facebook. The Society is a not-for-profit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, making your membership dues and donations fully tax deductible.