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Was Auraria really as rough as its reputation?

Auraria, the gold-mining boom town that rivaled Dahlonega in Lumpkin County in the 1800s, started out being called Nuckollsville.

February 07, 2008 | Johnny Vardeman | Johnny Vardeman's column

The ’81 drought didn’t spur as much urgency

The drought of 1980-81 didn't seem to produce the sense of urgency that has followed the current dry spell and plummeting level of Lake Lanier.

February 02, 2008 | Johnny Vardeman | Johnny Vardeman's column

Bridge was more than just a way to cross river

When Helen Stell discovered a large piece of wood buried in the sand on the shore of Lake Lanier behind her home three years ago, she knew there was a story behind it.

February 02, 2008 | Johnny Vardeman | Johnny Vardeman's column

‘Water Unlimited’ turned out to be a trickle

The Daily Times June 30, 1957, published an ambitious special edition marking the beginning of the operation of Buford Dam, which created Lake Lanier. It was called, ironically, it seems now, "Water Unlimited." The first electricity generated by the dam had come just 10 days earlier.

February 02, 2008 | Johnny Vardeman | Johnny Vardeman's column

This Colonel Sanders had more on his plate than chicken

Long before Col. Sanders made Kentucky Fried Chicken famous, there was another Col. Sanders, a prominent Gainesville citizen who fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War.

January 04, 2008 | Johnny Vardeman | Johnny Vardeman's column

Three St. Paul Methodist churches founded in 1800s carry on

If somebody mentions St. Paul United Methodist Church around here, you have to ask which one because there are three in the Gainesville Methodist District.

January 04, 2008 | Johnny Vardeman | Johnny Vardeman's column

Bride's wish for wedding dress comes as a quilt

Some of the old roads around North Georgia whose names end in "ford" likely led to places in streams that could be crossed on foot, horseback or wagon.

January 04, 2008 | Johnny Vardeman | Johnny Vardeman's column

Restoration pumps new life into old stations in Dawsonville

People visiting downtown Dawsonville for next weekend's Moonshine Festival might think they're stepping back into a time machine.

January 04, 2008 | Johnny Vardeman | Johnny Vardeman's column

WWII soldier gave up stripes to see brother

John and Roger Tankersley of Murrayville both served in Germany during World War II, surviving some of the fiercest battles in the European Theater.

January 04, 2008 | Johnny Vardeman | Johnny Vardeman's column

Red, White & Blue, Redtop and Goat Man

When the Old Cornelia Highway was in its prime as U.S. 23, the main route between Atlanta and the Carolinas, it was dotted with businesses ranging from truck stops to grocery stores to roadhouses to tiny seasonal fruit stands.

January 03, 2008 | Johnny Vardeman Column | Johnny Vardeman's column

Pleasant Hill church began as log building in 1855

It was only a log building in 1855 when Pleasant Hill Baptist Church began on Brown's Bridge Road near Gainesville. Four new buildings have been built since then, the latest a fine red brick structure seating 600 and dedicated in September 2005.