North Georgia is steeped in history — even in the road signs.

Roads across Hall County and its neighbors feature family, history, landmarks and even a sense of humor. Some are just a turn off Ga. 52, 60, 115 or U.S. 129, and others are hidden in the twisty turns of the mountains.

But how did they get there?

"For new residences, the names are submitted on a final plat straight from the developer," said Kevin McInturff, a Hall County engineer in the Department of Public Works and Utilities. The names are then checked by the planning and zoning department and 911 addressing for duplicates. "But it's a totally different story for old families who owned farms and had gravel roads."

Many large property owners allowed roads to be used by the public, and family names were often given for the roads. A road naming policy wasn't even set in stone in Lumpkin County until December 2008. Now, the guideline states that any property with three residences or businesses must have a name.

The county prefers cultural significance and existing themes, followed by names of significant features or historical names. The county gives low priority to personal names.

It's a family thing

Although many roads of farm families no longer are home to descendants of the original owners, a few still feature living generations.

"My grandfather had a good size farm here, and he allowed a road to be cut through the middle of the property. I guess in gratitude they named it after him," said Jerry Stringer, who lives on Stringer Road in Clermont with his mother, brother, sister and several cousins. "It was a pretty big farm back in the early '30s. There were 10 children in my daddy's family, and they all lived here for a time."

Some have passed away and others have spread out in the county, but they're always welcome back home, he said.

"My great-grandfather owned more of the land around here. The old family homestead is still here, too, and it was built before the '37 tornado."

A moment in time

As the country grows, strip malls appear and signs of the horse and buggy days disappear. But some of the names have stuck around.

"What intrigues me is the number of roads named for things that have to do with river crossings," said Larry Poole, right-of-way supervisor for Hall County's engineering department. "Gaines Ferry, Bartlett Ferry, Shadburn Ferry were probably for literal ferry roads where you drove up to a point to be shuttled across a river. Goddard's Ford and Grant Ford could be where people forded creeks and just drove through the water. Gilstrap Mill, Hampton Mill, Jones Mill - I counted more than 20 mill roads - could be where people went to old grist mills to grind corn and grain."

Other historical markers, such as Boat Shoal Lane, Campground Road and various church roads curl across Hall County as memories of the past. Even Old Swimming Pool Road in Jackson County, which dead ends on one side into private Fields Road and turns into Lynn Avenue on the other side at Jefferson City Park, once led to an old swimming pool.

Beth Laughinghouse, manager of Main Street Jefferson, said Old Swimming Pool Road got its name simply because at one point you could find the city's swimming pool down that road.

Today, it is back to its original state as a spring-fed pond, but in the 1930s and 40s, the water was walled in with pavers and was the town's official pool.

"Once (Jefferson Memorial Stadium) was built, they broke down the wall," she said of the pavers around the lake. Although a few of them are still visible today.

"That's where my mother went to the pool when she was younger," she said. "They basically just enclosed the lake."

You're joking, right?

Bulldog Drive, Bogus Road, Jot-Em Down Road, Lois Lane, Destitute Way, Enchantress Lane, Mimosa Street — the humorous roads are there for the picking.

"We chose the name for our road when we built our house," said Evelyn Pound, who lives with her husband on Wits End Road, along U.S. 129 in Jackson County. "My daughter, who is a doctor in Jefferson, said I was at my wits' end when we finished the house. ... everyone thinks it's funny."

The Pounds, who have owned the land for 40 years and raise cattle on the farm, gave spots to their children to build three other houses on the road. Although the Pounds built their home six years ago, the sign at the end of the driveway looks suspiciously new.

"That's the third sign - people keep stealing it," she said. "The Department of Transportation replaced the first, and we bought the second. It says ‘private' on it now, and no one has stolen it. But I imagine it was some college students driving through who thought they'd like to own it. It is unique, a little different."