Celebrating 130 Years!
December 5, 1895 - December 5, 2025
On December 5, 2025, the City of Young Harris celebrated its 130-year history at the annual tree lighting in Mayor's Park. If we are missing a significant piece of historical information, please email rroyston [at] coyhga.com (Rosemary Royston). Thanks goes to Jerry Taylor, Jason Lee Edwards, and Tyler Osborn of the Towns County Historical Society for their contributions on this timeline.
We are delighted to celebrate the 130th Anniversary of Young Harris as a municipality. The City of Young Harris has many significant events. What follows are some of the pivotal moments that have helped shape our beloved city. Thank you for being part of this journey. – Mayor Andrea Gibby
History of the City of Young Harris
1832 – Creation of Union County out of the Cherokee land lottery
1830s-1840s – Arrival of early families in Brasstown Valley – Bryson, Carson, Plott, Kirby, Crow, Stephens, Haynes, Welch, Kirby, Thomas, Land, Hughes, Greenwood, Cathey, Hooper, Erwin, Corn
NOTE: The Brasstown name being derived from a confusion of the Cherokee work Itse’yi (place of fresh green) with Untsaiyi (brass)
1839 -- James Stephens house on Stephens/Townsend Mill Road is built
1842 – Brasstown Post Office established at site of John Bryson Home (the former EMC site)
1844 – Old Union Baptist church established
1845 – Willow Ranch Farmhouse (originally the Lewis B. Logan house) built
1848 – Name of post office changed to Greenwood, later to Eolia in 1851, and back to Brasstown in 1866
1850s – General store established selling great inventory (including wine and parasols)
1850s – Stephens/Townsend Mill was in operation by the Stephens family as early as the 1850s until the mid-1950s, at which point a flood washed away the dam and the mill closed.
1850s – Dr. Jones offers reward for a runaway slave
1860s – Dr. Judge G. Stephens house built on Main Street (known locally as the E.L. Adams house)
1880s – New wave of residents from Mossy Creek area of White County (Dean, Hunt, Allen, Cooley, Robertson, etc.)
1885 – Artemus Lester, a circuit riding Methodist minister, served the Mountain Circuit of Northeast Georgia. During his travels to the Blue Ridge mountains, he noticed the need for a school in the area.
1886 – Nancy Louisa Haynes Stephens Sanderson conveyed land to Methodist Episcopal Church for a school.
1886 – Brasstown Institute/High School established
1887 – McTyeire post office established
1890 – Name of school changed to Young Harris College in honor of benefactor Young L.G. Harris
1891 – Name of post office changed to Young Harris to honor college benefactor Young L.G. Harris
1892 – Susan B. Harris Chapel built as memorial for his wife by Judge Young L.G. Harris (Oldest building on YHC campus)
1893 – J. D. Cooley operates the mill at Cupid Falls
1894 – Willian Kiser Dean born, served in the Georgia State House of Representatives, 1953-1954.
1895 – Charter for the City of Young Harris approved December 5, 1895. The first City Council formed with J.W. Boyd as Mayor. City Council members were V.L. Robertson, A.J. Wood, J. M. Welch, and W.A. Hunt.
1890s – Stephens Lodge No. 414, F.& A.M. established
1890s – John A. Corn house built on Main Street (now home of Dr. Kelley)
1890s – Marcus L. Dyer opens his general store on Main Street
1890s – W.A.B. Pierce photo gallery established
1900 – Corra Harris and husband Rev. Lundy Harris reside in Young Harris. He was pastor of the Towns County Methodist Circuit and professor at YHC. She was a writer who characterized local citizens into her stories. One of her books, “A Circuit Rider’s Wife” was made into the movie “I’d Climb the Highest Mountain” in 1950 which was filmed at Helen.
1900 – Young Harris Newspaper edited by J. H. Stephens
1902 -- City Hall’s oldest set of minutes on file is handwritten in a ledger from December 6. According to the minutes, business was settled between the old and new council, and a short list of debts were recorded. J.W. Hughes was listed as Mayor, and A.E. Lashley as Secretary.
1900s -1929 – Sale of Coca Cola beverage outlawed within city limits
1900s – Two major fires ravage the town, including loss of the Globe Hotel
1913 – Sharp Hall built on Young Harris College campus
1910s – Bank of Young Harris established
1920s – Young Harris (public) Elementary School built on Main Street
1920s – Gov. Clifford Walker had a vacation home on Walker Street in YH. The site is commonly referred to as Governor Mansion Hill (site of Charles Adams residence)
1923 – Enotah Chapter of the Knights of the Invisible Empire established
1927 – Main Street through Young Harris paved
1930 – Ella Standard Sharp named first female president of YHC
1930s – Cable’s Café opened in Young Harris
1930s – Enotah Garden Club organized
1932 – Former Georgia Governor and U.S. Senator Zell Miller born in Young Harris
1933 –Former Member of the United States House of Representatives Ed Jenkins born in Young Harris
1935 – Byron Herbert Reece, Georgia’s poet, attended Young Harris College for the first time, later re-enrolling in 1938. Beginning in 1938, his poetry and short stories were published in national poetry journals and magazines, and in 1953 Reece was a teacher and Poet-in-Residence at Young Harris College.
1937 – Blue Ridge Mountain EMC founded in Young Harris. Its initial headquarters, west of downtown, was later constructed in 1955.
1940 – New Young Harris Elementary School built (now YHC art department)
1940s – Young Harris Clinic established by Dr. W. F. Tanner to serve college and community
1940s – E. L. Brown opened general store on Main Street
1946 – Mountain Regional Library set up as a small public library and named the Towns-Union Library for the two main counties it served.
1949 – Sharp Memorial UMC, serving college and community, was built and held its first service on Jan 9.
1951 – The Georgia Department of Transportation widened U.S. Highway 76 through Young Harris to its current width.
1952 – J.B. Cochran General Merchandise established (bought from C.D. Corn)
1954 – Cable’s expanded from a café and automobile shop to include dry goods, a pool hall, gas station, and a barber’s shop.
1955 – Second EMC building constructed on Main Street
1956 – Young Harris Elementary School annex built (now YHC art department)
1959 – Young Harris Wagon Train Trail created, running from just below the peak of Brasstown Bald to Young Harris College. From 1959 to the mid-1960s, an annual Wagon Train Trail festival was held.
1960 – A new city Charter was approved in March that appointed Zell Miller as mayor “from the passage of this Act and until [his] successor[ is] duly elected and qualif[ied]. F. Carter Beigy took over as mayor in 1961. Zell was elected as mayor in 1963.
1960s -- Miss Lydia's Guest House opened
1962 – Birdie Miller elected first female mayor; also first woman seated for jury
1952 – J.B. Cochran General Merchandise established (bought from C.D. Corn)
1963 – Young Harris Motel and Restaurant built
1964 – Present post office built
1964 – Clegg Auditorium built
1967 – Stephens Masonic Lodge No. 414, F. & A.M. built
1968 – Young Harris City Council first voted to seek funds for a wastewater treatment system in order to eliminate the septic systems and pit privies throughout town. The College had a wastewater treatment plant, but the city did not. In the mid-1970s the college deeded its wastewater system over to the City to operate and manage. The City received a grant from US EPA in 1980 to construct a new treatment plant.
1970s – Mountain Regional Library built
1975 – Appalachian Gallery opens in Cable’s complex (now YH Florist)
1977 – Young Harris Elementary School closed and moved to consolidated school at Hiawassee. (Primary grades continued at original location for several years.)
1978 – Young Harris Pharmacy established
1979 – First mini pumper is purchased for Young Harris Fire Department. Fire Department serves entire county and surrounding area
1980 – Young Harris Fire Department established
1980 – Trailways bus station located at Swanson & Matheson Store closes
1982 – Young Harris Apartments built on Meadow Lane
1985 – Appalachian Gallery opened in Thomas Town location
1985 – Three county fire stations established with David Sellers as Chief
1987 – Young Harris City Hall burned down, arson, February 7th.
1988 – Irene Berry donated land for new City Hall
1989 – Young Harris City Hall and Community Center finalized
1993 – Bank built on Main Street, currently Peach State Federal Credit Union
1993 – Ketron Moss’s dental office opened
1993 – The Cutting Edge opened
1995 – Brasstown Valley Resort built
1995 – Building that houses Union General Clinic, Young Harris branch, opened
1996 – Enrico’s Italian Restaurant opened
1997 – Poet and Professor Bettie M. Sellers named Poet Laureate of the State of Georgia.
2007 – Enota Village apartments built
2009 – Present Stephens Masonic Lodge No. 414, F. & A.M. built to replace the 1967 building
2009 – Young Harris College transitioned from being a two-year to a four-year institution and builds additional facilities on campus.
2012 – The film, Trouble with the Curve, starring Clint Eastwood and Amy Adams, partially filmed in Young Harris.
2012 – Blue Ridge EMC moved into its current location (872 Main Street)
2014 – The Gardens apartments built
2021 – Dana Cable renovates the former dry goods store and automotive shop into Cable’s Gallery
2024 –GA Department of Transportation starts roadwork for a bypass around the City of Young Harris
2024 – The Fix opens, Main Street
2024 – The Richard Kelley Group opens
2025 – Inspire Fitness opens, Brasstown Creek Road
2025 – City of Young Harris becomes a Main Street Affiliate with Main Street America
2025 – McTyeire Crossing subdivision launched on the Manghum and Araminta Bryson Homesite
2025 – The former EMC property purchased and is now Powerhouse Center with Victoria’s Antiques as first retailer
2025 – Valley Trail apartments under construction
If we are missing a significant piece of historical information, please email rroyston [at] coyhga.com (Rosemary Royston). Thanks goes to Jerry Taylor, Jason Lee Edwards, and Tyler Osborn of the Towns County Historical Society for their contributions on this timeline.
Click on the documents below for
130th Anniversary, Visual Tour, Historical Photos
May 2025 Historical Preservation Feature, Cable's Property
