Sautee Nacoochee, Georgia
Encyclopedia
Sautee Nacoochee is an unincorporated community
in White County, Georgia
, near Sautee Creek in the Appalachian foothills of northeast Georgia
, approximately 95 miles (152.9 km) north of Atlanta. The nearest incorporated town is the tourist destination of Helen, Georgia
.
The word "Sautee" comes from the Cherokee name of a former Hitchiti-speaking Creek Indian village named Sawa-te near the juncture of Sautee Creek and the Chattahoochee River
. The name means "Racoon People." By 1540 AD, the area was inhabited by Cherokee people (probable displacement of the Mississippian cultures that preceded them took place between 1200 and 1400 AD), who called the village "Chota" (also spelled Chotte in some texts). The village was at the southern end of what is today referred to as the Sautee Valley.
The word "Nacoochee" comes from the Cherokee pronunciation of a large Hitchiti-speaking town's name on the Chattahoochee River named Nokose Nokose means "bear" in both the Hitchiti and Muskogee languages (branches of the Creek Indians.) Yonah Mountain is a prominent landmark in the Nacoochee Valley. Yonah comes from the Cherokee word for "bear." The village of Nacoochee was located to the east of Chota, near the foot of Alec Mountain on the Unicoi Trail. The Nacoochee Valley is known for the Nacoochee Indian Mound, at the northwestern end of the valley, which was constructed between 700-1200 AD.
Early boosters of the Nacoochee Valley spread a fanciful Romeo-and-Juliet-like tale that Nacoochee was a beautiful Cherokee "princess," who fell in love with a Chickasaw warrior named Sautee. When their love was forbidden by the Cherokee elders, Nacoochee supposedly jumped to her death on the cliffs of nearby Yonah Mountain. Although the Chickasaw Indians primarily lived over 300 mi|480 km west of the Nacoochee Valley, during the early and mid-18th century, there were several Chickasaw villages in northeastern Georgia. Conflicts between the Chickasaws and Cherokees may be the origin of the Nacoochee Myth.
.
In September 2006, the Folk
Pottery
Museum of Northeast Georgia opened on the grounds of the Sautee Nacoochee Center. The Pottery Museum’s new facility, designed by Atlanta architect Robert M. Cain, features a 3200 square feet (297.3 m²) main exhibit floor that houses more than 150 vessels on permanent display and has space for additional temporary exhibits.
The numerous cultural programs at the Sautee Nacoochee Center led to Sautee Nacoochee being designated as one of "The 100 Best Small Arts Towns in America" in a book by the same name written by John Villani.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in White County, Georgia
White County, Georgia
White County is a county located in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 22, 1857, from part of Habersham County. The county was named for Newton County Representative David T. White, who helped a Habersham representative successfully attain passage of an...
, near Sautee Creek in the Appalachian foothills of northeast Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, approximately 95 miles (152.9 km) north of Atlanta. The nearest incorporated town is the tourist destination of Helen, Georgia
Helen, Georgia
Helen is a city located on the Chattahoochee River in White County in the north of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the city's population was 420.-History:...
.
Origin of names
Sautee Nacoochee's name combines two place names of Native American origin.The word "Sautee" comes from the Cherokee name of a former Hitchiti-speaking Creek Indian village named Sawa-te near the juncture of Sautee Creek and the Chattahoochee River
Chattahoochee River
The Chattahoochee River flows through or along the borders of the U.S. states of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers and emptying into Apalachicola Bay in the Gulf of...
. The name means "Racoon People." By 1540 AD, the area was inhabited by Cherokee people (probable displacement of the Mississippian cultures that preceded them took place between 1200 and 1400 AD), who called the village "Chota" (also spelled Chotte in some texts). The village was at the southern end of what is today referred to as the Sautee Valley.
The word "Nacoochee" comes from the Cherokee pronunciation of a large Hitchiti-speaking town's name on the Chattahoochee River named Nokose Nokose means "bear" in both the Hitchiti and Muskogee languages (branches of the Creek Indians.) Yonah Mountain is a prominent landmark in the Nacoochee Valley. Yonah comes from the Cherokee word for "bear." The village of Nacoochee was located to the east of Chota, near the foot of Alec Mountain on the Unicoi Trail. The Nacoochee Valley is known for the Nacoochee Indian Mound, at the northwestern end of the valley, which was constructed between 700-1200 AD.
Early boosters of the Nacoochee Valley spread a fanciful Romeo-and-Juliet-like tale that Nacoochee was a beautiful Cherokee "princess," who fell in love with a Chickasaw warrior named Sautee. When their love was forbidden by the Cherokee elders, Nacoochee supposedly jumped to her death on the cliffs of nearby Yonah Mountain. Although the Chickasaw Indians primarily lived over 300 mi|480 km west of the Nacoochee Valley, during the early and mid-18th century, there were several Chickasaw villages in northeastern Georgia. Conflicts between the Chickasaws and Cherokees may be the origin of the Nacoochee Myth.
Sautee Nacoochee Center
Sautee Nacoochee is most noted for the Sautee Nacoochee Center, a cultural and community center housed in the restored Nacoochee schoolhouse. The center was founded by the Sautee-Nacoochee Community Association (SNCA), which was also responsible for getting both Sautee and Nacoochee Valleys placed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
In September 2006, the Folk
Folk art
Folk art encompasses art produced from an indigenous culture or by peasants or other laboring tradespeople. In contrast to fine art, folk art is primarily utilitarian and decorative rather than purely aesthetic....
Pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
Museum of Northeast Georgia opened on the grounds of the Sautee Nacoochee Center. The Pottery Museum’s new facility, designed by Atlanta architect Robert M. Cain, features a 3200 square feet (297.3 m²) main exhibit floor that houses more than 150 vessels on permanent display and has space for additional temporary exhibits.
The numerous cultural programs at the Sautee Nacoochee Center led to Sautee Nacoochee being designated as one of "The 100 Best Small Arts Towns in America" in a book by the same name written by John Villani.
Resources
- 2007 Ancient Roots I: The Indigenous People of the Southern Highlands. Richard L. Thornton. Lula Publishing Co., Morris, NC.
- 2009 & 2010 Ancient Roots V: The Southern Highlands (Three Volumes), Richard L. Thornton, Lulu Publishing Co., Morris, NC
- 2005 In the Shadow of Yonah: A History of White County, Georgia. Garrison Baker, Brasstown Creek Publications, Cleveland, GA.
External links
- InsideOut Sautee - Art Gallery, decorative arts and more!
- Creekwood Resort- Cabin and RV Rental in Sautee Nacoochee
- Sautee Resorts - Cabin Rentals in Sautee Nacoochee Valley
- Images from the Nacoochee Valley
- Sautee Nacoochee Center
- Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia
- Sautee Nacoochee Valleys Associations