Villanow, Georgia
Encyclopedia
Villanow, Georgia is located in the Northwestern part of that state in Walker County
Walker County, Georgia
Walker County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 18, 1833 from land formerly belonging to the Cherokee Indian Nation. As of 2000, the population was 61,053. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 64,554...

. It is between Dalton and La Fayette, Georgia. It is a small community of a few hundred citizens only.

Villanow Country Store

The Villanow Country Store is on the National List of Historic Places under the name of Cavender's Country Store. According to the documentation of the National List of Historic Places it was built around the year of 1840 and was probably built by Joseph Warren Cavender, who of all of it owners over the years, owned it longest. It holds the record in the State of Georgia as the longest operating stand alone country store in the entire state. There is a controversy over the actual date of the store's beginning. A current resident of Villanow states that Joseph Warren Cavender was not even born yet in 1840, but is generally believed to be the builder/owner. That means the date is more than likely incorrect. Joseph Warren Cavender was a soldier for the Confederacy and after the war he became employed by his wartime enemy -- the United States Government. He was hired to help in the cleanup and restoration of the area of the battlefield around Chickamauga
Chickamauga
Chickamauga may refer to:* Chickamauga Indian‎* Chickamauga Wars , battles between Cherokee and Anglo-American pioneer settlers; also related to the American Revolutionary War* Chickamauga, Georgia...

 and Chattanooga and in the installment of many of the monuments of Chickamauga Park. After about 4 years of this effort, it is reported by Villanow citizens that Cavender used his savings to obtain as much available land in the Villanow area at as little as twenty-five cents an acre, including the land upon which the historic Cavender Country Store was built. The Cavender Store supplied almost any needs of the Villanow community from buggies to caskets. In addition to the Country Store, Cavender also had a buggy and wagon shop, as well as a blacksmith shop and cotton mill on the same property. It was also the center of activity of that mountain community and the couple of benches out front of the store served as a vital meeting place. On clear days, there was even official business transacted in the front of the store outside. The store itself is now closed after being sold to Marty ans Sharon Vess from Rodney and Ebeth Edwards in 1999
The store is located between Ringgold and Resaca, Georgia, on the highway which runs in front of the store. Joseph Warren Cavender married the only daughter of Villanow and Walker County's first physician Adam G. Clements, MD -- Martha "Mattie" Clements. All seven brothers of "Mattie" Clements served along with Joseph Warren Cavender in the Confederate Armed Forces. Three of them attained the position of Asst. Surgeon.
All eight of those sons of Villanow, Georgia, returned home to lead peaceful lives with their families and townsfolk.
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