Burton, Georgia
Encyclopedia
The town of Burton, Georgia
now lies underwater, covered by Lake Burton
. The town was located at the confluence
of Dicks Creek and the Tallulah River
in Rabun County, Georgia
and was established in the first half of the 19th century as a result of the Georgia Gold Rush
. The first discovery of gold in Rabun County was just north of Burton, at the confluence of Moccasin Creek and the Tallulah River. The town was named after Jeremiah Burton
, who owned the post office and general store there. The Burton Post Office was established in 1875 and discontinued in 1916.
Burton was located along the road from Clayton, Georgia
to the Nacoochee
Valley and became more than just a gold rush town – it served the corundum
mines of Tate City. Eventually, the logging industry built a railway to the town so that lumber from the mountains could be transported to the mill in Helen, Georgia
. By the early 20th century, the town of Burton had a population of approximately 200, making it the second largest town in Rabun County. In 1917, the Georgia Railway and Electric Company (predecessor of the Georgia Power Company
) purchased the town of Burton and the surrounding homesteads. The dam for Lake Burton was closed on December 22, 1919 and before long the town was submerged.
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...
now lies underwater, covered by Lake Burton
Lake Burton (Georgia)
Lake Burton is a 2,775 acre reservoir with 62 miles of shoreline located in the northeastern corner of Georgia in Rabun County. It is the first lake in a six-lake series called the Tallulah River Watershed that follows the original course of the Tallulah River...
. The town was located at the confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of Dicks Creek and the Tallulah River
Tallulah River
The Tallulah River is a river in Georgia and North Carolina. It begins in Clay County, North Carolina, near Standing Indian Mountain in the Southern Nantahala Wilderness and flows south into Georgia, crossing the state line into Towns County. The river then travels through Rabun County and ends in...
in Rabun County, Georgia
Rabun County, Georgia
Rabun County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 15,050. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 16,519...
and was established in the first half of the 19th century as a result of the Georgia Gold Rush
Georgia Gold Rush
The Georgia Gold Rush was the second significant gold rush in the United States. It started in 1828 in the present day Lumpkin County near county seat Dahlonega, and soon spread through the North Georgia mountains, following the Georgia Gold Belt. By the early 1840s, gold became harder to find...
. The first discovery of gold in Rabun County was just north of Burton, at the confluence of Moccasin Creek and the Tallulah River. The town was named after Jeremiah Burton
Jeremiah Burton
Jeremiah Burton was a farmer. He was born about 1814 in South Carolina before moving to Rabun County, Georgia and first settled at Jones Ford on the Tallulah River. The town of Burton, Georgia was named after its Postmaster Jacob Silas Burton, Jeremiah's son...
, who owned the post office and general store there. The Burton Post Office was established in 1875 and discontinued in 1916.
Burton was located along the road from Clayton, Georgia
Clayton, Georgia
Clayton is a city in Rabun County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,019 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Rabun County and is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains.-History:...
to the Nacoochee
Sautee Nacoochee, Georgia
Sautee Nacoochee is an unincorporated community in White County, Georgia, near Sautee Creek in the Appalachian foothills of northeast Georgia, approximately north of Atlanta...
Valley and became more than just a gold rush town – it served the corundum
Corundum
Corundum is a crystalline form of aluminium oxide with traces of iron, titanium and chromium. It is a rock-forming mineral. It is one of the naturally clear transparent materials, but can have different colors when impurities are present. Transparent specimens are used as gems, called ruby if red...
mines of Tate City. Eventually, the logging industry built a railway to the town so that lumber from the mountains could be transported to the mill in 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:...
. By the early 20th century, the town of Burton had a population of approximately 200, making it the second largest town in Rabun County. In 1917, the Georgia Railway and Electric Company (predecessor of the Georgia Power Company
Georgia Power
Georgia Power is an electric utility headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is the largest of the four electric utilities that are owned and operated by Southern Company....
) purchased the town of Burton and the surrounding homesteads. The dam for Lake Burton was closed on December 22, 1919 and before long the town was submerged.