Stephens County Historical Society
News & Updates
Currahee Military Museum
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2022 History Highlights - All About Looking Back |
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Toccoa Train Trivia -Taking a trip? Toccoa is one of only three Amtrak Passenger Train stops in Georgia. The Southern Crescent runs from New York to New Orleans, with several stops between the two cities.
The Depot loading platform is now beautiful and ADA compliant for all passengers.
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Experience Toccoa Day - No admission fees for local residents with ID. Traditionally speaking it has always been difficult for museums, especially small town museums, to entice the local community to get involved or visit their local museums. Adding to this issue is when the museum is owned and operated by a local non-profit historical society.
Even though this event has not drawn large crowds from Stephens County over the years, the numbers have continued to increase each year. We need your help to encourage your Stephens County Georgia friends and family to visit as our guest on February 11, 2023. More details to be announced later for 2023.
Toccoa Train Day, since the museums are located at the train station, one expects to see some of the depot and train history or train related events when they visit. This year, 2022, did not disappoint. The Historical Society partners with Main Street each year for Train Day, so it was another great day in Toccoa.
Big thanks to the Northeast Georgia N Scale Railroad Club for setting up an elaborate train exhibit in the Mitchell Allen Memorial Hall for visitors for the day to enjoy. Main Street had treats and train rides for the children.
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Tales from Toccoa
May 2022
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Special thanks to the students, Mrs. Shawler, Chick-fil-a, and the volunteers that made this event a success. |
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Here are just a few of the visitors from the past that were here for Tales of Toccoa, this past May. Each year students from Stephens County High School in Mrs. Timmi Shawler's class select a non-profit organization, project, or event to raise funds and awareness in the community. These students are participants in the Chick fil-A Leader Academy.
Chick-fil-A Leader Academy re-imagines high school leadership — engaging students with in-classroom Leader Labs to develop the skills they will use for student-led Community Impact Projects. Impact Through Action.
The depot and museums were fondly invaded by parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts & uncles and classmates of the students. The goal for the group was to encourage our Stephens County residents to visit the museum and become aware of some of the history that has been made here that has had significancant impact in the community as well as around the world.
We had several out of town visitors in the museum that day and were treated to an extra dose of Stephens County history.
Thanks and gratitude to Mrs. Shawler and her talented and caring students creating an awareness of the museum and the importance of preserving our local history.
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The high school historians were joined by three of the historical society's members and volunteers. We were honored to have Robert (Bob) Magee as General Robert Tombs and Kenny Wilson as his great uncle Jimmy Hogsed that trained at Camp Toccoa and fought with the 501st PIR during WWII.
We were also honored to have Mr. Rodney Coleman join in the fun for a day. Coleman is a Lifetime member of the Historical Society and active volunteer at the Camp Toccoa at Currahee site for several years. Coleman is also active the Sons of the American Revolution organization and can often be found in sharing history in the museum and Camp Toccoa.
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Birthday Celebrations for One Hundred
Year Old English Stable was Bitter Sweet
The Aldbourne horse stable, used as military barracks during WWII, celebrated it's 100th birthday in March this year. Due to several set backs we decided to hold off until 2022 Currahee Military Weekend to celebrate this event. We had several people that were involved with the 2004 "Save the Stable" project making plans to attend this event. Keynote speakers Keith Sowerby, the man with the dream, and Chris Anderson with Stephens Ambrose Tours were to share with us why and how saving the sable was so important for Keith and the WWII Toccoa men of 506 PIR Easy and Able Companies.
We have so many people we are grateful for making this a successful project, beginning with the owner of the stable at the time, Mike Steadman and family. When Keith approached Mr. Steadman about the possibility of moving the stable to Toccoa, he listened.
Sadly, Keith passed away in May and was not able to share his story to the CMW attendees this year. Anderson, a life long friend of the Men of Easy Company and the 506th, travel plans were changed due to event conflicts.
We did have the pleasure of having Stephen, Keith's son, here to share his Father's story with our banquet guests.
Keith, born in 1935 was a young boy living in England when the war broke out in Europe. He was old enough to have personally experienced the horrors of war, fear and confusion. But in the end there were celebrations in several countries, villages and towns of all sizes around the globe. It is true, at first, the British were not too keen on having so many American Soldiers "invading" their homeland prior to D-Day. However, it seemed all was forgotten once it was realized the Americans were making a positive impact toward ending the war.
After Sowerby and family moved to Aldbourne and discovered the history of the 101st Airborne Division's Headquarters, approximately 10,000 soldiers, being in the area where he lived as well as the fact some actually lived so close to his house, in the horse stables, before and after D-Day he didn't want that history to be forgotten. So with great success the stables are now part of Currahee Exhibit Hall in the museum in Toccoa.
The Historical Society and Currahee Military Museum will be forever grateful to Keith Sowerby, his son Stephen, Tim Greene, Sam McCallum and the owner of the stable, Mike Steadman. Also, gratitude to Will Gildner and the Mississippi Air National Guard. Thanks as well to everyone that had a part in making the stables' transition of Aldbourne England to Toccoa Georgia in 2004 a reality.
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Farewell to Historical Society Board Members Ray Ward
and Dan Merck
If you have been to any of the Historical Society's events or visited the museum a couple of times, chances are you met Ray while you were here. If you met him, you won't forget him. Certainly, one of a kind, Ray has been synonymous with Stephens County's local, Native American, and military history most of his life. He was the "go to" guy if you needed any information about the county. To say he will be missed is an understatement.
Ray was a Charter Member of the Historical Society and The Camp Toccoa at Currahee Project, having served several terms as President or Vice President.
As his obituary reads you will see he has severed the county in several capacities, always working to make things better for our community.
Ray was a big part of the driving force to move the museum downtown in 2005 and at the same time build the expansions. He was very proud of the museum and the growth we continue to experience. After his children and grandchildren it is safe to say the museum was one of his proudest accomplishments. Ray Ward will be missed. Thank you for years of service and devotion to making Stephens County a better place. Rest in Peace
Ray Curtis Ward
November 8, 2022
Mr. Ray Curtis Ward, age 89, of Toccoa, passed away Tuesday, November 8, 2022 at Stephens County Hospital.
Born on May 2, 1933 in Toccoa, he was the son of the late Buren and Marie Ward.
Mr. Ward was a dairy farmer and a member of Glad Tidings Assembly of God. He served as President of the Stephens County Farm Bureau, President of the Stephens County Historical Society, and Chairman of the Stephens County Land-Use Committee. He was a member of the Board of Directors for the Stephens County Division of Family and Children Services, was instrumental in the establishment of the Old Tugaloo Town Historical Marker, and was a Stephens County Farm Bureau Hall of Fame Award recipient. Mr. Ward was a United States Army Veteran and an honorary member of the 506th Infantry Regiment.
Family members include daughter and son-in-law Melissa and Malcolm Fry, Jr. of Toccoa; daughter LaRae Ward and Joel Johnson of Toccoa; grandchildren, Kimberly and Dr. Apurva Shah of Alpharetta, GA, Malcolm Fry, III of Denver, CO; Caroline Fry of Alpharetta GA; great-grandchildren, Landon and Liam Shah of Alpharetta; and longtime, loving friend and companion Patricia Fleming of Clarkesville, GA
He was preceded in death by his wife, Charlotte Fricks Ward.
The family will receive friends at the mortuary from 12:00 pm until the service hour Saturday, November 12, 2022.
A Memorial Service will be held at two o’clock Saturday, November 12, 2022 from the Chapel of Whitlock Mortuary with Mrs. Cynthia Brown officiating.
Military honors will be provided by the United States Army.
Whitlock Mortuary, Funerals and Cremations is honored to be serving the family of Mr. Ray Curtis Ward.
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Shopping Dan or Gopher Dan as he was affectionally known by several of the volunteers, was always ready to help whomever, wherever or whenever needed.
One of Dan's many contributions to the historical society was he was one the "readers" that would read and review new books that authors have contacted the office about selling in the gift shop. Dan loved books and he love to read, so his opinion was very important in making the decision whether the HS carry the book in the gift shop or not. There are so many books available, so it is impossible to carry them all, thanks to Dan for helping to make those decisions a little easier.
"I can't type you a letter, but I sure that take it to the post office for you" was often his reply when asked to do certain things. Dan was a very caring man and loved his family very much, our condolences to his sons John and Kelley. Dan will be missed.
Mr. Daniel “Dan” Allen Merck, age 83 of Skyline Drive, Toccoa passed away Monday, August 1, 2022 at his residence.
A son of the late John Merck and Fritz Fricks Merck, he was born September 2, 1938 in Stephens County, Georgia where he lived all his life. He was a 1956 graduate of Toccoa High School and a graduate of Southern Tech. He was retired from State of Georgia Department of Transportation as a surveyor with 34 years of service. He was a member of the Georgia National Guard, Air Defense Artillery and a member Carnes Creek Baptist Church. Over the years, he had taught many Hunter Safety Courses in Stephens County. He was member and past President of the Stephens County Historical Society. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Mille Fricks Merck, by his second wife, Sara Ruth Moore Merck, by a brother, Quinton Merck and by a sister, Francis Jordan.
Survivors include two sons and daughter-in-law, John and Jennifer Merck of Jefferson, Georgia and Kelly Merck of Buford, Georgia; grandson, Kyle Burke; great-grandson, Jansen Rotondi; brother, Milton Merck of Toccoa.
Funeral services will be Thursday, August 4, 2022, 2 o’clock p.m. in the Hillcrest Chapel of the Acree-Davis Funeral Home with The Reverend Jason Defoor officiating. The following gentlemen will serve as pallbearers, Dan Merck, Kyle Burke, Jansen Rotondi, Bill Bunch, Jonathan Merck, Clayton Rider and Evan Rider.
The family will receive friends at the Acree-Davis Funeral Home on Wednesday, 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.acree-davisfh.com
Interment will follow in the Chauga Baptist Church Cemetery, Westminster, South Carolina with Military Honors by the V.F.W. Post 4346 Honor Guard.
Acree-Davis Funeral Home and Crematory is in charge of the arrangements for Mr. Daniel “Dan” Allen Merck.
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History is the Key to our Past and our Future
Stephens County Historical Society
Preserving, Protecting, and Promoting our History.
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From President ~ Dale Moseley
As the year 2022 winds down, we begin preparing for 2023. This past year has been another year of uncertainty, but it was off to a much better start then the previous two years, but then we were hit with another wave of Covid cases in Georgia. Soon followed by astronomical high gas prices as well as price increases for almost everything! This did affect the number of visitors to the museum, but it has begun to pick back up.
The Historical Society and museums had several events through out the year. Many of them included our local and military history. Please take a look at the newsletter for more information. If you would like to become a volunteer for the museum, please contact Brenda Carlan for more information.
Beginning with fall in September we continue to enjoy our favorite football teams and the beautiful trees changing to their magnificent colors. This is also a favorite time for the Historical Society Volunteers as we put the final touches for Currahee Military Weekend the first weekend in October. Once again there were challenges we could not control, but we did the best we could in the aftermath of Florida being hit hard by Hurricane Ian and then threatening Georgia and the rest of the states along the East Coast during the weekend.
To the Board of Directors and members, I want to thank each of you for your dedication to our history of Toccoa and Stephens County.
We express our sincere gratitude and sympathy to the families of Board members, Dan Merck and Ray Ward. Both of these men have devoted years of their time to the historical society and other non-profits in the county. Both of the men served as officer positions and were always available when needed as a tour guide or other areas of the museum.
Again, I express to you that our history is so important and we must continue to share with our families of friends. Dale Moseley, President
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Building Stronger Communities As the holiday season draws nearer, so does the end of the year and tax time. Several of you may be considering a way for your businesses or as an individual can give back to your communities, such as volunteering or through charitable contributions. Your time or monetary gift is an act of kindness that benefits the community and builds goodwill.
One may ask, "How does donating to a small town non-profit historical society or museum help the community?" The answer to this often surprises people. Since our museums feature local history and history for visitors from around the world, that is who visits. Many of our guest often spend the night(s) in Toccoa, visit other tourist sites in the area, eat in our restaurants and yes, buy gasoline, and they even shop locally. While many of them only pay the admissions fee to the museum, they spend an average of $200 for two people for one overnight stay in Toccoa. This is a win-win for everyone.
If you are interested in sponsoring one of the Historical Societies event during the year, give us a call.
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2023 Time to Shine Now Includes all first responders. If you would like to have your family member included in next year's Veteran's parade please contact the office for more information. In 2021 the Historical Society wanted a way to honor any veteran or active military family member and now first responders each year in the Veteran's Parade. This is now possible with a large two-sided poster to be carried in the parade by a family member or volunteer. The HS is accepting a $100 donation to design and print a photo on 18" x 24" durable poster to be used each year during Currrahee Military Weekend. The Donor may keep the poster or leave it at the Historical Society to be carried in the next year's parade. Questions? please call 706-282-5055. Deadline to order is August 1, 2023. Orders may be placed on the website, telephone, or come by the office.
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Photo Courteously of Lightbound Studios
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2023 Dates to Remember
January 20th 1st Quarterly Dinner and Meeting
Dinner at 6pm and Meeting/Program at 7pm
February 11th Experience Toccoa Day - No admission fee for Stephens County residents with identification.
May 6th Toccoa Train Day - Outstanding Train and Railway Exhibit in the Mitchell Allen Memorial Hall.
Blue Star Museums - free admission for active military, their spouses and minor children. Military ID required. Check back for 2023 Dates TBA later
September 17th, Smithsonian Day https://www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday
October 5,6,7,8, 2023 Currahee Military Weekend - Book Signing, Veterans Parade, "Your Time to Shine", Currahee Banquet, Remember & Honor Ceremony, Currahee Challenge. More details TBA later.
October 7th "Your Time to Shine" You can register your favorite Veteran, Active Military, Public Service, or First Responders online to be featured in the Veterans Parade. Click the following link to learn more about this offer and to register your pubic service family member or friend. Your donation of $100 for a 18" X 24" poster to recognize your loved one for years to come.
Left Photo: We were excited to have Camp Toccoa Man, Jim "Pee Wee" Martin's family here for Currahee Military Weekend and to proudly carry Time to Shine poster of "Pee Wee" in the Veteran's Parade. Photo Courteously of Lightbound Studios, Austin Poffenberger
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Old Railroad Building Gets New Look for 2023 |
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The railroad building has done some traveling around the county in previous years and was returned back to the depot in 2006. This was during the depot restoration and and the new building for museum Currahee Exhibit Hall & Loden Exhibit Hall. |
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Museum and Office Hours
Monday thru Saturday 10am to 4pm
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