#bollweevils

(via Jaded in Chicago)

So, it’s not a Confederate monument, exactly, and (as with just about everything) I stumbled on this absolutely by accident, but it’s still one of my favorite old-town memorials I’ve encountered so far. Funny thing is, it *DOES* have its roots in the fallout of the Civil War, if we’re to let ourselves be somewhat roundabout and tenuous with it. Cornelia didn’t even exist in 1860 – its Habersham County was, at the time, a relatively large territory with some decent diversity of terrain, and what would become Cornelia was in some of its most mountainous and hidden bits. Likewise, agriculture wasn’t as monocultural as in other parts of Georgia, but the county still relied heavily on cotton production, and clung to that for decades after the Civil War. Further diversification was finally spurred by Federal policy in the nineteen teens, resulting in, in particular, an upshot in apple production. The move away from cotton came right in time to save the county from economic devestation in the twenties, when boll weevils wiped out Georgia’s cotton crop. The thankful townfolk, good Christian folk all, decide to show their gratitude by erecting the image of a Crimson Fruit, to praise and give thanks to at annual county arts festivals and 5k races. It was up by 1926, and weighs 5,200 pounds (which I’m told is two and half tons but who the hell knows), since it’s made out of concrete and steel. The Lord to this day has smote no-one in retribution, but He did dam up the Tallulah River, which if we’re to be honest was probably worse. GeorgiaToGeorgiaAgain.Wordpress.com #TheSouth #Georgia #Cornelia #Monuments #Apples! #bollweevils? #GeorgiatoGeorgia #SomeMemorial

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