The Watters District Council for Historic Preservation

FAQ

The Watters District Council hears lots of questions regarding the Watters District area of Floyd County, Georgia. Below are some of the most frequently asked questions, and their answers. If you have a question that's not on this list, contact us! We will do our best to answer you directly, and if we think it's a question others might have, we'll post it here!

How did Shannon get its name?

Shannon was named after a Mr. Shannon, who purchased a 1000 acres from Mr. Watters along the railroad, and built a large sawmill to process and sell the timber growing on the land at that time.
Why was the Shannon Park named Shag Williams Park?

Sharon "Shag" Williams was the founder and first Scout Master of Shannon's BSA Troup #30, which still exists. He and his scouts constructed the first two cabins and assisted the County with the building of the third and present cabin. Shagg was also the football coach at Model High School.
Why was the name "Model" chosen for the school?"

When the State of Georgia decided to get into the public school business in 1901, they constructed six model schools. one in each Congressional District. These were to be the "models" for other schools to go by if and when they were built throughout the State. The model school in this district never adopted a name, so somewhat by default, it became "the Model School".
What does the Monument beneath the flag within Memorial Circle in front of the old Galey & Lord Administration Building represent?

This Monument represents a permanent memorial to the fallen WWII servicemen of, then, Brighton Mill's "Brighton Family". and is promoted as being the first (1946) such monument in the Nation to be erected in remembrance of WWII fallen.
What does ABEI stands for?

ABEI stands for the Association of Brighton Employees Incorporated. Organizations included Choir, Sports, Boy Scouts, etc.
The Republic Mining Company Waterwheel was donated and presently is installed where?

The Waterwheel from Hermitage was donated by the Republic Mining Company to Martha Berry and reconstructed at Berry College's Mountain Campus.
Hermitage was the name selected for his home. Who was he?

Hermitage was the name chosen by one of the area's earliest settlers and large land owners, Col. Joseph Watters. Watters had been under the command of Andrew Jackson, and thinking highly of Jackson, he named this community after the President's home and plantation, "The Hermitage," which is located near Nashville, Tennessee.
The Model Blue Devils started out what color and what mascot?

The Model Blue Devils started out with the color red as the Redskins.
What caused the Bauxite Mining Operation here in Hermitage to close?

The Bauxite Mining Operations in Hermitage closed due to cheaper sources overseas and an 8 year anti-trust lawsuit with the Alcoa Company. The production was reinstated a brief time during WWII and the last shipment from the Hermitage area was in 1943. The last mining and shipments of bauxite from the Hermitage Area was in the late Fifties, early Sixties. Operations then ceased because of the extra expense of having to remove an excessive amount of over-burden.