The Etowah District
	The district was formed in 2002 when Dawson and Forsyth counties from the Mountain district and Lumpkin county from Chattahoochee district joined together. District Facts: Total Units: 60* Total Youth members: 2,823 Total Adults members: 597 Total Area: 724.2 square miles 2000 population: 135,422 *Year end 2003, includes all Scouting programs.

What does "Etowah" (ET-uh-wah) mean?

• It was the name of one or more Cherokee settlements. One, which existed until the Removal of 1838, was upon the Etowah River, about where the present Hightower is located in Forsyth County Georgia. Another may have been on Hightowner Creek in Hiawassee River in Towns County Georgia. The name Itawa or Italwa, commonly written Etowah and corrupted to Hightower, cannot be translated and seems not to be of Cherokee origin.
• It is the name of a former Cherokee settlement near the head of the Etowah River in Georgia. The Cherokees regard this a foreign name, and its occurrence in upper Georgia as well as central Alabama, may help to support the tradition that the southern Cherokee border was formally held by Creeks.
• portions of the above from "History, Myths, and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees", by James Mooney

Etowah River
The Etowah lies in the heart of the "gold country" - part of the river actually goes through a tunnel once used to divert the waters for the mining of the river bed. Large hemlocks, beautiful rock cliffs, and mountain laurel are just some of the treasures to be found on the scenic River.

Rising in the Blue Ridge Mountains in near Dahlonega in North Georgia and flowing 135 to 150 miles (depending upon the source) southwest to Rome, Georgia, the Etowah joins the Oostanaula River to form the Coosa.

While there is some development on the upper Etowah, the river is quite scenic in most stretches. It is ideal for beginning canoeists, families, and organized groups who want to run a brisk mountain river and also be close to the scenic and historical attractions of Dahlonega. A 12-mile stretch can be canoed in one day of steady paddling or two leisurely days. (Those opting for the two-day version can break the trip at Castleberry Bridge and camp at the nearby Blackburn Park 1.3 miles south of Auraria on GA 9E or go into Dahlonega 7 miles south on 9E.) There are a couple Class II rapids in Lumpkin County, but the rest of the river is relatively tame. Downstream of the GA 9/19 Bridge (west of Dahlonega) lies Etowah Falls, a ten-foot drop that EVERYONE should portage. The canoeist must land on the rocks on the right bank and portage over or around the falls. Thrill-seekers might also want to try canoeing the old mine tunnel (about 7 feet in diameter and about .2 mile long) near Blackburn Park, but only at moderate water levels and only if you can see light at the end of the tunnel. The tunnel is great fun, but be careful!

Dawson County
Dawson County was created by a legislative Act on December 3, 1857, primarily out of Lumpkin County and small parts of Gilmer, Pickens and Forsyth counties. The county was name for William C. Dawson, who served in Congress from 1836 to 1842 and in the U.S. Senate from 1849 until 1855.

One of the major attraction in Dawson is the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area. This 23,979 acre tract offers space for public hunting, horseback riding, fishing, and camping. It also features the beautiful Amicalola and Etowah Rivers. For more information call the Game Management Division of the Wildlife Resources Office at 770 535-5700.
 

Dawson County Facts:
Total Area: 213.9 square miles
2000 population: 15,999
County Seat: Dawsonville
 

Forsyth County
Established in 1832, the county was named to honor John Forsyth who had served as the Attorney General of Georgia in 1808, in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, as U.S. Minister to Spain, and had just finished a term as governor of Georgia. Two years later he began his service as Secretary of State under presidents Jackson and Van Buren. Forsyth never set foot within the county's borders.
Several Indian archaeological sites are located within Forsyth County. An Indian mound and village are located on Settendown Creek near the mouth of the Etowah River. Another Indian village is located near Sawnee Mountain on Big Creek.
 

Forsyth County Facts:
Total Area: 225.8 square miles
2000 population: 98,407
County Seat: Cumming
 

Lumpkin County
In 1828, it is said that Benjamin Parks was deer hunting and overturned a rock laced with gold. Parks' discovery led to the first major gold rush in the U. S. and created overnight the boom town of Auraria, with a population of 10,000 by 1832. The first known Confederate soldier wounded in the battle of Manassas, N. C. Tankesley, was from Auraria, and the Russell brothers founded the first settlement at the present site of Denver, Colorado, and named it Auraria in honor of their home town. But today Auraria is a ghost town with only a few buildings and a handful of people remaining. In 1832 Lumpkin County, named after then Georgia Governor Wilson Lumpkin, was organized by an Act of the Georgia Legislature. In 1833, Dahlonega was named the county seat. Soon after, John C. Calhoun, former U. S. Vice President and U. S. Senator from South Carolina, bought the Calhoun Mines in Lumpkin County. In 1838, the Cherokee were forced by the U. S. Government to leave their beloved mountain land for the reservations in Oklahoma. Some 4,000 Cherokees died during this "Trail of Tears."
 

The county offers canoeing, hunting, fishing, camping, hiking on the Appalachian Trail, and panning for gold.
 

Lumpkin County Facts:
Total Area: 284.5 square miles
2000 population: 21,016
County Seat: Dahlonega